Singing a hard song : My Land, by Sonata Arctica

[forest_gimp]

Hello guys,

One year ago or so, i posted an attempt to sing this song by Sonata Arctica, in order to get some concrete advice on the bridging, connecting, and calibration process as the whole song is right in the passagio.

https://www.box.com/s/255gbwx8y2yi3esotbgf

Here is an attemps one year later. I would be really interested in precise feedback on how to be more homogeneous on all the notes i sing. I got Pillars and work everyday doing sirens and other stuff. In my training session, i start to have really good head tones, especially my A#, Bs, high Cs and everything above.

As usual, the problem are with lower passagio notes. I can sustain a A4 in chest voice, but i want to be able to sing this note in a deep head placement.

Any thought and advice would be appreciated : i would really love to post here a killer cover of this song someday! Many people successfully bridge and connect. Would like to get their thoughts.

[ronws]

Your top notes could use a little stronger resonance but at least you were in the neighborhood.

It would be even better if your backing track did not have Kikko on it. It's a bit disconcerting.

Anyway, you cover Sonata Arctica better than I did.

[forest_gimp]

Hey Ron,

I remember you did cover of Fullmoon about one year ago or so. It had some flaws, but it sounded like a one take, as you said in another post, you usually record in single takes.

I think both your chest and head tones are more powerful than mine and resonate more consistently. I think you would do a great cover had you worked on the song as much as i did :-)

I agree with you about hearing the backing vocals of Tony Kakko... its a bit frustrating because his voice makes mind sound totally beginner. But the instrumental is pretty cool and thats why i kept this track.

[Jugulator]

Well, you did a good job. The higher parts still need much work, cause you sang them in falsetto while they should sound in a mixed voice. The lower parts were good, with a little lack of brightness though.

[ronws]

You're right, Forest.

"Full Moon" was one take, only take, no prep. And so the recording and performance suffered for it.

Yours was better because you put some prep time into it. Whereas, I treated mine as a karaoke dare. And recieved strongly worded critique for it.

One rule of my own that I broke was that I was trying to sound like Tony. And just not making it. And then Snejk said I should not sing that song unless I could sound like Tony.

So, that is the last Sonata Arctica cover I have done. I keep my failures as lessons to be learned.

[Snejk]

Nice attempt. It's a tricky song! A heavier upper range would do it more justice.. Keep in mind; Tony Kakko is a baritone, yet he takes (took) notes such as E above tenor C in full chest (not curbing or overdrive mind you (even if he oftentimes overdrives such notes, which many people thinks is impossible)). He could do things that would make even high tenors jealous.

Ron; that sounds harsh Not sure how I phrased it but I think the I was more making a poke at the importance of keeping the melody in a song that lives by the sheer strength of it's said melody ;P

[Olem]

Nice effort, Forest. Like others have said, you sing the upper notes in "Mickey Mouse" style (Falsetto).

[forest_gimp]

Thanks a lot for the feedback. I actually was thinking that with time, i could cover enough my head tones to do justice to this song, but it seems that i have to opt out for a different approach.

I will try to add more chest musculature instead of covering, and will come up with another attempt

[ronws]

Nice attempt. It's a tricky song! A heavier upper range would do it more justice.. Keep in mind; Tony Kakko is a baritone, yet he takes (took) notes such as E above tenor C in full chest (not curbing or overdrive mind you (even if he oftentimes overdrives such notes, which many people thinks is impossible)). He could do things that would make even high tenors jealous.

Ron; that sounds harsh Not sure how I phrased it but I think the I was more making a poke at the importance of keeping the melody in a song that lives by the sheer strength of it's said melody ;P

Well, Pat, I just don't have the energy to search for that old thread and copy and paste. But I have the curse of an elephantine memory. You said not to sing this song unless one can sing like the original singer. At least on "Full Moon." Which, at the time, you had expressed as a kind of holy grail of a song.

I try not step on other people's holy ground. But it happens, at times.

And still, I have not covered another Sonata Arctica song.

So, the lesson, for me, is to cover what works well with my voice. The lesson for others, that I have already learned, is that you carry your sins with you. And some things are just never forgotten. Ever.

[Snejk]

I see... Well Ron, I take that back then because it was a very bigoted and arrogant thing of me to say and I sincerely hope that you give your own voice to everything from Black Dog to In The Ghetto...

[ronws]

Thanks, Pat. And I am past all that. No grudges, no hard feelings. I think you are a great singer and you and I, I think a quite similar, though many years apart.

And truth be known, I did not give that song the work it deserved. I non-chalantly treated it like a karaoke dare. Absolutely no prep. Over a week, I had listened 3 times. TWice to the studio version. Last time, just before recording, to a live version where Tony could not sing the high notes, so he had this gritty scream.

First take, only take. I did not work out in advance how I should handle some transitions. It was as if I was in a biergarten and some guy named Pat dared me to sing this song. I was singing from a lyric sheet printed in front of me. No memorization.

And so, the performance suffered, for that.

[Duchi]

Nice attempt. It's a tricky song! A heavier upper range would do it more justice.. Keep in mind; Tony Kakko is a baritone, yet he takes (took) notes such as E above tenor C in full chest (not curbing or overdrive mind you (even if he oftentimes overdrives such notes, which many people thinks is impossible)). He could do things that would make even high tenors jealous.

Could you show me where he goes that high and in CHEST voice, because thats not only impossible but I also checked a video on his higher range notes and he doesnt sound that chesty, its just strong head/mixed voice.