Considerations for singing country?

Ken_A

Hi Ken,

Quick introduction....

I have always had a passion for music and have been playing the guitar for about a year now. I have recently began to be able to play and sing at the same time, which has opened new doors and been very exciting. My singing has been mediocre at best though. I am currently on my 3rd day of Volume 1 and am truly blown away already. A lot of the content didn't make sense to me at first; however, things are really starting to sink in and I'm really starting to open up. I am very optimistic and excited about the future. Hopefully, I can get the confidence and skill set to give a great performance at some point.

On to my main question...

I definitely see the benefits of your program and understand how your methods are style agnostic. My question is would you recommend any different approach or could you recommend any follow-up programs to singing country music. I will most likely try other styles as well, but this is something I am passionate about learning, at least at the moment. I have been told by quite a few people that my singing voice is very similar to Blake Shelton. Wether that is true or not, I would like to explore the genre. Do singers such as Blake use the open-throat method? Are there any caveats to your program with regards to country singing? Any insight or direction is greatly appreciated!

You are really making a difference. Thank you for all the hard work and sharing your years of experience. Can't beat the price of your program!

Best Regards,

Ken A.

highmtn

Ken_A,

I'm not Ken_T, but I would like to respond in part to your questions.  Ken is in travel if I'm not mistaken, and may not be on the forum for a few days or so.  Please forgive me for butting in, BUT....

I'm in a variety band.  I sing everything that comes my way.  Besides the Rockers that I am said to excel at, I sing a lot of ballads, waltzes, and country.  Variety is a good thing and it keeps things from ever getting boring.  My band probably does close to a thousand different songs, so you never know what we're going to play.

My point is that what I have learned is this:  The techniques you are learning with your KTVA training are going to develop and GROW your voice in ALL dimensions, regardless of the style.  If you don't WANT to belt and wail, you don't have to.  But if you DO want to, KTVA is the way to learn to do so safely! You can use your KTVA training on ballads, R and B, whatever...  So dig in and make it what you want it to be and take it where you want to go!

Blake Shelton has a very rich voice, and if that's something you want to emulate, KTVA is only going to make you sound better and better.  I do the song Footloose in my band, and KTVA training definitely is a plus on such a tune!

Once you have mastered the KTVA methods, I think you will be well on your way to being able to apply any stylistic approach you want to on that solid foundation.

Again, my apologies for stepping in, but I want you to know you've already made the biggest and best step in the right direction for achieving your goals.  If you want some razor-sharp help in customizing your vocal development, try a couple of webcams with Ken Tamplin.  He will provide you with insights and direction the likes of which you will find nowhere else to launch you further on your path than you will reach any other way!

Good luck and welcome to KTVA!

Bob

 

sspatrick

This program suits all styles. I sing in a country band although we are not traditional a little more on the southern rock side. Blake shelton has a nice bright resonant voice. Country singers do tend to close down their vowel sounds and often make 2 words out of one( stay, is more sta-ee for ex.) good tone and technique should bridge over all styles. Enjoy the ride.

Ken_A

I appreciate the feedback! That is great to hear and confirms what I was kinda thinking. I listened to some various songs last night that I liked and tried to really analyze the vocals. All of the songs were pretty dynamic as far as tones and range, so having the ability to transition vocally and have less constraints is definitely super important for me. I think KTVA coupled with just getting out there and singing will eventually get me there. 

I did manage to do some karaoke with a friend last night after a couple beers and one of the songs we did was Shinedown's version of Simple Man. Prior to starting KTVA I could hit the lower-end/gritty stuff easily, but hitting some of the higher notes in the song were challenging. Well last night, I felt I was really able to hit all parts of the song pretty easily and felt completely different around the higher/cleaner notes and transitioning to them. Can only imagine what more practice will yield! 

Not only is the program top-notch and fun, but the group of people participating seem to be really great and helpful as well. The more I read through the forums the more excited I get. 

ragnar

Simple Man is a big big song, so that's quite extraordinary if you can belt out those high notes after 3-4days on the program

Ken_A

I really like their version of the song and have practiced here and there before KTVA, but always felt flat on the higher notes or just couldn't even get near them. I definitely have a long way to go and I'm sure I still messed up on a lot, but I really felt that those notes were so much easier to hit using the open-throat method and I felt I had so much more power. Was a great feeling! I have no clue from a technical perspective how I was trying to sing prior to KTVA, but I can assure you it was not right.  With regards to the other night, I did have a couple of beers for courage, so my perception could have been slightly different from reality.  

sspatrick

Hey Ken,

Ken Tamplin does a great break down of that song on The Voice Webinar, you should check it out.  I've been working on that tune as well using the ideas that Ken was demonstrating. It works wonders, the song is not difficult at all anymore.

Ken_A

Awesome, I'll definitely check it out. Thanks!

ragnar

@Patrick: Is that webinar uploaded in the pinned topic?

http://kentamplinvocalacademy.vanillaforums.com/discussion/507/download-previous-webinars#latest

I distinctly remember there being a webinar called "The Voice", but it doesn't correspond with any of those ones. The most applicable links seem to be the "KTVA application in songs", is that where Ken did the breakdown of Simple Man? Would be very interested to see that too.

sspatrick

Yes its titled Application in Songs.  That should be the one.

ragnar

Cool thanks, will look into it. I remember Ken doing that the breakdown of the song, but I didn't really know it at the time so will be good to revisit it.

sspatrick

you'll find it very helpful.  All the best.