Members Dreabfly Posted April 24, 2008 Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 I don't know where to put this thread, so I'm dropping it here. I hope that's okay... June Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members yermej Posted April 24, 2008 Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 Some good tips there. Thanks. 4. Proximity to the mic is everything. On most mics, you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dreabfly Posted April 24, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 Oh yeah - yermej - that's a good point, too - especially for vocalists who tend to breathe in sharply. Those breaths are such a drag to deal with later when you process the track to get it to sit above the mix. You can't cut them out because it sounds unnatural, so you have to duck them - tedious! The mix engineer will hate you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JacieFB Posted April 24, 2008 Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 Have someone that you trust that that has a good ear for music and that will be brutally honest with you for the session. I can't count the number of times I've recorded something and thought, "hey, that sounds good". Everyone in the room said, "hey, that sounds good". Then, the next day, I listen back and wonder, "How did any of us think that was a good track?" Or, worse yet, "How in the hell did any of us even think that was in key?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dreabfly Posted April 25, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 Great tip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members John Sayers Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 this may sound crazy but "Smile" when you sing - it helps keep pitch and stops you from singing flat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jeff da Weasel Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 You kind of left one important one off. Learn to sing. People who use proper breath control for phrasing and use the right parts of their bodies to cause the mechanics of vocalization are WAY less likely to run into both short- and long-term problems. Lots of people have found this out the hard way and have to relearn it, which is much harder than doing it right in the first place. Bad singing habits are really hard to break. Get some lessons from a vocal coach early on, and you'll be set for life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tradivoro1 Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 Another tip is: sing in your key... There's a lot of baritones out there trying to sing tenor and killing their voices in the process... Likewise a lot of sopranos trying to sing alto... If you can't hit the "high" notes, have the song transposed lower key, for guys... If the low notes sound like a whisper, the key has to be raised for females... In the end you may not sound like your favorite pop star, but your favorite star probably has a different voice than you... A rule of thumb for guys is, if the song is in range for a tenor and you can't hit the notes, try lowering the key of the song to a minor third or a major third lower... Your voice will thank you for it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Magpel Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 Another tip is: sing in your key... There's a lot of baritones out there trying to sing tenor and killing their voices in the process... Likewise a lot of sopranos trying to sing alto... If you can't hit the "high" notes, have the song transposed lower key, for guys... If the low notes sound like a whisper, the key has to be raised for females... In the end you may not sound like your favorite pop star, but your favorite star probably has a different voice than you... A rule of thumb for guys is, if the song is in range for a tenor and you can't hit the notes, try lowering the key of the song to a minor third or a major third lower... Your voice will thank you for it... And if you're a singer/songwriter--or you just play one on the Internet--by God, learn to WRITE in your range, in the sweet spot ...Mostly an injunction to myself. I often seem to locate my best melodies in my "pain range" -- pain to the singer and the listener -- and I am quite aware that I am not the only one who does this. My voice teacher--a kickass soprano who can kill anything from Janis Ian to angular 20th century serious disonance --views the problem as rather an epidemic. Another issue--if you want to protect your voice, only sing good songs. Seriously. "Singability" and lack thereof is a huge issue in vocal stress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Magpel Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 this may sound crazy but "Smile" when you sing - it helps keep pitch and stops you from singing flat. I've this from one voice teacher, and the opposite from another. They both agree that smiling raises pitch, but one teachers says it's the wrong way, the wrong muscles, to raise pitch and shape tone. I have no opinion on the matter. I can't smile when I sing, 'cause I only sing about heartbreak, apocalypse, and hurting myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meccajay Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 That's also helpful for when **I move away from the mic to breathe in. Like this guy, right? ..couldnt help myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 Great thread. I just added a link to it on the new (and very tiny) Songwriter's Resource page in the HC Songwriting Forum. We're always happy to see new faces there to discuss songwriting and critique works in progress -- and if you have any suggestions for our resource list, please don't be afraid to PM me with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members eeglug Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 AI often seem to locate my best melodies in my "pain range" -- pain to the singer and the listener This is what I dislike about some early Led Zep - Plant sabotages himself with notes that he can't recreate live. He freqeuently sings a third below for passages of Communication Breakdown or Rock 'N' Roll and some others. I'm noticing some younger bands are deliberately writing material that the vocalist can't reach...usually in the chorus of the song...bands like Okkervil River, Cold War Kids, Les Savvy Fav. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dreabfly Posted April 25, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 All great tips! I sympathize with overshooting your natural voice abilities. There's a lot of pressure to be big, sing high, scream, and always be shooting for "power." Personally, I think it sucks. No one would expect Tom Waits to sing like Whitney Houston. There's plenty of space in the world for different vocal characters. I constantly have to remind myself to stick to doing what I do well. It's hard to remember this in the studio when the performance is being nitpicked and is stripped bare. And yes on coaching. My best friend is a vocal coach and I have literally heard her teach people who could barely match pitch to sing decently. Of course, practicing also helps... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dreabfly Posted April 25, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 People who use proper breath control for phrasing and use the right parts of their bodies to cause the mechanics of vocalization are WAY less likely to run into both short- and long-term problems.. Yes - you're right. Technique does help - especially in staving off fatigue. I personally have horrible technique (the result of splitting my "practice" time between too many disciplines). Weirdly, I don't think anyone but the best of my vocalist friends would ever know it. I have learned to work around it, so I'm the wrong person to be harping on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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