Gsoul82

Sounds good, Rob. Smooth sailing right now.

Yeah, I'm thinking that type of sound is more reserved for Rock. I'll probably do some Rock covers at some point (I'm a Jersey boy, and there's Bon Jovi and Springsteen), where I'll use that.

Who knows though. I know it's got that airy quality to it because falsetto mode is involved.

Thanks, Ron. Like, I knew the little improvisation at about 15 seconds sounded a little weird, because of how long I held it.

I've been meaning to ask him that...

This is also going to be a progress thread. 

I saw distortion is mentioned in this system, so I thought it'd be cool to post what I'm starting out with.

Don't know much about kinds of rasp, at all, but I'm trying to change this. And I know there are different types of distortion, but I have not delved into that yet. I'm pretty sure, from the sound quality, what I'm doing is distortion. Whether it's "overlay" or something else, I haven't found out yet. Looking forward to finding that out, as well as better technique, as far as that type of thing goes. I've just about gotten to the point where I can consistently bring it out.

Three examples:

Did this a little while ago. Sang it with a lady friend. Did the whole thing in falsetto, or, as Rob might say, "falsetto mode"

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Sounds good. Confirms I am where I need to be, because I learned about the purpose of onsets on Friday, and I've just started learning the differences between them.

Absolutely. I remember seeing the concept of modes in CVT. I thought, "There's no way I'm going to be able to learn this stuff from a book and just some audio clips of them being used."

I know I'll be able to get all of this down, because I know I can always confirm, if I'm ever unsure. 

 I mostly sing love songs, so I chose something else. If Holiday Songs gets chosen, I might do Stevie Wonder's Someday at Christmas or Donny Hathaway's This Christmas. Maybe Georgia by Ray Charles if Songs About Your Country is chosen. I'll be down with anything though. 

Let's make that happen with this thread. A lot of these programs generally do the same stuff.

So, I had a question, regarding something in the book. I decided to message Robert about it, and we decided it would be something great to put in here. Not only does it show a change in my understanding of head voice and falsetto, but it also represents an important question regarding what the system can do.

I had asked this:

I'm trying to make sure I understand the intended result here. Is the focus here to remove falsetto, as something that naturally happens when you sing up high or to remove it completely? What I mean here is, will you gain the ability to sing high, with power, while still having the choice to use falsetto?

I then randomly found the video below, later that night, which helped answer things a little bit, but I still was not sure about things, completely. I didn't have absolute certainty yet.

This is his response:

Your not going to loose Falsetto, ever. It is a primitive physical mode... see the lesson on primitive physical vocal modes. That means it is intuitive for the body.  You have no risk of losing what your already doing in those lighter mass configurations. The only risk you have is not building the more connected configurations if you don't practice. 

If you want to only be the "falsetto" guy.. then your already there... if you want to have chest voice high, you need to practice. 

My response to that, as well as another question:

Cool. I need that to get the panties wet, Rob. 

I ended up seeing your video called something like "Falsetto is NOT your Head Voice" last night. It happened to pop up in suggestions, on YouTube.

So, the musculature gets built, so that, when you use twang, you carry the "boom" upwards?

And this is why this is a complete system. I can completely confirm my understanding.

As I said in that last line, this is exactly why this is a complete system. I had read something, and watched a video on it, and still didn't quite understand. Then, there are a lot of videos. The topics overlap, which means they are mentioned in multiple videos.  I was able to watch another one that seemed to be about what I wanted to know (the video I got up there). I understood things a bit better, but not 100% yet. So I got in contact with Rob, and that's what's driving it home right now.

Each resource, things get reinforced, and I got closer and closer to the intended understanding. I read the topic in the book, and watched a video. Didn't quite understand. Found another video, because topics are not kept in separate boxes in this system. My understanding grew (the concept of falsetto, as a mode, and there being multiple modes, is something I understood) but not 100% certain yet. 

You don't have this luxury with other systems. You've got one medium to absorb something through. If you can't get it, the forums are dead, so odds are that somebody won't even see your question for a while. Forget whether they know they answer or not, but by that time, you've probably forgotten about the forum. Here, I'm getting it straight from the developer's mouth. This is why I went on and on. Things can only get better than this if you have a vocal coach giving you instant feedback, in-person. Even then, all vocal coaches are not created equal. 

This is a big enough topic, on it's own, so it deserves it's own discussion thread.

Some popular production programs on the forums, are listed at the top. Several of us have some of these programs. I, myself, have Logic Pro X. Though, you're encouraged to join this discussion, whether you're using something else, or you're trying to find a program to start using.

Let's get serious about this stuff.

One of the places you can find bed tracks is HERE.

It's time to shake up the challenges. This time, we won't be deciding on one genre, and then deciding on one song to sing. We'll be voting on a theme, and everyone will get to decide whatever song they want to sing.

If you've got any trouble deciding, I'll be here to help you with that.

As usual, people are encouraged to create the best recording they can make. Acapella is an option, if it really comes down to that, but production is a very valuable skill. A necessary skill, especially if you're serious about a music career. Several of us, here on the forum, are trying to learn this, so join us, and we'll all talk about it.. 

Voting will be open for about 5 days, because we won't be voting on songs to be sung. Those are completely up to you.

Acknowledged. Not sure very many are familiar with him, here, but I'm pretty sure I've got a way that  will ensure you can sing something by him in one of the challenges.

Cee Lo has a crazy tone. I could recognize him anywhere.

And, yes, there are a number of artists who could cross over. The lead singer from Rascall Flats is a country guy that could definitely sing R&B.  There's even a video of him performing with Jamie Foxx.

If you like the idea of an R&B guy that could sing country, you might want to give Anthony Hamilton a listen. I suggest the song "Lucille", for starters. Perfect example.

I did briefly notice there were a number of charts, and in one of the videos, I remember him suggesting  TVS students take a look. It really is like you're enrolling in a class, but you work at your own pace. Do the work and you will succeed.

Other systems really do leave gaps, by presenting not things one or two different ways. There's stIill a big opening to fall through and get things wrong. Other forums are dead, and you won't find the creators of those systems posting every day.

Some may think I'm just saying things, but I'm stating facts here.

This system ensures you're going to get it right, better than any other system there is. The only way to make things any more certain would be to have an actual teacher in front of you, giving you instant feedback.

Those other systems are lacking. Singing Success is only going to get you somewhere if you try to sing those exercises. You'll add some texture and agility, and strength to your voice, but you won't know why you're doing what you're doing, or if you're doing things with proper support, which is how you learn how to screw up your voice. You could get those same results by ordering a $20 CD with random scale exercises. For a "system" that costs over $200, that's ridiculous.

Like I said, CVT is better, and I like their approach, with their dictionary of effects and stuff, but there's not enough fundamental stuff, and, as I said, those are the kinds of techniques that will cause you serious issues, if performed wrong.  And the forum is dead. 

This covers all bases, and so it is a complete system. Everything I'm talking about here can be verified.

I had to tell the truth. I'm just mad I wasted my money on the other stuff. 

This is what a serious singing program looks like.

Hey all,

A few months ago, I decided to get The Four Pillars. Since then, I've looked over different areas of the program, several times .At the time, I was too busy to really get into it all, and start practicing regularly, but I've just now got things together, so I can begin doing just that.

A little background on me: I got into this singing thing a few years ago. It was something I was fascinated with for a long time, but I didn't know it was a skill that could be learned and developed. Once I found out that it was, I immediately decided that I wanted to learn.

To try to accomplish that, for a while, I took lessons, and used several programs, including CVT and Singing Success. I even had purchased Singing Success forum access for a few months.

I'm now going to express why I feel this is the best program around, if you really want to learn how to sing. This program is as thorough as a program gets. A comprehensive book, with an exhaustive assortment of video instructionals, explanations, and pre-recorded workouts. There's order, and guidance in this program. You're not completely overwhelmed by it all. You know what you're doing, when you should be doing it, and why you're doing it. The very science of it all is explained, but you aren't  overwhelmed with a flood of terms. Still not quite sure about something? Check out the video library or come to the forum, because there's actually a forum where the creator of it all is actually active, and answering questions, everyday.

This makes Singing Success look like an unfinished product. I bought access to that forum, for a while, and while it did show far more exercises, there was no order. You didn't know when to work on things, or why you were doing things. Forum was barely active. I ended up deciding to get that program. It was a 7 page ebook and a bunch of exercises in MP3 format. No direction. I used the exercises for about 3 weeks, and stopped. Looks, and sounds good, but no substance. For example, they put in examples of the whistle register being used, and no explanation of how to use it, at all. Perfect example of the entire system. Looks good, but nothing behind it. There were also examples of singing in several different styles, but no instructions or explanation regarding the dynamics necessary to sing in those styles. Should have just been called "Mirage Music" system, because it looked like something, but it wasn't.

CVT was better, but it did not go as far as this system does. There's a book, and exercises, but reading, and hearing, is not enough. Some things are hard to pick up just from reading descriptions, and hearing them done. And when you're not able to bridge that gap, there's a dead forum. There are vocal effects and techniques in this book that sound great, but are not easy to perform. This can be dangerous, because if you think you are doing what you're reading and hearing, but you are not performing the exercises and techniques properly, you can seriously damage your voice.

With The Four Pillars, you can read about the technique, hear the technique, and see the technique. Still have something you're not sure about? Go to the forum, ask, and you'll get assistance pretty quickly. Nothing is left to chance here. It's an honest, complete program. If you want to know how much confidence and honesty is behind this program, simply look at the fact that the author of the program owns this site, and there is a forum here, where you're allowed to talk about other programs. The author of the program isn't even trying to keep people from knowing there are other options besides The Four Pillars. A testament to how unparalleled this system is.

If you're serious about learning how to sing, this is the only complete system. Learning to sing is like going to the gym. You use proper form, you do the right exercises, you work hard, and you will end up with a very strong body. Something that looks great and performs extremely well. The same applies to singing. You use proper technique, do the right exercises, and workout your voice enough, you will end up with a very strong voice. A voice that sounds great, and performs extremely well. The Four Pillars is the only gym regimen you need for your voice.

And to add one more thing, some may be skeptical of whether this program is for you. For a while, I was. As some may have already guessed from my name, I'm into R&B/Soul music. There's an assumption that R&B is a genre where everybody sings softly. This isn't true. There are plenty of singers who sing with power and rasp. For example, Beyonce, Jazmine Sullivan, R. Kelly, Tyrese, and many more. I'm a guy, who's been practicing for a while, and I've got okay range (D2 - C5 in full voice and somewhere like E4 - A5 in falsetto), but a lot of where my strength is at is the lower part of my range. After a while, I managed to get my head voice to not sound like a dying cat, but still sounds like the notes are weak, up near the top of it. This program will build up my musculature so that I have strength and power up there, when I sing in that part of my range, while still working out other parts of my voice (Remember, NEVER skip leg day ). Also, for those interested in Pop or R&B, the scale exercises in this system, and several of the "run" exercises, will also train your voice so that you have the agility necessary to perform those riffs and runs.

This is truly a program that is going to help tremendously, no matter what style you sing, and it's the only program out there that is thorough and resourceful enough to reduce your margin of error by this much. And did I mention that new videos are regularly added to the library? Enough said.

I know this is over, but I never submitted, like I said I was going to do. Did this last night, so I could put it in here.

Acknowledged. About to open voting for the next challenge choices.

Surprised nobody has gotten involved yet. Extending the deadline by 2 weeks.

If I could get a hold of him, lol.

Really surprised nobody got involved with this yet. Lots of guitar players here. Extending the deadline by 2 weeks.

Where's everybody at? I'm looking at dropping my first take any day now.

Anyone get started yet with this?

Anybody get started yet?