Singing, the weak link

[Lars68]

I have been practicing singing, which is a very weak point for me. I usually have trouble staying on pitch.

 

I have new recording of a song below (the same song which I worked on and posted some weeks back), and would like some input regarding progress of the singing. What is good, what is bad etc? Areas to work on? Improvements?

I am trying to sing more forcefully and with more emotion. Pitch is still varying, but I hope I'm making progress.

 

Feedback is appreciated, and as always, don't hold back on honesty.

 

Lars

 

https://soundcloud.com/lars1968/over-over-kopia-24

[sparquelito]

Lars,

 

You sound pretty good to me, sir.

I hear you going just a bit flat in only three or four places throughout that song.

 

Did you record that in one pass, i.e.; playing and singing simultaneously?

Reason I ask is, sometimes we can achieve better pitch when singing to a playback of the earlier-recorded guitar bits.

(And with a palm covering one ear, allowing the singer to hear the vibrations inside one's head, a bit more strongly than the guitar sounds coming in thru the other ear.)

 

It's just a thought.

 

 

[EuroAussie]

Had a couple good listens Lars, here's how i hear it.

 

You start off real well, the first verse it pretty much pitch perfect and nice, warm shade of tone - good start !

 

You manage well the sudden high steep jump to the highest note and hit it on the head on 'they courted for a year' but then you go down too low and into the chorus.

 

The low bridge seems a challenge for you as its very low and its quite mumbly, i can hear you struggled with that one.

 

But then on the third chorus you seem to be closer to where you need to be , probably got a bit more confident. Listen to both choruses and see if you can hear a difference.

 

So i would work on that transition from the highest note 'courted in the spring' and the lead into the chorus, make sure its a smooth transition and on pitch.

 

What have you been doing to work on your vocals, have you had professional assistance ?

 

Hope that helps,

 

EA

[Lars68]

Lars,

 

You sound pretty good to me, sir.

I hear you going just a bit flat in only three or four places throughout that song.

 

Did you record that in one pass, i.e.; playing and singing simultaneously?

Reason I ask is, sometimes we can achieve better pitch when singing to a playback of the earlier-recorded guitar bits.

(And with a palm covering one ear, allowing the singer to hear the vibrations inside one's head, a bit more strongly than the guitar sounds coming in thru the other ear.)

 

It's just a thought.

 

 

Thanks for the feedback! I sing and play simultaneously. I have tried singing to a recorded track and I tend to do better that way, just as you say. However, my ultimate goal is to learn to play and sing, not necessarily make recordings, so I want to learn to do it "live". I always tend to have strong and weak parts of every song, but I can live with a couple of misses as long as the end result is passable.

 

Lars

[Lars68]

Had a couple good listens Lars, here's how i hear it.

 

You start off real well, the first verse it pretty much pitch perfect and nice, warm shade of tone - good start !

 

You manage well the sudden high steep jump to the highest note and hit it on the head on 'they courted for a year' but then you go down too low and into the chorus.

 

The low bridge seems a challenge for you as its very low and its quite mumbly, i can hear you struggled with that one.

 

But then on the third chorus you seem to be closer to where you need to be , probably got a bit more confident. Listen to both choruses and see if you can hear a difference.

 

So i would work on that transition from the highest note 'courted in the spring' and the lead into the chorus, make sure its a smooth transition and on pitch.

 

What have you been doing to work on your vocals, have you had professional assistance ?

 

Hope that helps,

 

EA

 

Thanks EA, yes I can hear the third chorus as better too. I think I recorded myself about twenty times last night while practicing. This was the take with the least mistakes, or at least I think so. I tend to mix my mistakes between takes. However, I see that as progress compared to a few months ago when I was consistently off at the same place. I hear pitch much better now. I just can't seem to hit pitch in the right places for four minutes in a row :-)

 

I do get help from my neighbor. She sings along with me, while pointing out errors, and trying to get the breathing right. I also listen a lot to my recordings to practice my hearing. I would like to spend so much more time playing and singing, but raising two kids, working more than full time, and rebuilding a house takes its toll. I think most can relate...

 

Lars

 

Lars

[Buc McMaster]

To train your voice it's good to sing to a recorded track, as Sparkque suggested. Sure, the goal is to sing and play simultaneously but working on the voice by itself can be very helpful, applying your focus to one aspect of the whole. Overall this track does sound better than previous efforts I've listened to, Lars..........you are getting there! Your pitch is much better on this one. Pitch practice: strike a single note on guitar/piano and sing an "ahhhhhhhhh", matching the note and hanging on to it as long as the instrument does, pushing the note with as much power as you can muster. Do the same again but sing an "ohhhhhhhhhhh". Change the note on the instrument and repeat......again, again, again, again. Do this before a wall or door to reflect your voice so you can hear it well. The vocal chords are controlled by muscles and what you're doing is developing muscle memory that is attached to pitch. Your voice still sounds "monochromatic" to me.......colorless monotones, more like speaking than singing......like reading words from a book. Bring some passion.

 

Good effort and there is improvement here. I'm impressed with your persistence to get better, sir! Keep on keepin' on!

[Lars68]

To train your voice it's good to sing to a recorded track, as Sparkque suggested. Sure, the goal is to sing and play simultaneously but working on the voice by itself can be very helpful, applying your focus to one aspect of the whole. Overall this track does sound better than previous efforts I've listened to, Lars..........you are getting there! Your pitch is much better on this one. Pitch practice: strike a single note on guitar/piano and sing an "ahhhhhhhhh", matching the note and hanging on to it as long as the instrument does, pushing the note with as much power as you can muster. Do the same again but sing an "ohhhhhhhhhhh". Change the note on the instrument and repeat......again, again, again, again. Do this before a wall or door to reflect your voice so you can hear it well. The vocal chords are controlled by muscles and what you're doing is developing muscle memory that is attached to pitch. Your voice still sounds "monochromatic" to me.......colorless monotones, more like speaking than singing......like reading words from a book. Bring some passion.

 

Good effort and there is improvement here. I'm impressed with your persistence to get better, sir! Keep on keepin' on!

 

Buc, I love this hobby, and as long as I see some kind of improvement I find it easy to stay motivated. I know where I want to be, and I use playing/singing/writing as a way to wind down and relax from the pressures of everyday life (probably better for my health than whiskey...). However, time is scarce and most practice seem to take place at night, which always hurst the next day (just like whiskey :-))

 

I do excersises as you describe. I think you were the one pointing them out to me previously.

 

Lars

[BluesKing777]

I recorded a short track to show what I often do.

 

 

First, learn some simple music basics so you can play the melody line out of song books on your guitar. Music helps both guitar playing and singing and I like the organic nature of singing while playing, so all interrelated......

 

 

Play the melody, then sing along with it, and once comfortable doing the vocal, add simple chord accompaniment instead of the melody line - I did a simple gospel tune out of my Real Book:

 

 

 

 

https://soundcloud.com/bk7-3/troubleiveseen777

 

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

[MissouriPicker]

Lars, I think you're projecting your voice far better than you did in earlier performances we've heard. I think the advice about singing to a recorded track may be exactly what you need. It will give you a chance to focus primarily on your voice and you won't have to share any of that attention to playing guitar. Maybe give you some time to zero-in on singing more from your diaphragm. All that said, the difference in your current performances when compared to when we first began hearing you is like "night and day." Real and definite improvement.

[Lars68]

Thanks friends for encouragements and advice. I'm paying attention to all pointers.

 

Lars

[Lars68]

I had a singing lesson the other day with my neighbor. She used my song, Sweetheart Caroline, as practice material. Here is what I came up with today after practicing the song again using her advice. I will see her again tomorrow and play this version for her to see if I get a "passing grade".

 

https://soundcloud.com/lars1968/sweetheart-caroline-3-1

 

I just played it for my wife who has a very good musical ear, and she said "not 100%, but very close."

 

I will soon have to find another song for practice, because my kids say "no dad, not that song again. It is sooo boring." Man, what a critical audience! :-)

 

Lars

[EuroAussie]

Hey Lars, just for a different perspective i thought Id ask Mrs EA to give her opinion and offer fresh ears. I explained to her your journey and played her the recordign, she has largely a great ear. Her overall feedback was very encouraging. She felt you were on pitch on the verse, a bit off on the steep climb up the stairs but overall like your wife said, youre almost there. Infact her comment was youre in a better place than i was 6 months ago, and i would largely agree with that comment.

 

Her suggestion, similar to mine would be to now work with your neighbour on learning to use your diaphram and sing through you chest more to give you a ricer bass resonance.

 

So there you go Lars, Mrs EA approved ...

 

I had a singing lesson the other day with my neighbor. She used my song, Sweetheart Caroline, as practice material. Here is what I came up with today after practicing the song again using her advice. I will see her again tomorrow and play this version for her to see if I get a "passing grade".

 

https://soundcloud.com/lars1968/sweetheart-caroline-3-1

 

I just played it for my wife who has a very good musical ear, and she said "not 100%, but very close."

 

I will soon have to find another song for practice, because my kids say "no dad, not that song again. It is sooo boring." Man, what a critical audience! :-)

 

Lars

[Lars68]

Hey Lars, just for a different perspective i thought Id ask Mrs EA to give her opinion and offer fresh ears. I explained to her your journey and played her the recordign, she has largely a great ear. Her overall feedback was very encouraging. She felt you were on pitch on the verse, a bit off on the steep climb up the stairs but overall like your wife said, youre almost there. Infact her comment was youre in a better place than i was 6 months ago, and i would largely agree with that comment.

 

Her suggestion, similar to mine would be to now work with your neighbour on learning to use your diaphram and sing through you chest more to give you a ricer bass resonance.

 

So there you go Lars, Mrs EA approved ...

 

 

Send my many thanks for the encouraging words to Mrs EA! I think our significant others summed it up quite well; almost there but no prize winner just yet :-)

 

Lars

[Avery]

Hey, Lars, well I listened to it again. I'm probably going to have it stuck in my head and find myself singing it in the shower...

 

I enjoyed it, man. I really like your choice of chords and I think they do a great job accompanying the vocals. Pitch is quite improved from your earlier efforts, and I think it's just got a really nice melody. Kudos.

[Lars68]

Hey, Lars, well I listened to it again. I'm probably going to have it stuck in my head and find myself singing it in the shower...

 

I enjoyed it, man. I really like your choice of chords and I think they do a great job accompanying the vocals. Pitch is quite improved from your earlier efforts, and I think it's just got a really nice melody. Kudos.

 

Thanks Avery! Just in case you should get bored of this song, I have reagge, jazz, metal, EDM, and disco version of the song ready for posting

 

Lars

[EuroAussie]

Hey, Lars, well I listened to it again. I'm probably going to have it stuck in my head and find myself singing it in the shower...

 

I enjoyed it, man. I really like your choice of chords and I think they do a great job accompanying the vocals. Pitch is quite improved from your earlier efforts, and I think it's just got a really nice melody. Kudos.

 

I must admit i also had this struck in my head as i was walking down the street !

[MorrisrownSal]

Lars, I agree with Buc and the others. You are getting better!

Also, singing solo, with an aim of developing a sound muscle memory is key. You are persistent and that works to your advantage.

Cheers and have a great summer.

[Lars68]

Thanks Sal! Wishes of a good summer, right back at you.

 

Lars