How can I make my tone more pleasant (audio included)?

[GuitarLord]

Hey there,

I've been working on my breathing for a while, and after learning how to use diaphragm properly, I managed to make great with my range (comparing to what I had previously). But now I'm not sure if I'm now happy with how it sounds.

 

Can you listen to this and tell me if this sounds pleasant or not. If not, how can I make my tone better?

 

Beware it's pretty loud, my voice is pretty loud by default, and if I try to make it less loud it will usually go to my throat, so I guess it has to be loud for this kind of song, at least for me

 

http://www.box.net/shared/sxed1jpvbq

 

Thanks,

N.

[Jersey Jack]

Seems fine to me. It is VERY hard for most people to properly evaluate their own tone. Other forumites will want to chime in, I'm sure, but to my ears your tone sounds good.

 

Your voice does seem to be a little distorted at times, but I assume this is a technical issue (gear, settings, etc.) rather than a vocal issue. And you may well want it distorted like that.

 

On volume: I have the exact problem, and I've found that working on a softer voice has had a dramatic impact on my tone. I've still got a ways to go, but it's a good path for me. It may work for you as well.

[Masklin]

This is the tip I give to anyone who wants to be able to change timbre and maybe find something they like: Listen to Paul Young when he sings 'Wherever I lay my hat'. Listen intently on his longer vowels. Try to visualize where his resonance is located.

 

Personally I feel like it's the roof of the mouth and in the neckish area.

 

 

You do go a bit nasal when volume drops, so this thread makes sense.

 

 

EDIT: Another example of the same thing would be Robert Plant in 'Since I've been loving you', when he sings 'I'm about to lose my worried mind'. He might do this several times during the song, in which case I'm referring to the instance where his volume is way up (EDIT: Actually any one of the instances will do fine).

[YeahDoIt]

Your recording shows overdrive, perhaps you are too loud for your microphone. Maybe you want that sound.

 

I have a similar problem, finding sounds that I judge pleasant. I sing along with various artists, attempt to copy their sounds, learn to form words. It's like learning how to speak again. It really helps me to hear myself when I sing; I can't really hear myself through my head, the sound is not right.

 

It reminds me of when I took a language course in college. They had me go into a "language lab" where I could listen (with headphones) to the instructor speaking words, repeat them and listen to a recording of my voice. It's like learning a language.

[YeahDoIt]

I experimented with your vocal recording. I think you sound "bigger" in this mix. Maybe all you need is some studio time:

 

http://picosong.com/u5R

 

Perhaps I used too much reverb. I'm still learning how to mix vocals.

[Bajazz]

Your tone is good, to make even more resonance, place the tip of your thounge on the lower part of your teeth and keep thounge down. Try to make a big room in your mouth.

 

You make breathing noises between phrases, try to breath in quietly. You also do the "..eh" thing after each phrase, which might be a OK effect sometimes but not always.

 

I might be wrong, but it seems you are "forcing" vibrato as much as possible, often very early and on short notes. In my taste this sounds a bit desperate, I think vibrato sounds best not overdone and when it "grows" on longer notes. Also try to make the vibrato not swing so deep.

 

Another thing you could to to make it sound more pleasing is to back off a bit and try to soften up. The clip sounds a bit aggresive. Try to think that you are going to sing more like a lullabye...

[nomadh]

its a different style not a bad style. You breath a lot. That could be fine. I could see liking it fine if I liked the song. Thats how Niel Young and Dylan worked it.

[Dobuchu]

You sound good to me! My only opinion is that, though I don't really know much about music, I think that whenever you start really belting it out that a lot of the tone starts to sound about the same. When you start to sing softer though, I feel as if it had nice fluctuation in the sounds and a very lovely and natural sounding vibrato. Sorry, I'm not too good at giving advice over music so feel free to disagree. ^__^;