pls comment on my singing pls

[darkclaw3000]

hi guys, this is my band's original. this was recorded live, and its just a demo. im on vocals.. forgive me for the language coz its in my native tongue (malay). but i really appreciate if you will take the time and listen to how i sing and really critique me.

i have had no prior training, mostly self-taught.. books, net, etc..

thanks alot guys.

http://www.jango.com/music/Renegadez?l=0

band: Renegadez

title: Sengsara

p.s. it be nice if you can also comment on our song hehe =P

[ronws]

darkclaw, an astounding piece of music. I enjoyed it and I don't even understand the words. So, you were conveying emotion across a language barrier. I could hear you using curbing/crying, somewhat reminiscent of early Vince Neil (Motley Crue). Not that you sound like him, but similar technique, but in a unique way. Good song, good performance.

[darkclaw3000]

darkclaw, an astounding piece of music. I enjoyed it and I don't even understand the words. So, you were conveying emotion across a language barrier. I could hear you using curbing/crying, somewhat reminiscent of early Vince Neil (Motley Crue). Not that you sound like him, but similar technique, but in a unique way. Good song, good performance.

hi mr ronws, thx for the very nice compliment, but i would like to point out something. abt my vox especially.. i really don't know what i was doing but i will try to explain.. whenever i go to the high notes.. ard -3.32.. -3.25.. that was a falsetto.. but i manage to make it sound 'raspy' or 'distort'. but if remove the distortion, it will be very weak falsetto. or very airy. i really don't know how to describe it.. if that is a technique, i think i stumble upon it n i really don't know how to use properly. at -1.23 where i go that 'scream', i was using quite alot of air, almost cant make it to the end.

also there are some notes in my range where if i use that 'technique' it will sound SUPER sucky. the raspy-ness will suddenly switch on n off itself. very shaky.

but also i like to note when i sing like that, i never feel any tension anywhere. its very free.

anyway, i would like to know, what am i doing, what technique, how n where do i learn and refine it?

p.s. some of my friends even says sometimes it sounds irritating because they say its not nice. like.. (*goin higher* ahhhhhhhhh-arrrrrrrrrrRRR!!) i cannot achieve 'arr' at the 'ahh' area, n vice-versa.

i really hope u understand, if not, i can post up more examples...

[ronws]

Well, for one thing, the sound you are getting high is not falsetto. So, first thing, get that out of your mind. I'll wait for you to do that.

[darkclaw3000]

Well, for one thing, the sound you are getting high is not falsetto. So, first thing, get that out of your mind. I'll wait for you to do that.

0_0. ok sir. outta my mind. completely. so what was that?? i mean it was free and easy.. looks like i dont really understand my voice.. pls explainnnn =(

[ronws]

Namely, darkclaw, it is quite possible to have well connected headvoice that doesn't sound like a scream. And just because it doesn't sound like a scream or a strain doesn't mean it's falsetto. Falsetto is sound effect or timbre caused by the folds not being completely adducted, allowing a portion of air to escape that is not being used. It gives the note an airy, or breathy, or sometimes "hoot"-y quality. What you are doing in the song sounds more like what is known as curbing/crying which is a configuration of the resonating space. In an image, trying to sound like you are crying up behind your nose. So those notes you were doing reminded me of Vince Neil's timbre when singing the chorus of "Shout at the Devil." You can vary the sound you make by adjusting how much twang you are using. Twang is a configuration of the resonating space, primarily the throat to up behind the soft palate (what I mistakenly call behind the nose) by changing the dimensions of the resonating space. To whit, a high note is actually a "small" note that is well resonated.

But what was throwing you off is that you thought the note was falsetto. By the way, just to reiterate. Falsetto is a timbre or sound quality, not a range or part of a singing range. And, to be totally accurate, all singing is in the head. We do not resonate in our chests, per se. It's filled with too many vital organs. Your vocal chords are about the size of your thumb. And your resonating space starts just a little above that, about as big around as your thumb and about as tall as 7 thumbwidths. That's not a lot of space but you can create so many sounds and pitches within that space.

[darkclaw3000]

oo wow thats a lot to digest. but so far i think i understood what you said..

what you said about 'crying behind my nose' was exactly the feeling i have when i did that 'scream'. to some it sounded nasal and not quite pleasing to the ear. i donno if its their personal preference but thats the feedback ive got from some of the listeners.

about twang, i think i know which spot you're talking about as that is the spot where i usually go when going up those high ranges of screaming. the thing is, whenever i go that spot, it will ALWAYS be distorted or raspy. i cant make it clean. if i do, it sounds so nasal. even worst.

i've been checking out CVT book and it mentioned all this modes like curbing, twang n whatnot. maybe i can learn more from that??

[ronws]

You think it sounds nasal. And, playing devil's advocate, let's pretend it does sound nasal. Exactly what is bad about that? And, also, what is bad about raspy or distorted? Does that mean Steven Tyler sucks as a singer? It sounds like you are defining yourself out of having a high range. When you are starting developing the higher end, these configurations can result in something of a nasal sound but that goes away as your muscles find a subtlety of action. Unless you are going to let the nasal and rasp thing keep you from having a high end.

Also, no fair getting reviews from people that are inebriated while they listen.

[darkclaw3000]

damn ronws.... that sure was telling me....... i better go scrap my current mindset.......

thanks so much sir. looks like i got alot more stuffs to learn....

[ronws]

What's important is to examine the values by which you are judging your voice. The timbre you use for high notes is also similar to what Tom Petty does for low tenor, though he's actually a solid baritone. It's a light feeling set-up but done right, sounds meaty. And yours sounded meaty enough. So, I've also suggested twang, especially for even higher notes. Twang might be described as smiliing while you sing. And trying to sound a little nasal. The reason I was questioning exactly what is wrong with what is that, believe it or not, the path to non-nasal high notes is behind the nose, not through it. A wide smile changes the configuration of the throat. In a high note, the chords are usually stretched out, but more importantly for me, only a small portion of them is vibrating very fast. So, I think of a tiny, tight opening. And a solid but not overpushed support of air under it. Believe it or not, you can sing a long, high note easier by not taking a deep sea diver's breath. You will use the abdominal muscles to control and exert a consistent but not pushy air. And the smile will help redirect the sound to behind the upper palate. Eventually, you will feel control over the muscles in your throat and tighten the twang as you. At one point, you can twang so tightly that the false folds will vibrate together, creating a rattle that sounds like distortion.

So, a good reason for question the value system applied to your voice is to allow you the room and freedom to stretch and see what it actually does. I think you already have the breath support for singing in curbing that high. You may find it easier to sing that high with the same breath support but using twang.

Also, and this is just plain old physics, applied as acoustics. Some sounds resonate better in a given resonating space than others. So, if you have a note that is too bright or even nasally, sing the vowel as an "eh" sound. At high pitch, this sound tends to sound "dark" or not as "bright" and somewhat meaty.

Anyway, give that a try.

But, by all means, don't just trust me. I'm not a vocal professional. Robert Lunte and Steven Fraser are. And Mike has been a professional musician before. The whole touring rock band thing. I'm just an electrician who gets to sing for audiences once in a while.

[darkclaw3000]

wow most of this is very new to me and i will definitely try it out on my next jam practice. twanging, smiling, curbing..

again thanks so much for your very valuable info. you can say you're not a professional but your reply is already considered professional to me sir. since i found this site a couple of days ago, ive been learning new stuffs ever since.

would like to hear what the others say though..