Eleanor Rigby Cover

[rich2k4]

i mostly want to know how the high notes sound. is there too much of a contrast between the high notes and chest register? does it sound bad?

http://www.box.net/shared/dg1koumr6y

[ronws]

No, it sounds fine and I like the staggered harmony, too. What you have done is make a stylistic choice. In the original, Paul uses more voluminous head voice as opposed to your darkened falsetto. But that, too me, is just choosing how you want to do this song. I think it was wise to sing the lower register at a soft volume, as it matches the soft and dark falsetto better than if you were belting lyrics and juxtaposed against the light, airy chorus.

[rich2k4]

how would i go about getting a more volumized head tone on the high notes? right now when i try, my voice just starts cracking and falls apart.

[ronws]

Well, this is the place to do that. Namely, twang.

[gno]

rich2k4 - the high parts where you are using falsetto - E4 to A4 - lays right in the passagio. This is the trickiest part of the male range and it is natural to start cracking there if you haven't been trained, or haven't trained yourself how to sing in this range. You have a couple of choices here - you can sing this all in chest (or in CVT terms Overdrive) or you can go with a "covered" tone (CVT terms: Curbing). The later is what I do in this area and is the typical operatic approach and the approach used by a lot of pop rock singers. The covered tone approach uses a vowel modification when you get up to E4 and higher. Once you learn these vowel modifications, it makes it much easier to go high. Along with that you need to do some excersizes to build up the range. It is like weightlifting - you have to add this range gradually. But once you learn the technique it comes pretty quickly over a couple weeks. Just don't overdo it.

[jonpall]

I hesitate saying you ONLY need twang to get full notes, because if you don't add a "cry/hold", the risk of sounding too much like a duck or a witch is too great. Obviously it's more complicated than than, but it's still an inportant point in my opinion. For the record, I'm not taking a stab at you, Ron :)

[chele1000]

I agree with Guitartrek...you just need to work on this area to reinforce it.

cheers

[ronws]

No, jonpall, you are totally on point. My answer was incomplete. And twang only might sound quacky, indeed. When I think of McCartney's performance, I think there was also crying mode used. Kind of twangy for the register and kind of crying for the timbre.

[mvrasseli]

I think McCartney uses falsetto to sing this song in some live performances. whatever you did a good performance. ;)