Members b_f_c_99 Posted April 8, 2009 Members Share Posted April 8, 2009 Any thoughts or advice? I can sing on key (voice is weak and I really don't like the sound of it) when I'm playing acoustic or electric guitar when the volume is low. But if I try to sing with my band the drums bass other instruments start I can't hear myself (even with vocal monitors) I can play the song and know the words but it almost feels like i'm totally hammered drunk. The louder I try to get the worse it gets. Man does this make any sense at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jersey Jack Posted April 8, 2009 Members Share Posted April 8, 2009 It happens all the time. There are likely two reasons: 1. Nerves: Singing with other musicians supporting you is always more stressful than singing alone with your acoustic. 2. Monitors: I know you say you already have monitors, but you also say you can't hear yourself, so, ipso facto, your monitors are not adequate. You can always ask the band to turn down (), but even if they agree, the volume will creep back up, probably very soon. The only other alternative is ramping up your monitors. Turn 'em up; if necessary, invest in bigger, more powerful monitors. Another commandment of the vocal world: You deserve to hear yourself. Your guitarists would never dream of playing with two or three strings missing. You shouldn't agree to sing without being able to hear yourself. Period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grace_slick Posted April 9, 2009 Members Share Posted April 9, 2009 Something that MAY also contribute to this, besides the previously mentioned very true reasons, is that when the band begins, you either consciously or unconsciously try and push your voice to be louder (especially as you say it's weak) to compensate for the other loud noise going on, and this can throw out your tuning if you don't have the right technique yet to get a loud and projected voice, even if you could still hear yourself ok. You know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members b_f_c_99 Posted April 9, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 9, 2009 So after spending some time reading through the forum I think I might have discovered something. First let me state that I spent about 6 months working my butt off with Brett Mannings program, and I mean I worked and worked.Nothing, well I could do the exercises along with the scales pretty well but not a bit of it translated into being able to sing, voice still weak and airy, never could figure out this natural resonance thing trying to sing at speech level. So I tried just getting loud just took aaaaaaaaaaaaah and just ramped it up in volume kinda messed around with the feelling in my throat face ect and BAM I kick into this LOUD as in hurt my ears loud tone and it feels like my whole face is just vibrating. And its not hurting my throat in fact it was very easy to doonly thing that hurt were my ears, the sound was coming from inside my head as well from outside. Is that what i'm looking for or am I doing something crazy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Consume Posted April 10, 2009 Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 So after spending some time reading through the forum I think I might have discovered something. First let me state that I spent about 6 months working my butt off with Brett Mannings program, and I mean I worked and worked. Nothing, well I could do the exercises along with the scales pretty well but not a bit of it translated into being able to sing, voice still weak and airy, never could figure out this natural resonance thing trying to sing at speech level. So I tried just getting loud just took aaaaaaaaaaaaah and just ramped it up in volume kinda messed around with the feelling in my throat face ect and BAM I kick into this LOUD as in hurt my ears loud tone and it feels like my whole face is just vibrating. And its not hurting my throat in fact it was very easy to do only thing that hurt were my ears, the sound was coming from inside my head as well from outside. Is that what i'm looking for or am I doing something crazy? Nope, nothing crazy. That's it. I would suggest that you get a V.A.M., that way you don't have to rely on the monitors and you will be able to hear yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members romvert Posted April 10, 2009 Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 Start at band practice with a good monitor, on a stand at head level. Make sure you get a good mix between your monitor and the gtr, keys, bass. If you use in ears, you'll have to get a separate mixer for it in order to get a good mix. The other thing is experience; you just have to get out there (practice, small gigs, etc) and let 'er rip. That's how you'll get what's going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members b_f_c_99 Posted April 10, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 Thanks again guys! I never could see how the whole speech level thing would work, its alot easier to hold notes ect with lots of volume. Now that I know what to listen for I really hear the same tonal resonance in pretty much all singing. I'd say that trying to sing along with cd's at speech level volumeshas really set me back. I'd pretty much given up singing figured I just didn't have the voice or whatever magic there is for it. Had a girl singing with my group for a while and she really just belted stuff out, that is what got me thinking that i'd been going about this all wrong. She is very soft spoken but once she started she could sing right over the top of full drums no problem. I asked her if this was killing her voice, just smiled and said nope....... Any other tips would be appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dthraco Posted April 10, 2009 Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 And the more you sing at volume, the stronger your muscles will become. Volume in a band situation is something that you should definitely pay attention to. Monitors at head level, or high enough so you can hear yourself helps a ton. Next somes the gig where you can only hear yourself out of the mains. Now that is fun. (joke) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jersey Jack Posted April 10, 2009 Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 I'm happy that this worked for you, but I would add a caution that singing louder is not going to be the right thing for everyone. I have a natural tendency to belt--my vocal teacher would say I have two dynamic levels, loud and louder. Only when I made a concerted effort to cultivate a softer, more speaky tone as my foundation did I begin to notice significant improvement. Belting introduces brashness (very appropriate sometimes, but not always) and it can limit one's dynamic range. I'm certain it was the right thing for you, but others may find it a problem rather than a solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members b_f_c_99 Posted April 10, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 We'll see how it works out Jersey, heck I might just sing like crap louder but anything has to be better than where I am! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dthraco Posted April 10, 2009 Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 Sage advice Jack. Totally agree, there is definitely a volume limit before things get distorted. One way to test this will be to sing in a small room (bathroom or the like). Get yourself a good strong volume and then figure out what level you start to loose the qualities you are striving for. If you do that there, it will be easier to try to get the band rehearsal levels at the appropriate settings. Trying to get that set at rehearsal will be a bit more difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members b_f_c_99 Posted April 10, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 Think I also need to fire up my recording studio and just try some stuff out from really damn loud and down, then compare it to my airy weak attempts, i've been discouraged for so long I will really have to prove to myself that there is hope. Funny though I can pull out some recordings I made 20 years ago on my 4-track (dating myself here) and managed some ok vocal performances, But I can also remember I just shotgunned a few beers and pretty much yelled them out. I'm really starting to think that as I became older and more civilized (as in worried about what people thought) I really set myself back. Don't get me wrong I still sang bad back then, just not as bad. I'm thinking this Roger Kains Vocal Workout might help, he seems to advocate getting loud! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dthraco Posted April 10, 2009 Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 Bottom line is that you CAN do it. You just have to learn how to play the instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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