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applying techniques to songs

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darkclaw3000

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i've been doing training, vocalising, exercises that helps with improving range n placement n stuffs, but for the life of me i just cant apply all those to songs that i sing.

for example a song like 'she's gone'. if i do sirens n stuffs, the notes are there, loud n stuffs. but when i sing the song, i will struggle. worst on my fav song rainbow - stargazer. note wise, easy. singing the song, hell no.

do i have to train every single syllable on every range n volume to truly train my voice to fit all possible problems?

cuz its starting to seem like it. -_-

i've listened n watched ppl sing n cover songs, i can see their technique is perfect, but HOW do they apply it??

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there's a huge difference between vocalizing and singing actual songs.

in singing you have lyrics, words that are made up of vowels and consonants in various configurations. that's why it's so important to break a song down and reduce it to it's lowest terms.

as an example, if you sing a certain way you can hung up on the consonants which are breath interrupting. vowels on the other hand, promote breath flow.

also, there's range you work on to develop your voice and keep it conditioned, and there's "usable" range, which is somewhat less because again, now you're singing words and melody.

a keen understanding of vowels and vowel shading (or modification) is critical to singing songs in the higher ranges.

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for example a song like 'she's gone'. if i do sirens n stuffs, the notes are there, loud n stuffs. but when i sing the song, i will struggle. worst on my fav song rainbow - stargazer. note wise, easy. singing the song, hell no.

Ha ha....as I have said before (actually others have said it too) there is a difference between someone who can hit a note and someone who can sing it.

I have used the analogy of wannabe fighters I have seen at the gym who work the heavy bag day in and day out perfecting technique. But they never spar or fight, only work the bag showing off. They actually end up looking pretty good and you would think they were great and fierce fighters. But they can't fight worth a crap. All they have done is become good at practicing. Perfect technique but no knowledge of what to do with it.

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Something I have found is that while it is important to find a way to use the techniques in singing a song, you have to actively concentrate and judge how to use what technique in each different song. I think each voice tunes a little differently. And if you are hearing a singer on a song use a certain vowel sound, you may need to use a slightly different vowel sound in your voice to do that note with ease.

That is, while the dedication of hammering away is good, make sure you are not trying to hammer a square peg into a round hole. So, let the "hammering away" be one of active choice in what sounds you are making. The end goal is still pitch accuracy, volume, expression.

And the vowel sounds, etc, that you may use on one song by a certain singer, that exact same "setting of the dials" may not work on another song by the same singer.

So, essentially, you have to work each song in your repertoire into your own voice.

And rejoice in the unique sound in your voice.

What if there was a magic technique, the magic pill (it would be easier to find a unicorn) that allowed any singer to sound like any other singer. I would find that boring. Let's pick a singer from the pantheon of great singers. Just for giggles, Ian Gillan.

What if we could all sound just like him, through whatever secret technique. Great, so now, we have in the forum, an even dozen or so that are capable of sounding just like Ian Gillan. I would get bored after the first few copies.

On the other hand, hearing it in different voices really is magical because one voice will have a new shade or color to put on the song that brings out something we have never heard before, just as beautiful and relevant as the original.

To that point, I had hoped for more answers to Lunte's invitation to cover "Child in Time." Whether someone could an A5 or not. Or needed to drop the key 1/2 or 1 whole step. Or two. But do something. Sing it with the same passion, but in your own expression.

Or, to do covers of Queensryche songs.

And it doesn't matter what stage of progress you are at. Be glad for what you can do, find out what you can work on.

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