Do You Like (Or Hate) Your Voice?

[mikeh]

Man does this topic hit home!!! I don't like my voice (although many of my peers think I sing well - if I choose the right material). I certainly can hit all the notes well enough - I simply don't have the gift of pleasant tone.

When I work in cover bands I can sing maybe 5-7 songs per night (material that suits my voice - which is a mix of Springsteen, Joe Cocker, Rod Stewart and Randy Newman). I can do fair rock & roll or R&B - but I dare not actually try to sing a tender ballad. While I can hold my own live - in the studio the little nuances (or lack of) real become too obvious.

I spend a lot on money on bringing in vocalists and deal with a lot of crap because other than the true session singers (who often cost me anywhere from $100-$200 per song/session) most of the "wanna be" session singers don't have the chops to really make the material shine or the professionalism to show up on time, prepared, etc.

I recently tried out numerous vocalists (male and female) - trying to find less costly options than the "A list" session singers that cost me an arm and a leg. Trying out singers is like "American Idol" - these people really think they are great and most of them.........suck.

So unless it is song that I am really trying to push to my publisher, I simply try to track as best as I can with my voice. However, since my publisher feels just as I do (that I'm not blessed with a great voice) I can't even try to submit anything with my voice on it.

[chazba]

I took a "finished" track in to be mixed and the engineer, a friend of mine about 4 bars into the song hits the stop button. He sez " man this is "way pitchy". I sez "Whattyamean"? He sez "Outatune man. Ya gotta re-do the vocal man. You don't want it to go out like this." So we listen again and it's very obvious that about half the notes are sharp." Why am I doing that??"
He sez "it's cause you're using headphones and you got 'em way too loud.
Turn 'em down and only have enough instruments to keep the beat and the chord. Like a rhythm guitar maybe and a lite drum. So I try it and it helped...some. I still have intonation issues but I also have a vocal coach now and maybe we will solve the problem.


chazba

[andyhix]

Jack, fwiw, I liked the sound in the little snippet sample you provided. A nice dark gloomy sorta feel. And I mean that in a good way.

Anyway, me - I too have a different opinion on my voice from one day to the next. Part of my problem, is I don't have a "go to" singing voice, sometimes not even for a particular song. What I mean is somedays I'll sing a song clear and nasally, and the next day I'll sing it throaty or breathy. And the damned thing is whatever seems to sound good live to my ears, generally is not what sounds best to others, or on tape.

I also constantly struggle with phle-....fleo....you know, snot in your throat, dry throat, plugged up nose, and a bunch of other things that take my attention away from just focusing on singing. I think they are basically just excuses that I create for myself to justify my sub-par performance.

To address the later issue, the best thing I can suggest is to drink a TON of water the day before a performance or a recording session. It's good to be juicy.

[Jack Russell]

Jack, fwiw, I liked the sound in the little snippet sample you provided. A nice dark gloomy sorta feel. And I mean that in a good way.

Thanks, man. That part could almost have been spoken, as it is a short open section in the middle of the tune.

I also constantly struggle with phle-....fleo....you know, snot in your throat, dry throat, plugged up nose, and a bunch of other things that take my attention away from just focusing on singing. I think they are basically just excuses that I create for myself to justify my sub-par performance.

To address the later issue, the best thing I can suggest is to drink a TON of water the day before a performance or a recording session. It's good to be juicy.

Water, yes indeed. But it only takes about an hour. Drink a lot of it an hour before you sing, and this is how long it takes to circulate into your bloodstream and moisten your vocal cords. Drinking water during the performance doesn't help all that much because it goes down to your stomach, not to your vocal cords (different pipes).

[famous beagle]

Hey Jack,

I like your voice. I think it's really nice.


I went through many different phases of trying to sing like different people when I was learning, but now I've realized that I do like my voice and am getting more comfortable with it all the time.

Confidence is one of THE biggest factors in my opinion. You've got to have the confidence to sing out and make mistakes---make 'em loud and proud. That's the only way you'll make a lot of progress. Because, you can be the best "car singer" in the world, but if you're afraid to let it out in front of people, it doesn't mean much. It's a package deal: confidence AND ability. That's my 2 cents.

[VomitHatSteve]

you can probably count the number of times I have sung publicly (performed) on two hands.

If you use binary, you can count to 1023 on two hands. So you may have done 1024 or more performances?

My opinion of my voice has changed over the years. In middle school, I thought my voice was the greatest thing ever. After my first recording project I realized I needed to lay off the falsetto. Every project since then, I've become less enthusiastic about my voice.

I figure I'll make it big just in time to realize that I totally hate my voice and never want to sing again!

[Jack Russell]

Hey Jack,

I like your voice. I think it's really nice.

Thanks very much. It has some utility here and there. The rest of the song has trouble patches, and I'm still working on them. [This is rather critical because this song will appear on a CD we are "releasing" as a band. Whatever it means to do that these days.... ]

I went through many different phases of trying to sing like different people when I was learning, but now I've realized that I do like my voice and am getting more comfortable with it all the time.

True, I think everyone starts with using the style of your fav singers. I used to try to be like Bowie, and later Peter Murphy. Low and dark stuff. But I've been doing my own stuff so long, that I try to go with my own thing now. It is hard to get used to at first.

Confidence is one of THE biggest factors in my opinion. You've got to have the confidence to sing out and make mistakes---make 'em loud and proud. That's the only way you'll make a lot of progress. Because, you can be the best "car singer" in the world, but if you're afraid to let it out in front of people, it doesn't mean much. It's a package deal: confidence AND ability. That's my 2 cents.

I agree again. I've sang in several bands I've been in, a few songs here and there, but never as the main lead singer. (I am now one of three "lead" singers in my current band.) I definitely am the no. 3 singer (the other two are very good), but I'm trying to do "my part" on this album we are doing.

In clubs you have to just suck it up and belt it out, even if you know it is pitchy. But, in the studio, you need to be exact to the smallest detail.

[austinm08]

If you use binary, you can count to 1023 on two hands. So you may have done 1024 or more performances?

My opinion of my voice has changed over the years. In middle school, I thought my voice was the greatest thing ever. After my first recording project I realized I needed to lay off the falsetto. Every project since then, I've become less enthusiastic about my voice.

I figure I'll make it big just in time to realize that I totally hate my voice and never want to sing again!

Okay, no I wasn't not counting using binary I would call you a nerd or something, but, I think anyone who even knows what binary is should be labeled a nerd. lol.. But no.. I take that back. I think it just means your knowledgeable.. not a nerd.

Anyway.. you didn't like the sound of your falsetto, I presume?

[bernisava]

I've found that the softer I sing, the better my voice sounds. When I try to push it, it doesn't sound as good.

[Jack Russell]

I've found that the softer I sing, the better my voice sounds. When I try to push it, it doesn't sound as good.

That has worked for me once or twice. However, I took voice lessons for awhile, and my teacher kept telling me I needed to raise the volume level. I was one of his quietest students. One day he said, "Let's try something. Just sing as loud as you possible can."

I don't know if it was better or not. I got a passing grade in the class, at least. Hahaha.