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Thanks yes it's helpful. I don't like to use a lyrics sheet but find that lately I have been resorting to one. This is because I have been singing new songs or songs I don't completely know. I prefer owning a song before singing it so I am very comfortable with the lyrics and phrasing allowing me room to breath and play. However, lately while recording I have been hanging the lyrics up with tape in front of me. I think that this causes me to have to re record a few times now. When I'm reading lyrics I tend to lose the little feeling in the song. So I finally say...."ok...one more time and forget about the damn lyrics....just sing the song Tommy...just sing the song". For this song I didn't use a lyrics sheet. I know this song too well. That is how I changed it to my version. That was the long answer....sorry.:D

Thanks man, glad you liked it. I have a few things planned. Many of you guys practice scales, I practice by recording songs...over, and over, and over... Actually I just purchased and a few Hendrix backing tracks. More Bluesy Hendrix though. Also a better backing track for Stormy Monday so I can redo the one I posted last week. Thanks again brother

Well thank you ladies! Yea Keith that would be cool.

I think it would have been easier to time if I played it and sang it at the same time. But I can't do that So I recorded the guitar alone first. Problem is I had to sing to myself in my head as I was playing to try and figure out how many times to play a line before moving to chorus etc. Then when to end! Normally I would just play the tune on and on. So the trouble came when I later tried to match my vocals to the kind of crazy out of sync strumming pattern and timing. Too many beats in some bars not enough in others....who knows. lol.

Ok, I'm going out on a limb here but so be it. You have to have guts if you want to make it. Spirit!! I post a lot of songs because for me that is my practice. It is the application of technique. It's my exercise, I exercise live. Anyway, this song can end up making you cringe a bit, but... This is an attempt at my singing to my own guitar playing. However I don't play guitar. What? You say. I have two acoustic guitars here that are about 12 years old. One still has the original strings and the one I'm playing, well the strings are very old also. Man, did the playing hurt. I haven't played any guitar in years and when I did I was just trying to learn and didn't actualy play. I couldn't play with anyone nor did I know any complete songs. Just a few riffs and some scales. Not good either. But that was a very long time ago. So Tommy gets the bright idea the other day to whip out a guitar and try to do a song. I had to practice for about half an hour to get the chords somewhat close. Then I tried to sing to it!! Holy crap that was hard. I had to play with the vocals to match the playing and alter phrasing, catch up...slow down...yikes!!! I couldn't find the timing to match the guitar mess! I had to mess around with the phrasing a little (a lot). What came out was a slight departure (vocal melody wise) from the original. The guitar and vocals are a bit distorted and the mic overloaded on guitar as well as vocals but here goes. I hope it isn't too bad. Don;t be afraid to throw tomatoes at me I'm posting it because I'm proud of it none the less. I was proud of the fact that I was able to make "my version" of this song. good or bad. I know it isn't most of you all's genre, but. Ok "Dead Flowers" by the Rolling Stones." With me playing guitar and singing vocals. Special meaning for me....it represents me, or a part of my life long ago. My "other life." My wife saved me from that "basement room." http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=11704821&q=hi&newref=1

Yea I never realized what a good song this is. I was looking at one of my karaoke CD's with about 15 songs on it and came across this one. I played it and the light bulb went on in my head! I immediately had a stage vision of the song. The only problem was that I also never realized how much I didn't know the song. It's coming round though. Thanks for the listen.

This one's for all the ladies out there. Just kidding. I found this backing track I didn't know I had and thought I'd give it a shot. I never sang this before and didn't know the words or phrasing so I went for a ride in the car and got the gist of it and general feel. Sometimes for me that's better because then it adds more "me" to the song rather than a copy. Anyway I came home and recorded it and this is what we got. The recording isn't so great but I didn't have time to do it again. http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=11704683&q=hi&newref=1

Nice job Olem. I tend to agree with the other two comments; well somewhat. For me, I'm not sure if it was too high as much as it was closer to a scream which caused the actual "singing" to be flatlined. If that makes any sense at all. Halford is singing this even though he is really up there and attacking the notes. But there is still a melody. I think you tried so hard that the melody flattened out. I don't mean as in a flat note...I just mean it became less melodic and more like screaming the words. But that was a good attempt Olem, good job and I'm sure you're not far from getting this...it wasn't Mickey Mouse!! :)

There are a few ways of practicing pitch but something so simple was mentioned here by someone (I think it was slstone?) that I had to smack myself in the head....duh! I have a simple tuner I used to use for guitar and I just plug my mic to that and go through a scale. I guess you can use a regular pitch pipe but I use an online pitch pipe. I hit "A" on the pitch pipe then sing to the tone using whatever suits me that particular time. oo or ah or ee whatever. Then make sure I get the note by the tuner. Then Ab, then B, then Bb etc.

Actually, to me they both sounded like chest, just different variations. The first one sounded stronger, although it was almost like you were speaking rather than carrying a melody. Then second one sounded like chest but very airy and light. Something that helped me was when I stopped thinking of chest voice and then moving up toward head. I now start up top. Everything is from top down. So I don't go up to head, I go down to chest.

Well other than the fact that it ended abruptly, I thought it sounded very good.

I thought the same thing when you sent the first scratch track. Your voice is lower than I expected. I think I can go fairly low

Ok, getting back on topic. I listened to the song a few times over the last couple of days and I listened to the original. As always I think you did a great job. There's nothing I can say really that wouldn't just be repeating what you already said yourself. The high notes. A bit weak at the start, some better ones along the way and strong at the end. The last "sky" was nice and strong but then "time" right after that kind of missed. Nice vibrato at the end of the high notes. The covering on words like me and disappear worked well. I heard a couple of others also that were good. IMO the high notes are getting better although they are still your only weak spot. Definitely thicker though. Nice job Kieth.

Well, you've done it again! Nicely done brother. Hanging around this forum I feel like an ex drug addict and someone is waving a bag of weed in front of my face or like I'm a recovering alcoholic hanging out in a bar I say that because I used to be into this kind of music, to a certain extant, but haven't been in quite a long time. But some of the stuff presented by you guys on the forum is very cool. Actually I've never heard of these bands... Helloween or Kamelot which I hear from Keith also Dreamtheater. I'm not going back mind you But cool stuff. I liked the melody lines of this song. Your modulations were very good here.

I think you can put that out as a record right now! Ok...maybe not now; maybe in November or December. That was very nice.

Two thumbs here :cool:

That was real nice Igor these songs suit your voice well. Or your voice suits the songs....whatever:D I listened to the first one again too and it's even better second time around! Really good, I like these. :)

I thought you meant he was tightening his butt to get the higher notes Nice job Igor....again:D

Yo Igor!!!! That was incredible brother! The notes were clean and full and very powerful. Then when I think you can't do any more, at around 3:25 you took off into the stratosphere, up, up and away. Wow! Tommy

Fantastic! I have to agree, one of your very best. :)

Your welcome Igor. And again, I understand completely. The bottom line, as I said, the song was good; and the important parts, ie, the singing and music, were very good IMO. If I heard that song on the radio I would not change the station! That says a lot Tommy

Hey Igor, Let me start by saying that I liked it very much. There is something very catchy in that tune that kept me interested even though it isn't my genre. Very good; and your vocals were great IMO. I do have two critiques. One is personal taste and the other is language based so it really isn't a bad critique I know English isn't your first language so I am considering that. But a couple of spots in the song seemed to be poor English. The sentences weren't put together right and didn't make sense according to proper English. One example "Your stronger than ever knew." There should be a "you" in there. "Your stronger than you ever knew". There is another sentence somewhere also in the song that is wrong. The personal taste thing. I'm into blues and thus feeling in songs. I follow lyrics and try to connect emotion with lyrics and the rhythm of the music. So when I listen to music I listen for this and it is what connects me with the song as a listener. It is what hits my soul. You hit that big note on the word "stuck" and that was great. However, for me, I wondered why. I didn't feel the song lead me to that big note nor did the lyrics draw my emotion toward a big note that for me would be for an emphasis on a thought or emotion. Again...not a bad thing in general...but "for me." I felt it was hitting a big note just for the sake of hitting a big note I like to be guided and manipulated as far as feelings go and then set up for the big note. It is the building of tension and then resolving it. One more note. I'm not sure what rove means (then maybe I'm just illiterate ) I am assuming it is something to do with roving? Like a rover? Nice job though....good stuff. Tommy

Critique is a funny thing; especially on internet forums. I really think that in a medium such as this the first thing people do is to start to listen closely for misstakes or "perceived" mistakes or any other wrong doings. But in the normal really real world, listeners would only listen and either like what they would hear overall or not like it. I honestly can't critique anything technically and as far as the song as a whole... I loved it.