Can I sing and what can I improve?

[Hiddentypes]

Hi!

Here's the song with piano backing : https://vocaroo.com/i/s1tMALHxQ6XU

Here it is acapella : https://vocaroo.com/i/s1elynbhfMyX

 

Would like to know if I can sing and what I can improve.

 

Thanks for your time!

[Hiddentypes]

Sorry for repost. Here's me doing another song : https://vocaroo.com/i/s0MoBq84Izig

[kickingtone]

It sounds OK to me. The main problem is that I had to listen more than once to pick your pitch. This is can be caused by pitch ambiguity.

 

I think that there is some pitch ambiguity, but I expect that will disappear naturally as your voice grows.

 

I think pitch ambiguity is coming when you sing '-a-' as in 'and' '-uh-' in und-uh-stand, and '-a-' as in came.

 

Also, your volume is slightly aliased to your pitch. It would be an improvement to get the two things more independent. That would enable you to raise your tone more naturally, without sounding as if you are pushing.

 

The ascent of a voice caused by increasing pitch sounds different to ascent caused by either volume, or both pitch and volume.

 

An example would be 1:35 "...in all the greatest..." I don't know if you are pushing, here, but it does sound as if your "speaking voice" is coming through and interfering with your singing voice and pitch.

[Hiddentypes]

Thanks for your respone!

 

Yes, I think I was pushing it there too! The problem is I don't know how to sing high without breaking into falsetto.I can go as low as G2 and as high as C4-D4 though I have to raise my voice a little. A few months back a C4 was barely achievable like it was so strained. Any advice on singing high? And based on the recordings what voice classification would you say my voice fits in ?

 

Thanks again!

[kickingtone]

Hi! What you describe is perfectly normal. Sound is pressure fluctuations, and physics says that higher frequencies are generated by higher pressure. Handling or managing that pressure is often called "support" in singing pedagogy. It is THE BIG fundamental thing, although the term "support" can be misleading.

 

The most obvious way to handle the pressure is simply to release it by relaxing the closure of your vocal cords. That singing mode is called falsetto. I think that it is important to practise falsetto, among other modes of singing.

 

Other modes of singing higher require you to contain the higher air pressure, internally. Classical techniques achieve this through very precise control at the diaphragm. More contemporary techniques place more emphasis on blocking the pressure by tightening the vocal cord closure. The former leads to an open throat sound, and the latter to "edgy" or "gritty" sound. They have very different characteristics. Take your pick. People will argue from dawn to dusk about which is superior. I am biased towards the open throat sound.

 

You can google or youtube "singing support" for the fundamentals of singing higher. Personally,I found videos by Franco Tenelli and Michael Trimble particularly useful.

 

When you sing a lower note, you are still singing all the higher harmonics of that note. So, learning to sing higher improves your low notes, as well. In fact, singing any note, helps improve your whole range.

 

Sorry, I can't tell what voice classification you may eventually have, but I couldn't hear anything that suggested you cannot sing low or high. Your voice sounds capable, imo.

[Jackolson]

Q: “Can I sing?”

 

 

A: I would say yes, you can sing. I’m not going to tell you that you sound great right now, but you sound like you have a voice and that you have potential for a sweet voice if you learn how to use it effectively. The best way I can describe your sound is as inconsistent. You see… Singing is like lifting weights at the gym, the more you do it correctly the stronger and better you get at it. From the recordings, I can tell you have potential because there were moments where you sounded really good. However, there were also many moments where you fell off the pitch or just weren't projecting enough so your voice sounded weak.

 

 

 

Q: “What can I improve”

 

 

A: Like I said, to me it sounds like you haven’t quite learned the fundamentals of singing technique so first I’d like to say that if you’re serious about learning how to sing, I strongly encourage you to seek help from a good vocal coach or to follow a singing program to learn how to sing in a healthy way. Singing technique will not only help you sing better and for a longer time, but it’ll also help you avoid bad habits that might prevent you from singing at your best. If you want to learn on your own time, I’d suggest checking out The Four Pillars of Singing as it has tons of videos and exercises to help you learn how to sing from the basics (this course is particularly good if you’re trying to sing contemporary music and not classical music).

 

 

Other than professional help, I suggest you do some breathing exercises and vocalize to improve breath support, pitch, and vocal placement. Research the following and you should be able to improve your singing as a whole:

 

• Straw phonation exercises to get the feeling of breath flow and support. You can start by filling up a glass with some water, taking your straw, and then simply start blowing some bubbles for as long as you can. Alternatively, you could practice with no water by singing through the straw from low to high and vice versa through your entire range (this should release vocal fold tension and help you find a good resonant placement for singing).
  

 

 

• For placement you want your voice to sit forward so a good exercise would be to practice singing onsets (basically, the first note of every phrase you sing). A good onset makes your singing easier because it sets your body up with enough breath, proper support, enough compression, and everything you need to make it through a phrase.
  

 

 

Q:”what’s my voice type”

 

 

A: As of right now I’d just call you undefined. Your voice right now sits within the Baritone range but your tone neither your range nor your tone sound sound developed so you could be anything at this point. Plus, if you’re trying to sing contemporary music your “voice type” doesn’t mean anything really so I wouldn’t even worry about it. Just focus on making the most out of the voice you have and you’ll improve!

 

 

Good luck and hope this helps!