New song with tough melody

[Daniel]

http://www.box.net/shared/jniblysqis

Here's an example of something I'm trying to figure out how to sing right now. Don't mind the lyrics I'm literally making them up as I sing, except for the chorus, it's a work in progress, but the melody of the chorus is really difficult. I sing it in several keys, and the commentary in between is kind of hard to hear- I didn't get my levels before I recorded, just a quick and dirty thing (not really warmed up either haha) but yeah basically I'm just saying that on the "You save me" part, I like it in the upper key, but the "woah" gets a bit shaky, and there's the flip sound. I can connect the sound at the top down without a flip no problem, but getting up there that quickly without the catch is tough, and as you hear, it's a bit pingy up there anyway. I feel like I can get a fuller tone though, and also have the benefit of more epic "you save me"s, by staying in the higher key... Anyway lemme know what you think!

[ronws]

Actually, I think, the "fasletto" version sounded more connected. I mean, you could do it either way but I think the falsetto version is going to have young ladies spending their last dollar buying your cd. Your falsetto flip or break is often used these days in pop music and yours is minimal. What a number of singers do to hide their switch is a brief break in the vocal melody so you hear the stanza of lyrics in "chest" and magically, a moment later, the refrain in falsetto, or even a soft volume head voice, which some think is falsetto but is not. Falsetto is a tonal quality or mode most often used in head voice because of the structural mechanics of doing that sound. But falsetto is not a range.

Some here might suggest curbing to do the refrain in fuller voice though I might suggest doing twang, first and see how that works. You might try a simulated yawn when you do the refrain or try to sound like you are crying. This will actually take away the weakness that you feel.

[analog]

Daniel,

again...great melody man. Your other song has been stuck in my head for last couple of days. I would download that song in a second!

As far as this one goes...it's really a matter of what you want artistically. There are many many different approaches, so, ultimately the question is do you want the "flip" or not.

The "OH" vowel, if kept pure, will be a "belt" or Overdrive(CVT) vowel. No problem at all in that part of your range, but you're gonna need to allow the sound to get loud(er). I think your difficulty is you're trying to keep the volume consistent(medium-ish volume) and that vowel needs more volume than you're allowing there. If you want to keep the volume consistent, you might try directing the vowel towards UH(instead of OH) as you go up in the Chorus(ex. OH-OH-UH-UH-UH-OH...just coloring or shading the UH through the OH.)

Just a quick idea :)

[Daniel]

Actually, I think, the "fasletto" version sounded more connected. I mean, you could do it either way but I think the falsetto version is going to have young ladies spending their last dollar buying your cd. Your falsetto flip or break is often used these days in pop music and yours is minimal. What a number of singers do to hide their switch is a brief break in the vocal melody so you hear the stanza of lyrics in "chest" and magically, a moment later, the refrain in falsetto, or even a soft volume head voice, which some think is falsetto but is not. Falsetto is a tonal quality or mode most often used in head voice because of the structural mechanics of doing that sound. But falsetto is not a range.

Some here might suggest curbing to do the refrain in fuller voice though I might suggest doing twang, first and see how that works. You might try a simulated yawn when you do the refrain or try to sound like you are crying. This will actually take away the weakness that you feel.

Forgive my ignorance... What is curbing and twang?

[ronws]

I'm sketchy on curbing, as I consider it close to crying timbre, though, earlier, I would have mistakenly identified curbing as how Sarah McLaughlin sings. Anyway, twang sounds like it's in the nose, though it's not. If I remember correctly, it's a pharyngeal configuration that can best be heard in Robert Lunte's covering example in the thread on covering. The first example he is doing is twanging like all get out.

[analog]

@ ron: you've got it(I believe )

@Daniel: Curbing = "mix" in SS terminology

Twang = pharyngeal in SS terminology

[AndrewWu]

I definitely thought the second rendition was better. In the first you sound as though you're pulling your chest ranger higher than it should be.

Your midrange sounds absolutely stunning. Once you become more comfortable singing in head voice, you're gonna be awesome. And your songwriting is very good.

[akarawd]

Hi Daniel,

I liked both versions a lot - I'd pick the 2nd one stylistically - but I'm sure with a bit of warming up beforehand you'd be able to pull the 1st one off even more effortlessly, it already sounds good to me.

[gno]

I love the guitar playing - sounds really passionate. Your voice is great. On the first one you are curbing up on Ab, which sounds really good. In the higher key you flip into a falsetto at Bb. That is totally a stylistic choice. Lots of artist use the falsetto technique and it sounds good. However, you could sing the higher key in curbing too if you wanted to. Personally I prefer the curbing to falsetto but again that's a choice.

[Snax]

Hands down the second take is better to me personally. It gives that part something special that sticks in the listeners head after the song is finished playing. You have some skills young Jedi! ;)

[Tysrian]

Well, the song is stuck in my head now so good job:P. But on the technical stuff I liked all three versions you did, if it was my choice I'd sing the highest one because it does sound more epic. And like Ron said earlier the switch to the lighter coordination sounds fine, but if you want a fuller tone up there practice that 'woah' for a couple of days and see what you can come up with.

[Rick Jones]

I like them all, and I would have a tough time deciding which to use too, I like the flip but there i9s alot of emotion in a guy getting up there in his chest voice too.....I have similar dilemmas and I'm not near as good a singer as you, so it's good to know we are all affected!

[kalapoka]

@ ron: you've got it(I believe )

@Daniel: Curbing = "mix" in SS terminology

Twang = pharyngeal in SS terminology

I believe that's accurate. :)