EuroAussie Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 Well the last Radiohead cover I tried 'Fake Plastic Trees' brought a bucket load of debate both here and on the AGF .... but I take that as a positive as it seems to indicate that people care and want to provide feedback to make the track better and help me on my vocal journey. But the main feedback was that there were a few flat spots and also to consider other songs more inline with my range, but still challenging vocally. So, when i was doing a gig a couple weeks ago an Aussie mate suggested I try 'No Surprises' from Radiohead, one of their most recognised tunes. Still vocally challenging but not as crazy in terms of dynamics as Fake Plastic Trees. Surprisingly it sat just right and i had a few goes and even performed it last night at a gig, and it went down very well, especially with the play acoustic vocal effects. So i did a recording tonite on Garagband, as a follow up, wold be great to get your feedback, is it more in range, does it work, are there spots that need more work - always welcome feedback, especially if its constructive. cheers, EA No Surprises https://soundcloud.com/euroaussie/no-surprises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salfromchatham Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 X = A(b x 3.1469 D) € f(z) T x /. (Z - 2g) X therefore = success (Thumbs up) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 You got it. Vocals well-suited to the material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buc McMaster Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 This is better, Mark.......a better selection for your range and a better performance, and I listened carefully four times. Being an older fart, I'd never heard Radiohead do this song, so I dug it up and had a listen on YouTube, or two......even three........needed a point of reference. Then I went looking for the lyrics since I couldn't understand much of the vocal.......the guy mumbles a lot, as do you in this cover......which is apparently the way it's suppose to be done. It's been my understanding of vocal technique that enunciation is very important. Well I guess that's just not the case, at least for Radiohead's singer. And, even after reading the lyrics, I don't understand what they're trying to say with this song. Guess I don't need to understand though....... Now. This tune is in your range and, as you said, needs some work. So, with that in mind I submit these constructive criticisms........ The instrumental intro has a nice little tempo going and as soon as you start singing it jumps up. Tap time on the desktop as you listen and you can hear the leap when you sing. Tempo can be tough........it takes conscious focus and awareness to keep it steady, particularly without an external timekeeper, like a drummer, or a metronome. Tempo is a bugger for me as well and I still have to rein myself in more often than I like. Your voice fades and wavers on extended notes at the end of phrases, like "heal", "us" and "please". I doesn't sound like you're running out of air.......it sounds like you're not pushing enough air to support the note for its' duration. The only way to get that support is from the diaphragm. I've seen you speak here of the head voice and the chest voice. I'm not a trained vocalist but to me they are one and the same: the chest is the air reservoir, the head the shaper of the sound. The sinus cavity is the source of a lot of vocal "character" but it can't do a thing without air from the chest. But whether you subscribe to that theory or not, it's the smooth, controlled delivery of air from the diaphragm that produces well supported notes, be they from the chest or the head......or both. If you'll tighten your abs when you sing you'll feel the control of air the diaphragm can give you and realize a lot more vocal power in your voice. Vocal volume is controlled in other ways.......don't confuse power with volume. Controlling air is necessary, from below, whether you're belting out a throat buster or singing in a whisper. So yes, it needs work, but this one I think is within your reach. Does this mean you're not going to pursue the plastic trees tune? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwalker201 Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 Much improved on this one EA. Good job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacamartin Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 Gibby.....tighten your diaphragm when holding a note and relax into it...;) you tend to waiver on notes held for more than one beat...YMMV, IMHO, etc.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanp33 Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 I enjoyed this. Nice improvement from Fake Plastic Trees. Seems like you're on a bit of a Radiohead bender. One of my favorite bands. For me, the lyrics reference the mundane, materialistic modern society in which people just work and die. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 Hey there fellow Aussie, I listened to a few of your things before and didn't want to comment cos you might not have seen it as constructive (and I ain't the one to judge as my vocals are far from perfect), but I'm happy to say this is a considerable improvement, and seems to fit your range. And hopefully that makes it more enjoyable for you to perform and build confidence. Good luck mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 Fine job, good sir. I'm not even a fan of Radiohead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 I think you caught the "radio head thing" pretty well here.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 Not too shabby EA Couple of fluffs , but we all do that , well , some of us Keep it up man How about black star ? 😄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars68 Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 I won't comment on the singing since I'm not qualified, but I enjoyed that performance tremendously! Lars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 Thanks a lot for listening and for your comments folks, sorry could not reply earlier, was a but under the weather over the weekend. Few comments to build on your feedback. Sal - I was always crap at maths, thats a long formula ... Buc - excellent critique, feedback and suggestions, thank you for that. Great catch about the tempo, i didnt notice that but youre totally right. This song has a slow and steady tempo and i noticed after you comment that i was a bit shaky there. I re-sang it again with a more conscious focus on tempo and it felt much more together. Also, with the diaphram, (VacaMartin) totally agree that i did not use my diaphram how i normally do. I think main reason was that i did this in one take with the guitar and i still was not fully comfortale with the playing, so focusing on too many things at once one tends to forget something .... in this case to use my diaphram more. But that has been fixed now. Fake Plastic Tree - ofcourse im going to to do it ! Its almost there, the flat bit have been cleaned up, the falsetto i decided to go lower, and actually performed this song already live, albeit with the help of a pitch corrector and octave harmony pedal, but it went down well. BBG - Blackstar (ie the Bowie song?) .... i think if I tried that it would turn out as Deathstar. But i would like to try some day a Muse tune, that right up there in the Thom territory, arguably even trickier as its often up in the clouds and a lot of falsetto. Lars - dont be ashamed to comment on the singing. You have heard a lot of singing over the years and Im sure are able to comment on the vocals based just on that experience alone. Dont by discouraged. Thanks again guys, will go through this again today and play it again at a gig tonite .... quite looking forward to it. cheers, EA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 No not Bowie Same album 😕 Think it's my favourite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 No not Bowie Same album 😕 Think it's my favourite Oh, of course, stupid me. Might consider it, like it a lot too, and this acoustic version is great. (saving it in favourites youtube folder) I had Street Spirit in mind next or Exit Music (for a film) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8051Hipbmmw I know Radiohead is a bugger to sing, but I find that it develops me as a vocalist faster than standard cowoby chord type numbers, even if i fall on my face a couple times. And in this part of the world Radiohead is as well known as the Stones, so audience always recognise them ..... plus probably helps thyre my fave band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 Yeah. They are tough to play .. His rhythm and timing of his right hand is superb , and his breath control is tough to match. Think he's part amphibian He's a good example of getting yourself in the zone . As you've mentioned and I'm already well aware - seeing a tough note looming toward you in a song is offputting , which either makes you try to hard to get it that you miss it or fluff the part before or after it ... Especially when the red recording light is on (You in that sentence is not you , 'one' would be a better word and what the queen would say) I'm sure you've seen this , but it's a good example of a guy blocking out the whole world apart from what he's playing . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 Yep, well said BBG. Its pretty close to impossible to block out the whole world when that bloody red light is on ..... but I did hit that zone a few times now when performing live, on songs i now know iniside out, and it is an amazing feeling. Im often now comparing singing to playing guitar, and as much i love the guitar, i have to say singing goes much deeper, as it comes out deep from you ... and when you lose yourself in that zone ... oh man, bliss ! Yeah. They are tough to play .. His rhythm and timing of his right hand is superb , and his breath control is tough to match. Think he's part amphibian He's a good example of getting yourself in the zone . As you've mentioned and I'm already well aware - seeing a tough note looming toward you in a song is offputting , which either makes you try to hard to get it that you miss it or fluff the part before or after it ... Especially when the red recording light is on (You in that sentence is not you , 'one' would be a better word and what the queen would say) I'm sure you've seen this , but it's a good example of a guy blocking out the whole world apart from what he's playing . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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