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Location: Cork, Ireland | Many of those posting on the topic "Opinions on Singing and Playing" (http://www.ovationfanclub.com/cgi-bin/ubb/non-cgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=017189;p=1 ) made reference to their own singing ability - many seem to be in the same boat as me i.e. have spent (some) effort working on guitar technique (and buying guitars) but little or none on singing. Any suggestions on how one would improve one's singing? Excercises? Worth taking singing lessons? If the voice is an instrument, is it possible to make it a better one (akin to adjusting the action on your guitar for example)? |
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Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Singing helps, apparently.
I've just gotta do it more to see if it works. |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | hire one. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Just kidding.
It's really like the playing, you just gotta keep doing it till you get better.
I'm signed up for the Swannanoa Gathering here in NC next week for a bunch of guitar classes, one of which is vocals. We'll see if they offer any advice.
Other than that, sing in your car all the time. |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . I'm signed up for the Swannanoa Gathering here in NC next week for a bunch of guitar classes, one of which is vocals . ."
AttaBoy!!!
(Wish I could come down for that . . .)
What Beal(and Darby) sed:
"Practice!Practice!Practice!! . . . ."
Singing in the car does help, brcause you're in a pretty confined space and you can hear every nuance (be it good or bad).
Get a tape recorder, pick a tune y'wanna' do, and just continually HAMMER away at it repeatedly.
You'll "get it" eventually, and then just move on to the "NextOne". Just ask Brad about "TwoOfUs" . . .
Working on the tune with a mic & monitor really helps too. Getting a tune "down" in your living room is one thing, but the techniques you use there don't ALWAYS work-out in a "live" situation accompanied by other instruments. If this isn't routinely possible (and it deeply PAINS me to say this), . . . go to a local KaraokeNight(ugh!). |
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Posts: 43
| I worked with a voice coach for about a year when I lived in New Jersey. She was an opera singer by profession. I learned so much from her. She really stretched me. I am a baritone and she got me to the point where I could hit High F - F#. I can't do that now. E is my limit and it's a stretch.
As a finale to the lessons we performed a recital. The pianist was the house pianist from Carnegie Hall. He suggested I attend an audition because he liked my voice. I declined because I didn't want to sing opera. I sing gospel, folk, country, and bluegrass. Opera's a lot of work. |
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Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Voice lessons will help teach you to sing correctly with proper technique, and joining a formal singing group conducted by someone trained in vocal conducting and performance (like a church or community choir) will also help, but in the end, much of it depends upon your own skill and voice. Some folks can do it by just listening and mimicking others. Most can't. |
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Location: NJ | smoke 3 packs a day.
drinnk a bottle of southern comfort or jack daniels every day |
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Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | One thing that I'm learning is that you've got to learn to listen to yourself either thru moniters or thru recording and not wince. Nobody sounds like what they think they sound like. Just because you "think" you can sing, it doesn't mean that you can (as I am painfully finding out)..... |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Don't drink lots of coffee for 30 years like I did. When you sing in the car or along with someone, don't turn the volume up so high you have to shout. You've got to be able to hear yourself, and as Moody said, you will sound different to yourself than to everyone else. There are bunches of choirs that are in need to male singers. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Gerbils. |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | It's also important to know your range and sing songs that fit into it (or get some training that will expand it). |
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Location: NJ | ". . (or get some training that will expand it) . ."
. . and once again, it's back to "Gerbils". |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Originally posted by cliff:
". . (or get some training that will expand it) . ."
. . and once again, it's back to "Gerbils". ...so THAT'S how you hit those high notes on "Ramble On" |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | A little 9 volt battery works too.
Picked up the idea from an old war/spy movie.... |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | A couple of my friends sing really well. They have told me to sing a lot every day, drink lots of water, and one of them said that if you lie down flat on your back on the floor, it forces you to use your diaphram correctly. I haven't tried it yet. |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Originally posted by CanterburyStrings:
and one of them said that if you lie down flat on your back on the floor, it forces you to use your diaphram correctly. I haven't tried it yet. ...didn't work for Britney |
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Location: big island | that is one of the techniques andrea bocelli uses during his practices |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | The big no no for me is drinking milk or smoking. Too much phlegm with the milk, and smoking dries out my voice.
On a day to day basis, just practice. Play songs with words and sing. It's more fun. |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . that is one of the techniques andrea bocelli uses during his practices . ."
. . that, and searching for his sheet music . . . |
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Posts: 1225
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Originally posted by cliff:
". . that is one of the techniques andrea bocelli uses during his practices . ."
. . that, and searching for his sheet music . . . It wasn't a matter of who, just a matter of when ... |
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Location: Bluffton, SC | "It wasn't a matter of who, just a matter of when ..."
:D |
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Location: NJ | (shrug) |
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Location: SE Michigan | I took some voice lessons a few years ago. While I am still far from being a great lead vocalist, I can do passable backing vocals and can sing fairly presentable leads for songs that are "in my wheel-house". Here is what I have learned:
(1) Record yourself and note what sounds good and what sounds bad. Pay attention! Many players are so focused on the guitar that they treat singing as an after thought. Put down the guitar if you have to.
(2) Many people have a tendency to back away or sing softer during parts that are difficult for them, kind of as a way to minimize the damage so to speak. This has the opposite effect and actually make you sound worse. Dive in and really try to add some extra punch to the parts that are difficult for you.
(3) Pay attention to how you enunciate you words and syllables. Slurring and mumbling only make you sound crappy. This was a big issue for me personally.
(4) Pay attention to breathing, and make sure you suck in enough air to get you through the tough and extended parts where you need the extra punch.
(5) Practice often, Like Cliff said, sing in the car. Sing in the shower. Sing during sex (it will impress your partner, especially if you sing opera). The more you sing the better you will become. Try to learn to do harmonies and backing vocals. Maybe you will never be a front man but everyone appreciates good backing vocals.
(6) Find out what your range is what songs suit your style. You will only cause yourself (and others) pain trying to sing songs that you have no business attempting. Don't be afraid to change the key of a song if it helps. But most of all learn what songs are suited to your abilities and focus your efforts there.
This being said, I have come to recognize that being a great vocalist involves genetics and you must at least (in part) be born with the talent. The rest of us can practice and be passable singers, just don't get discouraged if you can't sing like a gifted professional. |
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Posts: 247
Location: Delaware | Brian T makes some great points in his reply, stay in your range, change the key, tune dowm 1/2 step, capo up and vocal down, whatever combo might make it do-able . Enunciate the words and learn the breathing pattern for the song (usually requires as much practice as learning the git part). Feel it, let it out, have fun, amaze yourself !! |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | When I'm in Florida I practice in my down stairs bathroom, a small room and I can hear the singing and guitar coming back off the walls to me. It helps, plus those of you who have seen it know it's a cool room. The other thing is watch yourself in the mirror, it keeps you from getting into weird habits and making faces to hit high notes.
It's easier to sing standing up although what Alison said about being on your back to get the diaphram working is correct. I haven't done that yet either. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | I just got done pulling out my Shure SM59 and hooking it up to my Crate so I can hear myself when I sing. That, with lots of practice (and maybe some lessons) is the only way to improve..... |
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Posts: 3969
| Beal, do you get harmonics from the Resos? |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | sometimes! |
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Posts: 843
Location: CA | My singing rules to live by:
* I confine 'live' performances to songs that don't have a lot of (singing) range, such as anything by Dire Straits or ZZ Top.
* I don't try anything requiring more range unless I'm having a shower or a few beers. Or a few beers in the shower. Then I sound REALLY good. |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | For all you people back East, or in SF... Subway stations have great acoustics.
For the rest of us, it's Parking Garages and the shower.
A few beers help, but it is better if the audience has a few as well...
Pick songs that the audience will sing along to... That covers alot of evils. |
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Posts: 486
Location: North Carolina | Sing a lot and often. LIKE to sing; don't approach it as a chore.
Yes, you can make the instrument better. Make recordings of yourself and listen to them. Don't ask, "Is it good?" Ask, "Does it sound professional. Zero in on those points that don't and ask why they don't. Work on those areas.
Sing songs that stretch your abilities, not necessarily for performance but as an exercise. I periodically make sure I'm up to snuff on "Bring Him Home" (from Les Miserables) I never perform it, but I sing it a lot. |
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March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | Thanks all - lots of answers. Outside of gerbils, the gist of your advice seems to be to do it often (!) and listen to yourself do it (!!) I will! |
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January 2002
Posts: 386
Location: nyc area | Lie on the floor on your back... this teaches you where breath support is... you an only sing correctly when you do this... scat while you improvise solos... above all, singing is like acting with pitch... you need to sell the listener the lyric... think about what the lyrics say, speak it with as much passion as you can, then apply the same principle when singing... cover one ear canal with a finger when singing, it will help control pitch. |
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February 2004
Posts: 2487
| Good point Matt......Hearing yourself is sometimes very difficult on stage. Monitors are so hard to hear when volumes change on instruments. When you can't hear yourself vocals will suffer it is just a human limitation. I am experimenting with some ear buds right now I find once the band gets cranked up to 10 after midnight I can't really tell what my acoustic sounds like either so I am trying to get a bud working in one ear for my guitar and one for my vocals. Until I can work this out I keep a good set of shooting ear plugs and often use one to help me keep in tune. |
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Posts: 665
Location: Tychy, Poland | you can always buy this:
antares auto tune |
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October 2007
Posts: 283
Location: Portland, OR | Sing from the gut, not the throat. Always think "round sound" and do not forget to open up your mouth. I've been doing choir stuff a lot longer than guitar, but I do think that playing helps you feel the song better. No matter who you are, you're going to have some bad days resulting from who knows what, but the answer for those days is practice, practice, practice. |
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Posts: 888
Location: Louisville, OH 44641 | Garge with old razor blades. It worked for the Three Stooges. |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Originally posted by alpep:
smoke 3 packs a day.
drink a bottle of southern comfort or jack daniels every day The only advice worth heeding! :cool: |
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March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | Ah yes, there is an electronic answer to every problem. What the heck is a "Variable Knee Compressor" |
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How to be a better singer