New version of "All of My Heart"

lifelyrics

lifelyrics

Training wheels on
Hi guys,

I finally got some recording time today, and was able to redo the vocals for my newest posted song, "My Friend", plus a new version of the gospel song, "All Of My Heart"!! I've been trying to "brain train" (as Jeff Maher put it) myself out of some bad habits (swooping to notes), and, hopefully, getting myself perform and express my songs better!

p.s. when I listened, to confirm they were uploaded, I noticed some clicking during playback that didn't seem present when I listened to them in my DAW (before exporting to mp3). Do you notice it/them? What is that, and how can I avoid it?

Please check out both songs on my music page: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=960087&content=music

Any and all feedback is welcome.
 
More improvement!!

The ending of the word 'him' at 28 sec, for example, was SUPER!

I didn't hear clicking....anywhere.

A couple things to listen for and think about:

Sometimes you sing extra syllables into a word at the end of a phrase...like:34 "re pay-ay-'h'ay; and at :45, "li-i-'h'ife. You add an exhalant, 'Huh', to the last syllable. It doesn't roll as well as a contunuous flow of hit pitches. Try practicing words like that in one continuous, even, modulated flow of breath, without the huff.

And , speaking of breath, you run out of it in a couple places..like at :38 "...world [breath] with wisdom." Sing relaxed...it's working: but take advantage of natural conversational breaks to FILL the lungs....AND relax!! And I note that your vibrato falters at the end of phrases where you sing sustained ending syllables. With a smidge more intake of vox fuel [air in the bellows] you can sound like Ella...just holding and warbling regularly until the moment when you want to fill up for the next phrase. But:

Also, listen to the words at 1:11 and 1:41: you have an occasional habit of cutting the words with a slight gutteral sound...back of the throat "ghuh". Those endings should fade like they were fade-curved on a recorded track.

You sing sweet and light...not a trog screamer like me. You can't get away with a lot of things that a hard singer can. Mine is like burlap...yours, like lace. Errors show more in the finery of your voice.

I propose you post , downloadable, a version of the tune without the harmony. I would like to make a harmony part for the song that might help illustrate rough parallelism's strength. 'Pic': thousand words. The times when you meander into unison are especially un-musical. It's a stark device, and has to be used sparingly...usually, effectively, at the beginnings of harmony parts..phrases. Once the tonal breakout occurs, it's psychologically un-nerving to hear it momentarily intersect with the melody again before the end of the musical 'sentence'. Classical music is full of examples of where and how it can be made to work. And the harmony almost never intersects in-unison again, "mid sentence" once the voices seperate. Those old dead composers were very concerned with aesthetics. When two voices unite or sound an octave apart, it triples the strength of the notes. If it's not the right note at the right time, it can snuff a beautiful melody quick.

Here's 20 seconds of classical harmony...by the Master, Mr Bach. Listen to what happens when the voices close ...or arrive... at octave unison. The first time happens at the beginning of a bar...crystalizes the moment, and sets a stage of anticipation for the breakout following. The last notes of the snip are unison and a fifth. Note how, psychologically, it's like a snapping of attention.......build of strength. It's powerful. When it happens mid-phrase, it's disorienting. Something to get into you bag o' tricks and consider as you learn to hear and build effective harmony.

http://www.yousendit.com/download/Y1RxRGw5R0ZGR0ZFQlE9PQ


Keep going!
 
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How can I thank you, Jeff, for your very detailed, very helpful, reply?

One thing's for sure, I'm going to work on everything you said, plus continue to do the vocal exercises, so that I can gain more control and stability in my singing.

I love what you pointed out about not meeting back together except for effect -sparingly. I will definitely keep that in my toolbox.

Here is "All of My Heart", without the harmony. It's an mp3. I couldn't upload it here, as an attachment, so I put it on my soundclick. If you pm your email, I can send you wav files directly.

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7950240
 
I'll say this doll, even though you may have a few technical issues vocally on "All Of My Heart"...(hey, don't we all at some point?)...you sing with such feeling and soul! Not the James Brown variety, but straight from the heart soul. That last verse and ending were beautiful; you can tell you truly love "Him"...and that's a lot coming from my somewhat agnostic ass! You had me believing!;)
 
Thank you so much, John. It means a great deal to me, since I'm just starting to be trained, and learn how to express, in singing, what is in my heart. I've been writing from the heart for a few years, but this singing, really with expression is brand new for me! I'm encouraged that I may be starting to get there.
 
http://www.yousendit.com/download/Y1RvT0NYcHZveE5jR0E9PQ

Some considerations:

Harmonies dress "main message", to wit: "What can I give Him?" "All mt heart...", etc...

I set up a few audio tracks. Sing one or two phrases at a time....move to the next harmony down, and build the stack from the top, down. Try to get the phrasing exact with the lead vocal...check every part to make sure there is parellelism...no overlap of notes. If there's a hard closing on a word in the lead..a "T", eg...I sometimes avoid closing the word in the harmony...too much ...and , often, a single closing in the lead vox is sufficient to close for the group...and it's hard to get "T"s and such to align. If there is a missed or weak close to a word in the lead, I'll add it in one harmony. An "S" or something.

I sing what's comfortable and sounds good. I proceed upon general concept...like dress the main message; use dynamic breakout where effective.

I included a couple unison breakouts. And some connective material between the first and second cycle.

Also, I pictured you sitting at the piano, facing R; I placed the harmonies all L to assemble a virtual picture of the group standing behind, left. And this counterbalances the high end of the piano sounding R. [if a typical stereo piano] The harmonies sound over the bass register in the L side. Made sense to me. YMMV

Pardon the crust: I woke up at the crack o' noon, and set-to on this example. Hope you can take something of value from what I attempted to convey.

[I also dropped some of the mids, and added a slapback verb...lightly, to give early reflections...a 3D of a shallower back wall, maybe. Your syllabants are more prominant. It may verge on too bright..my HF hearing is not good.

Harmonies are often like a garnish on a plate. I avoid covering the main course with clumps of parsley...only try to make the plate a little prettier. Try , always, to add...but not cover, or step on, the feature in the middle of the plate. And sometimes harmonies can be used like a sip of wine between bites or courses...like that glue I tried between V1 and 2
 
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Amazing!!

I am absolutely thrilled and amazed, Jeff! Thank you so much for your beautiful effort and time. I didn't want it to end, and I wanted to hear your harmonies a little louder in the mix. I could never recreate that myself, especially that gorgeous bass voice, but it sure was sweet to hear my song (part of my song) that way!

Would it be alright with you if I post it on my soundclick music page?

I wish I could have you do backup vocals on all of my gospel songs! That would be a lot of work, though, and I would need to compensate you for it. Maybe some day something like that could work out, who knows?
 
I would do it, gladly, for fun and learning. But I'm gigging 5 nights a week...trying to maintain and add to 300+ songs; recording commercial music daily, working on karaoke tracks of my own tunes...band-in-a-can with a twist..I'm the band: someone wants me to perform a set of my tunes; and working hard at improving on my instrument. I have to limit myself to 6 hours sleep...and I still can't get everything done...and I'm looking for a real job...I need to get set up safely if the economy goes souther. My performance income is down at least 25% this past year. And things don't look good on the horizon. Wicked busy.

I will gladly give you things to think about when assembling your work, as I can...I don't know a lot more than I know. You are talented and driven. And, surely, you can collab with locals who have voices. The thing is, you have to direct them....know what you want.

Go with your gift. Record every day. You can't, then, help to learn everything you need to know. Someone is looking out for you...and you'll be put to work in His name. Good stuff will happen.

Post it wherever you like. Wish I had time to finish the job, working from the original files.
 
That was really cool Jeff! I can totally see what you mean by adding the harmonies as "bridge support" for the verses and leads into the chorus. Elvis' "Peace In The Valley" is a great example of the kind of gospel vocals you are talking about.

LiLy, you probably know the song, but listen to the Elvis recording and you can see how the Jordanaires put a lovely support around the King's vocal while doing nothing to distract from it.

Keep it up! Great stuff.:)
 
Hey,

On the version with harmony vocals... can you try panning the harmonies a little further from the lead vocal? I feel like they're crowding each other and it makes it hard to understand the lyrics in some places.
C
 
John, I love your little nickname for me!! I'm going to go find that song, and give a good listen as soon as I'm done responding here. Thanks for that.

Ray, Thank you for your encouragement.

Fullerc, I'm beginning to think it would be better for me to re-record the lead, with better phrasing in mind. I think it would be easier for someone else to harmonize with, if I was more consistent. What Jeff did with the harmonies totally blew me away, but there were parts that I couldn't hear well enough, and maybe it would help if they were separated a little more, as you said. It just seems like, with what he had to work with, it would show up my lack of proper breathing/phrasing if it was done on this recording. Do you agree?
 
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