Soundgarden - Beyond the wheel 2nd try; Chris Cornell - Say hello 2 he

[Duchi]

Hello!

A little background - I've been practicing 4-5 days a week for about 1:30 h for the past 2 months.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk0HvyW9XJc

Okey, so this is the song "Beyond the wheel" 2nd try, I posted another version on this forum couple of days ago and people suggested that I pull chest and strain. Also my breath support sucked. So, on this record I tried to sing the high notes (they start at 1:17 D5 Eb5 F5 are the notes I think) without trying to sound "powerful" as I tried the first time. There is no strain, my voice felt perfectly fine after this. The problem is that i don't like the sound. Should I twang more, to achieve power, or I should keep practising and this powerful sound will come natural? Or maybe Cornell is using effects on his mic, echo or something, I don't know?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFb8nxbmpNY

So there is this other song "Say hello to heaven" that I tried. Messed up the chords on the guitar once or twice, sorry about that

The parts 1:36 - 1:48, 3:15 - 3:23, 4:32 - 4:42 give me trouble, the last phrase of the sentence sounds a bit strained, how can I fix this? More breath support? I am also not so happy with the high notes after 5:02.

I will be really thankful if you can listen and point out mistakes and what I do wrong!

[ronws]

2nd try was better. Your voice was more steady. First thing, your appraisal of your sound may change as time goes by. (For one thing, you normally can't hear yourself outside of your own body. Your voice will sound higher to others than it does to you. Secondly, your voice will warm as you get used to the no-strain version and you timbre or sound quality will change just a little. And your own opinion will change, too.)

"Say Hello to Heaven" was really good. You have a knack for this style of singing. Up top just before your highest notes, I could hear a little Chris Robinson. And your highest notes do have some Cornell feel to them. Here's a trick for having the high notes not "feel" so strained. And, by the way, since we can't truly hear ourselves, we sing by feel. On your highest notes, think of the the "ee" sound, even if that is not the vowel. This will cause the muscles in head that slightly alter shape and the tongue to channel the notes to resonating spaces where the sound is easily supported.

And I know people are going to say, "Okay, Ron, where did you get that crazy idea?" Certainly not in my own thought processes. That is a nearly a direct quote from Lilli Lehmann, one of the most famous coloratura sopranos who later became one of the most famous voice teachers. And no, doing that trick will not make you sound like an "opera singer." But it is similar to what Bob may talk about in "aiming a note" by means of vowel choice.

[Duchi]

Thanks, Ron, I really appreciate your comment, I'll try that trick !