Singing advice

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I've read that the best way to get your own "sound" is to learn imitate lots of different people. Then, when you have to sing your own stuff it comes out as a unique blend.

Also, if you are singing high (like above E or F above middle C), you are incorporating some amount of "head voice" or you are just screaming. Example: Adam Duritz from Counting Crows--he sings with a lot of head sometimes. Bono does it sometimes too and other times he pulls chest. Don't confuse the head voice w/ the falsetto, though. A lot of older singing literature referred to them as the same, but this isn't the case. The head voice is still your legit voice. It just feels "lighter" or "thinner" and will allow you to sing high w/o screwing yourself. If you keep your throat relaxed and don't let your vowels spread (don't let the corners of your mouth get any wider than they are when you just speak the word or sing it on a lower pitch), your larynx will make the adjustments automatically. It's a lot easier said than done, though. Some other examples to listen to: Jeff Buckley (in my opinion the best rock singer ever). Weezer on the song Hashpipe. You can hear him start to add chest at the end of the first phrase. I think he may start the second half of the second verse in falsetto. Sometimes it's tough to hear the difference between head voice and falsetto. There is a definite difference in feel, though, when you do it.

In singing a lot of it is semantics, though. It's really a matter of figuring out how these things feel. Once you figure out how to do it, all those terms (head, chest, light, thin, low breath, etc.) make sense. Until then, it's just confusing. It doesn't help that there are a lot of different views of how to do things. There are teachers out there that would tell you to do opposite things. It's crazy.

It's been my experience that a lot of people figure out how to do these things w/o training. The body actually knows how to sing really well. The hard part is getting out of the way. Just be sure to stop if hurts!

Wow, sorry about the long post. I'm a voice major at school, so I get kind of excited about this stuff...

Have fun,
Mark
 
hey mark...
as far as I know (from books which aren't THAT old and other sources) falsetto is the same as head voice.
the name falsetto came from the italian word falso (engl. wrong) because back in the very old days people thought men aren't thought to sing this high.

I think people only tend to call the plain head voice falsetto whereas the head voice with some added chest flavor is - depending on the singer - sometimes hard to differ from chest voice for the listener.

I mean when barry gibb sings "ha-ha-ha-ha stayin' alive" everyone'd say it's falsetto, right?
It gets a bit harder to say which technique is used with singers like jon bon jovi (I'll take him because I think everyone knows his voice and a lot of his songs).
In the beginning of my musician-beeing I thought this was all chest voice... but hey, don't tell me he sings the very high part at the end of "livin' on a prayer", "janie don't you take your love to town" or "keep the faith" in chest voice.

fortunately bon jovi got this nice song with all registers: "say it isn't so".
I think this "sooooooo" in the chorus is always sung with head voice (there's no doubt the first two times). it's just very clean (he's having a hard time to do this live - I don't know why), so some people would call it falsetto. in the end of the song it sounds like his "normal" voice but I bet it's still head voice in combination with chest voice.

so what I want to say is: there are only 2 voices - head and chest.
mark, when you say "head voice is still your legit voice"... what the hell is falsetto then?
head voice IS falsetto. what you call head voice is a blend of the two voices - when both parts (the thicker and the thinner) of your "stimmlippen" (don't know the englisch word) are in vibration.
the words "head" and "chest" refer to the parts used for the resonance. both, head and chest voice, are produced by your vocal chords (not your head and not your chest).
how should falsetto be produced? by your balls :-)?

I think the problem is that the words "head-/chest-voice", "head-/chest-register" and "falsetto" are very indefinite.
... and I really like the guys saying: "try to sing from your belly"... the only sound I can produce using my belly is pumping its air thru my a...... ;)

now THAT was long!
but I'm still interrested in your definition of falsetto, mark. maybe this will help me to get away from my still weak head-voice.
 
The difference (according to Richard Miller, "The Structure of Singing") is that with head voice, the vocal folds still are completely "adducting" (touching), but the folds are longer and thinner, with less actual tissue vibrating. With falsetto, the folds stiffen and blow apart, allowing air to rush through. The chords then vibrate only at the ends. This is why you have to "flip" into falsetto, whereas you can just "mix" more head. I've seen some books explain it a little differently (Roger Love talks about the chords "zipping up" to go to head voice), but that basic idea is there. These guys have actually seen laryngeoscopes and stuff, so they know what they are talking about.

You are right, though, about it being all a word game. Some teachers just abandon those terms all together and use "heavy and light registers" or "low and high formant" and ignore the falsetto (these are classical teachers).

I say there is a difference not just because I have read it (I have read both), but because I have felt it in my own voice. The big practical difference is that to really sing high you have to have your breath under you. If you don't, the chords blow apart and you have falsetto. Also, the male voice matures really late (peak at 30-35), so as long as you don't strip your gears, your voice will get stronger as you get older.

When I first discovered how to sing with head legitimately, it felt like I was pushing. Then gradually, it's getting less strained as I figure out how to control the blend more. It just takes a long time to get those muscles coordinated. For me, the head voice feels more like an extension of the chest voice than a seperate register.

Also, the higher you get, the less difference in sound there is (between head voice and falsetto). In "Living on a Prayer" I think Bon Jovi is singing like a high Eb or something. At that point, you just get it out however you can, I guess. That's freaking high!
 
I guess, all this isn't very practical. If you really want to improve your voice, don't worry about head/chest/falsetto/whatever. Just learn you breath and use your breath. That is THE most important thing. The other will come. Just breath right, sing on the breath, and don't let your adam's apple get much higher than it is when you talk. Breath helps everything--it allows you to sing with more expression, flexibility, and intonation (pitch accuracy). I hope that helps.
 
OK, first off, in case it's not obvious, everyone's voice is different.

Male voices tend to be divided into four broad categories: Basses, Baritones, Tenors and Countertenors.

Basses have the lowest range typically something like E-C, a bit less than two octaves

Baritones have a range which is somewhat higher, say G-E. My baritone range is F#-F# over two octaves without cracking into falsetto and on a good day, or if I have a cold I can push my low end down to F or E and that's not atypical for a well-trained baritone.

Tenors will have a still higher and broader range. Perhaps A-A over two octaves.

Countertenors are weird. Frequently referred to as male altos, they have a very high pitched voice which will often extend something like C-E on just over two octaves.

Most men are baritones, I think, but most rock singers are tenors. You'll find few basses singing in pop/rock, and even fewer countertenors.

I would say that 2 octaves is a reasonable range to aspire to, and that only comes with practice (preferably with a teacher to guide you).

Probably the single most important thing that singers should do and don't is proper breath support.

Take a deep breath, then sing a note (any note). while watching your torso. What moves?

Most likely your chest.

Oops.

Proper breath support comes from your stomach (actually your diaphragm). When you're singing, your stomach should go in while the chest stays out. While practicing, I will frequently keep one hand on my chest and the other on my stomach to remind me where to breath from. I would recommend against doing this on stage, though. It looks VERY dorky.

If you're breathing right, you'll find that it's easier to hit those very high and low notes, have a good pleasant tone and to sing in tune.

-dh
 
now here we are, mark!

as I thought; you and me want to say the same with different words.
you call falsetto what I call plain head voice (and sometimes falsetto too :) ).
I see "your" headvoice as a blend of chest and ("my" plain) head voice - which it is regarding the vocal folds.

Only a few weeks ago I "felt" that blend for the first time... so what I said about singing "sweet child o' mine" in chest voice might not be correct. but as you said - this way the headvoice feels like an upper extension of the chest voice.
I easily manage now to pull my chest voice up to that mix but I still have a damn hard time to quickly get into it or sing melodies. and yes, it definitely feels close to pushing... but I guess those muscles will handle it soon.

(damn, I always have to practice in my car... the only place where you can be sure no one calls the police ;) )
 
It's actually not as much a matter of the muscles being toned as coordinated. I think (I could be wrong) they are about as strong as they need to be. It is more a matter of your body figuring out which muscles are needed and which just get in the way and hurt you. Be VERY careful singing up there. Singing incorrectly above your break (E,F,F#,G above middle C depending on your voice type) is the quickest way to lose you voice. Don't be timid, just don't do it a lot at first. Allow yourself to grow into it and stop when it hurts. Drink lots of water and learn how to breath. It's generally better to think of mixing head down instead of pushing chest up. Try to incorporate more "head" sound lower in the range (really starting around middle C or D), then you won't be having to push as hard when you get to F# and G.

Also, recording yourself helps. When you get that high, a lot of the sound is resonating in your sinus cavities and such, so it sounds different to you than everyone else.

dhosek is right, you can't always compare your voice to someone else. It takes as much skill and work for a bass/baritone to sing an F as it does for a tenor to sing an A or B.
 
I think there's a lot of helpful discussion here from a lot of knowledgable people. One thing I would add is to emphasize the importance of warming up. Like my high school choir teacher taught us. Start in the middle singing softly and work your way up with runs of five notes, moving up one note at a time. Then work your way down, etc.

As far as peformining and recording goes, one also should think about mic technique, but that's a whole other thread.
 
I don't have a clue what range my voice is, and I don't consider it to be brilliant either, but it's probably better than average. One thing that puzzles me, however is that I can sing a song in my room along with an acoustic guitar and it sounds fine, but as soon as I try to sing the same thing using a mic with a band, it sounds too low, almost as if the microphone isn't picking it up properly. Is this to do with the set up of the mic or am I changing my voice when I use a mic to compensate for something? I get the feeling that I might try to sing a bit louder but I don't think that's the only reason as when I'm conscious of it I try to stop it but it doesn't help. Is this common, and is it just down to inexperience with mics?

www.ampcast.com/jags for examples.

Jags
 
Try singing while lying on your back and gargling 151 rum.

Don't let any go up your nose!
 
wow jags... I never thought anyone would understand that problem with vocals sounding like sung too low I also have, so I stopped talking about it. but now it seems I'm not the only one.

You actually can work against (but not eliminate) it with mixing - cutting some lows and highs, but I guess it's really a matter of how we both sing.

here's a strange thing I once experienced:
I was in a (pro-)studio where I could sing (/yell) as loud as I wanted and no neighbours would think I'm nuts - so I did. but guess what: on the recording it still sounds like I'd have sung a child to sleep ;-).
maybe it was because I knew that the recording-engineer and my girlfriend in the controll-room could still hear me so I was kind of inhibited (is that the word?).
so it might not be only a matter of volume... or better "loudness".

recording I guess you really have to get a "f*ck you all"- or a "i'm the king anyway"-attitude... or a 100% soundproof room and no soundengineer listening.
 
I think one major contributor to the problem for me is not being able to hear my own voice enough. I get the problem more at practice sessions when the levels are bad (which they always are) The gain/volume controls on the mic control don't seem to go high enough...
 
I've found that I sing a lot better when just sitting and playing my guitar too. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that when you are playing the guitar, your brain is occupied. When you are just singing, your brain starts to try too hard, then it tries to control things it shouldn't control and does a bad job. I don't know exactly how to overcome this. Maybe trying to engross yourself in the words and music and not think about "ok, I'm singing now" and especially not "does this sound good enough?". Just sing. Ha. Once again easier said than done.
 
Dont let anyone intimidate you and to hell with the cops. Remember you are your own worst critic. Alot of times I close my eyes when I sing and concentrate on what I am singing, somehow I still manage to play as long as the chord progression isnt jumping all over the place. Just do it, WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU, and if anyone thinks your no good let them write their own tunes and sing them. Or let them come up on stage and show how good they are.
 
"and if anyone thinks your no good let them write their own tunes and sing them. Or let them come up on stage and show how good they are."

dragonworks, I personally think it's better to get the "f*ck you all"-attitude I mentioned above.
after all everyone is allowed to say your/our singing sucks...
as we all are allowed to say: "damn, antonio, this pizza tastes like sh*t". and I bet the fewest of us can bake a nice pizza. ;)

mark_guinn: I must agree. I guess concentrating too hard is more baffling (??) than useful. only when practicing you have to concentrate on where to place your voice, how to breath and stuff - but when performing better forget all about it.
it's like shifting gears or something when driving (ok, you americans all have automatic transmission anyway ;) ). if you concentrate on "stop accelerating - declutch - shift - clutch - accelerate" it'll feel quite bumpy most probably.
I think we couldn't even walk properly if we concentrated too hard.
 
yea man

Here's what I've done or would do, that have helped me a HELL of a lot.

TONEWISE- Listen to many different singers, of the styles you want, of different ranges from low to high, of different sounds. Good examples: finger eleven, tool, nine inch nails, system of a down, pennywise, cradle of filth, alice in chains, dream theater. If you combine all those vocalists, even if you don't like em, you can do anything you want. For scream singing i'd recommend anything by filter, especially One and Hey Man Nice Shot. Go to concerts of your favorite bands and sing along, make sure you can hear yourself so you know that you're in tune. Practice jumping from different notes, like Finger Eleven does VERY VERY WELL. If your shy, and your in the house listening to pumped up music and can't hear yourself, cup your hand from your mouth to your ear and listen, no one else will hear.

PITCHWISE-hmmm, just make sure you can hear yourself, and ask other people if they're around, record yourself, just practice hitting notes up and down. Also if you wanna here yourself better with no one else hearing, ear plugs help, then you hear yourself from the inside and can tell if your on pitch.

Keep in mind that concerts really do help, I went to Finger Eleven and Boy Hits Car, two of the best vocalists, and I learned to scream sing at the concert.

first learn that stuff, then worry about crap like falsetto.
Once again the Finger Eleven vocalist is amazing at falsetto, and so is Radiohead's....f 11's vocalist sometimes doesn't even do it but makes it sound like it.
good luck man this should work pretty damned well, it might take a bit of time, but it should work.
 
And one other thing...

I have found that listening to myself as I record and mix, over and over and over and over again, has been extremely valuable. The more you hear yourself recorded, as opposed to through your own head, the more you learn what it actually sounds like when you use all this vocal training and technique we're all talking about. My live performances are much much better now than they were before I started recording myself.
 
When Ah seeng folks turn on th' Radidio!

Breathing is central to everything, and not just shallow
sternal level breathing. Try filling your lungs from the bases up first... it dramatically improves sustain.

For me, singing continuously for several hours with music you enjoy is a great way to warm up each day. And singing in the shower is still the best way to clear your sinuses of all the accumulated lung butter...

Some advocate drinking room temperature water
with a slice of lemon. This is good, especially if you're
working your upper/falsetto ranges. Small amounts of
warm whiskey and honey is good for those of a lower
range. An occasional snifter of brandy is good too.

Healthy teeth and mouth makes a world of difference too.
After I got my dentures, my intonation and enunciation
magnificently improved. So at least maintain your teeth
healthy. It makes all the difference.

Public speaking training is a real boon. Because song is
the addition of melody to the spoken word, develop damn
good enunciation- look up HOW words are CORRECTLY
pronounced- take it from me- if I didn't wear shoes and talk
well, I'd really be the hillbilly that I am.

mi mi mi mi mi...
Faithmonster
 
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