Karaoke Forums

General question.

Not everyone is trying to improve how they sound. But if you were, and for those who are, what would help you to do that? Recording software? Specific singing tips?

I know for me, I have to plug one of my ears to hear my pitches so I can make sure I don't ever slide off key.

I want to know what everyone else needs, and/or wants.

Thank you muchly

Elisha

A good headphone to monitor your singing when recording is a must. You can't use the speaker cos it will feed into the mic that you are singing into and give that ghostly effect.

_________________
I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

Like an ear piece you mean?

Oh wait... duh. You said when recording. I've experienced that ghostly effect. it's hard to sing like that becasue I ended up concentrating more on what the efx sounded like and not what my voice sounded like.

Oh wait... duh. You said when recording. I've experienced that ghostly effect. it's hard to sing like that becasue I ended up concentrating more on what the efx sounded like and not what my voice sounded like.

Oh wait... duh. You said when recording. I've experienced that ghostly effect. it's hard to sing like that becasue I ended up concentrating more on what the efx sounded like and not what my voice sounded like.

money

Finally get rid of this upper respiratory infection...I end up sounding like a frog by the end of the night lately...but it's ALMOST gone

_________________
[glow=white][scroll]Live, laugh, and love today--just in case tomorrow doesn't make it[/scroll][/glow]

elisha, since i've found out how to use reverb on my mic while singing i'm having a heck of a time with pitch, going flat, etc.   buttttt i love the reverb, it makes me sound better, therefore i can 'let loose' more on my singing....

how does plugging one ear help you?  is that just for you or for anyone in general?

and i want you to stay here and give us all the help we need.....  ;)

plugging one ear helps you hear yourself rather than the outside noise.  sort of like when you have a head cold.  

as for me, i've been told i have too much LOFT when i sing.....
Lack
Of
Freaking
Talent

That frog thing...I know that sound...That's when you should start hitting the bob dylan so its sounds intentional.....

_________________
Will sing or fish for food!!I'm not quite right!!

I'm hoping to do LESS of it here soon

_________________
[glow=white][scroll]Live, laugh, and love today--just in case tomorrow doesn't make it[/scroll][/glow]

My biggest problem is PITCH, I almost always go flat. This is less  a problem when I sing full force. The other is tempo. I have no clue when to start the next line. That why I rely no the screen lyrics.
Vocal quality .....I sound like a drunk frog

_________________
I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

Singing isn't something I'm able to teach myself how to do. It'd take lessons and ALOT of hard work for me to even be passable. Something I found out early on that has never changed, is that I'm unable to hear my vocal qualities (assuming there are any), and voice as it likely sounds to others..  I'm blind to what I can and can't do until I playback a tape. When I play back my recorded attempt, at that point it becomes quite evident what I CAN NOT do. My preferences are R&B type styles from the period I grew up in... What's scary is that when I try to sing a song I like,  while I might think my vocal qualities can handle the song I'm attempting, my perception is TOTALLY off, While singing I hear with my imagination, and not objective constructive ears...after listening to the outcome on tape, I'm reminded that I haven't a clue as to what my comfort range actually is, let alone how bad I actually sounded. I don't know whether or not I'd be a bass, baritone, or second tenor...My guess is baritone, however I always try to push my range up into the higher tenor range, in an attempt to emulate vocalists I like from the classic rock genre... (usually vocalists with voice gravel, and the vocalists that I CAN NOT do);

I haven't a clue what styles might and might not be appropriate given aspects such as natural ability, register, etc.. Yet if it's opera, show, or liturgical styles I find I can do, then I have no interest.. I'm unable to actually hear myself as I sound...No objectivity to currently coach myself.. I haven't a clue..

_________________
Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Exactly!

Plugging one ear helps me hear myself better instead of the outside noise. In fact, I have recently adopted an actual earplug to use on stage. It's similar to that of the concept of using headphones when recording... just helps to hear yourself better. I find that if I can't hear myself, I'm almost guessing at which note I'll actually hit. It's hard sometimes when you have a speaker right behind you. (bar set-up, not mine)

I had a few people try plugging an ear to see if it made a difference, and it seemed to. I guess it also depends on what your comfortable hearing when you sing. I imagine not everyone wants to hear themselves very loudly, and others do. I need to hear myself loudly or else it throws me off.

And my gosh Milo, I love reverb. It's such a beautiful thing!

Just listened to your sub..If you sing like a drunk frog then we should all be so lucky to have that problem.  Great song, it was great!!!

_________________
Will sing or fish for food!!I'm not quite right!!

Dang, that must be what I have.  I just didnt realize there was a name for that condition.  Now If only there was a cure......

All *I* believe is that using our voice as a musical instrument is MUCH different than the mechanic's involved in being an instrumentalist.. As a professional multiinstrumentalist rudimentary grounding, and learning a few instruments, DID enable me to pick up certain other instruments quite quickly.... (pick them up, not excel)..  Yet a lifetime of music training doesn't appear to me to be an asset when it comes to using my own voice as an instrument...Not sure exactly why this is ? Whether it is a psychological process.. or whether I really do stink, yet assuming I really do stink (which incidently I have alot of money sitting on) WHY does it take a tape recorder for me to know this ?  Why can't I hear my own vocal qualities more clearly ?  I recognise that even with piano, bass, keyboards, horns etc...there comes a point where listening to ourselves on a tape recorder is beneficial. I realize it's tough to perceive ourselves as we really sound even when playin an instrument to an extent as well of course.... Yet I can get a basic idea of what's what on a musical instrument even without the recording device played back..I can hear the instruments timbre, and critique certain aspects of my technique..My voice is MUCH different.. It's TOTALLY different sounding on tape.

I'm inclined to think the uniqueness of our own voice *IS* tougher to hear objectively for most,  yet why...I don't know.  People tend to be quite self-critical when it comes to singing, or dancing at first...Often once they start, they tend to go overboard....  Probably more ego involved with physical aspects of our bodies... A musical instrument has it's own given tonal characteristics... The resulting sound is part our effort, yet ALOT the tonal characteristics of the instrument...It's not *ALL us* like our voice...

So I wonder if what we do and do not hear is psychological (because when we sing we let a part of our insides, out...and feel more exposed);  Is how we hear our voice integrated with our general self image ? That might account for why there'd be a different set of coping mechs, and perceptions involved

A musical instrument is also bearing ones soul to a degree, and pouring emotion into the effort, yet I feel exposed when I sing.... Not sure if we hear our voice differently because of our physical makeup, psychological makeup, or both...


Just some of my thoughts, never looked into this...safest for me just not to sing...

_________________
Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

In response to Steve's remarks I'd like to say that I completely agree with him.  Whatever mysteries there are to talent and singing specifically it is completely a psychological experience.  I know singers who are very gifted and hypercritical of themselves.  I'm one of them, I can experience hearing other people sing well but when I hear my voice I cringe.  It's difficult to know the truth, but after years of being complimented you tend to believe all your hard work has paid off even if I'm not ultimately satisfied, most artists aren't.   I am however at a place where I can enjoy the results of years of practice.    Yeah that's right, I have fun with it.  

One of the things to singing well is to remember that no one has a gun to your head threatening to kill you if you go off key even once.

It's more about entertainment and the energy in the room, more then any sort of perfect unattainable talent.  Find the energy, play with it, and have fun, make people smile, make them move, make them dance.  While it would be wonderful to sing great every time, and never have to struggle or strain with it, it wouldn't be so special if it were easy.  

I recorded my voice a lot when I first started training it,  I was horrified at first.  I don't think it's at all unusual to hate the sound of your voice at first.  When you first start you want it so bad, you think it's possible and then you hear the tape which negates all hope.  There it is: "you suck".  But you have to get past that.  I didn't take classes, I just put myself through a vocal bootcamp, and didn't stop till I could do it right.   Even skill didn't prepare me for performing though, that's a whole different story.  

I'd like to think that I'm a very good singer, but when I started out 13 years ago I was pretty shameful.   I'm sure there are tapes out there to prove it too, yikes.

Anyway, if you lack natural talent, or you're repressing it the most key thing I can tell you is that you're not supposed to give up if it's hard.  Keep trying.

Most people give up way too fast.  Practice actually does help you improve.   Dancing, singing, performing, it takes a kind of inward scrutiny that's insanely honest and most people aren't willing to accept that kind of criticism and most certainly aren't that honest with themselves.

It was worth it though.  Every second of torture hearing myself and knowing I wasn't good.  Now when I sing, I get on stage, and pour out my soul, and people see it and they appreciate it.  Which is I guess my psycho-babble need of the moment.

There is no feeling like being on stage and singing well.  It's been the best challenge of my life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Quitting smoking.