The singing thread

Drew_TNBD

LastMantra said:

Still think that a "Dust Devil" sounds like a type of vacuum-cleaner. Must just be me 

That's precisely why I said this thread isn't about the artistic side of singing - for one I didn't write the lyrics, and two I like the original song and wanted to give it a bash.

LastMantra said:

Drew_fx said:

LastMantra said:

The dust devils swept you away...who wrote that pish?  >:D<

Nah, honestly. Sounds a tad formulaic to me Drewseph. Sounds, to me, like you are thinking about what you have been taught to do rather than getting right into the mood.

I'm in no position to judge, but that's what I think.

This thread isn't about the artistic or creative choices side of singing. It's supposed to be purely about technique, although granted there doesn't seem to be too much interest in it. Just another failed venture on the old fretboard forum I suppose! Ah well.

Fair do's mate. 

I do kind of think that it is relevant to "technique" though. I think that the main thing that is stopping you producing the sound in your head is, for want of a better word, confidence. "being in the zone", if you will. When you can forget about "technique" and just 'sing it from the heart' it will all come together. 

Probably not very helpful? :-?

Scream! Honestly, just scream for a minute. Full volume! See if you can control it in any way. Try just making lots of different noises. Gargling, wheezing, clicking, growling, howling...any and every king of sound you can get out of your mouth.  Take a deep breath in and hold an Aum for as long as you can on the exhale...Try 'vibrating' it. Plus shake/loosen off your body.

Hey what's the worst that could happen!

It does sound pretty good Drew, don't get me wrong!

This isn't me being a diva and getting offended that you didn't like it or whatever. I just think you've missed the point of the thread tbh.

And we've had the discussion before Dave, about how confidence is more important than technique and what not. I agree up to a certain point, but you'd be surprised just how much your favourite singers are using technique to basically con you into thinking that they're just up there giving it their all and living in the moment via confidence and self esteem.

It's just very - VERY - often not the case... the best singers are the ones that make the audience think they are doing something based entirely on their passion, when in reality they're following a carefully placed set of breadcrumb trails through their theoretical and technical baseline.

Screaming is actually a perfect example - if you scream in the way you're suggesting for any length of time, you will lose your voice. Screaming in a musical context takes an incredible amount of skill and technique.

Cirrus

...Which is probably why I lost my singing voice over the weekend.

Where do you even begin to scream safely? I don't know what to do differently. Teach me!

hugbot

Screaming is interesting because in some ways its so counter to normal singing. 

Its kinda like this to me: if you try and treat it as an "extra" level of overdrive on top of a sung note it doesent work. Your throat is already tense from the effort of "normal singing" and then you add the extra tension of the growl and your throat goes "fuck that" and rebels. 

The result being either a strangled yelp or if you try to push through the yelp, damage.

The trick is to think of it as being not very much like singing at all. When I'm yelling I'm dont only using the diaphram to push, I'm using the diaphram to PITCH as well, rather than pitching from my usual resonators, I'm kinda launching onto it instead. This takes the effort off my throat, freeing it up to get loose and growl.

This is why a lot of screamers have this kind of big, wide vibrato (eg, chris cornel) its because when they're going at it full tilt theres a slightly wild, uncontrolled element to guiding the sound with your diaphram rather than the usual singing resonators.

Drew_TNBD

This is the kind of thing I want to get better at when it comes to screaming:

http://picosong.com/h3AW/

LastMantra

Well pardon moi! I must have missed the rules-on-what-you-can-write-in-this-thread post :P

BTW Drew, if I thought you'd wrote it I wouldn't have taken the piss

Anyway, I'm pretty happy with my singing voice...so stuff the lot of ye! :P

I used to break it up into small pieces...a line or two even. Then, with some decent earphones, listen back (a good few times) and figure out which of the imperfections I liked/didn't like.

LastMantra

My smile is a rifle

Drew_TNBD

LastMantra said:

BTW Drew, if I thought you'd wrote it I wouldn't have taken the piss

I'd prefer even if I had that you did. At least it's honest, still not useful mind.

LastMantra

So I'm being dishonest by not taking the piss out of you for something you didn't do.  >:D<

LastMantra

Personally, I think a good primal scream from time to time would do most people the world of good... :-O

...and if you're scared you might get a wee bit hurtied...well I believe you can get some that strap on these days. :P

Drew_TNBD

LastMantra said:

Personally, I think a good primal scream from time to time would do most people the world of good... :-O

...and if you're scared you might get a wee bit hurtied...well I believe you can get some that strap on these days. :P

Primal scream therapy has been widely discredited as a load of old wobbly bollocks.

hugbot

I've never been more dissapointed by a great band name vs the actual band than Primal Scream.

Sambostar

When was the last time I screamed.  About 40 years ago?  I don't reckon I could get above falsetto though in a scream though, which to most normal people is a A0.

Stop grunting, I'm screaming...stop grunting, this is a serious scream therapy session..ugg.  Ah fuck the lot of yers.

Need more voices here?  No?  I need more materials for personal theories.

Yeah I'm happy with my voice and all, doesn't really say much anything objective though.

All I'II say is it hurts to be in the in-between, the fella who can't full on belly the low notes but can actually hit them lower than the old chesty fart in church and the true baritone who can sing something that resonates with the public ear from his chest.

LastMantra

Drew_fx said:

LastMantra said:

Personally, I think a good primal scream from time to time would do most people the world of good... :-O

...and if you're scared you might get a wee bit hurtied...well I believe you can get some that strap on these days. :P

Primal scream therapy has been widely discredited as a load of old wobbly bollocks.

Eh........thanks?  8-}

Drew_TNBD

LastMantra said:

So I'm being dishonest by not taking the piss out of you for something you didn't do.  >:D<

I never said you were being dishonest.

hugbot

Heres me practising some screamy vox and probably really annoying the neighbors

timmysoft

Here's some screaming I did a few years back, I did both the open scream and the tighter higher one too, out live I only used the higher scream as it was friendlier to my vocal chords, I could hit the scream and still join in on other backing vocals too.

Drew_TNBD

hugbot said:

Heres me practising some screamy vox and probably really annoying the neighbors

I quite like the grit on that man, I think on some parts you could dial it back a bit though and make it a bit more dynamic. The emphasis on "but who gives a..." is good. The higher parts at the end lose a little something for me (helll yeeeaaahhh) but I can't quite articulate what it is.

PS: I'd dial the reverb and delay a bit lower, or roll off on the high-end on them. Just let the main vocal part cut through a bit more.

hugbot

'who gives a shit ' is more false chord, after the 'yeahhh ' i tried to transition it more up to fry which was less than elegant I agree.

Also for the 'lost it a little bit ' you're right, I (ironically, considering the lyric) lost diapham support a little. It ought to be a more smoothly applied pressure to keep the whole phrase even, it ought to be ' ahh lost iiiiiiitt a little biiiit' instead I got caught up in the song and am spitting out the words ahead of the tempo.

LastMantra

Drew_fx said:

LastMantra said:

So I'm being dishonest by not taking the piss out of you for something you didn't do.  >:D<

I never said you were being dishonest.

I never said I don't like it :P As the song goes on you seem to relax a bit an, IMHO, it's a significant improvement. If you could come in like that it would help. Generally though I think you have a decent sounding voice...and it's definitely improving all the time. Sorry if I came across as overly harsh...thought a man of your calibre would take it in your stride.! Love you xx

Sambostar

This kid is quite helpful with his screams, rasps, files and sandpaper videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omp8I_VjSvk