KoRn- Freak on a Leash (piano + vocal cover)

[sick]

Hi everyone. I've recorded something new today, which is an incomplete version of my vocal cover of KoRn's song "Freak on a Leash" (there's only one verse and one chorus recorded but I'll definitely work on finishing the whole cover) and I've decided to share it with you for the time being. Obviously, I'll appreciate some comments if possible. I do not own any rights to the piano instrumental version (here's the guy who plays the piano:

), however, I do own my own voice That's all in terms of all the formalities, I guess. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for all the comments in advance Greetz

 

http://www24.zippyshare.com/v/60088967/file.html

[KillerKu]

Never heard Korn duet with a piano before. It's actually pretty cool. I might prefer their music on a piano where you can hear the dissonant harmonies more clearly. I'm really liking this idea and looking forward to hearing more of your cover. Your pitch is pretty good considering Korn's almost atonal songcraft, for many singers it's tough to nail those kinds of notes..

 

On the singing, I can't feel your body or your singing, so if I'm innaccurate please just discard it. But for me there is a kind of voice that is almost like a cryish/moaning. There are a bunch of fancy names for it, curbing in Complete Vocal Technique (they call it kind of a hold), there's a mix voice in Speech Level Singing that includes it. I found this kind of moaning thing before I ever learned any of these techniques, you may or may not have?

 

Anyway, if I over do this sound, it feels a bit stiff. CVT calls it 'the hold' and it kind of feels ike it is 'holding me down.' Now the voice can do hundreds of things, many of which I cannot do. There's no way I can be an expert on what you're doing, I'm hearing you over the internet, of a sound you're creating inside your body. I'm not even an expert on the sounds in my own body.

 

Since I can't accurately measure what you're doing, I can only suggest what I'd try if I was creating the sound I'm thinking of? I'd first release as much of the moaning/crying sensation as possible, to the point where I might sound almost Mickey Mouseish. I'd try to get as light, free, and relaxed as possible. I wouldn't be super breathy, but I wouldnt' be worried about sounding silly.

 

I might then twang the Mickey Mouseish sound some. If you don't know what twanging is, it's putting the tip of your tongue at your bottom row of teeth, while the middle back part of your tongue arches up wide near your top molars. Twang can sound quacking, cutting, or witchy when done to the extreme, but if done varying amounts, it can help comfortably sustain notes. I'd let my my voice feel as free as I could make it. Once my voice felt less stiff and usually a bit 'lighter,' I could add some of the moanish thing back. The moanish thing helps me bridge and helps me sing higher if done lightly, but like I said can feel like it is 'holding' me down if It is done heavily.  

 

All that said. If what you're doing works for you and feels ok, you can pretty much disregard the above and carry on. If you get lessons with a good professional, it can help progress much quicker. There are a lot of them on this forum. I'm personally not one. I'm just a guy who sings and likes trying to help others. If there is any chance what I said  could help you sing more freely, I'm putting it here. It's not the sound. I want you to sound, however you want to sound. IIt's that somehow, it's the same feeling of feeling held down by my voice, that feeling was oppressive. If somehow you got trapped in that feeling, it would suck. Seek freedom, one way or another.

[sick]

Hmm. Ok, guess I might as well try your advice and see what's gonna happen. Anyways, thanks :)

[KillerKu]

Hmm. Ok, guess I might as well try your advice and see what's gonna happen. Anyways, thanks

 

Trust your body man when looking around. Make sure you stay the expert. Even really famous teachers have hit people's voices wrong.  Someone, (MIR?) was talking about a bad experience with Tamplin. I'm not a famous teacher, just a guy.

 

I did enjoy your interpretation and would like to hear more. I ain't looking for perfection from you, just curious if you might find a bit more wiggle room that way.

 

Jonathon Davis in spite of his strange sounds is said to have had vocal training. I've seen it credited to as the lead singer of Videodrone. So you might want to look into help from a professional at some point too, but you canl make progress from training smart.

 

I suspect Davis learned to use his voice to make those weird shrieking and honking growls over time, pretty confident it wasn't overnight. If you're a Davis fan, don't be afraid of falsetto and headier voice either. It's one of his signature styles to my ears, is he will turn on that lighter twangier whining headier voice for a few words, and then honk out a low growl, sometimes in mid sentence. He's kind of a weird singer, maybe why I'm the only guy that responded. Most singers are like 'siiiiinging coooonsiiiiistant toooone.' Davis is like "shriek, honk, shriek yell!!!!!" Follow your passions, if something about this speaks to you, Davis is still singing today. He found a way to develop that style and you can probably develop yours too.

 

If you hit barriers you can't surpass, do consider a professional. 

[ronws]

I wanted to give myself some time, having heard Korn and wanting to appreciate the artistic statement of this version. For I have never thought of a Korn song as an art piece, almost an aria. Though the juxtaposition of style is unique.

 

That is, are you looking for applause for an artistic venture? Then, well done.

 

Does it sound like Korn? Not really, but I think that is exactly the point.

 

What if I had a harp player plunking in A and I started in with a hooty kind of countertenor thing:

 

"Living easy, loving free.

Season ticket on a one-way ride.

Asking nothing, leave me be.

Taking everything in my stride"

 

Who would recognize that? Or Not? Granted, everyone here knows what song I am talking about.

[sick]

Finally, here's the complete version of the cover I've been working on to finish for the last couple of days (or even weeks ): http://www54.zippyshare.com/v/RClwuquy/file.html. However, to tell you the truth, I'm not so pleased with it.. I mean.. My voice emission seems to suck ass in the case of the second verse as well as the second chorus... I don't know what I'm doing wrong here.. I've thought I've already managed to master my voice emission to a decent extent.. But it seems I've lost it all again... Any advice?

[ronws]

I like how you are singing it, in spite of being used to the original version. What you are doing wrong is however you are recording it. Doesn't even sound as good as a modern smart phone. Are you recording on a 10 year old Nokia flip phone? That is what it sounds like.

 

If you are judging yourself by this recording, that is grave mistake. Man, I sound like an audiophile, don't I? Sorry. It's just that a friend who had mixed a few of my recordings and the difference between the desk top mic I started with and the condenser mic I eventually got was like night and day.

 

Is there any possible way that you can record this with a mic that has a diaphragm bigger than say, 5 cm, which is the width of my wedding band?