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If you could sing like anyone......

Gilliangirl

By Gilliangirl
in Gibson Acoustic

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Gilliangirl

Gilliangirl

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...... who would you pick? Would you pick your own voice?

 

Unfortunately I despise my own voice and so I of course would pick Gillian Welch, or this woman, whose songs always rock my world. Terri Clark has a comforting voice, like a warm comfy robe. This isn't the best audio but there is a nice guitar in it [cool]

[YOUTUBE]

[/YOUTUBE]
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fp

fp

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There are so many good voices out there, both male and female. Those two you named are pretty darn good.

I can't think of anybody right now that I'd like to sound like, I just wish people wouldn't run for cover when I try to sing !

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Bluegrass

Bluegrass

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Being a person that can't carry a tune in a bucket....if I could have the voice of anyone, it would have to be Keith Whitley (RIP). Strong and very emotional voice. He really sang from the heart and you could feel it when you heard him.

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MissouriPicker

MissouriPicker

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Both those ladies can sing well. They both have an authentic quality about their voices that goes beyond vocal range. They don't have to end-up screaming to hit a note they can barely reach because they have a sound that doesn't need that kind of range. They are real. To me, it makes them very easy to listen to........As far as the guys go, I'd have to think along the lines of Cash, Alan Jackson, George Strait. They sound like men.

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Rambler

Rambler

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My brain's going about five directions at once on this one. Never mind my issues with the premise (we are who we are), but it's interesting lead into to talking about singing.GG, I can why Ms Clark impresses: big voice, expressive (maybe too much twang for this ear), sounds grown up. But its no reason be hating on your own voice -- the samples you've offered here sound fine to this ear.

 

Admire and learn, dont be cowed. Its easy to impressed by the way Teri lays honey on the bun, Frank croons, Aretha hollers or Whitney Brittney Celine Christine work the scales. Gary Davis used to say "play what you know" to his students. Maybe "sing what you know" is equally good advice. Work with what you got, give it expression, but dont strain for big effects. Lately Ive been listening a lot to Mance Lipscomb-- understated, almost laconic, but he's are right there with what he's singing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjqtsDAhH6o.

 

Copying a singer can be good for trying out ideas or finding a frame of reference but you dont want to be a slave to it ( I used to try to mimic the records of whoever's song I was covering--that didnt work out so well). Got to find what works for you.

 

For those who think they cant carry a tune, Id say this: moan along with your guitar part (its got to go up or down, right? get in synch with that). Work in the words later. Semi-speak it. Look for a song that means something to you, so you can inject some warmth into it--that's what its really about, right? making emotional sounds.

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Buc McMaster

Buc McMaster

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I remember diggin' Ms Clark's stuff back in the 90s on CMT......I really liked Better Things To Do......and she was easy on the eyes too! She's still got it, and she's good with an audience. Nice sounding tuning on the Hummingbird too.

 

While I have tried (tried, mind you) to steal phrasings from time to time, I don't think I've ever wanted to sing like someone else. I'd like to be able to sing like me on my best day every time I sing, which isn't the case these days. When I was in a working band I was much more consistent......doing one or two rehearsals and two to five shows a week really brings out one's best voice. But that was a few years ago and my singing has suffered for it.

 

And I'd bet that if you try, and stop despising your own voice you could learn to sing, just as you have learned to play guitar. There are guitar playing tricks and there are singing tricks.......just a matter of learning them in both cases.

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larryp58

larryp58

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This is a complex question. Most voices capture our attention because of how unique they are. Nobody else can copy them, which makes them so appealing. Voices like Roy Orbison, Don Henly, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Neil Young. The voices that I love are the ones that blend well with others as they sing different songs from different genres of music. Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Glen Frey, Trisha Yearwood, Linda Ronstadt to name a few. I don't think I could pick just one to sound like. I would just like to be able to sing my voice really well!

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Gilliangirl

Gilliangirl

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Being a person that can't carry a tune in a bucket....if I could have the voice of anyone' date=' it would have to be Keith Whitley (RIP). Strong and very emotional voice. He really sang from the heart and you could feel it when you heard him.[/quote']

I had not heard of Keith Whitley until I went on a search a few years ago for info about the song When You Say Nothing At All, which I first heard by AKUS. I was sad to learn he had died. His voice is amazing.

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MissouriPicker

MissouriPicker

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No matter who each of us might like to sound like, the bottom line is that you've got to be who you are. Dylan and Kristofferson have never had much vocal range, yet their voices tend to fit very well with the music. Personally, I can't stand hearing singers who are intentionally trying to sound like someone else. For decades now we've had the "Elvis" impersonators. Ever since Cash passed-away, we've been deluged with dozens of bands professing to carry-on the "Cash" sound. In reality, only one band, The Tennesee Three (Bob Wooton and Fluke Holland) are the real thing. They were part of the Cash musical family for decades. The rest of the bands, in my view, need to find their own identities. Same goes for The Beatle bands, etc. Many of these people are excellent musicians and could probably make their own statement in the music world. Anyway, there's only one Celine Dion, one Cash, one Dylan, one Dolly. We each need to be who we are....Just my view.

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Gilliangirl

Gilliangirl

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No matter who each of us might like to sound like' date=' the bottom line is that you've got to be who you are. Dylan and Kristofferson have never had much vocal range, yet their voices tend to fit very well with the music. Personally, I can't stand hearing singers who are intentionally trying to sound like someone else. For decades now we've had the "Elvis" impersonators. Ever since Cash passed-away, we've been deluged with dozens of bands professing to carry-on the "Cash" sound. In reality, only one band, The Tennesee Three (Bob Wooton and Fluke Holland) are the real thing. They were part of the Cash musical family for decades. The rest of the bands, in my view, need to find their own identities. Same goes for The Beatle bands, etc. Many of these people are excellent musicians and could probably make their own statement in the music world. Anyway, there's only one Celine Dion, one Cash, one Dylan, one Dolly. We each need to be who we are....Just my view.[/quote']

In theory I completely agree with you. BUT, how does a person get past hating their own voice? Repeated exposure to it maybe? I don't know. Yes, Dylan and Young had questionable vocals (more character than precision) and made them their own, but character will take you far if you pursue it. BUT, there's *character*, and then there's just downright awful. Those are two different things.

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Rambler

Rambler

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" how does a person get past hating their own voice?" Off-pitch? tone? Doesnt sound as good as so and so. One and two can be addressed. Three is something to get past.

 

Here's three things really helped me. One, fingerpicking. Picking the melody line on the high strings made it easier to key the vocals than when I just played chords. Two, Record yourself. Three, commit to the vocal. In the (very) bad old days, Id hold back (lack of confidence combined with a poor grasp of the tune). Result, a poorly supported Dylan-gone-wrong nasal whinge, which only made things worse.

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