Singing and Song Writing

[Tessar]

Well lately I've become more and more interested in singing, and for several months now I've been trying to get myself to work on my voice, get some good songs, and all that junk. Not that this is just a passing fancy, I’ve sung some what informally for a long time with children’s choirs, home school choirs, some group vocal lessons, and then more church choirs! But never really enjoying it as much as I do now (yea, AFTER I quit all the choirs *mutter*)

Really I've found that with my Bass voice, the only thing I can generally sing decently is jazz, which is fine since I enjoy jazz quite a bit.

I need to do a LOT of work on my voice though, and it seems like on the one hand I'm never gona make any progress, but on the other hand like I have a half-way decent voice already. Bah, it's so hard to tell.

I've even gotten to the point where I'm thinking that singing jazz might be a fun way to make a living. Of course I know every other kid in the world is ALSO thinking 'Gee! I want be a singer!' so I'm certainly not putting my hopes on it, but I'll just wait and see what happens.

Despite the whole idea of making a living off it though, I'd love to just learn how to sing well enough to record a few songs and such for my self and actually be proud of the way they sound.

Is anyone else interested in singing? (duh, of course you all are )

And if so, what kind of a voice do you have and what singing style do you like?

Right now I’m working on trying to write a song that’ll stay nicely within my current range, and has an at least slightly-jazz/blues sound to it so I can croon away without fear . One of my small obstacles is that I have always sung almost every thing with a country twang. Seriously, the only thing I could keep from doing it with was church music, but singing a lot of that trained me to keep it mostly down thank goodness.

[Bombadillo]

I've started thinking about being a vocalist in any type of metal band. I've written a few songs, and and am even more than half-serious now. But I know better than to expect anything also. I just know I'd say yes if anyone ever asked me to join their band (provided they don't suck).

I've got an advantage though: I prefer metal. My audience would never know if my voice had faultered or not.

[Nurvingiel]

I love metal! Good luck Bombadillo. It is true us metalheads don't require vocal perfection - guitar is another matter though. Singing punk also gives you a good fudge factor. In both, a pleasant voice can be a useful and enjoyable. (For those times when you're not yelling. ) Just kidding. I'm listening to Sonata Arctica, a great progressive metal band, and the lead singer has a beautiful voice. (Same with Blind Guardian, who I believe are also progressive metal.) It depends what style you want.
Crowned King, and amazing punk/ska band, also has a wonderful lead singer.
And it seems as though male hip hop artists can't sing at all.

[Bombadillo]

Ooohoohoo! Blind Guardian is the best! Yes, Power Metal is my favorite category, but, realistically, my voice probably isn't good enough to pull that off. God, I wish I could.

[Starr Polish]

Yeah, a lot of kids thing "oooh, big bucks for just singing!" but I highly doubt a lot of the MTV/VH1 watching, hiphop/pop loving teenyboppers out there are all that interested in jazz. Not that it wouldn't be hard to get into that either, because there is some AMAZING talent out there, and it takes a lot of work. Bass usually have to be the heartbeat of a jazz group (especially in a capella jazz, the coolest kind) and end up doing vocal percussion sometimes. And I doubt it pays quite as much as superpopstardom does. I adore jazz, and have been in my school's jazz choir for four years. I'm contemplating trying out for All-State Jazz this year, but my stakes are low.

Singing was probably my first passion. I also love drawing and writing, but I've been singing seriously much longer. I'm actually quite sick at the moment, but I suffered a thirteen hour day so I could perform three times yesterday (one solo, one jazz ensemble, one choir), and I'm so glad I did.

And don't worry about the whole progress thing to much. I can't recall how old you are, but you're voice is probably still changing a little and finding it's range. I'm almost eighteen and just recently reached new highs AND lows in my singing range.

Sorrya bout this ramble, I'm tired and sick and probably shouldn't be on the moot.

Edit: A country twang, Tessar? ::wince:: haha. BTW, what is your current range? You said you're a bass...Bass I (Baritone) or Bass 2? I've been told I'm pretty rangey. I can sing lower than some of the altos in the choir but can belt up in the stratosphere with the sopranos (I've sung both parts this year). And are you thinking solo jazz, or maybe joining a jazz group sometime? (I would recommend it, they are so fun.)

[Tessar]

Originally posted by Starr Polish
And don't worry about the whole progress thing to much. I can't recall how old you are, but you're voice is probably still changing a little and finding it's range. I'm almost eighteen and just recently reached new highs AND lows in my singing range.

Well that's good to hear! Yes, it's possible my voice is still changing a bit because I'm fifteen, but then again I had already hit bass by age 13, so maybe I'm most of the way there. It's hard to say.

Actually it's quite funny. Both of my sisters are sopranos and I used to be able to sing waaaaaay higher than they could. I mean I would've been perfect in one of those 'boy's choirs' . Then just about over-night... I couldn't hit my sisters' deep notes and they couldn't reach my high, it was scary .

I really don't know if I'm Bass I or II... Maybe you'd know if I told you my range. I can just barely hit about three notes over middle C (and it doesn't sound too pretty neither), and then I can drop down to almost the lowest note two octaves down from middle C.

You sound like you have an awesome range! Wish mine was that large . But then again I also looooove my bass voice, singing bass is just too darned fun some times, although I did drop out of the church choir partially because I couldn't hit the high bass notes that everyone else around me was hitting, and it seemed like ALL the notes were high!

I'd love to do a little solo jazz, but hey if I got the chance to do a group thing I'd love to!

I'm actually moving out of Home schooling this year and into a privet highschool, but I don't forsee any chances of singing as a school thing this year, we're supposedly going to be working on Music Theory for the freshman year (Yes, freshman at fifteen. It's an avanced school though ).

[Starr Polish]

Sounds like your at least on your way to being a Bass II (trust me, this is a good thing...girls reallly like Basses. My boyfriend's one).

Phhht...I reached my range by practicing and working on expanding it for four years. I don't have Mariah Carey's range or anything.

I'm not sure of my exact range (I don't have a piano on hand), but I know I can hit a low G (below middle C), which is defnitely Alto II range, but on good days I can hit a high B/C, which is what we call "uber soprano". Usually though I can only hit an A with any nice tone quality. I'm still working on it though. I've been focusing more on my low range lately because I was switched from soprano I to alto I in my school choir, because of the lack of lower voices.

[Janny]

Girls reallly like Basses.

You lie!!! Dammit, maybe it's my face.
Have fun... music is about getting out and socialising and generally endulging in youth culture (as opposed to intellectual message boards on how my view on suffragettes is far inferious to other peoples )
There is no process to songwriting. Everyone does it differently. I find a tag line then get some chords. Ryan Adams gets his guitar and plays until he's written something. Springsteen randomly phones strangers up to talk about their firefighter husband then disappears into room. Whatever floats your boat.
But one piece of advice: be different. No cliches, no trends. (In my case that unfortunately leads to no gig, no fans, no money etc... hmm... maybe just fit in.)

[Starr Polish]

I do not lie! Basses are awesome. But then again, I find singing well attractive in any guy, tenor or bass (but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm romantically interested in them). Nice high tenor can be cool, but to me bass is more relaxing and it can give me awesome chills. I think the human ear tends to like lower notes. An occasional high note can be awesome, but continous high range notes in a song end up sounding irritatingly like a sick bird. And hey, I'm technically a soprano .

Mm...Josh Groban.

[Giroth]

I love rock. Particularly CHRISTIAN rock. (yes, it DOES exist)

I wrote a song before, sometime ago.....here it is.....

LOST

I remember when
you enjoyed time spent
Simply being with me
Now the days are long
and it all seems wrong
Because we separated

Now you have no way
Nothing seems to stay
with you at all

CHORUS
Now your lost
You have no way to go
since you lost your own soul
hiding away from the world
And your lost
Cause when you're alone
where can you find peace in the world?

I remember those days
when you used to stay
near to me with each passing breath
But those days are gone
Back when you forgot how to love

Now you have no way
Nothing seems to stay
with you at all

*CHORUS REPEAT*

*BRIDGE*(i think..)
You said you didn't need me
but i needed you
And you said You didn't love me
But I still loved you


*CHORUS REPEAT*

--end of song--

[gimli7410]

i know at least two bands who wanted me to sing for them, one was metal and the other punk. but since i dont feel like singing in a crowd yet i denied it. everyone tells me my voice for punk and metal isnt half bad so maybe one day ill consider it

[Nurvingiel]

That must mean you're pretty pro Gimli. Nice one

Maybe you could practice with the band to build up your confidence until you're ready to sing in front of a crowd. (Performing in front of a crowd is difficult, but you get used to it after you first few performances. Crowds are way more forgiving of mistakes (or they don't even notice them) then you might think.

[sun-star]

Oh yeah, girls love basses. What else is there? Tenors are just too weird

I love singing, especially folk songs and church music. I don't take it that seriously, but it's a great experience to take part in choirs and groups.

BTW Janny, a little bird told me your songs are very good

[Janny]

Well I do currently 'have an album out' !
Sunny, I think you're thinking of Mr Mills when you talk of tenors, but I fear you forget Jamie!!!
The ensemble thing is right though. Something like my school choir can produce surprising beauty in the depths of hell.
On the inverse to the tenor/bass debate. I prefer altos to sopranos, or at least to top sopranos... they're to shrill and most can't phrase things.
Altos (and 2nd sops ) are less evil... maybe just from personal experience...

BTW as a Christian and a rock musician I am offended by the very notion of Christian Rock. 'Saved' (by Bob Dylan) was the worst album EVER!!!

[gimli7410]

Originally posted by Nurvingiel
That must mean you're pretty pro Gimli. Nice one

Maybe you could practice with the band to build up your confidence until you're ready to sing in front of a crowd. (Performing in front of a crowd is difficult, but you get used to it after you first few performances. Crowds are way more forgiving of mistakes (or they don't even notice them) then you might think.

thanks. we always have a talent show and most people d their singing their so myabe in like grade 12

[brownjenkins]

i play bass guitar and have sung to a small extent over the years... i was in all kinds of bands throughout my 20s (started in eighth grade)... sometimes a couple at the same time... played just about every kind of music out there... though i like the funky stuff the best

can't say i regret any of it... it's nice to be able to do what you enjoy, entertain people and make some money (anywhere from $50-150 for each member of the band per gig, with the occasional big-money venue)

i don't play anywhere near as much as i use to, but i still get together once a week with some friends and gig once or twice a month... something i hope to continue as long as i can

[Tessar]

Hummm... well to drag this ol' thread back up, I've been working on the singing again (had a fall out on practicing when I got into a play and the stuff I was doing gave me a horse voice after each show).

I got a book on singing and it seems really good, quite litteraly just reading the book brought my singing level up about 20-40% quality-wise.

It harps quite a bit on this thing called 'Middle Voice', sounds pretty interesting, and I know for a fact it does exist because you can hear a lot of the 'good' singers using it . I'd love to learn to use it, only there's one problem...

I just realized I have no head voice . Maybe it's because I'm just getting off a cold, but my voice chokes off when I try to do anything high pitched. Hell I can't even scream, I have to make these sort of 'grunt' noises .

[IronParrot]

Hey Tessar. Glad to hear you've been progressing. I took a few weeks of vocal training myself last summer, but not nearly enough of it, and I plan to continue it as well. As far as musical aspirations go, put me under "jazz pianist", but I've always wanted to sing along as well, maybe get some decent mics and record.

Speaking of recordings, I'm sure I have an MP3 of you singing "May It Be" somewhere around here.

[Tessar]

Oh boy.

I'd be afraid to listen to that thing now, 'specially since I just recorded a new version of it tonight...

Although I do wish I still had it in some ways :-p. Maybe I can find the website I put it on...

[IronParrot]

Yeah, I also have some recordings drifting around on the web of me singing three years ago. They're not great, but that's incentive to improve, no?

I'm looking forward to hear the new version.