After 3 years with KTVA I feel Im a fairly capable and versatile singer. Good enough for YT covers?
Wigs
Moderator, 2.0 PRO, 3.0 Streaming Posts: 5,042
*There is a second mix a bit further in the discussion which is probably the better one*
Heres my biggest singing project to date, Ive been learning the piano as well so this is my first full production recording instruments and vocals. The piano is one take, I recorded the vocals as 6 full takes and chopped it up. It would have been nice to get it in one but I didn't have the time to keep doing it and I wanted to get this out before going back to work.
After 3 years of KTVA and no prior singing experience I think that it has given me all the tools I need to take my voice to where I want. Im able to use quite a few different parts of my voice to sing things from ballads to grunge and a bit of metal with distortion all without ever losing my voice or destroying it. Ive stuck to volume 3 over the last couple of years and haven't spent much time with volume 4 or any of 5. I haven't got the time commitment for them at the moment but hopefully this will show you that you can still achieve good results by concentrating on the basics with an hour a day of practice 5 days a week.
Im open to all critiques and advice about the vocal, the instruments, the mix and the video.
Id like to tag a bunch of people that I have interacted with through my singing journey.
@highmtn @Elara @Klaus_T @bentk @sjonrokz4u @Vocality @Rick_amateur @DannyOc3an @Jwal @HumanRobot @Corcpete
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agnM9z77bsc
Heres my biggest singing project to date, Ive been learning the piano as well so this is my first full production recording instruments and vocals. The piano is one take, I recorded the vocals as 6 full takes and chopped it up. It would have been nice to get it in one but I didn't have the time to keep doing it and I wanted to get this out before going back to work.
After 3 years of KTVA and no prior singing experience I think that it has given me all the tools I need to take my voice to where I want. Im able to use quite a few different parts of my voice to sing things from ballads to grunge and a bit of metal with distortion all without ever losing my voice or destroying it. Ive stuck to volume 3 over the last couple of years and haven't spent much time with volume 4 or any of 5. I haven't got the time commitment for them at the moment but hopefully this will show you that you can still achieve good results by concentrating on the basics with an hour a day of practice 5 days a week.
Im open to all critiques and advice about the vocal, the instruments, the mix and the video.
Id like to tag a bunch of people that I have interacted with through my singing journey.
@highmtn @Elara @Klaus_T @bentk @sjonrokz4u @Vocality @Rick_amateur @DannyOc3an @Jwal @HumanRobot @Corcpete
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agnM9z77bsc
Comments
I'm very happy for you Chris, keep working out, go as far as you can, there will still be plateaus and moments you may want to leave it there or feel satisfied, but I encourage you to just keep coming back to the routines, the volumes, and take it further and further. This is just the beginning, if this is you after 3 years, imagine how it will be in 4, 5, 10 years! A lifetime of info is already there at our fingertips. Pursuit excellence, it's only a matter of dedication in this point. There's no limit to how good you could become at this. Nice job with sticking around all this time and excellent results so far!! Enjoy your new powers
My suggestion is balance out the piano and be a bit careful with the low-mid frequencies as those are the ones that give a mix that "muddy sound", it's a very expressive song and you did a great job of singing it with emotion, just don't let the piano cover it up. Don't want your vocal sounding like it's struggling to cut through.
Other than that, I'd love to hear a bit more artistic reverb on the vocal. Since you did such a good job performing the tune, don't be afraid to give it a bit more space!
You're really solid on the piano. I think you are only a step away from playing a lot of very interesting patterns on the piano, since your left/right hand co-ordination is getting better.
Love the cover, keep rockin' it!
- Aster
Thanks for all the feedback, I wondered about the piano being muddy and I've cut more of 400/500 but kept the low end and it's sounds a bit clearer. I've also doubled up the main vocals, edited some better takes for a few parts and added more space to them panned left and right, kinda like what Ken says in some of his isolated vocal tutorials. I'll repost it sometime here before putting it public on YouTube.
Thankyou all 🤘🏼🎤
Sounds really good! Good equipment too. Sounds really clean and professional. Your soft tonality comes out really nice. Your high notes are beautiful.
Great work!
P.S. your dog is very cute
@doc_ramadani what do you think
THE CORRECTED MIX
@Klaus_T @RandyB @Rick_amateur @Aster @DannyOc3an @Mike86 @maximgottmer @LindseyBean @Michael4000
Incase you feel like listening to the different mix, in this one I put more space in the vocals and tried to get a bit more balance between the vocals and the piano. Maxim, Lindsey and Michael, its great to still see you all around, thanks for the comments, I think I might have changed out the first "Angel" but Ive now spent so long on this project everything is a bit jumbled in my head. Ill probably leave this one as the one I put public.
And how could I forget @doc_ramadani ? Hope you are still doing well mate
I've just taken a listen to you and I loved it xxx
Well done it's not an easy song to sing and hold it together becuse of the lyrics these can move you to tears
but you did a great job and loved the piano and guitar . Great job xxx
Human Robot
We're all on our own journeys here, just at different points along the way.
Chris, or "Wigs" as he is known here, is sharing his journey, and it's plain to see that he's enjoying it as much as I am. I like that.
Be inspired, everyone. It's worth it. It takes a little bit of focus and effort, but it's so worth it.
Thanks for being an important part of the forums, Chris!
Bob
Of course, as always, there is room for improvement, but this is a really solid start.
If you are still feeling creative with this project, I'd recommend adding a bit of strings in the chorus or some places that need accenting, but just a little, no overdoing it.
All in all, great job Wigs, let us know when it's up on youtube!
- Aster
Thanks again for the feedback. I'll be switching it to public now. After showing a bunch of my friends they too have seen a big step forward in my abilities. I'm under no illusion of where I'm at, and I still don't think I could turn a chair on the voice. Maybe if I can do this in one take close to perfection, but I reckon I'm still a year or 2 away from that.
However, with this course, all the past and present moderators, and all the students (especially those that have been involved in our past assignments) has given me a level of confidence I never imagined. Bob you have been a guiding light for me and I am very happy that I can help out others and still call upon yours and the other moderators, students and members expertise as needed.
For anyone else that might come across this, I feel I started out as the average person would. Pitch was just ok and no clue about singing technique. I probably put in just above the very minimum effort and time that Ken recommends of an HR a day 5-6 days a week with a few nights of karaoke or singing in the car. This was still quality time and concentration, but by life style and choice this was all I was willing to put towards the course. I say this because anything extra you can put in will (to a point) help get you there quicker, but I reckon if you diligently do the minimum that Ken recommends, the time frames he talks about in this YT video is pretty spot on.
I have left all my progress in the forum up to this point, you can see my posts by clicking my user name @Wigs .
Here is my official review of KTVA.
Ken never tries to sell a quick fix, he is true and honest in his abilities and what to expect out of the course. You will be constantly told to slow down, take things in, don't rush or skip through because it's not a race to complete the volumes. Only now am I starting to delve properly into volume 4 and 5 after 3 years, and I understand the material so much more because I've spend so much time getting to know my voice. You need to do the time which is different for everyone, and apply everything correctly to the best of your abilities and use the forum for feedback and guidance.
Cost is relative for everyone. The relative cost of the course compared to a single hour lesson with Ken if you pay annually, means you get over 2 years worth of access to KTVA with hours of Ken teaching and talking. You also get access to the student forum, which is seperate from the course. I think the student area is worth again what you pay for. There are also many hours of other students private lessons you can watch within the pro sections. You really get value for money. Follow the forum rules, be respectful and use it to ask for advice and you will be able to grow your voice for many months or years before needing to go to Ken directly.
I can't compare KTVA to anything else, I've never tried any other singing course. This continues to work for me, and I will continue growing and exploring what I can do.
Good singing to you all 🎤🤘🏼
I hope that in time I will be able to present some kick-ass power metal vocals myself. Until then, let's all improve together!
Cheers!
- Aster
Chris very nice rendition liked it alot, playing an instrument alongside is beginning to show your true musician skills and after 3 years it's paying off. Really good work coming from no singing experience
My perception of singing prior to starting the KTVA course 3 years ago was totally different, didn't realise what was required to get good at singing, be honest at the start it was difficult and didn't think was gonna be able to achieve my goals felt the cards were stacked against me.
There's alot component parts to singing and they all work together and to get everything to begin to work well takes alot of time (for me anyway). Anyway stuck with it and practiced regular 1 hour 6 days a week. 3rd year is beginning to bear fruit my pitch has got really good sorted out quite few important underlying issues now much more happy with progress made.
Well done Chris we both know what it takes, how long and well done with helping others we all want to achieve similar goals lets help every one get there!!!
Good Work Mate
George
I think you did a nice job on the remix and think you will continue to get positive reviews from this and admire your work ethic and excelling musicianship.
I go through multiple revisions of my mixes before posting also and I feel I never quite get it to perfection. It's a challenge!
So my answer to your question "Good enough for YT covers?" is: Absolutely yes
@Vocality @shining Thanks both for listening, it has been a long journey so far with a long way to go. Im trying to sing covers a bit different while staying true to the original. I usually listen to alot of other covers on YT and try what I like from them.
I don't see why you would worry about posting yourself on YouTube. Most listeners would never tell minor issues anyway. Until this year (started in Feb/Mar), I only cared for tone/power.
Btw, it would be good to have something like a YouTube channel of KTVA students where one can find all sorts of graduates, so to speak, from beginners to Gabriela and Kayla and Anthony. Or at least a list of links on the KTVA site.
I am very happy to see the progress of @Wigs @LindseyBean @Klaus_T , as an educator in another area, I am always happy to see students who care improve and succeed.
As for perfection and improvement: at the end, nothing is perfect so we always strife for perfection but we understand it is a fleeting moment if it is ever achieved. So while it is important to be super self-critical and always keep improving, it is also important not to "hide" for too long. You are fun to listen to, so why not YT yourself?
Speaking of perfection, we always like to say that Dio was as close as anybody. I have been a Dio fan for 35 years but only now with KTVA I start to understand just how much easier his live versions are from his studio ones. Yes, they are high notes and a superbly beautiful bright tone (1970s-early 1990s), but the difficulty of specific words is dumbed down across the board, be it in Stargazer with Rainbow or Rainbow in the Dark with Dio--and this is before the 2000. And still, I love listening to his 2000s live versions as well.
Anyway, do you intend to sing live?
If I ever learn to sing well enough, maybe I can spend my retirement singing long-forgotten songs to even more elderly folks in a low-rate biker's bar, dodging empty beer cans (or bottles!). Hey, I can think of 100 worse scenarios
Anyway, cheers everybody, this is not a lively forum but it sure does have great content.
Thanks for listening and the encouragement. I've no plans on doing much with my singing other than to continue learning a song on the piano every now and then to sing to like this video.
I have a couple that im working on to record in the next few months.