Crazy ideas for getting the right sound when singing

Well, you know how I have issues getting a really strong, metal-type sound when I sing? And I don’t mean metal as in HEAVY metal, I just mean a sort of hold and anchoring sound…and the same sound I have when singing low…I want that sound when I sing mid and higher too, and stronger notes, but as yet, this has completely escaped me.

Anyway, I was thinking…when I’m tickled or in some way shocked or suddenly uncomfortable, this voice just naturally comes out. VERY loud, strong, and what I want for singing those types of louder and rockier songs…so. I had an idea which I’ll implement once I’ve recovered from being sick, which is…

I’m gonna get a pack of frozen peas & corn (currently in our freezer awaiting eating), and shove it at my bare stomach when I want to do belting type notes. Yep. Then the challenge will just be to SING those “notes” I’m sure to shout. Lol.

Has anyone ever done anything strange and/or silly like this to get a sound? Sung while hanging upside down, suspended from the ceiling? Sitting with your head in a toilet bowl for “acoustics”, etc? lol.

One of the strengthening exercises is to pretend you're shouting to someone across the street who's stealing your neighbors car lol "Hey You" - you don't need a specific note. You just shout it - maybe 4 or 5 times max. Shouting comes from your belly (in theory). So if you were to build a song with that in mind....

Yes, that is also what I want to do...except I have some sort of stupid mental block and feel weird shouting when I'm alone at home...I fear neighbours can hear me...*groan* At least with the frozen peas & corn, it'd be a physical thing to MAKE me be loud unconsciously for that second, you know? The shock of it, etc?

This exactly. Just make use of your lower abdomen on the "Hey". The downward support really helps on those belt notes. I found that the more I practiced this the less "ab support" I needed...it becomes second nature. You don't wanna be on stage and have a nice loud belt coming up and have to rely on a bag of frozen peas...although that would make a rather interesting show

Well, I AM an interesting gal. LOL Every rockier song I'd do on stage would require a whole crew of drones to run at me armed with frozen peas, corn and carrots to shove into my stomach. It'd give Lady Gaga's antics a run for their money, eh!? lol

There's your gimmick, instead of a meat suit...yours can be frozen vegetables! lol

I am 90% vegetarian so it makes sense. lol

I suggest you have a friend over to put the cold stuff on you, because just like it's hard to tickle oneself, the shock would probably be greater if you close your eyes and let your friend decide when the time comes, you know?

u need anger

in your soul

to unleash the power

of rock n roll

have a steak it will put hair on your chest

LOL WTH hell is "90% vegetarian"? Isnt that kind of like being 90% pregnant? Either you are or you arent :-)

90 % pregnant could mean many different and strange things, but 90 % vegetarian is probably that 90 % of the total food mass is non-meat, or that 90 % of the total time spent eating is spent eating non-meat.

So, I'd love to hear what you guys tried ? I like the peas and corn idea

Hmm, thinking back I may have done a stupid thing or two trying to achieve something with my voice... like trying to physically squeeze my throat to achieve higher notes ( didn't end well ), screaming like an idiot ( an attempt to " warm up ", ended up wasting my voice ), singing while lying down ( found this absolutely useless for me ) etc.

Hey Grace! Just listened to Little Boy Blue on your soundclick profile. Is that you singing in that? Is it an original song? It's so beautiful, I absolutley love it! Amazing! Also really loving "looking for life". I assume it's you singing, and if so, you have one of the nicest voices I have ever heard.

WOW, thanks so much shaw!! Yes, it's all me. All those songs are mine, all originals. Thanks again for the compliment!!

And yes, 90% vegetarian is just that 90% of the time I eat veg food. Tofu, chickpeas, anything but meat. The other 9% is chicken and seafood and the other 1% is red meat, like once a year. lol

Grace, I think you're overthinking this. LOL

I think your voice is fine. There's nothing wrong with it. But I'm guessing you want to get a more "balanced" and even tone in your voice, judging from what you're saying.

I have this same issue. I want my higher notes to sound more full, similar to the tone of my lower notes, but if I drag up the weight to my upper range then singing gets more difficult and the voice wears out quicker.

However there are vocal exercises that help to balance the voice more from high range to low range. And btw, lately I realized something new, lately I've been singing mainly in my middle range and I noticed that my voice is becoming more balanced and takes less effort. You could try these and see how it goes.

Yeah, I avoid the mid ranges. I find I just don't know how to do it there...the low and the high are ok...totally different but ok. lol

You should probably work on your mid range.

The singer Joan Sutherland once said that the middle register is the MOST important register. She said that if the middle register was good then the low and high registers will follow.

My first teacher had me do that. I didn't have Grace's lovely head voice, and was trying to sing breathy in my chest voice, because I thought it sounded purty lol. So he says, that's your voice?? then has me shout HEY which I was very good at. What an eye opener! So we worked on my chest voice and that's basically what I used the next 30 years. He had me singing Italian art songs in my upper but I never did get the two registers together.

I don't even know if I could even shout HEY properly...I think I have a total block, which is why I'd need physical things like frozen peas and being tickled...I'm so inhibited in terms of shouting (except when actually angry, but then it's like a switch comes on and I become a monster, and I can't replicate that feeling when I'm NOT angry. I have temper issues sometimes but mostly I'm a nice gal, lol) that one time we'd got out of a cab, went to get our 6 bags of groceries out of the boot (trunk in America), and the driver went to drive off. I didn't shout then...my partner did and she's way quieter than me. I would've let him drive off, then had to call the cab company to get them returned, all cause I have this MENTAL BLOCK!!!!

Thank you for that. (are you the one I was rude to way back and got your name wrong? If so, I'm sorry)