Do You Like (Or Hate) Your Voice?

[Oancient1]

I have been told by many folks that I have a good voice, but I personally don't care for it, and think it sounds like absolute crap when recorded dry. For that reason I NEVER record it with input effects of some kind. For me, recording vocals always involves many many takes during which I first experiment with different effects combinations, and then after I get them right alternate equally between over-focusing on the sound (correct pitch and enunciation, consistent volume level) and screwing up the words, and vice versa. I often end up with multiple half-good vocal tracks and then use cut and paste or even on-the-fly track selection during mixdown to combine into one.

Tom

[Sir_Matthew]

Funny that you mention that, I always feel perfectly comfortable singing with zero effects on my voice live, and yet when I get in the studio I feel the need to jack around with a bunch of effects on the vocal. Sometimes I keep them, sometimes I keep it dry, but something about hearing my vocal disembodied from my throat and plunked up into some speakers makes me want to mess it around. Probably listening to Rain Dogs too much...

[Oancient1]

It has been many years since I did it live, but it was the same for me - the effects used were whatever the sound guy decided and I didn't worry about it. Of course my live career predated digital effects, so tape echo and reverb were the only thing available.

Tom

[Dani Pace]

I've never claimed to be a singer, some people say my voice is ok. Personally I think it works for some songs but is terrible on others.

[Lectric_Lab]

I always got "you don't look like you could sing like that" and thats always haunted me, like what am I suppose to look like to sing like I sing....humm, but I've been singing for over thirty years and it doesn't bother me anymore. I really don't like effects on my voice in the studio or live, sometimes a little verb on a ballad. I've fronted 3 piece groups on guitar/vocal, shared the vocals in bands and presently don't sing a lick all night, no mic in front of me and thats cool too...hell I'm almost 60 so I needa break haha

as far as my voice....no I've never liked it, whem I was a kid my dad made a snide remark about my singing, so I lived with that and the confidence factor, but we got to do what we can do and just practice and get better.

[jeffchastain]

Originally Posted by 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.

I dig the music, man. I'm enjoying Polaris a ton.

[rayc]

I don't have a problem with my voice it's the fact that I can't sing in tune that causes me grief.

[Lumpy]

Originally Posted by Jack Russell

...have you ever listened to yourself on tape and grown to hate your singing voice?...

I'm a retired professional vocalist and voiceover artist. I've
heard myself on tape thousands of times. I've never liked
the sound of my voice recorded.

Even when you hear yourself a LOT on record, you
don't sound like you do through your own bone conduction.

To this day, even after having heard myself a gazillion
times on record, I still hear my playback and say
"is that really me?"


Lumpy

You were the Tidy Bowl Guy?
Yes. I'm cleaning your bathroom bowl.
www.LumpyVoice.com

[Nothingface]

I don't like my voice, but my wife and kids do! I posted a song on the MP3 forum the other day, and after hearing it, it made me cringe! I now realize that 1)I probably shouldn't have put it up; 2) I kinda suck at singing and 3) I think my wife and kids were just being nice to dad!

[cameronbailey]

It depends on what I'm singing. Sometimes it can be good, and other times it is thin. When recording it's easy for me to get stuck on multiple vocal tracks since that sounds so much better.

[icystorm]

I have a weak voice and I'm uncomfortable when I try to sing in a serious way. I think my lack of confidence in my weak voice affects my vocals even more, and since I'm the type-A perfectionist, I'm even harder on myself.

I write very nice songs with great melodies (if I do say so myself), but I usually ruin them with my vocals. I still sing my own songs in order to communicate the idea in the demos.

Joseph (icystorm)

[crispin]

Don't forget that your voice sounds quite different in your head than it does to others...

[Ben Logan]

Remember this guys:

Both John Lennon (who was always pushing for "more effects!" on his vocals) and Jeff Tweedy (from Wilco) cringe(d) whenever they hear(d) the sound of their own voice recorded. Arguably the two greatest rock vocalists ever!

I went crazy with the parenthesis.

[gewaar]

Originally Posted by Acoustic-Fury

Yea this is a pretty good thread topic.

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.

The link doesn't seem to be here?

[gewaar]

For songs: myspace.com forwardslash gewaar22

I'm a songwriter and record/sing mostly because if I don't sing the songs, no-one will ever hear them or learn to like them. And I enjoy performing (started about 6 months ago), but my voice isn't great. People do seem to like it sometimes when I sing very high. Unfortunately, even after years of playing guitar, my guitar is probably a bit worse. This week at an open mik, someone said "So I take it voice is your primary instrument". He meant well!

I've been going for a 1/2 hour voice lesson every week and it's made a world of difference. I still don't like my voice, because really my songs need a nice, deep, throaty voice, and I have a crystal, higher range voice, and I struggle with breath control, keeping an even tone, and being on pitch for the lower notes (anything more than 2 or 3 notes below middle C). And I'm really working hard on trying to eliminate nasal tones and getting a richer tone. It's an uphill battle.

When I put my first songs on myspace I emailed my friends and told them and not a single one responded. These are friends I've had for 10 years! I think they just felt too akward to tell me what they really think and they didn't want to lie. (My mother said, "It's really not good".) So I do this singing thing with mixed emotions. I'm in the back room recording every evening and weekend because I'm too depressed and pent-up if I don't, all these songs stare at me, and when I'm done, I play it back and despair at the sound!

But it does get better. I'm not tone deaf, so I'm trainable. Hopefully the day will come ...

I gargle fastidiously to keep my throat clean and infection free, and avoid milk for the phlegms. That helps a little.

[propman]

Well, i put mixed feelings. Mostly because some times, I think my voice is spot on, and others it isn't. It just depends what type of song it is.

[Ben Logan]

Originally Posted by gewaar

For songs: myspace.com forwardslash gewaar22

I'm a songwriter and record/sing mostly because if I don't sing the songs, no-one will ever hear them or learn to like them. And I enjoy performing (started about 6 months ago), but my voice isn't great. People do seem to like it sometimes when I sing very high. Unfortunately, even after years of playing guitar, my guitar is probably a bit worse. This week at an open mik, someone said "So I take it voice is your primary instrument". He meant well!

I've been going for a 1/2 hour voice lesson every week and it's made a world of difference. I still don't like my voice, because really my songs need a nice, deep, throaty voice, and I have a crystal, higher range voice, and I struggle with breath control, keeping an even tone, and being on pitch for the lower notes (anything more than 2 or 3 notes below middle C). And I'm really working hard on trying to eliminate nasal tones and getting a richer tone. It's an uphill battle.

When I put my first songs on myspace I emailed my friends and told them and not a single one responded. These are friends I've had for 10 years! I think they just felt too akward to tell me what they really think and they didn't want to lie. (My mother said, "It's really not good".) So I do this singing thing with mixed emotions. I'm in the back room recording every evening and weekend because I'm too depressed and pent-up if I don't, all these songs stare at me, and when I'm done, I play it back and despair at the sound!

But it does get better. I'm not tone deaf, so I'm trainable. Hopefully the day will come ...

I gargle fastidiously to keep my throat clean and infection free, and avoid milk for the phlegms. That helps a little.

Gewarr,

Man I love this post. If the honesty and rawness of your rock is anything like it comes across in your writing, keep it going dude.

Like I said a few posts back, I'm among the vocally challenged too. Your line "I'm in the back room recording every evening and weekend because I'm too depressed and pent-up if I don't" really hit home.

I'm a bit of a boozer. But I'd probably be a full blown alcoholic if it weren't for the joy of releasing some emotion into the mic. So just keep on writing just to write. Remember guys like Van Gogh sold one painting...to his brother! We don't have to be brilliant anyway. The point is to keep on creating. It makes you a better cat, all around.

Ben

[Canibus]

This is a great thread. I'm glad there's so many people out there like me. I've been singing along with the radio and music videos all my life but I just recently thought about incorporating it into my music. I've been practicing practically all day recently. I plan to post some audio eventually so you guys can critique me.

as far as my voice....no I've never liked it, whem I was a kid my dad made a snide remark about my singing

I can relate since I know what it's like to have little comments like that stick with you for the rest of your life. They can be severely damaging and the people who said them don't even know it but I just try to use it as motivation.

[nord]

Originally Posted by icystorm

I have a weak voice and I'm uncomfortable when I try to sing in a serious way. I think my lack of confidence in my weak voice affects my vocals even more, and since I'm the type-A perfectionist, I'm even harder on myself.

I write very nice songs with great melodies (if I do say so myself), but I usually ruin them with my vocals. I still sing my own songs in order to communicate the idea in the demos.

Joseph (icystorm)

sounds like you are singing close/quiet and trying to force it louder

1.turn up the backing and you will hopefully automatically sing louder
2.try not to review your voice as you are singing (you should worry about what you are singing the next second not the previous one)
3. try changing where you are singing to - imagine you are singing to someone further away
4. try to stay emotionally where you should be- not with the emotion `frustration` stamped on everything

nord

[Yonce N Mild]

Originally Posted by Yonce N Mild

I have just started singing again. I'm 30 and haven't sung in front of people since I was a kid. I started singing for my band because we need a "placeholder" until we found a singer. The rest of the band really likes my voice and convinced me to sing full time. It's kinda cool but I'm pretty self conscious about my voice still. I'm getting better all the time. It's kinda weird because when I was younger I would sing at church and stuff like that and I had a very high pitched voice. Now I have a really deep voice and I have a little trouble getting the volume and power I want on the really low notes.

This is from me 8 months ago. I've practiced quite a bit since then and have seen massive improvement in the power and range of my voice. I always though that to some extent you could either sing or not and your voice was your voice and that's it. That isn't the case at all, the voice like any other instrument improves with practice. More importantly good practice.

I was having real trouble hitting the high notes on some of our songs. I would just force myself to sing that high really letting it rip pretty soon I started hitting those notes every time........but it was still very difficult. I figured I know I can hit those notes and if I just force myself I'll get better and my voice will get stronger. NOT TRUE! It remained difficult and then after a little improvement it soon became impossible for me to hit those notes again and after practice my throat would hurt so bad that I could barely speak.

So I started doing a little reading and I bought a book on vocal technique. Turns out the way I was singing was actually damaging my voice. I was squeezing too much and forcing the air out too hard straining to hit high notes.
I started practicing scales with the cd that the book came with, corrected my breathing and relaxed a little bit. Now I can hit the high notes in our songs with ease.


The thing is I still really don't like how my voice sounds but I figure I'm singing in key and I'm singing clear and loud my band mates like it so fu<k it.

If you are struggling with your voice and have never had any instruction at least do a little reading about proper technique it can make a world of difference.

[Canibus]

what book did you buy?^^^^

[Yonce N Mild]

Originally Posted by Canibus

what book did you buy?^^^^

vocal technique
a guide to finding your real voice
by dena murray

I just started by searching around the internet. There are some videos on youtube with some good vocal exercises and quite a few websites with good info as well. The book is decent though and comes with an audio cd with scales and such to practice to.

[bilco]

I really struggle with this and I definitely have mixed emotions about it. I don't like hearing myself recorded and I really don't like to sing lead at gigs as much as I like singing harmony.

That being said, I don't think any of the demo singers who have recorded my songs get the emotion of the song as well as I do, even though they blow me away as far as technique, pitch and range.

It's a burden........

bilco

[Yonce N Mild]

The other day for the first time I played back a track that I had recorded and actually thought my voice sounded great. It felt pretty good I have been working pretty hard at it so it is nice to hear results.

[nord]

Originally Posted by Lumpy

I'm a retired professional vocalist and voiceover artist. I've
heard myself on tape thousands of times. I've never liked
the sound of my voice recorded.

Even when you hear yourself a LOT on record, you
don't sound like you do *through your own bone conduction.*

To this day, even after having heard myself a gazillion
times on record, I still hear my playback and say
"is that really me?"


Lumpy

You were the Tidy Bowl Guy?
Yes. I'm cleaning your bathroom bowl.
www.LumpyVoice.com

***can you explain this?****

Also i see from your website you worked with karen carpenter (!!!!!!!!!!!!)what was that like? I`m not interested in the celebrity factor more how she was as a singer. I`d say shes the best female vocal i`ve ever heard-such an emotional range
nord