The**OFFICIAL**Voice/Singing Help Thread
 

Ok, you guys requested it, here ya go. If ya decide ya don't want it we will delete it.

The Self Help Singer...
 

I am trying to improve my singing--specifically my pitch. Does anyone know of any videos or preferably something interactive, like software that can help?

Thanks Ken

Its just rediculous that people are bumping ancient threads from google searches, registering a username and making their first post asking the same ol' questions ya know. I think its fair to still make reference to some of the older threads or whatever but when there's three or four active voice threads its just crazy, and harder to respond to folks. We'll see how this works.

Rocket Science...check out my voicehelp hotline down below.... I gotta get to work for now. Best wishes.

Umm I was wondering how to add a more raspy tone to my voice. I know you covered raspy fallsetto screams, Merkaba, but I just wanted to know how to add rasp to my normal singing voice.

Hi people. Sorry for posting this here, but I didn't know where else to post it. I once heard that if you were born with the talent to sing then you could improve. But if you were born with no singing talent then you can not improve and you are stuck a bad singer for like ever. is this true? I'm a bad singer but I really want to sing in my band, like really bad! So I was wondering If any one can improve thier singing skills?

If you can, then can any one give me pointers. I dont like my voice. it's to plain and bad.

Hey, im the singer in my band, and my drummer is really into Hardcore/emo. He always wants to do Rise against songs etc. Im really Iron Maiden/metallica/classical singer but you know, i try and do the best i can. i did "No Reason" by sum41 which i think is the hardest song i've ever sung, but i find things like where eagles dare, (maiden) easier which some people say is harder!?!? anyway, im trying to learn how to sing like Tim McIlrath (Rise Against) or that powerful growly voice, any pointers would be SO greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

hell yeah man your not the only one. His voice is strong..

Angus, its pretty much the same. Have you ever heard wonderful world by Louis Armstrong? I used to recommend it alot because he's slightly rasping this ballad at a very low push...and no I dont think it is because he smoked a lot of weed. If you can mimmick the sound at a very low push you'll know the area to use. But for more powerful stuff you have to make sure you relax of course and dont squeeze your throat. The "ANK" sound, like a buzzer or wrong answer for a game show....Do that sound in a mid pitch, then maybe practice going up and down in pitch making sure youre using the same feel.

Any chance on mine merkaba, im not being petulant!! i just thought you might have missed it, but as i said, im not being demanding, just seeing if you do, cause he's the man, and it seems he can sing how ever loud he wants (Tim McIlrath) or is that computers n ****?

Merkaba will get to it man, I promise ya. He is a professional and takes his role here very serious!

hehe..thanks Ken.

AppreciateIt, I'm not familiar with Tim. If you can post a short sample of what youre talking about I could comment. But there's not much in the way of teaching it. If its raspy or growl you get that sound by being able to keep your cords in vibrationary shape, as you push extra air through them, enough to deflect off of the glottis area just above your cords, where you have some folds at call the false cords. Like if you were going to gargle the note, kinda. (Thanks Kristina). Other than that and keeping the larynx/adams apple relaxed its really not alot going on.

First you have to have the range or ability to get there, which for some can take a while...Like years. And depending on the size of your larynx and your cords you do have an ultimate stopping point...as to where you cant pull your cords any tighter across your larynx. But I always say that it takes while to get to that point if you ever do, and that most people will grow indefinitely with proper form and technique. And dont forget that lessons are always good. I mean it IS just the internet here.

Remember that most people around here are basically asking the same type of question as this: "I dont work out that much, and I currently bench press 180lbs. What do I have to do to be able to bench 400lbs like whats his face?"
Safe form and technique, Genetics,and lots and lots of work.
Did I say alot of work? Oh yea...lots of work.
So You would need time alone to work on your bench press to really get that strong..it would take forever if at all, if you were just working out 15 minutes here and there, and thirty here, then not at all for a week, then 10 minutes the next day, etc. Ya know?
Check out my [URL=http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219911]voicehelp hotline[/URL] and read through the links in the first post.

For Tim

[url]www.riseagainst.com[/url] they have a song on that page.

EDIT: Go to the downloads section then audio and choose the song Give It All for a good impression.

haha merkaba, i loved your metephor about working out and sining. haha it was so true. :lol:

[QUOTE=PunkSkater163]haha merkaba, i loved your metephor about working out and sining. haha it was so true. :lol:[/QUOTE]

haha i love how your not punk, at least from an observor who looked at what bands u listen to

what that got to do with being punk? and besides the band i like are punk anyways. I hate it when people desrice blink and greenday as not punk. They call them "pop punk". you want pop? listen to ****en back street boys or simple plan.

oh and a question for the thread, i don't think my singer likes his voice, but its perfectly fine. Is there any way to make him more confident.

tell him to stop bein a bitch and sing

or record him and force him to listen to it while he's tied to a chair

Sorry to repeat a Post but...
 

[QUOTE]I am trying to improve my singing--specifically my pitch. Does anyone know of any videos or preferably something interactive, like software that can help?[/QUOTE]

SORRY! I just want to hear what you guys have seen!

[QUOTE=Rocket_Science]SORRY! I just want to hear what you guys have seen![/QUOTE]
If youre serious I would say take lessons. Its hard to increase pitch safely if you dont know what youre doing. I dont know of any software or dvds. You have to understand how to isolate your cords from your throat muscles so you dont try to pull your throat more as youre pulling the cords. When youre at your highest notes its a bltch to stay isolated. In my voicehelp hotline I have a few tips. Check it out if you havent already.

[QUOTE=HitHardDrums55]tell him to stop bein a bitch and sing

or record him and force him to listen to it while he's tied to a chair[/QUOTE]
Yea. Its like saying you want to be a pilot but youre afraid of heights. Or does he just think its cool to be in a band and maybe he can handle it when he's a star. Whats his deal? What does he want to do? Can he sing? if he can let him know it, record it, and play it to him, compare it to others. If he cant sing, then he needs to practice a ton. People who know they can sing well dont really get much stage fright. And when they do...all they have to do is remember what it is they want to do, what it is they know and can already do, and maybe take some relaxing deep breaths and meditate or stretch if its showtime. Other than that, its time to sit on a couch and talk to a therapist.

Er, I think I've said this before but I don't remember if I got a reply.

I can't sing, at all. I want to be able to sing, but I don't want to get lessons right now because I want to have a general idea of how to sing, not just go in with no clue and look like a moron.

So do I need lessons to learn how to sing, or can I learn, or semi-learn by other means, and if so how?

merekaba do you want a song by rise against, you were right with the air coming through, you can really here it, but it's wierd, it's air coming through but still loud as!

[QUOTE=appreciate_it]merekaba do you want a song by rise against, you were right with the air coming through, you can really here it, but it's wierd, it's air coming through but still loud as![/QUOTE]
Sure post one. But i dont understand what youre talking about with the air coming through. You mean when I said extra air for raspiness? That basically means singing harder than you need to so you have more of a sound to bounce off the throat. When you sing your cords open and close in a certain shape like hundreds of times a second depending on the pitch. So youre actually making hundreds of little seperate puffs of air. If its a note, ts all the same, its just how big can you get your puffs, for loudness and having enough momentum so the air can be bounced off of the back of the throat to create the rasp.

[QUOTE=StormX]Er, I think I've said this before but I don't remember if I got a reply.

I can't sing, at all. I want to be able to sing, but I don't want to get lessons right now because I want to have a general idea of how to sing, not just go in with no clue and look like a moron.

So do I need lessons to learn how to sing, or can I learn, or semi-learn by other means, and if so how?[/QUOTE]
If you have a place to practice without being judged. Like a moving car with you driving!

does anyone know how to practice singing and playing at the same time? my singing quality is always lowered when i have to think about my basslines in addition to the lyrics, tune of the song, and getting it right with the rest of the band. does anyone have this problem?

[QUOTE=PunkyMcEmo]does anyone know how to practice singing and playing at the same time? my singing quality is always lowered when i have to think about my basslines in addition to the lyrics, tune of the song, and getting it right with the rest of the band. does anyone have this problem?[/QUOTE]

There's a couple of ways to go about with this.. One is to practise your basslines untill you can play them in your sleep, another is to start with thinking the words to the song inside your head, in the correct timing, while playing. And then start humming the melody while playing.. And work on it like this till you can sing it and play at the same time.. And another less used approach is learning the singing part till you could do it in your sleep.. heheh... Just try and see what works best for you

Yeah, I can get a place to practice, but I don't know what [i]to[/i] practice.

[QUOTE=PunkyMcEmo]does anyone know how to practice singing and playing at the same time? my singing quality is always lowered when i have to think about my basslines in addition to the lyrics, tune of the song, and getting it right with the rest of the band. does anyone have this problem?[/QUOTE]
Like knifeboy said. know the music well...then start working your lyrics in. Over time its like your brain just seperates and makes two seperate banks that you can run together....or five or six Like a drummer has to do.

Does anybody have any tips on singing harmonies? I'm playing in a band and was hoping to add that extral vocal dimension by harmonizing with the lead vocalist.

Sorry if somebody's already asked this.

i have the same problem. our band wants to do money, and i can't sing and bass to that at the same time, but theres such a massive solo if i dont play bass then ill be sitting around for ever

oh and where can i put the song i want to sing merkaba to show you?

Well I dont know, I'm not the download guy...I'm on dialup. Most people usually use Yousendit or soundclick. They work well for lil ol me.