Is this the voice that should just give it up. Anything I can do to improve tone to be more like-able? Please Critique.

[IdivideBy0]

I could really use help. I've had vocal lessons, I practice daily. I don't think my pitch is terrible but I always seem to be picked as the weakest link in the bands I've played in. Is it possible that some just will never have an appealing voice to others. I try very hard and take this extremely serious. I have been told I am a very good guitar player so at least I have that to fall back on.

 

The reason I ask is because I am now in a new band and they all thought I sang good. We had some neighbors drop by and give a listen and they raked me over the coals. Should I just say screw it? I have taken the lead vocalist role on now for 4 years and was starting to feel real confidence just recently, but this last bit of criticism has left me feeling like I got punched in the nuts.

 

Samples below.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/Me7a1Ru1eZ

 

Thank you!

 

 

[1001gear]

Steve Perry is a tough act to follow and a clone will be considered on any facet that falls short. And it's not just the voice, it's the performance that has to shine. Front person is not an easy spot to fill. Nor is it likely that one will fill it. So there's all that that I look for as an observer and potential ticket buyer; doesn't mean you should quit obviously. Needless to say it does mean that if you GASh at all you need to get cracking.

Here's one you may not have considered. Dance lessons. Lean to move your body. Get fit. Get sexy. If you can't even sell it to the band...

And lastly, if you're just fishing for compliments, screw you.

 

[IdivideBy0]

Thank you 1001gear. I like the suggestion and think that will help. I agree on appearance, that may be issue I am facing. Also was not looking for compliments but actual critical comments on things that could help improve tone. I was looking for suggestions on vowel pronunciation and such. One question though What is GAsh?

[1001gear]

GASh stands for give a schitt. I add the H because GAS is something else. (gear acquisition syndrome)

 

You could work on singing louder and more emotionally; less pedantically. What you feel will show you where to take your voice and what needs development. As far as E/PRO - nunciation, that's attitude I think and up to you. I would do a lot of listening to various pop genre. Absorb and tune up your own musical aesthetics.

 

 

[Miminero]

Well, I think you have a very good rock voice. I listened to Iron Maiden cover ...it is live? Very good. keep it up!

[IdivideBy0]

You are right on with pedantically; I tend to focus too much on how my voice sounds to the original. I also struggle a little as I am normally playing guitar while singing (sometimes difficult passages) that cause me to breath incorrectly. I got into terrible habit of breathing my timing on guitar - it still affects me and probably why I will never be able to sweep pick properly.

[IdivideBy0]

Thank you Miminero, I was actually looking for criticism but I am glad you enjoyed. Yes, these were recorded with a cellphone and imported into audacity to add some reverb.

[brendenpannell]

Here's the thing: if you always try to emulate, you will always fall short. Sounding like someone can be hard especially for iconic singers. What I would recommend is getting a vocal coach (preferably one that specializes in your style) and developing your own personal sound. Remember, no one gets famous for duplicating! Be your own legend as I always say. Keep at it! Just because some neighbors didnt like it, does not mean that your passion is irrelevant. If you really want this, continue to work. You can only get better from here!

[itrytosing]

Oh man I've had this same problem when I was in a band too back during my younger years haha . Seems like your only problem is your tone of the higher notes and your lower notes seem to fine. This can only be fixed when you're able to compress your higher mixed voice into that of a chest voice so the tone will be more like your lower notes instead of that airy ghostly quality. Here's a video that I used to help that should help you too.

 

 

[WRGKMC]

You have to split your path to improvement. As others said, mimicking other performers is only half of that educational path. We learn from others who have passed this way before us. The key here is we have a huge selection of music recorded by others we can choose from to find music that best suits our own natural voice. The trap is you may wind up in a band singing music that is not only too far out of your range to sing, but it can actually be harmful to your voice.

 

There are some things you can do like change the key of a song is its out of your range or do your own version that includes your own vocal style. When a Frank Sinatra sings a modern tune he still sounded like Frank. He didn't attempt to sound like the original singer.

 

The other path is your self improvement. It involves all kinds of things from scales, to theory, to rudimentary exercises and even your own original music. This is usually the first thing that gets completely neglected when a musician joins a cover band. He's overly focused on competing with the singers of that cover music he completely forgets what his own voice and own musical roots are. You have to put time aside to work on your own skills just as much as others materials or you will become stagnant.

 

I have pretty much abandoned performing covers for the past 15 years. I do get together with other musicians and play covers because its a convenient medium, especially if those musicians aren't very original and don't have strong self identities. I don't find it very satisfying however. I much prefer writing and recording my own music because Its 100% "Me" and not an imitation. I always had a streak in me all the years I have played that leans towards being original. I suppose it goes back to when I was in school playing violin in an orchestra. We played allot of classical music and the songs we played best and get the biggest response from the audience were the contemporary songs.

 

Once I learned guitar, and got in a band, I loved to jam. It was in fact a requirement for much of the music recorded back then. Then when playing live we would mix originals with covers and since the originals were ours, we'd ham them up and got much bigger responses from the audiences with them then we got from cover tunes.

 

 

Self development takes just as much investment in time and energy as learning covers does. It's very easy to get lazy and abandon ant self improvement completely because the Its so easy to stick a CD in a player or download a song and simply sing along to it. .

 

The problem with self development is you lack roadmaps and developing a self improvement regimen requires ten times the effort. The best way of course is having an instructor or a coach who can help you build one because they can often judge your skills better then you ever can. Slugging it out on your own, has so many paths that can lead to dead ends. Its hard to know which ones will lead to long term improvement.

 

It all comes down to the passion level you have for your music. Are you going to trust what some unskilled fans tell you and simply enjoy having your ego stroked or are you going all the way to the top. I can tell you this. If you decide to try for that brass ring at the top, you have to forget all the glory, all the ego, all the fans, and all other musicians to get there because you cant take them with you. Self improvement means just that.

You can still work with them jointly on Projects, play in bands etc, but your mission isn't theirs and the chances of them winding up where you will is highly unlikely.

 

There isn't even any guarantee you'll be successful and all you may wind up being is your own best friend. But is that really so bad. Its actually much better then being interdependent on other musicians who in most cases fail leaving you completely disillusioned. The "Me" must come first if you plan on leading others. That doesn't mean you wrap yourself up in your own ego or shut others off. Its simply you include a self improvement regimen, when others don't. Its great if they do and you can be a role model to them there, not only in the act itself but the passion that it carries.

 

The actual regimen has to be tough too. Think of what football players go through in training camp. They work on basics so they have the stamina and agility to pull of that one wondrous play during a season that sets them above all others. They cant get there without that extracurricular activity that gets them tuned into being better then all others, yet they play as a team when they do get together.