Live Singing

[SuchAPerson22]

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individua l&videoid=105197735
So this is me singing with my friends' band at the drummer's graduation party yesterday. This is my third time singing with them (the first two times being practices), and I'm still trying to adjust to the setting. I usually have only sung for choir, musicals, talent shows, etc, but decided to give this a shot. Obviously, singing with a full band is very different from singing chorally. When I started singing with them, initially, I would go up into my head voice, which didn't work. So they told me to just yell it. Which it what I'm doing... And it kind of hurts. What I want is advice/suggestions/comments on how to not strain myself so much and how to actually sing with a band like this. We don't have monitors or anything, so I also can't hear myself (as shown), so that's not really an option. And please give me a REAL opinion on how I sound. I'm a big girl- I'm not going to get upset.

For those tl;dr folks- Help on singing with band. Opinions on how I sound. Thanks.

P.S.- Apparently I could use some help on trying to post a video, too. :\

[Yontsey]

I only listened for like 10-15 seconds but you sound pretty decent. Like you said, you're new to this so just keep practicing and doing voice exercises to get your voice stronger and more use to high and low pitches. Also tell the band to get some stage presence. They're boring. Good luck.

[fanberlinboy]

As far as hearing yourself goes, use earplugs. You're able to hear yourself a lot better with them.

[SuchAPerson22]

I only listened for like 10-15 seconds but you sound pretty decent. Like you said, you're new to this so just keep practicing and doing voice exercises to get your voice stronger and more use to high and low pitches. Also tell the band to get some stage presence. They're boring. Good luck.
Okay, thanks for the advice. :-) Ha, and I'll tell them.
As far as hearing yourself goes, use earplugs. You're able to hear yourself a lot better with them.
I might have to try that. Thanks.

[devonhurt]

you sound spot on intonation-wise, which puts you way ahead of the game. try playing with the timbre of your voice though. Its nice now, but a little static. mixing it up a little bit would help add to the performance.

[SuchAPerson22]

you sound spot on intonation-wise, which puts you way ahead of the game. try playing with the timbre of your voice though. Its nice now, but a little static. mixing it up a little bit would help add to the performance.
Thank you, and I'll try to work on that :) I think doing it a couple more times has really helped, and I have noticed myself adjusting the way I do things from time to time.

[guitarpickheart]

To get a louder sound, stand up straight when you sing and when you breathe, try to "breathe low"- put your hand on your stomach and feel it move out when you breathe as opposed to your shoulders moving up. Also, stand with your shoulders back.

eta: Your voice isn't bad- actually, you sound a lot like Hayley Williams. Sorry if that's not your musical goal.

[SuchAPerson22]

To get a louder sound, stand up straight when you sing and when you breathe, try to "breathe low"- put your hand on your stomach and feel it move out when you breathe as opposed to your shoulders moving up. Also, stand with your shoulders back.

eta: Your voice isn't bad- actually, you sound a lot like Hayley Williams. Sorry if that's not your musical goal.
Okay. These are all things I should know, having been in choirs since fifth grade haha. But I guess it's time to start applying them. But thank you :)

And :-0 thank you! That's quite a compliment! :)

[ibmx08]

i was only in chorus for a year so i dont know much, but to me it sounds like youre not using as much air as you could be. my teacher always desribed it as using your whole voice, meaning you take in as much air as you can when you breathe ,without being rediculous ofcourse, and by the time you get to the next point in the song when its suitable to breathe again, you should have used up almost all the air you took in, without getting to the point where you're voice gets effected. that probably sounds confusing, :( it was more helpful when he demonstrated.

[Olsson]

eta: Your voice isn't bad- actually, you sound a lot like Hayley Williams. Sorry if that's not your musical goal.
I quite agree, it's not that far off!

Keep practicing - looking forward as seeing you as the next lead singer in a new pop-punk sensation!

[SuchAPerson22]

i was only in chorus for a year so i dont know much, but to me it sounds like youre not using as much air as you could be. my teacher always desribed it as using your whole voice, meaning you take in as much air as you can when you breathe ,without being rediculous ofcourse, and by the time you get to the next point in the song when its suitable to breathe again, you should have used up almost all the air you took in, without getting to the point where you're voice gets effected. that probably sounds confusing, :( it was more helpful when he demonstrated.
Haha I think I understand what you are saying. I think I really just need to keep trying different techniques and see what works at this point. I appreciate this. :-)
I quite agree, it's not that far off!

Keep practicing - looking forward as seeing you as the next lead singer in a new pop-punk sensation!
:headbang: WOOT! haha Thank you!

[Lost In A Name]

As far as hearing yourself goes, use earplugs. You're able to hear yourself a lot better with them.

This. I started using earplugs too and it works so well. You can never trust a sound guy to get you loud enough in the moniters, if at all. If you aren't using moniters, you should absolutely do the earplug thing. It works great!

[SuchAPerson22]

This. I started using earplugs too and it works so well. You can never trust a sound guy to get you loud enough in the moniters, if at all. If you aren't using moniters, you should absolutely do the earplug thing. It works great!
Hahaha monitors. Don't got those. :-) But yeah, one of the guys was talking about wanting to get some soon, so... I guess we'll see!

[ClydeMcAllister]

This. I started using earplugs too and it works so well. You can never trust a sound guy to get you loud enough in the moniters, if at all. If you aren't using moniters, you should absolutely do the earplug thing. It works great!

Definitely. I never really learned how to sing properly until I started using earplugs and could hear myself. Before that I was pushing it to get volume, and I was just yelling or sounding like Kurt Cobain. One I had earplugs I didn't have to push so hard and could actually breathe properly.

[guitarpickheart]

Plus, the earplugs seem to cut the distortion from loud amps/ PA systems, so even if you're listening to a concert, you'll be able to hear the vocals better.

[0s0]

Tits or GTFO.

I kid.

Sounds fine. I agree with ear plugs. Only because hearing the instruments sometimes forces you to "sing louder."

[Taniam]

Yeah I'm not going to lie I kinda expected it to be bad...especially when I heard the intro to thats what you get...but it was good. I'm not a singer but just a lowly bassist...And now that I think about I have no idea what the singer in my band does about not straining...We did just make him sing this one song over and over until it was comfortably in his range...maybe that was too mean in hindsight

[SuchAPerson22]

Tits or GTFO.

I kid.

Sounds fine. I agree with ear plugs. Only because hearing the instruments sometimes forces you to "sing louder."
Haha, um? lol But thanks. And yes, I definitely find myself singing louder because I hear them.
Yeah I'm not going to lie I kinda expected it to be bad...especially when I heard the intro to thats what you get...but it was good. I'm not a singer but just a lowly bassist...And now that I think about I have no idea what the singer in my band does about not straining...We did just make him sing this one song over and over until it was comfortably in his range...maybe that was too mean in hindsight
Ha, it's cool, and thank you. Haha maybe a little bit mean... But they basically did the same thing with me, so maybe not.