My Muffle Test for Vocals

kickingtone

New member
EDIT: I should add that this is all singing PRACTICE (not pristine production!) in case anyone wonders wtf!

You may think that the best way to test vocals is to listen to them at a comfortable volume. But I have discovered something else slightly counterintuitive..

How it works.

1. Record yourself a cappella.
2. Play yourself back through headphones (the large over the head ones with the swivelly earpieces work well for this).
3. Place the headphones earpiece face down on your desk so that the sound is muffled. (You can even place your hands over them as well.)

If you are projecting your voice well, you should still be able to clearly identify the song and words you are singing. Pitch problems will also sound exaggerated.

This is a very good tool for projection and pitch assessment that I have discovered over the years. (It may not be as effective for people with very twangy or edgy voices???).

For example, listening to this..



..one of the things the test tells me immediately is that I need to project the word "lips" better (twice) in the second phrase. It is not so obvious to me listening directly.

In this one, I am hearing "bedroom" and "place" not projecting as intended.

 
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