Jump to content

My version of Carry On My Wayward Son - Please critique

Rate this topic


Recommended Posts

Before I joined this forum I couldn't sing this song without wrecking my voice. Thanks to this forum I can sing it healthy now, although I am not totally satisfied with the entire performance yet. I would like to add grit to the upper parts.

Please critique. Thank you!

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=8878823

Link to comment
Share on other sites

that was f****** AWESOME! You rock my friend. :cool:

If I could make a suggestion. After reading Steven Fraser's comments over the past few months, I would suggest that in the last part (where it goes higher) you should open your vowel more. Instead of 'oh' for the word more......go for 'ah' and then close it with the 're'. So, no Maaaahhhhhhhhhre...kind of idea. This will give you much more room and I believe much more resonance (which is what you're after I think ...ie: grit).

I don't know the technical terms like Steven does but I understand most of what he says. I would definitely sing it with an 'ah' sound to open up and have more power, resonance and give it baby!!

Great job...totally awesome cover.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greatly mixed with that backtrack! Did you make those solos? They had a nice John Petrucci vibe.

Singing was great. But you wish to add grit to the high notes you say? Well from a CVT perspective you are definetly in curbing. And if you want to add more grit to curbing I think the simplest way is simply by adding alot of twang(AKA Distinct Twang). This way the singing gets noticebly louder and more sharp. Another thing you could do is add distortion to your singing, but I can't really give any tips on that because I haven't learned that myself yet.

Oh and about the vowel on "more", if you really make sure it's the vowel "O" as in "woman" it will work perfectly with curbing. However if you want to go with a more "open vowel" as Michelle described it I would go with "OH" as in "Go". This will have to be done in overdrive though which is a different way of singing, but it would give you a very big volume boost that's for sure. "AH" works okey for overdrive to an extent, around E4 it gets abit hard and it's better to just sing OH or EY instead in the higher range.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greatly mixed with that backtrack! Did you make those solos? They had a nice John Petrucci vibe.

Singing was great. But you wish to add grit to the high notes you say? Well from a CVT perspective you are definetly in curbing. And if you want to add more grit to curbing I think the simplest way is simply by adding alot of twang(AKA Distinct Twang). This way the singing gets noticebly louder and more sharp. Another thing you could do is add distortion to your singing, but I can't really give any tips on that because I haven't learned that myself yet.

Oh and about the vowel on "more", if you really make sure it's the vowel "O" as in "woman" it will work perfectly with curbing. However if you want to go with a more "open vowel" as Michelle described it I would go with "OH" as in "Go". This will have to be done in overdrive though which is a different way of singing, but it would give you a very big volume boost that's for sure. "AH" works okey for overdrive to an extent, around E4 it gets abit hard and it's better to just sing OH or EY instead in the higher range.

Snorth - Thanks! Yes - I did all the backing tracks and production myself.

I appreciate your insight from the CVT perspective. Curbing you say? Cool - that was going to be one of my questions. I wish I could do the high stuff in overdrive (with distortion) but I don't think I could without killing my voice. There are a lot of C5's and B4's. I would have to train for that and build up to it right? I need to get into the CVT program at some point and learn that stuff...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wish I could do the high stuff in overdrive (with distortion) but I don't think I could without killing my voice. There are a lot of C5's and B4's. I would have to train for that and build up to it right?

C5s and B4s are tough in overdrive indeed because the volume is immense :), if you want to learn overdrive you should learn how to sing it in the center of your range first of course.

Here's a clip of analog nailing some high Bs in overdrive for you to hear how it sounds. http://www.box.net/shared/6rduq47osl

And here Martin H does an A#4 in overdrive at 3:40~

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good Stuff man...i really liked it. also your guitar parts :) ... I am on soundclick too, look me up. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=549938

Thanks for listening. I checked your page out - Great guitar playing! I like the legato lesson.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As many has pointed out in this forum singing high isnt everything. But to answear your post, C4-C5 is a bitch for me :)

I dont in anyway sing as good as you in the C4-C5 area, and im realy impressed by your nice quality in that range. B

And I belive that if you put in alittlemore work you could get tons more range(If thats what you want) cause you seamed to have great control over all the notes in this song!

Im currently working very very hard with my range in the C4-C5 to get a more connected and better quality and most of all more choices to my sound. If you would analyse my voice using CVT it leans verymuch towards Metallikeneutral in the highrange sometimes i end up in light curbing in the middle but more or less Im a neutralbased singer. Thats also one of the things that makes it easyer singing in the very high range.

So if youve got any tips about how you worked your voice i will be happy, il probably write a thread soon about my weaknesses :P

Oh and if you want to have some distortiontips you can add me to Msn Jens_86_johansson@hotmail.com

Ive got some good exercises i can send you :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Jens - yes I would love to be able add distortion up there and very interested in your excersises. You can really scream up there! I'm not on hotmail, but my email is gno2@wi.rr.com.

How I work my voice: Currently practicing octave traids and scales on each vowel starting low (A2-A3) and then progressing up one semitone at a time as high as I can comfortably go which for the past two weeks is F4-F5, and then back down. I'm slowly gaining range. I'm using vowel modifications through the passagio and my head is much lighter - and it is generally an operatic tone. However, when I sing a rock song, I try to make the vowels sound as they should for the genre - which is not operatic. I'm trying hard to keep my throat open up there in the A4-C5 range to keep the tone heavier. At first it was really difficult but got easier over a few weeks. I know it is not overdrive and Snorth said I'm curbing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well yeah curbing is usualy the mode thats hardest to control so it's a huge feat in itself! usualy when you hear singers they have their base in curbing in the C4-C5 range and throw in overdrives and edge when they want alittle more punch. :D

Im gonna try to throw in some of your approach into my training, it's certainly seams to work :D

Thanks for the tips!

Ahh to bad you dont have msn or some similar service so we could chatt, im not so keen on giving exercises without the right knowledge and continuous demonstrations. Specialy not on distortion :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Jens - yes I would love to be able add distortion up there and very interested in your excersises. You can really scream up there! I'm not on hotmail, but my email is gno2@wi.rr.com.

How I work my voice: Currently practicing octave traids and scales on each vowel starting low (A2-A3) and then progressing up one semitone at a time as high as I can comfortably go which for the past two weeks is F4-F5, and then back down. I'm slowly gaining range. I'm using vowel modifications through the passagio and my head is much lighter - and it is generally an operatic tone. However, when I sing a rock song, I try to make the vowels sound as they should for the genre - which is not operatic. I'm trying hard to keep my throat open up there in the A4-C5 range to keep the tone heavier. At first it was really difficult but got easier over a few weeks. I know it is not overdrive and Snorth said I'm curbing.

guitartrek: Your presentation of this piece is very effective, and your recording chops are outstanding. I am delighted to hear that you've succeeded in developing the sense of vowel pronunciation for this genre. Keep up the very good work you are doing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Steven - I really appreciate your feedback - I don't know if what I was saying is right about vowels - you are definitely the expert here. I think you nailed it on the head when you said "vowel pronunciation" for the genre. Vowels are vowels no matter what genre, correct? It is more the way we pronounce them that identifies them with a genre or even dialect, right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Steven - I really appreciate your feedback - I don't know if what I was saying is right about vowels - you are definitely the expert here. I think you nailed it on the head when you said "vowel pronunciation" for the genre. Vowels are vowels no matter what genre, correct? It is more the way we pronounce them that identifies them with a genre or even dialect, right?

guitartrek: I think that is the case. In singing, anyway, its an aspect of performance practice... what the performers and listeners both expect that is the preferred way to shape them. Each genre has its own preferences and practitioners, and within the preferences, there is great latitude for individual variation/expression.

The preferences are not static... they can change over time. Just think about how pop music expectations about male voice tone quality was influenced by the Bee Gees with their Saturday Night Fever album. Or, how broadway artists varied over the last 50 years.

Keep up the good work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK I herd it and .................... I liked it !! great voice well in control and an excellent range I only have one criticism and it's only a personal one, you seem to pronounce your lyrics perfect with all the P's and Q's well rock is about attitude listen to the original and they don't sing "cry no more" it's more "cra no mor" kind of makes it less classical and more radical but baring that man it was sweet and I herd a little bit of Dream theater style going on there with a touch of Rush which had me hooked now dats sick.

Dam when does it come out as a single???? ::cool:

"Rock's not about singing in key it's about attitude man" Tyler Aerosmith interviewed by Tommy Vance

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Singers,

There is a difference in how singers use and pronounce vowels depending on what styles of music they are singing. That is why many say they can not understand words sung by opera singers even when the singer is singing in their native language. That is also why almost every opera singer sounds funny when trying to cross over and sing pop tunes. They do not hear the difference in the vowels in different styles of music and so are not able to switch how they sing the vowels, depending on the musical style.

Classical Voice uses a very narrow range of vowel production. Non classical singing uses a very wide range of vowel production. Just something to keep in mind if your goal is to be a cross over singer and be one of the few who can do both classical and pop singing.

Happy Singing

Timothy Kelly

www. TeachYourselfSinging.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...