General Music Chat

Dont drink any alcohol or caffeine beverages. nothing with sugar. water or gatorade will work. Dont take pain pills,methadone,speed,etc. A valium,xanax, will work.[not suggested] Dont smoke cigarettes,pot,crack or hash. Run 20 miles a day, Jump rope 2 hrs a day. Dont try to scream and yell when talking to others in between sets, can do more damage to your throat than singing. dont even talk at all, a week before the show. Then, start playing bass guitar & singing lead vocals to calm the nerves.{hope no one takes this seriuos}"Takes alot of work & dedication to yourself, and others who depend on you". Your Band.

This remedy was recommended by my music teacher. I didn't use it until I was in my 20's, but I'll tell you what! This remedy was nothing short of a MIRACLE!! I would recommend it to anyone!! Let me tell you the brief story....

Had a gig one night that we couldn't get out of ... and I basically had NO voice!! I could barely speak a whisper, and I was freakin out!! I remembered my music teacher told me if ever I was in such a situation, to have a HOT TODDY before I performed!!

I asked the server to make me a HOT TODDY!! I drank it ! I'll admit, it's pretty medicinal tasting.....like VIC's or something.... But, I got up on stage and Sang like a bird all night!!! Actually made it through the whole weekend!!! Some places don't have all the ingredients I used so I started bringing my own!!!

Here's the recipe:

Heat a mug of water in the Mic for 2 min...(actually about 3/4 full....)
Add 1 Shot of Christian Brothers BRANDY
1 Tsp Sugar
1 1/2 to 2 Tsp of HONEY
A touch of Lemon Juice

It'll Work!! I Swear!! It's a MIRACLE!!

Thank You So Much "LADY ROCKER". First of all. "I have to say my dear, To you, And you only. {You are one of the most Beautiful Women I've layed my eyes on. Next, [But in no way the least.] Thanks for the great advise! Now thats the good info. I look for. So, {Thank You Very Much"My Lady"} Your Friend for Life, Vocals & Bass. [Just kidding Sis, Well...Mostly.]

All my fav singers have that ruff voice you can only get from doing all the things they say will ruin your voice... joe cocker, steve tyler, bob dylan, stevie nicks, merle haggard...
so what I want to know is: how to ruin my voice like these guys and still sound good.
I've tried cigarettes, liquor, coffee... but I still suck.

then again I love harry connick jr(smooth voice).

Its about like anything else with music Brother. You've got it, or you dont. But I am sure that you already know that much. All you can do is, to do your best. And try not to think, or worry to much about it when the show starts. Do what fits your vocals, range, style, etc. Training, etc. helps. But it wont turn your vocals into someone you are not. Just be happy with what you've got, and have fun.

Its about like anything else with music Brother. You've got it, or you dont. But I am sure that you already know that much. All you can do is, to do your best. And try not to think, or worry to much about it when the show starts. Do what fits your vocals, range, style, etc. Training, etc. helps. But it wont turn your vocals into someone you are not. Just be happy with what you've got, and have fun.

But I wanna sound like steven tyler damm it!
I've come to grips with the fact that I am a mediocre singer at best. I am however, learning to sing in my lower range and find that spot where I can make things "break up" a little.
guess I'll just keep smokin and drinkin and drinkin coffee and smokin...
someday I'll sound like tom waitts.

It kind of has to do with if ya have it or if ya don't, but, it is possible I would think to train your voice to do that..... ummmm, I don't think smokin, etc... is really going to Help with it, I've always just been able to do it...... but maybe you could try doing like a "grrrrrrrr" on pitch..... maybe you have a keyboard?? If not, use your guitar....pick a note..... and instead of singing "La" or something do a "grrrr"..... if ya can't grrrrr on pitch right away.... maybe start by singing La, and changing it into a grrrr!!

It may seem silly....but it's not any sillier than "Me, May, Ma, Mo Moo"!
But, do be careful.....you don't want to ruin your vocal cords either!! Practice makes perfect!!

VOCALS & BASS :

Mike, I think your way sounds more fun!! LOL!

Brooke Hogan went on a screaming spree to get that husky sound when she was recording. Maybe you should try that before you go to sing.

Yeah, I am sure it is not recommended.

Oh well, whatcha gonna do? sh*t in a shoe.

You can still do Steven Tyler, you'll just have to stick to Don't want a miss a thing style instead of Walk this Way...LOL!

jaq - good call - no walk thisway for me!
It's not just the scream tho... the best example I can think of is nazareth...love hurts. hate the song... love the tone. He's not throwing out that much air... but the "breaking tone" -that is impossible(for me anyway).
I practice w my guitfiddle all thetime and can harmonize 7ths if I need to...
but finding that tone... requires more than just hitting the note. More than just breathing... seems like they are holding the air back...

BTW no one caught that 'singing like "Tom Waitts" 'joke. Haven't any of you ever heard "chocolate jesus"? One of my fav singers but most think he's horrible.
thanks again for all advice!

The ONLY thing that will not harm your voice or throat is room temp water (and sip it, don't chug). Lemon, bad. Honey can be OK if used sparingly to help soothe a red irritated throat. Also, if you have acid reflux, that can really cause some problems with the pH in your vchords. Too acid means hoarseness and limited range. Also, try to clear your throat as little as possible. Make each time count. The friction causes a lot of irritation and vibrates your chords in a bad way. I use the breathing/wheezing method to kind of hock it all up without sounding a tone, and warm up singing through the phlegm to clear it out. Also I quit smoking god's good recently and noticed a big difference in clarity and range. I don't expect too many to take that one on though.

Take it from someone who has brutalized his voice and come out of it with a 4 octave range at 31 after 16 years of rock, metal, and experimental music. If you're serious about your voice at least. My three cents...

[edit]
Also, I've found that my vocal teacher was not entirely right about breathing. You don't have to open up so much to hit those high notes. I've found it easier to hold back the breath with my diaphragm and I can hold some REALLY long notes. The only problem is it wears on you after a while, but not as much as going full boar. A friend of mine told me to try this (although I admit I never did, but the concept I've used). Get in a pool and practice going under holding your breath. Let out one tiny bubble at a time until you can release most of your air. You'll be able to hold some seriously long notes.

Whoa dude!! You really had to dig deep to find this thread!! This is an old one!!

Chew Gum..

Try this stuff:

Singer's Saving Grace

http://www.singercity.com/Merchant2/mer ... y_Code=ssg

I've just ordered some of this so it betta bloody work else I'll have your guts for garters