I hate my weedy, narrow vibrato. I hate my dodgy pitch. I hate my slight lisp/sean connery. I hate the way I can be overly dark and "blocked nose-y". I hate my inability to sing with power low in my range.
I do however rather like my raspy tone, my loud mid-voice tone and my screamy voice (that's high pitched 80s rawk screams, not guttural metal grunting/screaming).
I think everyone hates their voice, but if you're serious about singing you have to look for little things you DO like and build on them. Focus on the positive aspects and improve on the less positive ones.
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Well - I've worked on my voice a lot recently and I've shaken off the American accent now.
It just sounds forced at sometimes. I can't seem to come across passionate without sounding like I'm trying too hard.
I think the tip about noting down what you hate and working on it from there is a really obvious but effective tip. I'm gonna try a bit of that.
Yeah it's common to hate the sound of your own voice at first, I don't like my voice either but dislike it less than I used to. I can understand you wanting complete control over the project, it's better if you can do the entire thing yourself. I'm exactly the same.
In terms of live singing technique is important and you might need to sing in your natural fashion. That ain't the case in the studio though, I've been trying loads of different stuff out recently when doing vocals. Bend over backwards up into a mic, take a huge drag on a cigar and sing as you exhale the smoke, Put a couple of marbles in your cheeks, get completely slaughtered
I tend to have to do vocals a bit at a time and then comp takes together from the best playlist. Also fond of double tracking and anything else that thickens up a vocal, like massive parallel compression, distortion etc.
Loads of non-Americans go to great efforts to sing in an "American" accent!Originally Posted by get2sammyb
Maybe you need to try to relax some more - any tension will come through in your voice. Warm-up exercises can also help a lot.
I think that's it. Singing like I have been for my recordings I've also been giving myself a sore throat after like, one or two takes which suggests to me something's not right at all.Loads of non-Americans go to great efforts to sing in an "American" accent!
Maybe you need to try to relax some more - any tension will come through in your voice. Warm-up exercises can also help a lot.
I've started warming up lately (in secret because you look a pillock). A while ago I found this on the toob:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5CWsFaVnWM
It seems really silly at first (I first tried it during a lone night in after a few beers. Now the neigbours KNOW I'm a bit simple!) but it does seem to be doing the trick.
There's loads more too.
Warms ups and proper vocal exercises can make a real difference to your vocal performance, power and confidence.
Confidence I think is key, and as mentioned learning to like the better bits of your voice more than you dislike the not so good bits!!!
Most people don't like their own singing voice (apart from my mate Luke!!) it is natural but similarly most people CAN sing given the right degree of practice, technique and confidence....
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I totally agree with the previous poster about warming up, singing exercises and having confidence. From my experience the more you practice the more you will get used to your voice and now your limits.
I think also finding out the right singing range is important. You're throat shouldn't be hurting after one or two takes, which suggests your technique is wrong and/or you are singing in the wrong range ie too high?
I worked with a really talented vocalist a couple of years ago, and we were working on a track but her voice just sounded forced and not confident on the high notes. We dropped the pitch of the song by a few tones and it sounded great. She was more confident and had more room to play with the melody in a lower range.
Hope this helps...
PS. Some else on here suggested you give up and let someone more talented take over the vocals. I think if you practice enough, mabey get singing lessons to learn correct techniques etc you can sing just as good as anyone else. Bono, Madonna and the like had crap voices to begin with, and now look where they are.
Your voice is unique, develope it if your commited enough.
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I think its more common than you think. I don't profess to be a singer, but do it because recording and writing is a hobby. Still, I have to have a good few pints before recording vocals because I know my neighbours can probably hear....
Truth is though, you may be surprised at how well you can sing. I've played my tracks to people who think my voice is excellent, despite the fact I don't sound raw when the song demands it, and I wonder into flat territory.
As the writer and producer, in your head you hear the perfect version of your track, and I reckon that 90% of people will never be happy with the vocals they have put down if it is a personal project unless they're, well, egotistical twats.
I used to be like that too, the first time i heared my own voice in demo mix, I can't listen till the end of my demo, feel so strange, but no kind of HATE my own voice, just wondering that it is totally different from the voice that i always hear in my head when i speak, or sing. But after that, the point is, I just want to be an arranger / do music and need somebody else to sing it, that's all. But also have a lot of eager to try to make my singing voice better, nothign to loose.
cheers!
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