Will1402

Hi Olem, thanks for listening and for your comments!   Robert, the new content looks great. Just been looking at the information for it on the site. I've got a holiday to the US for my sister's wedding to save up for in the immediate future, but I may well aim to pick up the updates in the Summer (and hopefully some lessons). Been using the Pillars exercises today, my job involves quite a bit of driving so a great chance to get some training in! 

Hi Robert, thank you very much - that really means a lot, especially coming from yourself. I love Ian Gillan too so if I sound anything like him then I'll gladly take that as a compliment! Training with Four Pillars has been really beneficial, it's an amazing programme. I have mainly used it by working through as many of the Vocalize Demonstrations (which I have on my iPod) as time will allow. I probably now need to use it in a more organized way as your book directs, but I have been doing the Foundation Building Routine at the beginning a lot, and it has really helped a lot in opening up my range and finding head voice properly. I am certainly interested in any updates, or if you have advice as to which specific exercises from Pillars that might be the most beneficial in helping build strength and stamina in a more 'belty' configuration in that higher part of the range (particularly between the G4 and C5), for the Dio/Gillan/Dickinson powerful sound. I find that at the moment I can find it for a while but my stamina and/or strength needs working on somewhat. Thank you again Robert, I really appreciate your comments.

Thank you simba. Yes The first one I recorded very basically straight onto the soundcloud app on my phone and played guitar and sang at the same time. Second one I recorded on a DAW on my laptop, did the guitar first to a click track and then overdubbed the vocals using the same mic for both (Rode NT1-A), so the sound is a bit more polished generally.

Thanks Ron, I really appreciate you taking the time to check it out. Yeah I don't mind if it doesn't sound close to Dio's actual sound (though he's probably my favourite singer) if it sounds decent in itself. Thanks man!

Ok here's another version - this one's a bit of a 'cleaner' listen as I multi-tracked the guitar separately and used a condenser mic on everything, with a bit of fairly standard processing. I know it's not amazing but I think the best bits (like the beginning of the second verse for instance) are pretty good. Other bits I know are still quite dodgy. It was more 'fatiguing' to attempt to sing more powerfully (though I didn't feel strain particularly), & I think I need to work on building stamina but I hope I'm moving in the right direction.... anyway, any comments are very welcome  

Thanks for the feedback Felipe - I really appreciate it. I think I know what you mean - thinking how to find more space and spread the sound, is this with finding greater resonance? I'm guessing trying to eliminate tension and improving embouchure may help? Anyway, thanks for taking the time to give it a listen, I'll experiment around with the tone and try and take on your feedback - will do another version when I think I have made a significant improvement. Cheers!

Thanks man, I appreciate it. Yeah it's a great song, I love all things Sabbath and Dio

Hi all, I'm a long time lurker here but first time poster. I bought Four Pillars probably about a year ago and think I've been making progress - before hitting like a A4 was a real struggle but the upper range seems to have opened up somewhat. Any feedback on this short rough recording would be great - this is just into my phone playing guitar and singing - please excuse the dodgy beginning (first couple of lines) and guitar fluffs - I was under a bit of time pressure to get this done while I had an empty house!