Karaoke Forums

After getting my new mic I treated myself to for my birthday, I decided as well to put a little more time into my recordings, and with picking up tips from you guys, listening to how clear some of your mixs are, I decided to start recording with headset as well now.
I put a sub on yesterday called *Little Bit More* can i just say to those who gave me honest critique, I am very much grateful for your honesty and I agree totaly with what some of you said, I had another listen this morning, and decided to take it off, its funny that at the time your recording you think it sounds ok, even when ya editing it, but a few hours later you think shesh! how could I of posted that
Anyway I am still learning about what songs would suit my own naturel voice better, and with the comments i got on my last one, I really do appreciate your honesty, so please dont anybody feel you have offended me because i took it off without no replies, thank-you once again

I totallyknow what you mean about songs that suit your voice.

I'm trying to do the same thing and we all have to realize at some point, that while some of us are more 'versitile' than others, we all have styles that are more suited to our voices and styles we should just stay away from

I, for one, used to be told that I could 'really do a good Stevie Nicks', but now that I've developed a more 'critical' ear, I just don't think I do her stuff very well. Now, I might be able to adapt a Stevie Nicks song to my own vocal style and make it sound good, but trying to do it 'as Stevie' wasn't coming out very well when I played back the recording.

That always confuses the heck outta me. but then, I don't really know what my natural voice sounds like... Obviously, I should stay away from.. opera and showtunes... but, what decides what style of music suits our voice? I sort of sing... whatever... but, although people like to tell me I am suited to "folk", my husband doesn't agree, etc etc... ok, I know, this was varying from the topic, But really... music is music. notes on a page, what decides that our voice doesn't suit it? (ok, done now)

Gilly said...



hmmmm i know the feeling and theres a few more genres I could add to my list I should stay away from as well ... unless i'm called Jason . man! ive heard that guy sing just about every genre and his voice can slip into any and still sound good.. when im looking for a song to sing, its like a military operation
I love rock ballads,soul,motown, .. but theres very few I can handle of them and its so dang annoying why I cant sing songs I like, so I always tend to slip into the country kind of music, dont get me wrong i luv country and folk music, but sometimes its just so not me,
In fact im seriously thinking of taking singing lessons in the new year so I can at least do one good power rock tune where I can stay in key all the way through a song

OOh!! singing lessons:) I would love to hear what you could come up with after those. i am already a huge fan of yours.

And, i agree about jason. i want to strangle him sometimes.... Same thing with jazzybaggz, eh?:) Argh. maybe I SHOULD take lessons..... nah, too lazy:) Good luck babe:)

Gilly, you just brought up something I have been wondering about for a long freakin' time now! I know I am joining Gilly in straying from the "real" topic here, menephes, sorry ... anywho, about the deciding what style of music suits our voices, etc. Here's what I think about it: We are so accustomed to hearing an artist perform a certain song or genre of music. We hear THEIR styles, THEIR voices and THEIR techniques and then we somewhat expect someone singing the very same thing to sound the same way. Very few people can emulate a recording artist perfectly, hence the reason they are the artist and we are not. But everyone has their own unique sound and style. I think what my problem is with singing certain types of music is that I get it in my head that "oh, well I can't hit *that* note or make my voice warble right there so, nope, I ain't singing it!"

But... I think most people forget that there are a lot of songs out there that were originally done one way, and then many years later, done by another artist completely different. Perfect example is some "pop/rock" songs covered by country musicians. Even songs done originally by female singers later on redone by a male, and vice versa. Take songwriters like Carol King, Diane Warren and even Corey Hart; a lot of their songs have been done by NUMEROUS artists, all different genres, male and female. I think a lot of people are timid when it comes to taking a song and making it their own. They think they have to try to sing it exactly like the original. I am guilty of that thinking. Excellent point, Gilly! Music IS music, and I am now going to make a more conscious effort to listen to other people's version of a song and remember that it is THEIR style I am hearing. Hmm, I think I am going to experiment a little more myself! There are a ton of songs I love and have always wanted to sing but won't because I have it in my head that I am not artist-such-and-such. Maybe I'll give 'em a shot now (in the comfort of my own home when no one is around, of course)

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Deb Said...



Hey no worries this is getting interesting. Im glad to know im not the only one who thinks like this...


also what you said about this, really made me think , thank god im not the only one .....

only last night i was trying a song, stopted, then download the original version, had a listen and thought "Nope cant get that warble" and scrapted it, Next!

you also said...




the thing that annoys me with that is, I hear an old song, and think "ok im gonna vamp this up and do it much better", but never can ..Then I hear it on the radio by a more modern Band or Group and think why couldnt I do it like that

Anyhow some good points there Deb about our own voices to what we are used to hearing, from the original artest..

Theres also a few members on here that sing the covers I think better than the original. acouple off the top of my head..

BigRed - Runaway
Atomic - Fileds Of Gold
Tammy - Please Come To Boston
Emma - My Imortality
Tonmay - Everything he post

I will continue with my quest to find my own naturel voice ..

amen

I think you should never be judged by the original artists interpretation but by your own and what new exciting element you bring to it. I was told when I first joined "I hear Whitney Houston" "You should try one of her songs" I would never attempt that because I know a lot of people would expect a mimic and frankly I can't do that or I'd have Whitney's money(but I would'nt do the whole cocaine-pot thing messes up the voice !). Would any of you try a song of an artist that you've been compared to?


Ronda

Gracie- I don't really know you, yet, so, nice to meet ya;)






Who, HAVEN"T i been compared to. I have no problem singing the songs of the artist I have been compared to, because, frankly, I think everyong is out of their minds. I sound like me. And, usually when i sing the song, by the person, most people no longer think i sound (or LOOK!!!) like them. I see nothing wrong with it. I also see nothing wrong with.. singing it LIKE the original. Sometimes being a mimic is fun, esp. if you CAN do it. But, like I said, Music is music... I have posted a few songs before, that were "out of my genre"... and young girls blasted me, because I sounded NOTHING like the original (ritisroo, remember "everytime") I mean, did people think i would TRY to sound like britney?... I was told,
"that isn't how it is suppsed to be sung", and "your voice just does NOT suit that song"... but, to me music is music. I can pick up my euphonium, and get a flute solo, and transpose it, and play it, and it would sound beautiful. Who the hell is going to tell me that it doesn't SUIT my euphonium? Music is music. Just notes floating around. The artist makes it what they want... but, when you get right back to it... they are little black notes, and lines, on a clef:)


Done my rant.

You're absolutely right Gilly (as always of course... !)

Actually, learning to 'mimic' different singers is very good practice and it can teach a person a lot about their own vocal style, range, etc. A person can learn vocal techniques (like runs and jumps... starting to sound more like gymnastics aren't we?) and decide what does sound good on them and what doesn't. My philosophy is, that when you are doing a 'cover' song, you should start by 'mimic-ing' it as closely as possible, then start changing it around once you've got it down.

Of course, some people are just blessed with the ability to jump right in there and know what's going to sound good... but I personally have to experiment before I'm confident enough to do something new in a performance (for example).

BTW - really enjoyed listening to your subs, Gal!! One heck of a voice you've got there.

hmmmm!!!!

Syberchick said..



well from the age of 7yrs old to about 15yrs of age, I never got a chance to hear any other music only Elvis, so his song were the only songs I could sing, I used to post heaps of elvis songs on here,and everybody said how good they were BUT.. that dosent help me, when I would rather be praised with my own voice rather than a voice I can imatate, if that makes any sense

I think if I had a wider range in music growing up, I would of been able to experiment more with different genres and styles, now at 35 its a real struggle trying to find my own naturel voice without breaking into an elvis curl of the lip and tone

I usually try to listen to the original and play with it. Unless I know the song really well already. Sometimes if it is an older song and others have covered it... I like to listen to all the versions and get ideas. But unfortunately.. when we use karaoke backings we are limited to what the music and background singers dictate... not much room for creative license. But we can certainly put a little spin on it. I never try to sound like the original artist.. but some songs are so stuck in my head that it does tend to come out very similar. But to me... I ALWAYS sound like me! When I was a kid... I sang all the songs from 'Sound Of Music' with Julie's accent.... I was a total mimic! Many people WANT to hear ya sound like the original artist... and compare the song to the original. Which is why I like to sing male songs... less comparisons. Although... I like hearing people like Rob sing like Elvis.. or Mikey singin' like Axl.. it's an art to do that.... I think there is a place for everything in music... and there are some people that can nail it sooooo well!

I was fortunate that my parents listened to a wide range of music as I was growing up. My dad listened to groups like The Ventures, Beach Boys, CCR, and even Chuck Mangione. Mom had a penchant for 50-60's music, easy listening, Elvis, and eventually country. I grew up remembering all the lyrics, notes, riffs and key changes to all the songs I heard and would sing along with them whether I could or not. By the time I was 12, I was already forming my own musical interests. Back then, I had no mind-set about what I could and couldn't sing or what "suited" my voice. I sang it anyway, added harmony where there wasn't any, and just had fun. Now that I have this more "serious" frame of mind toward it, I wish I were still free about it, like my former self.

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i really envy you rob.....i cant seem to find my own voice anymore......good luck on your quest my friend.....*Spoken like John Lennon* sheesh.....im a hopeless cause

casa said...



yes aint that a dang shame , Theres so many backing tracks ive heard and thought theres no way i could sing to that, im begining to think that most music is writting specifically for the artest thats suppose to sing it, and thats why some of us try to imitate the original without even knowing, its like theres an inbuilt voice in our heads as the intro starts, and we hear that artest just as we are about to sing the first line.. well for me anyhow .
I suppose the listener feels this to, for example if I click on a song called *Hotel California* as soon as the intro is out of the way my ears are already tuned in ready to here the original singer sing it, Unless the music is totally different to what I am used to hearing, for example Goonerman once did a dance version of this song so I wasnt expecting to hear the original artest sing it, another example like today I heard Mickys version of *My Heart Will Go On* now because I had not heard that backing before, I wasnt expecting the original singer,
I heard a woman on the Radio singing Suspicious Minds, I didnt have a clue what the song was until the vocals kicked in and I heard the lyrics, So this is what I am saying about the music is made to fit that singer it was written for, Like Casa said.