Slow Start

Thanks, Justin! I've been working on your pointers. I'm noticing the benefits and will continue working hard. Here's what it sounds like now. Voice felt healthier today.

Thanks for the feedback, Ron! I definitely agree! What I am hearing as a spread sound is probably caused by excess tension from articulating too roughly.

Very good job. Keep on working on sounding like Gabe when he sings it, and you'll be golden. Gabe really does have a certain expertise when it comes to expressing himself dynamically and stylistically in the music.

First verse, prechorus, chorus. Had to squint at lyrics on a tiny screen while playing and singing... yadda yadda excuses. I think I'm spreading a bit too much sometimes and the sound comes too forward. Creeping tightened lips for the loss. I believe that as I gain familiarity with the lyrics, I can free it up even more. http://snd.sc/WJ1xcL How does it sound to y'all?

I really enjoyed your singing. Well sung.

I feel like you are good at picking songs that your voice can take on reasonably well, and that is a very good thing. I also think you may find singing to take too much effort for what you're getting out of your singing in what people would consider the "comfortable" part of your range. Read some threads on this forum on supporting properly, perhaps how to engage the correct muscles properly. This is one of my favorite infographics about support by the CVT folks... Here's a helpful resource as well: http://www.harmonyinworship.com/training/Anchoring.pdf

Ron, you are far too kind! Your advice is awesome. I have looked at that thread you referred me to and it was a very interesting read with lots of resources I never thought would be so easy to find in once place... props to Ken Tamplin that hah. Bon Iver's cover of "I Can't" is the standard of which I strive to reach. Hauntingly beautiful and stylistically oh-so-appropriate. If you haven't heard it, definitely have a listen! I wasn't trying to copy his performance note for note, because what good would that do? I'm sure everyone here understands. I do wish I had some more of his smoothness though... his falsetto is BUTTAH. I intend on honing my skills and polishing them as I test my abilities at some open mics. I wanna blow people away with my performances and consistency before I feel like I could ever send anyone important any demos of anything! :)

Glad you think so. I agree, it feels very emotional. I hope the sincerity makes up for any lapses in technique. And MDEW, I agree that this is definitely one of the songs that really benefits stylistically from some falsetto... it makes me feel vulnerable, heh.

Thanks, Steve! I really appreciate your kind words. Working on giving it my all!

Evening, y'all. 3 AM sessions in Oklahoma going! Covering the Bonnie Rait original with a Bon Iver-flavored imagination. Recorded and quickly mixed, a completely raw one take session. I feel better now. Forgive the roughness... I feel the emotion was making its way out of me one way or another... hard to think about creeping tensions when laying down my heart sometimes. Hope it was okay for y'all!

I like how thick you can get your voice to sound on the F#4's (I think that's what they are?). I feel it is more of a matter of obtaining consistency across your performance and keeping good habits up (a muscle memory+endurance deal). You can get a nice and dramatic wide vibrato that I dig. Also, props on the vocal fry! I've never used my low vocal fry like that in a performance before... it sounds rather cool to do. Around 1:36 - I fear I wasn't sure what you were trying to sing there. I don't know if that's acceptable in the style you're singing, but I would personally prefer a little clearer diction. Perhaps pulling too hard on "chest" as some would call it around 1:52. Check for lip/jaw tension and make sure you're supporting adequately (and not too much!) perhaps. I hear an example of what I would consider a little excess nasality words "my love" around 2:05... it sounded to me like perhaps your soft palate was dropping down by the end of the word "my" Impressive siren/slide to that F#5 (right? ha) too! Try singing the song and feeling your jaw to see if your lower jaw is correctly dropping loosely down and back. In my case, it turned out that a lot of my tongue tension came from lip and lower jaw tension. I think you might be holding over some of the constriction from your consonants which are supposed to be much more transient tensions. Feel around your lips and mouth when you're singing loud parts where you're really feeling/emoting the music through your consonants check to make sure your lips and lower jaw loosen up as soon as your consonant ends. Maybe think about emphasizing the vowel sounds more than the consonants. It looks funny to feel yourself all over your face while singing, but hey we make enough weird noises when we practice anyhow... might as well look hilariously cool too, right?! Anyhow, I'm definitely no professional... just a dedicated student. If any more experienced folks/pros wanna chime in and make sure I'm not suggesting anything harmful, that'd be cool.

I enjoyed it very much as well. Nothing stuck out to my ears. I wish I could get to your kind of tone, honestly. I've just begun to get my voice steadied a little, ha. :)

I was told I shouldn't sing above a G4 ever by my previous teacher... that my voice just wasn't made for it. Too bad I have the Internet! I used to end up pulling chest to reach my E4 and F4. When I recorded this last night, the notes for "What" in the prechorus are A4's and upon listening back, they sound okay to me. I tried to remember to sing the A4 "What" through more of an "UH" shape as I think that's what I'm supposed to be doing modification wise at that area? It feels much more doable than when I use a straight "AH" up there. So I would like to know... 1) Does it sound listenable to you guys? 2) Do you think this vocal production is healthy (enough?) 3) What can I do to make it sound better or easier on myself? I really love the way this cover performed. He's got a lot of "edge" on his voice, it seems? Is that distortion I hear?

Thank you very much, Ron! I really appreciate it. My cover of the song was a reimagination of the original song, which sounds like this. My previous teacher would probably tell me that his production is extremely unhealthy... thoughts? Seems like maybe it could be emulated (relatively safely) with a well practiced belt? I thought my own interpretation was a little more contemplative instead of fast-paced angsty. I recorded this in my lower range, which I am starting to gain much more confidence in. It's good to hear that others hear the similar things I hear on my recordings. Thanks for listening!

I hear a little of the flatness that Ron was mentioning... so slight and seems to occur more often before you kick the vibrato in and obscure it.

Without commenting on how healthy it is (not my specialty)... I was down with that cover for sure. If I heard you performing somewhere, I'd stay and listen.

Strange... Soundcloud has been pretty user-friendly for a while. Perhaps because they recently updated their site to a more modern style, perhaps. Meanwhile, try this link... https://www.box.com/s/rke4zd54lkt7sltjgwhz

This was a spur of the moment cover, and I wish I knew my lyrics better and thought the arrangement through more. Feedback and advice appreciated!