Working on "Run To The Hills" by Iron Maiden

[Olem]

Hello, there!

I have been away for awhile, alot of work lately among other things. But, i always have time to sing some tunes. I am going back to one of my favourite songs, i really want to nail this song one day. So, i hope to get some valuable critique and information here on this excellent forum and i am sure i will get it, i always does. One thing i know of and have noticed myself is that in the beginning of the chorus on the "Run to the hills" part i get to dull, too choked on the "hills", i can´t get it to sound good, not as free and resonant as Bruce. Any tips there? All tips on this tune are welcome. Thanx in advance.

https://www.box.com/s/fsro5txvsvntqmi8rqy8

[ronws]

Notice how you are bridged by the time you sing "run for your lives." So, bridge before that. On "hills," sing it as "h -eh - lls." Not only is that what Bruce is doing but you will need to, by adjusting a vowel sound. Each voice is different in how it tunes to a vowel. You may have a speach pattern with the written vowel 'i' in hills. Going to eh may break you of that pattern that may be causing constriction. A number of languages outside of English pronounce the i as an ee sound. But combine that with an accent and it might cause constriction.

Just like in the southern states of USA, some accents are heavy on the 'r', throwing everything out of whack.

[Olem]

Ok, Ron, thanx for your answer. I don´t exactly understand what you mean by "Notice how you are bridged by the time you sing "run for your lives." Could you explain that further, Ron, because when i sing "run", actually i don´t know if i bridge, i just try to thin out and add more cry, i don´t know this "bridge" feeling. But to change the vowel more to "eh" than "ih" in "hills" i understand and that may help, though i think i already tried it.

[Jugulator]

A bit off tune. But, anyway, I can hear improvement. Verses sounded better to me.

[napoleonboot]

Your main problem is tuning, which off quite a bit, sometimes in the same places repeatedly.

You should listen to the original very closely and re-listen to your own performance. If you play guitar or keyboards it may help to pick out the vocal melody as a single note phrase to help you focus on it.

[ronws]

You say you are thinning out by the time you reach "run to the hills." Well, that is just the second half of the chorus. Try thinning out for the first part of the chorus, too. Let's call that your "bridge."

[Olem]

Thanx for your answers, Igor, Ron and Guitargeorge. Igor, Guitargeorge: What do you mean i´m off pitch (ironic), well i agree, this is my biggest problem. Ron: "Run To The Hills" is in the beginning of the chorus, i think i feel a slight difference on To"" - there i start to thin out i think, before that i just add more support. When i sing with a lighter mix, like when i was singing "painkiller" by Judas Priest, that was an easier task, not easy in that sense, but around the Tenor C in that kind of lighter mix it is more easy. G4´s and especially A4 are very difficult for me. I think the "Hills" in the first and third line in the chorus lies in A4 and that is, for me, the most difficult phrase to sing .

Bruce´s tone sounds so chesty and belty and it´s a very difficult task to copy. I have seen the video where Ken Tamplin tries to imitate Bruce and i don´t want to be disrespectful but i don´t think it´s very close and there is a little too much head configuration there, i think Bruce has got more chest, though it still is a mix.

[Jugulator]

Yes, Bruce sings in a mixed voice, but he pulls much chest at the higher notes. Additionally, he uses much distortion that makes his voice sound even more brutal.

BTW I don't like how Ken Tamplin imitates Bruce.

[DJDeth]

Olem, check your headphone mix - if it's to loud or to low, this might be causing problems with singing in tune. It's also a good idea to record the vocal melody on an instrument and sing along it while recording. It's mostly about paying more attention and being able to hear both backing track and yourself while singing.

When it comes to the chorus, chech out Kevin Richard's tips:

[Olem]

Ok, that was a good video, very good. Thanx, DjDeth. Too bad he doesn´t reach the high E though because that is very tricky. The D i could do in my sleep (a little exaggerated ) but to make the E sound chesty and unstrained is much more difficult. I can´t do it consistently. I can´t sing with my head phones on, it´s very disturbing for me, i try to listen to the phrase first and then tries to imitate it.

Ok, i think i stated it wrong when i said that Ken Tamplin imitated Bruce. Maybe he didn´t want to sound exactly like Bruce, he just wanted to show how to sing like that i think, just like Kevin Richards. I prefer Kevin Richard´s video though but i don´t think he sounds like Bruce either, but i don´t think many can.

[DJDeth]

To me it's much more difficult to sing in tune without hearing the backing track all the time. Without it you've got nothing to relate to, pitchwise.

[Olem]

Ok, Dj, i feel uncomfortable when i can´t hear my singing voice clearly but maybe it´s something i could get used too.

[Guest]

Ok, Dj, i feel uncomfortable when i can´t hear my singing voice clearly but maybe it´s something i could get used too.

But don't you adjust the levels so that you can hear your voice above the music in the headphones? That's the point of a monitor onstage and headphones (a form of a monitor) when recording.

[Olem]

In the headphones? Sorry if this seem stupid, hahhahah, but how do i do that?

[Guest]

Well, I am recording illiterate myself but...

I record through an interface which allows me to use my mic through my computer. Right? And it also allows me to plug my headphones into the interface. So! All the music is playing through the interface (and computer) well....they are "interfaced!!!" So on the interface there are control knobs. One to control gain, and two for volume levels. One works the music coming in and one works the mic volume so I can hear my voice louder and less music or more music and less voice, and anything in between. I don't see how anyone can record without these components. I suck at recording but would be worse without them!!! lol

[Olem]

Thanx for helping, Tommy. Well, i don´t know yet how to find this feature on my computer. I use a program called Reaper right now. Maybe i should switch my input source from my sound card to something called "What you hear". I never hear my voice live in my head phones just after i have stopped the recording and play it.

[DJDeth]

Olem,

I don't know the program you've mentioned, but try to describe the scheme of your mic-computer-headphones connection. Tell me where you plug what and what knobs you use to adjust volume. Do you use Windows mixer and is there a mixer in this Reaper software.

The right mix in your headphones is essential, so I would take my time to figure out how to do it if I were you. Describe the connection scheme and we might be able to help you.

[Olem]

I found the solution today, thanx for all the posts.