Hey I'm Paige:)

SingingPurpleZebra

Hey guys! Thought I'd jump In here nd say hi:). Since I know you guys won't judge because y'all are in the same situation as me, I thot I'd share a link to a cover I posted on YouTube. It's unlisted so u can only see it with the link: http://youtube.com/watch?feature=plpp&v=NUWrtYpcn5I
Please Comment here on critiques(only positive comments on YouTube please:)) thanks so much u guys!!:)<3

There's also my newest cover of "I Won't Let Go" by rascal Flatts here- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8waAPyYsGk&amp;feature=youtube_gdata_player
thanks for ur feed bak!!

highmtn

Hey, Paige!

You have a nice sound to your voice.  It's brave of you to post an acapella tune, however I would like for you to maybe sing along to a music track if you could do that.  There were a couple of places where the end of the vocal line sounded like the pitch may have drifted.  Not badly, but I think if you had the backing tracks playing for a reference, you would have been right on the money.

I did have to listen to the original version to catch the drift of the vocal line, but you are doing a good job of hitting those intervals.

It's nice to have you posting here.  Let's hear some more, maybe with some instruments or backing tracks behind your voice. 

Welcome to the KTVA forums!

Bob

SingingPurpleZebra

Thank you so much for the feed bak! Yes I agree I wish I had the track behind me but I couldn't record and play it at the same Time since I recorded it from my iPod:/

yes I agree the melody sounds weird if youre not familiar with the song.. I plan on posting one with a track backing me up but with original tracks I tend not to be as focused on hitting the notes correctly as I would with a karaoke just because I get destracted by the vocals:/ so working around that isn't easy since not all songs have an instrumental version.... Any suggestions for that problem? I could do the chords on piano but that's all- just chords- I can't do much else on piano- plus I won't be as focused on my singing.... What do u think?

sspatrick

Hey Paige,

Great work. I like the tone of your voice, and I think you have great potential. This course will definitely grow your voice. You are off to a good start. All the best.

SingingPurpleZebra

Thank you Patrick, that means so much

highmtn

Paige,

I'm a chords only keyboardist.  I'm actually a drummer who can play some guitar, bass, keyboards, and sing. I basically have learned just enough keyboard to be able to work up vocal songs and keep myself on key.  It's also handy to know what notes my voice transitions on, what my highest/lowest notes are vocally, where I modify vowels,  and such as that.  So accompanying yourself on a piano would be better than no reference at all.  You could record yourself playing the chords and make a CD of that.  Then play the CD and sing along like you did on your acapella and record the combination of your CD piano with your live singing. That way you won't be distracted by trying to play and sing at the same time. 

Getting ahold of a few karaoke tracks of some favorite songs would be useful for posting demos.

If you invest in the KTVA training packages, there are some bundles you can get that include the SHOUT! KTVA live application program.  That one has Ken Tamplin showing you some information about employing KTVA practices on songs. 

The SHOUT! program is really intended for students who have already made it through all three stages of the Ken Tamplin Vocal Academy training.  It includes about 30 tracks where one time through it's Ken or a Diva singing the song and then the next time through it's a music track that you can karaoke along with.  I've posted me singing a couple of songs from this package, one by Bad Company, and another song by David Gates of Bread.  The SHOUT! package gives you a lot of options to test your vocal abilities on, along with pointers from Ken Tamplin.  You could then practice on these tunes to your heart's content.

Anyway, I hope you will post more demos, and also hope you will be able to do all of the KTVA training programs.  They will take your voice, which is already very good, and rocket it to places you haven't even dreamed of yet!  You really need a solid foundation to protect your voice from harm and develop to your full potential!

Bob

 

SingingPurpleZebra

The CD idea is great! Its simple, but I would have never thought of it! Haha

Yes all the courses and training packages sound fantastic and I'm working on getting them; but me being a junior in high school, focused on my academics, and with no incoming money is forcing me to push my vocal lessons off to the side. But with me doing choir an musical theatre, I'm hoping to at least get enough training to know how to sing without hurting my voice..... Speaking of am I doing anything wrong according to the video? Anything that might injure my voice?

highmtn

Be careful with the Musical Theater... Singing loudly is kind of a prerequisite for musical theater, but loud singing can injure your vocal cords unless you know how to protect them.  There are techniques and exercises that can help to preserve your voice, but a few paragraphs are insufficient to cover them.

The choir singing is probably much less likely to get your voice into any trouble.

This article may help to explain more of what I'm talking about.

http://kentamplinvocalacademy.com/2012/08/belting-by-ken-tamplin/

Bob

Guevara

Hi Paige,

I really enjoyed that. I can see real potential here too. Your tone is really strong, bright and clear and you sing with real conviction. 

The only things I can suggest that would make your performance even more compelling would be to:

1) learn the words by heart (were you reading the lyrics off your phone?) 

2) Add some stillness to your posture, this will ground your performance and give you even more presence on stage/in front of camera etc.

Keep on singing!!

 

SingingPurpleZebra

Thanks for the help and link highmtn

And yes thank you it's one of my nervous habits is swaying back and forth it's what I do to try to "catch the note" if you get what I'm saying.. Thanks for the pointers and encouragement. I REALY appreciate it!!

Guevara

Have you had any vocal training Paige? 

You look like you are breathing well, and supporting with your diaphragm, especially on the sections where you are belting the higher notes. There seems to be no strain around your neck area and this is a good sign.

Being nervous when singing is completely natural; I find the better prepared/practised/rehearsed I am in my material and technique the more confidence I have when performing; and the feeling of nervousness turns into a kind of exciting, focused energy which heightens my performance.

If you haven't already watched the youtube videos of Ken Tamplin coaching Gyu Lim and Sara leona then I strongly recommend checking them out as they are full of really interesting and useful pointers. And they help to demonstrate how a good singer (like yourself) can become a great singer with the right vocal coaching.

I don't think you have to make any major changes to what you are doing; just a few small adjustments here and there that will elevate you quite quickly to being totally brilliant! 

SingingPurpleZebra

Thank you so much for your thoughts!! That's REALY encouraging to hear:) yes I've seen some of those videos and theye helped greatly and I intend to keep watchin them and learning from them.. Thank ŸÖÜ SO much for all your support. I actually have made another cover (with music backing me up) of a song that I really love- I dedicated it to my dad who was recently diagnosed with leukemia here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8waAPyYsGk&amp;feature=youtube_gdata_player

Please feel free to comment!! Thanks SO much for all your support and help!!!:)

SingingPurpleZebra

Oh and no I have not had any training- I do choir and musical theatre so I get some pointers here an there from my music teache but no other than that no training at all:) hahaha

Guevara

Hi again Paige,

You sing with a lot of feeling and emotion in your voice and I really like that.

I really hope that Ken gets to see your two videos here and gives you some feedback/advice.

Or maybe you could email him a link to them for a free evaluation of exactly where you're at and what you need to work on most.

In the meantime, keep singing; experiment with and without backing tracks, and with your piano. Don't worry that you are only playing chords, as often the simplist arrangements are the most effective and it gets easier to do the more you do it.

Also work with the original tracks the way Ken does line by line with Gyu and Sara when they are working up and fine tuning songs. Remember every part and note of the song is important; some singers get the chorus right and then don't really spend the time working to really nail the verses and bridges etc. so the overall effect is less impressive.

Finally, sorry to hear of your Dads diagnoses; I really hope things work out okay. Stay strong and keep singing Paige!!

All the best, Gary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SingingPurpleZebra

Thank you so much Gary for everything this has REALLY helped.. Yes I'll try to email him the link, thank you....going line by line sounds like exactly what I need, thank you!!!! Thank you so much for ur support I really needed this!

Thanks to all of you that commented for all ur support and feedback:) you all are a really great group of ppl that know how properly critique and encourage your students so Thank you for all u do!:)
God bless:)

highmtn

Paige,

Just a few comments on your second demo.  Good job.  Thank you for doing another demo, this time with the backing tracks up in the mix, while keeping your voice strong as well.  It gives a better context to evaluate your voice. 

As Gary said, you give a heartfelt, genuine performance and that goes a long way.  I would encourage you to possibly brighten up your tone.  That will help you to discern pitch with more accuracy.  On some of your lowest notes your pitch is sometimes slightly drifty.  Most of the time, though, you are right on, and you put a lot of feeling into your delivery, which I like a lot.

Thanks for posting!

Bob

Guevara

You are very welcome Paige:-)

And if you have any questions at all about any aspect of singing, just ask and someone here on the forum will be happy to try and answer and help you. Everyone here is doing the same thing; working to be the absolutely best singer they can possibly be, and help each other achieve that goal also!

Oh and one more thing; I just wanted to say that it takes real character and guts to stand in front of a camera, sing a full song without any backing, and then post it and ask for a critique on a singing forum. I find that really inspiring!  

Take care, Gary:-)

SingingPurpleZebra

Well thank you I'm glad you recognized the bravery in it.. Haha:) thanks again for everything!!!:)

SingingPurpleZebra

And may I ask what that means to "brighten up" the tone in my voice?

highmtn

Paige,

We can vary our vocal tone by things we do to shape our mouth and vocal tract.  You can darken your tone or brighten your tone.  Darkening would be to emphasize more low or "bassy" sounding tone.  Brightening would be more emphasis on more "treble" sound, or more high-frequency.

We can darken our tone by having a more closed mouth or by extending our lips or lowering our larynx.

We can brighten our tone by opening our mouth and jaw more, baring our teeth and smiling, and directing our sound forward and against the hard surfaces of the mouth.  You can raise your larynx, but this can be dangerous and must be done very cautiously.

Just sing a continuous note and vary the shape of your mouth and direct your sound to different areas, while listening to what is happening to the tone.  You will find that you can make the sound brighter, darker, or a combination of both.  It's like having a tone control on your voice.

When you use a very bright tone, pitch is easier to discern.  When your pitch is right on the money, everything works better.  You can then hear your own voice within your head with better clarity, and your voice stands out in a mix of music better. 

Bob

Guevara

Yes, what Bob says about how to brighten tone is exactly right. This is an area that I have had to work hard on with my own voice (and am still working on:-)

If you listen again back to your first demo Paige, then you will notice that the higher notes that you are belting have a really bright, clear and very pleasing tone. The lower sections still have good tone but are not as bright. That is the area in which you might want to add more brightness the way Bob describes.

It will give the lower notes more cut and edge and help eliminate any muddy or woolly sound. This will give a more even balance in the tone, pitch and timbre of your voice between the high and lower sections of the song.

If you listen to singers like Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Adele, Anastasia, they all have a very, VERY bright and edgy sound to their lower notes and high notes; You won't need to add that much brightness into your own lower notes, just enough to even things out across the range of your own voice. Hope this helps:-)

Gary

   

Guevara

Okay, I went back myself for another listen to the first demo, to listen again with fresh ears;

(and maybe Bob can take another listen and see if what I am about to say is correct or not).

Your tone and timbre Paige, in the lower sections of the song are actually pretty bright and well balanced against the higher sections; 

Maybe the reason for the slight flatness of pitch (Mainly at the beginning) is from not quite enough support at the onset of tone on those lower sections: This may have been due to nerves, as it did improve as you got more into the song.

All your top notes (and as you ascended to them) look and sound really well supported and when you descend a phrase from up high you maintain good support. It was just when you started a phrase on lower notes it didn't sound as bang on as the rest of it.

The lower notes need less support than the high ones; but they still need some and it has to be consistent until the end of the phrase when you can release/relax the diaphragm (front abdominal muscles) completely to allow the next breath to drop in ready for the next phrase.

Whatever adjustments you may need to make in the lower sections Paige will, I believe, only have to be very slight to make a big difference to the overall effect of a performance that is already almost perfect.

One more thing Paige, then I am going to shut up:-) You actually have a very strong, and compelling presence on camera and I am sure this must come across also when you are performing on stage. It is something that very few people naturally have so you are very lucky!!

 

   

highmtn

Gary,

I would agree that the lower sections need more support, but I also believe that the sparkle in Paige's voice in her mids and highs would benefit her lower range notes, as well.  Her power band is presently in the mids and upper mids.

It's kind of counter-intuitive to say that the low end needs to be brightened, but in fact brightening the low part of one's range can really clean up your vocals.  I'm one who can benefit from this as much as anybody else.  I heard a live recording of myself the other day and I'm critiqueing myself, going "you need to brighten it up!" to myself!  Physician, heal thyself!  I also find myself realizing that there is a lot of benefit in maintaining constant support...  We all have a tendency to support the high notes and then get lazy on the lows!  It's a common habit, but one that really improves our voices when we break it!

Bob

donmckin

Nice job!You dont even have any music is that first clip and it still sounds good.Alot of "pros" dont sound good when you take away their music and backing vocals.So good job

Guevara

@highmtn

Thanks Bob for the feed back; I totally agree with everything you have just said.

@kain what you say is very true!

SingingPurpleZebra

wow this has all helped so much!! i'll have to refer back to this when i start prectising my first assignment for show chior- i'm supposed to learn the 3 part harmony for the song "popular" in the bradway show wicked. when i try this out i'll reply back and let u know if i have any questions or i'll upload a video for some more feed back:). thank you SO much.. again!! hahaha:) i've never had this kind of support and helpfull feedback before and i'm VERY gratefull for you guys!when i get the chance i'll lookinto more of what you guys are referring too and get back to you... thank you again!:) all the best!:)

Paige

SingingPurpleZebra

i see what you guys are saying about needing to brighten up my tone.... but now im unclear about what im fixing in my lower range.. i can usually hit those notes with no problem but it seems that after i come down from my mid-higher range, i cant quite hit those lower notes as well.. is it because my range isnt well built or something...... how can i fix the support factor on my lower ranges? will brightening my tone in the lower range fix most of my problem?

sorry- a lot of questions- i love learning about this, its all so interesting! ive never really gone in depth in the different techniques ya know?

highmtn

Paige,

Sometimes we tend to only bolster our support when going up high.  The truth is that we need solid support ALL OF THE TIME, and it really shows as soon as we lax off.   Even though we must add additional support when going higher, and relax the super-support when we land in our lows, we STILL NEED SUPPORT there.  The job isn't done until we stop singing.  Although you may brighten the tone, without sufficient support, your lows may become undefined and possibly pitchy.

Bob

SingingPurpleZebra

Ohh i see what your saying... thankyou!!!:) just onee more question hahaha:) in my cover of i wont let go, in the last chorus, the long high note- every single time i sing the two notes in "go" i crack my voice- i tried just staying on the same note from "let" to "go" but it sounds almost anticlimactic(if thats the right word for it)... how can i fix that without sounding like im playing it safe or i can't hit the higher note in "go"?

Guevara

Hi Paige,

That's a really interesting point you bring up about how you sang "go" in the last chorus because I actually thought that you where allowing your voice to crack on that note for dramatic effect. A lot of modern female singers do that kind of thing intentionally for that very reason; however Ken does mention in one of his youtube videos, when he is coaching Sara Leona, that it should be a choice that you are making, and not something you are doing because you can't connect the note.

I understand what you are saying about things sounding anti-climactic if you play it safe and substitute the high note for a lower one. You don't strike me as the kind of singer that will be satisfied with sounding anything less that brilliant so you don't want to do that.

How do you fix it? I'm not sure if there is any quick fix for this kind of thing (although Bob may well have some good tips or suggestions of what may help, for example vowel modification etc). All I can suggest is having a good vocal program, so you can do workouts that will help you to strengthen and extend your range. This will give you the power in your voice to make these kind of artistic choices as you are singing.

Keep at it Paige, I like your voice and style, Gary

 

highmtn

I believe the solution for "go" is support.  With increased strength from the diaprhagm, you won't have to rely on tensing the throat for the note.  Let the strength for the note come from down low when you go high.  With sufficient abdominal support, the throat can be more relaxed and take it easier while the diaprhagmatic support engine does all the revving.  

A bit of vowel modification might ease the note, but this is the key word for the whole song, and any mod there would have to be very subtle.

Paige, I think it's great that you dedicated this song to your Dad.  Our prayers go out for him.

Bob

SingingPurpleZebra

it wasnt supposed to come out as that big of a crack- i was meaning for it to be more air-y

hahaha yes i try to be as far out there as i can so i try not to play things safe but from past experiences, i've learned its okay to pull back a little hahah

thanks so much Gary!!


yes the support factor makes so much sense

yes of course that makes sense

thank you so much, Bob!!


thank you to all who has helped me improve this song! i performed this song in front of my high school during chapel after worship (i go to a christian school), and i had a few hic-ups with remembering the right places to take a breath but over all, it was really good and i owe it to you guys who's helped me improve it 150% better!!! thanks for everything and i hope to post another soon- God bless!:)