KillerKu

It's cool. You always sing with a lot of emotion and I like your broad tastes.   As for having no backing track, something I've found is really nice, is to get a reference note. You can record the tonic of the song, and sustain this note. If you have a keyboard, or any other instrument you can use that, and record it sustained for a long time. If you have no instrument, you can sing a steady note and hold it out and then loop it.   This is what I've been doing when I don't have a backing track as it fixes intonation drift (which 90 percent of singers without absolute pitch will do acapella). It's not just for our listening pleasure, but I think it will help your intonation to have a reference to keep track of.

Your voice is awesome and that second clip is better representing it. You don't have to sing jazz, but you do sound good in that context.   I wasn't going to say you were faking the low cause I think you might be the real contralto.  But you are using a more muffled phonation than you could have access to with some training and practice, so you'd have a lot more sound color options and brighter sound colors will sound more familiar in pop, soul, and rock.   As for being accused of singing flat, yes, there is actually a phenomenon I'm familiar with where muffled timbres can be perceived as flat, while brighter and thinner timbres can be perceived as sharp. People associate certain timbres with high or low notes, if things get taken far enough and you lighten a low note and weighten a high note, it can even confuse people as to which octave you're in at the extremes.   Lessons would be a great idea. If you can afford them and find the time, the teachers here really know what they are doing. I'm not a pro teacher, otherwise I'd love to help as I really do love the foundation of the voice and would love for you to start a band.

​That's a good thing to clarify there.  The original idea Elvis was proposing seemed vaguely in between a contest and a challenge. I'm definitely the collaborative type. If I can help with singing or recording, I'll be happy to. Singing at and above D5 with thick rasp is definitely not my strong point as a singer so it may be I can learn some things here as well. As for how I approached mine, I warmed up by dialing in resonance (buzz at top row of teeth while humming). And leaned more towards narrower 'a' and 'er' on the higher notes than I normally do in my regular singing. The style of singing I generally use taps out into something closer to falsetto earlier than the screams in this song so I modified vowels and went a lot more 'pingy' and metallic. I used my normal rasp on the mid range notes which feels like a twangy vowel shift with an alteration of air flow.

​It's a cool idea. I've never had much of a competitive streak, which is unusual, but even for me it's cool. A lot of times I'll be in between songs that interest me so having a random 'it' song is useful.  I decided since I don't emotionally connect much with the lyrics of this song to instead sing the melody more like an instrument. Movement, flow, and a personality. If I extend that further I might be able to jazz it up. Are we going to scrounge up a karaoke track like was done for All of Me? I just sang a reference note and used a metronome.

Well I figure I should get the ball moving. I had to warm up today so I took a shot at this song. Failed at properly sirening up to the G#5 but took a sing at the rest of the song:   https://app.box.com/s/jywkmpdpvv6tcwecd3mcwxgg5vc1cuin   I don't think I'll count this towards the challenge because I rested twice due to nerve pain and it's not fair if it isn't completely live but hopefully it will get the ball rolling.

Lower female voice is often my favorite of the female voice types. Contralto is often my favorite. My first impression, is it has a good murky, intriguing and unique quality, but the timbre also sounds a bit woofy or muted. If this is the timbre you're going for, I think it has character in itself, but I think you have room to explore. Just because you have a lower voice, doesn't mean you can't explore brighter harmonics and see what you think.   For exploring brighter resonance, you can try sustaining consonants on pitch like 'n' or 'm' and try to feel as much buzz as possible on your top row of teeth and/or into your nasal cavities. Try to take that buzz with you into your singing voice. You can also try vowels like short a 'apple' or a full on 'ah' like like if you go to the doctor and say 'ahhhhhhhh.' And finally, you could experiment with twang (tip of tongue bear bottom row of teeth, with the rest of the tongue arching upward and backward until it is wide against the top molars).   I hear good things, and I like the intrigue of voices that offering something unique. Androgyny is very interesting to me artistically and I connect a lot with it. David Bowie is probably my all time favorite artist who toyed with the concept extensively. My most listened to female vocalist is Nina Simone, who some mistake as a man in some songs, but she explored a lot of sound colors and was incredibly expressive:         Of recent female artists, Amy Winehouse is my hands down favorite. I recently inverted her song and sang from the perspective of the lady boy described by taking my low tenor/high baritone and singing as the weakened more feminine partner: https://app.box.com/s/eamsc819ezljqst6q3s6jc2lkaqo0z6t       So androgyny can be explored in itself, but voices that defy categorization can sound very sexy, intriguing, challenging, and fascinating. I'm looking forward to hearing where you take your voice as an artist. If you train and explore it, you can probably express anything masculine or feminine successfully, where as it can be a bit tougher for basses or sopranos to try to convey such imagery.

I've been quite busy on other things and haven't been singing (or posting) much, so I missed your thread here. I finally sat down and gave it a good listen. I agree with others it's not quite dialed in yet. This song very difficult as we both know. I gave it a shot live the other day and wasn't satisfied. I think we both could use more work on the song. Both of us had a few moments were pitch was sketchy and moments that sounded a bit strained.   As advice, I actually almost have the opposite impression to Elvis in adding weight. I don't think it will help much.  My take on this is you might want to experiment with using curbing like vowels as you were using in Let it Be as a central point, as opposed to belting, and 'lean into belting' vowels and twangier positions from there.   The reason why, is your approach to belting has a high larynx, and large amounts of twang. The twang may indeed be  increasing mass, and there are a few high notes here that are possibly with more mass than I might sing with, but twang and a higher larynx accent nasality which might be why your voice is more nasal on this track. If you use slightly darker vowels the mass may not be as heavy, but it might end up less quacky. It can add a darker more covered tone and 'round' you out some.  To my ears, the very first line, is probably the most 'balanced' sounding timbre in this cover.   That said, I've said before that people in different cultures have different ears for nasality. I have a friend from southeast Asia and their native tongue there is often very twangy and nasal and even can sound whiny sometimes and their singers often have some of this inflection in their timbre. I've noticed some in native music from India as well. Ultimately you may always sing more nasal than is normal in western culture but I feel like you have room to explore in between and maybe find a balance that is still 'you.'   This song is fairly high and constantly in first and second bridging areas with varying vocal masses, but it's not to the point in my voice where I 'have' to quack or shriek to sing it although I do have difficulty keeping a pure timbre 100 percent of the time. I think you're close enough to my voice type that you could probably do it similarly.    All that said, this was a good attempt. I don't see many others trying this song. It's not just power, it's flexibility and a rapid fire endurance to even keep up with the song. You're constantly on your toes and can't miss a beat, and then the guitar solo section comes in and is almost, harder, cause it's the first time you even have a moment's respite, and by the time you come back. Keep training, and when I get a chance to sing seriously again here, I'll give a 100 percent live version, flaws and all.

​ Nobody gonna take my Dew and if you do the jokes on you!!!!

My recently discovered 80s voice might get me there. But even if I go that route I'm interested in more original interpretations.   My difficulty is with the lyrics of the song.   Nobody gonna take my car, I'm gonna race it to the ground Nobody gonna beat my car, it's gonna break the speed of sound Ooh it's a killing machine, it's got everything Like a drawing power big fat tires everything I love it, and I need it, I bleed it Yeah it's a wild hurricane Alright, hold tight. I'm a highway star Nobody gonna take my girl I'm gonna keep her to the end Nobody gonna have my girl she stays close on every bend Ooh she's a killing machine she's got everything Like a moving mouth, body control and everything I love her, I need her, I seed her Yeah she turns me on Alright, hold tight, I'm a highway star Nobody gonna take my head, I got speed inside my brain Nobody gonna steal my head, now that I'm on the road again Ooh I'm in heaven again, I've got everything Like a moving ground, throttle control and everything I love it, I need it, I seed it Eight cylinders all mine Alright hold tight, I'm a highway star Nobody gonna take my car I'm a highway star, I'm a highway star   I don't understand a way to interpret the lyrics. It's basically about driving a car or a girl fast. So screaming at a high tempo seems an obvious interpretation of the song to articulate both. I suppose yelling with mixture of enthusiasm and a menace to anyone who dared to take away the narrator's fun would work. But it reads a bit one dimensional lyrically for me, so the amount of interpretation room isn't as high as some others might be for different moods and interpretations. Might require a lyric rewrite to convey a different vocal personality outside of yelling and or screaming.    I already have  potential rewrite in mind, that I might sing from.

I'm flattered. This is great singing but is also a unique interpretation of a classic. I love the freedom in your phrasing. You bend the song to express something personally, but don't break it.    Those sections where you really dig in are filled with power and provide a nice sense of contrast and livelihood. Nice dynamics. You're very expressive, and your passion comes through in your singing. Thank you.

  That style of singing for me came from Ruffin. My interpretation of the song was about having to say 'NO' about something you love potentially to someone you love.    Be it a loved one, an artistic project, or a social or business offer. It could be anything really, but ultimately having the strength to say no, in the midst of emotional conflict, where you might feel pressure to say yes. That's where the power comes into play.

Awhile back Bono1982 heard Daryl Hall and said the voice reminded him of mine. It made sense, Daryl Hall was a white guy that idolized David Ruffin and a lot of similar singers general could be counted amongst his influences.   I always liked this song, so I wanted to sing it anyway, but now we get to test the theory:   https://app.box.com/s/8fpbdr3s5nbyxlstdzw9fcixq79zso7u     I wasn't really imitating him. I was singing with more aggression and bluesier and he sang with more polish (he's more advanced than I am, imo), but I think I can hear it. My voice might be a little heavier but I think there is something there. What do you guys think? 

Is the guitar just a little out of tune? I think it would help your vocal performance if there was a perfectly tuned guitar. Something weird is going on with the tuning and it would throw off my voice.   As for tips for improving the lower areas of the voice. For me I have two things I've done significantly. One is to take vowel like in between 'oh and ah,' kind of like 'awwww' and experiment with adding as much resonance as possible, then decreasing resonance to minimum. Try to make the timbre it brassier and brighter or darker and murkier.   So basically try to learn to swell and decrease the resonance, and sing bright/dark it helps a lot with lower notes. Listen to Frank Sinatra.  

This is good singing. I'm not much of a Josh Groban fan so I'm not sure if my opinion counts much as Groban doesn't have the Kermit  sound, but personally I dig Kermit singers.   If you like this timbre in singing take a look at a few guys I like that have some of this in their sound:       It can be used very artistically. Take the sound color or lose it.  I dislike clones in music and love flavorful singing.   You could end like Jackie Wilson and take it to new heights.

Ooh, I missed this one. Good groove. Doot doot doot doot.   Love the harmonies. MDEW nailed it with the Mamas and Papas comparison. Somehow it sounds sunny and melancholy at the same time.   I'd just leave the vocals alone. I think it says what it needs to say as is.

I'm a fan of the original and I liked your version. You're gaining a lot more control in this lighter voice which is really important. I think you're lightly curbing on this. Welcome to my world.   You've had huge improvements man. There's nothing really to critique cause it sounds like it's placed pretty properly and you will only gain refinement if starting from a good place.

I dig jazz and I like having a male involved in the song. Your friend's voice is cool in that he has some timbre shading abilities of lightness and darkness that remind me a bit of Frank.   I feel like your voice is very suited for a jazzy setting, but there is still a slight accent here that gives it character helps you stand out from other singers. I'd be interested in you singing Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan. To my ears your voice has depth and finesse that sounds really nice in more intricate settings.   It's almost like you have so much depth in your delivery (phrasing, timing, tonality shading) pop backdrops aren't fully revealing it.   I know Frank Sinatra is one of my favorite singers, and the Beatles are one of my favorite bands, but he always sounded strangled or restrained to me if he tried to sing a Beatles song. Their melodies were extremely defined, beautiful and sometimes innovative, but they were rigidly written. Frank didn't have as much room to strut his stuff compared to some of the Great American Song Book material that was written more intricately with more room for improvisation.   Of course you should sing any genre you want, but I hear that depth there. Nuance, shading, phrasing. A lot of people never reach that level.

I think you should sing about giving up. I am gonna do another cover of this song sometime soon, love singing  Kate Bushes parts in falsetto:  

  I'm on the fence on that one. It sounds fun, maybe if it was specifically recommended to not force distortion and do another take if it's not something you can do healthily, but it does tend to be one of the vocal techniques that people would be most prone to forcing.

  And we can be like a surrogate family here for some. Not everyone needs to have the epiphany themselves at some random age. We can always spread the truth and support people here.   If your family or the people in your life don't get it, it's probably cause they don't understand singing like the people here do. The singers here 'get it.'

  Hell yeah. Rock on. That will take you far.

Here's the thing. When I was maybe 7 years old, I started really loving singing and doing it for the first time. I had a family member tell me my singing was awful beyond belief and I had to stop. It was said very seriously and I took it to heart. They were older, they seemed wiser. So being kid who was used to listening to authority figures, I did.   When I was 20, I was a musician who fell in love with the Beatles and realized I had to sing. So what happened, is I basically resumed singing with the skills of a 7 year old beginner. Minus half a decade medical hardships, I have probably at least 4 years of singing training so I sing like an 11 year old now, maybe going on 12.   Nobody would even think of not singing if it wasn't for other people. I just sing like I'm 11 years old with the wisdom of an adult who is wiser and doesn't take 'advice' about whether I should sing. By the time I'm 20 something years old in singing years, imagine that? Even the idea of stopping singing for any reason seems unwise unless you hate singing.   As for a critique of your voice. It's starting from a really unique position and I like some of the character of it already. It has a vulnerable quality that I can relate to, and a unique identifiable timbre. Pitch is better than expected from someone who is thinking about stopping. But the critique isn't that important compared to the mindset. Wherever you are in your development, sing like that.   Michael Jackson started singing at like 3 years old so by the time he was in the Jackson 5 he was already singing for longer than I am. He probably had influence from people in the church or family who sang who could guide him a little. By the time I have 9 years of experience, who knows? I don't care. I just sing. You should too. That's the natural state of mind of our species until other people plant doubts. Singing to me is 'sustained noise that feels meaningful.' Some people relate to the noise, others don't. I'm willing to bet cavemen made sustained noises that felt meaningful too. They might have even sung before they learned speak. Ooooooga booooga!!!!!

  I think it is very intriguing. We should all be forced to learn a foreign language song at least once and pronounce everything wrong.   

This is a cool idea that I'm game for but you are forgetting a genre: Jazz, and more jazz.   That will really challenge you guys. I has the most intricate phrasing, interval leaps and improvisational usage.       That'd really get most of you out of your comfort zone and I'd bomb out too.

I prefer this over Sam Smith from what I've heard. Your accent adds something very unique and interesting to the track and your timbre expresses something unique outside of any genre I'm familiar with.    I don't have any useful critique aside from making the accent more typically western might make things more commercial in USA markets. For now, I'd prefer you sing how you sing as I find it more valuable artistically and as a listener I feel it more, but depending on your aspirations you should decide how to forge your own path in vocal development.