Hey everyone. I'm the lead singer in a recently formed band and I'm having a bit of trouble. I've never had any formal vocal training, or any training at all really.
It seems like whenever I sing, I end up singing an octave higher than the original recording. Now the problem with this is I end up sounding like a girl (I'm a guy), and there's just no power or fullness to my voice at all. When I sing high I can hit most of the pitches, but there are times when I have to strain myself to reach some. When I try to sing at the "normal" octave, I have a lot of trouble hitting the lower notes. A lot of trouble. And even if I do hit them it's hard to put any emotion in them because I'm so worried about the pitch.
I'm 16, so is it possible that my voice isn't just developed enough to reach the lower notes? Or is there some technique I can try to help me reach the lower notes? Do I just need to try singing in a different key? Any answers or advice would be greatly appreciated. :)
PS, after playing around a bit with my guitar, I feel most comfortable singing on a "lower" octave when I have a capo on the 4th fret (the songs are in the keys of G and A). I have no idea what this means, however.
I'm not a great singer by any means, but i've taken voice lessons and the one thing i was told is that it's EXTREMELY important to breathe properly. Check out the articles on singing on this site. Don't feel too bad, I find it's alot harder to have a controlled lower voice than it is to singer in a higher pitched voice.
Steve-0
Thanks for the tip Steve-O, I tried breathing properly and it did help me hit pitches slightly lower than I normally could. However, I think my problem might be a bit more encompassing. I'd appreciate if anyone could listen to some of my singing at:
And originals if you want to compare:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOOUVH7oWcw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAPtTS0TYtU
I don't think either of these performances are good, but I'm particularly interested in the one called Hey Little Rich Girl. My singing just sounds weak, nasally, etc. Is it because I'm singing too high? Is my technique off? Or do I just need to give it some power? I really want to make my singing sound good because right now it just doesn't match the instrumental quality. Criticism, flames, tips, anything at this point would be greatly appreciated. :)
I don't know that much about voice but it sounds like a breathing problem to me. you need to breathe from your diaphragm not from your chest. when you breath in, your stomach should go out and when you breathe out your stomach should go in. most people do the reverse.
I listened to a bit of both those songs, and I think your range is just fine for them. However, you are singing very much from the throat instead of from the chest. It sounds very nasal, and this may just be your voice, but it might also be technique. The original vocal in Wonderwall is a bit nasal, but still much more resonant. Technique-wise, it's all a matter of breath control. I don't think you are putting enough breath into the notes. It's hard to explain further, but try to adopt a posture so that you can feel as if there's a column of air running from your stomach up through your throat and out of your mouth. Take deep breaths, breath often, and don't be afraid of expending air.
Also, breathing properly won't necessarily help you hit lower notes, but I don't think you have a problem with your range on the basis of these recordings.
~Sam
Thanks guys, you've been really helpful! I haven't checked these forums in a few days, but I just came back and jewtemplar confirmed some of my suspicions. Again, thanks everyone, I'll definitely be sure to work on improving my technique.
