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Hello All - My name Is Isaac

iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
edited November 2019 in INTRODUCE YOURSELF
So a little background, About 5 years ago I began doing karaoke at a friends parties and a year later started doing karaoke at public bars. It’s become quite the center of how I spend my free time between using a karaoke app called “smule” and public outings. I find singing very fun and honestly I feel like my days empty if I don’t do any of it (especially on weekends.)

I never had formal training other than a month of choir back in 5th grade with a really mean teacher.

I was pretty awful at singing back when I first started public bar singing. Over the years, I’ve made a lot of progress, however I definitely have limited my progression by going it alone. But given my training level, I still think I’ve done well.

I purchased the 2.0 plus pro packs a while back but I actually haven’t used it (terrible I know)

I need to start studying the material to see what the course can do for me.

(Edited to add links to examples of my current singing level without training)

Here are some links to a few of the songs I’ve done on Smule to give people an idea about where I am at regarding current singing level.

I have quite a few areas that my technique holds me back. Just keep in mind that I am an untrained bar karaoke singer.

Nirvana - Lake of Fire https://www.smule.com/p/672850283_3106508338

Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk https://www.smule.com/recording/mark-ronson-ft-bruno-mars-uptown-funk/672850283_3252212483?utm_source=Text&utm_campaign=user-generated&utm_medium=rec&_branch_match_id=722971022253445590

Linkin Park - In The End https://www.smule.com/p/672850283_3112396499

Green Day - Holiday https://www.smule.com/p/672850283_3099091123

3 Doors Down - Kryptonite https://www.smule.com/p/672850283_3101020073

Bowling for Soup - Girl All the Bad Guys Want https://www.smule.com/p/672850283_3162878135

Linkin Park - Heavy https://www.smule.com/p/1043828691_3109181632

Stitches - Shawn Mendez https://www.smule.com/p/672850283_3149125928

DNCE - Cake by the Ocean https://www.smule.com/p/672850283_3135249633

And this is my one and only recording of karaoke at the bar doing Bonjovi - You give love a bad name.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/typqivu6ii88mp7/Video Sep 06, 11 37 47 PM.mov?dl=0

I got hung up on lyrics a bit and I couldn’t hear myself very well over the monitors. Not too happy with that nights karaoke host.

My goal is to one day complete Bon Jovi’s - Livin on a prayer correctly

As an untrained brand newbie here, I can only do the ultra highs under my weak falsetto (which just sounds goofy.) I knew nothing about stretching your chest voice or how to support because at time of recording I hadn’t looked at the course.

When I tried to sing it accurately, I’d strain too hard and lose my upper vocal range for between 2 hours to up to 4 days.

On my karaoke app I have a duet recording where I did half the vocals but all of the choruses so this link only shows my vocals with gaps for the other singers to join in

https://www.smule.com/p/672850283_3128579351

I’ve been stuck with little progress on this song from the last time I tried it at the bar 1-1/2 years ago to testing the waters a few weeks ago on my karaoke app. My voice dies at the same point but recovery seems shorter than before.

I consider that song my measurement of progress 😂 and it still feels like a lifetime away from proper completion.

I need to stop wasting time going it alone. I should have looked at 2.0 when I bought in last year. I might have actually been close to finishing that song by now.

Anyways I look forward to my future here at KTVA. Nice to meet you all 😁

Comments

  • d1g2w3d1g2w3 Pro, 2.0 PRO Posts: 465
    Hey @iZak, welcome to the family

    is your name zak may I ask?

    My names Danny, I like you bought the course a while back when I was in my second band as a vocalist, long story short, life got in the way.

    Anyway, your embarking on an incredible journey, by great research or luck, you are enrolled in an incredible course.

    Go through volume 1, take your time and if your stuck, this forum is a gold mine for information.

    Welcome to the family and look forward to seeing and hearing your progress.

    Danny
  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    edited September 2019
    *Deleted* (Added this post to my opening post)
  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    edited September 2019
    @d1g2w3 Nah, it’s Isaac. I just spell it abnormally on forums and on my tools for work (I’m a carpenter apprentice)

    Thank you Danny for the warm welcome. I’m hoping to finally get some of the technical issues that have significantly held back my progress resolved, now that I am actually getting started.
  • d1g2w3d1g2w3 Pro, 2.0 PRO Posts: 465
    edited September 2019
    @iZak hey Isaac, great name, was a candidate for my son's name if I ever have kids!

    You look like your coming from a similar background as me, can hit the notes, got the pitch, but the way you sing exhausts you in an unhealthy way (strain and what not).

    Without giving anything away, really check everything you know at the door and go through the videos and be patient (it's hard, I have the least amount of patience there is).

    Post audio clips of the exercises in the green labeled forum topics when you want some feedback and we will help as much as possible.

    In 6 weeks my voice has transformed and I regarded myself as a really good vocalist when I started (although I knew I was missing things or thought I was stuck with what my voice offered)

    I listened to the linkin park rendition and the greenday one, me and you are going to get along with that music taste!

    I already see a lot of improvements that you will see in an incredibly short time but I want you to get familiar with all the course content first and develop your own understanding.

    Please also, when your stuck, use the search bar and get into the forums, I have read so much up and down a d I guarantee you, you won't be the only person stuck on an issue.

    Good luck!

    Your fellow student, Danny!
  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    I figured it would be good to give people some examples of live singing. I definitely struggle with how much air I lose during singing. I knew my technique needs a lot of work but I made due with what I had.

    I also can’t trigger vibrato or trills with any consistency. It kinda randomly happens. Haha
  • d1g2w3d1g2w3 Pro, 2.0 PRO Posts: 465
    Your going to look back on these in the future and go "holy s**t" look how far I've come.
  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    That’s one of the reasons I like my smule app. I’ve got archives saved of my progress from the past few years. I already cringe when looking at my first recordings a few years ago. Haha
  • samw2019samw2019 2.0 PRO Posts: 285
    Hi iZak good to be training, welcome to the forum and wish you the best of luck with your training. Smule sounds pretty cool to be honest!
  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    Hi Sam, yeah Smule has been a pretty fun resource for practicing with other people over the net. It made it easier for me to acclimate to how my voice translates over a mic which was important for me to know before I sing a song in public. It also helped me identify issues with my pitch in some of my more complicated song choices. But it is still a karaoke app so some songs aren’t fully accurate.
  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    edited September 2019
    @coffeecrank Yeah you will always get a mix of good and really bad singers. My locations an open bar/nightclub so there’s no isolated booths. I prefer the open format with crowds though since It helped me get over the stage fright (staying outside my comfort zone) so I can now sing fully sober 😂

    Thank you very much 😁 Badass vocals? Do you really think so? I’m a pretty harsh critic of my vocals (This is why I am finally here as of yesterday, despite my ownership of 2.0 last year.)

    I may need to stop going out for karaoke for a while though. I have a feeling that it’ll reinforce my current bad habits until I get volume 1 down.





  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    edited September 2019
    @coffeecrank I try to emulate the sound of the original artists as closely as I can within my skill level. My musical taste Is a lot heavier on the metal, rock, and alternative genres. Singers like Disturbed utilize that a lot so I try
    my best to incorporate it when a song calls for that vocal style. Although I didn’t really understand what I was even doing.

    Congratulations on moving onto vol2 😁

    I’ve been looking over the volume 1 videos, as well as other student recordings. It feels very daunting as I still know very little about singing despite all the time I’ve been singing at the bar.

    But I now understand a little more of why my voice dies every time I tried to do Bon Jovi’s - living on a prayer at the bar. I’d get to maybe 60-65% before the highs would kill my throat at the choruses. I knew nothing about support. And when I tried to falsetto the highs it just sounded goofy.

    Been trying for 3 years to get through that song. (That’s kinda like my holy grail of singing)

    By the way, your recordings sounded great from what you linked on Facebook. You have no reason to be self-conscious seriously (although I know what that’s like all too well.) I would have been sober singing way sooner if I progressed that far in 5 months 😅

    Instead it took me 5 years to get to the point I am at now.

    Full Sober singing confidence didn’t start for me until almost my 3rd year of karaoke.

    The positive support I’ve had from other karaoke singers (in the past) helped me gain a lot of confidence, however sadly I get almost crickets nowadays. Other singers at my bar don’t clap for me for some reason now. Or walk out back when I’m up on the mic. Not really sure why. It made the experience less fun and I’ve been seriously considering dropping the bar scene entirely.

  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    @coffeecrank yeah, it’s hard to imagine being able to really do Bon Jovi or journey because of how far off I am from being able to hit those notes. I always say Bon Jovi’s range is bullshit 😂

    Thanks, I’ll check out the assignments but I think the only ones of those I’m familiar with are turn the page and ring of Fire. I also know bad company a little bit, but I do not think I can do those vocals yet.

    That’s an interesting theory about the clapping, but regardless those nights can be rough, especially when I’m doing new or difficult songs.

    I do try to keep in my mind that the reactions are no indication of my value or skill as a singer though.

    I’ve been shifting my focus more onto my karaoke app (smule) since I’ve found the bar to be progressively more toxic to me lately. But I think this was a perfect time to really shift gears into real study of proper techniques.

    The community here already seems way cooler than what I’m used to as well.
  • lissalissa Member Posts: 2
    Hi Everyone,

    Hope you doing well,

    My name is Lissa and I am newbie here.
  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    edited September 2019
    @lissa Hello Lissa. Welcome to the forums.
  • lissalissa Member Posts: 2
  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    edited November 2019
    @coffeecrank I seem to be a glutton for punishment as I keep trying to sing harder songs in my karaoke app. 😅

    Those highs are brutal.

    Duet attempt
    5seconds of summer - Teeth
    https://www.smule.com/recording/5-seconds-of-summer-teeth/381460330_3255516598?_branch_match_id=722999226339510613&utm_source=Text&utm_campaign=user-generated&utm_medium=rec
  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    @coffeecrank Nope I haven’t tried that yet. I think my new mic might work with it though. I game on a combination of consoles and pc so that isn’t an issue 😁

    Some nights are pretty fun at the bar but I’m highly prone to anxiety from big crowds if I can’t offset it with something to focus on. If it’s super busy and nobody I recognize is present that I can converse with, I sometimes get overwhelmed and leave. It’s part of why I go to physical venues like that. I am trying to get over that anxiety by increasing my exposure to the public.

  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    Unfortunately on that last song. I just can’t hit the high notes on those solo portions. I struggled to even get the tone right.
  • BBeckBBeck 2.0 PRO Posts: 30
    I checked out all the videos. You're doing stuff that I consider somewhere between difficult and impossible like Kurt Cobain. But you had some really nice fry in that. And you're not afraid to rap; not sure I could ever pull that off. On parts of Stitches you nail it so perfectly that it was as good as anyone on the planet I could imagine doing it. It sounded really good.
  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    edited November 2019
    @BBeck I appreciate that. I’ve been doing many of those in karaoke for a while. Stitches is a bit newish for me but it seems to work with my vocal range.

    I wish I had some of those recordings done on my new mic though. The one previously used didn’t capture mids and base very well. I am in the process of re-recording all my songs with my new one since I’m much happier with the results

    Sure you could. Just gotta try it out and see how you like the styles. I like a wide range of music. Some genres I have difficulty figuring out the shapes and timing. Just gotta keep chipping away at it until you get comfortable.
  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    edited November 2019
    @coffeecrank Well that’s not entirely true. Many professional recording artists also use smule to interact with their fan bases. Sarah Cleary is a professional singer. So that’s not indicative of the duet landscape. It’s cool that they host duets with their fans though 😁

    What they do is attract more talented singers to join them in duets which are the ones they will archive in their favorite lists

    I’ve seen a wide range of skill levels on the app from ho hum to amazing.
  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    edited November 2019
    @coffeecrank sure. And you are welcome to come make a free smule account and join me on a duet if you find some songs you like.

    Sadly free accounts don’t get to host many songs but they can join into anything that other people host.

    I’m okay paying the 50 bucks a year to use it solo since I get more than enough use out of it though 😅

    Maybe I should post my karaoke song list. I made an excel spreadsheet with all my songs color coded based on my comfort level (as of the last time singing each.)

    I alter the color codes based on a combination of internal parameters: timing, tone, pitch, lyrical accuracy, and vocal style.

    Here’s a snapshot of my current song list history. Purple background songs are ones I have not tried yet (but want to) so I don’t know what color code it’ll get or if I can even finish the song. I know songs are not counted in my column tallies at the bottom of the screen just ones I’ve done.

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/gtebpdtbplqypn4/iZak KaraokeList 10-12-2019.xlsx.pdf?dl=0
  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    Yeah it’s phone/tablet only.

    I use it on my iPad because it supports both iOS Apple products and Android.
  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    It also supports live duets which is cool
  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    edited January 2020
  • iZakiZak 2.0 PRO Posts: 100
    edited January 2020
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