My Voice, Auto-Tuned

[devin]

I liked it Chits! It's a nice song, played and sung really well...slightly reminds me of something Fleetwood Mac would have done (which I love).I'm sorry I don't enough experience to comment on if it's acceptable for an artist pitch...someday we'll both be experts on what it takes for that Until then, definetly keep working on your own vocals...for this song it's dang near perfect!

[jchitty]

Liam, I always look for your posts on the board...you are just so kind. Thanks for the nice words. My guitar teacher who engineered this piece was very careful with the Autotune using it only when very necessary....if you're not careful as you know, you could end up sounding synthetic. Hey, Devin...wow, Fleetwood Mac....I wouldn't have thought of that, but that's a compliment. You once asked me to sing on a Patsy Cline tune, but I just don't have that much confidence in my vocals for something like that...but I'm working on it. But let's get real...Patsy was one of a kind...not even the best singers in Nashville can pull her off, hehe. I'll settle for just doin' the demo work.

[gongchime]

If you do a Patsy Cline tune just be you and don't try to be Patsy. Going in a Fleetwood Mac direction could be quite good. Straddle the border of country and pop/rock. Might be workable.

[suzdoyle]

Hi Janet;I think your voice is wonderful. Two suggestions:1. Don't hide behind too much reverb ! Let it enhance, rather than obscure your singing.2. Step fully into who you (and your voice) are. Imagine yourself 10 times bigger than you are as you step up to the mic. And, think about the story you want to tell by singing your song. The most effective singers aren't necessarily those with the best technique or the most training -- they are the ones who are most themselves (Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Wynona, Louis Armstrong, Joni Mitchell come to mind) and who have a unique character and presence that is conveyed.Using our voices can be downright scary and vulnerable -- but, oh, when we step fully into them -- it opens something beyond mere music within us.Bravo! on stepping into claiming your voice! ,Suz

[jchitty]

Wow, Gongchime and Suz...thanks so much for the kind comments. I just love Joni Mitchell. But I love country music as well, (the old traditional country the best) and that's probably played a lot into who I am as far as my voice goes...which is kind of quirky, I guess. I'd spend hours listening to Joni when I was growing up....my "Hissing Of Summer Lawns" album is so scratched now, it's unplayable. Suz, gotcha on the reverb. I also like your advice about imagining myself as 10 times bigger....and yes, I do feel downright vunerable singing. I'll try to step into it all though. Thanks for your wonderfully encouraging words!BTW, love the hat, Gong.

[wignelson]

Hey, Chits, You have a fine voice. I'm somewhat known on other forums as a vocalist, and you can do a duet with me anytime.Tell Robert to cut your 12K about 3dB and that might take care of some of the sibilance. (SSSSSSSSSSSSS) It lives at 12Khz.Of the song, great lyrics. I'm not a fan of the twang, but I can put of with it with your voice. (Maybe even more than Parton) As far as the cadence goes, I would like to hear Stumble as two quarter notes if it is in 3/4 or eight notes if it's 6/8.Stum ble Stum ble Stum ble on through this world.If I didn't know the song title, I may not be able to detect the word.Not trying to be harsh here, just a peer. Just my opinion.As far as the recording, Robert got a little hot during the "on through this world" part and it clips.That has nothing to do with your voice. As I said before I digressed, you have a fine voice.Wig

[aubreyz]

Aug 25, 2008, 7:36am, wignelson wrote:Tell Robert to cut your 12K about 3dB and that might take care of some of the sibilance. (SSSSSSSSSSSSS) It lives at 12Khz.WigHmmm... just a quick clarification, sibilance is usually most obnoxious in the 5 to 7k range. 10k and up is mostly "air". If you reduce 12k, that will darken the overall vocal which is not the desired goal.There are two options... either "draw in" volume rides manually to reduce the ssss's or use a good de-esser. Although it only works in Pro Tools, Steve Massey (google it) has released one that IMHO is as good as it gets. It's cheap and has an unlimited time demo version (which won't keep settings but doesn't add pops or beeps).HTH,Aub

[Mark Kaufman]

Chits, have you ever acted? Sometimes you have to approach singing like you're just playing a role, and then it's easier to let 'er rip.Your voice is excellent. But you are obviously not used to that notion. Chances are you'll have some sort of confidence issue creep into your body while you sing and try to keep your inner star down. And THAT'S when it helps to pretend you're just acting. Then you can be dramatic, funny, sexy, whimsical...whatever.I think everyone on this board has listened to this and thought, hey, that's a good voice! So now it's your turn to find a way to agree, and feel good about it, and let that voice spread it's wings. Ya gotta sorta not care. But a big thumbs up from me, you sound great.-Mark

[jchitty]

Hey, thanks, Wig. I'm not very technical....my friend Rob did the engineering as you know, but I always thought my vocals got lost in the mix. I've been told to turn them up before. I'll speak to Rob about it. Yeah, I'd sing a duet with you....but I'll always have that twang. Mark, thanks for your vote of confidence. I'll admit I don't even think of myself as a singer, and I've never wanted to be one. But in real world time, people are telling me I have some sort of quirky appeal. My voice sounds a little better in person. I'm older though, so I don't wanna start a career as a singer, but I'd sing if it would get my songs noticed. Nita (Squids) and I have talked about driving to Nashville...she wants to sing at the Bluebird Cafe. I'm not ready for that, but she's thinking it would be cool. We'll see...I'd rather sing on the sidewalk first....get my feet wet a little at a time.

[suzdoyle]

Hey Janet;In her book "Voice Power," Joan Kenley cites a study showing that a performer's impact is 55% face (appearance/ enthusiasm), 38% voice quality and 7% words. In other words, PRESENTATION is more crucial to connecting with an audience than vocal quality and the words.I used to accompany voice students quite often years ago. One thing that helped students feel more comfortable singing was to place themselves in the "scene" and story of the song, and have the song be more about the story than the singer.Below is a song interpretation worksheet put together by vocalist/ voice teacher Vicki Righettini that helped her voice students work on this.Also, when I do songwriting workshops with kids, I invite them to sing a story from one point of view; then to do it from the opposite point of view. Changing the character (who is telling the song's story) helps them "get" that each song is really like a mini play and musical, and that when the point of view changes, so do many other aspects of the song. So each song you sing is like a story you are telling, each with a unique character, setting and message to convey -- and each with a different aspect of what your voice can express.Just thought I'd share some of these ideas that have helped me on my particular journey to rediscovering my voice.Happy singing! ,Suz*****************SONG INTERPRETATION WORKSHEETby Vicki Righettini, 1988Name of songComposer/ arrangerStyle (jazz, rock, classical, country etc.)WHAT is the song about? Does it tell a story? If so, rephrase the plot in your own words. What kind of action is taking place? What is happening?WHO (what character) is singing the song? Is it someone like you or very different from you? In what ways? Are you (the character) singing about yourself or someone else, or both? What is/ are the character(s) of the song like? Describe in as much detail as possible.WHEN is the action taking place? Right now, in the future, or a long time ago? Morning or evening? Broad daylight or the dead of night? Describe.WHERE is the action taking place? Indoors or out? In a vaulted cathedral or a one-room shack? Picture the "set" as vividly as you can and describe in detail. What colors do you see? What is the weather or temperature like? What aromas do you smell? A field of flowers or the smokiness of a nightclub? Let your imagination run wild!Now, imagine your character (WHO) living in the time (WHEN) and place (WHERE) you have created. How does this setting affect the action (WHAT)?HOW is your character feeling the situation? How would you communicate those emotions vocally?You now have the tools to get your song across to your audience. By activating your imagination, you have explored the WHAT, WHO, WHEN, and WHERE of your song. In doing this, you arrived at the emotional content (HOW). Now you can use everything you know about technique (breathing, diction, projection, etc.) bring out those emotions and (hopefully) have more fun in the bargain.Remember: The purpose of any musical tecnique, instrumental or vocal, is to serve the expression of the music.The challenge of performing is using your interpretive skills so that, by the end of your performance, the audience understands the song as well as you do.*************