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Depeche Mode Stripped

bnosambnosam Member Posts: 8
edited June 2014 in VOCAL DEMONSTRATIONS for the Bold!
This is my first time posting a recording on here.  I've been practising singing for about 2-3 months on and off now.

I'm a newbie, but I can take criticism, so let me have it! Just as long as you tell me how to improve, any comments are welcome!

Little feedback here and there in the mic but it's not bad, I'll avoid it next recording.
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  • bnosambnosam Member Posts: 8
    edited June 2014
    I just saw your post and I do agree  there were a lot of effects (I originally recorded it to see if I could get vocal effects close to the original song, posting it here was an after thought since I've never posted anything on here before).

    It feels weird to be a novice again at something musicial since I've played guitar for 8 years and I'm not used to being a beginner!

    I find it hard to get more support than I already have, I have my lungs 3/4 full of air, breathing from the diaphragm, back also straight.
    But I guess support gets built the more often you work those muscles, they get stronger, correct?

    You could probably help me better when you hear this clip without effects:

    Thank you for your comment! 
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  • highmtnhighmtn Administrator, Moderator, Enrolled, Pro, 3.0 Streaming Posts: 15,380
    edited June 2014

    @bnosam.

    This is a better recording with the effects "Stripped"... ; ^ )

    We can hear what you're doing on this one.

    Perhaps you are doing it intentionally, but the vocal is a bit dark and covered-sounding.

    If you will brighten up the sound, it will help you to zero in more precisely with your pitch.

    As Cinema pointed out, you could use a bit more support as well.

     

     

     

    Bob

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  • bnosambnosam Member Posts: 8
    Yeah, I do notice I try to sing it darker along with the original song's style.

    So I should try it brighter first then slowly try to make it a bit darker when I get my pitch on key?

    Another question:

    I find I get a bad tone when I tend to sing higher, it sounds weak. Should I practise mostly using songs in this range since my tone is fuller sounding and powerful and perfect it here THEN move up to higher notes?

    Or should I just practise all around


    Thanks I appreciate your feedback so much
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  • highmtnhighmtn Administrator, Moderator, Enrolled, Pro, 3.0 Streaming Posts: 15,380

    Support is a method of bolstering the body's ability to sing higher without losing strength. 

    You may be having difficulties with your higher notes due to lack of proper support.

    Regarding the brightness, I recommend you brighten it up and keep the brightness.  You can add brightness to a voice without sacrificing the low tones.  You want both the bright and the dark at once.  This will help keep your pitch from drifting later in the song or later in the performance.

    Bob

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  • bnosambnosam Member Posts: 8
    How does one add brightness to the voice? 

    Where should I "feel" the sound in my throat/head when I sing?
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  • highmtnhighmtn Administrator, Moderator, Enrolled, Pro, 3.0 Streaming Posts: 15,380
    edited June 2014

    Brightness comes from closure of the vocal cords and opening of the mouth and throat, with the tongue out of the way, smiling into the sound.

    You maintain a centered larynx, not artificially lowered.  You direct a portion of the sound into the Mask, the frontal area of the cheeks and nose.

    Where you feel the sound depends on the note and the tone desired.

    As you sing higher, the resonance moves from low to up higher in the back of the throat, eventually feeling like it is coming out of the top of your head in your highest notes.

     

    Bob

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  • bnosambnosam Member Posts: 8
    I'm pretty sure I'm doing it right. But singing hurts my throat, not like the vocal chords but the muscles get exhausted from holding proper support, especially when I try to sing higher. But my throat doesn't hurt its more so the muscles are tired and probably over pushed or stressed.

    I think I'm going to work on building support more and more in the lower range first. When I get stronger in the lower range, I should be able to support higher notes much easier, does this sound like good sense?
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  • highmtnhighmtn Administrator, Moderator, Enrolled, Pro, 3.0 Streaming Posts: 15,380

    Support does not happen in the throat.

    Your throat should not hurt during or after singing.

    Many singers use their constrictor muscles to attempt to hit higher notes.  Constrictor muscles are only used for swallowing food and liquids.  They only constrict the throat, and cannot help you to hit a note in any way, other than to hinder by causing tension.

    Support comes from the abdominal area, from the bottom (all the way around) to the chest cavity being held expanded. 

    You need to support the bottom notes, but the higher you go, the more support will be required.

     

    Bob

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  • bnosambnosam Member Posts: 8
    I think I misphrased what I meant. The muscles in my face/neck get tired from supporting my cheeks pulled up and my tongue pulled back.
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