Help, I'm boring - how can I improve?

thecolourbox · August 2019

Thought the dramatic title may help

The usual feedback I get when I play anywhere or share recordings with people is that I'm boring and the songs are dour. When I did a few recordings and sent them to my dad, proud as anything, he took two months (bearing in mind I see him weekly...) to get around to saying "thought you were going through one of your depressive phases again so didn't want to say anything".

And to be honest, I understand why people say I'm boring - my voice isn't very exciting and a bit nasally, and my guitar playing isn't amazing, or when I play piano and sing instead, I do bore myself a bit. But other people seem to have nasal and introverted voices, or aren't that good at guitar, and they manage to be interesting, with a bit of excitement or edge to what they are doing, a bit more engaging.

So, anybody got any tips on what I might need to do to get there? I'd like to get into doing open mic nights where it would just be me and a guitar or keyboard, so tips related to that kind of set up would be great! It's the same whether it's covers or originals, so I know it's not necessarily the songs as the covers I've done have been generally accepted good songs.

Some of it is probably because I can't fully seem to let go as I don't have the control to do so, and because I don't 100% believe in the music I have to do because of my vocal constraints, ie I can't do the White Stripes, Strokes or Yeah Yeah Yeah songs I like to listen to and play because my voice doesn't work in those scenarios. So it could just be a conviction thing, I dunno.

Also, if the only way to improve is with confidence, then I may have to accept (aka give up) that I can't do it. Also playing with anybody else is out of the question due to time and personality constraints unfortunately.

Here's a couple of songs to illustrate my point, one original and one cover:

Thank you everyone

darthed1981 · August 2019

thecolourbox said:
The usual feedback I get when I play anywhere or share recordings with people is that I'm boring and the songs are dour....

People can be cunts sometimes, never forget that. One person's boring is another person's interesting.

I listened to your original, I thought it was very good, honestly.

I didn't listen to your Ryan Adams cover, cos I've got a young daughter

Edit: you did ask how you can improve, so I'd say believe in yourself a bit more, theres a nice little melodic phrase in there where you work the title in that's reminiscent of something the Smiths or Blur might do, put a bit more emphasis on it because it's a very nice hook.

Lestratcaster · August 2019

I listened to the original, and its quite good, nice melody and suited the style of the music. I wouldn't have said its boring though.

If I was to offer any critique it'd be to maybe open up the range a bit, I presume you're not confident in going full belt and going into higher notes? Also some backing vocals (harmonies) would help (not sure if there are any on there) but it'd be hard to replicate live if you're performing alone.

The other thing would be varying the phrases rhythmically, so starting on different parts of the bar and trying different rhythms.

LastMantra · August 2019

I like your voice. Quite soulful.

Winny_Pooh · August 2019

I thought the original was fine. The main thing is the singing, it's adequate but very unschooled and uncontrolled. If you put the hours in there over the next few months then it'd make a huge difference to the quality and your confidence. When you get good enough you can then write stuff in the genre you like that fits your range and make it work. Even Billy Corgan could do it. P.M me and I can share a vocal training course with you.

BahHumbug · August 2019

You’ve mentioned wanting to do open mics, and I would definitely say go for it. Big style if you’ve got the time. If you can get out and perform, and keep performing, it will sharpen you up and it will improve your confidence.
Open mics are also good for learning from watching other people.There are good performers out there, and there are also bad ones, who might not realise it. You can learn from all of them.
I have one tip for your singing.......listening to music is an emotional experience, so the emotional content is important. As a songwriter you can write emotion into your lyrics, but as a singer you can’t necessarily depend on the lyrics to convey that emotion, you need to try to convey the emotional stuff in your singing. Performing live will help you to develop that.

Modulus_Amps · August 2019

Ok, I thought it was a tad boring, but not in a bad way, I would not choose to listen to it in the car on a long trip, but if it came on in the right moment in life/a movie it would probably be epic... I just don't think it is music for all the time if that makes sense... and that is OK.

Vocals could be sharper as Winny said above, this is probably the biggest thing for me

Guitars sounded ok, but I couldn't help wonder if the guitar could provide more depth / air to the track

Some nice hooks in the track, they sound better on second listen

thecolourbox · August 2019

Thank you all for your comments, very kind and much appreciated. I was not fishing for compliments but for constructive criticism of what I might need to work on to improve.

I have been practising the technique of the vocals recently, especially breathing (as that's what causes the wobble) but also extending my range a bit - I can now reach a Bb above middle C whilst breathing in and out as I've been learning a song to push that up. I'm not always happy with the tone of my high notes but hopefully as you guys have said, some proper guidance might help with that. Agree that the two examples above show my lack of control, which in turn makes me sound a bit wobbly and therefore potentially unsure, which does not then convey the conviction in what I'm doing.

Bit wary of changing things too much though as I don't mind the basic tone of my voice (albeit it doesn't suit the music I like), and I've found in the past instrumental lessons have only ever achieved changing my playing to somebody else's style.

I did a lot of classical piano when I was younger and played mostly the grand romantic era type stuff (Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninov), and learnt how to channel the emotion and expression in that quite well. But sadly that does not translate very well to modern music! Unless anybody knows of any crossovers which work. Not to mention my lack of competence compared to my piano days when I was fairly decent.

One suggestion I'd been given was to go all out and embrace the "depressive" music (I suppose downbeat is the diplomatic word!) and try to do something completely out there. I'm quite into Radiohead and Jeff Buckley at the moment and feel I could find some common ground there maybe, and at least get that out of my system? I'm never going to be able to make happy music because I'm a miserable sod but maybe getting a full on dirge out of my system might help me find some interest elsewhere.

Time is against me admittedly as the only free time I get to practise is before the Mrs comes home, when really I should be cooking the dinner lol. That's why the singing has improved as I can do that at any time whilst doing other stuff, nothing to plug in and connect up etc.

roberty · August 2019

I listened to your original and was prepared for the worst having read the description. I think you need to back yourself mate, it's a good song and I'd say the delivery is honest and plaintive. I'm guessing your old man doesn't listen to 6 music lol

I've been singing for years and recently I had a couple of sessions with a vocal coach, which has helped in unexpected ways. You can save a lot of time by having someone point you in the right direction I think

edit: my parents have never liked any of my music, even the song that was played on radio 1

Modulus_Amps · August 2019

My singing improved the most when I used to practice in the car on the way to and from work, by practice I don't mean singing along with CD's. Warm up, work on scales etc

I don't drive to work anymore.... I shan't be singing in public anytime soon

roberty · August 2019

Modulus_Amps said:

My singing improved the most when I used to practice in the car on the way to and from work, by practice I don't mean singing along with CD's. Warm up, work on scales etc

I don't drive to work anymore.... I shan't be singing in public anytime soon

Yeah the car is about the only place I'll do it. I use my mate's little drum studio sometimes too

EricTheWeary · August 2019

If it isn't for an audience just do what makes you happy. My idea of playing the guitar these days is half an hour of delay noises, it's mildly therapeutic but I don't expect anyone else to listen to it.

Beyond that I think what makes the difference in elevating a song is arrangement - I mean this in a broad sense of song structure, dynamics, musical arrangements. A song can have very simple elements and simple musicianship, limited vocals but the right arrangement lifts it. In many ways that's the history of pop music. If a Katy Perry song is the same 4 chords over and over that's not what you ear picks up on - the intro sounds different to the verse sounds different to the chorus, there is use of dynamics, the structure is simple enough to follow but not so simple it's just repetition. Very hard to get a song like that to work strummed on an acoustic guitar, at which point you'd need to think about extending the harmony, being more vocally dynamic,etc.
Technique ( vocally or an instrument) is one aspect of making something interesting but there are a lot of others.

EricTheWeary · August 2019

Apart from my above waffle I think sending someone a link and hoping they'll be impressed almost never works. They want to be overwhelmed whereas that's often not how we discover music that we like.

Funkfingers · August 2019

EricTheWeary said:

They want to be overwhelmed whereas that's often not how we discover music that we like.

"Overwhelmed" may be overstating the case but listeners definitely require a blend of familiarity and novelty plus reasons to continue listening. That could be a catchy melodic hook, a strong lyric narrative or, ideally, both.

thecolourbox · August 2019

Funkfingers said:

EricTheWeary said:

They want to be overwhelmed whereas that's often not how we discover music that we like.

"Overwhelmed" may be overstating the case but listeners definitely require a blend of familiarity and novelty plus reasons to continue listening. That could be a catchy melodic hook, a strong lyric narrative or, ideally, both.

And less reverb

EricTheWeary · August 2019

Funkfingers said:

EricTheWeary said:

They want to be overwhelmed whereas that's often not how we discover music that we like.

"Overwhelmed" may be overstating the case but listeners definitely require a blend of familiarity and novelty plus reasons to continue listening. That could be a catchy melodic hook, a strong lyric narrative or, ideally, both.

Overwhelmed was probably the wrong word but when you send somebody a link it raises more expectations than a tune they might have stumbled across themselves so it's already got the cards stacked against it.

Cirrus · August 2019

@EricTheWeary ; is bang on - when you play someone a song, I used to imagine it was a humble offering that would be received with care. It's actually the emotional equivalent of turning up to dinner uninvited, and bringing some hobos you found on the way.

And there is NOTHING on this earth worse than playing something you wrote to your own family.

thecolourbox · August 2019

Ha yes that's true - I didn't expect them to love the styles of music I'd done but I did kind of hope for some support and as my dad is musical as well, at least a bit of feedback! I don't really have friends to test stuff on (due to the above mentioned personality constraints) so it seemed the best move. I know now I was wrong and they don't even know I'm still playing and singing now

I'm taking what you guys are saying on board and I think it kind of makes sense that my lack of technique breeds a lack of confidence which makes me sound even worse. Conviction seems to be the key - believe what you're doing and do what you believe. But I can't get confidence or belief without getting better so I need to concentrate on that first and foremost so the vocal exercises will be making a reappearance.

I'm also going to practise by singing along to recordings of my playing rather than trying to improve at both simultaneously.

Jeff Buckley's Sine album is helping a lot

Mark1960 · August 2019

Some interesting comments above which on the whole I tend to agree with. The original I have to say it's not my usual type of music so I'm perhaps not the best judge but FWIW.... It's well produced, arrange, and performed, and warm and fluffy, but on it's own IMHO it's rather bland, and does not draw me in. As a backing track to a film, maybe, but on it's own not for me. On the plus side I liked your playing, and your voice. If you find the right songs to suit your voice, then I think you would go down well at an open mic gig.

Branshen · August 2019

Wait is a good song. It is a genre that I would listen to. Drum panning is really extreme and I'd tone that down. The playing could be a bit more polished and the production could be a bit more refined, but I'd say its 85% there.

You're far from boring, I'd be pleased if I made that track and ecstatic if I wrote that song.

randerson · August 2019

thecolourbox said:

Also, if the only way to improve is with confidence, then I may have to accept (aka give up) that I can't do it.

In a nutshell this ^^^ . Do the absolute opposite of this and then get back to us in about 2/3 years time. Just work harder at it and don't stop. Here is how I would go about it:

Get some singing lessons and practice developing your voice like you do guitar. Practice 20-30mins per day.
Write a new song every week. Make each one an exercise is something new. Lyrically, harmonically, structurally, instrumentation, whatever.
Listen to new artists and genres as a discipline.
Don't play your stuff to people who know you too closely personally. It is difficult for them to separate you from the art and other issues may cloud their judgement. In fact I wouldn't bother with caring what people think at this stage (if at all). In the words of Warhol, "Make art. While others are deciding whether it is art or not, make more art".

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Help, I'm boring - how can I improve?

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