Two Songs (One with Backing Track, One Acapella)

[Gsoul82]

Been coming to this forum for a few months and figured I'd post something in here. Already recorded something and got feedback from one member on here and a few people elsewhere, so having recorded already, I figured I'd put it in here too.

 

I started singing 3 years ago. I had no sense of pitch, and I really couldn't even carry a melody to a song like "Mary had a Little Lamb"

 

All of Me by John Legend (Acapella)

http://picosong.com/EdtU/

 

Ooh Baby Baby by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles

 

Play the one near the top of the page that just says SoulCurls under it.

 

http://picosong.com/Edtv/

 

 

 

[MDEW]

     On OOH Baby,Baby you sounded much better than the females singing. Your pitch is pretty good and I like your sound. I can't give much advice except to keep singing.

[Gsoul82]

Thanks a lot, MDEW. Appreciate it.

[KillerKu]

I love old school soul jams. I agree, not to offend but the female voice on the right side is having a few pitch issues. She can definitely train this to improve it.

 

Something I can spot already is that I really like your tone. It has a rich and beautiful timbre. Would blend really well into a soul group as it has that classic velvet, dark, yet clear enough timbre that is part of what gave the Temptations harmonies so much beauty. 

 

Another thing I really love about your voice is your vibrato. Especially on Ooh Baby Baby. It has that spot in between the quiver and vibrato. It's one of my favorite kinds of vibrato. I picked up something a bit similar from Nina Simone, David Bowie, and Smokey, but yours is a bit more polished.

 

Something I'd suggest is thinking about finding a way to record with better sound quality. Like a better USB mic. The better the context you can put your voice in, the more opportunities you'll have as a vocalist. Someone might hear you and have an interesting context like Session Work, or be part of a group, or who knows. My favorite singer (David Ruffin) started as a backing singer in the Temptations before he broke out as a lead with My Girl. So yeah, keep your options open, I think you could go somewhere cool with this voice.

 

Keep training it. If you want more a bit more punch in the mix cut you could try to increase the twang a bit (tip of tongue resting at the bottom row of teeth, while the rest of the tongue arches up and back, pressing wide up against the top molars). In classic soul groups, I can often hear the background singers 'toning it down' to blend into the mix when singing harmonies (a softer rounder tone blends better), and amping it up when they step in for the leads. So it might be worth toying with.

[Gsoul82]

I love old school soul jams. I agree, not to offend but the female voice on the right side is having a few pitch issues. She can definitely train this to improve it.

 

Something I can spot already is that I really like your tone. It has a rich and beautiful timbre. Would blend really well into a soul group as it has that classic velvet, dark, yet clear enough timbre that is part of what gave the Temptations harmonies so much beauty. 

 

Another thing I really love about your voice is your vibrato. Especially on Ooh Baby Baby. It has that spot in between the quiver and vibrato. It's one of my favorite kinds of vibrato. I picked up something a bit similar from Nina Simone, David Bowie, and Smokey, but yours is a bit more polished.

 

Something I'd suggest is thinking about finding a way to record with better sound quality. Like a better USB mic. The better the context you can put your voice in, the more opportunities you'll have as a vocalist. Someone might hear you and have an interesting context like Session Work, or be part of a group, or who knows. My favorite singer (David Ruffin) started as a backing singer in the Temptations before he broke out as a lead with My Girl. So yeah, keep your options open, I think you could go somewhere cool with this voice.

 

Keep training it. If you want more a bit more punch in the mix cut you could try to increase the twang a bit (tip of tongue resting at the bottom row of teeth, while the rest of the tongue arches up and back, pressing wide up against the top molars). In classic soul groups, I can often hear the background singers 'toning it down' to blend into the mix when singing harmonies (a softer rounder tone blends better), and amping it up when they step in for the leads. So it might be worth toying with.

 

Thank you very much for writing all of that, Killer.Yeah, the lady was just somebody who joined the song I was singing. I don't even know her. I feel the exact same way about old school soul. I'm 23, but if I was born back then, I'd feel right at home. I can't say I feel the same way about a lot of the stuff that's being put out right now.

 

I really just sing as a hobby, but I'm honored you think I'm good enough to actually try and go somewhere with it. A few months ago, I actually considered creating a mixtape just so I could say I did it. I play the piano decently, and I just picked back up the guitar, so I just may do that.

 

In those recordings, I wasn't even singing right into a mic. I was using an app that uses plugged in headphones to block out background noise and I just had my phone sitting on a counter while I was standing up and singing. The phone's microphone was picking my voice up from a short distance. I've been thinking about a USB mic lately, but I'm not sure where to look. Any suggestions there?

 

I see. Yeah, I do know what twang is. One of my sub-hobbies with this is I like to listen to a bunch of singers and pick up on their techniques their using. Lately, I've stumbled into Joe's sound where he kind of rolls the sound up against the top of the hard palatte and backwards, and I've been imitating D'angelo a lot lately. I find I have an easy time of getting into his whole twangy setup that he often does up high. I'm trying to figure out what to do with my head voice, because it sounds a little plain for me. I also did start trying to learn rasp a few months ago, and I found that place that Fantasia and many gospel singers get into, so I'm trying to figure out a way to start using that.

 

Thank you again for the detailed response.

[ronws]

I liked it. I think you have a timbre closer to Marvin Gaye but you could easily do John Legend stuff. You changed keys in it but I bet you do better with music to go by.

 

The "Ooh Baby Baby", cover, that is where I hear your Marvin Gaye sound coming through. Too bad the two version you have with the women have both of them going off pitch, here and there.

[Gsoul82]

I liked it. I think you have a timbre closer to Marvin Gaye but you could easily do John Legend stuff. You changed keys in it but I bet you do better with music to go by.

 

The "Ooh Baby Baby", cover, that is where I hear your Marvin Gaye sound coming through. Too bad the two version you have with the women have both of them going off pitch, here and there.

 

Thanks. If you click on the album cover next to the picture of the black guy (me), you'll hear me without the two girls singing.

[ronws]

Okay, got it that time. So, yeah, you do this song well though it sounds like the mic was clipping, a little.

[Jeremy Mohler]

Ooh Baby baby is a great favorite of mine.  My honest criticism of your performance there is that your pitch and tone was really solid throughout but your diction could use some work in the first verses.  The words sound quite muddy throughout there but you get much better when you sing lower in the next part of the song, definitely Marvin Gaye reminiscent.  Keep up the good work, and keep practicing.

[Gsoul82]

Yeah, Ronws, I agree.

 

Thank you, Jeremy.

 

It's interesting how people keep mentioning Marvin Gaye. I've never listened to him at all.

 

I've just tried to imitate this guy more than anyone else:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjaB2j2dPY0