So after 6-7 lessons I sound like this

[SergioLeone]

(it gets loud at the end so watch your volume)

 

 

What do you guys think? Any ideas on how to improve? Should I just keep practising?

 

I'm not really happy with it. And my throat hurts. I'm doing the CVT technique (curbing). Not sure I've done this right.

[YeahDoIt]

I think you can sing better than this. Maybe you are tired. Try it again tomorrow or in a few days. Sometimes one day can make a big difference.

 

At this point I'd work with microphone and amplifier on tone, getting a sound that I like. Explore resonance, listen to the tone. There are lots of small pitch problems but I find they disappear with time and practice.

[davie]

I'm suspecting that you're singing too much with the throat. That might be why your throat hurts.

I'm not familiar with the CVT technique, but the general rule is if it feels wrong then its probably wrong.

If the technique is healthy and you're performing it properly then you shouldn't really strain your voice.

 

Maybe you can improve your singing if you focus more on breath support.

I started seeing a new voice teacher and he's always encouraging me to increase my breath energy, especially for the higher notes.

[Jersey Jack]

I agree with YeahDoIt, I get the sense that you can sing a lot better than this. It's not that your take on this track was bad, it's that it was inconsistent--you'd be doing fine for a while and then go south....

 

And Davie is right that you're singing from the throat.

 

I think that you might do a lot better immediately with some musical accompaniment. A Capella singing is very unforgiving. Get a karaoke track and add some reverb to your voice and you'll sound a lot better immediately.

 

Pronunciation has a lot to do with it as well. I noticed that you went off every time you sang the word away, and it was clear that you were moving off of the a sound into the e sound too quickly. Way is a diphthong, or combined vowel--the actual sound is ay-ee--and you didn't hold the ay part long enough. Holding an ee vowel is much more difficult.

 

So there is certainly hope. Keep it up and you'll be fine.

 

Btw, what is curbing?

[staticsound]

I think curbing is just another name for mix voice, covering, etc.

[davie]

 

I think curbing is just another name for mix voice, covering, etc.

 

 

When I hear that word 'curbing', I think about my horrible parallel parking skills. lol

[grace_slick]

LOL@davie, this is why I don't drive!

 

CVT is a method of singing or vocal teaching...I can't recall what the letters actually stand for...Complete Vocal...Technique or something I think. And I THINK it's mostly used in Europe, but I'm not sure.

 

Curbing is mixed voice I think, yeah. The other terms they use are Neutral, which is a softer, lighter more breathy voice...I sing in Neutral a LOT apparently, with only some curbing. They also use Metal...and Overdrive...and something else...some other word for the really loud powerful belting type of singing.

[SergioLeone]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

 

I'm not sure what curbing corresponds to, maybe head voice? It's a half-metallic singing mode, in the middle range? Maybe mixed lol I'm not sure. The other mode is Edge which might be belting? It's the loudest mode I think. I just started learning this stuff though so it's all new to me.

 

But yeah my throat hurt so I was sure as hell singing wrong. I have also decided to always sing with the music accompaniment. I have a fairly good tune memory, usually record songs without music. But no more of that.

 

I do better breathing though.

 

I was very rusty here, not rapped in ages and first time singing. But I felt freer singing although I wouldn't say the singing is that great. And I have problems reaching the higher note. But I'm pretty sure my throat didn't feel locked (like a knot) when singing it. But my breathing back when I recorded this song was not good. At least I didn't breathe with my diaphragm.

[SergioLeone]

There is a music course I wanna apply to and they require you to sing a song.

[YeahDoIt]

I enjoy your singing on the "Untitled 53 0.5i remix", it's pretty good.

 

I hear small pitch and timing problems in "Sunny Song & Music".

 

---

 

Last night I did this and I think I'll do it again because I seemed to focus well on my singing:

 

I was lying in bed with my amplifier next to my head, singing into the microphone, concentrating on every word, listening to pitch and tone. I could focus better, there are few distractions. It just seemed to work well last night.

[SergioLeone]

Thanks YeahDoIt

 

Yeah I have slight problem with the timing. But in general is the singing decent? And has it improved since you first heard me? I'm sure it can be improved but at this stage I don't really know how. I can fix the minor problems but any substantial improvement will need further lessons and practise.

[YeahDoIt]

I am comparing your Untitled (38).mp3 version (from your thread, 2 April 2011, http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?2764777-How-bad-am-I-at-singing) with your newer version "Sunny Song & Music" and I think you have improved. You are more on pitch now, more resonant and you just sound better.

 

At a karaoke show in a bar I think you would do well with this "Sunny" song.

 

I don't know if the recording is good enough for your course because I don't know anything about the course.

 

---

 

I don't know what it's like for others but for me singing improvement is a slow process that takes a lot of work. It's as if every syllable, every note has to be built exactly correctly, like it was a jigsaw puzzle and every piece has to fit. I think that learning how to string together those sounds is important, but I can't find any instruction on how to develop that "how to learn" skill. It starts with singing scales, learning pitch and how to sing in key. Part of it may be live practice in front of an audience - I learn volume, expression and presentation that way. Another part is blowing into my homemade Coca Cola bottle trumpet 10 minutes each day - it automatically forms posture, breathing and lung power. Another part might be going to bed with the amplifier at my head, singing into the microphone and listening carefully to the sound, getting each phrase to sound good. I sing along with professional singers, watch their videos, try to match their sounds, learn their posture and movement.

[SergioLeone]

 

I am comparing your Untitled (38).mp3 version (from your thread, 2 April 2011, http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?2764777-How-bad-am-I-at-singing ) with your newer version "Sunny Song & Music" and I think you have improved. You are more on pitch now, more resonant and you just sound better. At a karaoke show in a bar I think you would do well with this "Sunny" song. I don't know if the recording is good enough for your course because I don't know anything about the course. --- I don't know what it's like for others but for me singing improvement is a slow process that takes a lot of work. It's as if every syllable, every note has to be built exactly correctly, like it was a jigsaw puzzle and every piece has to fit. I think that learning how to string together those sounds is important, but I can't find any instruction on how to develop that "how to learn" skill. It starts with singing scales, learning pitch and how to sing in key. Part of it may be live practice in front of an audience - I learn volume, expression and presentation that way. Another part is blowing into my homemade Coca Cola bottle trumpet 10 minutes each day - it automatically forms posture, breathing and lung power. Another part might be going to bed with the amplifier at my head, singing into the microphone and listening carefully to the sound, getting each phrase to sound good. I sing along with professional singers, watch their videos, try to match their sounds, learn their posture and movement.

 

 

 

Thank you YeahDoIt I really appreciate that you take your time to reply to my posts and listen to my songs.

[Bajazz]

Curbing has nothing to do with headvoice, it's the sound through out the entire range. Curbing is a bit more compressed sound between classical clean sweet sound and slightly overdrive.

 

I think you simply have to sing a lot, and you're on a good start. If you have access to games like guitar hero (with mic), rock band and singstar, use them! They are very good at trainging phrasing and pitch accuracy.

[SergioLeone]

 

Curbing has nothing to do with headvoice, it's the sound through out the entire range. Curbing is a bit more compressed sound between classical clean sweet sound and slightly overdrive. I think you simply have to sing a lot, and you're on a good start. If you have access to games like guitar hero (with mic), rock band and singstar, use them! They are very good at trainging phrasing and pitch accuracy.

 

 

Thanks man. Doesn't Rock Band 3 have a pitch correction function? I rather turn that off if I wanna learn singing on-key.