Wicked Game- HIM

[Ozzie]

Hi guys!

I've recorded this song few weeks ago. It's lowered by ton compared to original version.

I'm singing for 2 years.

Got 2 main questions:

- Most annoying errors in my accent? I'm not a native speaker of english, and I want to know, what can I fix.

- Bass or Baritone? My teacher said bass, but I heard from another one, that I'm Baritone. And... I'm confused.

I will appreciate any feedback ;)

[ElWin]

Hi Ozzie,

The accent wasn't such a big deal - there were some parts where words were not pronounced properly e.g. fing instead of thing - but not enough to matter. Most English people don't speak English properly anyway.

I would say that you are possibly in the tenor range as much as baritone - that's where your voice sounded most comfortable. All of the low stuff was not really that low to my ear - other people on here may disagree.

I thought this was a pretty interesting version - I haven't heard the HIM version but quite different from the Chris Isaak original.

[Ozzie]

Thanks ElWin

I know, but if there is a chance to fix even small errors, I will do that. I'm still young, and got lot of time, so I can do it.

Low stuff were on... G2 I think. Ok, I will record something lower and we will see.

Stone Sour version is interesting too ;)

[ElWin]

I think one thing you will probably realise as I have on here after asking similar questions about my own range is that unless you are taking about auditioning for a role in classical or musical theatre then there is no real benefit in trying to classify yourself. By that I mean that a lot of people can sing a G2 all the way up to a G5 with practice but it might not all sound as consistent as the mid range in which the voice is most comfortable. Sing the songs you want to sing in whatever key you want to sing them. Work on diction and technique where necessary but don't worry about always trying to be singing low or high etc because songs might have one or two money notes but all of the other notes are just as important!

Will check out Stone Sour version as Corey Taylor is one vocalist I admire.

[ronws]

I think one thing you will probably realise as I have on here after asking similar questions about my own range is that unless you are taking about auditioning for a role in classical or musical theatre then there is no real benefit in trying to classify yourself. By that I mean that a lot of people can sing a G2 all the way up to a G5 with practice but it might not all sound as consistent as the mid range in which the voice is most comfortable. Sing the songs you want to sing in whatever key you want to sing them. Work on diction and technique where necessary but don't worry about always trying to be singing low or high etc because songs might have one or two money notes but all of the other notes are just as important!

Will check out Stone Sour version as Corey Taylor is one vocalist I admire.

Totally spot on post, Chris. And I used to deal with range descriptions, too. I am a tenor, no doubt about it. But I can also do some low notes. And they are greatly reduced in volume and I am right up on the mic. And I do not sound like the original and I do not have the baritonic ring. But I have croaked an E2. I am way more comfortable and brighter in the 4th octave and 5th octave.

With the advantage of amplification equipment, one can use his dynamic range, rather than just artistic range. I firmly believe in not worrying too much about the extreme ends of range, either way. That if you conquer the passagio, you conquer the whole voice. The coordination you learn to get through that trains the whole voice.

And if you cannot do the lowest note or the highest note in a song, who cares? Most of that song is in the troublesome middle, anyway. And that is where the lion's share of the "work" is. Worry about that, instead.

And for the lowest and highest note, find another one in harmony with the chord being played. A few of us covered "Child in Time"by Deep Purple. One other guy and myself did the A5, like the original. And a few others would do a C5 or E5 and that is also valid, as they are all pitches in the A minor chord, which is the key of the song. So, do that. Make the song fit you. That's what James Hetfield did with "Whiskey in the Jar" and "Turn the Page." Making it a true cover, rather than an attempt at tribute.

And it is totally cool to change the key of a song to suit you. I have done that, as well. There are a few songs that were too low for me, so, I would raise them one or two steps. For example, "Peace, Love, and Understanding" originally written as a slow, peace-loving hippie ballad by Nick Lowe, a baritone. And made monstrously huge by Elvis Costello as a rockabilly / new wave blast. It is in the key of G and the melody line was too low for me. So, I raised it to the key of A and it fits me much better, as if I wrote it.

And I like Costello's version best of all, especially because of how the drummer drives this song like there is no other song on the road.

[ronws]

And now I have listened to the track and I liked it. And I am more familiar with the Chris Isaak original, though I like this arrangement, too.

As for accent, it depends on what you are going for. I think the accent is neat. However, if you want to sound american, like Chris Isaak, for example, then the "th" sound should not be pronounced as a 'd'. And that's the oddity of English. Most other languages do not use that sound. Just as americans have a problem with the spanish 'b'. That sound is the lips barely coming together but most americans pronounce it as a 'v', the closest approximation they can make. However, I learned spanish from mexicans, so I learned by imitation and I can do it, making me an odd gringo.

On the other hand, one person hearing me sing, noted that I sounded more like a european folk singer than how most americans sing. So, your mileage may vary.

There's nothing wrong with lessening your accent. There is nothing wrong with keeping it. I like Klause Meine precisely because he sings English with a german accent. If he really sounded american, it would lose its flavor. Ich habe Scorpions gern, just the way they are.

Anyway, so if you are seeking the american accent, remember, we are lazy with consonants. And the 'th' sound can be done with the tip of the tongue barely touching the teeth and allowing air to escape.