2 and a half year progress report.
kringlan
Pro Posts: 7
Hey guys!
I've really not been the most active student on the forums, believe this is my second post here. But i thought i should give you the full story.
For the last 8 years of my life i have been living in China, running businesses and, of course doing my one life constant: Writing music, singing and playing. After a few years of sitting in parks and streets playing i found a pretty amazing and equally crazy guitar player and we formed a band. After starting recording, i quickly realized i was far from where i wanted to be and i started looking for singing coaches.
My location pretty quickly forced me to try to find teachers online and in 2011 i found Brett Manning and got his course which i did for almost three years. It wasn't bad at all, but i got frustrated with the lack of power i got. The songs i write requires me to be able to use a wide range of emotions and voices at the same time as i play guitar... well to be frank, Brett manning is great if you want the mix and master engineer to do your job and the whole idea of sing as you speak is to learn to sing as you speak.. err. should have understood that earlier.
Anyway, this is me before Ken Tamplin, but after Brett
:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn8gsW94tVM
When i heard about the course i jumped on it.
I started doing the exercises every day, I was fortunate enough to have a job that enabled me to build a rehearseroom studio where i could practice, record and listen. I got an avalon preamp and a RE20 mic that suits my vocal timbre all thanks to the extra tips and tricks from ken and i started learning about mixing and mastering. This together with the course, and some pretty important health tips really has transformed my world. Not only when it comes to singing and music. It has changed the way i think in fundamental ways. For instance some of the breathing techniques got me a renewed interest in breathing and meditation that really has transformed almost every aspect of my life.
I can go on probably for several pages here but this is the last song we recorded:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOyh8tyP60A
I still have a long way to go, and thanks god for that. The moment you think you're done is the moment you loose it all.
I hope to be more active in the community, and i would love to help/learn from any students located in stockholm at the moment. Yes i have moved home, i will be rebuilding my studio here. And i can help out with recordings, talks, ideas, collaborations pretty much anything for those with an open mind and who, like me, love to do the impossible.
Thanks again and i hope you enjoy it. Gonna take my first one on one lessons soon i hope. Of course feedback is more than welcome, there is still miles to go. But thanks for the journey so far!!
I've really not been the most active student on the forums, believe this is my second post here. But i thought i should give you the full story.
For the last 8 years of my life i have been living in China, running businesses and, of course doing my one life constant: Writing music, singing and playing. After a few years of sitting in parks and streets playing i found a pretty amazing and equally crazy guitar player and we formed a band. After starting recording, i quickly realized i was far from where i wanted to be and i started looking for singing coaches.
My location pretty quickly forced me to try to find teachers online and in 2011 i found Brett Manning and got his course which i did for almost three years. It wasn't bad at all, but i got frustrated with the lack of power i got. The songs i write requires me to be able to use a wide range of emotions and voices at the same time as i play guitar... well to be frank, Brett manning is great if you want the mix and master engineer to do your job and the whole idea of sing as you speak is to learn to sing as you speak.. err. should have understood that earlier.
Anyway, this is me before Ken Tamplin, but after Brett
:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn8gsW94tVMWhen i heard about the course i jumped on it.
I started doing the exercises every day, I was fortunate enough to have a job that enabled me to build a rehearseroom studio where i could practice, record and listen. I got an avalon preamp and a RE20 mic that suits my vocal timbre all thanks to the extra tips and tricks from ken and i started learning about mixing and mastering. This together with the course, and some pretty important health tips really has transformed my world. Not only when it comes to singing and music. It has changed the way i think in fundamental ways. For instance some of the breathing techniques got me a renewed interest in breathing and meditation that really has transformed almost every aspect of my life.
I can go on probably for several pages here but this is the last song we recorded:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOyh8tyP60A I still have a long way to go, and thanks god for that. The moment you think you're done is the moment you loose it all.
I hope to be more active in the community, and i would love to help/learn from any students located in stockholm at the moment. Yes i have moved home, i will be rebuilding my studio here. And i can help out with recordings, talks, ideas, collaborations pretty much anything for those with an open mind and who, like me, love to do the impossible.
Thanks again and i hope you enjoy it. Gonna take my first one on one lessons soon i hope. Of course feedback is more than welcome, there is still miles to go. But thanks for the journey so far!!
Comments
You be the judge!
Great video man, did you guys get to jam on the roof for a while?
Keep up the good work!
What a difference to the second clip!
Great Job!
Overall sounds pretty good man!! Can't wait to hear more!
Regarding the distortion, perhaps this is useful for some of you, I hope it is.
One of the first songs we made was this one
It contains this huge intro scream that i started doing before i took Kens lessons. It used to exhaust me but as i got on with the lessons and you start to understand vocal compression and the feel of it the tension dies.
Its important to note that when you are on stage nervousness will dry you out quicker so never attempt to scream without enough moisture as it will annoy your vocal cords.
Just some thoughts on that before i talk about what i believe to be a more sustainable way to adding fire, distortion, screams or growl.
1. Make sure you are really comfortable with at least the first and second volumes of KTVA. You need to have a good feel of what vocal compression feels like and to be able to add more support from your diaphragm and use your neck to stop it any airflow. You should be able to completely close down your vocals regardless of how much you push with your belly. (however dont do this for extended time periods).
Practise this separately for sometime. if you apply more pressure slowly you will note that at a certain point you can hear your bloodflow in your ears. if you continue above that point your head will start to hurt, you can get lightheaded and you may faint eventually. So be careful. If its painful very quickly for you, do handstands for a few minutes every day just to get used to the feeling.
Now, When you are applying pressure try to go up all the way until just before you start hearing the sound of your blood flow increasing around your ear canals, and keeping your airflow completely constricted slowly open up the muscles of your neck passing as little air as out you can. Your vocal chords would now start to make some form of guttural type sound. Experiment by adding a bit more air, shifting the placement of the larynx. Try to find the sweet spot for where you use as little air as possible but where you can still remain stable.
Screaming, distortion and all of those things are always best practised at very little air to start with. As you grow more comfortable, knowing your limits and get a feel for the daily variations of your throat you can open up a bit more. However, in most cases when i do scream, the compression, proximity to the mic, vocal effect chain will have a heavier impact to the scream than you adding more air. Very much like with singing notes very high in your register. The less air you use, the better.
Do this after each of your daily routines and you will learn how to dial it in and take it out and build that sort of strength needed in your throat to and diaphragm to keep notes going for a very very long time.
Try going from screams to normal and over to very soft. Do it quick, do it slow, with your larynx in different positions. Do it in the back of your throat or really in front. Experiment and have fun. I think you will be surprised what your voice can do.
I believe that my screams has helped me to develop the muscles needed to do other types of singing faster. And if you do this correctly and carefully, you should have no problem.
Your screams and distortions will be more sensitive to local variations in temperature, air, moisture, etc. etc. So Every day will be a new experience. Get used to all of them. If you have a cold - sing trough it but carefully. Get used to singing with a cold. You wont get away from having to do that live. For screaming colds may actually be a pretty cool thing.
Of course the following rules apply:
1. If its painful, Stop.
2. If you start feeling light headed, Stop.
3. Hydrate well, with water only, if you are new. (Or if you are experienced with your throat and your body, with what works best for you)
And if you want to improve fast.
4. Record yourself. Listen Back. Learn. Record Again. (use your phone i you have nothing else)
Hope this helps some of you and you can always reach me on twitter @kringlan05 if you got some questions or ideas. (or just post here)