Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

Sounds good, there was some 'squeaks' around 1:20. You're not the Penguin anymore?

Ermmmmm. I can hear the REM.

If you are playing and singing at the same time, I would counsel you to record individually. If not, please form your vocal track a little bit more before you record it.

You are on your way, keep going.

Ben, you play bass. That is actually your strong point. I would recommend you go out and find the best players you can, and let them push you into being that much better.
As far as your vocals, start singing in the shower. It will help, I bet you can sing you just don't sound confident.
As far as songwriting you are at least moving forward. Some of us have to write a lot of songs to even come up with something halfway decent. Keep going Ben.

As far as vinny and planetjerk I am sure they will have something to say about this post too. FUUCK THEM

Benjamin M Johnson wrote:This one took me a while to record since I kept getting thrown off by all the chord changes... maybe I should stop writing beyond my own playing ability

Oh, and I also re-recorded the vocals on "Smile" (again). Hopefully they're approaching something resembling music now!

Penguin... I Love IT! (Rain and Time) Seriously Dude you have captured an essence of bohemian beat poet Lyric and song. I thoroughly enjoyed that...

I think you got a very special sound that needs to get developed. You got a signature vocal and a distinct rythyms/style and gesture to your songs.

What needs to happen now is for you to work on vocal stability. Try not to run out of breath when you sing... I mean it ..Sing that song a million times until you can breathe right... Air is what gives vocal flexibility and what helps us navigate the melody... with strngth and durability.

There is no reason for you to Not obtain a collection of dedicated musicians to form up the coolest in band in your neighborhood...and in town

Keep on keepin on!

You need a little practice is all..

I am not a very good vocalist and I try to make up for it by rehearsing all the time and knowing my parts cold.

When you write music, sometimes you don't know it as well as after you recorded it and heard it 1000x.
If you like the tune, beat it into your skull so when you burp it back out it is exactly what you already know this tune to be..that way you know exactly how it's supposed to sound and if it did via playback.

Chief Engineer Scott wrote:You need a little practice is all..

I am not a very good vocalist and I try to make up for it by rehearsing all the time and knowing my parts cold.

When you write music, sometimes you don't know it as well as after you recorded it and heard it 1000x.
If you like the tune, beat it into your skull so when you burp it back out it is exactly what you already know this tune to be..that way you know exactly how it's supposed to sound and if it did via playback.

Ditto That!

I'm not sure why one might slur words or drop syllables, but a work around might be to 'over-articulate" words till the syllables stay present and become second nature.. Practicing a vocal using a british or a German accent might help... (But when you record use your own accent)

I love the playing . . .
At the risk of being unintentionally harsh. I'll keep it at that.
You know vocals as much as any musical talent's beauty lay in the eye ( or ear ) of the beholder.

But then I don't sing ( and for good reason ) so I'm not one to criticize.

You don't have to know how to sing to be a competent vocalist. Look at Randy Newman - he's made non-singing an artform, and there are plenty others who can't sing that are, again, competent vocalists.

All I can tell you is that plenty of practice will help you find your talent. Also, playing in front of people. When I recorded my very first song, I couldn't understand why there was no "color" or "emotion" in my voice, especially after I made sure my lyrics were on key and all. It sounded very flat and I notice the same thing in your voice. This isn't going to happen overnight, it's only going to happen with praticing your butt off. The reason I don't hear any color or emotion is because like most singers who are just starting out, you're too concerned with getting it right and you're awkward.

I can tell you some techniques. Sing from your gut mainly and if you have to use emphasis like highs and such, then you can use your chest, your throat and your nose. How I teach people to do this is to suck in a breath and then expell it and make a "uh" sound. Then try words, sentences, and then tackle a lyric. If you have to breathe, suck in air through your nostrils. Pretend that the only way you can speak and sing is by using your stomach muscles, you'll find you have far more air to utilize than using your upper chest and throat where you run out. You can also teach yourself vibratto this way!

To strengthen your vocal muscles, prop your mouth open with a pill bottle and sing each vowel sound up and down the music scale. Your vocal chords will hurt first, but if you do this every day, they will start to strengthen. The do them swiveling your head to the side (right then left). You look pretty stupid doing it, but you'll soon have vocal chords of steel.

Once you gain some confidence, you can start tackling bigger things. For instance, learn a few Josh Groban songs and sing along.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIAQCiMIEEQ

That man can SANG! It's always good to sing along with other singers and pretty soon you'll find your own personality and your own sound.

Learning to sing properly is just as hard work as learning an instrument. I hear singers who do all this stuff just to sing - lemon water, not eating, or people complaining that they lost their voice after a few songs. If you're singing properly, you could sing for a few hours without tiring, especially when you have confidence and you're enjoying what you're doing.

Chaeya