What are your biggest challenges voice wise?

Wurly

Before I got trained, I used to have a really nasal quality to my voice. It sounded shrill and a bit muffled at the same time. It felt like I had no air to sing with as my nose was taking it all.:)

People used to comment on it and say that my voice had a really weird tone to it. I remember how much this used to affect my confidence and how frustrating it was not knowing how or why it was happening. Thankfully the issue is now rectified!

Just wondering - what would you say is your biggest challenge with regards to your voice. Do you find it hard to stay in key? Do you run out of air? Have no power?

It's an interesting subject and i'd love to hear your thoughts.;)

8195_blue

My biggest challenge so far has most likely been dealing with my break, and switching from middle/chest voice to head voice. What often happens is my voice will crack or kind of squeak when i get near my break, and I've had to learn how to control that.

It's great to hear that you've improved your tone! I know the feeling all too well of being so frustrated that your voice doesn't seem to want to do what you tell it to!

How long have you been training your voice?

G.K.

Being able to control high notes at the end of pieces.

I was in Belshazzar's Feast yesterday (Tenor) and when you get toward the end with the 4 or 5 bar-long G's and A's, it's tough enough to maintain it without the voice cracking, considering I've sung the rest of the thing and Zadok The Priest right before it. It's also my first 1st Tenor performance (Have been on second until now) which means things will just get worse.

I suppose this will come with more practice but it's really frustrating...

working on resonance and my jaw not being so tight, at the moment

9959

My jaw is fine, it's my gonads that seem to tighten-up when I'm hitting the high notes.

9959

I fear, with the above post, I may have killed this thread 'stone dead' with an ill-judged attempt at humour, apologies to all.
In mitigation I thought the air therein was a bit stuffy, and pushed open the window a bit, so to speak, never expecting those inside to clamber out mumbling 'smart arse" as they went.
Let's forget it ever happened!

My problem, or rather, my 'friend's' problem, has been ongoing for the past 12 to 18 months.
He has a reasonably good singing voice with a decent range.
However, when he 'moves up' to counter-tenor, there is now, an alarming reduction in volume, the sound of his once cut-crystal falsetto now resembles that of a mild-mannered cat breaking wind.
He can still reach the notes and hear them clearly, unfortunately no one else can hear them.
Bereft, he now finds himself 'sans' his only sure-fire attention-grabbing trick, a startling rendition of 'Ol' Man River' from the hit musical 'Show Boat', delivered at ear-piercing volume in an extravagant falsetto, usually to unsuspecting guests at dinner parties and the occasional cheese & wine!
What to do?

Second and Sebring

I find that I can't seem to resonate properly as i'm not entirely sure where my resonance chambers reside and my tone is less than pleasin' at the moment. At the moment I've got a voice that people either love or hate there's no, bein' in the middle about it.

9959

Second and Sebring wrote: »

I find that I can't seem to resonate properly as i'm not entirely sure where my resonance chambers reside and my tone is less than pleasin' at the moment. At the moment I've got a voice that people either love or hate there's no, bein' in the middle about it.

There are different types of 'resonance', Chest, Mouth, Nasal etc.
Try and identify which one of these you would most like to improve.

By the way, if half the people who hear your voice 'love it', then you're already half-way there.
Perhaps what you perceive as a resonance problem might actually be giving your voice a distinctive quality.
There is a danger that after 'fixing' your resonance, half the people will then think your voice sounds 'ok', while the other half will think that your voice sounds 'ok'!

Whatever you choose to do, good luck with it, keep us informed with your progress.
I notice that this is your 4th post, welcome aboard and keep singing!

Second and Sebring

Thank you, I appreciate that.
Your words are also very kind and inspiring.=)
I'd like to improve which ever resonance R'N'B singers often use, I think that'd be the nasal resonance Even though R'N'B is not is not the genre that of my band I think it'd be a nice twist and i've heard another vocalist incorporate R'N'B into metal and the results are actually quite pleasing. Has anyone got any tip on how to improve my nasal resonance and since i'm asking erm the mouth resonance as well and is there any specific excercises I can use to improve my tone?

9959

Second and Sebring wrote: »

Thank you, I appreciate that.
Your words are also very kind and inspiring.=)
I'd like to improve which ever resonance R'N'B singers often use, I think that'd be the nasal resonance Even though R'N'B is not is not the genre that of my band I think it'd be a nice twist and i've heard another vocalist incorporate R'N'B into metal and the results are actually quite pleasing. Has anyone got any tip on how to improve my nasal resonance and since i'm asking erm the mouth resonance as well and is there any specific excercises I can use to improve my tone?

I didn't know you sang 'metal' in a band, good stuff.
Firstly, how high do you fly?
Jon Anderson alto-tenor?
Is it up there with Robert Plant, that type of range - with falsetto screams?
Is it hard rock/blues singing a la Paul Rogers?
I know all the above are very old school, but then so am I.

I still believe that too much 'meddling' with a voice that's already appreciated by some, may not be the wisest move.
What do the rest of the band think?

If you want some technical stuff, possibly a bit too technical for your needs, try googling 'Nasality in the Tenor Voice by David L. Jones', it's really for classically trained singers but you might pick up some tips.

Finally, although you're a rock singer you could still use your diaphragm for middle-range stuff.
The fact that you posted here looking for advice bodes well, it shows that you have an eagerness to improve and learn, this can only be a good thing.
But if you believe that you've already 'found' your own voice, then keep practising, keep gigging and you will improve with experience and confidence.
The best of luck to you!

Niamho!

I was having singing lessons for years, and told to breathe a certain way, Expanding your chest on breath intake, without raising your shoulders.

In the last year and a half I have started having Classical style training in preparation for Grades, and in the new lessons the trainer has me trying to take breaths right down into my tummy/diaphragm area. I can do it as an exercise, but I just CANNOT get into the habit of using it when i'm singing songs. I don't think i'll ever get the hang of it!!!

cinderelli

I can't belt. Not after a certain point.

9959

cinderelli wrote: »

I can't belt. Not after a certain point.

By "certain point", do you mean a specific point/note in your range, or "after a certain point" in time spent singing in one session where you find that you haven't the energy to 'belt'?

SuzieQZ

I can sing and I love signing but I have never had any lessons! I sometimes see people discussing threads like these and wonder am I damaging my vocal cords if i dont get lessons. I love singing high notes but im not sure how to warm up i get bored warming up i just wanna go straight to the song. Can you become better with lessons or does it just prolong your vocals for whatever few years or>>?

You become better and extend your range also. Warming up sounds boring but believe me, it makes a massive difference.
My teacher is very cautious about not doing anything to damage my vocal cords, but then I have made massive progress with her so I think it's important too.

Laughing at my last post on this thread - my stupid jaw is still an issue! Have started taking it seriously though

SuzieQZ

bluewolf wrote: »

You become better and extend your range also. Warming up sounds boring but believe me, it makes a massive difference.
My teacher is very cautious about not doing anything to damage my vocal cords, but then I have made massive progress with her so I think it's important too.

Laughing at my last post on this thread - my stupid jaw is still an issue! Have started taking it seriously though

Ha tight jaw sounds awful, I hope you have progressed. Whats the average cost of vocal coaching, I've never been but would be highly interested. I love to sing especially when I'm at home I'll sit in my room an belt out random songs to see if i can hit the high notes but I am afraid I might be damaging my vocals this way. Would love to start getting involved in singing in public. I do it every once and a while for family events and everyone is always so shocked and then i get embarrassed and go back into hiding for a while ha.

SuzieQZ

SuzieQZ wrote: »

Ha tight jaw sounds awful, I hope you have progressed. Whats the average cost of vocal coaching, I've never been but would be highly interested. I love to sing especially when I'm at home I'll sit in my room an belt out random songs to see if i can hit the high notes but I am afraid I might be damaging my vocals this way. Would love to start getting involved in singing in public. I do it every once and a while for family events and everyone is always so shocked and then i get embarrassed and go back into hiding for a while ha.

I was like that also particularly since my speaking voice is so quiet but my singing voice is, well, proper - projection and all - it makes people who know me near to fainting in shock But now that I've had training I've a lot more confidence because I know I can sing!
Doing that probably is bad, I'd say...
I go to Waltons and I can highly recommend my teacher (don't know about the other ones who teach there).
Fees are there
http://www.newschool.ie/
Handy as it's flexible and goes on during the summer if you want, too
Plus they do "casual concerts" every month, the over-18s is every second month. Great experience for getting up in front of a bunch of strangers and doing your thing. They're also quite enjoyable!

As for the jaw, I made an effort all week to relax it when I noticed, and I was able to produce some proper, serious sound in my lesson last night! I sound like a serious singer now! :eek::pac::pac:
Just in time for grade 8 :pac:
My "latest challenge" now will be switching to ABRSM because the options on the RIAM syllabus are not half good enough for my picky tastes :cool: