Autistic with a 12-String and USB Laptop Mic -- Help with Singing Technique

[Wabatuckian]

I agree.

I sing everyday. When I'm driving in the car, listening to the radio, or playing my guitar. Sing things that are out of your vocal range too, it will help you expand your range. If you have a problem playing and singing at the same time, record the vocal track separately. I always record the vocal separately unless it's a live performance. You have much better control just concentrating on one thing at a time.

It's harder for me to sing without the guitar because I have trouble keeping time without it.

 

[ecc83]

I agree.

I sing everyday. When I'm driving in the car, listening to the radio, or playing my guitar. Sing things that are out of your vocal range too, it will help you expand your range. If you have a problem playing and singing at the same time, record the vocal track separately. I always record the vocal separately unless it's a live performance. You have much better control just concentrating on one thing at a time.

I always had a problem with that when I was in a band for couple of years. I played bass and though I could make a good fist of Macca's lines in All my Loving" I struggled to play it and sing. Fortunately I was not lead singer so I could shut TFUp for the tricky bits and then sing and busk a bit! Lennon had it easy! Strummy strum strum.

Dave.

 

[ecc83]

It's harder for me to sing without the guitar because I have trouble keeping time without it.

My son had an electronic metronome, ticked and blinked a LED.

Dave.

 

[Wabatuckian]

My son had an electronic metronome, ticked and blinked a LED.

Dave.

I have a few metronomes. Might try one; we'll see.

 

[R D Smith]

It's harder for me to sing without the guitar because I have trouble keeping time without it.

I usually have a song on the radio that I'm singing with. If I'm recording, I'm singing with the music track I've already recorded. Sometime, I sing a cappella, if I'm trying to work out phrasing or timing.

 

[lraveton]

On the base tone idea, I'd work out your range once and choose keys from it. Many out-of-tune moments in self-taught singing come from a melody sitting right at the top or bottom of the voice, where it's hardest to hold steady. If a song's peak sits a couple of notes below the highest note you can hold comfortably, it gets much easier to relax and stay in tune.

Warm up, then on an "ah" find the lowest and highest notes you can hold without forcing. Find a song's highest and lowest melody notes on the guitar and compare. If the top note is at your limit, move the song down a tone or so. On a 12-string that can mean tuning down, which plenty of 12-string players do anyway to ease the neck.

You'd only do it once, as a guide for picking keys, nothing to think about while singing. I made a free vocal range test on my site that listens through the laptop mic and shows the lowest and highest notes you held, nothing is recorded: https://modwheel.net/tools/vocal-range-test

 

[Slouching Raymond]

I made a free vocal range test on my site that listens through the laptop mic and shows the lowest and highest notes you held, nothing is recorded: https://modwheel.net/tools/vocal-range-test

That's a good utility, Iraveton.

 

[LazerBeakShiek]

It's harder for me to sing without the guitar because I have trouble keeping time without it.

Right, doing the two at once, locks you in time with the instrument in that moment's instance.