Don't stop believing, curbing with a fair amount of hold and low lary

[jonpall]

My latest try at getting a "heavy" mix as they say in SLS:

http://www.box.net/shared/prddjk5ic9

I MAY have finally got somewhat close to the sound I've been wanting to get for that song.

[Quincy]

I liked this beginning the best, I think. your resonance and timing sounded more in synch to me and powerful. I also think you familiarity with the song is getting tighter and it's comes through.

[gno]

jonpall - that sounds "deeper" or "richer" - do you have a lower larynx? What are you doing to try to acheive that sound?

[jonpall]

I lowered my larynx and increased my hold in curbing. Seems to be the two main principles from Chris Keller to get a heavy, full pop sound in the tenor range. Check him out on youtube. Glad you liked it guys!! :)

[Wildcat]

I lowered my larynx and increased my hold in curbing. Seems to be the two main principles from Chris Keller to get a heavy, full pop sound in the tenor range. Check him out on youtube. Glad you liked it guys!!

I thought it sounded really smooth man, awesome! I'm a huge fan of Chris Keller's tips too. Which ones specifically were you looking at for this?

[devaitis]

It doesn't sound bad. But I didn't notice more power because low larynx. IMO you sing "whole gotta love" much better then Chris.

[jonpall]

Thanks guys. IMO, listening back to it, I may have actually overdone the dopyness by 1% or so. The entire song could also use some variety in vocal sound, i.e. not every single note in heavy curbing. But note that singing this song is just an exercise for me, really. And a condenser mic sure would be nice to have. I appreciate the time you guys took in listening to the clip and commenting! Have a nice day.

[ronws]

It's your fault, jonpall.

Not only do you make a lot of sense but, like you, I am inspired by the Chris Keller performance.

So, I have two files to share.

The first is me explaining what I have learned to day. Though I am speaking to you, it's for everyone, so they can learn from my hillbilly ways.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8750209/Don%27t%20Stop%20-%20larynx.mp3

The second is my stab at the song, like others have done. Nothing special, just trying out the lowered larynx application and having a much easier time, even with the Keller note that I do in there. Seriously, a relaxed, fairly neutral larynx. I have realized the hard way that concentrating on keeping it stable causes your muscles to stretch from the other direction so that the larynx doesn't rise up to high and resist, causing us to blow more air and set a chain reaction of catastrophe.

In the second recording and the second part of the first recording, I am over two feet away from the mic. This lowered larynx thingy makes volume so much easier to do, which means it's easier to overload a mic.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8750209/Don%27t%20Stop%20Believing.mp3

[ronws]

And again, another file. And thank you, jonpall, for always pointing toward basics. You just didn't go back far enough. This is before scales. This is the movement in the throat. At first, I couldn't care less about the larynx, just assuming it moved up in part to create a shorter resonator for high notes. But, after reviewing your views on it and reading an explanation from Mark Baxter (don't ask me why I didn't pay attention to Steven's technical explanation) I finally got a picture of what the larynx does. Now, it does have to move, otherwise, you couldn't make any sound. The larynx moves to change the tension and length of the folds. What I didn't realize is that it can move in more than one direction. When the adam's apple moves up, you choke off, which holds back the air pressure, which places too much stress on the folds which widen, and then you blow more air to keep the volume up. By keeping the front of the larynx low or stable, it cause you to re-train to move the larynx from the "other side", so to speak. This also has the effect of keeping the throat open, which gives the darker overtones and allows for variations in the pharynx to do distortion and tonal variations. So, this is what I created with a low, stable larynx.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8750209/Dio%20-%20larynx.mp3

[jonpall]

I listen to all 3 files, Ron. There were pretty cool, man! I'm very glad that this is working for you. And you know what - it sounds like it is! Bravo Ron! I think you're tone is fuller now, but it's also not TOO "dopy", like Yogi bear. And you do allow your larynx to rise more for the really, really high notes of yours. My main point to you at the moment would just be to have fun singing! Have a nice day my friend.

[ronws]

That's the thing, jonpall. Yeah, it's okay for the larynx to rise for some of the really high notes, but not as a general habit. I have also noticed that keeping the larynx stable (relatively) also solves some passaggio issues. I don't know if it's the panacea for everything but it is such a basic thing, before any note or scale, for it starts the physcial structure and the onset of the note. And I, too, like the fuller, even darker tonality with it. It's not about hitting the highest note, it's about singing a note as rounded as is comfortable, which actually allows for some overtones that can make mixing a vocal in easier.

And the lowered larynx, though requiring more direct concentration at this point, made things easier and when I recorded the full song in this thread, I started to laugh near the end and nearly lost my concentration. But being the live player that I am, I rolled on through it and kept it. This was more to show a principle than to be perfect.

And thanks for your help in always stressing the basics. I just had to go more basic than you could imagine.

Edited to add:

I just noticed in the Dio clip, it sounded like, on one note, I channeled a little bit of James Hetfield. I have to admit that I thought that was cool.

[jonpall]

I liked your slight grit every now and then in the last clip, Ron. I think that if you don't overdue it, it sounds very cool.

[devaitis]

ron wow. That was cool I liked it. How old are you?

[ronws]

Hey, devaitis, I am 46. At the end of this week, March 19, which is my birthday and I will be 47.

I guess I'm doing okay for a guy is a grandfather (by marriage.)