More from Snax! AC/DC's Giving The Dog A Bone

[Snax]

As many of you know I've been singing a lot of Judas Priest lately and I decided it was time to try another band for a change. This is the first time I've ever tried this song and there's a lot of flat notes and a few issues with the timing. I can sing like Brian Johnson easier on the high stuff than in the lower head voice range so that's where I'm focusing on improving.

Hope you dig it despite the duff notes!

https://files.me.com/muskysnax/xwhr11.mp3

[akarawd]

You've got to be shitting me. I know you've been after this sound for some time now - you did it Mike.

You sound so much like Brian in this one it's unreal. The gruff sounds killer and it's as powerful as it gets..

if you ever do this live, make sure you hand out diapers first.

A hell of a performance buddy, keep the metal tunes coming

Thanos

[ronws]

You really sound close to Brian when you are using the crying or curbing effect with the distortion. And it is a unique sound. Pitch was perfect, of course.

You are a rock star. Well, you used to be one, professionally. And you are one, here. You are certainly one of the most accomplished singers we have here and it's really a mark of talent and ability to mimic another singer.

[Snax]

Thanks guys! The weird thing about this vocal tone is that there is NO chest weight at all in the production. If I removed the grit the sound would be so ridiculous sounding we'd laugh out loud! It's ALL twang with rattle (I think).

My biggest problem is that when I sing the lower notes where I'd normally be in a different vocal coordination I can't if I want to maintain Brian's sound. I guess I need to do some scale work and start with the comfortable high notes and then work my way down and see exactly where my trouble notes begin.

The cool thing about this vocal set up is that it SOUNDS loud as hell without any straining or pulling chest weight. As I'm singing I'm imagining a ballon letting out the air at a very constant pressure. That way I'm never tempted to over do it with the air pressure. High notes, low notes, the air VELOCITY remains the same.

Hopefully this will help those of you that enjoy Brian's particular style and are wanting to mess around with it. If I can just get those lower notes to feel controlled I'll be a very happy man!

[ronws]

As I'm singing I'm imagining a ballon letting out the air at a very constant pressure. That way I'm never tempted to over do it with the air pressure. High notes, low notes, the air VELOCITY remains the same.

Hopefully this will help those of you that enjoy Brian's particular style and are wanting to mess around with it. If I can just get those lower notes to feel controlled I'll be a very happy man!

I believe that's the purpose of lip bubbles or tongue trills. Not so much trying to sing like we speak but to learn a consistent air pressure.

[Snax]

I believe that's the purpose of lip bubbles or tongue trills. Not so much trying to sing like we speak but to learn a consistent air pressure.

BINGO!!! It's the same thing with the twanging exercises. We don't want to sound like a witch during actual songs but the exercises build the muscle memory. Man I LOVE singing nowadays! No straining and sore throats. :)

[ronws]

For me, twang is a configuration of the throat, by means of subtle trained muscles to alter the resonating space, most often, to create a shorter, narrower resonating space that better supports higher notes. The only reason for quacking and cackling is to get a muscle memory for finer adduction of the folds and proper resonating space. The end result is not necessarily duck-like or witch-like.

[jonpall]

Loved it. I'm on the same boat - trying to learn that rock tenor vocal style, sometimes succeeding, sometimes not. I guess it comes with practise. I know what you mean by the lower notes presenting difficulties, but note that Brian Johnson himself often had trouble with them, too.

[Snax]

Here's the bare vocal track from this song. It sounds pretty bizarre without the rest of the band! lol You may have to skip through parts of silence to hear all the vocals especially where the guitar solo would be. During the last chorus you can hear me burp!!! I didn't even know I'd done it but the bare vocal track reveals ALL!!!

https://files.me.com/muskysnax/6bjozf.mp3

[ronws]

Actually, that's quite instructive, in order to hear how you layer the distortion, which is normally masked by the the other instruments. To explain what I mean, masking is an effect of the human ear. Simply, the ear hears the loudest sound most prominently. So, listening to the full version, all the sounds compete for the ear. But in the vocal only track, then you can hear what the voice is actually doing. You were singing with less volume than I imagined.

[Snax]

You are quite correct about the volume being less than you would think is needed to get that sound. It's almost like loud talking but with a lot of force.

I often listen back to my vocal without any music or effects as it's so much easier to hear when I'd taken too big of a breath or pushed a little too hard etc. Glad to be of help!