Wow - just did my first vocal recording!

[Sennheiser]

Key of D for me. When I started singing to record I was writing songs somewhat out of my range and didn't know why I couldn't sing the damn lyric. I wasn't that great of a singer to begin with.

Listening to too much radio at the time I guess. I changed the key down to D and everything fell into place. No more straining, running out of air on a passage, or sore chords, etc. I still blow a note or two often if I'm not paying attention. It's just like playing any other instrument. Concentration is a must. The media I work in is unforgiving and there are no quick edits, so it's a real time-saver to get it right the first time.

Hearing yourself for the first time on a recording is a real eye-opener. You'll get used to it. And the more you do it the better you'll get at it. Practise, practise, practise. It's like any other instrument. And you will loose your chops if you don't practise.

Some can teach themselves to sing beautifully, others need help, and some can't hear a beer fart in a headphone, but I think the majority of the population can be helped if they really want to learn to sing.

 

[Porter]

Sennheiser,

I know exactly what you mean. I wrote a few songs that strained my voice... capo the second and sing an ocatave lower.... amazing how much richer it sounds

Porter

 

[Richard Monroe]

There are several factors at work here. 1. You're used to listening to your voice through this bag of water you call your head, so you really have no idea what you sound like, and it can be pretty unnerving to find out. 2.- You may or may not actually suck. Singing is a skill that is aquired. It is amazing that no one would expect to pick up a guitar and sound like Joe Satriani without years of practice, but they think a little singing in the shower is going to make them sound like Freddy Mercury. You mentioned voice lessons- good plan. 3. Just because you're a singer doesn't mean you know how to use a mic, or that you are a recording artist. A mic is not a camera that captures your performance. It is a tool you must learn to use to make good sound, and every mic is different. Some of them will always be wrong for your voice even if you use them perfectly. You probably have no clue how to use the mic you have, but listening to yourself through it and changing your technique will help. Remember, the mic is your audience, and a studio condenser is a music critic.-Richie

 

[Eep]

I've never been able to sing in-tune, except for one or two times by luck. But now I'm afraid that I'm tone-deaf, because when I play bass (my first instrument, and I haven't been playing long), I find that I can play any progression of random notes and it doesn't sound off. It may not sound interesting, but it never sounds like the notes just DO NOT fit together. If I am tone-deaf, is there any hope for me in terms of making any music besides programmed music?

 

[Richard Monroe]

There really is no such thing as being tone deaf, but some people do have more difficulty than others with hearing and reproducing pitch. Hard work will help, and good teachers, that's what it comes down to. I'll tell you what also helps- recording. I was a professional singer for 12 years, and the things I've heard on the current project CD have taught me more than 30 years performing about technique. Best of luck, don't give up. Like I said- *years of hard work*!-Richie

 

[Gunther]

Eep:
Being out of tune requires more than one instrument. If say the keyboard and guitar are playing a c major and your playing a steady C# and you think that its not unusual sounding... then you may need to work on your understanding of tune.

tone deaf usualy refers to a singer who is supposed to sing say an A flat but instead gives you something between the G and A flat... and yet cannot hear that he or she is off.

It is very rare that someone cannt hear... or learn to hear being out of tune. But it is very common to sing like this unless you work at it a bit. Its all because when singing we are inside the instrument, so we cannot really hear it.