Going To California

[Deleted User]

Finally got this up on youtube! It wouldn't let me post my kareoke version so I had to learn it on guitar real quick, and make my own version. It's sloppy, but I'm more concerned with the singing.

Well, I've been here a year, and never really got past volume one, and my confidence is lacking right now. I'm pretty sure that I'm really behind in my progress due to recent events, and I'm wondering where I'm at singing wise. On track/behind? I have no clue where I should be after a year.

This is a different request from what I usually ask. Usually I ask for advice on whether I'm hitting notes properly, tone, etc....., but for this I would like to know about a certain sound to my voice.

I'm trying to get that "Robert Plant" sound to my voice, but it's hard for me to judge. To me it sounds like I'm getting closer, but reality may be different so......... if you could give it a listen, and let me know if I'm getting even close or not. I'm not worried about whether I hit the notes or not, just if I'm getting any of the "Robert Plant" sound.

Any advice on getting that sound is appreciated ( yes, I have watched Ken's video's) Just keep in mind that I'm working off of volume 1 so explanations may need to be detailed so I can understand them.

I sang the middle part in a lower octave. Still working on hitting those notes.

@Diego You've done this one. What do you think?

Thank you in advance.

Peace, Tony

https://youtu.be/ZiE5P4sqS9M

Gaston_Jauregui

HI, @videoace I would say you can make your sound a LOT brighter than that, just think of the word CAT smiling and where it resonates in the front of your face, youll get the robert plant sound if you kind of sing everything around that in mind, Btw for example on "children of the sun begin ...To.. you lower the sound and you stop brightening the sound right there! thats pretty common in lower notes that gets you off pitch and doesnt let you go up right after that, you have to keep those notes very even, work on that
on min 2:44 "telling myself...." dont know the next word, that kind of sound comes from not supporting the sound and opening your mouth right there after having done a small space or a closed vowel,

what does that mean? It means that once you created a space you have to RESPECT the space doesnt matter if you are singing high or low, If you make a space and you move it around it either will sound nasal, or froggy, plus you wont be able to sing higher while doing that melody so keep the space and keep it bright! again I always think of a Vowel like AH and sing around that in your case I would go for Cat since you are looking for the Robert plant sound

stratman

@videoace I like the tone of your voice (always have). I can't comment on whether you're matching Robert Plant but the tone is very pleasant but seems to strain a bit when going for the higher notes ... understandable as you're navigating G4-A4 which is likely right on your transition to head?

[Deleted User]

@Gaston_Jauregui I watched Robert plant sing it, and he sings it without pushing at all, like he's just having a conversation. I'm really having a tough time keeping the volume low on the high notes. Will doing what you mentioned help with that also or is that a whole different thing?

Peace, Tony

Gaston_Jauregui

@videoace It will definitely help! also work on the support while going up, once you get it it will feel like having a conversation

[Deleted User]

@stratman Yes I usually hit my transition at A#4 on the exercises. Plus I'm still figuring out the vowel mods while singing songs vs the exercises.

Peace, Tony

[Deleted User]

@Gaston_Jauregui Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out how to regulate the breath support against the cord closure, and how it works from low to high, and vice versa.

Peace

highmtn

Think "really thin". Ken describes the Robert Plant sound as nasal and whining. So if you want it to sound more like the "sound" of Robert Plant (when he was younger) you need to really thin out the sound, shed lots of weight. Put some of the sound in the nasal, very forward part of the voice.

Gaston_Jauregui

@videoace just really make it bright, but open at the same time on the back of the throat, keep it even all the way and try to sing that way, it will kind of feel as when you imitate someone from another country speaking English, like an Arab or something, this is what I imagine, btw an italian or brazilian speaking spanish, since im from mexico, but when you sing that way, it really makes a difference...

[Deleted User]

@highmtn Getting my sound thinner is where I think not moving forward may be hurting me. I'm having trouble getting thinner, and keeping any type of power to the sound. Too much of a falsetto (fake,weak,high pitch) I know breath support, but why do I have to crank on it so hard when it appears it can be done without much effort?

Peace

[Deleted User]

@Gaston_Jauregui Tomorrow I will be back at it, and try both yours, and Bob's advice, and hopefully I can make even a little improvement.

Peace

Diego

@videoace It's pretty good.
I agree with highmtn, Robert Plants is kind of nasal and whiney.
You'll slowly get there.

[Deleted User]

@Diego Thanks for listening. Hopefully I'll get somewhere ha ha ha

Peace

highmtn

Tony,

Try imitating a more "cartooney" voice. High-pitched, thin, nasal, and whiney. I hate to compare Robert Plant to the Bee Gees, but if you can get into more of a Bee Gees - Saturday Night Fever sound, you will be closer.

[Deleted User]

@highmtn Thanks a bunch Bob, and everybody else. Tomorrow's a new day. Back to the grind.

Peace, Tony

[Deleted User]

@highmtn @stratman @Gaston_Jauregui @Diego

I did some work this morning with the tips you all provided, and tried the song again. Heh heh . It worked!
It didn't sound pretty, but I got it where I needed to go. Now it's just a matter of working the song.

Thank you thank you thank you. This particular song, and singing style is why I'm here, and It's really happening. Still amazed at this course.

Peace, Tony

highmtn

This is a case where you actually need to do a little bit (or a LOT) of imitation and downright mockingbird technique. If you want to get "the sound of" someone, then you have to find ways of making some of the same sound signature things that that person does. Like Rich Little, the impressionist of long ago. He would take whatever characteristics of famous people he could mock and exaggerate them enough that people would recognize those signature sounds and mannerisms. That's what you have to do to get closer to some of your favorite artist's sounds. It will still sound like YOU doing Them. Because you ARE you. But you can put a little more of THEM into your sound characteristics, and pull off a Zeppelin or Beatle or Eagle or whomever song, if you get some of their personal characteristics into your own voice, pronunciations, and qualities of physical vocal sound production. Borrow a little. Keep what you want. Add your own touches. Somewhere in there is a new you.

[Deleted User]

I get what you're saying. A friend of mine who sang in one of my older bands used to do Robert Plant perfectly, and I remember him "whining" to warm up before doing Zeppelin, or to just do an impersonation. As a matter of fact, my friends voice is what I am aiming for. He had a voice like Ken. He could sing all of the big voices in rock music, and do them well, but he grew up with parents who were opera singers so I'm sure he was exposed to a lot of singing from the day he was born.

I kind of do the same thing with the guitar. I'll pick out the mannerism or lead guitar patterns that are popular with each certain player. They all have a favorite lick. When I taught guitar, for the lead players I would tell them that if they learned the most recognized parts of a solo then they could use their own licks to fill in between until they got the solo down pat.

As I mentioned, My impersonation since your last advice isn't pretty right now, but it's a start I can build on and get better. Thank you!

Peace, Tony

Diego

Good job Tony!
I wish I could sing like Robert Plant lol.
I'm thinking about doing Stairway to Heavem sometime soon, or at least try to get somewhere close.
I kind of do the mannerisms and imitation when I practice most of my songs. I try to sing them like the original singer.
I want to keep hearing updates about this Tony :P.
I want to see how it turns out!

[Deleted User]

@Diego My goal is to have that kind of a voice. I always love the sound of singers who can really belt it out, and I will get there even if it kills me.....literally ha ha

Peace, Tony

Diego

I like that spirit!
You can do it, as long as you keep that motivation going

Diego

I recorded another one myself.
Tell me how it sounds.
I added reverb on the high part, that's what I think it has in the song.

[Deleted User]

Sounds good. You pulled off the middle part much better than I remember when you posted the last version.
It might just be me, but it sounds like you could add some weight to that vocal. Not much, but a little bit.

I was finally able to get through that middle part today, so in a few days I may repost another version.

Peace

Diego

Nice! I'm looking forward to that!

[Deleted User]

Thanks to those who gave me tips on this thread. It opened up a whole new thing for me. It seems that the tips have increased my range, and provides better stamina. The last two days I've been able to get in some really solid exercising that I believe is going to grow my voice even more in the next couple-few months.

Thank you again!

Peace, Tony

[Deleted User]

@Diego Looks like you wont be hearing any tracks from me for a while. My computer crashed, and is not recoverable so I lost everything. All of my recent song ideas...gone! Ken's 2.0....gone! Recording software....gone! Computer is toast so it will be a few before I replace everything

Peace, Tony

Diego

Oh no! That sucks so bad!
Hope you find a way!
And wish you the best of luck.
What exactly happened with your computer?

[Deleted User]

I'm not exactly sure what happened. I was editing some video and the screen went blank. Tried to reboot several times. Bla blah blah. At the end of it all it says im missing a file and it cant find it on my discs, and to contact the manufacturer.
Most of it I can replace, but there were certain tracks that I won't be able to duplicate the same way.

Peace

Furious_Phil

Don't throw in the towel just yet...

First Line of Defense:
Try booting into safe mode and running a "restore to last known good"
and a "Repair my computer" if that fails.

Last ditch:
There are data forensics software packages that can recover your data.
https://fossbytes.com/top-best-free-data-recovery-software-2016/

Saving the day:
I personally use Easus Data Recovery Wizard, and have recovered data from pretty fragged machines.
One HDD sounded like an old fashioned train half on the tracks... I put the HDD in a ziplock bag and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes, then put it in a HDD reader and ran the forensics. The cryo-treatment bought me enough time to recover the directories I needed before the internal heat of the mostly-dead-drive shut it down for the last time.

Play it safe:
And if and when you recover your files, please back your important files up to DropBox or some other cloud service

[Deleted User]

@Furious_Phil. I've tried most of what you have suggested already, and it was a no go. As far as data recovery? I probably wont do that. I'll just get a new laptop and reload everything. With the exception of the 2.0 course, and some new material. Everything else I already had on disc thankfully.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Peace, Tony

Furious_Phil

I was more worried about song creation files, family images etc.
Glad to hear you are a responsible backer-upper :-)

[Deleted User]

Yeah, the song files are a shame, and my 2.0 of course.
On the bright side....I still and always will have 1.0 (CDs\DVDs), and I always have new song ideas.
The down side.....buying a new laptop, reloading software\hardware, and then configuring it all.

Peace

Furious_Phil

If it were me, I'd attempt a data recovery for those lost files... but to each his own
Software reload and updating is time consuming and tedious, but a no-brainer.

[Deleted User]

I really don't want to transfer files from a corrupted machine into a new one. Beside, I throw away probably 5-6 song ideas for every one that I actually complete so losing a few isnt so bad. The worst was losing my 2.0, but I still have my original 1.0 on CD\DVD.

Peace