Trying "Thunderstruck" by Ac/Dc

[Olem]

Hello, hardrock-lovers!

So, I continue practising this singing style of Brian Johnsson. Trying to sing with alot of twang and distortion in my voice. My control isn´t very good yet but hopefully it will come with time. I try to relax and sing in neutral as suggested previously. What do you think? Am i on the right path here if you compare with the "Back in Black" post?

Thanx in advance/ Ola

The link: http://www.box.net/shared/3inf9dafah

[ronws]

Great effort. It sounds like you were able to rip a track and knock down center panned vocals. At first, you were breathy and you had a problem at your passagio and some mixed voice. Sometimes, for grins, I will start as low as I can go and range up in pitch, trying to smoothly adjust where the resonance is to eliminate passagio and voice breaks. But even Johnson's voice breaks and they keep it in the recording because, emotion-wise, it's gold. So, don't be afraid of that.

In the second part of the song, you got better and here's why I think I it happened. At the beginning, you are holding back and not fully engaging the diaphragm. So, no matter how well you've zipped up your vocal chords, there's not enough pressure on them to maintain even tone and it causes the breathy, kind of thready sound. Later, you really get into the song, adding some of your own lyrics, making it yours, When you did that, you gave it the gut punch, literally. Your diaphragm exerted more pressure, which fully utilizes the shortened vocal chords. A high note is a small note, resonated properly, but with the required pressure to cause the vibration. So, yeah, you distorted the mic response but who cares, you hit the notes with a solid blast on pitch and with a fuller tone. I find, at that end of the range, there is no choice but hit it full tilt boogie. And that's where you sounded the best.

So, I would agree with others. Always start out in head voice to get your pitch. But also, hit it like you are swinging to bat it out of the park. It sounds counter-intuitive but by engaging the diaphragm fully, you are getting full use of the air, which makes you less breathy.

Edited to add:

I think you improved on the pitch problems, probably by following the advice of staying in head voice to get the right pitch. Now that I think back to your previous recording. Your pitch was better on this second, just go ahead and put your gut in it from start to finish.

[Olem]

Thanx for your reply, Ronws!

Yes you are right about the beginning that i had some problem around my passagio, at first i struggled with maintaining my distorted voice thru the passagio. The truth is i was singing this song on two occasions, the first part of the song the first day and then the last part the next day and then mixing them together, so that could explain why it sounds differently within the song. It would be interesting to know where you find my voice improves in this song. Ronws, i really must say that i am impressed by the effort you put into your reply and i really appreciate it, thanx alot, man!

[ronws]

Thanx for your reply, Ronws!

Yes you are right about the beginning that i had some problem around my passagio, at first i struggled with maintaining my distorted voice thru the passagio. The truth is i was singing this song on two occasions, the first part of the song the first day and then the last part the next day and then mixing them together, so that could explain why it sounds differently within the song. It would be interesting to know where you find my voice improves in this song. Ronws, i really must say that i am impressed by the effort you put into your reply and i really appreciate it, thanx alot, man!

And thank you for the kind words. I'm not a vocal teacher or anything like that. I am, by profession and trade, an electrician. But I have been playing guitar for a really long time and singing for a really long time and I can remember the hurdles I have crossed and some I still cross.

For example, when I am teaching a helper how to bend pipe and I see him or her about to do something that won't bring them success, I stop and think to myself, what I am doing that's right that I haven't taught them? Well, it appears that I can hear what someone is doing and relate it to a problem that I have had and got through. At the same time, I can have a problem and read someone else's viewpoint and think, yeah, that's it, now I understand.

Once in a while, I even manage to learn from myself. Or try something different to get around the limitations of my recording equipment.

AC/DC songs sound like they were made for belting. But really, I think, you can achieve what you want to achieve whether it's in fully resonated head voice or belted chest voice.

One of the best analogies I have found is that the voice can be thought of like a guitar string. A high note is a shortened string (by pressing near a fret on the neck) and stouter pick attack (controlled and applied air pressure) and resonated in the chamber of the guitar (whichever applicable resonating space in your body, such as behind the nasal cavity. What I have also found helps to support the head voice resonating chamber is to allow the back of your tongue to curl a bit. This creates a resonating space. It's part of the inner "smile" you create when you smile big. Many people think Axl Rose's grimace is for stage effect of emotion. It is not, it is to move the muscles in the back of throat to create the right resonating space.

Be confident that you can do it because, believe it or not, you are already there, just use that confidence to "unleash the beast."