KHP Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Hi everyone, I'm a complete beginner to singing and had my first lesson this week. I'm interested in a pop style of singing but my teacher is not really familiar with pop music. Based on my first lesson, it appears that I have the vocal range of a tenor (reaching up to a high C). I was wondering if you guys could recommend any pop songs that would be worth looking at singing. I can show them to my teacher and she said that she would take a look at the stuff I recommend to her to check their suitability for my lessons. In case it helps, currently, we're looking at "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" from Les Mis and "You are my Heart's Delight" from The Land of Smiles. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VideoHere Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 KHP, May I ask how old you are? You like to sing? You need to select the songs you'd like to sing. Sing songs that when you listen to them, you connect with, you identify with, you "feel" and "sense" deep inside you. This connection you make to the song provides the impetus, the inspiration, the motivation to perform them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHP Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 Thanks for the reply. I'm 22 so I guess I'm starting pretty late. Right now, when I'm singing to myself, I sing pretty much whatever I want. But I tend to listen to a lot of songs that are outside my range because I listen to a lot of female pop singers. I was hoping to get some suggestions on songs I can comfortably sing so that I can build up a foundation, if that makes sense. Thanks for the advice though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronws Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 "Breaking the Silence" by Queensryche 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabroni Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Thanks for the reply. I'm 22 so I guess I'm starting pretty late. Right now, when I'm singing to myself, I sing pretty much whatever I want. But I tend to listen to a lot of songs that are outside my range because I listen to a lot of female pop singers. I was hoping to get some suggestions on songs I can comfortably sing so that I can build up a foundation, if that makes sense. Thanks for the advice though! In contemporary singing, don't classify yourself. Don't put that mental barrier in front of you. Geoff Tate was a "baritone" and he could sing up to A5. With contemporary vocal technique, vocal class doesn't bear any significance. If you're using classical technique, then the vocal fach matters because the technique is different. But in contemporary singing, your range is only limited by how well and how much your practice. You can do it. Who are some of the female pop singers? EDIT: Nice selection ronws. Continuing with the Queensryche theme, I really like the song Bridge: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronws Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 ^ Does a tenor need to sing female pop songs? Nothing against that. I sometimes sing along with a song by Heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabroni Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 ^ Does a tenor need to sing female pop songs? Nothing against that. I sometimes sing along with a song by Heart. Barracuda? That's a cool song. I didn't mean anything negative, my post was mean to be positive: that he could sing in that range with practice. Kind of like "don't ever let someone tell you no." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronws Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I can do "Barracuda." And play it on guitar. But I really enjoy singing "Crazy on You." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabroni Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I can do "Barracuda." And play it on guitar. But I really enjoy singing "Crazy on You." That's a cool song. She's one of the few female vocalists I like. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronws Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 That's a cool song. She's one of the few female vocalists I like. And some more useless trivia, totally aside from the subject of the thread. Anne and Nancy both sing well. And their parents had originally bought the first guitar for Anne. She never really took to it. Nancy (the blonde) picked it up and took off like a shot. And Anne was always singing, anyway. Anne learned her singing, especially her breathing technique, from her high school choir teacher, Allan Lund. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VideoHere Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I'm not sure we got KHP right guys./...lol!!! Even though you said tenor, KHP are you a male or female? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 It's a good idea to look for a vocal coach who is familiar with the kind of music you want to sing. I went through three coaches, all female, who classified me as a basso. I never identified with that. It wasn't what I wanted to sing. They didn't ever try to get me to bridge or mix. Just slam fullvoice as high as it would go, then break to falsetto. They all had me sing pop or musical theatre, when my heart wanted rock and metal. I got some home study programs and books and within 3 months hit tenor high c. There's so much you can do, and if I had gotten a good coach directly it could have saved years of frustration. If you want to sing female pop songs - nothing is stopping you. You can transpose them to a comfortable range and maybe change some words to make it more "male" (cause I am guessing you are male, otherwise just transpose). Sing what you want. Not what someone else wants you to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 To clarify - I'm not saying your current coach can't be of help. Maybe she is great. Just have it in mind, that you should sing what YOU want and the way you want. She should be there to help you, not put mental blocks on you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHP Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 Thanks to all of you for your replies. I'll definitely take into consideration everything you guys have said, but please bear in mind that I only just started singing last week so I'm guessing pretty much any vocal training will be useful (I've only got 6 lessons booked with my current music teacher and she is a really nice woman - after that I will be moving address). To confirm, I am indeed male haha. These are the sorts of songs I am singing to myself at the moment: Ariana Grande - Love Me Harder Cher Lloyd - Sirens I have to say they are pretty high lol and I definitely can't sing a significant portion of it. I was thinking songs from Coldplay might be closer to my range... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 You know you can transpose songs as well, right? Thats is - change the key so the songs fit your range. I've been singing some songs originally done by females, and then I usually change both key and some smaller lyric parts. Recorded an example: '> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHP Posted February 4, 2015 Author Share Posted February 4, 2015 Nice singing and guitar playing. Randomly today I discovered that I can sing the high notes in songs by Sam Smith and Ariana Grande! I think I discovered my falsetto as well!!!!!!!! 😊 it's so much easier singing the high parts in falsetto than full voice. I spent a couple of hours singing today and my throat is a bit sore. I'm wondering if I maybe strained my voice from trying to sing the high notes. Does anyone have any youtube recommendations for lowering throat strain when reaching for those high notes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Thanks! The voice is like other muscles - you work out a couple of hours and you'll get sore Build it gradually, and remember to warm up. I like doing "warm downs" as well after singing a lot or singing heavy. Liprolls and mm-slides, just soft and easy to work back some elasticity before stopping for the day. The more you sing, the stronger you'll get. Just be careful not to strain or over sing. You'll learn where your limits are soon enough. And you'll probably notice those high notes are more about finess than brute force, so you'll need less air for those. You could check out Felicia Ricci on Youtube. I think she's got some great advice in a lot of her videos (and a free "belting crash course" too). Keep up the good work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHP Posted February 5, 2015 Author Share Posted February 5, 2015 Thanks for all the help. I really don't want to damage my voice but it was pretty fun singing today lol. I'll google lip rolls and mm-slides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronws Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I think it's funny how some might think you are a guy, and some might think you are a girl. And you resolutely resolve to NOT clarify which. Mystery, does it help? Mmm ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHP Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 Huh? I confirmed that I am male in post 14. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronws Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Huh? I confirmed that I am male in post 14. My bad. Speed reading has its disadvantages ... sorry about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VideoHere Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 KHP, Take a different view of high notes. You want to change your mindset to go from thinking you have to reach them to descending down on them. Yes, falsetto is a lot easier than full voice. Be sure you're not overusing it, (falsetto) because if you are running very airy and breathy too long you will dry out your vocal folds. A good teacher will help you distinguish between falsetto and full voice production. Sometimes they are tonally very similar and it can be hard to tell what you are using without some guidance. Make sure you are staying hydrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sexy Beast Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 KHP, If you are new to singing you might want to start singing songs in your comfortable range first. Just pick something you like and that's easy for you to sing. Do that for a couple of months and you will get better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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