[QUOTE=Freebyrd;13525517]I don't know anything about singing, but people say my singer needs to get better and I don't know what to tell him. I think he's got potential, but he hasn't had lessons or anything.

So here's our band website [url]http://www.myspace.com/theindustrync[/url]

What do you guys think he could do to help his singing? The song we like the most is Decline Of Western Civilization so tips for that song would be appreciated. And please don't say lessons... I understand how much lessons can help, but that's not really an option.[/QUOTE]

Anyone care to help? Isn't this the right place?

You could start with my book, [I]Singing Secrets[/I]: [url]http://voicestudio.kristinaseleshanko.com/SingingSecrets.htm[/url]

But honestly, you'll do best and improve the fastest if you find a teacher you can see in person. You might be suprised how inexpensive lessons can be.

Good luck!
Kristina

I offer online lessons. Basically, you send me mp3's of you singing songs/exercises, and I will send back exercises you'll need to work on with demonstrations on how to do them, along with any help you need via email. This is a step up from a book/CD/DVD because you'll actually have me listening back and giving you exercises meant to fix YOUR personal problems. However, it's a step down from private lessons, because then its all in real time obviously, plus you have the advantage of someone being able to see and hear you in person. If you are interested let me know.

Get a book like Seth Rigg's SINGING FOR THE STARS or Raise Your Voice by Jaime Vendera for exercises. Mark Baxter's book THE ROCK N ROLL SINGERS SURVIVAL MANUAL is extremely detailed and has pleanty of exercises as well, just not a CD to accompany it. For a one time thing, i'd suggest getting Brett Mannings SINGING SUCCESS program. Its $200 but it has 12 CDs, a DVD, and short workbook so it could take the place of lessons, although again without someone actually helping you out it wont be as good.

[QUOTE=King_Of_Terrors;13477034]...I don't know Perhaps Crickets. I can't even get close to the same sound using my gut as i do when i did it with my throat... I can't get the distortion. It just sounds ****ing retarded, it sounds like i'm talking when i'm really pissed off......................................It just agrivates me, i can't figure it out!!!!!!

Give me a link to merkabas lesson, i can't find any good ones.[/QUOTE]

The major issue is probably that you're trying to do stereotypical black metal vocals, which are really throaty and improper.

You can't really quite tackle that sound without using your throat.

I know it'll be frowned on, but here:

squeeze "eeee" sounds from a partially constricted throat, at speaking volume, lightly bighting your tongue.

I just have to add that NO CD, DVD, book, or online/phone lessons can take the place of a real live teacher.

Kristina

Thats true obviously but they do help quite a bit as long as you are careful enough to do them exactly as instructed. Private lessons just aren't an option for everyone and thats why these things are made available. If you cant afford actual lessons, you can usually live off a book/cd/online lesson/ whatever until you CAN actually afford to go to a teacher on a regular basis. I think the most common reason too is that unless you live in a decent size city, you probably are going to be lucky to find any vocal trainers, and even if you do they seem to almost always be classical who look down on any other style or better yet a member of a church choir who has you only singing songs and doesn't really know any technique.

That sounds pretty cool, the online lesson thing, what's that like? Talk to me on AIM "dancingbanana9" or email me "randomthought9@hotmail.com", I'd like to hear more about that.

Yeah, I know that lessons are better, trust me. I've done the self taught thing with guitar and taken lessons, and I got A LOT better, A LOT faster when I took lessons, emphasis on a lot, lol. I'd love to take lessons again, but I'm your typical broke college student, I'm unemployed, and guitar is my first instrument, so I wouldn't be able to afford guitar and vocal lessons.

Nevermind I'm not gonna buy something off the internet from here after that Osiris scam in the D&P...

So I'm 14. And I've noticed my voice changing a little bit, and I figure it's gonna do it's whole puberty thing any time now. I'm extremely serious about music and I don't want to lose any range while my voice changes. If anything, I'd like to be able to sing higher. I'd like to be capable to hit pitches such as some of the songs by Chiodos or Saosin. I've already seen a noticeable difference in how high I can sing, and I'm really not liking it.

Any tips on what I can do to keep from losing range, and possibly tips to gain range, would be greatly appreciated.

[QUOTE=braadley;13583290]So I'm 14. And I've noticed my voice changing a little bit, and I figure it's gonna do it's whole puberty thing any time now. I'm extremely serious about music and I don't want to lose any range while my voice changes. If anything, I'd like to be able to sing higher. I'd like to be capable to hit pitches such as some of the songs by Chiodos or Saosin. I've already seen a noticeable difference in how high I can sing, and I'm really not liking it.

Any tips on what I can do to keep from losing range, and possibly tips to gain range, would be greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]

Get a good lawyer and sue the pants of this "mother nature" character.

Theres nothing you can do. Your hormones run you. Your voice will, more than likely deepen to some extent as your cords grow and thicken and your larynx gets a little bigger. All you can do is learn proper singing technique so that you can keep everything flexible and know what voice position,register, etc. you need to shoot for with going for a certain note. After a while it will be second nature. But at first it will take just general practice. Also practice singing each vowel around your breaks, or the areas where your regsiters connect. right before falsetto going up, then right before falseto comin down, for example...same thing with head and chest voice....in other words high to mid to low. If youre not familiar with chest voice and head then research it here [url]http://www.sputnikmusic.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219911[/url]
or wherever you like.

Its priceless to know. You want to remember not to try to overdo it and that, as you know, youre not going to be able to hit the same notes especially the area where your voice transitions into the next higher or lower register. Its like getting older and taller. More than likely youre gonna come out some degree lower.

Screaming Demon Auz, is there anyway to contact you? I can't really find out how to send PM's on these forums.. ;P

[QUOTE=Merkaba;13512419]Its gonna go up a bit. Worry about the sound first. Try posting a sample. What type of note are you talking about here. the more you try to go outside of your natural range the harder it will be.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the reply. Here's a sample.

[url]http://www.home.no/goanime/Sample.mp3[/url] (I try to sing Skywards by Elvenking)

It doesn't sound all that great I know and the thing is, this is kinda as high as I get.. In the end where I sing "deep in my heart" I think you can hear how it's not stable etc..

Any and all tips are appreciated. I love to sing so much but I'm starting to think my voice ain't suited for it unless I somehow manage to improve each and every thing about it..

You can email me at [email]firehouse108@hotmail.com[/email] Just make sure the subject makes it obvious its about the online lessons.

Braadley, Markaba is right. Nobody can be a tenor if their genes designate they be a bass. In fact, there is a school of thought among reputable voice teachers that young men whose voices are changing should even sing. I can't say that I agree with this, but I do think it's a time to be extra careful about not straining the voice. That means singing notes that are comfortable, and not trying to force the voice higher or lower or louder than it wants to go. Instead of worrying about your high notes, try to focus on developing really great singing technique. I know it must be hard to hear your voice changing and not have any control over it, but every man has gone through it! Hang in there :)

Kristina
[url]http://voicestudio.kristinaseleshanko.com[/url]

So, im pretty knew to screaming and all, but i'd like to learn to do a high-pitched scream, like Orchid.

[url]http://www.myspace.com/chaosisorchid[/url]
"Aesthetic Dialectic"



yeah, id just like some help. thanks.

[QUOTE=braadley;13583290]So I'm 14. And I've noticed my voice changing a little bit, and I figure it's gonna do it's whole puberty thing any time now. I'm extremely serious about music and I don't want to lose any range while my voice changes. If anything, I'd like to be able to sing higher. I'd like to be capable to hit pitches such as some of the songs by Chiodos or Saosin. I've already seen a noticeable difference in how high I can sing, and I'm really not liking it.

Any tips on what I can do to keep from losing range, and possibly tips to gain range, would be greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]

chiodos and saosin is way up there and you'd need to be a tenor to do them with consistency. I take it youre talking about the current saosin. I say Anthony Greene is a male alto or close. Very unique to posess such a vocal setup once you've gotten past puberty. I would say Cove is more of a typical tenor. So hope for the best.

Is it normal for notes to become really thin and whiny sounding when I get near the top of my range? Are there any ways to avoid this?

Just warm up a lot and then practice at the top of your range a lot I'd say.

Toaster, you might be straining on those top notes. Try to concentrate on using your diaphragm while keeping your throat, jaw, and face relaxed. Drop your jaw, too! :)

Kristina
[url]http://voicestudio.kristinaseleshanko.com[/url]

I think Toaster understands the whole gut usage thing.

So i've recently decided to have a go at the old singing business, from what i can tell i seem to be able to stay in key but i seem to have no power or strength behind my voice. Just wondering if there's any good methods to improving :)

thanks.

[QUOTE=Eleventeen;13663267]I think Toaster understands the whole gut usage thing.[/QUOTE]

True but if your higher end is losing power many times its due to pinching the passageway and reconcentrating on the diaphragm and not the throat it may help.

[QUOTE=crag;13664311]So i've recently decided to have a go at the old singing business, from what i can tell i seem to be able to stay in key but i seem to have no power or strength behind my voice. Just wondering if there's any good methods to improving :)

thanks.[/QUOTE]
first page of this thread.

[QUOTE=Merkaba;13664821]True but if your higher end is losing power many times its due to pinching the passageway and reconcentrating on the diaphragm and not the throat it may help.[/QUOTE]

Well.. I'm pushing hard from the diaphragm, and I have a decent range but it's not that I'm straining, it's that the notes sound whiny and thin. I'll post a clip if I get a chance.

Dont push so hard. hehe. Seriously

If you post a sample, gliss it up from a lower head not you have control over.

[QUOTE]it's not that I'm straining, it's that the notes sound whiny and thin[/QUOTE]
This is most often a side effect of straining. Try as hard as you can to keep your larynx down when you sing high notes, and don't get louder as you go up to them.

Screaming help needed, sorry guys lol.

So my voice feels wrecked at the moment.. im an idiot, I was pushing today (adrenaline).. doing the high pitch gutteral sounding stuff, like im gargling, which I think killed it.. and sounds **** anyway. The lower pitch growling stuff I got on lock down, and can add a bit of rasp here and there. I can sing in tune and have a good range etc, so im not really a newb for that.

The problem is the metalcore screaming, which is the screaming I really want to do (As I Lay Dying, Bullet For My Valentine etc).. It normally sounds up ending like death metal instead because I cant hear my screams and I just push like an idiot..
I cant really get that sound, unless I do it quickly (like Atreyu).. I cant get those good long/powerful screams, and if I do.. they arent loud at all.. just air.

Yesterday I warmed up my voice with ZOS DVD.. which helped my normal singing a lot and gave me quite a bit of range on the screaming im aiming for, without having to push.. Then it just went downhill.. nearly losing my voice at the end, woke up today with a throat infection (yes.. im an idiot for singing today) but I dont think thats the reason (cold bug going round).

When I turn the volume up on amp loads, it sounds pretty good without having to sound loud and my friend brought in a boss distortion pedal today which was fun (cheatt ;p). But normally, just cant get a good pitch. Somethings wrong.

So the question is.. what am I doing wrong and how can I go about getting these Hardcore/Metalcore screams. Got a gig coming up in a couple months!

Any help will be great, thanks a lot guys.

[QUOTE=La Revolucion;13685213]This is most often a side effect of straining. Try as hard as you can to keep your larynx down when you sing high notes, and don't get louder as you go up to them.[/QUOTE]

Oh. Haha, well, I'm definitely doing that. Maybe I am straining, it's not like I'm pushing harder but it feels like something in my throat is rising.. advice appreciated.

No problem. As you do exercises or just sing songs, an easy way to train your larynx to stay down is to add a slight "dumb" feel to the way you say the words, like how you would when you impersonate Yogi Bear or someone with a deep voice who isn't smart. If you don't understand what I mean, I could post a clip or something.

could u make a real rasp thread and edit it into ur sticky? the one in ur sticky isn't real.

[QUOTE=hectiK;13685841]Screaming help needed, sorry guys lol.

So my voice feels wrecked at the moment.. im an idiot, I was pushing today (adrenaline).. doing the high pitch gutteral sounding stuff, like im gargling, which I think killed it.. and sounds **** anyway. The lower pitch growling stuff I got on lock down, and can add a bit of rasp here and there. I can sing in tune and have a good range etc, so im not really a newb for that.

The problem is the metalcore screaming, which is the screaming I really want to do (As I Lay Dying, Bullet For My Valentine etc).. It normally sounds up ending like death metal instead because I cant hear my screams and I just push like an idiot..
I cant really get that sound, unless I do it quickly (like Atreyu).. I cant get those good long/powerful screams, and if I do.. they arent loud at all.. just air.

Yesterday I warmed up my voice with ZOS DVD.. which helped my normal singing a lot and gave me quite a bit of range on the screaming im aiming for, without having to push.. Then it just went downhill.. nearly losing my voice at the end, woke up today with a throat infection (yes.. im an idiot for singing today) but I dont think thats the reason (cold bug going round).

When I turn the volume up on amp loads, it sounds pretty good without having to sound loud and my friend brought in a boss distortion pedal today which was fun (cheatt ;p). But normally, just cant get a good pitch. Somethings wrong.

So the question is.. what am I doing wrong and how can I go about getting these Hardcore/Metalcore screams. Got a gig coming up in a couple months!

Any help will be great, thanks a lot guys.[/QUOTE]

Come on dude, you perfectly describe what youre doing wrong.

All I can tell you is what I always say:
Warm up, warm down afterwards
Singing notes in normal operatic voice will teach you proper breath support, isolation, and larynx placement. The larynx is key because if you allow it to rise up, as it normally would especially when singing high and tense and full of adrenaline it will be detrimental! This bascially concentrates the air pressure and you over blow which creates heat and dryness....to a mucus membrane. A no no. Then comes swelling, then comes your post. It may sound "gay" butnormal singin is the best thing for someone who wants to scream all the time. As you go up in pitch you actuall need to back off in pus because the cords are pulled thinner. But who does this? Watch rockers sing and watch them go harder when they go higher because they are equating high notes and that tension on the cords with high and hard tension everywhere else which is a no no. This is what we mean by isolation. Being able to know the feel of moving the cords for pitch without moving anything else.

If you have a "throat" infection whatever that is, be careful. You can have a cold and a sore throat and be relatively ok for vocals. If your voice is hoarse or if you feel like you have laryngitis then read a book. Meanwhile eat lots of fresh foods and get plenty of non alcoholic non caffeinated liquid. Im telling ya If youre anything like me you dont like having a screwed up voice. I'd rather do a little of the less than enjoyable stuff like warming up and warming down(which doesnt have to be alot) and a few exercises so that i can do the enjoyable stuff everyday. Of course with me i like everything from opera to heavy metal. If you've never tried opera you might surprise yourself once you start resonating notes and hearing AND feeling your notes. Its almost like a massage.

There is no proper way to scream. But there are ways that will make it less stressful on your system. Even if I've said otherwise in the past, this is what I was meaning.

a watda dadada!
 

now, everyone's favorite thing to do is listen to some random kid sing songs they dont know right? right.

well, im here to help y'all out...
here i am singing Bad Religion's 'Hooray For Me' [url]http://media.putfile.com/Hooray-for-Me[/url]
and Pavement's 'Here'
[url]http://media.putfile.com/Here-97[/url]

i have absolutely no clue what im doing, so i just kinda wing it. Any help is appreciated if you'sall would be so nice as to point me in a direction of what i should do/look into/pratice....

thanks

I dunno if you guys can help me out...my choir concert is next week and right now my voice is too screwed up to sing properly. I have to constantly clear my throat and days where I can sing my regular (healthy) range are few and far between. It's been like this for about a month now.

I've looked into stuff that's bad for your singing voice and I think I'm smoking too much, drinking too much, and also drinking too much coffee. I also read that clearing your throat is also bad which I do constantly because of smoking.

So here's the thing, is there anything I can do to reverse all this bad stuff I've done to my voice by next weeks concert? Like I could not smoke or drink etc but would my voice be back to normal by next week? Because it's been screwed up for weeks.

Don't quit smoking and drinking until after the concert. Major changes will happen once you quit and you'll more than likely develop a cold once you quit smoking (body's natural defense to clearn itself of toxins). After that, then you should quit both.

For now, hum simple 3 or 5 tone scales throughout your range to keep the cords active. Drink about a gallon of water a day AT LEAST. To bring up your excess mucous, gargle warm salt water. Clear your throat as little as possible because that causes the cords to slam together and swell (which is one of the reasons you cant sing properly).

Basically just vocalize different exercises, drink pleanty of water, and you should be set.

[QUOTE=Toaster;13669075]Well.. I'm pushing hard from the diaphragm, and I have a decent range but it's not that I'm straining, it's that the notes sound whiny and thin. I'll post a clip if I get a chance.[/QUOTE]



If its getting thin then maybe your going into falsetto? Keep the adams apple down. Also you dont have to use much air to sing so pushing hard is bad! I think my teacher said something like if you push hard enough it closes off the cords or something like that? Also you probally wont last as long if your pushing too hard :thumb:

can someone pleas tell me how to get a george from alexisonfire scream??? plaeassse??...

Basically the way you scream like anyone else. Just go through the exercises on the first page.

ok cool

Hi everyone, I'm new and I'm looking for some good practices for treatment of vocal nodules. I went to an ENT and was told I have a nodule on my vocal chord. Since then I've tried taking it easy, but I think I could take it easier and am going to work on that. I've also been downing tons of Ricola cough drops and Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat Tea and of course lots of water.

I told my ENT that I had a few shows coming up and he didn't mention canceling them or anything like that. I actually played a show the same day I was diagnosed with the nodule. So he didn't act like it was a big deal, but most of the stuff I read on the internet is very much about heavy rest and vocal therapy.

My best guess as to the cause of these nodules is that I recently added a band to my singer songwriter project and we've been practicing a lot more than I was used to. twice a week, 3 hour practices and I was singing the whole time. Since the trip to the ENT I no longer sing at practice. I have shows on the 1st and the 8th of December, but other than that I have no plans to sing other than some warm-ups until middle of January.

I'm looking for any and all advice as to anything I should be doing at this point. I have a vocal therapy appointment on Dec 5th, but I have a show before that and would like some input on how to handle the show(s).

Some info on me...
21 yr old male
range floats around G#-B full voice depending on the day.
you can hear me singing at [url]http://myspace.com/foreverdown[/url] if you're wondering my singing style.
if there's anything I've left out let me know.

Thanks so much for even reading this. --Casey

If you have nodes, you should stop singing in public until you are well. Some vocal teachers recommend [I]no [/I]singing with nodes, while others think that singing in the presence of a good voice teacher is okay. Talking should be kept to a minimum, but don't whisper, as many people strain when they whisper.

You say that you think the reason you got nodes is that you were practicing more often. But the true reason you have nodes is that your technique is bad :( So go out and get a qualified voice teacher ASAP.

If you REALLY feel you must perform, do light warm ups daily until show time. Warm up lightly before the show. Drink tons of water. (The tea and Ricolas aren't going to help.) And do your best to sing with good technique during the show.

Best wishes,
Kristina
[url]http://voicestudio.kristinaseleshanko.com[/url]