Simple Man

[Guest]

In another post in another section of the forum I spoke about singing high notes; or I should say "higher." At least for me. Some songs are out of reach while others are very borderline or just beyond. But others are just below the edge of too high. I can do them, but not to my liking. This song is one of those that are just a bit high for me in the chorus and I am never satisfied with the outcome. However, I love singing this song and so I do...often...to myself. I have recorded it a couple of times but never post it. In light of my recent post I am posting the song today. It's just the chorus that has the high part. Again, not very high but for me just around that spot that makes it difficult. Not difficult to hit the notes but difficult to make it musical. It isn't "singing" the notes. At least to my satisfaction. I have attempted to alter the phrasing or certain words emphasizing different parts of the words but...

This is about the best I've got so far but it isn't hitting my vision of the song. Maybe if I had a band to fit a version to me? Man, I'd love to have "my own" rendition. These damn backing tracks lock you in to the original.

It's not a song that I would add to my list to sing in public. It's just a hair passed or right at the mark where I am comfortable. I just privately play with it

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=11812582&q=hi&newref=1

[Felipe Carvalho]

I love this song man...

Why dont you try lowering the Backing Track tonality? I would really like to hear you singing it with more comfort, if you want, mail it to me and Ill return it to you 2 semitones lower.

A few things that I hear: On the verses, you are handling it somewhat well, but I do notice a bit of strain starting to happen. On the chorus, well you are hitting a technical wall there, its not a limitation of your voice, its a limitation of what you are doing with your voice. I can hear some vowels working a little better than others, so there is a good basis to develop what you want.

Also the original song has one of the strongest interpretation lines I ever heard, I know that you like to do your own thing, but if you used just a bit of the original ideas as a barebone with your tone over it... I bet you can make someone cry .

Anyways its just a suggestion, if you are interested, Ill detail what I have in mind a bit further.

[Guest]

I love this song man...

Why dont you try lowering the Backing Track tonality? I would really like to hear you singing it with more comfort, if you want, mail it to me and Ill return it to you 2 semitones lower.

A few things that I hear: On the verses, you are handling it somewhat well, but I do notice a bit of strain starting to happen. On the chorus, well you are hitting a technical wall there, its not a limitation of your voice, its a limitation of what you are doing with your voice. I can hear some vowels working a little better than others, so there is a good basis to develop what you want.

Also the original song has one of the strongest interpretation lines I ever heard, I know that you like to do your own thing, but if you used just a bit of the original ideas as a barebone with your tone over it... I bet you can make someone cry .

Anyways its just a suggestion, if you are interested, Ill detail what I have in mind a bit further.

Yes, Felipe, I'm interested. As far as my own rendition, I'm not thinking of really changing it. More of a cross between Skynards version and Shinedown (with a bit of Tommy mixed in).

I know next to nothing of mixing and so I grab the mic hit record and sing. Then I save it and post it. I do nothing else to the track....don't know how. So lowering it would be cool. I sure can't figure it out. I'd be interested in seeing how that works out though. I'll send you the track when I get a chance tomorrow.

Thanks

[MDEW]

Very Good Tommy. It's just that one word in the chorus. Simple "Kind" of man.

I 'm sure others here will be able to give you suggestions. I loose it right at the start of "Simple" and it goes downhill from there. Maybe you just need more support on "Kind" That would be an A4 if the song is in the Key of C.

Most people use a boatload of support on that spot in the song. Otherwise it sounded great to me.

[Guest]

Very Good Tommy. It's just that one word in the chorus. Simple "Kind" of man.

I 'm sure others here will be able to give you suggestions. I loose it right at the start of "Simple" and it goes downhill from there. Maybe you just need more support on "Kind" That would be an A4 if the song is in the Key of C.

Most people use a boatload of support on that spot in the song. Otherwise it sounded great to me.

Ha! You got it. That's the word...well one of them, but the worst one. gets me every time. Actually this is the improved "kind " pronunciation. I shortened it. It was worse before so it's improving with modification. I was tempted to change it to "be a simple, be a simple man" instead of "Be a simple, kind of man" but I didn't.

Also I don't really like "understand." I guess that whole phrase messes me up.

And this time around I screwed up "satisfied" which I usually build into nicely and hit it big. But I have been very busy so wasn't going back to record it again. This is the first I've sung in about 4 weeks as I've been sick and my voice is just starting to come around. I go back to the doctor tomorrow. There's some added strain/tightening as I go higher. ell, at least that's my excuse. :D

[ronws]

I agree with Felipe that yes, you could sing "kind" on the higher note but what you are doing with the vowel etc, is keeping it where it is.

That being said, I think you did just fine and I enjoyed just simply listening to it. And to be honest, I think the karaoke track was pitched higher than the original. That is, you are singing it higher than it was originally written.

And it might be worth having Felipe drop it 1/2 to a whole to the proper key. Then save that and if you every wind up doing some karaoke somewhere, "accidently" have that with and let fly. But that's just a key preference for you, I think. This version was fine, on its own.

Well done, Tommy.

[Keith]

Awesome job man!

[Guest]

Thanks.

[MDEW]

There's a thread here about Michael Jackson and Seth Riggs in one of Michaels songs he was having trouble with a word starting with the hard Ka sound. Seth suggested he try it with a softer Ga sound. You can also try K-ah-nd of man instead of Kind of man.

And yes I do believe that in the skynyrd version they were tuned down a half step from standard. I always have to retune my guitar to play along with it.

[Guest]

I listened to that Seth Riggs/MJ video and I heard that K to Ga sound. That's an idea. But I may try a little more

"k -ah- nd or something of that nature. Thanks

What I have done on other songs that seemed to work (but didn't quite on this one) was alter the phrase a little and pronunciation. I shorten the bad word and just tweak how I say the whole sentence. That has worked for me on other songs but the words surrounding "kind" are too small. of and man so it is a bit troublesome to do. I have nowhere to go with those other words other than to shorten kind rush through of and extend man.

Hey, it all comes down to ending up forcing you to practice more and familiarize yourself with different phrasings and modifications and all sorts of things just from doing it over and over in so many varying ways.

It's all good :)

[Keith]

Learn vowel modification you must . That's really the fix for your problem. Once you get to a certain area in your voice , you need to modify to keep from choking yourself off. I imagine that modifying "kiiiiind" would be easiest with "kahhhhnd" or even with a little "uhh" like "kuuuhnd" . Just mess around with a couple different modifications until you find one that works.

[Dr.Evil]

Learn vowel modification you must .

Sorry, just can't hold myself .

[Guest]

Learn vowel modification you must . That's really the fix for your problem. Once you get to a certain area in your voice , you need to modify to keep from choking yourself off. I imagine that modifying "kiiiiind" would be easiest with "kahhhhnd" or even with a little "uhh" like "kuuuhnd" . Just mess around with a couple different modifications until you find one that works.

Thanks Kieth. I have been working on vowel mods and have been successful to some degree in other areas....scales, other songs that are usually a problem. I think that is why this attempt was a definite improvement over others I've recorded. You fine folks are absolutely right and I am aware of and have been of the problems for me in this song. However, you haven't heard my previous attempts!! Otherwise you would know the improvement (I think) But' it's a work in progress. Thanks for all the advice everyone. I posted this as a sort of "lesson" song.

One thing though! I have recorded this before more than once but never posted it because of the problems and I never liked the result. But now that I posted it (and bared my weaknesses and flaws :mad:) along with the advice and notes on bad spots I have also received a couple of compliments. Meanwhile I thought it would get hammered. What the.....??? A couple of days ago I posted another song "Before You Accuse Me," which I thought was pretty good and the thing is just sinking in the list like a rock in the ocean!! I guess the Blues isn't a big seller Ok, I did leave out a whole verse in that song, but I didn't think it was bad overall. BUT, I always feel that if a song isn't someones genre, they aren't interested so they don't listen or comment. Which then leads me to my philosophy which is "then get them with feel and emotion." Draw them in. So if I didn't do that then it works out good for me because now I go practice more and the song gets better!!! (for a crowd who'd appreciate it!!) JK

Thanks again