Doing the scales lightly

louisjames

If im honest i find it hard to do the scales lightly, I mean I can do it light well what i think light sounds like, but im not really sure? also Ken mentions a lot in the videos that its good to do the exercises light if you are not interested in belting and wailing. My band is a rock blues band, so 99% of the songs are belting, i am happy with that too. Thoughts?

louisjames

also i have a slight crackle in my sound, is that the woodsy whiskey tone ken mentions, ie my voice is growing ?

highmtn

@louisjames,

Doing the scales lightly, means to do them in what is very much like head voice, as opposed to a chesty or belty style.  You would be doing them in a very soft voice, without the "weight" or girth of chest voice.  Low volume and light tone. Very little air.

Your crackle may be the woodsey tone, or it could be the distortion that Ken tells you to be sure to clean up and sing with a clear voice, lest ye be sentenced to a permanent distortion that won't go away.

You need to practice singing cleanly right after singing with distortion in your voice.  If you are losing the ability to sing in a clean voice, you need to be singing more in a light, clean tone in order to clean up your voice and retain the ability to sing BOTH clean AND distorted.  There is no sense in sacrificing one aspect of your voice for another.  You are best served by maintaining both qualities in your voice to use at your discretion.

Bob

louisjames

Great thanks man, always the go to guy ok so basically as im higher up in the scale does that mean I eventually start to sing the bottom of the scale in head voice as well then ? I can do it lightly just not evrytime, again i guess its just practice maybe i shold send and example for you to hear ? Again thanks Bob you have been very helpful dude! 

highmtn

Yes, It's important to clean up the vocal sound after singing with a lot of weight and/or distortion.

If your voice is having difficulties singing in the lighter configuration, then you need to spend more time gently singing to give that part of your voice time to recover.  Make sure you can get through your passagio without problems at the lighter level.

Bob

louisjames

Ahh ok, hmmm im a little worried now, Im not sure how light light should be , and whats considered too heavy? my girlfriend was sat listenining to me yesterday and said i sounded pretty much how ken sounded. Its just really frustrating cause im really trying.

ragnar

When it comes to singing light I usually look to RnB+ quality pop singers, in terms of finding someone to emulate.

From rock though, The Battle of Evermore has some great soft singing by Plant:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGAKeHQUx-U

I like Adam Lambert as well in this context. Whatever one thinks about his music, he's a tremendously controlled singer which he demonstrates regularly by singing with big big power in the studio, but the same songs much softer in live acoustic settings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rnf-ng6YJs

louisjames

Cheers Ragnar! I will check it out, Im pretty sure I am singing light enough Im just being a huge hypo, and true OCD perfectionist, Plant is singing those high notes in Head voice though right ? 

andrew804

Hi, I am new to the board and KTVA. This is my first comment!

The Battle of Evermore is actually a duet between Plant and a female singer. The song is a classic, but I don't think it is necessarily the best demonstration of correct vocal technique by either singer.

I have the same issue with singing "light and bright": I get a little crackle when going through my passagio.

I think this is due to past over singing, too much caffeine, too little water, but especially too much squeeze/compression. When I am well rested/hydrated and relax into the sound the crackle dissapears.