Singing advice

  • Thread starter Thread starter 47ronin
  • Start date Start date
The real thing that can seperate the singers from the non singers is the ammount of overtones in your voice.( Those would be the humps on the waveform when you watch your voice on a o-scope) . These are god given and no amount of vocal training will change that.

but certain lessons on how to supply your head voice with air at a controlled rate can really Improve things to a point.

This is coming from an award winning singer with vocal training.
 
Jag:

I sometimes have the same problem of bad intonation when playing with the band. I've come to realize two things that influence the change. The first, and lesser of the two is that holding and playing a guitar changes the way I'm moving my abdominal muscles, shoulders, and overall posture. With this in mind, it's a probably a good idea to practice singing while playing and standing up-as that'll likely be your posture during a performance.

Second, and most important, is that it's sometimes difficult to hear yourself properly when the band is blaring away. So you push. And the pushing flattens every fucking note. A few things can be done about this--all with the basic goal of hearing yourself better without pushing. The band can turn down, you can turn up your vocal monitor, you could get one of those IFB-style in-ear monitors, et cetera.
 
my voice range lies in the middle area.. like Sully and Staley.. or Springsteen for those not familiar with the other two..

Is that baritone or tenor?

...and I may post this in the mic forum if an answer can't be given here.. but what's a good mic for this vocal range?

Cy
 
I totallly associate with what you said lazyboy. I think a getting monitor is necessary, because I've never yet been able to really here my voice correctly when playing with a band. Strangely enough though I was singing along to radiohead last night in Oxford (as someone recommended I believe) and I sounded pretty good I think. I've got the feeling my vocal range is almost exactly that of Thom Yorke (radiohead singer), maybe a touch lower at both ends.

Jags
 
You went to that show? Lucky bastard. I was in London until Thursday. Would've gone had I known about the show when I booked the trip.

Since you're a fan, you'll at least prolly get this. Familiar with the song "Maquilladora?" It seems like a pretty good example of the distinction between falsetto and head/chest voice in the line "they all seem to*fall out of the sky" with the first lines clearly sung falsetto and the words after the asterisk at the same pitch though in full-bodied voice.

Sorry too--I see your name is Jags and not Jag.
 
Here's what I can offer...

Singing is built upon three major skills:

1. Pitch
2. Breathing
3. Diction

The problem with lessons is that most instructors try to teach vocals based of perfect Italian mouth shapes and techniques, and you end up sounding like Geoffe Tate. Even for rock, though, you have to learn the big 3.
I'd say the most overlooked of the 3 is diction. It is as crucial a component as the other two, and often problems with pitch/ intonation can be attributed to an improperly pronounced vowel. For example, singing a long "e" will almost always make you go flat.
Singing is a string of transient consonants and sustained vowels, so it stands to reason that you have to learn how to work those vowels. They are key.
Take the most overused word in rock: fire. It should be pronounced "faayaaa", not "fiiiieeerrrr".
Also, your placement should be right between your eyes, and should resonate in your head. Say the word "noon", and work with it until you can feel the "n's" vibrate your palate and your nose. (Don't sing through your nose, of course!) That's where your placement should be.
Oh man, there is just way too much to cover!!
I guess I'll just end by saying that you can definitely improve your voice. However, I'm convinced that a great voice is a gift. There is an emotional component in a great voice that cannot be learned. Here's a great comparison: Steve Perry and Steve Augeri. Both great singers with very, very similar voices. But for me Perry has that extra component. It's an element of charisma that just makes you love the voice, even when it's less than perfect. All the Beatles had it. Sting has it. Dave Matthews. Springstien, etc..etc...etc...
BTW, Matthews is another example of someone that jumps between chest voice and falsetto all the time.
Aaron
http://www.aaroncheney.com
 
Last edited:
Lazyboy, I think I know what you mean. The show was really cool, if only I could get some of their live quality into my recordings!
 
Re: Here's what I can offer...

Aaron Cheney said:
However, I'm convinced that a great voice is a gift. There is an emotional component in a great voice that cannot be learned.
Click to expand...

Actually I think that the gift of a great voice is simply the potential that comes with an ear for music.. I think any musician.. once they learn how to sing in tune can simply develop the emotional component in the same fashion as a guitarist (or any other instrumentalist) in his style.. If you can sing in tune.. you just need to find your style, regardless if that falls in any standard form.. Otherwise, there would be no Bon Scott, no Dave Mustaine (vocally), Ozzy Osbourne, or any other singer who possess an unusual singing style. So yes, the emotional component can be learned.. sometimes it takes effort and determination to find it..

Cy
 
Like I said It comes down to overtones. No matter how musically Impaired your voice can be, you can usually find your groove somewhere.

But a great voice has the most overtones.:cool:
 
ahhh yes

I couldn't agree with you more Cyrokk.

Radiohead has a great vocalist, wow thats an interesting range =). (err take it as a compliment)
 
Re: vocal improvement

Here are some suggestions that will help improve your ability to
sing;
1) Two excellent books for singers content (like myself) to
operate at the popular music level-"Secrets of Singing"
by Jeffery Allen it's a book/cd (two versions-one each male/
female each), and another book/cd set-up by Roger Love
"Setting Your Voice Free" (particulary good at helping with
high notes). Great information on many points brought up in
this thread. By the way Bruce Springsteen is a high baritone!

2) This may sound a little "unhip" except it works! Join an
acapella group (no instruments other than voice parts)
like barbershop, doo-wop, etc. I do it myself.
There is no better way to learn how to "tune" your voice
whether as a lead singer or harmony part. Individual parts
like a quartet, trio, etc. are a better way to go than a chorus
where you can hide behind other singers.

3) Determine your goals as a vocalist as to whether you want
to spend more $ having a voice teacher or coach help you.
 
Oops! The correct title is "Set Your Voice Free" by Roger Love.
 
Roger Love is good. I've read that book. You might also try a book called Singing for the Stars by Seth Riggs (who was Roger Love's teacher). You're also right that singing in a choir (especially when it's one or two on a part) will improve your ear. My ear has gotten a whole lot better since I've been singing in choirs (never did in high school, only since I've gone to college). Just starting to listen for out-of-tune singing will improve your ear also.
 
darrin, are these overtones you speak of audible to the human ear? Is it like the wavering you hear on held notes with good singers? For a while I attempted to stop myself from doing that until I realised it didn't sound so bad!;) Not that I'm that good at it mind.

Jags
 
Yeah Big time, Its like comparing Bob Segar to Eric Clapton. Bob Segar has alot of thick overtones and is a great singer. If Eric Clapton didnt play guitar so well they wouldnt let him near the studio.

An overtone is something in your voice that makes It sound Interesting and bigger. And also Its why we all sound different. Voice recognition software maps overtones to recognize your voice.

You can ask an expert to fully explain it My college professor explained it to me.
 
Re: Overtones

The tendency is for lyric (melodic) voices to have more "high partials",
and for dramatic (kickass) voices to have more "low partials".
Bob Seger is a great example of someone with a "dramatic voice"-
dramatic baritone classification. Steve Perry, who also sounds terrific,
has a lyric tenor voice. A "partial" is similar to equalizing a voice, except
it's natural event in everyone's voice-certain frequency areas are
stressed in everybody's voice.

P.S. Even though Eric Clapton's voice is not in the same league as
Bob Seger's (how many are!), it's still a pleasant voice IMHO.
 
47ronin

Range is the last thing to concern yourself with if you are really trying to learn or develop your voice, which is I think where every one is finally getting to. Breath control is the basic skill any voice teacher should focus on first. It is the one thing that if you don't have, yelling, screaming, falsetto, or just trying to sing, you ain't going to last very long with out. Vocal chord control will develop much easier with this skill developed first. It may be boring when all you want is to sing, but if your serious, in my humble opinion that is where you are going to end up anyway.

There is a excerpt from a book that I've tried to find the link for that outlines the type of excercise routine which will develop these skills. But, I think if you really want to find it you can at
Taxi.com or check out Musicians Friend.com in thier articles archive.

One of the excercises I was shown when I first tried out for choir in high school was to hold a match the distance of my closed fist from my mouth and to try and sing without blowing it out. Sound easy, not for me it wasn't. But I have seen it done for an enitre verse.

I think Aaron Cheney has got it together. I think any talent is a gift but for those of us who are not Steve Perry or any of the others mentioned, I believe we have all got at least one song that will hook any audience when it comes from the heart, in my humble opinion, and for all those that are hell bent with an ego
problem and would piss on anyone who takes that chance! I got something for them. Guranteed to give um something to occupy thier mouth with.

Just a personal opinion, please excuse my.............:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top