Let it be - Beatles cover(Passagio killer!!!)

[aravindmadis]

Hi Folks..

Here is a cover of "Let it beatles".. This has given me much grief in my quest to improve my singing since it is bang on passagio! I went through a huge journey of discovery before I could understand how to sing this song ..

Any comparison on my vocal Fach with Paul. I think I am a tenor, although with a slighter darker tone.. Is my understanding correct? I am trying to understand what genres and types of songs will go well with my voice and keep experimenting with different types of songs.. Right now I am trying to work on "Oh Darling", which is also quite tough..

Please be as critical as you can.. I am working really hard to improve and seeking perfection in the songs that I do..

I use a home recording setup and my mixing is done by myself(self taught)

[MDEW]

Sounds good to me. I always seem to get in trouble with that Second "Let it Be" I cannot decide to sing it Falsetto or full voice and just crap out on it. You held steady throughout the song.

"Oh Darling" is one of those songs that make you think "If I can Sing That, I can Sing Anything." It is also smack dab in the middle of passagio and has some wonderful distortion/grit to it.

Is there any insights from your journey of discovery that you can put into words and share with us?

McCartneys voice is amazing, He made everything look so easy.

[aravindmadis]

MDEW, this was one of the first really tough songs that I attempted. There were several impediments to me singing this song

1. I thought I had a much lower voice than Paul. I was convinced that this was "out of my range" when started working

2. I always had some raw talent, but very poor knowledge and technique. For instance, till last year, I did not know that there was a head voice and a chest voice, let alone how to navigate through the passagio

3. I started to work on my head voice. This was really tough for me coz I had to undo my instincts and bad habits... As Ronws would say I started working on singing high and bringing down, instead of the other way around.

4. Initially, I had no power in the chorus and I have even recorded an earlier version and posted here.. Somebody pointed out that I was breathing very shallow. I slowly worked my way to building a better diaphragm support. Here again I had to undo all my instincts

5. I started learning about vowel modifications. I never knew the way that vowels are sung could make so much different..

So everytime, I learnt something new from perhaps a different song, I started gradually making these incremental improvements.. Some of them are pretty basic, but for someone who has no professional training, each of these tips were a goldmine.

After nearly 1.5 years, I am at a juncture where I really understand my vocal capabilities... I know now that I am a tenor and I mistook lack of range for poor passagio technique and lack of a proper mix voice.. I know that my vocal fachs allows me to peak some spectacular highs, but also that learning to maximize my voice is supremely difficult, since it requires mastering the passagio..

In short, I feel like I could tech singing to beginners!! :D

[MDEW]

Having a "Lower" voice than someone else is also a misnomer when describing voices. Most of the time what people are really meaning is having a "heavier" or "Lighter" Voice. And that still is not correct for it is which area in the spectrum that can resonate. There are people who have light or thin voices who can sing E2 clear and strong. It will not sound "Beefy or Rich" but it will be clear and strong.

Being a Tenor, or Baritone is describing the Character of the voice, the timbre, not the range of notes that you can produce.

Being a Bari/tenor for a man is actually saying you have an average voice capable of singing most songs in any range. The hard part and what gets us in trouble is trying to MAKE our voice sound a certain way instead of allowing it to sound the way it needs to.

[ronws]

Excellent, Aravind. Just the right vocal weight and good pitch control, all the way through. Amazing how applying a lighter attack (not singing so "hard") frees up the mechanism to do what you want. And thank you for honoring me with the idea that I helped you understand something. I am not an expert but I know what has helped me, including using a lighter attack and more control of the air and letting the resonance create the volume, rather than a push of air.

And I agree with MDEW, tenor or baritone, with ranges that overlap, to a significant extent, is more about timbre and sonic weight than the actual range. Though, to me, a real baritone can get a full sound at lower notes. Full sound being something of a subjective description from me, which may or may not match others' views. For example, I can do some notes in the second octave and if I am close to the mic and give that section a volume boost in editing, I can make it sound okay, though I am not a baritone.

[aravindmadis]

Ronws/MDEW, I agree with your comment regarding the Fach and vocal range.. It has not a lot of effect on the range, maybe give or take a few notes..

But it does seem to make a significant difference to the way the voice sounds, at the extremes of the range.. When I started trying to sing this song, I tried to emulate the voice of Ken Tamplin, since I was under the impression that I had a similar voice type..

Listen to the link that I posted above and hear Ken's version of this song.. While he is able to sing all the notes in the chorus, am not sure he can create the sustained note that Paul can create with his voice. Secondly, while he does hit the notes, they have a more shouty feeling,especially the "Be"in the second "let it be".. Paul's voice sounds smooth and almost as if he can do it in his sleep.. It has a totally different quality.. :-)

It took me a long time to understand these small nuances.. Consequently I am able to sing more songs that I earlier thought I couldn't.. I try to let go of the original singers version and try to work hard on producing the sound with "my voice".. It is a tough process, but I am able to see some improvements..

[ronws]

It took me a long time to understand these small nuances.. Consequently I am able to sing more songs that I earlier thought I couldn't.. I try to let go of the original singers version and try to work hard on producing the sound with "my voice".. It is a tough process, but I am able to see some improvements..

That is the hardest thing you will ever do. Harder than scales or any technical exercise you work on. The concentration it takes to find the center of your voice when it is so typical to even accidently try and emulate. Or to try and emulate because that is what others want to do and find valuable. Instead, to seek what is the limit and ability of your voice. That is mental, and that is why it is so difficult.

I like Ken Tamplin's voice and I could listen to him sing anything and I wish he would put out a new album. He used to sing a lot for christian bands and I would like to hear him put out some new stuff.

And when he talks about singing like this or that singer, I don't think he is talking about being a carbon copy. I think he is talking about finding in your voice these features are similar to what the original singer was doing at a certain point. For example, on "Baby, I'm Amazed," it's not important that your rasp matches exactly that of Sir McCartney. But that you present the emotional context of the note in whatever way that you can.

[Clint Torres]

I thought it sounded good

[David]

Hum.. Ken is a High Baritone not a tenor.

You sounded really good on this tune

[ronws]

Wow, I know I did not write "another vocal instructor" but it has been changed for me. Oh well, the power of technology.

Peace, brethren.

[Felipe Carvalho]

I like this one a bit better, but there is a lot of room to improve here man.

Try working more on this song, and try to make the articulation of the whole lower range more clear and strong. Open more, allow it to close a bit ONLY when you attack the highest points.

[AmirMaor]

BEAUTIFUL :)

[Jens]

Hum.. Ken is a High Baritone not a tenor.

You sounded really good on this tune

Do you mean the longhaired dude who speaks like Michael Jackson?

[aravindmadis]

Thanks AmirMaor.. Jens, the "another instructor" is K.e.n.T.a.m.p.l.i.n.. Long haired.. yes, speaks like MJ?? Not sure :lol:

[AmyEl]

Having a "Lower" voice than someone else is also a misnomer when describing voices. Most of the time what people are really meaning is having a "heavier" or "Lighter" Voice. And that still is not correct for it is which area in the spectrum that can resonate. There are people who have light or thin voices who can sing E2 clear and strong. It will not sound "Beefy or Rich" but it will be clear and strong.

Being a Tenor, or Baritone is describing the Character of the voice, the timbre, not the range of notes that you can produce.

Being a Bari/tenor for a man is actually saying you have an average voice capable of singing most songs in any range. The hard part and what gets us in trouble is trying to MAKE our voice sound a certain way instead of allowing it to sound the way it needs to.

I have to agree with MDEW here. Classifying the voice and fach is pretty strange to me. I mean, you have your comfort zone..but that break can move up and down based on how well you learn to release the chest and how well you develop the head. It's all really one voice. However, tessitura is recognizable. You seem like more of a lyrics type; but I'm not great at classifying and don't care for it other than discussing dramatic, lyric...that sort of thing. It seems to help to understand the resonance of the singer; but honestly, all types have a time and a place.