New Singer Look For Advice

[ThatGuy44]

Hey everyone, I'm just going to start off by saying I've never really gone far or really gone for signing. However, recently it has really started to interest me.

Anyways I have this video of myself singing part of Nickleback How You Remind Me with no music. So you guys can get a real feel for the actual voice.

Any constructive criticism is appreciated.

Hope it's not too bad:

[Consumingfire39]

Is that really your voice or is that your vocal style on that particular song? It is natural as a new singer to try to copy others technique. I could imitate others vocals pretty well when I first started but you need to get the basics first and then learn how to apply different styles. If not, your technique will essentially be the same as the singer you are covering and that is not always a good thing. Regardless, you will not be able to really find your voice until you learn some basics. I think you have a pretty decent ear and some good areas of tone for a new singer. You are definitely better than most beginners and have good potential.

If you want to get started improving I would recommend some videos that I will link below. I would actually watch all of this persons videos because I think they are very sound. Be patient with learning proper support and breathing. If you don't already know how to do a low breath, you will need to educate yourself on that before watching these videos. The things you must remember to do is to widen the rib cage and keep it open. It will feel very strange and then become very normal if you just keep doing it. Also, you should go to the technique section of this forum once you start running into some problems. I can try to help you answer more questions if you have them but here are is the first video to watch.

After you watch that video, move through the 13, 14, 15 and 16. Let me know what is giving you trouble and some of the sensations you are feeling when learning this if you can. Also, there are many people on this forum that are far more knowledgeable than me and they will help you as well.

[Felipe Carvalho]

Well it is pretty bad, you kinda spoken the whole thing on a funny voice...

Let me ask you this, lets say that you wanted to play the violin, what would you do? How would it sound if you picked a violin and recorded yourself playing it like right noe?

Probably seek lessons and would probably be pretty bad. Its the same...

And thats all there is to it, instruction, and on this site you already have access to a trainning system and the teacher/coach who implements it, and a lot, but really a lot of trainning.

As consuming pointed, I hear an attempt to sound like the guy too. Just dont. Its a very bad idea, specially from what you have right now.

Teacher, trainning and then rock n roll \m/ ;)

[ronws]

Consuming, you might be one of the few people in the modern world who has not heard of Nickelback and Chad Kroger's signature "gravel" sound.

That guy, please, listen to Consuming and to Felipe. They mean well and they speak from harsh experience.

If you can't find a coach near you but you have some money, I would recommend 4 Pillars, the system that sponsors this forum and website. Not because of that but because it's a good training system. You can even get skype lessons with the author and if you happen to be in the Pacific Northwest of USA, you might get a chance to meet him.

In any endeavor, from golf to singing, you go much faster and better if you have someone who can physically see you and hear you because, to some extent, equipment can be deceptive.

For example, I am much more scary looking in real life than any of my pictures can depict.

And I am the reigning king of "sound like yourself, not someone else." And the times I have tried to sound like someone else, it had disastrous results, performance-wise, and self-injury, twice.

You need to go and be the Chad Kroger of your generation.

[ScratchTracks]

Agreed, and not to mention it will also stunt your vocal growth because the incorrect and limiting factors that mimicing a vocal from other artists will also mimic their limitations..

I use to get a lot of positive feedback on my vocal ability while singing any Pearl Jam songs... I use to "cover" or darken the sound much like many 90's rockers do and because of that I developed a lot of bad habbits (because my vocal tone is different then his)....

When I decided to sing like ME and not like HIM, it opened up an entire octave on my voice that I never thought possible.. And I've just recently done that, so I have a long way to go still!!!

The other suggestions were correct, and you should find a vocal coach to get your started, and develop your voice to the best you can be.

[ThatGuy44]

Hey thank you to everyone who has posted so far with your remarks. I'm not one to back away from criticism, and as a novice at all this, it's only going to make me better. I will admit after playback I probably am copying the original to artist and never found a true identity for myself.

Also I will defiantly check out those videos!

[ThatGuy44]

Hey thank you to everyone who has posted so far with your remarks. I'm not one to back away from criticism, and as a novice at all this, it's only going to make me better. I will admit after playback I probably am copying the original to artist and never found a true identity for myself.

Also I will defiantly check out those videos!

Oh yeah I'd like to add, that is my natural tone basically. I do have a deep voice so my range is lower then many.

[MDEW]

There is most likely a good voice under there somewhere. There was not much of a melody in your song to hear your pitch control. The gravely harsh sound in Chads voice can actually cause harm if you are not doing it correctly.

It is also hard for anyone to determine your natural tone if you intentionaly make your voice gravely.

Submit another song without the gravel and a better melody line. :)

[ScratchTracks]

Just keep at it, and take it slow bud... remember it is a muscle that you are trying to build, and reps will do that for you.. But if you train wrong, or incorrectly, then you will have to work 10x harder just to return to the start again.

I am not a vocal coach, nor do I think I'm that good of a singer, but compared to where I once was, I think I am night and day... I use to copy artists as well, and after practicing their style over and over and over again, I had a lot of resembulence to them...

Couple of things that happened at that point of time.

1. I got a lot of compliments singing their material.. BUT when trying to sing others, it just didn't fit...

2. I couldn't find my own voice.. So I took a break from singing for months, then adopted in the system, of listening to a song - once or twice... then learning the basic chords on a guitar (or karaoke track), and sing them... eventually, I found my voice, as I was not mimicing anyone else (sometimes a bit of the old style slides in, but more of a stylistic approach and not of a means to sing)...

3. Found my voice, but couldn't hit ranges I wanted, because just like mimicing the sound of the artist, you sorta mimic the range too...

So my advice, is DON'T GIVE UP singing... But try and change it up to your own style... You will find it, and your voice will be your own... At first however, it may sound like crap, but keep going - -we all start somewhere.