Round 3? Somebody That I Used to Know, Codyknight22

[Codyknight22]

I decided to do this song again so I'd have other songs that I could look back on and have a good comparison. Yes I used a backing track, yes you guys can't hear, and yes it's late but I don't care and I think I sung loud enough. But let me know if I did, if I improved, if I did enough. I really just want more feedback. Please tell me what I need to do and give me more tips. Thank you guys for tolerating me throughout my 5 videos here .

Video:

[Vocalist Dad]

Cody, I can't get the link to work.

[Keith]

The link appears to be broken.

[breakin]

I decided to do this song again so I'd have other songs that I could look back on and have a good comparison. Yes I used a backing track, yes you guys can't hear, and yes it's late but I don't care and I think I sung loud enough. But let me know if I did, if I improved, if I did enough. I really just want more feedback. Please tell me what I need to do and give me more tips. Thank you guys for tolerating me throughout my 5 videos here .

Video: http://youtu.be/KGVo9J8dlcs

Ironically youtube says that it is a duplicate. But you already made that clear!

[Codyknight22]

Oh sorry, I uploaded this late and so I just now got back from school stuff so I'll upload another one. Really I didn't know and this is just a quick apology. {Man do I feel dumb}

[Codyknight22]

Okay now I have the video to post up and again I apologize for that. I feel really terrible and I probably should of checked. Again sorry.

[Codyknight22]

Sorry no one watch this right now the link is still not working I think I'm posting the wrong video. I'm going to figure this out but don't watch this for right now.

[Codyknight22]

SOMEBODY CALL ME DUMB. I had the video made the entire time and I kept trying to re-upload it because I was so sure that I had not uploaded it so that was the problem. Sorry about that but the videos up for real.

[ronws]

Finally got to see it. The volume was much better. Your lower notes wavered a little and I think that is due to what's calle "near-field effect." Headphones and some near monitors in a studio tend to sound bassy. And since your body tries to follow pitch, your voice drags down because your doing exactly what you should, which is follow what you hear. I learned that when I am singing against playback or a karaoke track, to make that a little more trebly or "sweeter" so that I don't drag my voice down.

You higher notes sound good. And it sounds like you've got some vibrato, a blessing. I didn't hear any debilitating nasal quality. So, this is where you have to trust ears outside of yourself. It may have felt or sounded nasal to you as you sang, but it was not overtly nasal in my hearing. And you will need nasal resonance. Nasal resonance does not mean singing through the nose. I means using the cavities as resonance chambers.

Also, with this recording and what sounds like better breath support, your voice doesn't sound as low as I initially thought. Not that any of us could really describe your fach (range and texture.) In addition, in pop music, it's not terribly important other than to use as a guide when choosing songs you could sing well.

And I think it's okay if you use the same song as a steady guidepost against which to measure changes. Though you may eventually decide to do a fully accompanied cover of something else once you really find what your voice is capable of. IDK, maybe you just really like r&b. I will look forward to the day when you can cover "Rich Girl" by Hall and Oates, a song that I would like to do, as well, though I don't really do r&b.

So, did you spike your parents' punch? just kidding.

Just getting to hear you sing instead of quietly hum, almost, helps a lot.

I don't know where you get to practice where you can make all the odd noises you want without fear of reprisal but you will need one. A place where you can make funny noises. Go really nasal and then back off. Do a mickey mouse sound, then back off a little. Quack like a duck, cackle like a witch. Woof like a dog. Sing so loud your head rings. Sing so quietly, only angels can hear you.

[Codyknight22]

Thanks Ron. Also may I just say that it took me about 5 million years to figure out this link thing. I'm happy that this worked out well, and I was thinking of maybe doing "She's Gone" by Hall & Oats. I heard a cover of this song by Nicolas David and i fell in love with it. I think I have a good voice for it and do you think is a good idea? But thanks for the feedback as always Ron.

[ronws]

Thanks Ron. Also may I just say that it took me about 5 million years to figure out this link thing. I'm happy that this worked out well, and I was thinking of maybe doing "She's Gone" by Hall & Oats. I heard a cover of this song by Nicolas David and i fell in love with it. I think I have a good voice for it and do you think is a good idea? But thanks for the feedback as always Ron.

Go for it. Always have a goal.

[Codyknight22]

So, did you spike your parents' punch? just kidding.

No I did not. My dads out of town and my mom works from 4 {morning} to 5 {afternoon}. I didn't have too this time. Now I feel like a jerk...

[Codyknight22]

Also I don't know how to work the quotes...

[Guest]

At the bottom right corner of all posts is the quote function. Click on it then type your message after what you've quoted. You can trim what you are quoting also (if you just want to quote one sentence from a paragraph) by just deleting what you don't want.

Another way is: At the top of the post where the smilies are there are buttons. If you hit the quote button you will see what pops up. All you have to do is put what you want to quote between those two quote tags. The one that says quote goes before what you are quoting and the one with the slash /quote goes at the end.

[Mr Bounce]

Hi Cody! You're a brave guy to post up so many examples of your singing, and with video of yourself as well. I sure as hell haven't done that, and most people here, even the "great" singers haven't exposed themselves that much. So I give you props for that man.

You clearly have a lot of passion for singing. Are you taking lessons? Finding and following some sort of programme? I realised at a late age (16) that I loved to sing but it just didn't sound the way I heard it in my head. So I wanted to learn and improve so that I could sound better while doing what I loved. I think that you and I are are similar in this way.

Just keep singing, reading, watching, and if you can afford it then get lessons because a good teacher can help you shortcut through a LOT of pain, please believe that.

Also be careful of Gotye. I am an Australian and so I have heard his song "Somebody that You Used to Know" literally hundreds of times over the last year or so, as well as having seen him live. So I can tell you that he has a deceptive voice; it sounds simple and almost like it is spoken, but the truth is that he is one of these gifted individuals who can get away with things that most of us cannot, especially us less experienced singers.

Take care!

[Guest]

Hi Cody! You're a brave guy to post up so many examples of your singing, and with video of yourself as well. I sure as hell haven't done that, and most people here, even the "great" singers haven't exposed themselves that much. So I give you props for that man.

I agree with the point that he is brave enough to put yourself out there. But in the first sentence of your next paragraph you say "You clearly have a lot of passion for singing." I agree with this also. But that 's the point

I believe that singers or musicians in general are artists. Just like an aspiring actor or someone looking to make it in the music industry or maybe even an artist who paints. The more you put yourself out there the more you get noticed. The more you get noticed the more chance of maybe getting someone offering help, or liking what they hear or see and suddenly you get a little push further along. After all any artist really wants his/her artwork to be seen...or heard. Right? So I don't understand why anyone wouldn't put their stuff out there for all to hear. I say the more you put it out there the better. I usually believe in being humble. But not musically. No star or anyone famous got there by remaining in the background. They may try to appear humble but I don't believe it. All those American idol contestants talking about supporting each other and hoping their counterparts do well. HA! Nonsense!! It's push and shove if you ask me. If the next guy does well then they lose. They are in it to win and as singers, so are we. That, is passion. Otherwise we are only singing to ourselves. For that we can just take more showers or drive in our cars more singing to CD's.

Nonsense...put yourself out there as much as you can. the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

But in general all good points in your post and good advice Mr Bounce :)

[Mr Bounce]

They are in it to win and as singers, so are we. That, is passion. Otherwise we are only singing to ourselves. For that we can just take more showers or drive in our cars more singing to CD's.

Nonsense...put yourself out there as much as you can. the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

That's fantastic advice! I think we should all take this to heart; I know I do :)

[ronws]

And I would like to state that singers are also musicians. And like other musicians, you will really become known for your own sound, whatever that is. So, let me engage in another wordy book length post to illustrate what I mean. (I have 4 days off and ya'll will just have to put up with me.)

Eddie Van Halen built his guitar from pieces and experiments, which are actually a patented trade secret (I'm not kidding.)

Brian May also built his own guitar, literally from scratch, and used to play with what we call a penny.

John Taylor (Nigel John Taylor), founding member and bass player for Duran Duran, went through a couple of guitars before he found the one he liked. Before that, he would play guitar with less than 6 strings.

Point being, you are going to have your own sound. To some extent, you can't just go and buy a voice box. You have what you have from birth. But, in the mean time, you can do all kinds of things with that voice. Can you do everything everyone else does? No.

But you can do everything that you can do, whatever that is. And it will be unique and special.

Along with being a musician and an artist, you will need the strength of vision. Not everyone is going to like what you do. But some will. Maybe enough to buy albums from you.

[Codyknight22]

But you can do everything that you can do, whatever that is. And it will be unique and special.

This has absolutely nothing to do with this post but I just want to see if I can get the quote thing to work. Thanks MrBounce for saying that, because I feel almost like a coward for doing this in secret. Also being an American who listens to the radio at all, I have heard this song millions of times. But I've never realized how hard it is to sing this song until fairly recently. Thank god puberty hasn't hit fully yet. Tommy, the shower is my practice session, so don't diss it. And Ron, that advice to MrBounce actually I can relate to. I spent a very long time running away from my voice, trying to change it, trying to add more nasal, less nasal, more deep, more high. That was my first 4 videos. Now I just used my voice, but changed the melodicness to it. Finally it came out fairly well. But the point is if you spend too much time running away from your voice and singing, and you want to sing, you go nowhere. I'm lucky enough to of have found this website so fast and I know that they were able to tell me that. Here I go rambling again, but I feel like this post has some substance. I look forward to your next post MrBounce. And don't run from your voice, that's the biggest mistake one can make.

[Adoney]

Nice job man, much much much much better.

The second half of the song is better than the first half, maybe you were getting into it more?

I really think the next step for you to take is to record yourself with a backing track, because here it sounds like you change keys quite a bit, and I can't tell what is right and what is wrong. Recording yourself with a backing track might help you see that, too. You can find a lot of karaoke tracks and instrumental tracks of popular songs on youtube if you need one of those.

Good job on the volume, keep working on that getting louder thing.

[breakin]

SOMEBODY CALL ME DUMB. I had the video made the entire time and I kept trying to re-upload it because I was so sure that I had not uploaded it so that was the problem. Sorry about that but the videos up for real.

Kudos for posting; brave!

I really suggest that you get an instrumental only ("karaokeo") version of this song somehow and sing over that. That forces you to keep the key through the entire song. I also recommend transposing it down by quite a bit so that it works for you. This song is a real bitch. You can transpose in audacity without changing the speed of the song.

You could play the song using speakers so that you don't have anything in your ears. That way you can hear youself the entire time. Headphones are ok as well, as long as it is instrumental only. I really hate singing to the original version; my singing ability diminishes if someone else sing the same song slightly different in my ear. I get rushed by the original timing etc. I'd stay away from that.

Keep it up!

[Guest]

I use this http://www.vidtomp3.com/ to convert youtube to MP3. Go to youtube and find a karaoke version of a song then copy the url to the converter and now you have an MP3 backing track to sing to.

Breakin is right you need to start singing to a track. You have improved since your first attempt but you still need to sing louder. You still have unused potential there. You aren't "using" your voice. I told you once already. If you had to call out to someone in another room plus be heard over the TV or loud music. That is how you need to project your voice. Take a deep breath low into your naval area. Then open the throat and huff it out. Learn to control that to support your voice and airflow. Get that voice out man!!! You are still whispering most of the song. What you do later in the song is louder but you need to do "that" and do it even louder. More push.

And get a backing track. Come on. You're improving but it is in small tiny steps (as is normal). But you have got to push.

Now go and do!!! ;)

[Teodur]

Hi Cody, let me tell ya, you made the right choice to post your singing clips here. I was terrified when I first submitted my first recordings. But they weren't of songs. They were mostly examples from lessons. I had no singing lessons prior to that, just a whole bunch of singing sites and programs that I tried to learn from. The guys on the forum really helped me with their advices on what I should improve on. Took me like 6 months to finally record my first cover and subject it to criticism here.

So my advice would be, start from the basics, like

a singing instructor would be an obvious choice, but if you don't have that option, any basic vocal program or youtube channel will do wonders, do the exercises, then post them in the technique section.

At least that's how I approached it.

Oh and, you're gonna need a quality mic sooner or later if you're serious about singing. Got my Rode M1 on sale, for like 90 bucks.

[ronws]

And if you can't afford a coach, Cody, and I know that is likely the case for a couple of reasons. A) you're 13 and most likely do not have a job that pays. Your parents may not be the type to want to pay for singing lessons, or, like my mom, could not afford lessons.

Leaving you to learn on your own, which can be done, it just takes longer.

If you can't get a coach, then maybe a friend that is a musician who has a good ear. And a minimum of judgemental attitude. The latter can be the hardest thing. Musicans are egomaniacs. And a lot of musicians don't realize what it takes to sing. They have no problem realizing that it may take years to perfect their craft and think that singers are just born singing.

Even singers with natural perfect pitch (the Osmonds are a case in point) still have to train and get outside hearing to assess. And you don't have to have a coach forever. You just need a good set of ears outside of yourself to give as objective an analysis as they are capable of. For example, if you have a friend who strives sound even less melodic than the Sex Pistols, he may not be the best to judge if what you are doing is right for R & B. Especially if he is also quite young and simply doesn't have the breadth of experience in listening to other musical genres.

It's a tall order, indeed.

Then there's the general public, who may think that C5 is a model of Mercedes-Benz. They are pass or fail. They either thought it was good, or not. And they are the ones that will buy your music.

[Codyknight22]

@Teodur

I actually have a logitech headset, would that be a good idea to use? Also singing lessons are currently out for me because I go to a school that requires tuition, an expensive one, and my sister is currently in collage. Singing lessons are out so I'll resort to the greatest invention by mankind, youtube. Thanks you guys I'll start working.