Hey mate, you have posted a wide range of songs here. As fun as it is to sing all your favorite songs, I think the down side to trying to take them all on in the early stages is that a large range of songs has a very large range of techniques and vocal ranges, I found when I focused on singing loads of songs: 1. It would detract from learning technique, as there is only so much time in a day. 2. I would end up focusing on trying to emulate the sound of the artist, and doing this without a focus on good technique, would lead me to bad technique.
I think you would do well to even go back to the starter exercises and focus on technique. Listening to some of your songs posted here, to my ears it sounds like you have a lack of Ping/Brightness and Support (eg; when your voice wavers and does not sound full).
I would try and spend most of your time on developing technique at this stage and maybe just work on 1 song for a while that suits your vocal range and do it with a clean tone. This way you can refine your ability to do that song, and really get to know the melody and work out vowel mods that make parts of it easier etc... as you continue to build good technique. It is technique that will give you the ability to sing a broader range of songs, so focus on this first. Then post your Lah Scales for evaluation so you can track your progress, discover what you need to work on and refine your goals from this.
Also there are many other discussions here on the forums and info in Ken's vids that you can refer to in your research for developing Ping/Brightness and Support.
@codeowl Hi Scotty Thank you so much for you kind advices Yup I'm doing the scales and warm up things every day to keep the system going on Ya I know I need to work on my technique I just can't control myself from singing songs I don't know which one song to focus my mind is like this one is good and this one is also good so I don't know I cannot resist the temptation And If I dont sing like any day it feels like something was off about that day So I don't know but I'm trying to focusing on a single song every day I'm recording it and then listening it so ya till I don't know if it's perfect or close to it I am not uploading Well anyway I think I had written too much Well again thank you so much for your suggestions I will surely work on it Happy singing to you
Ohh by the way the link you posted above I cannot see it as I don't have permission I had not purchase the course I'm more on the freebee side But thank you for taking time and posting It means a lot to me
Well happy singing
By the way Scott is your real name so why codeowl Codeowl like on a mission
Ok that is unfortunate, there is so much good info in the coarse, I would recommend getting it if you can. My name is Scotty, my internet handle is codeowl, which I choose because I am a computer programmer that stays up late writing code.
@codeowl Scott ohh you are a coder a tough job By the way do you sing ? I would love to hear one of your cover or songs Well about the course I know I want the course but let's just say I cannot it right now But no worries I am trying to collect some info from here and there and working on it So I'm quite persistent about the knowledge and singing I know I have a longway to learn let's enjoy And by the way don't stay too much at night sleep is very important Happy singing
@codeowl Scott ohh you are a coder a tough job By the way do you sing ? I would love to hear one of your cover or songs Well about the course I know I want the course but let's just say I cannot it right now But no worries I am trying to collect some info from here and there and working on it So I'm quite persistent about the knowledge and singing I know I have a longway to learn let's enjoy And by the way don't stay too much at night sleep is very important Happy singing
I really enjoy coding and have learnt so much about life from the analytical approach to things. Everything is an experiment, most of the time you don't know how something works so you have to test it in a number of ways to verify that what you think is true. You can learn a lot doing this.
I am learning to sing yes. I bought the coarse and have decided to dedicate myself to learning the techniques Ken teaches. I have a few covers I have been working on over time, I plan to post a cover to get some feedback in the future. I was gunna post it in the New Student Demos area. Do you have access to that?
Well coding and singing is quite similar Even I learn from trail and error to find the perfect sound Well I never did coding but I can help in singing cause I love it About your covers I'm very excited to hear tag me through that @ Looking forward to your singing
Hey mate, so it sounds a bit like you are trying to be quite, and the sound is a bit covered. Just by way of getting some background from you: Have you looked into Ken's technique at all? Have you been learning singing long?
Ken teaches to pursue a bright sound he describes as a ping using the Lah Ah and getting that real bright sound in the Lah. There are several aspects of his technique that go into developing this bright sound, and you learn all the basics in volume one of his coarse.
Also for recording I am assuming you are using you phone, you may get better results with an app like Smule. I have not used it personally but I have seen others and they get some pretty good results.
Hey mate, for a good critique of your progress it is good to record yourself doing the full Lah scale with the exercise playing a bit softer in the background. Small samples are not good as they don't cover the range of pitch.
From what I could hear, you sound strained and unsupported when you ascend in pitch. I would direct you back to the volume one vids. It is easy to miss key points the first time you watch them, I know I did.
I have had a few discussions around some of the foundational basics of volume one that you may find helpful. In some of these posts I point to key timestamps in the volume 1 vids where Ken demonstrates some key aspects of technique, that I didn't pick up on the first time round.
There are also some cool experiments to try here along with pointers to key parts of the Vol 1 vids that you may find useful as well, that discuss things like how to reach higher notes with more ease and how to get that ping/brightness Ken talks about: https://forum.kentamplinvocalacademy.com/discussion/comment/84489/#Comment_84489
And finally, here is a post on an analytical approach to your practice. Using the approach in the following link has helped me be able to hear components of technique that Ken is demonstrating and identify exactly where I am lacking in my execution of technique and what I need to focus on, and the checklist helps me to actually focus on them. It's so easy to get halfway through your practice and think why is this so hard tonight or I forgot to do X and now my voice is croaky. Especially when something may only apply to low notes, or just to high notes, or certain vowels etc... Like if I don't lower my larynx when going into low notes, it wears my voice. As the scales start with low notes, if I forget it, then it really has a negative effect on that night's practice. https://forum.kentamplinvocalacademy.com/discussion/comment/84765/#Comment_84765
Hey mate, for a good critique of your progress it is good to record yourself doing the full Lah scale with the exercise playing a bit softer in the background. Small samples are not good as they don't cover the range of pitch.
From what I could here, you sound strained and unsupported when you ascend in pitch. I would direct you back to the volume one vids. It is easy to miss key points the first time you watch them, I know I did.
Thanks Scotty, knowing that that example is straining has helped me. I have only been watching Ken's videos for a few days (without doing any lengthy exercises) but I just needed total-beginner feedback for where I am. I'll check your links, get back to the course and will probably post another example in the not too distant future.
No problems mate, I would also add it's a good idea to stand up while you are working on support. Ken says in the vids that you loose a % of support when sitting ;-).
Hey guys! So im about to start the KTVA lessons, so i thought it would be fun to put a video of me singing before hand.
This is me sing Daughters, and feedback would be awesome! It's pretty rough lol, but like i said i'd love to hear any and everything i could work on/focus on when taking the lessons
Hi guys it's my first post in this discussion. This is the video of my contribution to a contest start by Bryan May at the beginning of pandemic. Jamming with him and some other guys.
Hope you are all keeping safe in these challenging times.
I just signed up to this course, I have done 30 day Adam Mishan course and had a look at 30 day Singer. There is nothing wrong with them but there doesn't seem to be any programme structure to them. What do you day after the 30 days is up? There are plenty of resources saying here is an exercise for this and that but no roadmap of which ones to combine and do on a daily basis to progress so to me it is a bit random.
I signed up for KTVA because i like the youtube videos, we share a common interest in terms of the kind of music I like and there seems to be a structure going forward of what to do each day and how to move on to the next stage- a proper roadmap!
So I have played keyboards for years and have a good ear but always been rubbish at singing and people have always said I have not got a great voice.
So in lockdown I started keeping more fit but then did my wrist in and so now thought I would have a go at singing as hurts wrist to play piano. My goal is to find my voice and maybe eventually combine my piano playing with singing. I am lucky in that the keyboard skills are fully there (just need to rest the old wrist) and I can pretty much learn any rock song by ear that I want to pretty quickly but I have never tried to develop my voice.
Having messed around with a couple of other courses for a couple of months, I think I have actually improved a little but I thought i would post my self singing here as a marker to see how i progress.
Please feel free to feedback and be brutal, the problem with sites like Smule (where this was recorded) is that everyone tells each other they are brilliant all the time which is great fun but not always the truth.
So deliberately recorded a song that is high up that i would have struggle with two months ago but now i seem to just be able to get higher. Would be good to get feedback and also what voice am I in - I have no idea whether I am in chest, mix of head when I go up but I am aware that I couldn't sing this two months ago and holding back the loudness and using stomach has helped?
However, I am starting volume 1 and sticking to it for at least a few weeks to get the fundamentals as Ken sees them, even though done a couple of months of other courses but good to get initial feedback on my weaknesses, strengths (if any) and where my four should be.
I think keeping fit kettlebell swings, doing planks and side planks has helped as well as given me a great core strength in the stomach and sides
@stung You need to support more on the F4's and G4's. Open up the throat a little more (like "It's the LAH!!! AH!!!") . Try to make the lyrics a little more legato and less staccato/stabby. Less consonant, more sustained vowels.
Keep doing Ken's exercises, and keep support and opening up the throat in mind. Also learn to do the vowel modifications in the exercises and that will help with those higher notes.
A lot of this song you are singing in a mix. When you go up to the F's and G's you aren't fully in head voice or chest voice. That's pretty good. It will help when you are able to recognize what you're doing, but it takes a lot of people a long time to be able to utilize mix. You seem to have found it on your own.
@highmtn Thanks Bob, your feedback is very very much appreciated - wow what a great forum, within hours of posting, listened to, reviewed and really useful feedback unlike other forums I have tried.
I thought I might have found mix but it is so good to have it verified. The challenge now is to make sure I do the right things to develop it safely and progress without damaging it and so I will be following Ken's exercises and guidance.
The mix is in later volumes in Ken's programme and so Q1. Should I stick with volume 1 all the way or are there things / exercises I should / could add while I am going through the volumes to keep / utilise mix as I seem to have found it?
When considering opening the throat and doing exercises / singing: Q2. Do I consciously push the back of throat upwards by engaging the yawning muscles or more relaxed? Q3. Do I consciously push the jaw as low as I can or just let it drop loosely?
One last question and then I promise to stop taking over the thread!
Below is a link to a duet (Styx Come Sail Away) so can ignore most of it but at 4mins 47 seconds after the middle eight, I come in and really surprised myself yesterday (after doing vol 1 exercises) as I hit the high C5 - just so that I can recognise the different registers, Q4 Is this also mix or am I moving to head on the C5?
Q5 Should I do the guys or divas exercises in your opinion based on my voice?
Thank you so much for the feedback - I will work on the things you have pointed out and add more support to high notes (I was sitting down in my car in both recordings I posted, using a Rode NTK mini mic attached to my iPhone, so hopefully standing will also add 20-30% support as well)
It is now May 13th, so with justnover a month Inthought I would post another to see if there is progress. I believe my support is jmproving on highnotes and my tone is a little brighter....I think?
The singing dowsnt start intil about 1 min 30 but any feedback greatly appreciated including harsh feedback....
Hey guys. Here is my cover of Numb by Linkin Park. I am currently 4 months into KTVA. I am seeing progress but still a long way to go. Let me know what you guys think. Any constructive feedback is welcome. Check out my cover here 👇https://youtu.be/2fdbp9K15sg
This is my first exercise video since I started practicing two weeks ago. I don’t know what bridge is nor what chest is. I just tried Ah arpeggios. How can I improve my exercises? https://youtu.be/p_B30l8YVEw
Hi there had listen to you scales, it’s clear you’ve got a good starting point good pitch, bright tone and you will benefit greatly from the Ktva course.
This part of the forum if for song demos, in future if you could you please post progress training progress demos under volume 1 section.
You mentioned you didn’t know what chest and head voice means. These terms are explained in volume 1 tutorial videos. It’s important initially you read through volume 1 instructions and watch volume 1 tutorial videos to get a grasp of basics this is will benefit you in the long run.
When you post Lah scale triad demo we ask for 2 versions
1 bridging to head voice normally done at a much lower volume to allow smooth transition to head voice bethout the yodel (if you hear the yodel then your doing it too loud back off further until you don’t hear it)
2 Chest voice scale is done louder and it designed to develop a strong robust chest voice. Important to stay in chest for as long as possible.
Hope this gives you an insight it’s in so much more detail in the volume 1 tutorial material you downloaded.
Thank you very much for your very quick response and lots of useful advice. I will go through instructions again and keep practicing more. I hope I can report back when I feel difference in my voice or when I feel being stuck. Nevertheless is it helpful to post my singing a song video to get advice? If so when should I start doing so? Is this discussion page the one to do so?
Hey everyone, Quick question Should I upgrade to the 3.0? I've been doing Ken's 2.0 course since 4/15/2020 I do 3 chest 2 head 1 or 2 mixed voice exercises for 1 to 2 hours 6 to 7 days week only recently have tried to sing songs. I've played guitar most my life was lead and rhythm for 90% of bands I was in, been onstage in front of hundreds of people opened for national acts did backup vocals but cant find the courage to actually sing in front of folks. I lost some fingers and am in process of relearning the guitar and I really suck now but I will go onstage make a complete idiot out of myself trying to play something I did before the accident, when I say I suck badly that's understatement but I will do it, ask me to sing after all the hours I've put in to grow my voice and I bow out as quick as possible. Don't know if getting the 3.0 course is gonna help with my issue?
@1hottoddy If you have the course you get your student access here. You'll see there is alot of support for students and you can post your scales for feedback there. That will give you a very good indication of where your voice is at in relation to KTVA techniques. 3.0 won't solve any issues you have at the moment, that is more up to yourself and how diligent, honest and self moderating you are with your workouts. 3.0 does have alot more explanation and Ken really hammers home the importance of certain aspects so its possible having something explained in a different way could click for you, but im not going to blatantly say that upgrading will solve everything for you, Ken still expects the same hard work in 3.0, nothing about it is easier, but there are more explanations and tailored workouts from volume 3-5 for people with different ranges.
Really sorry to hear about the accident, its very inspiring to hear you relearn something you were great at and are willing to put in the hard work to start over. This mind set will help greatly with your singing. Hope to hear you soon mate
Thank you Wigs, I appreciate the advice, if 3.0 has more explanation I think that might help. Is it better to post scales or a song for feedback? Should have done it over year ago probably be farther along!
@feliciahong99 I think you will see quite a big improvement in 6 months. You already have a very nice voice and tone, but doing the exercises regularly will set up your vocal tract with more consistent vowel placement. There is a very SLIGHT raised laryngeal position for some words and a tendency to hang onto the Rs, but I think this is easily taken care of. Nice job mate!
@feliciahong99 Had a listen to both your songs and good starting point and agree with @wigs you should see a big improvement in the next 6 months and with the regular training. Before and after is always a good gauge on progress!
@Wigs Thank you so much for taking the time to listen and to point out some specific areas I can work on. I total get the raised laryngeal position for some words and will also pay attention to the R’s.
Hello guys i just want to know if it is normal that I have throat pain when singing softly,but not when singing loud.....and people says I'm too loud when singing ,so I want to know if the pain will disappear over time when singing softly ..I dont have a vocal coach nearby so I just look at Ken's channel and trying to learn from there..
@Pmn It's not normal to have throat pain when singing. If you are having pain when singing softly, it could be because you are using too much air. Air dries out the vocal cords, so we use it sparingly when singing. Also, if people are telling you that your voice is loud when you sing, you may be oversinging when you sing loud. Don't use so much air pressure when singing. Ease off on the volume some.
Thank you for replying.....it's really hard to control air...I'll upload a small quick sample of my singing. https://youtube.com/shorts/ZNBzO_jC4c0?feature=share When i sing like in the first part of the verse for sometime ,my throat will feel slight pain. But when I sing like I did in the chorus I can sing for almost an hour or so
https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/m6yyB Here's me trying to do the transition in She's gone by Steelheart. Been doing KTVA's course for a bit more than a month, but I've been singing by myself for years. I'm having trouble singing the part after the transition. I'm able to hit the notes but my jaw is too tense and can't transition between words properly.
@Namira Interesting track. I think there are some middle eastern influences? How did your music journey start?
Thank you...im glad that u think its intresting...u know i have some struggles with myself on the way of going after what i want or "dream" so its the thoughts and what i heard from my "demons" and stuff...and it also points out the fame industry and the way you should be in it like when it says "i accept no prude in my crew" ....thank you for your time btw
@Namira I had to delete your other posts since they were the same song and only 1 post of a sample is allowed otherwise the forums get bogged down with the same thing all over the place.
I know you want direct constructive critism of your efforts and I will listen to both of your songs again and give some feedback when I have more time.
@Namira I had to delete your other posts since they were the same song and only 1 post of a sample is allowed otherwise the forums get bogged down with the same thing all over the place.
I know you want direct constructive critism of your efforts and I will listen to both of your songs again and give some feedback when I have more time.
Sure sure it's allright i understand...i really appreciate you giving your time...and thanks for this forum i never had a place for you know sharing my songs for professional musicians...much love
@Namira Do you produce all the beats and everything yourself? If so, that part of your music sounds professional to me. Your lyrics and emotion are good at telling a story, your vocals will be the last piece of the puzzle that needs attention. Pitch and rhythm are a little out of time and tune, you should spend time practicing scales and teaching your ear to hear pitch.
Im not a professional musician at all and I know only a little about music production with garage band, but if this is all your own work then I think you would be a good producer. If you want to produce and sing then spend some time with your voice, get to know it and train it. Ken has a video where he talks about expectations and how long it takes to get decent, it is not a short journey, but your work will really shine if you put the time and effort in.
@Namira Do you produce all the beats and everything yourself? If so, that part of your music sounds professional to me. Your lyrics and emotion are good at telling a story, your vocals will be the last piece of the puzzle that needs attention. Pitch and rhythm are a little out of time and tune, you should spend time practicing scales and teaching your ear to hear pitch.
Im not a professional musician at all and I know only a little about music production with garage band, but if this is all your own work then I think you would be a good producer. If you want to produce and sing then spend some time with your voice, get to know it and train it. Ken has a video where he talks about expectations and how long it takes to get decent, it is not a short journey, but your work will really shine if you put the time and effort in.
Thank you for ur time...i do produce yeah but this one wasn't mine...i really loved it that you thought i can be great... I'll work on my vocal and scale and stuff to get better...but a real thanks from my heart i give you ❤️
These are my before takes for my KTVA journey (Day 16). I sang short sections of each song. Feedback and insights are always appreciated.
Fly Me to the Moon is sung between Eb3 and Eb4, where I'm the most comfortable and confident at the moment.
Sentimental Mood goes from F3 to G4 and you can hear me attempting to negotiate register breaks in this song. The break happens on MEN-TAL here which is supposed to be around D4 and F4...... I've been told that breaking into head voice here is not where women's register change is supposed to occur for any female vocal fach so someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong here.... >_< I can pull chest up to the G4 but it feels bad and sounds ugly. I might also be identifying the registers wrong so let me know if you notice that I've misidentified what register I think I'm in.
Loving You is mostly in my head voice - starting at C5, There's a little bit of register breaking on the way down to C4. The highest note is F5 (it should be, please excuse pitch issues >_< actually sorry about this one in general but thanks for listening)
The reason I have concerns about where my register break occurs is because we are supposed to build chest first, then head, then bridge them - right? So if I practice girl exercises I'm in head voice pretty much the whole time except for the lowest 2-3 reps and it makes me wonder if I'm practicing correctly. So in order to do the exercises in the proper register, I've been doing guys first (jumping in at B2-C3) letting it break where it will, then after warm up I also do the girls workout for good measure. Can it hurt? I want to make sure I'm relating to the coursework correctly - thanks everyone for listening!
Edit - You guys call middle C C4 right? 261hz? Just checking we're talking about the same C here LOL.
Hi, I've just started Ken's course a few weeks ago and already feel that I'm not sure if I'm practicing correctly. It's the la-ah. I understand I should keep the tang down and lift the soft pallet but the voice comes out with operatic sound not with "ping" (I'm not sure I understand that ping at all). Can someone please clarify. Or should I just keep doing and hope that I will get the hang of it at some point?
@Wigs Thanks, sent e-mail. ☺️ Hope this gets easier as I start using the forum more.
Ok, here is a link to a song "If you ever change your mind". I sang it in the summer before starting Ken's course. Would appriciate feedback, what to focus on. I notice that I have hard time with the note es/Eb, I guess I transfer to different resonance area there. I don't think I control the support, it works automatically if it works but when I get feedback "you need to use more support" I don't know how to do that. I have done many excersises with different teachers and then I think I can understand a little what they are saying but don't know how to use it in a real situation. I have heard that I am over complicating the concept but still I don't know.... Hope to get help on that when advancing on Ken's course and on the student forum when I get my access. Well long intro.. Here is my song:
Had a listen to your demo, you have a good starting point and the song was nicely sung. Sounds like a bit more improvement in diaphragmatic support just get those notes a little better with a well supported tone which is one the first things you will work on in the course. As you progress in your training you'll find that your voice will improve in many areas, range, tone pitch and strength. Thus giving you the freedom to sing songs in many styles like Rock, pop, r&b etc.
very nice start though I am sure you will progress really well!
@Vocality Thank you for listening and commenting. The support thing is one of the reasons I started this course, I want to really get what it is and how to use it. Hope to see and hear improvement on this area soon. ☺️ Improvement is a great motivator.
Hi.i really don't understand how to sing notes according to an instrument i really find no similarity between a vocal note and an instruments...can someone please tell how to recognise and match the notes?
https://soundcloud.com/user-726801720 I haven’t touched the mic in 15 years. Forgive the quality I’m singing on my iPhone in the bathroom. It’s pretty rough and a bit shouty but I have to start somewhere ,thanks for listening.
To whoever is handling this page (Wigs)?,I also posted in “for the bold”the same song. My bad,I’m new here. I tried to delete them but Didn’t have any success.😬
Hiii I'm new to the forum so apologies if I make any mistakes uploading this. This is my rendition of We Have a Savior by Hillsong Worship. I would welcome any and every critique for this recording. Apologies for the sound of the fan and how loud my guitar playing is.
If I were to critique my own singing, I think the main problem is breath management and pronunciations, though who am I to be the judge of that. Thank you very much for a place to post this without regret XD.
Very nice song you have a nice voice with good starting point, noticed you need to improve diaphragmatic support you struggle slightly on supporting the higher notes and if your thinking of joining Ken's singing course you would benefit alot from the techniques he teaches.
There's plenty of free tutorials you can check out but leave you with the link to his diaphragmatic support video it's super important to learn this first.
This thread is reserved for folks that would like to dip their toe in the waters of singing demonstrations. Maybe you're new to singing, or just new to KTVA, but you would be more comfortable having your demo seen alongside other new singers, rather than amongst some of our heavy-hitters.
Well, here it is. Just for you and fellow Dudes and Divas that want to have a few pointers in the early stages of your vocal journey!
This is a safe place. You can be off-pitch. You can have bad rhythm. You can be nervous.
We will help you.
We won't be mean.
We WILL coach you, and sometimes that will mean that we will point out the things you need to work on.
Don't worry if you HATE the sound of your own voice. That is a very common thing. This will help you to get over that hump.
Hello Everyone. I am quite new to singing. I am learning how to sing pop songs which are chesty and I struggle. This is a recording of me singing Dreams (i’m in brown jacket). I have a backvocal who is amazing and she is an awesome singer. I feel my voice is week and thin. Your helpful instruction would help me a lot on how I can develop a strong full voice and better pitching, etc
@stung pretty good job mate, the high notes need a bit more support to sustain them but you are utilising the vowel mods well up there.
@Ausdiwata This is a fairly monster song to do like the original To practice your chest voice you are much better of doing with scales, @Klaus_T has a list of Kens YT videos you can use to get yourself started. From where you are now it may take anywhere from 6 to 12 months of real sweat equity to build your chest voice to the point you can use it for this song. You have to really engage your support, control how much air you use (less is more for chest voice and high range singing) and understand how to use vowel modifications so you can keep your throat open. Its a common misconception that we should squeeze the vocal tract up high to produce notes, instead you need to keep it as open as possible while engaging your support.
Hey I am not apart of the KTVA yet but do plan to be soon, I have very recently became interested in singing (like second week of singing ever) I may sound like a animal but I was wondering if it is still acceptable to post of recording to get a idea on what to do with my voice?
You don't have to be a KTVA student to post here. It helps.
Most of the KTVA Students post their demos in areas that are only visible to Students. There we get into more technical aspects of their demos using KTVA techniques.
Love of my life: On the head voice sections you need to watch your pitch and support more. Some of the upper mid voice sections sound pretty good, and better supported. Try using a little less air and "hooty" sound on the head voice.
El Triste: At 0:58 you go a little flat. Overall, this song is better supported. Nice job at 2:33. Nice tone at 3:27. Watch your pitch.
Yes, you will find that the longer you work out on these exercise, your range will improve.
This sounds pretty good overall. Your pitch is accurate most of the time, and the song is within your range.
I suggest you try to lighten up on the consonants and tie your vowels together more smoothly.
To sound more natural on English pronunciation, try to use more contractions. For example instead of "Shaking what she's got" you would say "shakin'" leaving the ng off the end, and just using an apostrophe n.
Instead of sustaining on the r on the end of "forget herrrrrr" sing it more like "fah-geht-ha" with just a touch of an "r" at the very end. You don't want to try to sustain r's or N's or m's. (or s's or t's.) Sustain vowels, not consonants.
Instead of singing "Better let them" you would sing "bettah let 'em"
Flow the phrase "The Boys are Back" more as a contiguous phrase. Less staccatto, more legato.
I try to study your suggestions. I have about 6 months done with Ken's Part 1 vocal exercises and the scales are improving.
This particular song has required a lot of repetitions due to the timing of the words and I still have to train it. Luckily I'm a karaoke singer and if I fail that is nothing.
I lost some range after I quit training by singing and started with Ken's vocal exercises but I have noted that Ken's way is the right way.
I'm about to dive into part 2 soon.
Currently, I sing every day but I have to warm up about an hour before my voice is able to reach the top notes of part 1 vocal exercises. Probably I'm doing something wrong or simply singing too much.
It is normal to have to warm up. Ken warms up for about 70 minutes every morning before starting to sing songs or give lessons. He does essentially the Volume 3 warmups plus a little more every day before attempting to sing seriously.
Don't rush ahead just to get farther into the course. Make sure you are ready before proceeding to the next section. When you feel ready, don't feel bad if you need to go back and review what you have worked on previously.
Very nice cover of Boys are back in town you're doing very well, its all too easy over pronounce consonants and agree with Bob's advice and feedback. Once you break the lines down practice them with more of the vowels and less consonants will make further improvements and you will be able to apply the techniques to other songs.
I have been on Ken's KTVA course for 4 years and for me took about 3 years to get scales accurate my issue was root notes in the scale some were off some were on. Now most are on which has made alot difference my songs, what I have learned is that it does take alot time to develop as a singer and the progress is gradual.
Volume 1 is Kens foundation it's the most important exercises, no matter how advanced we think we are some times we have to revisit volume 1 to refresh on the basics especially when something is not quite right. I have had more benefit from moving back to volume 1 from 3 to correct techniques in support.
Thank you for your comments! I struggled with the last root note when the scale was already going down from the pinnacle. This was yet after about four months of training. Now it seems that the scales are getting better.
The most problematic songs have been not necessarily the ones going a bit higher but those that have pretty low and longer notes. The voice has not been able to maintain a steady single sound there. After listening to my singing from a home studio recording my verdict has been not to sing some particular songs even in karaoke. I wondered if the training of these scales will solve the problem but now it seems it actually is.
One thing is sure. I don't know if anyone is capable to gain progress by just singing songs but I am certainly not able to do that.
A hint for improving low notes and preserving air:
Keep the sound, even on low notes, BRIGHT. More cord closure will help hold back a portion of the air. Don't forget to support, even on low notes. Consciously hold back (resist) the release of air.
Hi, guys. I have been singing for 6 years. I was a complete novice when I started. I decided to post a demo recording I made of one my songs with my group. I'd to be able to hear where I need to improve and what I am doing wrong, and what I am doing right, if any. So here it is. I am in a southern gospel group, nothing major. We take local bookings in our area. This is a cover of a Charles Johnson song, "I Know What Lies Ahead" Thank you for any help and thank you for accepting me in this place. Thank you.
Thanks for taking time to listen to my, erm, my "voice." I wrote this song and am curious to know what you think about the singing aspect...I doubled my voice in the lurch toward some kind of texture...
Hi guys, I sang a stanza from "The Horse and The Infant" and well... I'm a beginner, so it ain't epic, but I fucking tried and that's the important things, right? WRONG, feedback is the most important thing :^). And tone, and vowel, and placement, and....
Please if you can, provide your critique. I really want to make progress if possible, no matter how small.
A hint for improving low notes and preserving air:
Keep the sound, even on low notes, BRIGHT. More cord closure will help hold back a portion of the air. Don't forget to support, even on low notes. Consciously hold back (resist) the release of air.
Is it "normal" to have trouble keeping the velum closed in the low register? When I go low, I'm regularly needing to let air pass through my nasopharynx. High register has no issue with this, but my larynx does some interesting things. I've come to learn that air should effectively not pass through the nose when singing (mostly), but I wonder if allowing for it is "ok" in the lower register.
I'm not sure where you were informed that air should not go through the nasopharynx on low notes. It is natural for a portion of the air to exit through the nose. If no air goes through the nose, then you will sound like you do when you have a bad cold and your nose is stuffy. That isn't a desirable sound.
Part of the richness of the voice comes from resonance in the nasopharynx. You will hear Ken tell you, at times, to "Sing into the mask". That means to "aim" the sound into the front of the face, including the sinuses and septum, and even up around the eyes. That is why you will often see Ken have that huge, raised-cheeks SMILE. That is why he says to "SMILE into the sound". Raising the cheeks and smiling helps the uvula to rise, as the cheeks pull up on the soft palate, which helps more and more as your notes get higher and higher.
The "tongue exercise" helps you to feel resonance in your teeth, nasopharynx, and even your skull. When you do the tongue exercise ALL of the sound exits from your nostrils (after buzzing around in all of the hard surfaces).
The velum (Soft palate/Uvula) isn't necessarily supposed to be either completely closed or completely open at any given time. It should be more of a variable valve, that helps to direct the sound proportionally out of the mouth or nose, as needed. Different amounts gives different tones.
The most important thing to try to maintain is the open throat of the AH VOWEL. That is your HOME BASE. Everything else is built around that. "All Vowels stem from the _______." (AH VOWEL)
If you maintain a good open throat, then you can vary the amount of air, more or less that comes from the mouth or the nose. It's not all one way or the other. It's variations.
The more you open your throat and keep the larynx lowered on low notes, there will be less of a tendency for the notes to come from the nose. The sound will take the path of least resistance. As you go higher, the sound will tend to feel more and more as if it is going more straight up, instead of out the mouth. But still, a good portion will be coming from the mouth.
Comments
Hey mate, you have posted a wide range of songs here. As fun as it is to sing all your favorite songs, I think the down side to trying to take them all on in the early stages is that a large range of songs has a very large range of techniques and vocal ranges, I found when I focused on singing loads of songs:
1. It would detract from learning technique, as there is only so much time in a day.
2. I would end up focusing on trying to emulate the sound of the artist, and doing this without a focus on good technique, would lead me to bad technique.
I think you would do well to even go back to the starter exercises and focus on technique.
Listening to some of your songs posted here, to my ears it sounds like you have a lack of Ping/Brightness and Support (eg; when your voice wavers and does not sound full).
I recently did a post here that you may find useful with developing Ping/Brightness:
https://forum.kentamplinvocalacademy.com/discussion/comment/84489/#Comment_84489
And post here that you may find useful with developing Support:
https://forum.kentamplinvocalacademy.com/discussion/comment/84437/#Comment_84437
I would try and spend most of your time on developing technique at this stage and maybe just work on 1 song for a while that suits your vocal range and do it with a clean tone. This way you can refine your ability to do that song, and really get to know the melody and work out vowel mods that make parts of it easier etc... as you continue to build good technique. It is technique that will give you the ability to sing a broader range of songs, so focus on this first. Then post your Lah Scales for evaluation so you can track your progress, discover what you need to work on and refine your goals from this.
Also there are many other discussions here on the forums and info in Ken's vids that you can refer to in your research for developing Ping/Brightness and Support.
Keep up the good work mate.
Regards,
Scotty
Hi Scotty
Thank you so much for you kind advices
Yup I'm doing the scales and warm up things every day to keep the system going on
Ya I know I need to work on my technique
I just can't control myself from singing songs I don't know which one song to focus my mind is like this one is good and this one is also good so I don't know I cannot resist the temptation
And If I dont sing like any day it feels like something was off about that day
So I don't know but I'm trying to focusing on a single song every day
I'm recording it and then listening it so ya till I don't know if it's perfect or close to it I am not uploading
Well anyway I think I had written too much
Well again thank you so much for your suggestions I will surely work on it
Happy singing to you
I had not purchase the course
I'm more on the freebee side
But thank you for taking time and posting
It means a lot to me
Well happy singing
By the way Scott is your real name so why codeowl
Codeowl like on a mission
Ok that is unfortunate, there is so much good info in the coarse, I would recommend getting it if you can. My name is Scotty, my internet handle is codeowl, which I choose because I am a computer programmer that stays up late writing code.
Regards,
Scotty
Scott ohh you are a coder a tough job
By the way do you sing ? I would love to hear one of your cover or songs
Well about the course I know I want the course but let's just say I cannot it right now
But no worries I am trying to collect some info from here and there and working on it
So I'm quite persistent about the knowledge and singing
I know I have a longway to learn let's enjoy
And by the way don't stay too much at night sleep is very important
Happy singing
Scott ohh you are a coder a tough job
By the way do you sing ? I would love to hear one of your cover or songs
Well about the course I know I want the course but let's just say I cannot it right now
But no worries I am trying to collect some info from here and there and working on it
So I'm quite persistent about the knowledge and singing
I know I have a longway to learn let's enjoy
And by the way don't stay too much at night sleep is very important
Happy singing
I really enjoy coding and have learnt so much about life from the analytical approach to things. Everything is an experiment, most of the time you don't know how something works so you have to test it in a number of ways to verify that what you think is true. You can learn a lot doing this.
I am learning to sing yes. I bought the coarse and have decided to dedicate myself to learning the techniques Ken teaches. I have a few covers I have been working on over time, I plan to post a cover to get some feedback in the future. I was gunna post it in the New Student Demos area. Do you have access to that?
Even I learn from trail and error to find the perfect sound
Well I never did coding but I can help in singing cause I love it
About your covers I'm very excited to hear tag me through that @
Looking forward to your singing
I am working on "Walking In Memphis" by Marc Cohn. Could I get feedback on this please?
https://youtu.be/d7yfeFzLuEI
Hey mate, it is difficult to asses without the music. Here is a karaoke version of the song try recording yourself singing with this:
Regards,
Scotty
Thank you for providing this track, I recorded my take with the video as you requested,
https://youtu.be/OSXXr20y9Cg
Hey mate, so it sounds a bit like you are trying to be quite, and the sound is a bit covered.
Just by way of getting some background from you:
Have you looked into Ken's technique at all?
Have you been learning singing long?
Ken teaches to pursue a bright sound he describes as a ping using the Lah Ah and getting that real bright sound in the Lah.
There are several aspects of his technique that go into developing this bright sound, and you learn all the basics in volume one of his coarse.
Here is a good intro to Ken's technique:
Also for recording I am assuming you are using you phone, you may get better results with an app like Smule. I have not used it personally but I have seen others and they get some pretty good results.
Regards,
Scotty
Hi I am a total newbie, could you analyze this triad practice please? I was sitting down.
Cheers.
Hey mate, for a good critique of your progress it is good to record yourself doing the full Lah scale with the exercise playing a bit softer in the background. Small samples are not good as they don't cover the range of pitch.
From what I could hear, you sound strained and unsupported when you ascend in pitch. I would direct you back to the volume one vids. It is easy to miss key points the first time you watch them, I know I did.
I have had a few discussions around some of the foundational basics of volume one that you may find helpful. In some of these posts I point to key timestamps in the volume 1 vids where Ken demonstrates some key aspects of technique, that I didn't pick up on the first time round.
There is a discussion here that has a cool MRI of diaphragmatic breathing that may help you to visualize where/how to apply support:
https://forum.kentamplinvocalacademy.com/discussion/comment/84437/#Comment_84437
There is some discussion here that talks about breath control and may help you to conceptualize it:
https://forum.kentamplinvocalacademy.com/discussion/comment/84588/#Comment_84588
There are also some cool experiments to try here along with pointers to key parts of the Vol 1 vids that you may find useful as well, that discuss things like how to reach higher notes with more ease and how to get that ping/brightness Ken talks about:
https://forum.kentamplinvocalacademy.com/discussion/comment/84489/#Comment_84489
And finally, here is a post on an analytical approach to your practice. Using the approach in the following link has helped me be able to hear components of technique that Ken is demonstrating and identify exactly where I am lacking in my execution of technique and what I need to focus on, and the checklist helps me to actually focus on them. It's so easy to get halfway through your practice and think why is this so hard tonight or I forgot to do X and now my voice is croaky. Especially when something may only apply to low notes, or just to high notes, or certain vowels etc... Like if I don't lower my larynx when going into low notes, it wears my voice. As the scales start with low notes, if I forget it, then it really has a negative effect on that night's practice.
https://forum.kentamplinvocalacademy.com/discussion/comment/84765/#Comment_84765
Regards,
Scotty
Regards.
No problems mate, I would also add it's a good idea to stand up while you are working on support. Ken says in the vids that you loose a % of support when sitting ;-).
Regards,
Scotty
This is me sing Daughters, and feedback would be awesome! It's pretty rough lol, but like i said i'd love to hear any and everything i could work on/focus on when taking the lessons
Thank you!
Here is the link:
https://youtu.be/JWd332tR5vk
This is the video of my contribution to a contest start by Bryan May at the beginning of pandemic.
Jamming with him and some other guys.
Hope you are all keeping safe in these challenging times.
I just signed up to this course, I have done 30 day Adam Mishan course and had a look at 30 day Singer. There is nothing wrong with them but there doesn't seem to be any programme structure to them. What do you day after the 30 days is up? There are plenty of resources saying here is an exercise for this and that but no roadmap of which ones to combine and do on a daily basis to progress so to me it is a bit random.
I signed up for KTVA because i like the youtube videos, we share a common interest in terms of the kind of music I like and there seems to be a structure going forward of what to do each day and how to move on to the next stage- a proper roadmap!
So I have played keyboards for years and have a good ear but always been rubbish at singing and people have always said I have not got a great voice.
So in lockdown I started keeping more fit but then did my wrist in and so now thought I would have a go at singing as hurts wrist to play piano. My goal is to find my voice and maybe eventually combine my piano playing with singing. I am lucky in that the keyboard skills are fully there (just need to rest the old wrist) and I can pretty much learn any rock song by ear that I want to pretty quickly but I have never tried to develop my voice.
Having messed around with a couple of other courses for a couple of months, I think I have actually improved a little but I thought i would post my self singing here as a marker to see how i progress.
Please feel free to feedback and be brutal, the problem with sites like Smule (where this was recorded) is that everyone tells each other they are brilliant all the time which is great fun but not always the truth.
So deliberately recorded a song that is high up that i would have struggle with two months ago but now i seem to just be able to get higher. Would be good to get feedback and also what voice am I in - I have no idea whether I am in chest, mix of head when I go up but I am aware that I couldn't sing this two months ago and holding back the loudness and using stomach has helped?
However, I am starting volume 1 and sticking to it for at least a few weeks to get the fundamentals as Ken sees them, even though done a couple of months of other courses but good to get initial feedback on my weaknesses, strengths (if any) and where my four should be.
I think keeping fit kettlebell swings, doing planks and side planks has helped as well as given me a great core strength in the stomach and sides
here is the link
https://smule.com/recording/supertramp-its-raining-again-powerfull_music/2535563331_3983353099
Thanks for reading and any feedback will be appreciated a lot
Stung (not Sting.......yet!)
That was pretty cool! The internet lets us do some awesome things!
Bob
You need to support more on the F4's and G4's. Open up the throat a little more (like "It's the LAH!!! AH!!!") .
Try to make the lyrics a little more legato and less staccato/stabby. Less consonant, more sustained vowels.
Keep doing Ken's exercises, and keep support and opening up the throat in mind. Also learn to do the vowel modifications in the exercises and that will help with those higher notes.
A lot of this song you are singing in a mix. When you go up to the F's and G's you aren't fully in head voice or chest voice. That's pretty good. It will help when you are able to recognize what you're doing, but it takes a lot of people a long time to be able to utilize mix. You seem to have found it on your own.
Bob
Thanks Bob, your feedback is very very much appreciated - wow what a great forum, within hours of posting, listened to, reviewed and really useful feedback unlike other forums I have tried.
I thought I might have found mix but it is so good to have it verified. The challenge now is to make sure I do the right things to develop it safely and progress without damaging it and so I will be following Ken's exercises and guidance.
The mix is in later volumes in Ken's programme and so
Q1. Should I stick with volume 1 all the way or are there things / exercises I should / could add while I am going through the volumes to keep / utilise mix as I seem to have found it?
When considering opening the throat and doing exercises / singing:
Q2. Do I consciously push the back of throat upwards by engaging the yawning muscles or more relaxed?
Q3. Do I consciously push the jaw as low as I can or just let it drop loosely?
One last question and then I promise to stop taking over the thread!
Below is a link to a duet (Styx Come Sail Away) so can ignore most of it but at 4mins 47 seconds after the middle eight, I come in and really surprised myself yesterday (after doing vol 1 exercises) as I hit the high C5 - just so that I can recognise the different registers,
Q4 Is this also mix or am I moving to head on the C5?
https://smule.com/recording/styx-come-sail-away/496600472_3983361476
Q5 Should I do the guys or divas exercises in your opinion based on my voice?
Thank you so much for the feedback - I will work on the things you have pointed out and add more support to high notes (I was sitting down in my car in both recordings I posted, using a Rode NTK mini mic attached to my iPhone, so hopefully standing will also add 20-30% support as well)
Stung
It is now May 13th, so with justnover a month Inthought I would post another to see if there is progress. I believe my support is jmproving on highnotes and my tone is a little brighter....I think?
The singing dowsnt start intil about 1 min 30 but any feedback greatly
appreciated including harsh feedback....
https://www.smule.com/sing-recording/2535563331_4013641433
Hi there had listen to you scales, it’s clear you’ve got a good starting point good pitch, bright tone and you will benefit greatly from the Ktva course.
This part of the forum if for song demos, in future if you could you please post progress training progress demos under volume 1 section.
You mentioned you didn’t know what chest and head voice means. These terms are explained in volume 1 tutorial videos. It’s important initially you read through volume 1 instructions and watch volume 1 tutorial videos to get a grasp of basics this is will benefit you in the long run.
When you post Lah scale triad demo we ask for 2 versions
1 bridging to head voice normally done at a much lower volume to allow smooth transition to head voice bethout the yodel (if you hear the yodel then your doing it too loud back off further until you don’t hear it)
2 Chest voice scale is done louder and it designed to develop a strong robust chest voice. Important to stay in chest for as long as possible.
Hope this gives you an insight it’s in so much more detail in the volume 1 tutorial material you downloaded.
George
Don't know if getting the 3.0 course is gonna help with my issue?
Really sorry to hear about the accident, its very inspiring to hear you relearn something you were great at and are willing to put in the hard work to start over. This mind set will help greatly with your singing. Hope to hear you soon mate
https://forum.kentamplinvocalacademy.com/discussion/6859/how-to-get-access-to-the-ktva-how-to-sing-better-than-anyone-else-student-areas-of-the-forums#latest
Is it better to post scales or a song for feedback?
Should have done it over year ago probably be farther along!
https://soundcloud.com/user-839644427/its-the-lah/s-PQijioFROqq
I’m a new student here and would appreciate some feedback as I am starting out :-)
Here are 2 of my best songs so far which I hope to record again in six months to track my progress.
Thank you in advance for your feedback/comments! 😍
Good work!
Can’t wait to share my progress in 6 months!
It's not normal to have throat pain when singing. If you are having pain when singing softly, it could be because you are using too much air. Air dries out the vocal cords, so we use it sparingly when singing. Also, if people are telling you that your voice is loud when you sing, you may be oversinging when you sing loud. Don't use so much air pressure when singing. Ease off on the volume some.
Bob
https://youtube.com/shorts/ZNBzO_jC4c0?feature=share
When i sing like in the first part of the verse for sometime ,my throat will feel slight pain. But when I sing like I did in the chorus I can sing for almost an hour or so
Here's me trying to do the transition in She's gone by Steelheart.
Been doing KTVA's course for a bit more than a month, but I've been singing by myself for years. I'm having trouble singing the part after the transition. I'm able to hit the notes but my jaw is too tense and can't transition between words properly.
Feel free to critique as much as you want as all feedback is welcome
http://louder.me/track/617202622783c50027fa08be
It's the start of Sweet Home Alabama. The 5th time I sung the karaoke version of Sweet Home Alabama
Please critique, but be easy
https://louder.me/track/617209d42783c50027fa0e38
I know you want direct constructive critism of your efforts and I will listen to both of your songs again and give some feedback when I have more time.
Im not a professional musician at all and I know only a little about music production with garage band, but if this is all your own work then I think you would be a good producer. If you want to produce and sing then spend some time with your voice, get to know it and train it. Ken has a video where he talks about expectations and how long it takes to get decent, it is not a short journey, but your work will really shine if you put the time and effort in.
Keep it up mate!
These are my before takes for my KTVA journey (Day 16). I sang short sections of each song. Feedback and insights are always appreciated.
Fly Me to the Moon is sung between Eb3 and Eb4, where I'm the most comfortable and confident at the moment.
Sentimental Mood goes from F3 to G4 and you can hear me attempting to negotiate register breaks in this song. The break happens on MEN-TAL here which is supposed to be around D4 and F4...... I've been told that breaking into head voice here is not where women's register change is supposed to occur for any female vocal fach so someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong here.... >_< I can pull chest up to the G4 but it feels bad and sounds ugly. I might also be identifying the registers wrong so let me know if you notice that I've misidentified what register I think I'm in.
Loving You is mostly in my head voice - starting at C5, There's a little bit of register breaking on the way down to C4. The highest note is F5 (it should be, please excuse pitch issues >_< actually sorry about this one in general but thanks for listening)
The reason I have concerns about where my register break occurs is because we are supposed to build chest first, then head, then bridge them - right? So if I practice girl exercises I'm in head voice pretty much the whole time except for the lowest 2-3 reps and it makes me wonder if I'm practicing correctly. So in order to do the exercises in the proper register, I've been doing guys first (jumping in at B2-C3) letting it break where it will, then after warm up I also do the girls workout for good measure. Can it hurt? I want to make sure I'm relating to the coursework correctly - thanks everyone for listening!
Edit - You guys call middle C C4 right? 261hz? Just checking we're talking about the same C here LOL.
I've just started Ken's course a few weeks ago and already feel that I'm not sure if I'm practicing correctly. It's the la-ah. I understand I should keep the tang down and lift the soft pallet but the voice comes out with operatic sound not with "ping" (I'm not sure I understand that ping at all). Can someone please clarify. Or should I just keep doing and hope that I will get the hang of it at some point?
https://forum.kentamplinvocalacademy.com/discussion/6859/how-to-get-access-to-the-ktva-how-to-sing-better-than-anyone-else-student-areas-of-the-forums#latest
Ok, here is a link to a song "If you ever change your mind". I sang it in the summer before starting Ken's course. Would appriciate feedback, what to focus on. I notice that I have hard time with the note es/Eb, I guess I transfer to different resonance area there. I don't think I control the support, it works automatically if it works but when I get feedback "you need to use more support" I don't know how to do that. I have done many excersises with different teachers and then I think I can understand a little what they are saying but don't know how to use it in a real situation. I have heard that I am over complicating the concept but still I don't know.... Hope to get help on that when advancing on Ken's course and on the student forum when I get my access. Well long intro.. Here is my song:
https://www.smule.com/sing-recording/2535230412_4059681811
Firstly welcome to the KTVA course and forum.
Had a listen to your demo, you have a good starting point and the song was nicely sung. Sounds like a bit more improvement in diaphragmatic support just get those notes a little better with a well supported tone which is one the first things you will work on in the course. As you progress in your training you'll find that your voice will improve in many areas, range, tone pitch and strength. Thus giving you the freedom to sing songs in many styles like Rock, pop, r&b etc.
very nice start though I am sure you will progress really well!
George
I haven’t touched the mic in 15 years. Forgive the quality I’m singing on my iPhone in the bathroom. It’s pretty rough and a bit shouty but I have to start somewhere ,thanks for listening.
This is my rendition of We Have a Savior by Hillsong Worship. I would welcome any and every critique for this recording. Apologies for the sound of the fan and how loud my guitar playing is.
If I were to critique my own singing, I think the main problem is breath management and pronunciations, though who am I to be the judge of that.
Thank you very much for a place to post this without regret XD.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UfGtI-H5UfnBM1CpGy0q3WiA5lYUn699/view?usp=sharing
Very nice song you have a nice voice with good starting point, noticed you need to improve diaphragmatic support you struggle slightly on supporting the higher notes and if your thinking of joining Ken's singing course you would benefit alot from the techniques he teaches.
There's plenty of free tutorials you can check out but leave you with the link to his diaphragmatic support video it's super important to learn this first.
Vocality
Please help me by giving me pointers on what I should avoid and improve in my singing.
https://www.smule.com/sing-recording/2535563331_4312751528
@Ausdiwata This is a fairly monster song to do like the original
Most of the KTVA Students post their demos in areas that are only visible to Students. There we get into more technical aspects of their demos using KTVA techniques.
https://youtu.be/3vPf2VpQFSg
You will learn a lot.
Bob
Is there something to this voice after a couple years on the course? Also what is my vocal fach? Can I please get some feedback I put two songs in two different styles if that helps.
https://www.smule.com/sing-recording/2189457386_4415417964
https://www.smule.com/sing-recording/2189457386_4415412991
Love of my life:
On the head voice sections you need to watch your pitch and support more. Some of the upper mid voice sections sound pretty good, and better supported. Try using a little less air and "hooty" sound on the head voice.
El Triste:
At 0:58 you go a little flat. Overall, this song is better supported. Nice job at 2:33. Nice tone at 3:27. Watch your pitch.
Yes, you will find that the longer you work out on these exercise, your range will improve.
Bob
The Boys Are Back In Town, Youtube
It took me a lot of trial and error before I was satisfied with my English pronunciation. Please, native speakers, tell me where I'm going wrong!?
In general, I'd be grateful to have any feedback... positive or negative, everything is appreciated!
This sounds pretty good overall. Your pitch is accurate most of the time, and the song is within your range.
I suggest you try to lighten up on the consonants and tie your vowels together more smoothly.
To sound more natural on English pronunciation, try to use more contractions. For example instead of "Shaking what she's got" you would say "shakin'" leaving the ng off the end, and just using an apostrophe n.
Instead of sustaining on the r on the end of "forget herrrrrr" sing it more like "fah-geht-ha" with just a touch of an "r" at the very end. You don't want to try to sustain r's or N's or m's. (or s's or t's.) Sustain vowels, not consonants.
Instead of singing "Better let them" you would sing "bettah let 'em"
Flow the phrase "The Boys are Back" more as a contiguous phrase. Less staccatto, more legato.
"Thaboyzarbakintawhn" with very light consonants.
GOOD JOB!
Bob
I try to study your suggestions. I have about 6 months done with Ken's Part 1 vocal exercises and the scales are improving.
This particular song has required a lot of repetitions due to the timing of the words and I still have to train it. Luckily I'm a karaoke singer and if I fail that is nothing.
I lost some range after I quit training by singing and started with Ken's vocal exercises but I have noted that Ken's way is the right way.
I'm about to dive into part 2 soon.
Currently, I sing every day but I have to warm up about an hour before my voice is able to reach the top notes of part 1 vocal exercises. Probably I'm doing something wrong or simply singing too much.
Don't rush ahead just to get farther into the course. Make sure you are ready before proceeding to the next section. When you feel ready, don't feel bad if you need to go back and review what you have worked on previously.
You are sounding good.
Very nice cover of Boys are back in town you're doing very well, its all too easy over pronounce consonants and agree with Bob's advice and feedback. Once you break the lines down practice them with more of the vowels and less consonants will make further improvements and you will be able to apply the techniques to other songs.
I have been on Ken's KTVA course for 4 years and for me took about 3 years to get scales accurate my issue was root notes in the scale some were off some were on. Now most are on which has made alot difference my songs, what I have learned is that it does take alot time to develop as a singer and the progress is gradual.
Volume 1 is Kens foundation it's the most important exercises, no matter how advanced we think we are some times we have to revisit volume 1 to refresh on the basics especially when something is not quite right. I have had more benefit from moving back to volume 1 from 3 to correct techniques in support.
George
Thank you for your comments! I struggled with the last root note when the scale was already going down from the pinnacle. This was yet after about four months of training. Now it seems that the scales are getting better.
The most problematic songs have been not necessarily the ones going a bit higher but those that have pretty low and longer notes. The voice has not been able to maintain a steady single sound there. After listening to my singing from a home studio recording my verdict has been not to sing some particular songs even in karaoke. I wondered if the training of these scales will solve the problem but now it seems it actually is.
One thing is sure. I don't know if anyone is capable to gain progress by just singing songs but I am certainly not able to do that.
Keep the sound, even on low notes, BRIGHT. More cord closure will help hold back a portion of the air. Don't forget to support, even on low notes. Consciously hold back (resist) the release of air.
Please if you can, provide your critique. I really want to make progress if possible, no matter how small.
https://soundcloud.com/eternityatabargin/tear-me-apart?si=64ff53f269f94e2b89082d743bede250&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
I'm not in any real position to critique, but I thought it sounded quite nice.
Part of the richness of the voice comes from resonance in the nasopharynx. You will hear Ken tell you, at times, to "Sing into the mask". That means to "aim" the sound into the front of the face, including the sinuses and septum, and even up around the eyes. That is why you will often see Ken have that huge, raised-cheeks SMILE. That is why he says to "SMILE into the sound". Raising the cheeks and smiling helps the uvula to rise, as the cheeks pull up on the soft palate, which helps more and more as your notes get higher and higher.
The "tongue exercise" helps you to feel resonance in your teeth, nasopharynx, and even your skull. When you do the tongue exercise ALL of the sound exits from your nostrils (after buzzing around in all of the hard surfaces).
The velum (Soft palate/Uvula) isn't necessarily supposed to be either completely closed or completely open at any given time. It should be more of a variable valve, that helps to direct the sound proportionally out of the mouth or nose, as needed. Different amounts gives different tones.
The most important thing to try to maintain is the open throat of the AH VOWEL. That is your HOME BASE. Everything else is built around that. "All Vowels stem from the _______." (AH VOWEL)
If you maintain a good open throat, then you can vary the amount of air, more or less that comes from the mouth or the nose. It's not all one way or the other. It's variations.
The more you open your throat and keep the larynx lowered on low notes, there will be less of a tendency for the notes to come from the nose. The sound will take the path of least resistance. As you go higher, the sound will tend to feel more and more as if it is going more straight up, instead of out the mouth. But still, a good portion will be coming from the mouth.