When I Was Your Man(low key version) need your help

[RHan]

Actually this song is my gf's favourite song. Her birthday is coming soon, my friend and I want to play this song at her birthday party. But I never feel comfortable singing Bruno Mars songs even I hit the notes, I dont sound good. So at last i decided to sing this song on low notes, im not sure whether its okay if i sing like this or i might embarrass my self in front of her friends. So please give me your opinion thanks guys i really appreciate your words.

**I dont really sing this song before, so this one i sang it with chopped words and wrong pronunciation in many parts. You guys even can hear me breathing lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKPXOb3ybko

[gno]

Sounds good to me on the lower notes. Nothing wrong with that - you deliver the song well. It shouldn't matter.

[RHan]

phew. thanks geno. im so afraid that this turns out to be so bad :P

[gilad]

RHan,

Hope you dont mind ill be a bit tougher.

You have a nice timber to your voice. I would still try to sing it in the higher pitch.

A major issue I heard is that you are not singing in the right rhythm. You are too fast compared to the melody.

All in all, I am sure she will be delighted to hear it this way as well!

I have a friend who covered this song, and did an amazing job. Click on the link below to hear.

Anyways, Hope I wasnt too harsh. Keep it up buddy & Good luck!

[RHan]

thanks gilad. i love tougher feedback because thats what i need to learn something to improve my singing.

omg i love your friend's cover, i feel so inspired after listen to his cover :D

[Nicogratouille]

Rhan,

It's not bad. The good news is that you have lots of room to improve. So keep working on your voice you will get there .

I agree with Gilad about the rhythm. I know it's a ballad and you can somewhat go in and out of rhythm for effect, but you are way ahead of the beat here. If you ever hear beginning guitar players who just learnt how to improvise, they usually have the same problem. Even if they might play some good lines, it doesn't sound good because they are not grooving.

Also you sound nasal to me. So I would work on that as well. But you better get a teacher for this.

As for the key. Don't try and sing it in the original key if you're not comfortable there. Your friends probably wouldn't even notice the key change or if they did they wouldn't care.

And at the end of the day, just relax and perform, that's what it's all about!

Nick

[RHan]

Thanks Nick! Hehe yeah im not really use to sing this song yet, probably thats why im out tempo in lot of parts including i chopped some words. About the nasal, ronws and mdew also had told me before too. But I still cant get rid of it yet even i thought i already know how to get rid of it.

I guess i will try to lower just a bit of the key from original song, because this one i sing too low i guess. Anyway really appreciate your advice Nick. I will try to improve on those area that you highlighted. Thank you so much! :)

[ronws]

All the advice on how to improve is important and I agree with those points. Just the same, this is a good key for you, right now and as a romantic gesture to your GF on her birthday, it is more important that you sing in this key than trying to match Bruno's. So, timing and rhythm aside, sing it this way for now. Then work on it and you can sing it in the original key by this time next year. On her next birthday.

As for timing, I would often have that problem with pre-recorded backing or karaoke tracks because I was listening for the music instead of anticipating it. if you are listening for the beginning of the phrase, you are already too late, even by a fraction of a second. Instead, now where the beat is. That is, you lead the phrase, not the other way around.

[Nicogratouille]

About the nasal, ronws and mdew also had told me before too. But I still cant get rid of it yet even i thought i already know how to get rid of it.

I think a good teacher should be able to make you experience singing in a "non nasal" way already in the first lesson. Then you will need to practice and get that into your muscle memory. On your own it will be much harder.

As for timing, I would often have that problem with pre-recorded backing or karaoke tracks because I was listening for the music instead of anticipating it. if you are listening for the beginning of the phrase, you are already too late, even by a fraction of a second. Instead, now where the beat is. That is, you lead the phrase, not the other way around.

Actually Ron, he's ahead of the beat, not behind. Behind the beat is good ads a little "swag" to it , as long as you're not dragging...

Nick

[RHan]

Thanks Ron and Nick! Anyway i never good in matching the tempo well especially if i use piano instrumental but i will try my best to improve on that including that nasal thing that always haunt in my every singing. I got free time just now, and i try to sing the original key anyway although im not comfortable singing the high note. I sound quite strange on the highest note in this song. This is the cover.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_J5up0DsQA

[ronws]

This was better for you, in the orginal key. Some pitchiness, maybe unsure of yourself. Until after 1:30 on the counter. Then, you were intense and it worked, for me. And whatever nasalance you had was not as noticable to me. So, the most "accurate" thing I can say is do the whole thing like you did this after the 1 min 30 sec mark. Intense, sure of yourself. Because, then, I think you are engaging the breath management you need to to do this song.

The lower version, you may be relaxing the "singer" thingy, thinking you don't have to try so hard because it is near your speaking range.

As I have learned, you need to be in "singer" mode when you open your mouth to sing, regardless of where the notes fall in your voice's particular range.

[RHan]

Thanks a lot ronws for the advice. But i still dont get it what is pitchiness means, because someone told me the same thing for my other covers as well. Oh so i have to be intense when singing? Before this i thought i got to be relax when i sing. Thanks rowns you always there to help :D

[ronws]

Thanks a lot ronws for the advice. But i still dont get it what is pitchiness means, because someone told me the same thing for my other covers as well. Oh so i have to be intense when singing? Before this i thought i got to be relax when i sing. Thanks rowns you always there to help

Pitchiness, and I could have been hearing it wrong, can be apparent, such as an odd or unexpected tonality, or real, as in not quite matching the pitch or having too much waver in the note.

And relaxation does not necessarily mean ready to fall asleep. With "Highway to Hell," I "relax" by going to full bore. Same with "I Believe in an Thing called Love." Letting it all out and going for maximum volume and resonance was more relaxing than trying to hold back.

And that is another thing. Just because Bruno sounds "quiet, intimate" does not mean he is singing that way. What you hear from a studio is recording is NOT, I repeat NOT, the result of the singer. It is the result of the recording guy, as well as the mastering guy, who gets the recording after he does, to bring levels up to whatever is required in the medium, whether cd or digital file format.

And, in addition to that, you do better with great pitch and emotion when you sing this like Rhan, not Bruno.

Then, again, you should know me by now. It is not possible for me to care less if you sound like the original. What is important to me is that you sound convincing and you did, especially in the original key version. Be the singer you are meant to be, not what you think you are meant to be. I know that sounds cryptic and not at all "technique"-savvy.

Color me "redneck."

[RHan]

Thanks ronws i'll definitely take note everything, i've learnt so many new things from you. I wish i can buy you flowers and take you the party even i dont know whether you love to dance or not. :P

[ronws]

Thanks ronws i'll definitely take note everything, i've learnt so many new things from you. I wish i can buy you flowers and take you the party even i dont know whether you love to dance or not.

Thanks for the flowers, though I was not expecting them until my memorial service. Though a friend did get flowers for me once, as a thank you but I won't go into that.

And, I can dance but it's not rehearsed and it's been over 30 years since I learned ballroom dancing. Nowadays, it's more like the "old guy taking ibuprofen to survive the wiggle and shake." :lol:

[Nicogratouille]

RHan, the original key is not that bad for you actually, but you are way too shouty for my taste (if that's the right word)!

Nico