T
travelin travis
New member
Rokket said:
I'm sure a voice coach would help alot (i could use one too)........but we might as well work on what we can in the mean time. I've never had a breath control problem that I knew about so I don't have any advise on that. All I can say is that when I have some kind of technique issue with singing, guitar, etc., after identifying the problem, I try to isolate it and come up with ways to work on it. Like if I'm having problems with a guitar lick, I'll try to figure out exactly which notes are giving me issues and I'll work out a little picking exercise that isolates the weakness so that I can work on it.
Some things I work on for singing are intervals, dynamics, and relaxing. For pitch control, I usually play thru some scales and intervals on the keyboard (piano) or guitar and sing along. Then I'll sing the intervals without an instrument for backup. Sometimes I do it with melodies too. I'll just play a simple melody on an instrument while singing along and then do the same thing without an instrument (pitch reference or crutch). It's pretty good for ear training too, I think.........elementary stuff but it helps me.
After I'm half ass warmed up, I'll do the same stuff but work on singing soft, medium, and loud notes too. When I'm doing this, I try to keep an eye on any tension in my body, especially my head throat and diaphragm. I know that in the higher notes and/or singing loud notes, I tense up alot so I try to spend some time focusing on staying relaxed on high and loud notes.Hell, even when I'm in the car listening to a cd I can practice. I'll pick a fairly easy song that's within my range and sing along, paying attention to my pitch relative to the cd. If I hit a series of crappy notes, I'll rewind and listen again until I know the notes in my head. Then I'll keep going over that small piece until I'm nailing it. After I think I have it, I turn down the radio so that I can get a reality check on my pitch and timbre. I've learned to sing a few whole cd's note for note (ok almost) this way. What's cool about practicing in the car (if you're alone) is that you can sing as loud as you want without disturbing anybody, except that old lady in the next lane that thinks you're a psycho.
I try to pay attention to the timbre of my voice too. On certain songs, I might hate the sound of my voice even though my pitch is on. On others I might be able to sound very similar to the singer on the cd and feel really comfortable singing a song in that key, tempo, or range. I think this helps in identifying the sweet spot in one's voice.
I don't do this stuff very often any more but I really should be. My singing has gone way down hill (not that I ever got that far up the hill but I've moistend a few vagina's in my day
). I really do believe that if you spend enough time working on something, learn to identify your weaknesses, and spend a good portion of your practice time focusing on your weaknesses, you can get good at anything you want to do. The hardest part is identifying one's weaknesses. You seem to have already done that. Until I really focused on it, I never would have thought that I could even half ass sing. I must have been born with the worst relative pitch of anyone I know but I'm much better now.
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But it sounds cool in that context.
Its very well put together
) but from the few recordings of yours that I've heard, your vocals sound forced. I think when you sing high, you're keeping your voice in the range that makes it easy for you to hit the right notes but at the same time, you're sacrificing your natural voice. Like I said, I could be wrong and if I am, I apologize ahead of time.