Me trying to use my NEW head voice post surgeries

[Snax]

Hey everyone,

As some of you know I underwent two surgeries recently to improve my airway and hopefully my singing as well. In early February I had my tonsils and adenoids removed and most recently I had a deviated septum corrected and had my turbinates reduced. The surgeon told me that my tonsils were the biggest ones he'd ever seen!!! He said that they were nearly half the size of his fist! No wonder my throat felt constricted all the time!

Anyway I just tried using my head voice to attempt a cover of the song Who's Lovin' You in the style that Terence Trent D'arby did it. I wasn't really wanting to sound so falsetto like but with practice I want to add more fullness to that range. Any criticisms or comments are most welcome. Sorry for the few bad notes and timing issues. This is just a quick recording to mess around.

Here's a link to downed the sample... http://www.box.net/shared/xrqe2nvv24

[VideoHere]

Hey everyone,

As some of you know I underwent two surgeries recently to improve my airway and hopefully my singing as well. In early February I had my tonsils and adenoids removed and most recently I had a deviated septum corrected and had my turbinates reduced. The surgeon told me that my tonsils were the biggest ones he'd ever seen!!! He said that they were nearly half the size of his fist! No wonder my throat felt constricted all the time!

Anyway I just tried using my head voice to attempt a cover of the song Who's Lovin' You in the style that Terence Trent D'arby did it. I wasn't really wanting to sound so falsetto like but with practice I want to add more fullness to that range. Any criticisms or comments are most welcome. Sorry for the few bad notes and timing issues. This is just a quick recording to mess around.

Here's a link to downed the sample... http://www.box.net/shared/xrqe2nvv24

nice snax,

i like the results i'm getting with that messa de voce exercise...i swear by that exercise...one may not do it right for quite a while but even doing it the best you can has helped.

[Snax]

Thanks Videohere. What is this messa de voce exercise that you mentioned?

[VideoHere]

Thanks Videohere. What is this messa de voce exercise that you mentioned?

oh man, this is the hardest one you'll ever do. i learned of this from steve fraser and jaime vendera.

the best way to explain it is you start on a very soft volume falsetto tone and try to covert to a rich resonant full voice tone over a period of several seconds (note: not swelliing falsetto) without any voice breaks or tonal changes. they say it can take several months or even years to perfect it.

then the reverse of that, loud to soft (even more difficult).

it sounds easy but it's anything but....

i do it on "a" as in "rate" but some do "ah" i was told to start on f above middle c working up to g for now.

[Snax]

Thanks so much! I'll definitely work on that technique and let you know how it's working out. I'm loving the way my new voice feels when I sing now. That lumpy throat sensation is gone and now I just need to practice lots.

[Steven Fraser]

Hey everyone,

As some of you know I underwent two surgeries recently to improve my airway and hopefully my singing as well. In early February I had my tonsils and adenoids removed and most recently I had a deviated septum corrected and had my turbinates reduced. The surgeon told me that my tonsils were the biggest ones he'd ever seen!!! He said that they were nearly half the size of his fist! No wonder my throat felt constricted all the time!

Anyway I just tried using my head voice to attempt a cover of the song Who's Lovin' You in the style that Terence Trent D'arby did it. I wasn't really wanting to sound so falsetto like but with practice I want to add more fullness to that range. Any criticisms or comments are most welcome. Sorry for the few bad notes and timing issues. This is just a quick recording to mess around.

Here's a link to downed the sample... http://www.box.net/shared/xrqe2nvv24

Snax: welcome back.

Fullness comes from 2 things: consistency of firm phonation (good closed quotient) and appropriately-tuned resonance for the vowels.

Since you been gone, you have lost some laryngeal coordination. Work on onsets and messa di voce. BTW, starting in falsetto and going to full voice is the _advanced_ version of this. Just use soft regular voice for a while. Also, soft but clear 2-octave sirens on oo and ee will be very helpful to bring the phonation coordination back to where you had it.

On the second thing.. the resonance characteristics of your vocal tract have changed... now you have more diameter at the back of the throat, and this has moved your vowel formants a little. It will take some time to re-discover the exact right vowels to sing to get your optimum resonance.

[Snax]

Steven, THANK YOU!!! I'm going to work on the messa di voce and then record the song again.

[Snax]

I'm going to attempt to post a photo of my tonsils before and after my surgery. I think the photo will speak for itself.

http://www.box.net/shared/4j7kbfvzve

Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to post the photo directly.

[Jens]

youve got a really great voice snax, so much control! Youve got a great tone going on that head voice! just give your voice alittle more time due to the surgery and you will nail this!

[Snax]

Thanks so much Jens! Coming from you that really means a lot. Your metal vocals are off the chart! If anyone could post the before and after photo directly into this thread I'd really appreciate it.

[chele1000]

I cant seem to get the file? I can't get it in firefox or Safari...:(

[Snax]

I cant seem to get the file? I can't get it in firefox or Safari...

That's odd! I use Safari and just clicked the link to double check it and it was ok. Anyone else having issues with the file?

[analog]

Snax,

I can't get it either.

[Snax]

I uploaded it again. Try this new link... http://files.me.com/muskysnax/g5qtwg.mp3

[Snax]

Hey gang,

With Mother's Day coming soon I thought I'd record something appropriate for you to critique. This is the song My Yiddishe Momme and I'm singing it accapella. It's hard to stay on pitch with no reference music so bear with any bad moments! lol

I'm trying to sing from my chest up into my head voice without a huge change in tone so let me know how I did and how I can improve.

Thanks everyone!

http://files.me.com/muskysnax/b6okbf.mp3

[VideoHere]

Hey gang,

With Mother's Day coming soon I thought I'd record something appropriate for you to critique. This is the song My Yiddishe Momme and I'm singing it accapella. It's hard to stay on pitch with no reference music so bear with any bad moments! lol

I'm trying to sing from my chest up into my head voice without a huge change in tone so let me know how I did and how I can improve.

Thanks everyone!

http://files.me.com/muskysnax/b6okbf.mp3

well, all i can say is we've got some really great vocalists in this forum.

[jonpall]

Both takes are just awesome, Snax. You've got a voice I could easily listen to on a regular basis. Are you singing a lot live or recording? Or are you just singing at home for the neighbours? If the last case is true, please get out more and get heard. (that was a compliment ).

Btw. what are those sounds in the background in that last track? I think I hear rain and then some furniture dropping when you hold that last powerful note for 5 minutes or something.

[Snax]

Thanks guys! Wow, that sure made my day.

The sounds on My Yiddishe Momme are from a special effects cd I have. It's actually a thunderstorm with rain that I used to give a little something different to the accapella vocal.

Funny comment about that last note going for 5 minutes! lol As I was singing it I was thinking that it was going forever and ever and honestly I could have sang it longer still! That must be what it's like to have your voice just "floating" as I've read about. Rare but really neat when it happens!

[anonimuzz]

I almost died during the last note. I just wasn't expecting it, although I've heard tons of long notes before. It's great listening to you, Snax. You have technique as well as emotion. I particularly like your broad vibrato, lol.

[Jens]

OMFG! snax that was probably the best singing ive heard on this forum! phenomenal, great balance emotion and technique! your right up there with the proffessionals I hope you realise that (*auto edit*) im envious now hehe

[Snax]

OMFG! snax that was probably the best singing ive heard on this forum! phenomenal, great balance emotion and technique! your right up there with the proffessionals I hope you realise that (*auto edit*) im envious now hehe

Jens, you just made my day buddy! However, I still feel that I have a long way to go yet with my voice and I look forward to the journey.

[Jens]

great range, great control, great tonality, the ability to shift from very big to very light and emotion kindo sums it up in my book... So please feel free to give me any tips about that crazy control in the middlerange you possess

edit: why dont you give gethsemane from JCS a chance? I think your voice would shine on that piece :D

[VideoHere]

snax, i just played that friggin' long note at the end again...i can hit the note and the length, but not the vibrato part.

can i tap your expertise on how or what helps you get your incredibly accurate and balanced vibrato?

much appreciated. vibrato is my weakness..i have it i lower notes but not great high.

[Snax]

That's a GREAT question but I'm not sure that I know the answer. I grew up listening to Tom Jones a LOT and I always mimicked his voice. I'm sure that that's a large reason for my own vibrato. I also love listening to guitar players that have a similar wide deep vibrato like Stevie Ray Vaughan. It just makes the music have so much emotion when done right.

I probably add a little too much effort physically when I let a long sustained vibrato go where it should be effortless. I learned to muscle my way through a lot of songs before my surgeries and I need to unlearn those bad habits now. Not sure if vibrato is one of those things that can ever be fully "taught" if you know what I mean?

[VideoHere]

That's a GREAT question but I'm not sure that I know the answer. I grew up listening to Tom Jones a LOT and I always mimicked his voice. I'm sure that that's a large reason for my own vibrato. I also love listening to guitar players that have a similar wide deep vibrato like Stevie Ray Vaughan. It just makes the music have so much emotion when done right.

I probably add a little too much effort physically when I let a long sustained vibrato go where it should be effortless. I learned to muscle my way through a lot of songs before my surgeries and I need to unlearn those bad habits now. Not sure if vibrato is one of those things that can ever be fully "taught" if you know what I mean?

yeah, i hear ya. you really have a beautiful one my friend...