Demo Area for the Bold - Critical Feedback for the more Experienced
Nigel
Administrator Posts: 138
Nigel
Administrator Posts: 138
Comments
contest song live pat b we belong
So there was a local contest here last week and I sang We belong. My teacher said this was the right song for me but I was scared. I really liked singing with a band. Sorry for the poor quality as it was recorded outside and there was tons of background noise. I'll let you guess how I did in the contest. Appreciate any feedback. I feel I was pitchy as I always feel that way you know and I htink my timing was off.
I still think that the recording showed that you have reall potential to be a great vocalist/artist.
I want to release an ep next year and am working on the songs.
Good luck with your ep!
Just signed up and waiting for Ken's "package" to arrive. Thought it might be cool to post a song I wrote and sang BEFORE I started the course. Then repost after getting a ways into the course. I NEVER sang until about 3 months ago. One day just realized that maybe, just maybe I can do this. Never could hold a note to save my life!
Hope I'm doing this right, never done this "forum" thing before either.
Aron
Ok, obviously don't know what I'm doing?! Don't see the song posted? We'll try it this way then...
Don't worry. I'm sure everything will turn out great haha! Try uploading your song on box.net or soundcloud. Then copy the share link and paste it here
Didn't know you had a place for this!
One country: http://youtu.be/7jXmOS4-ceY
One rock: http://youtu.be/7kqGqCw3HnU
BB
This is good stuff! I like it!!
Way to go, Esa!
Bob
Someone suggested I try this song and, on a lark, I did. It turned out better than I expected. There's one spot where I had to wrong intonation and corrected in mid-stride. So, I kept it, warts and all.
http://dl2.dropbox.com/u/8750209/I Believe in a Think Called Love - R.mp3
Here's my accidental 70's fm radio sound.
http://dl2.dropbox.com/u/8750209/over the hills Led Zep.mp3
Wrong mic placement. I do an A5 that overloads the mic.
http://dl2.dropbox.com/u/8750209/STH - live.mp3
ronws,
That song "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" is really funny. I've never heard it before, but I YouTubed it, and you're actually pretty close, especially for a lark!
You have a very interesting voice. You certainly have the range and tone... with a little more discipline, you would be dangerous! I can see what you mean about not having a passagio break in your voice. You artfully shed the weight as you ascend.
The fm radio sound seems to be from having the mic up so loud that it's picking up the room noise like the hiss of an FM broadcast. That's probably why the A4 made my ears bleed ;^) The mic must still be smoking...
Then there's the E5 in Stairway... Mercy! Was that with the Sennheizer? You weren't kidding when you said you have a very loud voice.
I like the quality of your voice. Lots of potential, lots of power. Discipline, my son... You must learn to control the force!
Thanks for posting. It takes a lot of guts to post vocal demos on a vocalists' forum.
Bob
This is a first for me: uploading a demo. I haven't even really shown my newly acquired, yet modest, vocal skills to anyone since started this program...so here it goes! Please feel free to criticize whatever you think I need improving! I am a big believer in constructive criticism.
Disclamer: This is a cheap recording - recorded from macbook pro microphone for vox and guitar - from me about 2 or 3 months ago. About the time I really first got into stage 2.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/68637752/Heart of Gold take 1 uploadable file 2.mp3
BTW, probably this afternoon I'll upload another demo to show where I'm at right now. Minus the click track and poor recording, lol!
So here's my take on Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf. It's just my vox track through a sm58 to a fastrack pro. I used Garageband with the 'male basic' effect. So I recorded this just today. I'm about 6 months into the whole program and still on stage 2 until I get a webcam with Ken to ask him if I can move on to stage 3. Anyways, please have a listen and comment! Thanks!
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/68637752/Steppenwolf Vocal First.mp3
Nic
Nico,
Wow... Big Improvement over the time you have been practicing.
Very brave to put your voice on without the backing music track... a lot of the demos people put on here it's very hard to hear their voice over the background music or the original artist's voice. No problem picking your voice out of the mix! ;^) It would be nice to hear some of the backing musical tracks, though...
Your voice has grown a lot since the previous demo was made. Keep practicing. It's working.
Bob
On the Stairway song, that is the studio condenser mic. Fame CM -1. I overload the mic so hard on that high note that you can hear it clipping and I know it's flattening the response because in person, the note was more focused than it sounds. However, I have been learning that I have been placing the mic wrong, all along.
But here are some songs where I sing as low as I can.
"Angel in Blue" by the J. Geils Band.
http://dl2.dropbox.com/u/8750209/Angel in Blue.mp3
"Brandy" by Looking Glass
http://dl2.dropbox.com/u/8750209/Brandy.mp3
This one uses the Sennheiser. My brother, way more talented than I am, played all the instruments on this, except for drums. For that, he used a drum machine, since he doesn't have a full drum kit at the house and his drummer was busy.
"Heaven on their Minds" from Jesus Christ, Superstar.
http://dl2.dropbox.com/u/8750209/HeavenOnTheirMinds.mp3
ronws,
I like the two songs that have working links here. The Superstar tune is the best you've posted, so far.
The link to Brandy doesn't get you to the song, just an error code:
Error (404)
We can't find the page you're looking for. Check out our Help Center and forums for help, or head back to home.I also like your voice a good deal. Where I find your voice shines is on the upper range which is very bright, clear yet strong and has no break at all. My favorite part of your demos is the first "jesus" (wow, BTW) and your touches like on the end of phrases like the word "blind" in "...All your followers are blind...".
One suggestion I would give is to watch out to not exagerate the vowel modifications like in the line: "...Have you forgotten how put down we are...". I say that only because only on some lines I find you have a hard time nailing the proper melody or vocal run or whatever is the right term is...LOL! and I think the reason is that you switch too hard or fast from one vowel modification to another. I hope I'm making myself clear enough.
Great work!
"Brandy" by Looking Glass. circa 1972.
I dedicate this to my first step-father, Gerald French, US Navy, Boiler Tech 2c, USS Ogden. And to my friend Lee Blake, US Navy SEAL, 1964 - 1969, Da Nang, Viet Nam.
I remember, as a kid, singing along with the song and visiting the shipyards.
http://www.box.com/s/e9e01d7f3f9fdfead316
ronws,
Thanks for giving us a fix for the link to Brandy.
You DO seem to have some baratonic ring in this tune. Again, I must say I like the qualities of your voice. I do see an opportunity for some improvement with regard to timing and being in maybe a little better sync with the backing tracks. You can fix that after the fact with most audio editing software. I'm a drummer. Things like that make me crazy ;^)
The greatest opportunity for timing improvement is in the beginning verse. You tighten your rhythm up a little as the song progresses. Your altoic ring in the bridge is my favorite part. You bring it all home at the turnaround of the bridge back into the last verse through to the hooks at the end.
Bravo!!
just joined the academy about 2 months ago. great course.
I sing that song in public, a lot. I don't sound quite that weighty in public. But the eq and echo added "beef" to my voice in the bottom end, otherwise, it would have sounded like I was whispering. I have a few other songs where the lack of baritonic ring can be detected because the mix was different. The only way I could presence on some of the lowest notes is to nearly swallow the mic on low notes of low volume and then scoot way back on the stratospheric notes.
One more song and then I'll quit posting so much. I', just so glad to have your fresh appraisals, they mean a lot to me.
This is "Land Down Under" by Men at Work. I used some echo, mainly to bolster the guitar and give it a calypso feel. No special eq to boost the low end, or high end. About as even acoustically as I could make it. My lowest notes sound like I am whispering.
http://www.box.com/s/17ae38c298f7cea39e32
Anyway, I appreciate very much what you think about it, I just think you should know some of the recording details, because they affect what any of us can hear. As many others would say, it's even better for us if we can get with a coach that hears us in person.
But you guys are so nice here, it's hard to not share what we do, looking for pointers.
BlueDevil - I really liked your version of "Separate Ways." Great pitch, and you sang the song your way, which is as it should be. And the karaoke backing track I really liked. It has a more "metal" flavor to it than the original studio release. You sound amazing for having studied such a short time. Certainly a testament to both the program and your dedicated work ethic.
As for your voice, I think it's pretty good! I have no comments on that XD! All it needs is fine tuning
Bluedevils - Very good band, great sound for a live performance! Mix-wise, I would have liked to have heard your lead vocals a little more, the backing vocals and music covered you up a little too much. That said, your pitch is right on the money, and you are singing with power. From your statement that you went in 10 months from untrained karaoke singer and then started KTVA, I expect that you have most likely improved over that ten months, and if you continue to do the exercises, your voice and range will continue to grow and strengthen far beyond your present abilities. That means we have a lot to look forward to from you in the future!
I hope that your band stays together, and that this was not just a one-time reunion. You're very good. The lead guitar solo was just Blistering!
BRAVO!!!
Bob
eternal_man, I tried to listen to your clip, but putlocker wouldn't let me in, and kept redirecting my computer to "hot chicks" kinds of sites. Not exactly what I was expecting. See if you can get that fixed, and we would be happy to take a listen. Just don't need all those "hot babes" (named fred) wanting to webcam, hacking into my computer.
Thanks...
Bob
Error (403)
It seems you don't belong here! You should probably sign in. Check out ourHelp Center and forums for help, or head back to home.I tried downloading dropbox and opening an account with them. Still can't seem to get to your files. It may be ME that is the problem, and not anything you've done. One of the easiest sites people here seem to be using is soundcloud. I think that's where I would post.
Sorry if the problem is me.
Bob
BlueDevil. My apologies for not acknowledging your band. That bit of historical data was not included in your previous post that included the link.
And kokonuhtz, you are right, I end "Heaven on their Minds" a bit sharp. The ending still bugs me in that recording but I liked the rest. I live in Texas, my brother lives in Maine. He recorded the bed track and sent it via email. I recorded the vocal track and emailed it back. And he mixed it. He has a home studio. Not bad, considering. It could have been better if I could have travelled to Maine and recorded directly in his studio, bringing along my e835, of course.
I have become more attuned to the modern metal like this. I am an old guy. Let me put it this way. My wife sometimes thinks I sound like David Byron, the original singer for Uriah Heep. And I am old enough to know who she is talking about. Anyway, I am friends with a band called Drop Head, in New York. In fact, it is their singer who mixed "I Believe in a thing called Love" for me.
And Drop Head is also very hard, though with a more melodic tinge, since the singer also likes bands like Sonata Arctica and Helloween and sometimes even he sounds like Geoff Tate. But I digress.
Well done, rayven, and I say that as a member of the music-buying public. Record your own stuff, do your own distribution on itunes, where I can buy it to put in my ipod. Seriously.
And don't worry about feeling like a spammer. I've already linked half a dozen to your one? I would be more guilty of showcasing than you are.
Peace, and be good, and be good to yourself. And start recording and releasing, even as you seek instruction to improve, which ain't no sin. James Hetfield actually got lessons AFTER Metallica became big, in order to save and conserve his voice.
rayven, yes, I agree with ronws, you are da man! You guys need to pick up the tempo a little bit, though...;^) just kidding... very energetic! Thanks for getting this posted on a link that works. It was worth the wait.
Your band kicks arse, and your vocals are just right in my opinion. I would ask if your voice is lasting without going hoarse, because you have a lot of grit in your vocal sound... So you must be doing it right if that's not killing your vocal cords. Good intonation, good distortion, lots of energy... good recording...
I don't think anyone is posting too much on this thread. This is just starting to get interesting with all of the samples going up for comment. That's what we're all here for. To listen, to learn, to coach, to encourage, and to ask for or give help or opinions.
Keep it coming.
Bob
ronws, I just listened to your link of Land Down Under.
I liked the first verse. I think it sounded quite good. You don't give your low end enough credit!
You excel, of course, when you go to your higher range, as your "Power Band" is in this upper midrange that most of us struggle to achieve...
I like this tune the most of what you've posted so far. Your intonation is consistent, as well as the vocal timing, where that has been something that has needed attention on your previous posts. As I've said all along, I like your voice a lot, and this one is getting much closer to the more perfected product that I think you are quite capable of.
To this post I must say BRAVO!!!!
Bob
I will still do "Land Down Under" because it is one of my faves to do. I just have to do like I did for the recording and get on the mic for the low notes at low volume, otherwise you won't hear it. Like you said, the "power band" area of my voice (like the power band of a motorcycle's engine response) not a problem and actually, my voice is top heavy, the higher I go, the louder I get, because the more I focus resonance.
Though I have not been officially typed by anyone, I think I am a lyric tenor.
Let me link just one more song. This is the one that the choral trainer (who is also an authority on the voice) said I lacked ring and power in the low end. Again, this a campfire songk, one that I have played at a campfire, or at a party. I recorded myself playing guitar and singing at the same time, which is my comfort zone. It's what I have done for a long time.
http://www.box.com/s/c9e35a817eca8178ca80
So, I wonder sometimes, if I received such a judgement because I was an "unknown quantity" at the time. The funny thing is, the one that pronounced me as having a lack of ring in the low end only lives about 40 miles from me, kind of on the path I take to work and back. But I can never see him. For one thing, I am not a grade school or high school student in UIL competition, which is primarily where his work is. So, he really doesn't have the time to listen to an aging hippie like me.
Was I "mis-diagnosed"? Possibly. Am I subjected to forum politics? Usually. Do I think I know everything? Absolutely not.
I tend to follow the classical technique, especially for a tenor. That is, the power and ring is above C3 or E3 and the power band, as it were, is in the primary passaggio and up. So, my low end is quieter. And I tend to view range as where one has the the greatest dynamic control of volume, tone, and pitch.
ronws,
Thanks for posting your latest demo. You do a decent job on that song. In my opinion you beat yourself up a little too much for the quality of your voice in your lower registers. I must agree that you excel more when you get more up into the tenor notes, but then you ARE a tenor, so that's to be expected.
I believe that I am most likely a dramatic tenor, so that puts me just a half-step flat of where you are. I do, however, have a reasonable low end, which can be emphasized by low larynx, extended lips, breath control, and placement (not to mention practice).
It would probably be more difficult for me to sing low if a vocal authority had told me that I had no baritonic ring, especially if they had said it flippantly. I was once nearly voted out of a church musical vocal group for having too "reedy-sounding" of a voice. This is the very sound that Ken Tamplin uses in his "It's the LAW" demo. Not long after the church nearly voted me out, I was hired as a singing drummer by a local band and I've sung professionally two or three nights a week for almost five years now.
Different strokes for different folks. I just think that we ALL should be on a path, our own path, for self-improvement and self-fulfillment, from where we are now to where we want to be.
I hear many good qualities in your voice, and I hear much wisdom in your technical expertise on vocal terminology. I've heard very few posters here, other than yourself, making references to formants, vocal fachs, classical vocal references... I like your technical perspective.
I'm probably the same age as you, if not older, and I work a similar industrial supervisory job that tries to suck the life out of me... but singing breathes life INTO me.
So are you working out with vocal exercises to build up the areas you feel weak in? I'm wondering if you may be a good vocalist that sings but does not "work out" actively? The only reason I say that is because you have made a comment or two about being where you are, as if there is no expectation of improvement for you... maybe because you're too old? I have to tell you, I'm "old", I work out a lot, and I'm on a steady roll of improvement.
The plateaus for us all sometimes seem endless, but then boom, you find yourself turning a corner when you continue to strive. It's like watching a clock. It seems like it's not moving, but if you quit staring at it, when you come back it has moved.
With your level of talent, I am certain that if you are working out regularly, your areas of weakness will strengthen. Even us old guys can learn new tricks. Yes, I was around when Uriah Heep was new stuff. Some aging hippies are singing in rock and roll bands, and some are singing around campfires. Whatever makes you happy. It's all good.
For me, singing is in my heart. It makes me happy. It makes me even happier when I find myself growing vocally.
Keep posting, keep singing, keep practicing whatever makes you stronger, and keep growing vocally.
My best to you, ronws.
Bob
Whew.
I was born March 19, 1964. Yes, I just had a birthday and am now 48. And I have Uriah Heep's greatest hits, live. I usually giggle when David talks about getting some gum stuck on his boot, left by some carless person. "And here's a bit of a rock and roller, for those of you who want to rock and roll. It's called Sweet Lorraine...."
I have sang all of my life. I started teaching myself guitar in October of 1974. I had picked up my grandparents' classical guitar, which they kept around more to look at than to play. And started picking out the arpeggiated chord to "Who'll Stop the Rain?" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. We moved to Texas that month. My mom got me an old student guitar and Mel Bay's book of Chords, it was all she could afford. I started developing strength in the upper end of my range around 1988 with a book by Graham Hewitt called "How to Sing." He came from the same classical background as Lilli Lehmann, who had a book by the same title, but he was geared more toward pop music. My first wife, Deidre, was a classically trained pianist and when I first learned how to do the upper notes more connected than falsetto, I had no control over the volume. She said, and I quote, "You could sing in the Cotton Bowl, without a pa." The Cotton Bowl is a concrete, open-air football stadium at Dallas Fair Park in Dallas, Texas.
But I still had problems in my passagio until the last few years, where further, more in depth study has helped me get through that. And it may have seemed quick for me for two reasons. A) being a light tenor, wherein transitions are not as apparent.
To answer your question, directly, no, I do not practice scales. I do practice tri-tones in different parts of the range. More often, I practice how I change resonance, primarily through movement of the soft palate and the larynx. Other than that, I don't give the larynx much thought. If I am managing my breath and resonating in the right spot, the volume is way more than enough and the larynx doesn't move too much. In fact, the less thought I spend on the throat, the better, because that is what was hindering me before. Images for what the folds and/or the larynx was doing, bringing undue tension and strain to it. My shortened mantra is "follow the resonance."
The reason I concentrate on the basics like breath and resonance is because it doesn't matter how many scales you sing, it's how you sing them. And learning where to place the note is so important.
What attracts me to this forum is two-fold. The personalit of Ken. He really is a singer and I enjoy his example songs because he feels them, even as he is illustrating some technique. He's not just a coach, he's a singer. Second, one of my other favorite singers is a student of his, at least by distance and means of the program, rather than in-person lessons. A guy I know as Geno but his name is Gene. A fellow countryman but located quite a bit north of me. The awesome ability of his voice is testament to the work he constantly speaks of in the KTVA program.
I am always learning something new. Yes, I know about the singer technology and probably have over 2 dozen books on singing, many of them classical technique.
I've heard people describe KTVA as a bridge late technique but I think that is painting with a broad stroke. For the instruction, as I can see it is, to lighten as you go, where you need to. Which, to me, is reminiscent of my "follow the resonance" thing. That is, there is not as much concentration on what the larynx is doing as there is on what the note sounds like. How much ring is in the note. Follow the note.
I've had a few others admire the tonal quality in my lower end. If you ask me how I sound when speaking, it is very much like the low volume low note stuff in "Brandy." When I hear myself on the answering machine, that is what it sounds like.
What I call my full volume range without amplifcation over instruments is from E3 to Bb5, though I can reach C6 if I stay relaxed and let the note happen, rather than "trying to make it happen." With an intentionally dropped larynx and using all my resonator space, I can go as low as C3. Anything below that is weak in volume and resonance and that is not self-deprecation, it's a fact. At G2, I am barely able to fry and F#2, my folds have opened and are no longer creating a tone, it is rather a gutteral sound. So, I only have 2.75 octaves but I try to make that range work for me and fortunately, most of the songs I want to sing are within that range.
I am an old-ish dog that is learning new things about my voice all the time. Including the fact that I need not worry about how much ring I have in the middle of another's baritone range. Accept the range I have and work it to the best of my ability. This gets me called lazy.
Some of my other exercises include light descending sirens. Other times, I start with a song that is light yet connected and transition to something with a little more bite. For example, I will start with "Ave, Maria" and let it morph into "Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin. Both sacred and profane, from either direction, I suppose.
But I am not here to be a wolf in sheep's clothing. I am here because I enjoy fresh perspective. And it's why I go to singers' forums, in general. I get applause from friends and family. I get applause from the general public. Other singers, however, has been the "toughest room," so far.
And I have a passion for singing. I may not ever become the big rock star, though that may be easier in the digital age. I can't deal with the travel involved and I have responsibilities. If I was 20 with no home, sure. But I am 48 with property taxes and a grandchild.
But that doesn't stop me from dreaming and pursuing my passion of singing, even if others consider it a hobby. Who knows, maybe I could get with a local theater group or church who needs someone to take the lead role in Jesus Christ, Superstar.
http://www.box.com/s/cf70e1c52a6f7505f6f8
It seems I have written such a long post and I apologize but your comments and questions inspired me to answer.
ronws,
Keep talking....
Bob
I am just so totally into singing and I am always a cheerleader for others. It takes guts, literally and figuratively, to offer your voice to others. We are at our most vulnerable because, as singers, we are the instruments. I can't run out to Guitar Center and get another set of vocal folds. These are the ones that I have. I can't go out and get a Marshall stack and get something newer than my 20-something year old Roland GS-6 digital effects unit for my Hondo Flying V for my voice.
Music has been me "escape" for decades. And it is my place to "go" after work. Totally gets my head out that "work" thing. I hear others talk about what "work" singing is and it doesn't feel like it to me. It's work that I could do all day, if I could get paid for it. The high note you noted in my cover of "Stairway to Heaven"? That is where I am free. All that exists is that note. It is very "zen."
I tried out for bands in the late 80's and early 90's. Even though I can sing everything in the Led Zeppelin catalog, I don't sound like Robert Plant, even though that music is my comfort zone. And bands back then were looking for someone who sounded like Robert Plant or David Coverdale. Or someone that had recording equipment of pa equipment. I had none of that. Just a blues and jazz feel and an E5 that would peel paint off the wall. One band I auditioned for passed me over to take on another singer. Even then, I was a better singer than he was, which is not saying much, so I am not really bragging. But he had recording equipment, which made him the better candidate, to them.
But who, today, needs a singer that has a better time with "July Morning" rather than "Enter the Sandman"? Who needs a singer that can do "The Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin but doesn't have the dramatic baritone quality for "Full Moon" by Sonata Arctica?
I promise I won't link in my cover of the Immigrant Song.
Time has passed me by but I am too stubborn to quit. I''l keep on singing, one way or another. I should just write my own songs and release them on itunes. My friends, the band Drop Head, have done so. The singer, who mixes my sutff for me is also a law student. So, he's got a lot going for him and I learn a lot from him, even though he is at least 8 years my junior. About the only thing I know how to do is sing high and loud, which is usually enough to please me.
Now, here's the anatomy of the false vocal folds (FVF). They are a membrane located just above the true vocal folds. What they do is release mucus to coat the true folds from the outside while systemic hydration from drinking nominal amounts of water keep the water level in the blood at a good level to lubricate from the inside out. As you swallow, the FVF close over the true folds to prevent liquid and food intrusion while eating. As you approach swallowing or raise the larynx too high (nearly the same action,) the ventricle formed by the FVF position about the true folds disappears, severly hampering if not erasing the first formant, which is where a tone created by the true folds gets its initial resonance before it is floated up to the mouth or lower sinus for resonance at a volume that can be heard. Essentially, trying to "engage" the FVF is trying to sing while swallowing.
Which is what I tried to do, as I had read others describing what they thought of FVF distortion. And thereby strained muscles in my throat and created swelling in the folds. And was left with a scratchy bottom end, a whistlely high that would break of its own accord, and nothing in between. Twice, because I am an idiot.
Went back to classical technique, after at least two weeks of rest each time. And resolved that I didn't need distortion that bad, even though others told me "you're not doing enough with your voice." So, now, I am Lazy Ron but at least my voice still works and I don't have any nodes.
Sorry about the multiple copies of the one post from me above... The forum just locked up when I clicked on "Post Comment" and stayed frozen until I rebooted my computer. Now there doesn't seem to be a "delete post" function available anymore, so I can't clean up the mess. My "whew" post was an attempt to delete a double post. I edited out all of the text and replaced it with "whew". That cut it down to a single post.
I came back later tonight, to find four more copies of the original post. Not sure what that's about, but it would be nice if I could just access a delete post function, and make the duplicates go away...
Bob
@ronws
Decent job.
First off (no offense) but even Bono's lo end is really tentative. It almost always sounds like he is a donky on the edge of pitch and control.
It's actually his passion and conviction that sells his voice.
You can clearly hear you "pinching" as you start to go up in your mid register.
Try to relax and open the throat even more.
Also: You can hear the larynx raise mid way through the chorus. especially on the word "you".
Try singing the whole chorus with open throat all vowel phrases first and then integrate other "mdified" vowel sounds so you can maintain open throat phrases. This will help you.
Also, 3/4's of the way into the chorus you can hear you support starting to fatigue and I can almost see your digastric muscle come down as you are negotiating the words.
If necessary, break this whole thing down first a line at a time so you don't build bad habits.
This will help you when you build the stamina to sing choruses like this over time.
-KT
@Ronws: Yes, you are closing down, and the open throat technique that I've gathered from Ken's youtube videos and reading stuff on this forum, is essential to eliminating (or managing) that sensation and effect.
I could imagine it would also give your tone color and proper pitch, to match your high range.
you should be abe to hear me sing with my former band- rapunzel.
EDIT:
As I have dificult times dealing with some parts which notes was too high
for my my natural reach (like Bb5/H5 although it is in H5 anyway
but was alsoo too low for using the technique (using techniq in such a
"low heights" sounds like bad unprofessional falzetto
two new lines: ONE UNDER original and ONE ABOVE and didn't included the
original so the song got some new feeling to it a bit in some parts + I added my own parts to it cos I didnt want to make another MJ
cover cos I think it is ridiculous to try sound like someone else, instead I did it with a different approach, hope you
understand what I mean)
I am just new to this forum and the lessons as well. Although I purchased the lessons a year ago, I have not really done it on a consistent basis. I am still on level 1 but I am going to start to do the training extensively once I get rid of my throat problems. Plus, I think I have to do a on-line lesson with Ken to help me with hearing the notes as I sing so it would be easier for me to do the exercises for the courses. I have been singing since I was a child but not on professional level.
Anyway, here's an acapella of California King Bed by Rihanna (but I tried to sing in ahmir's version key). Feel free to comment.
Actually I am not into R&B, I am more into rock. I just happen to really love this song. But thanks again!
I'm 45 and don't really sing, but I've always wanted to be able to sing just for my own personal satisfaction. Got the program on May 13th and started practicing in my car to and from work (only time I have right now) started to notice a difference so I downloaded "Faithfully" sound track and recorded a little bit on June 4th (up thru "along the wire"). Kept practicing in the car, then things seemed to start getting easier so I recorded another section of the song on June 22nd using the same USB mic on my computer, but I held a paper towel in front of the mic to cut down on the "pop".
I plan to keep recording new parts of the song every few weeks as I progress so that hopefully I can hit the high parts at the end of the song when I'm done. When I'm finished, I'll hopefully be able to hear steady progress as I play through the entire song.
Still a long way to go, but I'm excited to continue on with the program
https://www.box.com/s/997464d27f178b42a14c
Tboo,
You're sounding really good for trying to sing for being just six weeks into the program with no real background in singing! I think this recording is going to sound pretty good by the time you get to the end.
Just a little constructive criticism: Those high notes that come at the end of the lines... drop down on those high notes, don't reach up for them. Give them a little more breath support and push down on your innards to nail those high notes. You do so later in the song and it sounds really good when you have the support. I like the sound of your voice.
Keep up the good work!
Bob
@ Tboo,
Wow 6 weeks and your 45. I really like your tone.
Cheers
Paul
Thanks for the positive feedback and tips. I started figuring out some of the breath support stuff by the time I recorded the second part of the song; the first part was really airy and weak, but actually much better than where I had started 3 weeks earlier before the program.
I actually had forgotten that the forum was part of my "bonus" so I'm just getting into the posts and webinars. From what I've seen so far, I think it will really help with my learning curve.
Thanks again. Do you guys have any demo stuff in the forum? I'd like to put a voice to the names.
Todd
Hi Pablo,
Excellent job!
You are really starting to understand support, pitch and the stamina / technique required to sing a song like this. (I like the Latin approach on guitar, wish I heard even a little more of tha :-t).
Now if I could encourage you to balance a little more of open throat with mask. You are relying almost totally on mask must at several points I'd like to hear more warmth in the sound.
Before you atttempt this, stay with the way you are singing the song currently and develop longer more legato phrases as you cut them short. You may be doing this for a "style" think which I understand but now it time to build the upper mid voice even more and doing this will really help.
Once you have done that, then take into consideration about what I saw "warming" up the sounds.
If necessary, you can stay with the exact way you are approaching the higher notes, but now in the mid and lower registers balance out the warm form mask by shooting the sound up into the head rather than bringing it down so much into the front of the face.
I know this is easier for you for now, but in the long run, what I am asking you to do will not only give you more body, power and less shrill and eventually more range becuase you will introduce mask "later / higher" than you are right now.
Dingo,
Your phone recording is hard to review, due to the imbalance of the backing track relative to the level of your vocals, in addition to the complexities of the melodies. Without a good dose of the backing music it is hard to judge your vocal accuracy, and the melody being both hard to latch on to and also unfamiliar to me gives me little frame of reference to form an evaluation.
I found a Laura Marling video of Crawled Out of the Sea and listened to it. You are doing a fairly accurate job of nailing that melody, although until I heard it once from the original recording, it was hard for me to evaluate your voice. Yes, my problem is more with my own point of reference than with your performance.
Cudos for tackling something more sophisticated than a sing-song hum-drum tune, and for your bravery in posting it for all the world to critique.
At a couple of places it sounded like maybe your pitch was tentative, but probably due to the difficulty of singing with support while trying to stay in time and pitch with a cell phone. I thought that maybe it was a bit breathy and could use just a little more cord closure, but that may just be a stylistic choice, and a matter of taste.
I like the sound of your voice and would like to hear more. Post more, please. Sing on.
Bob