A good all-rounder question

B

benherron.rrr

New member
I seem to keep posting threads on here, so im sorry in advance If I'm annoying anyone.

Ok so having a critical session of my vocals Ive realised that my problems come mainly down to the psycological issues. I knew some girl at Uni who helped me with my voice for a little while, and the one consistant critisism she had for me was my confidence, I'm a shy guy so I find it very difficult to openly sing, In any situation. even when I do force a quiet note out, it sounds crap cause im so nervious. Yet those times when Im home alone times come where I belive im alrighte for an amature. I have an Alrite Falsetto, and a nice little vibratto coming along and range that isn't too bad, but when it comes to do anything serious I feel like my nerves get the better of me. Ive noticed that my performance changes drasticly when I'm infront of a mic. I know I can give a good performance, but It feels like there is a barrier there that stops me from giving it my all when I hit record. This is very simalar with most things for me.

For example, I've been writing a concerto (spelling?) for piano, and I can play it perfectly 10 times over no mistakes, but as soon as I press record, I get sloppy like my mind has just become so focused on the perfect take, It infact detracts me from the performance. The same with vocals. Can you recomend me anything I can do to try and overcome this massive hurdle? It's Like I need away to stop thinking that i just pressed record,and that I'm infront of a Mic? I'm fully confident that this nervious thing is the only thing that gets in the way from be being a good vocalist.

The next question I have is for a vocal mic. Currently Im using a ART M-one, I dont know to much about mics but I think It's fairly clear. After searching on here I was reading a thread where some guy was looking for a vocal mic, after buying one he said It made him sound like how he sounds in his head. And that Almost everyone says that mics range from what your voice sounds like and to go and try some out. The flaw with this is that I live In a place where there are NO!!! Music Tech realated shops, so I have to buy online. I would most describe my range and style to being simalar to Chris Martin (dont flame). . . little bits of falsetto, not the most powerful projecting voice, quite an emotive relaxed style. I'm looking for a mic that adds a little somthing, after using my M-one I think I would like a Mic that has a little warmth to it. considering my kinda style, range. is there anything you can suggest in a cheadper budget upto around £300?

Thanks

Ben
 
For the 'press record' thing I think when you, like me and most people probably, haven't got too much recording experience then you tend to tighten up when you press record. I've done the same thing just recording acoustic guitar. If you over think it you are tentative. Just breathe deeply and do your best to relax. Have a beer maybe. Just keep doing it a lot, practice...you'll get better.
 
Monkey Allen said:
For the 'press record' thing I think when you, like me and most people probably, haven't got too much recording experience then you tend to tighten up when you press record. I've done the same thing just recording acoustic guitar. If you over think it you are tentative. Just breathe deeply and do your best to relax. Have a beer maybe. Just keep doing it a lot, practice...you'll get better.
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Thats right on the money, Ive tried to forget that I have just pressed record and go with the flow but it seems to subconciously bother me, I would have a beer but that starts to waver performance through the drunk ness. neather the less good advice :)
 
There's people who are famous who are more nervous now than when they started out. There's no easy answer, but most people find it goes away with time.

It's a lot harder to be nervous after you've done some physical activity than if you've ben just sitting around. It's like the Dog Whisperer, he always exhausts the dogs with exercise before he starts training them.

If you breath in slowly through your nose over a count of 7, then breath out through your mouth and nose over a count of 7 it will calm you down, or it does me anyways. When you breath in it should feel like you're breathing through your navel and your belly will go out. When you breath in, if your chest pops out like Superman you're using mostly the top part of your lungs and that doesn't hold near as much air as the bottom part.
 
dintymoore said:
There's people who are famous who are more nervous now than when they started out. There's no easy answer, but most people find it goes away with time.

It's a lot harder to be nervous after you've done some physical activity than if you've ben just sitting around. It's like the Dog Whisperer, he always exhausts the dogs with exercise before he starts training them.

If you breath in slowly through your nose over a count of 7, then breath out through your mouth and nose over a count of 7 it will calm you down, or it does me anyways. When you breath in it should feel like you're breathing through your navel and your belly will go out. When you breath in, if your chest pops out like Superman you're using mostly the top part of your lungs and that doesn't hold near as much air as the bottom part.
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That actually really helps with my breathing, Im going to start doing that everyday to help with my control. confidence is a real issue with me. singing is somthing I really want to do, not even in a sence of being a true singer, but just your average vocalist as an artist. Its difficult because I want to sing live and promote my songs but im insecure about it so it makes me choke not not be able to make a noise. Its one big hurdle that I need to get over.

Anyway has anyone got any ideas on the Mic front?
 
I'd do a search on this site for mics, there's a lot of info.

Your lungs are pear shaped and you want to fill the top and bottom, most people will go for the top part. What screws you up is if you are running out of air when you sing. It should feel like you've got a tank of air and you're just letting it out in a relaxed way but you're not at the end of the tank all the time.

A long time ago a good pro singer told me I had a pretty good voice but I was running out of air all the time.

Try singing long tones. That's probably the most basic exercise. It doesn't matter if it sounds dumb. Go "ah" or "O", it doesn't matter, and it will sound kinda stupid, that's ok. Do the breathing right. Maybe match pitches to a guitar or piano, or not.
 
A couple of more tips:

From Tony Bennett: drink lots of water

I have a friend who is a great singer and instructor and he swears by drinking Coke or Pepsi when your voice is screwed up. I think it works, even just a swig leaves your throat in a real nice state.

Another one is honey, if you take a small amount of honey it really does a nice thing to your vocals.

I always carry sugar free life savers and have them at gigs.
 
yeah, If I know im going to be doing a vocal that day I always make sure I drink only water. If I find my throat feeling a bit strange. I usunaly drink somthing quite milky in an attempt to sooth it, but I may try the coke thing, I can se why it would work.
Some girl I know told me to lie down with my knees up and that position makes you breath like you should, I only actually tired it earlier, and it really helped me figure out where the air should be going. I can hold a note fairly well without feeling strained. One area I really need to improve in is taking breaths in practise, Like singing a song I find that I begin to leave the lyrics behind taking too long for a breath. Have you ever found it hard keeping your tune with singing words? In other words I can hum or Ahh the molodies perfectly but when I involve the words, It feels like the tuning goes off a bit.

I did an experiment the other day, recording my AKG c1000s and ART M-ONE 2 times one where its just a dry track, the other where the signal is put through pod farm with an inserted pre amp, to look at my voice and how the mics differ etc. I found as I recorded each track and played them together I achived a good result, each vocal was take was as identical as identical can be. yet having recorded one track with my chosen mic, it sounded out of place and a bit wrong.
 
When I've been getting someone to sing or play an instrument on one of my ditties, especially if it's the first time, I'll ask them if they're nervous or shy and they usually are. So I say to them, "Well, think how shy I and nervous I am having to bleedin' well show you this !" That usually calms them !
I know what you mean about the record button but on the other hand sometimes you'll bang it out in one take, other times, you won't. That's the way the stomach pumps, I'm afraid. Experience helps. I used to be very nervy, either singing live in a church situation, or showing someone how a song went until I realized that when you sing or play, few people are willing you to fail. Most people want to hear a good performance - so they are yours for the taking. The power really does lie with you.
The other thing is to learn to enjoy what you record but also don't accept a sloppy 'take' just to get it out of the way.
I don't know if any of that helps.
 
grimtraveller said:
So I say to them, "Well, think how shy I and nervous I am having to bleedin' well show you this !"
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. . . (Pulling out his cock and placing it on the table) :laughings:

I love what I do, I've found lately that Im so botherd by achiving what Im trying to achive that Its all I can focus on. And in some way Im focusing more at doing the job at hand and worring that im crap at it. Then I am at enjoying myself, which basicly means by worring about this stuff is making it happen. but I cant find a way to relax. Singing is an emotional thing so If you think that your crap you will sound crap, ive been told before to try and trick my mind into thinking that I can do it which in turn will make it happen.
I supose I get myself really down about what im doing, I know very well that everything takes time, and Im very talented being able to pick up things quickly reguarding instruments and such. In some sence I can see a barrier infront of me behind it is the next level where Im determined to be, the level where I can make a living from what I do. but everytime I take a run up i get rebounded to the ground. Examples of this are, my mixing skills. stupid things like my setup working. and of course singing, I will honestly say that I havn't been gifted with the most talented voice, But one good thing I can say is that its the voice and the range I wish I had, Its using it on a recording that I like.
 
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