Voice like a frog

You do not have to have a pretty voice to be a great singer. Ever listened to Tom Waits?? I bet his voice is even worse than yours. Give a listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzKiqk2iynY

Think that was bad? Check this one out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wfamPW3Eaw

Tom Waits is a genious, but sings like a frog on steroids.

Other great singers with bad voices.... Bob Dylan, Joe Cocker, Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Louis Armstrong, and many, many more.....

Take what you've got and use it. Everybody's voice can be great if used properly. :wink:

hey welshman.....nothing wrong with sounding like kermit on steroids...you just need to find the right song thats all 8)

Don't forget Kermit had a hit single.

Ernie did too.

I think Stallone sang in that movie with Dolly Parton.

You're in good company! :)

There are lots of musicians out there who have a "voice like a frog". The trick is to find material that suits (or can be made to suit) your voice! Dylan can't sing, but he wrote songs that he COULD sing. Willie can't really sing, either, but he's made bunches of money doing it. After reading your post the first name that came to my mind was Tom Waits, who I love, but who sounds like a bullfrog, IMHO. You've just got to work with what you've got. Your voice is another instrument, figure out how to use it to your best advantage!

I know where you are coming from. Guess how many kids in my primary school back in the early 1970s were not admitted into the school choir? You got it - just me! :cry:

One of the reasons I love guitar, is that I can make it my "voice." Most of us weren't born with the god-given gift of a good singing voice. But, we can ALL learn to play an instrument!

Never heard ofTom Waits. His voice is horrible. Is he famous?

Dennis

In some circles he is very famous. Here is a good article about Tom Waits:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Waits

:D Man, with These posts, im feeling better already! I know how you feel. Voice cracks when you get to higher notes? Me too. I feel your pain. No worries :wink:
But reading these, I feel a whole heck o' a lot better.

welshman. you will have to sing one day. it will not be a problem.
remember, just as we like different guitars, each having a tonal quality,
so to it is with the voice. the trick is hitting pitch with whatever voice you are have.
once you can do that then you make it your own. sing your heart out. instead of blowing
a lung belting one out, turn up the mike. then things get interesting.
use the air from the abdomen. do not sing from a tightened throat.
your vocal chords are capable of making tones.
if I can sing, mate, you can sing. believe me. :o

Here is an Amazon.com page for Tom Waits' "Frank's Wild Years" CD. I recommend listening to the "Telephone Call From Istanbul" sample for a pretty good representation of Tom Waits voice!

I once heard Rod Stewarts voice compared to a pregnant frog! :shock:

Know the feeling?

Know it? I invented it! :)

The only reason that you and I can't sing is that we've both been too lazy to put the work in. :oops:

I didn't expect to be able to play the guitar by simply buying one, so there's no reason why I should be able to sing just by opening my mouth. :shock:

Some people are blessed with a beautiful voice quality and some of us aren't, but we all have to to learn to play our instrument whether it's voice or guitar. I happen to think that Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart and Joe Cocker are all good singers. They have all learned how to control their voices and use them to very good effect for the right songs. I actually like the qualities of their voices - some people don't, and prefer 'prettier' styles - but I think it's a mistake to write them off as singers just because you don't like their tones. Those guys CAN sing! 8) And the reason they can sing is that they put the time in to work on the techniques of singing, just like we do with guitar.

Few people have 'universal' voices. Opera singers train long and hard, in the most highly technical detail, but most of them are hopeless at singing anything outside opera, or closely related genres. A few have released albums of other material and it's usually terrible. :( Most are wise enough to stay in the right area.

Perhaps we should start by learning the notes up and down the fretboard by SINGING the names. Several benefits at once when you do that.

You and I can both sing. We just need to get off our bums and do some practice each day. Shall we start today? :D

Good luck. Look out Paul Potts - we're comin' after ya...

Chris

I used to hate my voice. I thought it was thin, reedy, adenoidal, couldn't hit high notes, couldn't hit low notes. Anyway, first few songs I posted on here, I apologised in advance for the vocals. Couldn't believe it when they got favourable feedback! But I have worked on my voice since...Nick's "Singing 101" really helped, there's a link to it in the "Start Here" post at the very top of the "singing" forum. I also gave up smoking - that really helped! Better breath control, higher lung capacity, more use of diaphragm....all came about as a direct result.

I'm still not a big fan of my own voice, but I don't hate it the way I used to - I can live with it now. I have to, so it's no good moaning about it! And if the world's laziest person - ME - can work on my voice and improve it, anyone can!

Everyone's voice is unique - the trick is to take what you have and make it work for you. It CAN be done!!!

:D :D :D

Vic

Wes, you're good. Waits is a perfect example.

Tom Waits is the perfect example of a great artist with a bad voice. Listen to his song "Come on Up To the House"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GugzLSbOQE