I agree with Bob on the support. You could use a little bit more especially when the melody jumps in your 2nd demo. Support would help the pitch on those higher notes some if them are a little flat and then you do get to pitch while holding the note. Good brightness to the tone and nice bridging in the higher sections. Working on support would really knock these out of the park.
This sounds really good. Nice support, good pitch, good tone.
One thing you should improve would be the quick breaths you are taking should not be so obvious. You need to sneak those breaths, but they sound very close to the microphone. Also, there are a couple of high head voice notes that would sound a little more beefy if you added a little more of a timbral sound.
ok this is my try at Heaven by Bryan Adams. needs lots of work... what are some good points and of course tackle the bad. thx for your feed back
Pros: Overall your voice is pretty good and pleasant to listen to, no obvious straining or basic mistakes.
Cons:
- The audio quality was flat out horrible, that's the biggest one.
- As for the singing I felt you were too nasal/whiny sounding, especially for this song. Bryan Adams has a pretty masculine, balls to the walls kind of voice. Try bringing the sound a bit away from the forward, pharyngeal placement and make it a bit warmer+rounder (while still keeping it bright). - Pitch was pretty decent but not perfect, you sounded flat at times - hard to hear though because of the aforementioned audio quality.
- Not necessarily a con, but I think you shied away from the bridge part which has some higher notes, if I remember the song correctly?
Hope you don't take offense to the bluntness of my feedback, I just think sugar-coating things is a waste of time. Also even though I only listed 1-2 pros, they are pretty essential ones and cover many things that you are doing right overall.
thx for the feedback and no offense taken if i don't hear it i don't learn... yea sorry about the audio quality only used one computer. makes a crappy sound to much work on the computer. i'll be sure and grab the wifes computer to play the song next time i demo any songs. as for that nasal/whinny sound thats something i hate i've had that for a long time. i'll try placing it forward as you suggest. i did hear the flat spots some of it i did lose support or just quit to soon. bryan adams doesn't sing to high so i'll be spending some time with him. i'd really like to sing that micheal bolton song "how am i supposed to live without you. but even though i can hit a c5 chest with some effort its just not there yet get out a a#4 singing out loud. thats another time different story. i'll take some more time to get the pitch and quality of singing down.
I also sing the song "God Bless the USA", and also sing it at a VFW post periodically. It IS a song that stirs emotion, both in the singer and in the audience. I, too, have had everyone stand up and put their hands over their hearts as the song is performed. To have a room full of veterans pay that kind of respect and honor makes you really pour your heart into the song! It's humbling and gratifying.
The song always gets a ROAR of applause and cheers.
I would like for you to brighten your tone. Try smiling more into the sound, and give us less lips and more teeth.
You are rounding your vowels with rounded lips, which tends to darken the sound. Try to make a more timbral sound. More support, especially on the ending, would also help out.
Your pitch is good. I'm looking for a brighter tone, and more support. A little more "It's the LAH!!! AH!!!!".
@guitar maniac. There is too much jaw movement going on and it sounds quite airy you need to cut back the air and use more support. 'I can see the warning signs' you are closing down warning too much sing it more w'O' n'eh'n and use the Aa vowel for I and signs and go into the the from the O vowel to uh quickly so you don't get caught slamming an uh sound.
cheers fro the replies will look into brightening up sound and adding more support, and the oasis version is quite light/ airy so maybe i was copying that
do you think it was an improvement from my last attempt tho
There are differences in the two versions. Actually in the previous version you sound a little more free and relaxed, but your guitar is out of tune and that makes a bad backdrop for your voice.
Along with the suggestion that you record the guitar separately, you should consider getting an inexpensive tuner and always using it before you record. In the newer recording the guitar is more in tune, but still out a skoshe, and again that works against you when asking for an evaluation.
Most of the criticisms of your newer recording have to do with slightly overdoing the jaw and consonants. That is a common step in finding improvement in your vocal performance. We all tend to overcorrect as we try to zero in on the proper application of our new techniques. This is the part where we ask you to move back closer to center on the jaw and the consonants. You are doing a good job of working through the steps to improving your voice. Try to make it sound and feel just a little more natural, and it will gradually become just that.
Regarding your new demo: I'm not sure if it's just because you've chosen a tune that is so well-suited to your voice, but in my opinion, this is your best work so far.
The tone in your voice is really starting to jell into something that is very pleasant to listen to.
Remember when I was telling you some of your demos were hard to listen to? You've turned that completely around!! You miss the pitch a bit at 0:56 on "everybody" but that is a minor nit-pick. Overall, you are to be congratulated for working so hard and improving so much, even in the face of many critiques that may have been a little harsh. Your pitch is improving and becoming much more accurate as you continue to work your voice and take your evaluations seriously.
Everyone, please join me in applauding marc for his perseverance and steadfastness. He knows what he wants and he has the guts to keep working and working.... and it's working!!!
Yeah I agree that was a very pleasant listening experience Marc! I think this is much more your genre than the whole Rocky 80s rock.
My only critique is to work on enunciation in the higher parts of the song. I'm not sure if it's because you are struggling with the pitch, but it gives that impression when you're not getting out intelligible words.
But in any case things are definitely starting to come together for you, so keep truckin.
I don't think it is because i'm struggling with the pitch i think it is just that i am still trying to find the middle ground between over enunciation and not enough.
Yes, @marc, you are still overcorrecting by underenunciating consonants. You need to move a little to the right, back towards the consonants. Ironically, the underenunciation has helped you to attain the musicality in your voice. Now the trick is to move just enough consonant back in so that it's less difficult than it is now to understand your words, but while still retaining the sustained, vowel-dominant vocalization you are now centered in.
The difference is subtle, and prone to overcorrection. You are so close. Just a bit more consonant and you'll have it. Not too much!
On the highest part where the lyric goes "So little time, try to understand that I'm", is where I mean in particular. I couldn't make out a single word when I heard it and hadn't googled the lyrics.
Hey Guys - posted this with Bob last week and he gave me some great feedback. Would also like to know what you all think. I've been on KTVA for a little over a month, and if I'm being honest, I haven't been able to put in as much time as I would have liked. Having said that, I plan to up my efforts. I HAVE, however, noticed a drastic improvement to my clarity, support, and range. The songh below was recorded with an Ipad using GarageBand. no microphone either - just straight into the Ipad's mic AND I had no lyric sheet or chord chart for this - just a piano and a title and the Lord did the rest. Thanks for listening. The entire album can be downloaded FREE at www.noisetrade.com/bartimaeus.
Hey - I think you have a cool vibe going there. I'm no expert by any means, but I was kinda waiting for you to open it up and go somewhere else vocally. The vocal harmonies on the chorus did add something to it. I understand the style of the song wa smore of an acoustic vibe so turning loose vocally might not have been what you wanted to do. From what I heard, it sounded alot like the way I was singing about 10 years ago (although your pitch and range is better than what I had back then). From what I've been learning with KTVA, it sounds like there's a need for better support and I bet if you "smiled" into alot of those phrases you'd brighten up the tone alot more. Lastly, some of the tone seems a bit "closed down" and slightly muddled. The above techniques would certainly help with that. BTW - I check out your song "Callous" and it's got much more personality and I like the slight grit - reminded me a little of Sully Erna from Godsmack (good thing in my oinion).
All that being said, you're definitely way more ahead of the curve then I was so keep working at it. I assume you wanted some critique so that's what I tried to offer (both positive and critical). Most importantly, keep making music bro! - keep learning and taking in what people tell you. I say to take it in, but that doesn't mean it has to change you or your style. Take in only what will help you improve. Stay Classy!
looks like i may have inadvertantly flagged the @overdriveisclassy - honestly did not intend to so please disregard that. Was trying to see why it was flagged. Really did not mean to
You may need to click on the little gear in the corner in soundcloud and select "soundcloud classic" or whatever it is called that gets you back to the old version.
That's what I have to do when a soundcloud file won't play for me.
Hey - I think you have a cool vibe going there. I'm no expert by any means, but I was kinda waiting for you to open it up and go somewhere else vocally. The vocal harmonies on the chorus did add something to it. I understand the style of the song wa smore of an acoustic vibe so turning loose vocally might not have been what you wanted to do. From what I heard, it sounded alot like the way I was singing about 10 years ago (although your pitch and range is better than what I had back then). From what I've been learning with KTVA, it sounds like there's a need for better support and I bet if you "smiled" into alot of those phrases you'd brighten up the tone alot more. Lastly, some of the tone seems a bit "closed down" and slightly muddled. The above techniques would certainly help with that. BTW - I check out your song "Callous" and it's got much more personality and I like the slight grit - reminded me a little of Sully Erna from Godsmack (good thing in my oinion).
All that being said, you're definitely way more ahead of the curve then I was so keep working at it. I assume you wanted some critique so that's what I tried to offer (both positive and critical). Most importantly, keep making music bro! - keep learning and taking in what people tell you. I say to take it in, but that doesn't mean it has to change you or your style. Take in only what will help you improve. Stay Classy!
Thanks Matt, I appreciate the constructive criticism, and was pleasantly surprised that you also stumbled upon Callous and liked it. I agree that I think support has always been a major problem of mine that I am still trying to remedy with Ken's "Ha Ha Ha" exercise.
@marc - Bob is right. It's an older (last week) SoundCloud file. If you're still having trouble with it, lemme know and I can inbox you my email address.
@overdriveisclassy - You're very welcome. In regard to support, I've been thinking of my diaphragm almost like an accordian that helps me push the sound upward and outward. It's a mental thing that helps me - so does the open throat techniques I'm learning
Yes, Cinema, you do this one quite well. It's well-suited to your voice, the music is at a good level to get a good glimpse of your voice... Some of your demos hide your voice under the music too much for my earvaluations.
If I want to hear the music louder, I just crank the whole thing up in my headphones and it rocks just fine.
In this tune, there is much less competition for your voice from the rest of the mix.
Hi everyone,
I started the KTVA about two months ago. I'm just starting to get into volume 2. I posted a clip on soundcloud and I'd really appreciate any pointers you can give me. Let me know if I posted in the wrong area.
Thanks,
Randy
I will give you one of the most frequent pointers I give all singers: You will benefit a lot by increasing your support. You have a good voice, but growing your support will work magic on it all the way around.
It would also be a good idea, if you like, to record and post some Lah exercises. That is a standard by which we can compare you doing some basics and we can give you some feedback based on your performance of those standards.
That's sort of a litmus test so we can see where you are at this phase of your development.
Thanks for posting. Hoping to hear more from you soon.
I will give you one of the most frequent pointers I give all singers: You will benefit a lot by increasing your support. You have a good voice, but growing your support will work magic on it all the way around.
It would also be a good idea, if you like, to record and post some Lah exercises. That is a standard by which we can compare you doing some basics and we can give you some feedback based on your performance of those standards.
That's sort of a litmus test so we can see where you are at this phase of your development.
Thanks for posting. Hoping to hear more from you soon.
Bob
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the input. I tried recording the Laa exercise and I've posted the link. I never recorded it before and I am quite embarrassed by how off it is. I've been practicing nearly every morning for the past 6 weeks. Never thought to record my exercises. Hope you can give me some much needed pointers.
@mrspag you are using vowel modifications before they are needed stick too a real bright Ah sound for as long as you can until you feel it start to kind of pull and you feel like you need to go to the loft modification.
@cgreen: thanks for that feedback. i'll discuss this with the band and the engineer. @highmtn and @ken tamplin, would like your inputs/suggestions too.
Yes, @vikshut, your vocals are buried in the mix. I can hear that you are on pitch and your voice is strong, but the vocals should be prominent. The rhythm guitar parts are filling up all the space in the music, even burying the lead guitar/synth parts.
There is only so much room in an audio mix for everything that is going to be present there, and it is a matter of priorities as to what sits back in the mix and what is forward like a monster in your face, or in this case, a Monster in Your Head. Once the mix is filled to capacity, there is nothing more that can be added.
Actually, to have a tasteful mix, there needs to be even more room to breathe thanthat when it's all said and done. A very important part of music is space, rests, stops, and occasional silence. Certainly dynamics and changes are also part of good musical compositions.
To accomplish this, you start with the vocals drums and bass, and add fill instruments only to the point that they do not compete with the vocals and lead instruments. Variations on this can make a mix sound more or less instrumental-dominant, but not at the expense of the lead vocals.
That said, you don't want the instrumental tracks to sound wimpy, either, but that is the opposite of what is happening here.
Compare this mix to mixes of the bands you want to sound like. Can you understand the lyrics or are they buried under the music?
Your band is good, but everybody needs to be seeking a professional final product, and most listeners are most interested in understanding the lyrics and clearly hearing the lead vocals and hearing the lead instruments during the instrumental solos.
Mixing is an art form, and as such is subject to the ear of the beholder. We are all entitled to our own viewpoints on this. As a group, your band depends on your vocals to get the message of your songs across to your listeners, and you depend on them to support you with their chops on their axes. It's a mutual thing, and they should be happy to have your vocals applied in the mix with strength and power.
Your producer and engineer should be taking command of this result and making that happen for the sake of the group overall. Your success depends on it.
@highmtn, your inputs are very valuable! This is our first recording experience as a band so we need all the inputs we need to get better and better..thanks a lot!!
Yes, you have improved. I would like to hear your voice better in the mix on the first and third tunes.
It sounds just right on For the First Time. And quite good. You have a good upper mid vocal going on there.
I like the sound. You're supporting well, and the tone is great on For the First Time. You're compressed and buried in the mix too much on the other two. The harmonies sound a little like the Beach Boys, which I mean as a compliment.
Nice consistency to your voice, nice overall style on the playing and singing. You're quite the good recordist/producer. I'm liking what you're doing. Keep doing what you're doing. The more you do, the more good you will do and the more you will improve.
Nice consistency to your voice, nice overall style on the playing and singing. You're quite the good recordist/producer. I'm liking what you're doing. Keep doing what you're doing. The more you do, the more good you will do and the more you will improve.
Thank you, I don't listen that much to the Beach Boys, but I do admire them for their contribution to the so-called popular music.
Re the presence of the vocal tracks in the mix - "For the First Time" is a well-mixed demo, the other tracks are either live or recorded using portable devices, hence the quality. I agree, the vocals must be more in the foreground rather than 'drowned' by all other sound.
More importantly - as far as singing is concerned, my first and foremost aim was to 1) access my higher mid-voice, then: 2) strengthen it, and finally 3) make it flexible - now I'm working towards the 3rd objective.
By the 'higher mid-voice' I mean the part of the vocal range starting right above my (ex?) vocal break (up to Bb4). I'm not really a fan of really high-pitched singing, e.g. above B4, but I quite respect people that are able to do this.
You seem to be right on track towards your objectives.
My comparison to the sound of the Beach Boys with regard to the harmonies had mostly to do with the fact that the Beach Boys were admired AND popular for the overall pleasant sound of their harmonies.
Just because there are many overdubbed vocals does not necessarily create an appealing sound. In your case, as with the Beach Boys, Queen, the Beatles, and more, the sound is enjoyable. The aforementioned groups, at least on their recordings, accomplished their final products through multitracking. In fact, all of them were pioneers in the craft of multiple vocal and instrumental tracks when the process was still in a more experimental stage.
Hello guys =D Been doing course for 5 months now. This week a started Volume 3. Starting to work on songs (pitch is main problem) and on some distortion. There is demo of few things - part of LAH exercise from Volume 3 that goes to A5 - toogle between clean and distortion on some random note - and some short phrases from songs. I did ssinging after a full chest Volume 3 workout so i could be kinda tired after that (its hard workout =D ). Sorry for bad english =P
it sounds nasal because you are squeezing your throat/vocal folds into oblivion. In my opinion you need to go back to basics and find yourself a much more relaxed resonant sound around the C4 area. Once you've got that under control you can start to apply it to the rest of your range.
So i have too much cord close and need to relax this closer more? My throat doesnt feel "bad" or smt but i was always thought that i oversing staff - looks like i need to go volume 1 again for few weeks and relearn to sing with minimum tension =/ Thank ya =D
Btw can this overcompressing the cords be the result of "tired state"? Like the body is tired and need to rest a bit but you keeping singin and singing and singing - and so the only way to produce the high notes is to sqeeze the hell out of em?
I probably wouldn't use the phrase "too much cord closure" in this regard, but rather over-compression, as you say yourself, is very apt. Being tired would probably accentuate it, but I doubt that's the heart of your problem. It's most obvious in the soundbites of you singing the songs, and my guess is that you are a rock guy who's used to trying to copy that high pitched Robert Plant kind of wail, as well as other stuff in that vein.
What I would invite you to do is go look at some classic opera (youtube Pavarotti/Carreras/Bocelli/Bjorling etc.) or some male tenor parts from broadway musicals. The common denominator there is the emphasis on a very clean, free flowing & resonant tone, which in my opinion is crucial as a base for any type of singing. Regardless of genre.
I think it's pretty much the same thing Ken wants to say with his "It's the lah, ah" mantra.
This is to compare - first phrase is from previos sqeezed demo - and second same phrase is from today morning. Is there any difference in good or bad direction? Thank you.
Thanks. I think i got the physycal feelings of both sqeezed version and the different one. Just sometimes i think i sing not that powerful and start to compress and squeeze cords. I will avoid squeezed and kinda dont rude out voice. Btw this second version was recorded withot warm up just straight up in the morning XD
Compressing and squeezing will take away power, not make it sound more powerful. A big powerful sound comes first and foremost from resonance and air support.
Compression is a vocal effect that can be used beneficially in rock, but it's not the basis of good singing in itself imo. Squeezing is always a big nono.
first song at 1.11 i cant understand what you are singing i think like me in some places you could have better diction (i know it is harder for you as english isn't your 1st language). At 2 minutes in your second song you go out of pitch coz you try to go from an ooh vowel straight to an Ah vowel i think you could go ooh to uh as in how we sing love coming in from the O vowel keep the vocal tract the same to avoide pitch issues I hope you understand the bit i am referring to this isn't easy coz i don't speak the language but the singy bit that you repeat through out the song is very pitchy. .57 song three pitchy again you are slamming the uh vowel and the the E i think. Infact slamming the uh sound to me seems to be a recurring theme through out all 4 songs i thing you should probably work on that and keeping vocal tract the same.
This tune is requiring more support than you are applying. It will take a lot of strength to maintain it throughout the song. This one won't work without monster support.
The guitar is slightly out of tune, which makes a slightly unpleasant background throughout the clip.
You are needing more support to pull this tune off. It's sounding out of your range, as you aren't supporting the notes enough that you are attempting. You need to concentrate on your voice, so if you aren't already, I would suggest (again?) that you record the guitar first (using a tuner before beginning to record) and sing along to the pre-recorded guitar track, paying close attention to your voice, and mixing the voice predominantly above the level of the guitar track.
On the chorus, your pitch is drifting significantly off-target. Have you followed-through on the Basic Pitch program? It's free with your Volume One status, and you need to work on solidifying your tendency to drift pitch-wise if you want to make the progress you need to make. Go to the category Better Tone and Pitch and find the link and the password.
Pitch is vital. People do not want to listen to guitars that are out of tune or voices that do not match the pitch of the song. You can do this. Take the time and apply the effort. You will amaze yourself.
No time like the present to give yourself the gift of great pitch!
thanks @highmtn, sorry for keeping posting these with guitar, but i just find it easier to record with as i dont have recording software and don't know where to find backing tracks to songs. Will take a look at basic pitch program. one question, what do you mean by support? I have just done vol 1. I'm pretty sure i breath from diaphragm. Is there anything else i need to be doing?? i also do not own guitar tuner at the moment, sorry.
This tune is requiring more support than you are applying. It will take a lot of strength to maintain it throughout the song. This one won't work without monster support.
This one is a toughie!
Bob
Thanks Bob. Should I do the 'Ha' Exercise every day in sets of 3 for fast improvement, along with the rest of the workout?
It will be difficult for you to sing on pitch with an improperly-tuned guitar. The fact that your guitar is out of tune on most of your demos is indicative that you need to focus on pitch. If you can't tune your guitar, or tell that it is out of tune, then how can you be expected to tune your voice?
This can be learned, but the first step in solving any problem is to identify it and acknowledge it so that you can take steps to correct it. A few weeks ago, Guitar Center had a sale, electronic guitar tuners for $4.99 - That is a reasonable investment to get you on your way. I bought a really good one for $29.95 about a month ago. Works like a charm.
When my band is about to start a tune, and somebody strums a chord and I hear a string that isn't right, I stop the train and make them tune up before we start a trainwreck. There isn't much that is more unpleasant than listening to a band play an entire song out of tune, or worse yet, an entire set. How a drummer can hear this but the guitarist not, is something that is hard for me to understand, but it's a common thing for me to hear what a guitarist overlooks. Likewise, listening to someone sing a song when they are lost with regard to pitch is also a difficult experience for an audience. I know, our band sometimes hosts "Jam Night", and we have to slog our way through whatever lack of pitch or rhythm anybody who gets on stage with us has to offer. We are gracious about it, but sometimes it is painful. Many of these individuals have no idea that they are completely out-of-key or Off-pitch. They don't know that the audience is horrified.
This is a weakness that can be turned into a strength. If it is not dealt with, there will continue to be problems. There is no point in ignoring pitch problems if you really want to learn how to sing better. It's the MOST IMPORTANT THING. You have to stop and fix it if it's broken.
Nobody has truly perfect pitch, even though that is a term that describes singers and musicians that know specific pitches from memory, without the aid of a piano or tuner. But we all need pitch that is reliable and accurate enough to not clash with the other notes in the song or on the recording or the instruments.
Music is all about how the notes work together in a form that is pleasing when it's supposed to sound pleasing, and correctly discordant when ordered discord is appropriate. Discord is not a matter of just being off-pitch.
I believe you want to sing better, but you need to take the steps needed to correct your pitch variances and tackle this important task. Get this corrected and you will have made a great accomplishment!
Yes. Many repetitions of the HA exercise will build the muscles that drive the diaphragmatic engine. You will need lot of endurance to make it through a song like that all the way through with solid support.
That said, the Ha-ha is just an exercise (and a great one), but it is not Support itself. Support is a broad matter and is the subject of many a posting over in the Diaphragmatic Breathing and Support category of the Forums.
If you do not have access to any recording program that will allow you to multitrack, you could just get a boombox cassette recorder and record your guitar track, and then play that recording back while you sing along to it and first practice and work on your vocal and then record yourself (on your computer) singing along to the guitar recording.
That would at least free your attention up so you can fully focus on your vocal intonation.
Often, in order to hear pitch in your own voice you have to re-learn how to listen. You have to be able to hear yourself while you are actually singing, in the moment, and listen actively, making minute pitch corrections as you detect yourself drifting flat or sharp. It's a matter of centering on the correct pitch and not overshooting or undershooting.
You have to become like a heat-seeking missile, only instead your guidance system is a pitch-seeking, self-correcting singing machine. Missile-guidance systems are a matter of aiming for a target, which is moving, and constantly adjusting the trajectory in order to perfectly intersect with the target at the optimum moment.
That is your task as a singer, also. You must intersect the target note. Not higher, not lower, not random...
SPOT-ON. Bull's Eye. Drop down from up above to dead-center.
Don't think of it as difficult. It will be easy, once you determine what is happening with your voice and pitch.
Use Ken's Basic Pitch program and see what needs to be done.
Hello again =D Previous recording with oblivion sqeezed sound kinda "fresh bath" me =D Now I actually like how I sound on recording XD (I mean no that sqeezed nasal tone) Here is 2 Exs from mine workout (was recorded straight up in workout process). In the EE vowel i need to add more EH to the sound at the top notes i can hear it on record. Plus in EE vowel there is one scrath - that was some mucus or water or some other in throat =/ There also some pitch problems but i'be beed focusing on getting away from squeezed nasal tone.
Congratulations on the courage to have a go at such a bigsounding song. All in all i think its really good, and you show alot of promise. It could do with some polishing, though.
1.Near the start you seem to overemphasise a few consonants, in particular yours "t"s. Try to understate them,rather than overstate them. 2.In some parts, you seem to be completely out of air, so you need to make a few marks on your lyrics sheets to remind you where you need to take a few quick breathes to get you through long passages. 3. In these passages you are also out of support, so more support needed, underpinned by more air in your engine. 4. One common theme i hear in alot of demos, is inaccurate/lazy melodies. We are all guilty of this. So in the parts where you know the melody perfectly, you nail it. In other parts you seem to not be 100% sure of the melody, so you get a few notes, miss or slide through a few, then get a few more. So these spots is where the song is compromised in terms of the listener's point of view. So i'd suggest, really listening to each phrase and being 100% sure of the melody on each syllable/word/phrase/sentence. If you cant hear it, see if you can find the sheet music and play it out on the piano of guitar. I'm sure some of the other guys will be able to point out things i have missed or cant pick up. Well done.
Your voice is strong. I can tell from the backing track in the background that you are actually not in the same key as the exercise. You are singing a valid scale, but your point of reference is having you start on an incorrect note so that the entire scale is off from what is playing on the exercise.
You may want to stop and listen carefully to match the first note of the first scale and ensure that you are starting up the hill in the proper gear.
I think that once you get started on the correct note that you will probably do OK.
Yeah pitch is kinda main problem plus i started to do piano only workouts not so long ago. Is the tone good? And yeah KTVA made my voice strong =D Now i need to finnese that voice XD Thank ya =D
Your tone is good. I suggest you work through the Basic Pitch program and see if that helps you with your pitch radar. Your voice is strong, but it needs a solid foundation in pitch in order for you to attain the success you really want.
Hi, Anthony here. This is me singing Queen - Don't Stop Me Now .. I'm on level 2. Would love feedback and suggestions so I know where to really put my focus in improving. Thanks!
Thanks bob, I appreciate the review, it's good to hear some positive feedback.. me personally, I was waiting to hear something about the shaping of my consonant sounds.. That's what I'm working on more than anything right now.. some things that I feel need the most work with me is perfecting my vowel mods, shedding weight, getting a complete understanding of head and chest mix voice, and getting my consonants just right, so that I'm pronouncing words clearly but not to the point where im choking off my support. Anyone else have any observations?
Thanks bob, I appreciate the review, it's good to hear some positive feedback.. me personally, I was waiting to hear something about the shaping of my consonant sounds.. That's what I'm working on more than anything right now.. some things that I feel need the most work with me is perfecting my vowel mods, shedding weight, getting a complete understanding of head and chest mix voice, and getting my consonants just right, so that I'm pronouncing words clearly but not to the point where im choking off my support. Anyone else have any observations?
I was very impressed. Don't Stop Me Now is one of those songs that doesn't seem too difficult at first glance, but deceptively is extremely tough to pull off, which you certainly did. My favorite part of your singing in this and other videos I've seen of you, is your light+falsetto singing, such as the start of your cover here. Beautiful tone. Your high belting is definitely solid as well, but to me you are a bit more inconsistent and slightly pinched at times, so you could probably work on opening up the throat+sound a bit more there with some wide vowels (Eh as in lead and similar). You still sound good there though!
Ironically, on the opening line "Night Time Sharp-ens" the "Sharp" syllable sounds a little sharp.
That's easy to do on a note that is very low.
When I have to sing a note like that, especially on the intro to a song being recorded, I'll practice that line or those notes (sharp-ens) over and over. If I'm recording and not getting it, I stop the recorder and make myself learn that interval properly.
Comments
@Laso,
This sounds really good. Nice support, good pitch, good tone.
One thing you should improve would be the quick breaths you are taking should not be so obvious. You need to sneak those breaths, but they sound very close to the microphone. Also, there are a couple of high head voice notes that would sound a little more beefy if you added a little more of a timbral sound.
Overall, very impressive, very good job!
Bob
- Pitch was pretty decent but not perfect, you sounded flat at times - hard to hear though because of the aforementioned audio quality.
thx for the feedback and no offense taken if i don't hear it i don't learn... yea sorry about the audio quality only used one computer. makes a crappy sound to much work on the computer. i'll be sure and grab the wifes computer to play the song next time i demo any songs. as for that nasal/whinny sound thats something i hate i've had that for a long time. i'll try placing it forward as you suggest. i did hear the flat spots some of it i did lose support or just quit to soon. bryan adams doesn't sing to high so i'll be spending some time with him. i'd really like to sing that micheal bolton song "how am i supposed to live without you. but even though i can hit a c5 chest with some effort its just not there yet get out a a#4 singing out loud. thats another time different story. i'll take some more time to get the pitch and quality of singing down.
thx for your feedback
steve
@Steven Kindig,
Steve,
I also sing the song "God Bless the USA", and also sing it at a VFW post periodically. It IS a song that stirs emotion, both in the singer and in the audience. I, too, have had everyone stand up and put their hands over their hearts as the song is performed. To have a room full of veterans pay that kind of respect and honor makes you really pour your heart into the song! It's humbling and gratifying.
The song always gets a ROAR of applause and cheers.
Bob
let me know what you think
thanks
@guitarmaniac,
I would like for you to brighten your tone. Try smiling more into the sound, and give us less lips and more teeth.
You are rounding your vowels with rounded lips, which tends to darken the sound. Try to make a more timbral sound. More support, especially on the ending, would also help out.
Your pitch is good. I'm looking for a brighter tone, and more support. A little more "It's the LAH!!! AH!!!!".
Good job, thanks for the demo.
Bob
Hey, @guitarmaniac,
There are differences in the two versions. Actually in the previous version you sound a little more free and relaxed, but your guitar is out of tune and that makes a bad backdrop for your voice.
Along with the suggestion that you record the guitar separately, you should consider getting an inexpensive tuner and always using it before you record. In the newer recording the guitar is more in tune, but still out a skoshe, and again that works against you when asking for an evaluation.
Most of the criticisms of your newer recording have to do with slightly overdoing the jaw and consonants. That is a common step in finding improvement in your vocal performance. We all tend to overcorrect as we try to zero in on the proper application of our new techniques. This is the part where we ask you to move back closer to center on the jaw and the consonants. You are doing a good job of working through the steps to improving your voice. Try to make it sound and feel just a little more natural, and it will gradually become just that.
Bob
@marc,
Regarding your new demo: I'm not sure if it's just because you've chosen a tune that is so well-suited to your voice, but in my opinion, this is your best work so far.
The tone in your voice is really starting to jell into something that is very pleasant to listen to.
Remember when I was telling you some of your demos were hard to listen to? You've turned that completely around!! You miss the pitch a bit at 0:56 on "everybody" but that is a minor nit-pick. Overall, you are to be congratulated for working so hard and improving so much, even in the face of many critiques that may have been a little harsh. Your pitch is improving and becoming much more accurate as you continue to work your voice and take your evaluations seriously.
Everyone, please join me in applauding marc for his perseverance and steadfastness. He knows what he wants and he has the guts to keep working and working.... and it's working!!!
Way to go, my friend!
Bob
Yes, @marc, you are still overcorrecting by underenunciating consonants. You need to move a little to the right, back towards the consonants. Ironically, the underenunciation has helped you to attain the musicality in your voice. Now the trick is to move just enough consonant back in so that it's less difficult than it is now to understand your words, but while still retaining the sustained, vowel-dominant vocalization you are now centered in.
The difference is subtle, and prone to overcorrection. You are so close. Just a bit more consonant and you'll have it. Not too much!
Bob
Hey Guys - posted this with Bob last week and he gave me some great feedback. Would also like to know what you all think. I've been on KTVA for a little over a month, and if I'm being honest, I haven't been able to put in as much time as I would have liked. Having said that, I plan to up my efforts. I HAVE, however, noticed a drastic improvement to my clarity, support, and range. The songh below was recorded with an Ipad using GarageBand. no microphone either - just straight into the Ipad's mic AND I had no lyric sheet or chord chart for this - just a piano and a title and the Lord did the rest. Thanks for listening. The entire album can be downloaded FREE at www.noisetrade.com/bartimaeus.
https://soundcloud.com/#matthancock/faraway-stables
@marc,
You may need to click on the little gear in the corner in soundcloud and select "soundcloud classic" or whatever it is called that gets you back to the old version.
That's what I have to do when a soundcloud file won't play for me.
Bob
@overdriveisclassy
I think this is your best demo yet.
It seems very well suited to you, your voice, your style. Very relaxed and comfortable.
Well done!
Bob
@marc - Bob is right. It's an older (last week) SoundCloud file. If you're still having trouble with it, lemme know and I can inbox you my email address.
@overdriveisclassy - You're very welcome. In regard to support, I've been thinking of my diaphragm almost like an accordian that helps me push the sound upward and outward. It's a mental thing that helps me - so does the open throat techniques I'm learning
Yes, Cinema, you do this one quite well. It's well-suited to your voice, the music is at a good level to get a good glimpse of your voice... Some of your demos hide your voice under the music too much for my earvaluations.
If I want to hear the music louder, I just crank the whole thing up in my headphones and it rocks just fine.
In this tune, there is much less competition for your voice from the rest of the mix.
Nice blast from your past!
Bob
Hello, mrspag!
I will give you one of the most frequent pointers I give all singers: You will benefit a lot by increasing your support. You have a good voice, but growing your support will work magic on it all the way around.
It would also be a good idea, if you like, to record and post some Lah exercises. That is a standard by which we can compare you doing some basics and we can give you some feedback based on your performance of those standards.
That's sort of a litmus test so we can see where you are at this phase of your development.
Thanks for posting. Hoping to hear more from you soon.
Bob
Yes, @vikshut, your vocals are buried in the mix. I can hear that you are on pitch and your voice is strong, but the vocals should be prominent. The rhythm guitar parts are filling up all the space in the music, even burying the lead guitar/synth parts.
There is only so much room in an audio mix for everything that is going to be present there, and it is a matter of priorities as to what sits back in the mix and what is forward like a monster in your face, or in this case, a Monster in Your Head. Once the mix is filled to capacity, there is nothing more that can be added.
Actually, to have a tasteful mix, there needs to be even more room to breathe than that when it's all said and done. A very important part of music is space, rests, stops, and occasional silence. Certainly dynamics and changes are also part of good musical compositions.
To accomplish this, you start with the vocals drums and bass, and add fill instruments only to the point that they do not compete with the vocals and lead instruments. Variations on this can make a mix sound more or less instrumental-dominant, but not at the expense of the lead vocals.
That said, you don't want the instrumental tracks to sound wimpy, either, but that is the opposite of what is happening here.
Compare this mix to mixes of the bands you want to sound like. Can you understand the lyrics or are they buried under the music?
Your band is good, but everybody needs to be seeking a professional final product, and most listeners are most interested in understanding the lyrics and clearly hearing the lead vocals and hearing the lead instruments during the instrumental solos.
Mixing is an art form, and as such is subject to the ear of the beholder. We are all entitled to our own viewpoints on this. As a group, your band depends on your vocals to get the message of your songs across to your listeners, and you depend on them to support you with their chops on their axes. It's a mutual thing, and they should be happy to have your vocals applied in the mix with strength and power.
Your producer and engineer should be taking command of this result and making that happen for the sake of the group overall. Your success depends on it.
Keep Rockin'
Bob
Jack Johnson - Taylor (Cover)
@thomasz
Yes, you have improved. I would like to hear your voice better in the mix on the first and third tunes.
It sounds just right on For the First Time. And quite good. You have a good upper mid vocal going on there.
I like the sound. You're supporting well, and the tone is great on For the First Time. You're compressed and buried in the mix too much on the other two. The harmonies sound a little like the Beach Boys, which I mean as a compliment.
You are on a good track. Keep up the good work.
Bob
@overdriveisclassy,
Nice consistency to your voice, nice overall style on the playing and singing. You're quite the good recordist/producer. I'm liking what you're doing. Keep doing what you're doing. The more you do, the more good you will do and the more you will improve.
Tasty... and addictive, as you say.
Bob
@tomasz,
You seem to be right on track towards your objectives.
My comparison to the sound of the Beach Boys with regard to the harmonies had mostly to do with the fact that the Beach Boys were admired AND popular for the overall pleasant sound of their harmonies.
Just because there are many overdubbed vocals does not necessarily create an appealing sound. In your case, as with the Beach Boys, Queen, the Beatles, and more, the sound is enjoyable. The aforementioned groups, at least on their recordings, accomplished their final products through multitracking. In fact, all of them were pioneers in the craft of multiple vocal and instrumental tracks when the process was still in a more experimental stage.
Bob
@gabenlarock,
Your second demo is much better. Better pitch. Better tone. Much less vocal destruction.
Take it carefully and easy. Build the voice. Don't force it. Finesse it.
Bob
Request an Audience - Ask Answer Wait
@overdriveisclassy,
Nice tune. You sound good on this one also.
Well done.
Bob
hey this my cover of chris isaaks wicked game, any feedback is appreciated
regards
diarmuid
@overdriveisclassy,
This tune is requiring more support than you are applying. It will take a lot of strength to maintain it throughout the song. This one won't work without monster support.
This one is a toughie!
Bob
@guitarmaniac,
The guitar is slightly out of tune, which makes a slightly unpleasant background throughout the clip.
You are needing more support to pull this tune off. It's sounding out of your range, as you aren't supporting the notes enough that you are attempting. You need to concentrate on your voice, so if you aren't already, I would suggest (again?) that you record the guitar first (using a tuner before beginning to record) and sing along to the pre-recorded guitar track, paying close attention to your voice, and mixing the voice predominantly above the level of the guitar track.
On the chorus, your pitch is drifting significantly off-target. Have you followed-through on the Basic Pitch program? It's free with your Volume One status, and you need to work on solidifying your tendency to drift pitch-wise if you want to make the progress you need to make. Go to the category Better Tone and Pitch and find the link and the password.
Pitch is vital. People do not want to listen to guitars that are out of tune or voices that do not match the pitch of the song. You can do this. Take the time and apply the effort. You will amaze yourself.
No time like the present to give yourself the gift of great pitch!
Go for it!
Bob
@guitarmaniac,
It will be difficult for you to sing on pitch with an improperly-tuned guitar. The fact that your guitar is out of tune on most of your demos is indicative that you need to focus on pitch. If you can't tune your guitar, or tell that it is out of tune, then how can you be expected to tune your voice?
This can be learned, but the first step in solving any problem is to identify it and acknowledge it so that you can take steps to correct it. A few weeks ago, Guitar Center had a sale, electronic guitar tuners for $4.99 - That is a reasonable investment to get you on your way. I bought a really good one for $29.95 about a month ago. Works like a charm.
When my band is about to start a tune, and somebody strums a chord and I hear a string that isn't right, I stop the train and make them tune up before we start a trainwreck. There isn't much that is more unpleasant than listening to a band play an entire song out of tune, or worse yet, an entire set. How a drummer can hear this but the guitarist not, is something that is hard for me to understand, but it's a common thing for me to hear what a guitarist overlooks. Likewise, listening to someone sing a song when they are lost with regard to pitch is also a difficult experience for an audience. I know, our band sometimes hosts "Jam Night", and we have to slog our way through whatever lack of pitch or rhythm anybody who gets on stage with us has to offer. We are gracious about it, but sometimes it is painful. Many of these individuals have no idea that they are completely out-of-key or Off-pitch. They don't know that the audience is horrified.
This is a weakness that can be turned into a strength. If it is not dealt with, there will continue to be problems. There is no point in ignoring pitch problems if you really want to learn how to sing better. It's the MOST IMPORTANT THING. You have to stop and fix it if it's broken.
Nobody has truly perfect pitch, even though that is a term that describes singers and musicians that know specific pitches from memory, without the aid of a piano or tuner. But we all need pitch that is reliable and accurate enough to not clash with the other notes in the song or on the recording or the instruments.
Music is all about how the notes work together in a form that is pleasing when it's supposed to sound pleasing, and correctly discordant when ordered discord is appropriate. Discord is not a matter of just being off-pitch.
I believe you want to sing better, but you need to take the steps needed to correct your pitch variances and tackle this important task. Get this corrected and you will have made a great accomplishment!
You can do this!
Bob
@overdriveisclassy,
Yes. Many repetitions of the HA exercise will build the muscles that drive the diaphragmatic engine. You will need lot of endurance to make it through a song like that all the way through with solid support.
That said, the Ha-ha is just an exercise (and a great one), but it is not Support itself. Support is a broad matter and is the subject of many a posting over in the Diaphragmatic Breathing and Support category of the Forums.
All the Best!!
Bob
@guitarmaniac,
If you do not have access to any recording program that will allow you to multitrack, you could just get a boombox cassette recorder and record your guitar track, and then play that recording back while you sing along to it and first practice and work on your vocal and then record yourself (on your computer) singing along to the guitar recording.
That would at least free your attention up so you can fully focus on your vocal intonation.
Often, in order to hear pitch in your own voice you have to re-learn how to listen. You have to be able to hear yourself while you are actually singing, in the moment, and listen actively, making minute pitch corrections as you detect yourself drifting flat or sharp. It's a matter of centering on the correct pitch and not overshooting or undershooting.
You have to become like a heat-seeking missile, only instead your guidance system is a pitch-seeking, self-correcting singing machine. Missile-guidance systems are a matter of aiming for a target, which is moving, and constantly adjusting the trajectory in order to perfectly intersect with the target at the optimum moment.
That is your task as a singer, also. You must intersect the target note. Not higher, not lower, not random...
SPOT-ON. Bull's Eye. Drop down from up above to dead-center.
Don't think of it as difficult. It will be easy, once you determine what is happening with your voice and pitch.
Use Ken's Basic Pitch program and see what needs to be done.
Bob
All in all i think its really good, and you show alot of promise.
It could do with some polishing, though.
1.Near the start you seem to overemphasise a few consonants, in particular yours "t"s. Try to understate them,rather than overstate them.
2.In some parts, you seem to be completely out of air, so you need to make a few marks on your lyrics sheets to remind you where you need to take a few quick breathes to get you through long passages.
3. In these passages you are also out of support, so more support needed, underpinned by more air in your engine.
4. One common theme i hear in alot of demos, is inaccurate/lazy melodies. We are all guilty of this. So in the parts where you know the melody perfectly, you nail it. In other parts you seem to not be 100% sure of the melody, so you get a few notes, miss or slide through a few, then get a few more. So these spots is where the song is compromised in terms of the listener's point of view. So i'd suggest, really listening to each phrase and being 100% sure of the melody on each syllable/word/phrase/sentence. If you cant hear it, see if you can find the sheet music and play it out on the piano of guitar.
I'm sure some of the other guys will be able to point out things i have missed or cant pick up.
Well done.
Thanks, @guitarmaniac.
I look forward to helping you work through this stage of your development.
Bob
@grabenlock,
Your voice is strong. I can tell from the backing track in the background that you are actually not in the same key as the exercise. You are singing a valid scale, but your point of reference is having you start on an incorrect note so that the entire scale is off from what is playing on the exercise.
You may want to stop and listen carefully to match the first note of the first scale and ensure that you are starting up the hill in the proper gear.
I think that once you get started on the correct note that you will probably do OK.
Bob
Well, I know at least a FEW of the mods you are using, or at least vowel substitutions....
G-ehv M-eh T-AHm and I'll try to think of what they are.
: ^ )
Bob
Yes, @gabenlarock,
Your tone is good. I suggest you work through the Basic Pitch program and see if that helps you with your pitch radar. Your voice is strong, but it needs a solid foundation in pitch in order for you to attain the success you really want.
Bob
Anthony,
I'm getting the same "This video is not available in your country" message.
It's to no avail.
Sorry, bro!
Can you put it on Vimeo, or otherwise make it available?
Thanks
Bob
This one works, @AnthonyV
You are sounding good. No problems going into and out of head voice.
Good support!
Good tone, as well! Good job of keeping the jaw and vocal tract open. Tongue is out of the way, just right.
You are managing your tension well.
How is your voice feeling with the distortion you are using? It sounds right to me.
You are nailing the pitch! You are paring down when you go up.
HOT DEMO!!!! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE!
Keep doing what you are doing. Let's hear some more songs!
Overall, your technique is right on the money! Killer Job!
Bob
My favorite part of your singing in this and other videos I've seen of you, is your light+falsetto singing, such as the start of your cover here. Beautiful tone. Your high belting is definitely solid as well, but to me you are a bit more inconsistent and slightly pinched at times, so you could probably work on opening up the throat+sound a bit more there with some wide vowels (Eh as in lead and similar). You still sound good there though!
here is my cover of the river
@derrick,
Sounds pretty good again.
Ironically, on the opening line "Night Time Sharp-ens" the "Sharp" syllable sounds a little sharp.
That's easy to do on a note that is very low.
When I have to sing a note like that, especially on the intro to a song being recorded, I'll practice that line or those notes (sharp-ens) over and over. If I'm recording and not getting it, I stop the recorder and make myself learn that interval properly.
The rest of the track sounds very good.
Bob