Red Hot Chili Peppers- Under the Bridge (contralto)

[Morrigan]

Hey folks. This is my first post here...

I know that I've got a bit of an unusual, androgynous voice

I know it needs work too... But do I love singing, and I'd like to hear feedback so that I can improve and fulfill my scary ambition of fronting a band.

Also I'm working on some jazz as I think it suits my voice more.

 

 

[KillerKu]

Lower female voice is often my favorite of the female voice types. Contralto is often my favorite. My first impression, is it has a good murky, intriguing and unique quality, but the timbre also sounds a bit woofy or muted. If this is the timbre you're going for, I think it has character in itself, but I think you have room to explore. Just because you have a lower voice, doesn't mean you can't explore brighter harmonics and see what you think.

 

For exploring brighter resonance, you can try sustaining consonants on pitch like 'n' or 'm' and try to feel as much buzz as possible on your top row of teeth and/or into your nasal cavities. Try to take that buzz with you into your singing voice. You can also try vowels like short a 'apple' or a full on 'ah' like like if you go to the doctor and say 'ahhhhhhhh.' And finally, you could experiment with twang (tip of tongue bear bottom row of teeth, with the rest of the tongue arching upward and backward until it is wide against the top molars).

 

I hear good things, and I like the intrigue of voices that offering something unique. Androgyny is very interesting to me artistically and I connect a lot with it. David Bowie is probably my all time favorite artist who toyed with the concept extensively. My most listened to female vocalist is Nina Simone, who some mistake as a man in some songs, but she explored a lot of sound colors and was incredibly expressive:

 

 

 

 

Of recent female artists, Amy Winehouse is my hands down favorite. I recently inverted her song and sang from the perspective of the lady boy described by taking my low tenor/high baritone and singing as the weakened more feminine partner:

https://app.box.com/s/eamsc819ezljqst6q3s6jc2lkaqo0z6t

 

 

 

So androgyny can be explored in itself, but voices that defy categorization can sound very sexy, intriguing, challenging, and fascinating. I'm looking forward to hearing where you take your voice as an artist. If you train and explore it, you can probably express anything masculine or feminine successfully, where as it can be a bit tougher for basses or sopranos to try to convey such imagery.

[Gneetapp]

Hi Morrigan, first of all welcome to the forum! I liked your timbre, but I don't think your voice is as low as you might think. I got the feeling that you were singing from the throat with a very low (probably pushed down) larynx. That is why the sound was so muffled, as KillerKu mentioned, and even offered some tips to improve it. Even though you haven't said anything, I'm assuming that you have little to none vocal training (nothing wrong with that). Am I correct? If that is the case, I'm sure you would benefit immensely from training your voice through a comprehensive vocal program and lessons (in person or via Skype) with the very talented vocal teachers you will find in this forum. But most importantly, as you are in control, you must make the commitment to do so, working hard and consistently to achieve the best results you can get. Keep on Rocking!

[Morrigan]

Thanks for the advice, I have been accused of being flat, so I will try that out.

I haven't had one-on-one lessons, but I have been in choirs (I was made to sing tenor lol)

My chest voice actually sounds a lot deeper when I project it 0.o but my high notes have a different quality. I have a big vocal range; not so great quality at both ends however, but I attempt to sing along to everything from bass to soprano with varying results  

The muffling could also be my bad recording device or the fact I was tired (I record late since I work late).

My friend has been prodding me to sing jazz, although it's cliché for a contralto voice... I do think this song does me more justice; at least I really got into it (it was in some movie that I watched with my friend and started singing along to so I decided to find the full version) I only attempted it a few times so it's not fantastic:

 

I'm interested in taking on-line lessons because of the hours of my job. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of free time at the moment to practice either, but I would love too especially since my friend is musically creative too, and we have thought to start a group.

 

[KillerKu]

Your voice is awesome and that second clip is better representing it. You don't have to sing jazz, but you do sound good in that context.

 

I wasn't going to say you were faking the low cause I think you might be the real contralto.  But you are using a more muffled phonation than you could have access to with some training and practice, so you'd have a lot more sound color options and brighter sound colors will sound more familiar in pop, soul, and rock.

 

As for being accused of singing flat, yes, there is actually a phenomenon I'm familiar with where muffled timbres can be perceived as flat, while brighter and thinner timbres can be perceived as sharp. People associate certain timbres with high or low notes, if things get taken far enough and you lighten a low note and weighten a high note, it can even confuse people as to which octave you're in at the extremes.

 

Lessons would be a great idea. If you can afford them and find the time, the teachers here really know what they are doing. I'm not a pro teacher, otherwise I'd love to help as I really do love the foundation of the voice and would love for you to start a band.

[Morrigan]

Hey, thanks

I know my vocal tone is imbalanced and its almost like two different voices. I think what you said about lightening lows and weighting highs is exactly what I need.

I do sing all kinds of songs, and I did develop a technique specifically for singing goth rock where I can force my voice down really low, but, conversely, I also have tried to sing very high as well (trust me, you DON'T want to hear any of those recordings xD).

That Chili Peppers cover, really, I think I was trying far too hard to imitate Anthony Keidis. It reflects that I guess. Whereas that jazz, I had a laugh.

I'd like to explore my voice more, and yes, I know what you mean, I certainly find some things more natural for me to sing along to than others.

 

[Gneetapp]

Hi Morrigan, I agree that you sounded better balanced in the 2nd song, and that the song suited your voice better. Nevertheless, You don't sound as a contralto to me, not even in that 2nd song. IMO you sounded as an untrained singer. I may be completely wrong, as I'm not a vocal coach or an advanced student, but we see this type of situation here all the time: lots of guys who come here thinking they are Baritones because they cannot sing higher than G4 (for instance). It is a good thing that you want to take Skype lessons, because there are awesome vocal coaches in the forum, and Robert Lunte, the owner of the forum, is a vocal coach himself and created a very comprehensive vocal program (The Four Pillars). In the end, you just have to keep doing what makes you feel good, but with the correct technique you can do that without ruining your voice. Cheers. 

[KillerKu]

I'm not sure the low notes are the problem. Personally I've never discovered a technique of forcing low notes without resorting to some element of vocal fry or 'croaking' at notes. It is not mechanically easy to force low notes compared to high notes. 

 

I think it'd be a much clearer picture after work was done with adding upper resonance into the sound. I did a little example here, of what my voice sounds like at the bottom of my range, depending on how I apply resonance:

 

https://app.box.com/s/covyx7e37mvm7vc4ha6g9zoyahdyjvir

 

The same notes, will sound different to a listener depending on how resonance is applied. If there isn't brighter resonance to counteract a low note, in general the voice is more likely to sound forced or to faked listener. Neither voice I did here was forced and my larynx wasn't even depressed very far. I recentered the resonance to a place the average listener might find more conversational. Generally speaking the 'woofier' you are the more difficult your upper range will be. So singing in this style may be a component of having difficulty reaching high notes.

 

 

Anyway, I wouldn't worry much about fach, but I wouldn't exclude the possibility you are an untrained contralto nor be quick to exclude the notes you're already singing even if others think they sound forced or fake. From what I've read, real contraltos often have difficulty finding brighter resonance. Sounding muffled is not unheard of even amongst famous singers:

 

 

 

I'd keep working on your voice and if notes don't cause strain or hoarseness, I'd keep singing them and wouldn't rely on untrained (including myself) people to fach you or decide what is forced or not forced for you either way.

[Morrigan]

Thanks for that voice recording, Killerku. I'm really grateful.

I tried that just now, and I totally get what you're saying. It's about vocal clarity.

Never really thought about that, I got in this rut of singing like I smoke 80 a day (I don't even smoke). I sort of like the heavy smoky tone though, but it's perhaps not as audibly pleasant to others as it could be.

I'm not afraid of high notes either. I have hit a C6 before

Anyhow I ought to try singing more clearly/try something different and record the result.

[KillerKu]

Thanks for that voice recording, Killerku. I'm really grateful.

I tried that just now, and I totally get what you're saying. It's about vocal clarity.

Never really thought about that, I got in this rut of singing like I smoke 80 a day (I don't even smoke). I sort of like the heavy smoky tone though, but it's perhaps not as audibly pleasant to others as it could be.

I'm not afraid of high notes either. I have hit a C6 before

Anyhow I ought to try singing more clearly/try something different and record the result.

​

On a good whistle voice day I've hit the c6 too. Hopefully yours sounds less dumb. 

On the clarity thing, something you have to understand is women have a coordination that is basically 'falsetto.' It wasn't traditionally called that, but if you want to keep weight as you ascend, it will seem counterproductive but you will likely have to shed some of the the 'woofy' kind of weight and add a brighter pingier kind of weight as you ascend.

I hit limits as to how high I can woof without hooting like an owl. If you are a lower voice type, your register flip might be more pronounced too, so you might benefit from training a bit more like some of the guys do in strengthening your head voice. I listen to a lot of huskier sounding women and when they do 'head voice' it can sound similar to male falsetto which I like the sound of, but if you want diversity working towards the other kind of head voice might be extra useful.  

 

 

[Bono]

Hello Morrigan! I like your jazz cover! and agree with some other fellows that the first one sounds woofy.. I would raise the key a whole step. Also think the red hot song would be more interesting with other instrumental arrangements to fit with your style

[Pekka]

Second song is great. Awesome singing and i love that cat ( got two my own )