Enander

So, I've been trying to develop my softer voice, and what did I do? I chose a hit single from the 16th century! It's commonly sung very operatic, but I don't really want that (like I could accomplish that anyway) because I can't see it befitting the rest of my vocal repertoire. I begin very softly in a falsetto-kind-of-voice and goes into a thicker voice later on (but no grit whatsoever!). https://soundcloud.com/rednane-kirderf/flowmytears And yeah, I had a little mucus in my throat during "forlorn", but what the hey! Also, I got a bit cocky at the end and tried to pull a Jussi Björling (but failed), but it felt good before that so I settled! Haha! Now, after hearing Chavie do a good performance of the song, I felt I just had to sing Rainbow in dark (it's a compliment to him and his singing)! I do it from time to time to see my progression (it's one the songs I use a mean to measure my skills). Needless to say, still a long way to go! Haha! Well, I guess a little more practice on this particular song would probably straighten out some flaws, instead of just jumping right into the fire. https://www.box.com/s/ilbkplv5qkgv2n3rrldx I think the most notable mistakes I did was when singing "someone" (totally lost it), which made me reserved so I went overboard with the heady characteristics of my mixed voice during "words" instead... and you can hear one of the most common swedish profanities there is, "fan", at the end before I give up! :D

I hold Rainbow in the dark as one of the toughest songs to sing well (as far as metal goes) and one of the most treacherous. Dio's voice put a shroud of deception over it with his thick and powerful voice, making it feel "lower" and more approachable than it really is. Then avarage Joe (I don't mean you) comes along, tries to sing it and wound up sounding like a little girl, or get fatigued within the first verse. With that being said, you did very good! I can't give you any tips though, because I can't do better. Hats off!

ronws Nice to hear! Jugulator Thanks! I'm not sure what you mean by forced, but it takes a lot of force to sustain adequate support so you don't hurt yourself. I guess some of that applied force will influence the timbre. Jeff Abbey Thank you, Jeff! To be honest, I thought it would be tough, but it went smoother than expected! Haha! :)

I stumbled upon it recently and fell in love with it right there and then, and yes, Allen sure is a monster! Easily one of the best! And thank you very much for the comliment, Chavie! :D

So, diction and timing has been my lesson since last time (aside my eternal lesson of singing a bit softer). I picked another "earphone-breaker" to escape the clutches of singing softer though, but I really tried to do my timing and diction well! I'm usually not the one to blow my own horn, but the overall sound got a bit better by focusing on that instead of pitch. The pitch actually came along! I'm not saying that the pitch is perfect or that I'm some metronomic diction-God, but I feel like I've started to handle tools which will take my singing to another level. Also, there's a threshold where the singing goes from bad to good, and this kind of approach have reduced the time for me to reach that threshold! Therefore, I'd like to thank those who pointed out that I had to focus on this, and those who helped me to get some ideas how to get there! *Snip* Got a better and longer version! :)

Jens I have no problem just talking, and try to get perspective of things! It's the whole thing of me singing and someone telling me what to do that doesn't resonate well with me for some reason. Sounds like a nice goal, and I'm sure there are loads of people which are more susceptible to that kind of learning than I am. Your last assessment was spot on, so I'd be happy if you'd keep giving me some feedback, whenever you like it, when I upload something! ronws Haha! I don't mind tough love! While I stand by my comment (the toughest of tough love is the one I bring onto myself ), I do understand that it may act as an impediment. But, at the same time, big room for improvement is even a big room of possibilities. One step in the right direction regarding my clean voice will probably take me farther than one step in the right direction regarding my grittier voice (seeing as it's more developed, and the changes are probably more incremental). As far as autodidacticism goes, I may not the be the best example of it, but I like it. A great deal in my passion that is singing is (while listening to what other vocalists have to say/browsing through seemingly endless theory) to discern my own way. I know where I want to go, even if I at the time don't know how to get there. Skimming through one or two articles, discussing it with someone and experimentation usually helps me off to a good start at least. Sure, I might have reinvented the wheel more than once, but I don't mind I see it more as a sign that I'm capable of learning things properly on my own.

I really appreciate the suggestion , but I've had someone analysing my voice and corrected it on the spot before and it wasn't my cup of tea actually :/ I did as I was instructed, but it never really stuck. Felt almost like I was some robot executing commands, nothing more. I sure like advice, tips and pointers (otherwise I wouldn't be here), but in the end I have to work through things in my own pace, find my own way and have my own revelations to make things stick. I mean, I often know I should do this and that, but, if it's only "shallow knowledge", I won't remember to incorporate it when I'm actually singing.

Thank you! To be frank, I'm a little bit more happy for the "worst I've heard"-remark, because that means I could get out of this a little better! I'm weak in regards of pronunciation/enunciation, but I don't really know how to fix it. It might be connected to your first point; confidence. In the lower register I have very little of it, and I put all of my focus on being on pitch as much as I can. However, I guess better pronunciation/enunciation might help me be on pitch easier. If anyone has some more in-depth pointers concerning pronunciation/enunciation, please feel free to potter up a message! As far as timing goes, it's just me not knowing the song well enough and being undisciplined; not staying the course. I tend to be spontaneous and screw things up Were it the "real deal", I'd definitely follow my game plan though.

So, I said I was going to post something more dynamic/melodic! Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GNGxiWnh3g For being a fraud (not being able to actually sing, just "grit" and scream my way through any song) I think I did a pretty good job. Haha! Jokes aside, I wasn't born with a pleasant sound on my voice, so it's hard for me to sing like this because I think I sounds like crap whatever I do. Haha! As usual, type whatever you feel like! :)

ronws It's good to discuss vocals with people that understand just that! My father believes Dio was the apex of heavy metal singing and despises my rendition of Don't talk to strangers because I didn't sound like Dio. Haha! He even "advised" me to take it off the internet to save me the humiliation. I agree with you wholeheartedly; every voice is different and reacts more or less differently to stimuli. Lord_Adōn Haha! Actually, it's on my to-do list for my Youtube channel! :D

Haha! Äsch!! ...men vänta nu, Max är väl inte svensk? Fast vi kanske inte tänker på samma Max! Om jag ska vara ärlig så tycker jag att klippet (into the pit) är lite pinsamt! Haha! Hursomhelst; ja, nästa gång ska jag ladda upp nåt mer dynamiskt!

Yeah, I understand, and I agree! Haha! Thanks for your time/help, Jens! Appreciate it!

Först och främst, jävligt skoj med ett litet klipp! För det andra, du har helt rätt! Detta, förutom pitchen, har varit mitt största problem sedan start, och det är nog som du säger; att jag är tvungen att börja lyssna på andra. Jag har hittills inte lyssnat så mycket på andra i syfte att anamma deras stil/tekniker. Jag har försökt hitta mina egna grejer/vägar att gå (givetvis är det svårt att inte höra nåt och ta efter, men du fattar nog vad jag menar). Med det sagt, nu var detta en fråga om just mina två "extremröster" om man vill kalla dem så, och jag ville visa upp dem. Detta är den punkt då min röst är som fulast/sämst (bortsett från de extremt låga och visselregistret), och jag kan inte få det bättre än såhär, vilket är frustrerande. Jag tänkte skriva att jag hade valt en annan ansats vid en "vanlig" låt, men jag valde ju att göra Dio - Don't talk to strangers (som är en väldigt mjuk låt i början) rätt hård, så du har, som sagt, väldigt rätt och de två problematikerna flyter in i varandra. Väldigt tacksam för input! Jag ska ta en dynamisk låt och sjunga den som den ska sjungas, så att säga. Tack! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In english: First of all, it's very nice to get a clip as a respons! Secondly, you are absolutely right! This, apart from my pitch, has been my biggest problem since the beginning, and I probably should start listen to other vocalists. Up 'till now, I haven't really been listening to other vocalists in order to find inspiration. I've tried to find my own way, but of course there's been hard not to embrace something if you hear it and like it (it's just been less consciously). With that being said, I made this topic for my two "extreme voices", if you will, and I wanted to put them up on display. This is the point where my voice is its ugliest/worst (apart from the extremely low and whistle register), but I can't seem to get better than this, which is frustrating. I was going to say that I would have used a different onset if it were a "normal" song, but since my rendition of Dio - Don't talk to strangers is rather rough even in places it shouldn't, I probably wouldn't. So, again, you're correct in your assessment and the problems are probably closely related. I'm very grateful for your input! Next, I'm going to find a dynamic song and sing it like it's supposed to be sung. Thanks! :)

Ja, jag tror det!

I need some help with this one! I've recorded myself with two "different voices" in the same notes, but I'm not really happy with any of them! The first one is a very chesty, powerful mixed voice, and it's a natural way to extend my "normal" voice, but it sounds too strained and "yelly". It wears me out rather quickly (as you'll hear at the end of the first verse) because it requires a massive support not to lose the timbre. The second voice is more "halford-esque". It doesn't require as much support and the return (low input in relation to output) is great! I mean, it sounds raw even if you're singing slightly above talking-volume. However, the difference between this voice and my "normal" voice is too big, and I'm treading a razor's edge. One slip and I'll hurt myself, which is why I didn't start with the grit, but worked up to. A bit higher, in regards to key, I naturally use more of my halford-esque timbre, but it's the crucial transation-point (where my two voices meet) that's problematic. I can't seem to integrate the two different voices more than this... https://soundcloud.com/rednane-kirderf/intothepit (It's pitchy and I don't know the lyrics. Just listen to the timbres) Don't mind the laughter. I was bored and thought it was a funny way to change the timbre! Haha! Any tips/thoughts? Everything is welcome, except "shut up and enjoy the fact you can choose like this" :P

Ah, right! It was a Queen live recording. Freddie was a little out of shape, but still made a huge impact! Haha! The power of singing, right there! :D

That's how the cookie crumbles! Well done! Sounds like a more thrashy version of Udo Dirkschneider!

I value my artistic freedom very much; be it music, literature or art, and I will not let anything limit it (in the long run) Haha! And I think you're too hard on yourself! Even if a singer does something "wrong", he/she can touch the listener's heart. Conviction and, as I usually say, a connection between heart and vocal cords will take a singer a looong way. Case in point:

ronws Haha! As much as I love singing, I don't fancy touring. I've turned down a few offers (some bands had quite good record deals too actually) because their touring plan was too hectic. I've sacrificed an enormous amount of time and energy (and sadly, health and sanity) to be where I am academically, and I'm not willing to give that up. Also, singing is a big part of my, oh so well-needed, recreation. I don't want to risk turning it to a "job", where I'm burdened with even more demands and "have to":s. Lord_Adōn Hey, Adon! Thank you very much! It's nice getting a compliment from you!

Haha! Nice! It's a matter of give and take, I guess! Also, I long for the possibility to have a house. Would be great to have a little recording studio.

Haha! You know what, it just might be! When it's silent in our appartment, we can hear our neighbours' conversations. That's how badly the sound proofing is. Alas (?), no one has said anything about my singing; no angry notes or something. Hm! Maybe I should make a clip where I blow my lungs out. No actual singing, just high pitched shrieks for 10 minutes... in the middle of the night... during the upcoming finals week! (EDIT: My neighbours tend to party loudly every Thursday to Saturday until 4 or 5 AM, piss and/or vomit everywhere, and destroy property. So this whole thing of me singing is far from gratuitous!) Also, thank you for the compliment! I needed that, as I was on the brink of developing a full-blown case of "study rage".

Thanks! Yeah, same here! I don't practice at home though. I drive out into the woods. It's not so bad... unless it's -20°C (-4ºF) or below. And thank you for telling me what buggers you! I'll look into it.

FelipeCarvalho Thank you very much! I've not personally "encountered" you on these forum before, but I know you're straight forward when it comes to critique (for the record, that's how I like it). Feels good to get a few kind words from someone that's not afraid to tell it like it is! Max Hey, Max! Good to hear from you again, and thanks! I hope you'll find the time and inspiration to get some singing done soon! :)

I had something else planned next, but I think I'm gonna change my mind. You have made me curious. Haha! Thank you very much for the tip, ronws!

Haha! No, I was/am way too ugly for that! :cool: