Long Haired country boy....critique please!

[bluesguy63]

All,

Been working on this singing thing for a little while....sought out some tips from vocal coaches. That seems to help. I'm 50 years old and just now tried to start singing. Please give a listen....looking for honesty 'cause I'm thinking about trying an open mic night at some point and don't want to make a complete idiot of myself. I'm singing (attempting) in key of D. Am I on key? Bad, okay, or just plain ugly? All comments appreciated and welcomed. Thanks

[MDEW]

I do not think you are singing the melody. You are singing harmony notes and following the sound of the guitar.

Do you sing along with the recording of Charley Daniels often? I think you are playing guitar in the same KEY as he does.

What I would do is play the guitar and sing along with him while you listen to the song. Try to match your pitch with his.

Singing has a little more energy to it than speaking. More like the energy of scolding someone when you are upset with them or excited about something. The energy of this song is guided by frustration of people trying tell him what to do when he just wants people to leave him alone. When you are singing this remember a time when you just wanted to be left alone and you kept getting interupted by people who were trying to tell you what to do.

Also use individual notes on the guitar to practice matching pitch. Hold a C Chord and pluck the strings one by one and try to match each pitch. Start with the low C note (third fret A string) and end with the High C note ( first fret B string). These note should be well within your range.

Here is Charley If you do not have a copy.

[bluesguy63]

Thank you....are you suggesting my "singing Key" should be/might be the key of C instead of D?

[MDEW]

No. That is just an example for learning to match pitch. Singers usually exercise by singing scales. Scales are a set of pitches made from specific intervals of notes. The chord C is made of 3 notes. C, E, G,

I just chose this to start you off because you should be able to match these notes without difficulty.

[ronws]

I have to disagree with MDEW. It did not sound like harmony notes. It sounded off pitch in a number of places and monotone in others.

I agree, though, sing the song like you mean it. And match the pitch to the root tone of the chord you are playing on the guitar.

Don't sing it like you are required to recite scripture in church. Sing it like a crotchety redneck. Like the feeling that Johnny Paycheck did in "Take this job (and shove it.)." He's a ticked off redneck and ain't afraid of showing it.

In fact, try that first and you are likely to relax and do better. Sometimes, people trip themselves up and get pitchy because they are worrying too much. Sing it like you don't care what others think.

[bluesguy63]

Okay....here's take two....trying to relax and sing like a "crotchety redneck"....any difference/improvement?

[ronws]

I think it's better. Still a few pitchy spots but not as many as before. It's just a few odd notes in some of the transition to a higher melody part. I think it's better because having the sub-text of being a crotchety redneck gives you better inflection.

[MDEW]

I agree second take was better. OK you got the crotchety Redneck thing going, now you need to add some attitude. Think about it for a moment, Who does this preacherman think he is? Trying to tell ME to send Him a donation? Because he's worried about my soul? If he was worried about my soul he would send ME a donation.

IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE WAY I'M LIVIN....... Just Leave this LONG HAIRED COUNTRY BOY ALONE.

Attitude. The Message that you want to send to people.

Yes, for our kind of music it may not be necessary to stay in key or have perfect diction but we must send the message so that it can be received.

[ronws]

MDEW speaketh the truth. Don't let the coaches you went to take the soul out of your voice.

Sing it like you've got a pair. Seeing that you would even choose this song to sing, I would imagine you have been in some kicker bars. Sing it even more like you are going to kick some hippie's butt.

(although I am asking for some consideration for us redneck hippies. )

And if you want another song to cover, try this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTVUsCTn2Ug

Side note: Ray wrote this song and in this video, that other guy is Jerry Jeff Walker, who made a big hit out of it. But this was the first time I saw them do it together.

I have met Ray in person several times and heard him perform this every time we see him. (Well, you have to play the one song everyone wants to hear if you want to stay out of a fight. )

[bluesguy63]

Thanks to ronws and MDEW....I am brand new to this stuff and have tried to set realistic goals. I simply want to be able to contribute to our local jam sessions or campfires without people whispering "God, that guy is terrible and needs to shut up" kind of thing... If that makes sense. The coach tried to help with technique, breathing, enunciation which I know is important but I think my biggest problem has been simply not having the confidence and just putting it out there?! I think I'm starting to realize that while a lot of people may not have a great voice they sing with that "thing inside" and it makes all the difference in the way they view the song? I'll keep working and keep having fun...Thanks again and I'll be working on another soon. and yeah....living in Tennessee, I've been in a bar or two:cool:

[ronws]

I think I'm starting to realize that while a lot of people may not have a great voice they sing with that "thing inside" and it makes all the difference in the way they view the song? I'll keep working and keep having fun...Thanks again and I'll be working on another soon.

That's exactly it, the basics your coach is showing aside. You sing it because you have something to contribute.

Stagefright makes the best singers lock up and crash.

Stagefright is you being concerned about how people perceive you, regardless of how they actually perceive you. Your supposition of what they "might" be thinking brings you down like a roped calf, fresh out of the chute, before you get anywhere.

Instead, concentrate on the song and what it means to you and share with others what it means to you.

All the basics is a mechanical thing to make sure your voice is actually functioning when you set out to sing for others.

Live is always where it's at. But then, that's me. I'm another hard-headed old grunt about the same age as you. I will be 50 next March.

[MDEW]

If you think of yourself as a story Teller it will make things a whole lot easier around the camp fire. There are a lot of "Singers" that are not the best at singing who are GREAT artists. John Prine, Jimmy Buffet, Jim Croce, Bob Dylan, Neil Young...... Those are just a few off the top of my head.

This singing thing will get better as you go along. But do not let a slow start get you down.