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Fly Me To The Moon - Frank Sinatra

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Hi guys!

 

So, this is my first time singing "for real."

I've been in college for the past couple months, and while I use to do a lot of music stuff as a preteen, things sort of fell off in high school. In terms of vocal ability, I have very poor technique, but I think the timbre of my voice is kind of nice. Basically, I'd like to know how my voice could improve in terms of pitch, support, my vowel sounds, transitions from note to note etc. I've been actively attempting to sing for the past month or so, and been doing a bit of research and stuff. Of course, people who sing well practice a lot, but I'm wondering if sound okay to "perform" without embarrassing myself on stage in about 9 months~? It would be super cool to join an a ' capella group on campus next year, or maybe just do decent covers on youtube. Part of the reason I'm here is because I can't really hear my voice, and I want critque. 

From my friends/classmates: 

 

I've noticed that my friends who sing really really well (semi - professionally to professionally) like my voice, but think I don't have any skill or technique and due to the lack of control I sound really bad. 

My other friends say I can like carry a tune, but can't sing. 

Thank you guys for reading all this. 

 

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NoPuedo,

 

Nice effort... I can tell by listening to your voice that with real training your voice could be beautiful. If you want to get serious about singing, you need to consider training and getting a voice coach. I would be happy to be your coach, but there are many good coaches. I recommend myself or someone on this forum. I just happen to know the people on this forum are all great.

 

Also, you should practice this tune with a karaoke track... there are pitch issues and rhythm issues... basic musicianship that needs to be addressed here. Much of that would work itself out if you were singing on top of music, not just a cappella. 

 

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I think Rob is right. I can hear loads of potential in there, but it sounds like you haven't had a lot of musical training or singing training, which you yourself pretty much admit. So when you sing without a backing track, you have difficulty visualizing the pitches. Everything you want, can be trained. I can hear pitches moving up and down accordingly, they're just hazy, I can hear a relatively relaxed voice which for a beginner is better than straining. You can hear the beginnings of what could become a really polished timbre. 

 

Taking lessons with Rob or one of the other vocal experts would accelerate growth into these aspects. Without lessons, you can still learn, but you'll have to be really diligent with your musicianship and and voice both. You mentioned 8 months in being good enough to sing for ensemble? If you have a time limit imposed on reaching a certain standard of quality, I'd definitely recommend the lessons.

 

Self discovery is a beautiful journey, but without a professional who knows exactly how to guide you it's definitely slower. Things you could do right now, imo would be to find an instrument. And if you can't find an instrument, download a free trial of maybe fruity loops and try the piano roll. Try to reproduce Frank's melodies, with the instrument, then match your voice to an instrument.

 

With your voice, you can work on breath support exercises to more engage the diaphragm. My favorite is to inhale through a real or invisible straw, and then hiss an ssss for as long as you can. It should be pretty relaxing and make you light headed at first, but if you do it right you'll feel the area above the stomach and below the chest 'engage.' That's an area when singing that often has engagement. 

 

The problem you've got basically, is self discovery is slow. No one will be there with a highly trained ear to help you each step of the way. The best analogy I have, is wandering in the wilderness, vs having a trained 'travel guide' through the forest. Both journeys are valuable, but if you feel like you want to get there faster, and be guaranteed to reach your destination (some people become lost in the wilderness!) having a highly educated guide will help you most.

 

And even if you were to take someone like me, who 'can sing some,' someone like me might be able to throw you enough bones to get somewhere, someday. 8 months to sing in a group? It's possible, but most groups would like to hear some unison and harmony of pitches. Groups are often more more demanding, cause if you're doing something a litlte off key the whole group can suffer. That said there are groups that are more interested in training for humanitarian reasons. I have one near me. They don't sound like the most highly polished choirs because they take folks from all walks of life, any age, any experience, any ethnicity, any economic status, don't judge, and go on the singing journey together and 'help' along the way. It's like a hippie choir!

 

I feel like if it's an urgent destination, and it's at all affordable for you to get qualified experts with proven success as teachers, who can train you into your goals it's your best bet.  I'm all about self discovery and think it's a really valuable artistic journey, but you take a walk in that wilderness, there's no guarantee you'll even get out, much less in 8 months.

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It would take a truly extraordinary vocalist to sing this a cappella. You almost pull it off in a number of places, but the pitch does drift. Step 1: sing along with a piano, guitar, or some other instrument, simply so you can more easily follow the melody. Your tone is naturally pleasant, though. 

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Thank you guys! I really appreciate all the advice on this forum.

To Robert Lunte, KillerKu, and lussfabu, 
 

For the past couple of days I've been listening to lead vocalists actively. I think that I have the habit of carrying the approximate tune of the song, but it sounds off because I'm not really hitting the notes, but around them. I'll most likely upload a version with me singing along with a track in the future. My school offers subsidized vocal lessons, so I'll most likely use those at the beginning of the new semester. Also, KillerKu, I really like the breathing technique you offered, it's really nice. With regards to an a capella group, I mean, that's more for fun than anything, and it's not really a pertinent goal. I just really like music and being able to play instruments and sing would be ultra boss at the moment.

 

if I can't take private lessons next semester, I'm fine with "wandering through the wilderness" for a little bit. Not to tute my own horn, but in terms of music and self - study, I've been pretty good at teaching myself technique, and I'm usually pretty discilpined with things that I really want to do. Obviously, a voice teacher would make things go much faster, but if it's not feasible (I can't afford to pay for them without the school), then I'll be fine with self - study. 

Hopefully, I'll be able to get back to you guys with a bed track for Fly Me To The Moon by tonight. 

Thanks again! 

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The wilderness can work as long as you are prepared and take precautions. If your school does subsidize lessons, by all means take them, but you can always check in somewhere like this now and then.

 

It's very observant of you about  'singing a bit around the melody.' It seems maybe the most accurate description. Nothing you can't tackle. I get loose with melodies sometimes too.

 

When finances and life circumstances work out, definitely don't abandon the private lessons idea. Teachers come in all colors from completely incompetent and delusional, to extremely educated professionals that know how to teach. Just know most of the teachers on this forum have something to show for it and don't stick their heads in the sand about much of anything.

 

For professionals to be willing to engage the public on a relatively open forum like these folks, they got little to hide. Takes a lot of bravery, and pretty much at the end of the day you have to be competent to just back it up.

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