First, let me say this: Whether you love or hate me, know that I couldn't sing a single note when I started, you'd cry if you heard the demos from a couple of years ago.
I'll link you to some youtube videos, one of a cover and another of an original I guess. I really don't know how they sound, I'm not a professional vocalist in the sense that I've never had any lessons. When I compare myself to my idols in vocals (that would be Joey Eppard or Claudio Sanchez) I think that I definitely don't suck and I'm getting to where I can hold my own. I think that anyhow, but the opinions of others varies. Some think I'm amazing, others say I can surely sing but they don't like my voice (I mean, to me that says I'm failing in some area, but my wife insists people just have different tastes...that must be it). So again, opinions vary.
I've got two current problems, or things I wish to improve at. The first would be turns/runs - doing those wild things that add color to a line, I seem to be unable to do many of them. I think I've discovered that changing the shape of my mouth, or closing it on the way down a descending run, actually helps quite a bit. At least it seems to help with the separation of notes. Anyone have thoughts on this?
The second problem is timbre. For example, Claudio Sanchez has this extremely thin sound which, to me at least, seems to be very pleasant sounding. My sound seems to be a lot more rich, but this becomes a problem with the higher range. I like the warmth, but I'd like to get some more sparkle in the sound as well.
Whatever, here are some links to critique the vocals, if you would. The mic placement is different in these, I'm never quite sure where to have it - and here we'll have two videos with audio that I attempted to master a bit for better quality, while the others were before I discovered such a device existed.
First a couple originals: Pieces of the Human Puzzle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVn4I3g6xkw
Disunion I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-HgXcalePs
Now the covers, because covers are fun: Wake Up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wRjGFoTO28
Compare to a live acoustic vocal (because it's not so studio-polished):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRSdsFf1acg
Another cover (more upper register, very difficult stuff): Welcome Home (be warned: some strong language here and there)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzmBujg34yo
Again, comparison - live acoustic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr5VaERdryg
I guess that's it. Lemme know what you think, and constructive criticism is always highly sought after. Thanks!
-Brent
-Brent
theRedPress
Sounds great! While there's the occasional drift--nothing dramatic, and not likely to be noticed if one weren't focusing on vocal quality--the vocal is strong throughout the song. In fact, I thought you sang Welcome Home better than this Claudio guy--he startled me at first because was so, well, girly! :shock: I thought someone had mischievously overdubbed a female voice.
But after listening a while, his voice seemed to settle into a Prince of Geddy Lee kind of sound. Bear in mind that I had no idea who this guy was--I had to google him to get the Coheed & Cambria connection. (Sorry, I like cosmic cowboy music, so I'm not up on a lot of current stuff.) :roll:
Anyway, you're good. The only thing I would ask is whether you are blowing too much air. Your voice has a breathiness which may be your natural tone. But if it isn't you might try singing more "on your voice" (ie, more "speaky") and save the breathiness for occasional effect. You'll have better breath support that way, and it will be easier on your cords.
Hey man, thanks so much for listening, and I'm glad you thought I was better sounding than Claudio =p That makes me laugh. Yeah Claudio's sound is very girly, he has this thin quality about his vocal that I do like. I'd like to make my sound more thin, but perhaps that's not possible. When he speaks however, he sounds very much like myself, so it makes me wonder if I can sound thinner.
But yeah I suppose as far as breathy sound goes, might depend on the song. On Wake Up, I maybe can hear what you're saying, on Welcome Home, I'm not hearing it so much. So it may depend on the song and the style that the vocal was originally done in. On the other hand if I am being a bit too breathy, I think I'm going to have a hard time understanding how to back off on that. Is there an exercise you can suggest to illuminate the problem so I can better focus on eliminating it?
Thanks again for the feedback =D
-Brent
theRedPress
On the other hand if I am being a bit too breathy, I think I'm going to have a hard time understanding how to back off on that. Is there an exercise you can suggest to illuminate the problem so I can better focus on eliminating it? =D
Sure, start by speaking the words--as if you were an actor reading lines. Then try to speak in pitch. Try the first few lines and see where this takes you. Again, it may be that your voice simply has a breathy tone, and that's that. Lots of singers (e.g., Ray LaMontagne, Stevie Nicks) with this kind of voice do well. In any case, you don't have a major problem with breathiness so I wouldn't worry too much about it if it feels more comfortable for you.
I'm not a vocal coach, however, and as I believe that breathiness in certain cases can contribute to vocal cord deterioration, you may want to have a few lessons to be sure you're not doing anything that could harm your voice. I wouldn't think so, from listening to you, but I'm NOT a professional. I'm just an old guy from Jersey who likes singing cowboy songs. :)
Hey,
I'm impressed :). What ever you're doing keep doing it.
Advice... well sometimes it feels a bit like you are pushing chest, that is, not allowing enough of you're head voice to enter it... I think if you learn this it will make your sound a bit thinner. And just keep on practicing all the elements; breathing, support, range, tone... I'm sure I don't need to tell you how to practice.
But nice choice of songs with the Coheed, nice to see someone doing something a bit different!
FYI
Sure, start by speaking the words--as if you were an actor reading lines. Then try to speak in pitch. Try the first few lines and see where this takes you. Again, it may be that your voice simply has a breathy tone, and that's that. Lots of singers (e.g., Ray LaMontagne, Stevie Nicks) with this kind of voice do well. In any case, you don't have a major problem with breathiness so I wouldn't worry too much about it if it feels more comfortable for you.
I'm not a vocal coach, however, and as I believe that breathiness in certain cases can contribute to vocal cord deterioration, you may want to have a few lessons to be sure you're not doing anything that could harm your voice. I wouldn't think so, from listening to you, but I'm NOT a professional. I'm just an old guy from Jersey who likes singing cowboy songs. :)
Haha, cowboy songs are something I've never attempted to sing. Unless "the cowboy song" counts...thin lizzy tune =D Good song. Anyway I thank you for the tips, I'll give them a try and see if it can help me out. I'd love to get a lesson or two, there aren't any teachers that I'm aware of up here in South Dakota, at least not in my immediate area. There's a phone lesson as an option, but that's just dangerous in my opinion - because I apparently sound different on the phone than I do in person. I'm also way louder when I get on a phone. But anyway...
Hey,
I'm impressed :). What ever you're doing keep doing it.
Advice... well sometimes it feels a bit like you are pushing chest, that is, not allowing enough of you're head voice to enter it... I think if you learn this it will make your sound a bit thinner. And just keep on practicing all the elements; breathing, support, range, tone... I'm sure I don't need to tell you how to practice.
But nice choice of songs with the Coheed, nice to see someone doing something a bit different!
Thanks! =D I'm glad you liked that. Yes there are definitely times when I too feel like I'm pushing chest up, but I'm sometimes uncertain when it comes to the physical switch between chest and head. I can switch, obviously but how would you get more head voice? I wonder if I should be feeling the sound going back behind my head? Maybe not...I experimented doing that once, and I couldn't tell if it was better or worse. Anyways, thanks again for all the feedback!
-Brent
theRedPress
