Looking for Criticism

Mwight

Hey everyone,

I did a praise and worship mash up starting on oceans. I would love to hear what I'm doing wrong. Especially when I'm going to higher pitches, which honestly, there could be more of if I chose a different song... but this video was originally meant for youtube after a few fixes on the guitar part.

I'm also starting to worry that the only way I know how to sing has at least some force with it. I'd like to learn how to do the more hip hop pop voice for blending with the praise and worship team when I need to but when I get to the high note I belt so that I can reach it. Either way, here's the clip.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=3fWMgHFl0Qg

Thank you!

highmtn

You're belting all of your high notes. You're doing them in Call Voice.

You should be able to sing those same notes with less force in a more R and B voice, simply by using a little more air with a little less pressure, or force.

A lot of singers have the opposite issue. They sing with too much air and not enough cord closure. You are singing with full cord closure but not much air blended in.

What happens when you sing more lightly?

Mwight

When I sing more lightly it doesn't necessarily sound worse, but I feel like I'm constantly fighting crackling in my voice, and fighting going into head voice to alleviate pressure.

When I sing loudly or softly there still feel like there's a lot of pressure in my voice, that might be a compensation.

In addition to your response, could you also please elaborate on the full cord closure I'm doing, and adding more air, or give me an example so I can have it in my head as I keep practicing on the warm ups? I'd appreciate that as well, and thank you for your response so far.

Ah yes, and could any of this be a result of damage to my voice. I used to do a lot of metal screams along with the rock bands I used to listen to and I'm wondering if that would have a consequence of me singing with more pressure and having difficulty singing lightly, which I want to be able to do more for praise and worship.

highmtn

Most singers worry that they may have damage to their voices, but haven't actually done the damaging vocalizing for long enough to really hurt themselves. That's not to say that it's fine to oversing. It will wear out your voice, but that usually takes a while. On the other hand, screaming will do it in a lot less time.

If our cords aren't fully closed, a little bit of air leaks out, and the sound has a breathy tone. A lot of artists use that for effect, but it can dry the cords and cause you to lose elasticity. Some singers clench the vocal cords together, and that can have an opposite effect when overdone. If the cords are too tightly held together (adducted) then it takes a lot of pressure to get the cords to phonate (make sound). Somewhere in the middle of these two extremes is where you can have more control at a lesser air pressure and at a lesser volume.

Ken has demonstrations in some of his videos where he says "It's the LAH!!! AHHH!!!!" and when he's doing that, he demonstrates keeping the throat open and having the cords closed at the correct amount.

When you say the letter "H" or hhhhhhhhhhh, that is an unvoiced consonant, and you make it by exhaling with your cords slightly held apart. That is an example of poor cord closure.

If you say the word "hut" and don't voice the "T" at the end with your tongue, but instead make the "t" with your throat by closing your vocal cords together, that is an example of how to adduct your cords consciously. If you then go "hut" in that way and go directly into an extended "AH" vowel, you should be doing the AH with good cord closure, and you can experiment with clenching a little and relaxing a little to experience more and less cord closure and to get to know the feeling and the sound. hhhhhhhuttttttt-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Play with that a little.

You may find that singing with less volume and just a little air on those higher notes, as well as a little cord closure, can help you get into a kind of blend that lets you get those notes with just the right amount of air, softness, and still some timbre/tone at the same time. A mix.

When we sing those same notes in full chest, we tend to blast them more and they go to full chest sound. That's fine for rock and belting, but not so much for worship songs.

A lot of your control will come from good support, providing a steady air supply at whatever volume level you choose.

I would have to hear the type of crackling to know what you are doing. Voice cracks at the passaggio, or crackle sounds like things rattling together, and if so, where... That can be saliva gurgling, or the throat not fully opened and mouth and throat parts rattling against one another...

Sometime that comes from not doing the vowel mods when they are needed.

Bob

Mwight

That helps a lot, thank you so much.

I'll make a video trying to demonstrate where the crackling comes in as soon as possible, but there's a lot of people in the house right now so I'll need to wait for an opportune moment. I really should get soundproofing some day.

So I'll try to demonstrate that soon as I can without trying to force it so you can see what I mean, but thank you for the advice so far, it really helps.