Guns N' Roses - Mr. Brownstone - Vocal Cover!

[rappie92]

So I have made a cover with me singing. Its Mr.Brownstone by Guns N' Roses. I would really like to know what you guys think about this so pls leave a comment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpCn1d2M4RA

[ronws]

I see you found your way to the forum, here. For others here, this is one of the fellow fans I post with at the Guns and Roses fan forum. We are usually in the musician's section, where people can post their own performances of music. The difference is that there, there are a bunch of people with crude language and a tendency to flame. But, at the same time, it's like performing for a general audience.

Rappie, I know your using a different login here and that's cool. Fortunately, I recognized it from hearing this submission on that other forum.

What you will find different here is people serious about singing and supportive and desiring to help you in an way. Not much in the way of flaming. Over there, it's "Get in the Ring." Here, it's subdued. Feel free to comment on others. And when you receive pointers or critiques, it's meant with the best intentions. And often, people will reply from their own aesthetic, too. For example, some here think I sing too clean or don't sound "mean" enough. And that's cool.

All kinds of exercises that every one shares. The man who owns this forum and main website, which I really invite you to look at, as well, where you can showcase your stuff on your own blog-style profile page, is Robert Lunte. He has had classical voice instruction and various pop vocal instruction, including instruction from David Kyle, the man who also taught Layne Staley and Geoff Tate and Anne Wilson (of Heart) amongst others. In fact, he has expanded from that and created his own system, named the 4 pillars of Singing.

More than once, he has linked in a tutorial video to explain a concept when he could have just said, "buy the package." He walks the walk, talks the talk, lives and breathes this stuff every day, 20 hours a day, sometimes.

Resident encyclopedia Steven Fraser is classically trained and knows more about the science and anatomy of voice than any one I know of. If you can absorb 1/4 of what he says, you will know more than 97 percent of singers, known or otherwise.

We have resident rock star James Lugo, currently working with Nazareth. Lunte is also a working musician/ rock star, currently with two solo albums out.

Of the people here, you will, in fact, be the one who most sounds like Axl Rose. Axl was my inspiration to work on my range and power but even I don't sound like him the way that you do.

Mike (Snax) has given up his rock band touring days but he sounds tremendously like Rob Halford and his original music will remind you, at times, of Judas Priest and I mean that as a big compliment. He is also astounding at mixing. He mixed my "Rainbow in the Dark."

Thanos (akarwd) has every karaoke track ever made, it seems. Geno (guitartrek) does everything on his recordings. A bunch of outstanding people and you are going to learn so much just reading here. More than I could teach in the comments in the GnR forum. We all have resources and you can email us, even me, through this forum and then it continues in personal email.

I know this is more of a welcome message and probably belongs in the intro section but I am happy and excited to see you here. Of the people in the fan forum, you have what it takes. As I said, you are a natural that just needs a few pointers.

And all of us are works in progress. Even Lunte consults a vocal coach, now and then, and freely admits that. So don't feel that you need to be perfect. None of us are or ever will be. And realize, too, that when you have done the best that you can do, it is good enough, whether everyone likes it, or not.

As to the submission, I thought, as I said elsewhere, that your low and mids were spot on. The high notes just needed a smidge more breath support to give them body.

[jonpall]

Do you have a link to that GNR forum?

[ronws]

Jonpall, here's the front page.

http://www.newgnr.com/

After you have started your account, this page is what you should save and then you just log in there.

http://www.newgnr.com/forum/

Just as I warned Rappie that people here are civilized, you should know that there's a bunch of flamers there. They do it for fun. They even have a flamer's section. It's a free-for-all, it's rock and roll. Once in a while, Axl use to lurk there, just to see what the fans are up to. But not so much, as he has really become busy, with the tour and all.

A significant number of fans weren't even born when "Welcome to the Jungle" came out. And some were born around then. I'm one of the few, if not the only remaining old guy there. But they've got the fire and love the band, in all of its incarnations. And some are also fans of Slash and what he is doing. Welcome to the Jungle, it's not just a song, it's a way of life.

[rappie92]

Well it was you who told me about this forum so i thought id give it a try. And i actually thought i had the same nickname on the gnr forum but apparently i didnt :P

[Ronron]

The video wouldn't start, dear Mr 92. It's a shame, because I liked your Patience cover ;p

[rappie92]

Hmm.. you should try it again, it works perfectly for me and i havent heard anyone else having problem with it And im just glad you liked it :)

[Ronron]

AH it works now

It's good, but there is a distinct disconnect in your highest notes. It's kinda strange, but nothing too dramatic. I didn't hear anything problematic actually, though, sometimes, I can't understand what you're saying. Also, you can put up like 3689456 billion words a second, that's impressive.

I listened to your first take on it, and it sounded like it was a bit strained, so whatever you did was a step in the right direction : This one is much better, keep up the good work :)

[rappie92]

Nice!

I know have to practice my high notes. But im kinda focusing on my breath control at the moment. As i never had any singing lessons or anything, im just selftaught, i have never really worked on my voice. I have just been singing cuz i think its fun. But now lately i realized i would like to develop my voice. And like you said i think my new version is a lot better then the old one. Its just been 2,5 week between those songs but on that time i feel like ive been getting better air support and i think im starting to learn how to use the diaphragm.

And im not sure why you cant here what im saying lol...just go to some lyrics and i guess it will make sense ;)

[Ronron]

No need to justify, I was just pointing what I thought could help you. A lot of people are like you, including me, I just realized I would have liked to develop my voice earlier than you, but then, I'm a little bit older too

As to your lyrics, I have to confess, I don't always understand singers anyway, but it doesn't stop me from liking. I'll be sure to check the lyrics, though !

And trust me I just know how much 2.5 weeks can make. And sometimes, you enter a period, when you go through 2.5 months, and nothing seems to happen.

Something you might wanna check is " Freemake video downloader ", which is a freeware that jonpall pointed out earlier. It takes youtube videos as mp3s. You can have some instrumentals/karaoke this way. It can be a bit puzzling, not having the familiar voice of the artist to follow. But when you manage to do it, it feels even better (and you don't feel traped as much in the author's voice and tone) !

Also, and this one is not singing related... You've left some clues so I'm wondering... Are you French or am I just in the wrong ? :p

[ronws]

Another thing that Rappie and I share is that we have both heard and are fans of the most recent GnR album Chinese Democracy. And Rappie does a fair cover of the title song. Me, I'd like to cover "Shackler's Revenge" but I can't quite do the bass notes. My range is mostly upper baritone through tenor, I think. I can hit some low notes but not with the same power as tenor. However, I make up for that by leaning into the mic for low notes. For my highest notes, I have been two feet away from the pop filter and still overload the mic.

Any, yeah, breath support will be your main thing to work on right now. You got good placement, you just have to commit to the note. Many people think of a high note as a struggle up hill. Try this mental image, instead. Look at a piano. Low to high is all on the same horizontal plane. Think of your notes the same way. You don't have to reach up, just scoot a little bit over. Unless you have ape arms like mine and just reach without moving. :D

[ronws]

Ronron, Rappie improvised a few embellishments on the lyrics but he got the spirit of the song just right.

The song is inspired by Slash's long-term love affair with heroin. He has supposedly been sober since 2007. But on and off, throughout the decades, he was shooting heroin and later, oxycontin. Axl, seeing this kind of spiral downward going on, made first claim to the name, Guns and Roses. So, he got Slash and Duff McKagan to sign over their rights. Now that they are sober, Slash is a little perturbed that he signed away, but I can't blame Axl too much. There are two sides to every story. And there is one other long-term member. Keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who has been in the band since Use Your Illusions. That's about 20 years, right there.

I know I'm side-tracking a little but, other than Rappie, or even to an extent, jonpall, I have been the resident Guns and Roses freak around here. I really invite anyone to get the album Chinese Democracy. Best Buy, in America, is the sole distributor and it's no more than 13 dollars for the CD. And, even better, Guns and Roses is on tour, I think with extensive dates in South America, where they have a huge following. It's only in America where we discard solid hard rock for the likes of Lady Gaga and the Hansons. Off my soapbox, now.

If it were up to Axl, he would like to put out an instrumental of piano music but the fans keep hungering for more GnR stuff. They truly were the second Led Zeppelin. A voice like no other. I think that is why Velvet Revolver is not going anywhere. Slash is too busy doing a solo album and touring with Ozzy Osbourne. Duff is writing business and investment articles and playing with his band, Loaded. The only one that cares about VR anymore is former GnR drummer Matt Sorum. Well, they really needed a high tenor and Scott Weiland was totally a wrong fit. The Appetite for Destruction line-up will never re-unite but I will always hear what GnR has to say, whether it's Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, or Buckethead, or Paul Gilbert playing lead. The vision is the same, the music is inspiring, the voice, one of a kind. Attitude and all. Again, I'll get off my soapbox. Sorry, Rappie, this is supposed to be your thread.

[rappie92]

No need to justify, I was just pointing what I thought could help you. A lot of people are like you, including me, I just realized I would have liked to develop my voice earlier than you, but then, I'm a little bit older too

As to your lyrics, I have to confess, I don't always understand singers anyway, but it doesn't stop me from liking. I'll be sure to check the lyrics, though !

And trust me I just know how much 2.5 weeks can make. And sometimes, you enter a period, when you go through 2.5 months, and nothing seems to happen.

Something you might wanna check is " Freemake video downloader ", which is a freeware that jonpall pointed out earlier. It takes youtube videos as mp3s. You can have some instrumentals/karaoke this way. It can be a bit puzzling, not having the familiar voice of the artist to follow. But when you manage to do it, it feels even better (and you don't feel traped as much in the author's voice and tone) !

Also, and this one is not singing related... You've left some clues so I'm wondering... Are you French or am I just in the wrong ?

Haha no im not french, im from sweden :P