Home VOCAL DEMONSTRATIONS for the Bold!

un...covered

Could not get any sleep this night.
Yesterday my brother (in-law) had a surgery because of very bad cancer, which they found last week. But the surgery did not have the result we all hoped for :(
So a lot of things going on in my mind and I tried to find some inner peace and distraction in music and ... inspired by some of you... I opened a channel on youtube and started creating some videos for my cover songs. And it seems thats easier for you to open up and listen to youtube here.

I justed wanted a nice "background" for the cover song, which I "dedicated" to him. Well, indeed he is like a brother.. for 40 years now, since I was a 5 year old child. I keep on praying and won´t give up hope <3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs5OoZUEDOA

Did not really practice this one... did it after 2x trying.
Unfortunately... again.. I am not really satisfied... and I think you can hear it in the end that I am thinking of: what can I do better to make it sound more varied? :)
I really increased my range and I am happy about that but I lost my "old warmer voice" on the way... :(
Recognized that also with an Adele song which I recorded...

Comments

  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    shining said:


    Recognized that also with an Adele song which I recorded...

    And here is the Adele cover.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRos8FCxBKE

    Well.. I am not sure if you can see this? Because youtube says its blocked in some countries... though I did settings for unlisted :(
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    Thank you so much for your words and feedback! Hm well.. yes it seems like I need to get used to the "new me". And maybe its a bit like "when you have straight hair you want curly hair... and the other way round".
    Maybe its also unfamiliar to me because not beeing used to sing that high... I still have to find the right pitch, while struggeling a bit too low or too high because I did not even expect to reach any of these notes *lol
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    Again.. couldn´t sleep *lol
    So I created a new video, with a song I recorded a few days ago ... this time its "Never ending story" from Limahl.
    I was not able to sing this song a few weeks ago.. maybe only in quiet thin headvoice.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWb5B5ueNtI

    If you are ever bored of the "ee"-scale.. try this song instead. It has a looooot of eeeeeeehs :D

  • WigsWigs Moderator, 2.0 PRO, 3.0 Streaming Posts: 5,042
    I am sorry to hear about the complications your brother had. Its very sad to see someone you love in pain.

    To discuss your singing, I think its twofold what you are experiencing. Your voice is growing, and you aren't really familiar with the song. Getting used to 2 new things at once means you are concentrating more on what you are doing rather than letting the music flow from within from having good control of your instrument and good knowledge of the song.

    Still they were both beautiful renditions because of who and why you sing them to :smile:
  • VocalityVocality 2.0 PRO Posts: 1,601
    @shining

    3 really nice covers, found 1st very emotional very sorry to hear about your Brother in law, I have been through this with both my parents having cancer and through it all and always clinged to hope that something would change.

    Your voice is well suited to these songs beautiful tone, on the adele song was really good although at the beginning slightly froggy just what heard but that got better the further you progressed into the song. Really good though interested on how you will sound in say 6 months.

    Nice Job on all three.

    Vocality <3
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    Thank you for your Feedback <3

    @coffeecrank Hmm.. interesting to hear that. Maybe than that is why I have problems to sound good on modern songs *lol Well.. as a child / teenager I sang the whole day to these songs :lol: I love music of 80s (my childhood) and 90s... but also Swing, or 60s and 70s (thats what my parents heard). So yes, I always listen to and sing a lot of this old stuff. And maybe you are right, that it has influenced me somehow with my voice.

    @Vocality Yes, you are right. I sound froggy... but most of all nasal in the high notes :D And yes, thats why I try to records this stuff so I can come back in a few weeks, months or years and compare :)
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    “When you get to the end of your rope... Tie a knot and swing!” :lol:

    So this is one of my alltime favorite swing songs:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E28neDQCp2Y
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    edited April 2020
    shining said:

    shining said:


    Recognized that also with an Adele song which I recorded...

    And here is the Adele cover.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRos8FCxBKE

    Well.. I am not sure if you can see this? Because youtube says its blocked in some countries... though I did settings for unlisted :(

    Lol.. just realised that I named this song as one of my goal songs on the 4h of january here in the forum:
    https://forum.kentamplinvocalacademy.com/discussion/comment/68746/#

    I was looking for this post, because I thought that I mentioned "Hopelessly devoted to you" by Olivia Newton-John...
    I didn´t *lol.. but it is :D and today I did it *yeeeah
    Okay again not perfect because I did not practice it before this recording.. just wanted to try... but it came with such an ease that I was totally surprised <3

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/vpst9fdvnf820i4/hopelessly_devoted.m4a?dl=0

    Its funny listening to it.. in the first refrain I was not confident to make this song.. so I failed .. but after that on the second one I knew I can make it and even got higher :smiley: I had to think of Ken saying: You won´t hit the note if you are afraid of it :lol:

    So.. two of my goal songs within a few weeks.. when I started KTVA I thought it would take me yeaaaaaaaaars

  • VocalityVocality 2.0 PRO Posts: 1,601
    @shining

    Some nice renditions, but especially liked the Adele cover seamed to suit your voice very well and all I can say you have been really busy working on alot of songs really nice work. enjoyed them all.

    Vocality
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    Thank you <3

    Well yes, a lot of things are going on at the moment in life. Singing is the best way for me to reduce all negative energy and thoughts. So you won´t get rid of me *lol and there is no one else I can show it to :p
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMW_b9uUHUU

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0ZmSJv2q7Q

    Tonight these two... in loving memory of my dog. She died 6 months ago today. I hope this deep pain will stop one day. I know this might sound "funny" to some people.. but I don´t care. For me she was (and still is) my whole world.
  • Shine on <3 So nice that singing is the best way for you to reduce all negative energy and thoughts. Lucky you ;-) Several things that sounds interesting about you Shining :-) I am thinking.. since it helps you.... could you direct your energy and sing through the course even more? Maybe in these times you could do it slowly? Imagine what nice songs will come out even better from your mouth then. What impression would you like to leave with your song? I know I had to do many thing over... and over, and over. And I still haven´t got it right LOL. Thanks so much for sharing Shining, hope things might be brighter up ahead. Take care and good luck now :-)
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    edited April 2020

    I am thinking.. since it helps you.... could you direct your energy and sing through the course even more?

    Have to admit, that the last 3-4 weeks I am not able to practice... I do it maybe 1-2 times a week instead of every day before corona. I just can´t find energy for it..
    the concentration for standing there and doing scales for over an hour? I can´t.
    Hope this will change soon and I can keep on practicing.
    I only feel the need to sing this or that song.. and to sing together with others on smule.
    And I would not be able to sing most of the song without the ktva course.. so I really hope that I can continue.

    Oh and if anybody wonders if music can really help.. there are several studies about the impact of music to people with depression or just to reduce stress. Here is one example of an interesting article about that:
    https://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/11/music

    And I do that as long as I can remember. When I was a little child I always hide in my room or anywhere and sang, when I had to struggle with any problem.
  • Take care Shining :-) Remember one can not do more than what one can do ;-) And that will have to be good enough for now... <3
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    edited April 2020
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkYJDPGYktQ

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50HfcfbrsNM

    Today was a good day :) Felt a lot of power
    And I started with volume 2 today :#
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    edited April 2020
    You don´t know the movie "the last unicorn" ? :open_mouth:

    The most beautiful movie and magic of my childhood <3

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8ClxCGA1SI
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n5u7-QMGFA

    So here is one of my favorite Aerosmith Songs which I tried to sing and practiced the last week. Its funny that there are a few Aerosmith Covers posted this week from different people *lol

    This song was really hard for me and unfortunately I am still not able to sing it right on pitch :( To me it sounds like allways just below the correct pitch. Or what do you think? Its also hard to keep support ... a lot of breath is needed.
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    edited April 2020
    Hmmm okay.. I did not pull to much because to me it sounded way to hard then.. I wanted to copy the "soft/fragile sound" of his voice (which I think to hear)
    Or maybe its the distortion which is missing in my voice when I sing it with more power. And some of the notes are yet still too high for me :(
    Ok.. will try it again in a few months *lol
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420

    I wouldn't call Steven Tyler fragile, haha.

    Hmm.. yes maybe I translated it with the wrong word :lol:
    I meant "verletzt/zerbrechlich" in german... maybe someone can help.

  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhRNUqB2VPw

    This time a "duet"... well, I only do some backgrounds...
    I fell in love with his voice <3
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO0FCU-MJjY

    Practiced this one yesterday... because the last 2 days I suddenly had problems with my voice cracking while bridging and so I wanted to sing a song I know quite well... just to test it out.
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    We were talking about "German songs" in another thread a few days ago.

    These are two covers of typical german so called "Schlager". Half germans hate it... the other half loves it :lol:

    This one is a version (piano only and slower) of one of the most successul Schlager Song from famous "Helene Fischer". (Again the reminder: a lot of people hate this song .... but everyone knows it... its an earwig *lol )

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiC9neJKUNg

    This one is another example of Schlager from a winner from a german "singing contest":

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLcQfAtVPzo

    Well.. I love Schlager when I am out on a party... or just for singing. I grew up with such music because my parents always listenend to it.
    But I would never ever buy such music :lol:
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    edited May 2020
    If someone would like to hear some more german songs...

    Here are two which I sang as a duett. Both are very sad and quiet songs...

    This one is from maybe most famous german Artist Herberg Grönemeyer. He wrote this song for his wife, after she died because of cancer :(

    https://www.smule.com/recording/herbert-grönemeyer-der-weg-piano/490478239_3532030193

    This song is not really german.. we tried to sing it with austrian dialect. Because the original is from Andreas Gabalier, an Austrian Singer.
    He wrote this song after his father and sister commited suicide within a very short time....

    https://www.smule.com/recording/andreas-gabalier-amoi-seg-ma-uns-wieder-original/490478239_3532009867
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420

    @shining You'll be fine, your voice will still be yours. Mine didn't really change, you can tell from my old recordings. All that's changed was confidence, vibrato, power etc. Unlike surgery, this is not removing any part of your voice, just opening its full potential. :)

    Dont want to hijack YOUR demo thread... sorry for that :) So I moved this over here.
    Yes you are definetly right... confidence and power have grown tremendous :open_mouth:

    And 2 days ago I quit smoking (I am... WAS a reaaal heavy smoker) *yeaaah
    Yesterday I sang just for fun without any expectations together with a good friend of mine (she took some classic "opera" singing lessons years ago)...
    She came up with this song.
    And suddenly I realized that I was able to hit the high notes in "My heart will go on" ( 3:25 - 3:48)
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/ieh1eq1c7zvoo7o/my-heart-will-go-on-duett.m4a?dl=0

    After 24 hours without smoking my throat already felt sooo much better.
    This is a good motivation for my singing but also for not smoking :lol:
    Though people around me are quite irritated, because everyone who knows me also knows, that I would never quit for any reason. Well... now I found a good one :)
  • WigsWigs Moderator, 2.0 PRO, 3.0 Streaming Posts: 5,042
    I used to smoke up to 30 a day in my younger years. I quit cold turkey same as my dad. I must say ( you might not want to hear this) I noticed zero difference in my overall health, taste and sense of smell but I only smoked for about 8 years. I however am all the more richer now that I spend my money on other hobbies 😁 it helped me to think of it as not quitting, I am just no longer a smoker. Every day for the first 2 weeks (the hardest) I told my self I won't have one today. I didn't change anything else, still went to bars, still had morning coffee, still going out with people that smoked, the only change was that I stopped.

    Good on you to change your self for a healthier you!
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    Well, I started on exactly my 16. birthday... and I am 44 now.. Do the math :lol:
    Smoking 1 package of tobacco in 2 days.. which is about 50 small cigarettes a day -.-
    I always had a scratchy feeling in my throat when singing. Needed to make breaks because of mucus in my throat.
    When I went to the ENT 2 months ago because of my ear problem, I asked him to take a look.. so he did and said all my throat, larynx and vocal chords are covered with thick sticky mucus. The only way to get rid of it was quit smoking.
    And like I said before, after 24 hours my throat already felt way better. This scratchy feeling was way better.. not to say nearly gone. I expected this maybe in a few weeks.
  • sjonrokz4usjonrokz4u 2.0 PRO Posts: 1,287
    Congrats girl!!! Like wigs I quit a long time ago from smoking about 30 a day. I hope you don’t mind a little encouragement. Take the pressure off yourself and think of it as stopping not quitting. Quitting is a high bar to set and is easily failed. If you look at it like stopping there’s not so much pressure on you and if you fail get back up on the horse the next day and start over. Remember it’s a bunch of little battles every day. Kinda like a hockey game with battles for the puck. You may win them all or you may lose some just remember if you lose a battle get right back in there and dig in and try to win the next one. Eventually you’ll win the game!!! For me unlike wigs I did start noticing differences in taste smell and wind etc. go get em girl!!! Nice job!!!
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    Thank you so much for your words! @sjonrokz4u
    Well yes, maybe I should stay "stopped". Didn´t really thought about that.
    The "battle" is okay for the moment. BUT I (have to) use nicotine gums in the beginning... without them I guess I would be going through the roof. Worst thing at the moment is my sense of smell *lol Spend the whole day with washing the curtains and everything that has the smell of smoke.

    Lucky you @coffeecrank
    And wow, thank you so much for this compliment. Means a lot to me to hear this from you! :o
    <3
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    edited May 2020
    Some of you were talking about songs with just piano in background. That reminded me of this song.
    I was 11/12 years old when it came out (1986) and I loooooved it. I even think this is the first song I remember me staying with the lyrics sheet in my hand and trying to pretend to be a singer :D

    The song is quite "easy".. has a very comfortable range.
    But I realized that its nethertheless quite tough to sing because of all its feelings

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y31eJLeoBGA
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    Yes ... and I also have problems with my mic. When singing "softer vocals" in songs I always have to even concentrate more on the distance to the mic.. and not singing to low.. and not to quiet :neutral: I don´t know, I guess I have wrong settings for it or I should change the mic.
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    Well.. I do all recordings with this iRig Pre HD and my smartphone. It has gain settings. Also Volume.. but I think the volume is only for the headphones.
    Mic is the Rode nt-1a.
    Bought a focusrite to try it on PC.
    But unlike you I was too lazy yet to try to get smule running on my desktop device *lol
    I also have a cheap Shure SM 58 ... but did not really liked the sound of it. (But I only tried it once yet)


  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    Now you made me curious and I tried it again :)

    So.. I recorded this yesterday with the rode nt-1a
    https://www.smule.com/recording/demi-lovato-anyone/2244233324_3552202072
    And its driving me nuts because when I am singing high (and louder), it always kinda makes the voice sound strange. It also irritates me while singing because its sounds weird through my headphones. I have to step away over 1m from the mic ... Also hat this problem when singing "Into the unknown".

    Now I just recorded this with the Shure SM58
    https://www.smule.com/recording/demi-lovato-anyone/2244233324_3553964593
    I don´t like the lower parts ... but its a lot better in the higher notes and I don´t have to step back and can sing full right into it.

    Best comparison for higher notes is 1:28 to 1:43

    Please don´t judge the singing.. just the mics :lol:
    I still fail the end *lol So its totally different in both and only did the other recording to compare both mics.

    Hmmm... seems like I need another mic????

  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    Now changed several settings... ehem.. sometimes the problem is not the hardware but the person using it :lol:
    So now again with the Rode:
    https://www.smule.com/recording/demi-lovato-anyone/2244233324_3554037479

    The sound in the higher notes is better/clearer now, isn´t it?
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    Thank you for listening and helping me <3
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    Today... a little bit of Bowie B)<3

    (Still have to find out the settings ... when I sing low there is a lot of "bass" )


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADjqOkZ6-vI


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQvzZL_6n78
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    Well.. there are sooo many great Bowie Songs on my list :lol:
    What about you doing a cover of it?
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    You Are the Reason from Calum Scott

    I love this song so much...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs7h26LpduU

    and if you would like to laugh a bit.. this is me 5 month ago (half of the song)
    https://www.smule.com/recording/calum-scott-you-are-the-reason/1581931034_3301133764
  • VocalityVocality 2.0 PRO Posts: 1,601
    @Shining Your sound is beginning to open up now great progress like the rendition very much!!!

    :) Vocality
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    edited May 2020
    Thank you for your feedback @Vocality
    And I still feel like a boy who has to deal with the changing of voice. :innocent:


    And @coffeecrank
    Indeed.. but now I have to work on the perseverance :D
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    edited June 2020
    Titanium from David Guetta in a slow Piano Version
    This one is hard... and I am still off pitch sometimes.. but never was so close to it *yeah*
    I love these lyrics soooo much ...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuvShwL95wQ

  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    Yeah... but thats what makes this song and especially this version so tough: The long phrases with its slow ups and downs ... from soft to powerful. Its really hard not to run out of oxygen :D
    The longest one I could do is from 3:16 to 3:32 without taking a breath *lol

    I wonder how many recordings they did for the studio version of the original song . They also work with a lot of echos there.
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    I started this thread because of my brother-in-law...
    Now he has lost his fight .... so this one is dedicated to him and my sister.
    They lived together for 40 years.
    #FuckCancer

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT2-8NAg29M
  • sjonrokz4usjonrokz4u 2.0 PRO Posts: 1,287
    Sorry for your loss
  • VocalityVocality 2.0 PRO Posts: 1,601
    @shining

    Really sorry for your loss my thoughts go out to you and your family at this difficult time.
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    Thank you all for you words!

    And yes... life is what happens while you have other plans.

    So live you life and dreams now <3

  • WigsWigs Moderator, 2.0 PRO, 3.0 Streaming Posts: 5,042
    Take your time to heal, the waves will crash every day, some small, others during a storm. 💐
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    The Blower's Daughter from Damien Rice... Such a beautiful song.
    Couldn´t get it out of my head today.. needed to sing it.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u76C63-fE0A
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    Well.. I am also working on overcoming my fear of cam/video
    And smule is good for this ... because settings are very easy.

    And this OC with one of my favorite duet partners went quite good I think :love:

    What do you think?

    https://www.smule.com/recording/aerosmith-cryin-cryin/83669569_3776755541
  • VocalityVocality 2.0 PRO Posts: 1,601
    @shining

    It's great to see you face a fear, great performance think it's first time heard you do a rock cover and it's nice to put a face to the voice!!. I have been doing alot on twitch sings, it's helping me with melodies but not done any videos yet, I do have a webcam so no excuses there just lack a bit of confidence in that area.

    Need to have a go at Smule then!!
  • shiningshining 2.0 PRO Posts: 420
    edited October 2020
    Well it took my almost a year to start making videos like this *lol
    But still: I can not sing "full power" like I would without a video... but I try to keep working on that.

    And yes: on smule you can do all with your mobile phone.

    So its much easier because there is no "stress" with any technical setup or equiptment.
    Vocality said:

    great performance think it's first time heard you do a rock cover and it's nice to put a face to the voice!!.

    Hm well no.. in fact rock is my most favorite genre to sing and thats why i joined KTVA, because I wanted to learn to sing these songs. I already did some Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, GNR and other covers :smiley:

  • VocalityVocality 2.0 PRO Posts: 1,601
    @shining Oops My bad 😬 got that one wrong
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