Singing with music

[Blameitonthevodka]

Not sure if this is the right section for this but I always sing acapella pretty much never with music. When I do try to sing karaoke to music I find the music messes with my pitch or makes me sing in a lower octave than I normally would, it's weird, any tips for singing along with music?

[ronws]

Are you talking about singing along with the full track from the album, whether on a music player or the radio?

Or a karaoke track that does not have the lead vocals on it?

In either case, you are trying to sing with an autotuned recording.

second, the vowel used by the original singer may not be the vowel you need to use for you. This was a valuable lesson to me. Just realizing that cleaned up a lot of stuff for me. You must resist the urge to sound like the original singer, even if you are using rasp or whatever. Use the sound your voice makes. I know that is unpopular at times, but it's true.

third. A common mistake is that, when singing along with the finished recording, you are partially listening to the original and you think you are in tune. Left on your own, you may not be.

Also, if you are always singing a capella, with no reference to even an instrument, it is possible to drift. And muscle memory builds itself. And then, when you do get some music, you are off, because you have been practicing without music.

Maybe the last thing is the real culprit. Stop the a capella, at least for now, and start singing with music.

[Blameitonthevodka]

I can sing with music too but only when the vocals are present....karaoke is hard though, the melody is hard to grasp with just the music. The music makes me want to sing octaves way lower than I normally would.

[ronws]

Then you need to learn intervals and harmony.

[Gina Ellen Vocalist]

this is just a matter of practice i'd have thought. Get a backing track to a song you can already sing quite well. listen to the original (with vocals), sing along then switch to just the backing track, It can be hard at first to pitch a melody with just the backing track and no vocal to follow but keep practicing, you'll get it :D

[WebAndNet.com]

Depends on the song and your preferred range. The most important thing to remember is to be with the beat, and the second is to express the feeling. My opinion is then to get rid of the original's singer's voice inside your head, and use your feelings to "make" the song.

Most recordings' music are pitched for the original singer, but there's no reason not to sing in a different harmonic pitch or even an octave lower. It's unlikely to sound as good as the original singer's (cause the entire music is built for his voice), but the song's message will get through, provided your emotional feeling is with it.

[ronws]

Well, it's not just that the song might have been arranged for the singer's voice. The fact is, the professional recording has been a product of many alterations and effects to make a salable product. It seems unpopular to say, so I am duty-bound to say it again. If you are singing along with a cd or even karaoke track, you are singing along with an autotuned recording.

let the great wailing and gnashing of teeth begin ....

And sure, some people will pipe up and say "I produce other people's recordings and don't use autotune...."

That's cool. So, what release are you (hypothetically) credited on? Any actual release of a recording is through a publisher with a catalog number and the credits of production are always listed because the producer is getting 10% of the artist's 90% of the record label's 100%. Always.

So, just name a pro release that has your credit as producer where you can say that you did not use autotune.

Okay, off my soapbox ....

[Gina Ellen Vocalist]

I agree rowns. I recently worked with a fairly big producer (worked with dani monogue and the like) and when he said he was going to autotune my voice I said whaaaat? why? I was in tune! He said it wasn't that I was out of tune, every single voice he records gets autotuned, he even has a special bloke who comes in to do it. it gives it that professional (not in my opinion) high finished, over produced feel.

[ronws]

I agree rowns. I recently worked with a fairly big producer (worked with dani monogue and the like) and when he said he was going to autotune my voice I said whaaaat? why? I was in tune! He said it wasn't that I was out of tune, every single voice he records gets autotuned, he even has a special bloke who comes in to do it. it gives it that professional (not in my opinion) high finished, over produced feel.

Thanks for re-confirming that, Gina. I've read it in books from recording engineers and producers and no one would believe me because the people in this forum, as a matter of integrity and pride in our craft, do not use autotune or melodyne or any pitch tuning effects. What you hear is what you get.

However, in the real world of recording, everything gets tuned. For one thing, digitally tuned sounds are easier to manipulate, digitally. Which is how most recording is done these days, and, increasingly, how it is being released. My brother is one of the few producers who will not use autotune. But he is is own record company and all that stuff. And I see my brother as a pro producer because he has actually released an album, not just recording stuff for others for giggles and grins. He's in it it win it.

[ronws]

By the way, I'm a recording engineer and can hear the difference.

What releases are you listed on? I mean like, catalog number from what label? I can say that because my brother is also his own recording label. So, on his album, he is listed as producer, engineer, and chief bottle washer and whatever else he did, like lead vocals, guitars, keyboards, etc.

Even indie releases have a cat number because the people involved expect to get paid.

It would be cool to hear a sample of your finished work. I could learn something. I'm just a stiff-necked old coot that started with a portable 5" reel-to-reel.

[Jeran]

What does it matter if it's auto-tuned, or not? Really, wouldn't that make it easier to sing along to, since it'd be perfectly in tune? Auto-tune or the lack of it should have no baring on if you can sing to the track, or not.

[Felipe Carvalho]

There is a thread on perception around, user chamcham pointed resources that may help. My advice, pick simple intervals, someone to help you, and try to follow them. 3 semitones jumps for starters, within your comfort area. Please if you dont know what an interval is, google it and waste some time, this is the kind of reading that can bring you good.

Owen, is that you singing?

[chamcham]

Not sure if this is the right section for this but I always sing acapella pretty much never with music. When I do try to sing karaoke to music I find the music messes with my pitch or makes me sing in a lower octave than I normally would, it's weird, any tips for singing along with music?

Is it the vodka?

Anyway, keep in mind that karaoke videos are often not in the original key.

Sometimes the chords aren't even right.

It can throw people off sometimes.