Do You Like (Or Hate) Your Voice?

[Jack Russell]

I've been struggling for the last week on the tune (see short sound bite at top of thread). I have done 5 different sessions (each with lots of punch-ins), and after each one I felt it was good. Then playback later showed it to be lousy.

I think I finally nailed it last night though. Here's a few things I've learned:

1) If you are doing original material, there is a tendency to "learn" the melody sharp or flat in your head, and then that habit is hard to break. That's one problem I had on this tune.

2) Use a piano to play the melody correctly on an open track, then sing to the piano a few times, with the piano up in your mix.

3) Once you've patched together a solid vocal track with the "real" melody using the piano, then re-sing the entire track at one time, by singing in unison with your first pitch-corrected vocal track. Then you can erase the piano and first vocal track.

4) Listen to the track a day later. Your ears will get fatigued after awhile in the process of recording. If there are flaws, do no. 3 over.

5) Having someone help you with pitch is a good idea, as long as they don't tell you that you are a hopeless case, and you should give it up. Two ears can be better than one.

6) This is just a theory I have: pitch is the main overridding thing that makes singers sound bad. If you can get a really bad singer on pitch, then you'll start to see that even "bad" voices have interesting positive qualities. (Well, there are other elements too: vibrato control, singing through the nose etc....)

Sorry. I am rambling.

Addendum: I should also add:

7) Resist the urge to get overly emotional about your vocal takes. Be neither too down on yourself nor too excited about your sound. Try to step back from it and listen to it as though you've never heard it before. (This is hard to do.)

 

[Chris Shaeffer]

For me the answer is "yes."

I have a good voice. I like it, other people have told me its good. Other musicians sometimes sit up and take notice.

I'm also keenly aware that I can't do with it what I want to. I have to write and sing within my limitations and sometimes I wish I could go just a little lower, higher, longer, softer, breathier, etc. I don't have too much problem with loud... unless its too loud- often linked with high pitched and (cring) off pitch.

Voices take a lot more work than most people, myself included, put into them.

-C

 

[Lomas]

Great to see that others have this problem too

I can totally relate to the soft/hard thing. I'm getting to be kind of ok with my voice if I sing soft. But that limits me and it feels like I can't make songs with a bit more noise going on if I have to be soft all the time (no dirty jokes please!).

After a while of hating my recorded voice, I am now at a point where I'm ok with how it sounds, except that I find it so incredibly boring and lacking character. I hope it will change too, but I'm not sure it's possible to find your own voice exciting.

 

[David Katauskas]

I think my voice sucks...but it's what I have. So, I keep trying. Some songs come out good...some bad. But the "bad" ones are really bad.

 

[KaveKong]

I'm happy with my voice when I sing covers, depending on the song of course, but my own work? I haven't broken through the barrier yet.

I'm of the opinion that every single person in the world has a great singing voice that others would love, if they could only find it. Think of David Bowie, Tom Petty, Danny Elfman, and others. Very unique voices that, alone, might be considered kind of crappy, but their voices fit so well with their music that they are amazing. Jello Biafra is an outstanding vocalist (Dead Kennedys) that only fits his music.

It's all about finding your voice. Everyone can do it, but getting all those elements put together is darn near impossible. (Notice I said "near" impossible).

That's why the big artists sell so well. They somehow put together the following elements (not in order of priority, and I may be missing a few):

1. Great song (that comes first above and beyond anything else).
2. Great technical playing (guitar, piano, etc. Hit the right notes at the right time and try not to miss---I miss constantly).
3. Great voice that matches the song.

4. Marketing or publishing; getting people to hear you through performing or recording.

5. Good recording technique (the sounds in the mind seldom match that finished product, do they?).

6. Luck.

And maybe a touch of God's help, eh?

 

[true-eurt]

I'm of the opinion that every single person in the world has a great singing voice that others would love, if they could only find it. Think of David Bowie, Tom Petty, Danny Elfman, and others. Very unique voices that, alone, might be considered kind of crappy, but their voices fit so well with their music that they are amazing. Jello Biafra is an outstanding vocalist (Dead Kennedys) that only fits his music.

It's all about finding your voice. Everyone can do it, but getting all those elements put together is darn near impossible. (Notice I said "near" impossible).


And maybe a touch of God's help, eh?

I like my voice and hate it too....such conflict.

For me...what you say about finding your own niche, is very true. I have great difficulty doing covers of other's songs. My voice will only do so much....and so I tend to stick with my own songs.

Whenever I hear someone else's song, that has no lyrics or actual structure yet..and I am allowed to make it mine, then I like doing that.

I get so tired of hearing my voice doing the same things over and over again.

I would also love to find someone who likes my voice and interested in singing with me.

A lot of help needed for this voice.

 

[Freddy]

I'm far from happy with my voice. It's very limited. Mind you, so is my musicianship.

I like to write songs, but don't see myself as a performer.

That doesn't worry me too much.

 

[cello_pudding]

I hear ya, man.

Singers can really miss the "groove" of a song, even though they might have better technique.

i hate pop so much because of this. ie: american idol. all they do is sing soft or belt it out. i hate when people have no dynamic in volume within a phrase. or if they have this vibrato they've done so many times it's the same speed and do it on almost every note.

or when everything is sung with the same amount of breath support...ack. it's okay to have a fragile sounding voice if the song begs for it.

 

[Cyrokk]

6) This is just a theory I have: pitch is the main overridding thing that makes singers sound bad. If you can get a really bad singer on pitch, then you'll start to see that even "bad" voices have interesting positive qualities. (Well, there are other elements too: vibrato control, singing through the nose etc....)

Your theory is correct. If a singer with good tone and technique can't sing in tune, then he sucks as a singer. Pitch is the top priority. If you can sing on pitch, then you can work around such things as tone and range with some success.

As for my personal vocal, I'm not really thrilled about it, but I've learned to live with it and there are times when I am really proud of the work I've done. After doing so many songs, I've gotten a little more comfortable about my voice and I don't wince as much as I used to when hearing my singing through the monitors.

I just wished I had the same attitude with my vocals when I was younger: the "bands" I joined could've actually done something instead of just waiting around for a vocalist to come along.

 

[Nakatira]

I started out hating my own voice, used to do some singing for my own stuff.
Kinda effortless with no juice in it, mostely due to lack of faith in my vocal abilities.

I`ve allways hated to sing in front of people in a acapella kinda way, even my own family, gigs are ok though

Anyways, I formed a band a few years a go, and there I was singing a bit, due to no vocalist, the other band members said I did a good job.
And from there on and out til now, I`ve sorta gone one step at the way, with getting more faith in my vocal abilities.

I now get quite a bit compliments on my vocals
So I`m kinda aquiering a taste for my own vox

 

[ridgeback]

I just want to say, great thread.
I think this is something alot of us struggle with. My biggest struggle is the problem of multi-tasking. If I concentrate on my Vox my playing goes to shit. If I concentrate playing my Vox goes to shit (well it was almost there to begin with). Oh well, practice practice practice........

 

[Gorty]

I don't mind my voice so much when I play acoustic guitar and play cover songs, but I struggle to get it happening for my original material.

 

[Acoustic-Fury]

Yea this is a pretty good thread topic.

I fall in the mixed feelings category. I grew up singing back up vocals in bands and really liked that role. Grow up time hit, get a job followed and the band broke up and we went our separate ways. The last year I've been getting back into it and I am having to rely on myself because I can not find anyone that wants to sing the music I want to play...it is the most frustrating thing.

I'm working on getting back on that stage again but...an acoustic guitar, my pitchy, nasally, no tone having, can't belt it out for shit voice and a drum machine are not what people are going to come out in droves to see. I used to have a lot of attitude on stage so I hope that will keep them from chucking tomatoes at me.

I invested in melodyne plugin software (because I was so goddamn pitchy) for my protools. Now the pitch is corrected, which is helping speed along the process (believe me I know pitch correction software will not make you a better singer) but my crappy tone is left behind.

I find now the songs I'm writing I'll turn up the vocals and my guitar in my headphones and practice my singing that way...I tried this the other day and I seemed to be pretty dead on with the music. I'll be recording a new song in the next few days (I just wrote the drum lines) and I think it may help when I lay the vocal tracks down.

Click the link below to hear what I'm all about nowadays. I'm still learning the Melodyne software - the first two songs "Truth" and "Sin in the Basin" I went back and added the pitch correction to...the third song "Angel" I didn't add pitch correction software because that recording I did awhile ago and a system wipe annihilated the tracks.

 

[Whatmysay]

I have always been pretty happy with my voice. I have had some training and have always been confident to sing out in front of crowds. My problem over the last few years has been to find a voice I could truly call my own – after working in musical theatre diction and breathing are never a problem - but it sound too clinical sometimes, and after being in covers and sound-a-like bands when I let rock it always reminds me of some body else. So I have tried to mash it all up top find something original.

So I go for Bowies in the lows, Anthony Keidis in the mids, not quite sure who in the upper register – falsetto always sounds like the Beach Boys anyway and a sort of Jon Bon Jovi gravel throughout. But each song bring out different qualities I sometimes get a Ray Charles sort of nasality if the song I’ve written is a bit bluesy. I am happy with how my Frankenstein vocals sound and it sort of is original. In the last 18m I have invested in quality mic and preamp so I am also pleased with the sound I am getting down on disc.

I am really down with the above comments about the dynamics of voice being really important and should cover over a phrase rather than this is a loud song or theis is a soft song. I have a loud old set of tonsils and I use to pump up the backing in the headphones when I sing and belt it out, but I have started to explore wider dynamics within songs as my recording skills have got better. That said I tend to compress the hell out of vocals – so it evens it all out a bit, but I still think the different energy comes through.

I think some dissatisfaction with your voice when you hear it back can be to do with the mix and the EQ on your voice – remember even in the best recording situation we never (because we are inside our head) hear our voice like others do – so a trusted set of ears is invaluable in assessing your voice – that’s why a few lessons always help – particularly if the teacher is familiar with the demands of the genre you like to sing in – don’t go to an opera teacher if you want to sing death metal. Most singing teachers are happy to give a free assessment of your vocal potential (they are always inclined to be on the positive side, as they are hoping you will pay them to help you realise your potential), particular if you go prepared with a good idea of what you want to achieve – remember be a consumer!

At nearly 40 and with no clear idea of what is right or wrong, good or bad vocally after years of singing – the only advice I would give is to those concerned with their voice is work on it, try to improve it, make it your life’s work if you want – but ultimately if it serves your needs then it is as good as it needs to be – if not live with the down side of other vocalist phrasing not being yours or get a better vocalist who understands what you want – good vocalist will because they are musicians not singers

PS: Unsweetened pineapple juice is great to get rid of flem! Great with vodka (but not too much vodka or your voice will sound great to you, but no one else) - perfect for that Sat night croakiness, after a Friday gig in a smoke filled cave.

 

[VomitHatSteve]

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?

It's cool. I'm proud of my nerdiness.

I kind of like my falsetto, but I've realized that it can sound bad and quickly get out of hand. Nowadays, I just try to limit it a little.

 

[Supercreep]

I have a very strange voice, and it works pretty well, I guess.

Other people seem to like it more than I do. /shrugs/

 

[Monkey Allen]

I hate the sound of my voice's guts. They say you should sing deep and strong from your chest, I sing from my teeth

 

[acidrock]

I talk/scream.Singing?That depends on your definition.

 

[Dogman]

I sound like a cross between Lemmy, and Les Claypool....

No one else is gonna "sing" my songs, so I do it. It works for me, as I write the music and lyrics.

 

[Dumby]

I sound too generic