SHOUT!!!! Implement your KTVA Training in actual songs!!!
highmtn
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Okay, so here goes....
My first demo on the KTVA forum. In a recent post I suggested that Ken's "SHOUT!" program might be a way for more of us to post demos for evaluation, comments, and as a way to help one another out through constructive criticism and encouragement.
So "SHOUT!" is a program that has video clips of Ken describing techniques to use on several song pieces. Also included are a truckload of songs that have Ken singing (demonstrating his techniques) and another copy of the same music, but without vocals, so you can sing along or record yourself and compare to Ken to help you to see the differences and learn from them.
I picked one of the first tunes on the program, just for starters. NO, I don't sound anywhere near Ken's level, but it's a start, and it's where I am today. Hopefully, everyone's suggestions will help me to polish it out. There is plenty to pick apart. I know I need to soften the consonants, modify here and there, hold back the breath, etc... Flat here, sharp there...
But after a while and a few good comments, maybe I'll post an updated version implementing some of the improvements suggested... and maybe some others would like to use the same track and do likewise. Anybody else want to give this one a try? Many of you probably already have this on your computer if you bought a package deal that included the "Shout!" program.
Please be gentle. This is my first time...
Bob
My first demo on the KTVA forum. In a recent post I suggested that Ken's "SHOUT!" program might be a way for more of us to post demos for evaluation, comments, and as a way to help one another out through constructive criticism and encouragement.
So "SHOUT!" is a program that has video clips of Ken describing techniques to use on several song pieces. Also included are a truckload of songs that have Ken singing (demonstrating his techniques) and another copy of the same music, but without vocals, so you can sing along or record yourself and compare to Ken to help you to see the differences and learn from them.
I picked one of the first tunes on the program, just for starters. NO, I don't sound anywhere near Ken's level, but it's a start, and it's where I am today. Hopefully, everyone's suggestions will help me to polish it out. There is plenty to pick apart. I know I need to soften the consonants, modify here and there, hold back the breath, etc... Flat here, sharp there...
But after a while and a few good comments, maybe I'll post an updated version implementing some of the improvements suggested... and maybe some others would like to use the same track and do likewise. Anybody else want to give this one a try? Many of you probably already have this on your computer if you bought a package deal that included the "Shout!" program.
Please be gentle. This is my first time...
Bob
Comments
during the verse I heard you sounding a little flat at some points, might sound weird, but it works for the song.
Thanks, Mike and rayven 1lk.
Yes, it took me a while to get around to putting up a post. This is really the first time I've recorded any of my vocals since starting KTVA, so I just decided to get something out there so I can start putting improvements in a higher gear.
Your feedback is valuable to me, and I will most likeley take another jab at this song after getting sufficient pointers on it, if I get much in the way of response, and see if I can do a better job with it. I've been intending to post something, and had a break from gigging this weekend, so I found a song, got the lyrics and recorded it, in between getting caught up on other chores.
@rayven 1 lk, yeah, I know that first "Love" droops a little. I heard it too, but since it was a first attempt, I left it there rather than try to pick out every error. There were worse errors that I did remove. It's a great way to hear yourself in the context of a rock or pop song. Now that I'm over the jitters of just recording myself and being horrified at the flaws, I can listen a little closer and go: "Why didn't I modify there?" and "Could you please turn down the Consonant Control?"... Now the real analysis can begin. Now I can jump the gap between knowing and doing and being.
Thanks.
Bob
Ha, ha, rayven! That guy in Alabama 3 has an interesting voice! Funny that I remind you of him. Maybe it's my accent.
Bob
Hey Bob,
I really enjoyed that. I am way too new to pick out any flaws, the more experianced guys can do that, but liked your tone and hope to hear a lot more.
@ rayven i have just been to see Alabma 3 in Bristol (UK) and they are great live.
Hey, Rayhan,
I've always been a big fan of TMR (too much reverb). If I redo the song after getting enough pointers I'll dry it up a little bit. I think I didn't really get warmed up much to the song until the last verse. But thanks for the compliments!
Paul, I'm glad you got a kick out of it. Looking forward to hearing improvements from you in the future!
So, anyway, like I said, I haven't recorded myself in ages, and just listening to the playback is enormously helpful. Ken says "If you are really serious about making progress, RECORD YOUR VOICE AND LISTEN". I had a million reasons why I didn't have time, blah, blah, blah, but now I've got my recording gear functional again and I'm ready to make the move to improve!!!
The benefit of having potentially 600 vocalists listen to it and make comments and suggestions is even more enormous! The objectivity of feedback from folks who have the knowledge to dissect a vocal performance and better yet, recommend remedies or techniques for possible weaknesses is a resource not to be wasted!
Join the party! Many of you have these tunes in your KTVA package already loaded on your computer. Pick a song... any song....
Bob
Anyway, good job on the song. You sung it well, especially the chorus-part. That's some serious power! A couple of things I thought about though:
Firstly, I think it's more a matter of preference, but the way that you end the lines in the verses, for example "...when I think about You" you sometimes cut of the note instead of sustaining it so it becomes "You-A". That always sounds a bit James Hetfieldish for me and can be good when done on occasion but to often and it starts to sound like speak-singing.
Secondly, I don't know if I'm imagining this so correct me if I'm wrong, but sometimes it sounds a bit nasal. For example, when you sing "heaven" at 3.16.
And I agree with Kokonuhtz on cutting back the reverb.
Andreas
Hey Bob,
I have a long way to go before i am ready to record myself and put it out there. By the way whats a good set up for recording on your pc? I am running windows.If any one would like to answer this question i have started athread in the off topic section.
Cheers
Paul
@Paul, I'm probably not up-to-date on good pc recording products. Maybe some others could post what's out there now that is good. The system I'm using came out in the 90's .
mivison is using band in a box, and that looks like a really useful program for putting together both music backing tracks and vocal overdubs. Can anybody verify if that works well for punching in vocal parts? Although it may be considered cheating, you can learn a lot by working on a song section-by-section. Sometimes the whole song is too much to focus on at once, and if you conquer each section, you actually teach yourself the whole through the recording process.
@volothampen, good comments, thanks for the honest feedback. I appreciate your pointers and preferences about the performance as well as the compliments. Yes, I do use my pharyngeal resonator, perhaps a bit much at times, and I just love Too Much Reverb, but the crowd says it has got to go! I want my blankie!
Bob
Thanks, wv, and kokonuhtz. That's probably the highest compliment anyone could have paid to a singer!
I'm humbled.
er, you didn't accidentally play the version that IS Ken Tamplin did you? It's also there for comparison on the Soundcloud page, along with the version that has no vocals. There are three files there. Me, Ken, and Nobody.
Bob
Thanks a lot, Scott. I have a lot of work to do on my voice, but I appreciate your comments. I'll post more as I keep working to improve.
Bob
Whats up man? Sounds great dude__ I agree with sspatrick__ reminded of Mr Ken putting it out there.. Your tone in the chorus was really good. Great vibrato_ Dug it 4 sure. Only have one constructive critique really. And that is getting consistency in vibrato.
This leads me to a quick ??? How do we set our training specific to vibrato w/ control?
Like in some places we want it to be strong { making love to yououououuuu} just like you did. Other places we would want it a little softer. Ether which ever way we want it, we want it to be that way consistently. Like I feel no control whatsoever in vibrato and when I practice like lesson 1 video shows us I get it for a just a tad then it falls away. Keep in mind I've only been at this 2_3 weeks with the lessons. Anyway Bob your voice is strong and full thank you for posting the demo and lets talk about vibrato when you get the chance.
Jimi Wayne
jimiwayne,
Thanks for commenting on my demo and for the compliments. Vibrato is something that can be a matter of taste. When overdone, it can be annoying. Some folks would say (and do) that my vibrato is overdone or annoying, and they are right, at least from their perspective, because it is a matter of taste.
I personally do not like the Stevie Nicks billygoat style of vibrato, but Stevie has sold a lot more records than I have, so what do I know? The BeeGees made millions off of an exaggerated style of vibrato, and they also had multiple platinum records. In the late 1960's the band Vanilla Fudge used a signature very wide and slow vibrato on all of their songs. Michael McDonald has a very recognizeable signature vibrato. The Beatles used almost no vibrato on any of their records. That was part of what made their harmonies so tight. So it's OK, evidently, for any given vibrato (or lack thereof) to annoy some and please others.
To get your vibrato going just follow Ken's advice on the DVD, and keep doing it. And doing it...
It takes a while before vibrato starts to sound natural, so go ahead and contrive it until it starts happening all by itself. Then you may want to tweek it a bit and make sure it's not too heavy or too deep. You don't want it to make you go out of tune from too much depth and wobble. Do some recording and listen to the playback. Make sure the speed of the oscillation is what you want it to be.
A more tasteful vibrato would be one that only engages when you sustain a longer note, and then only in the later stages of that long note. Vibrato can also be used very sparingly and only brought in for emotional effect at certain points or at the end of a song. The less you use it, the more effective the vibrato may be.
The most important thing about vibrato is, as Ken says, vibrato is one of the last stages of our relief valves. Vibrato is part of our breath support, and can allow us to find resonance and relaxation in some very intimate or very powerful singing. Vibrato is a tool available to us that goes along with vowel modifications, paring down of the sound as we ascend, and breath support.
Bob
Once again thank you. I'm a kinda a visual guy. So having just listened to the artist you mentioned your information put things into perspective for me. Like in any art, sometimes you put only certain pieces of the info together leaving the viewer to stand in ????/ in others areas you just spell it out plainly thus we have { a matter of perception}. This seems to be how I learn best is visually. I'm encouraged to translate the information and endure through. I guess the strongest point you made is that I must focus the mind not on the vision, rather the process, the endurance, THE WORK(lol).
Jimiwayne
Yes, Jimmywayne,
But even so, while keeping your nose to the grindstone of the process, still keep your eye on the prize, the vision. Keeping the vision in mind becomes part of the process and keeps the engine progressing...
;^)
Bob
Gary,
Thanks for the kind words. I've really got a lot of work to do on my voice, but the good news is that I'm a work in progress and I'm beginning to have a reality check on how my voice actually sounds. I'm really excited about where I'm at now, because I know where I want to be and it's still around the corner!! I'm just now starting to really "Get it" on a lot of Ken's concepts, and just knowing that the improvements I want are in their infancy right now is really a kick!!!
I'm going back to Square One and reassessing everything I do, and listening intently on Everything Ken Says, and there is room for a world of improvement. I'm jazzed about it, and keep taking little steps every day to get a little closer. Opening Up more! It's the LAW!!! Proper Breath! Chest Expanded! Stretching Chest!!! Yee-HAAAA!!!
Bob
ragnar,
You are too kind, but thank you for being merciful. I appreciate your comments, including the pointers and preferences you shared.
Bob
Well, here we go again. Another demo. I'm tied up in knots over this one. I chose a song that was completely different from the first one, just because it's a whole 'nother style. It gets me out of my comfort zone.
I'm like a fish out of water on this tune. I've been working on stretching chest, and this tune requires a lot of finesse with head voice that I haven't developed quite yet. Maybe after Ken comes out with his additional information on head voice, I will have a better chance at pulling off songs like this one. Anyway, nothing like a nice big slice of humble pie to give me a lesson that will encourage me to practice more and improve my technique.
On the Shout! program, this tune is actually sung by a Diva, even though it was originally written and recorded by David Gates in the 70's. The range makes a guy worry a lot about sounding like a girly-man. Try singing this one if you dare...
http://soundcloud.com/highmtn/everything-i-own-080812
Of course that minor detail could just be a matter of me and my silly new generation not properly appreciating old school rockin' haha
i think you should show Brett Mann. he hasn't caught on yet! LOL
MAN YOU ARE DOING AWESOME!
Hey,
Thanks Scott, ragnar, and Mike! It was hard to post something like this that has your voice just hanging out there, sounding like a girly-man, for all the world to see and hear! I was considering perhaps posting something with a more Schwarzeneggarian Theme, so I could sound more manly, but I went ahead and tried this one! There are places where it sounds sharp, flat, hooty, weak, too strong, etc.. I thought about taking it off and deleting it today, but I think I will come out stronger if I just learn new strengths from my current weaknesses, and get over my concerns about imperfections and put it out there and grow!
I'm not a master of this range, but this public flogging will give me some experience to build upon.
Ragnar, the purpose of this thread is to encourage us all to start posting and posting and posting demos so we can accellerate our growing cycles! Start preparing yourself to throw your hat in the ring with a few demos. It will get your gears turning and your excitement level motivated! We all need a double-shot of that! I appreciate your comments and criticisms. They are well-founded.
Scott, thanks for your comments as well. I consider you a very talented vocalist and teacher, and I appreciate your expertise. I record using PARIS Pro. It is an obsolete DAW program that came out in the late nineties. It is actually superior to Protools in many ways, but like Sony Betamax was superior to VHS video, it did not succeed in the commercial market. I bought mine second or third hand on eBay, and I really like it.
Mike, thanks for the encouragement! I'll be doing more of these as time goes on. This song was a real challenge for me. Every time I would try to record it, the first line would be off-pitch. Nothing like a recording that sounds terrible from the very first line! I sat down at the piano last night and figured out where most of the shifts between head and chest were. Then I went over several of the parts I had difficulty with the pitch a few times. Then I went at it again and got through the song in about three takes.
Come on, people, let's record and lift one another up!
Bob
Thanks, Rayhan!
Good feedback!
:^)
Bob
Thanks, dingo!
The range and timbre of this song was out of my comfort zone, but then that's why I chose it, to force me to grow a little! These little risky forays into public performance help us to evaluate where we are vocally, so we can make assessments, adjustments, and advancements.
I will be shopping around for another song soon, hopefully one that again takes me out on a limb some to explore opportunities for growth!
I appreciate your feedback and encouragement!
Bob
You can purchase SHOUT! The Secret to Live Singing! here:
http://kentamplinvocalacademy.com/shout-the-secret-to-live-singing/
OR if you purchase one of the KTVA Bundles, it is included as a Free BONUS!
I haven't counted recently, but I believe there are somewhere around Thirty or Forty songs included in the package. It includes a video that gives detailed instruction on sections of songs, and Audio files that include many songs. Two versions of each song, one version with vocals for demonstration purposes, and then the same tracks but without vocals, so you can sing over the tracks yourself and make your own demos.
Most of the songs are golden oldies. Very similar to and including some of the songs Ken uses for his YouTube videos, like Fooled Around and Fell in Love, Fortunate One, Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress, Let's Get Together, etc..
Bob
How do I get access to the Free Bonus? I received both the download links and the CD's/DVD's in the mail. I haven't looked at the CD/DVD's yet. Should the SHOUT Bonus be automatically included in their somewhere?
I"ve been so engrossed in watching and learning the main movies and lessons that I haven't looked for extras. But the SHOUT tracks would be very cool... then I might not have to make up my own and could wail over these! : )
Thanks Bob!
Sweeeet!!
HTS Vol. 1 (pdf, vol 1 audio workouts, vol.1 bonus movies which is the original versions, vol 1 main movie)
HTS Vol. 2 (2 pdf files, Orig. stage 2, stage 2 audio, Vol. 2 main movie)
HTS Vol. 3 ( pdf, volume 3 audio workouts, Vol. 3 main movie)
HTS vol. 3 bonus 1 (original master class movies)
HTS vol 3 bonus 2 ( Building head voice, The secrets of live singing application, These are a bunch of vids with Ken demonstrating how to sing the songs as well s a lot of the youtube vids that he has out)
HTS vol 3 bonus 3 (Guitar chords, How to write a song, Licks and tricks, vibrato and a folder called more bonus material. This folder has all the indie bible stuff and a butt load of contact info)
This is a well put together bundle of info and great bonus material.
It does not seem I have Shout with these downloads. How do I get them.
Thanks for any help
Mike
@guitarheadhunt,
I believe the files you are looking for are in the HTS vol. 3 bonus 2 under the SECRETS OF LIVE SINGING APPLICATION. If I remember correctly, the files are nested and compressed in there and are hard to see in a windows browser. If I'm not mistaken, I think I had to look for them too, and only found mine after navigating to that folder and doing an EXTRACT ALL from winzip to inflate the audio files and enable me to see them. Once I had them extracted and uncompressed, windows would recognize the files and let me see them and copy and move them around and burn CD's.
Does that make sense? Has anybody else done this recently? It's been about two years since I got mine and I don't remember all of the steps I did to get all the way into this particular bonus program.
@TheSpaghettiKid, does this sound like what you had to do recently?
I hope this helps.
Bob
When I downloaded all files my mac automatically unzips them. Vol. 3 bonus disc 2 came as a zip file and after download was complete the file unzipped itself. When I looked in the folder there was only 2 files, building head voice and The secrets of live singing in this folder there is only 2 other folders a folder for pop and one for rock. In neither of these are audio files. I looked in all other folders that came with the download and found no audio tracks other than the exercises for the HTS method.
@Kenbo,
Thanks for the compliment. I will be posting more demos before long. I'm kind of in a transitional stage right now... working alternately building head voice and chest voice. I want to keep developing at this stage for a little while... I don't want to pull anything out of the oven before it's quite done.
This KTVA stuff just keeps on building tone and strength and range!
I'm excited to hear that you're making breakthroughs in your voice, as well!
Gotta get back to the practice room!
Bob