Gary75 Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Our vocalist has come to ask for my help with her pitch and harmonization techniques. Been with the band just over a month. She's a great frontperson and really looks the part, bur she has had no formal training, and i have never helped singers one to one before. I was thinking major/minor/pentatonic scale practice. I also thought of giving her a pocket tuner with a built in mic and a list of scale notes to practice with. She would be better off with a vocal coach no doubt, but right now I think she feels comfortable with my assistance. Any advice appreciated guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachimay Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 I would think working on basic intervals (singing and recognition) and scales would be good to start with. Play her a chord and have her sing each note, root, third, fifth...this would help with harmonization since it all about hearing thirds... www.dandechellis.com "The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources." A. Einstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Davis Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Buy this, and work on it together: http://www.berkleepress.com/catalog/product?product_id=4171817 It's a collection of vocal warm-ups and exercises with a hip rhythm section. CD and book. I've gotten excellent results with it, both personally and with various groups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Are you married? A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Davis Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 An incisive question, Mr K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrafon Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 No offense to your abilities to help her, but maybe refer her for some formal lessons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary75 Posted August 3, 2009 Author Share Posted August 3, 2009 Well, there is no doubt a vocal coach would benefit her more Garrafon, but she's come to me so I'm in the driving seat (stop it Kanker) for now. Mike that sounds like a good book, and it sounds like it would help me as much as her in understanding vocal training from teacher and student perspectives I'll raise the subject when we meet Thursday. Don't let Mr Kanker read that last line...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoahZark Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 She's a great frontperson and really looks the part We'll be the judge of that. Pictures, please. Any advice appreciated guys. Good advice already, but I would add: Record her singing. And play it back for her. It is important that she understand her basic tendencies (whether to sing sharp or flat), and hearing herself singing should help dramatically in that respect. Of course, this assumes that she has some appreciation for intonation. If she doesn't have a basic appreciation for intonation, well, then, she shouldn't be a singer. Good luck. Noah P.S. You're a good guy for being willing to help her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMcS Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 You might be able to try something as simple as playing the melody (or harmony) notes she will be singing so she has a target to aim for. The church youth group my son used to play drums with had a piano player (another teenager) who seemed to think that God had given him 10 fingers to be used as frequently and rapidly as possible and the only note he wouldn't play was the actual melody note. The (inexperienced) singers had a hard time hitting the notes on the paper and not the notes they were hearing. The adults (guys trying to relive their teen years) didn't do anything to reel the piano kid in. The guy who who also sings felt the solution was to just sing louder than the girls and drown them out. Of coarse he is pretty much deaf and doesn't wear his hearing aids when playing and can't hear what the piano player is playing so it didn't matter to him. He couldn't hit a note with a bat if it was teed up for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary75 Posted August 3, 2009 Author Share Posted August 3, 2009 The thread will start descending to this soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raddtunes Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Good advice already, but I would add: Record her singing. And play it back for her. NZ beat me to the punch on this. The answer is that all of the info here is great, but this one single thing - - recording - added to any/all of these methods/technicques - - is what will accelerate her learning more than anything. Recording and listening. Recording and listening. Recording and listening. (vamp til cue) - - radd out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timwat Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Certainly you'll be able to provide help in terms of harmonization and voice leading concepts, and the recordings will expose where she can most obviously improve. Without specific technical instruction on HOW to improve (i.e., proper breathing technique, support of the tone, how to correctly produce timbre, phrasing, etc.), it'll only go so far. But better than no help at all. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 I was actually being semi-serious... Working with attractive women can cause a little tension at home. It's almost as bad as if the two of you are single. Working with attractive women can cause a little tension in the band... A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timwat Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Attractive women cause tension. Period. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YodaAce Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 I would introduce her to a good pitch correcting processor. I have never seen a lead singer with poor pitch, have the drive to perfect their craft. I would encourage her, but now that she knows she is weak, she will not have confidence. The processor will help with that. The only harmony I could get out of a singer like that was to let them sing the lead part , and you do the harmonies. YMMV After years of playing with some bad singers I can't tolerate It any more. Good luck. I hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMcS Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Attractive women cause tension. Period. There's a song about this: http://tinyurl.com/PrettyWomen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loving Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 if she has a bad ear, it's hopeless. get another singer. "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niacin Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Assuming she has problems pitching intervals and not with tuning per se, just work through intervals. Today is brought to you by the Perfect 5th and the Star Wars Theme. Etc. There's one for every interval. You play the root (any note, work through the whole chromatic scale randomly), she sings the fifth, or whatever. It's just drills. And yes, especially thirds for vocal harmonies. If she has problems with intonation as such then you can't help her, a vocal coach may be able to if she has a constant tendency to sings slightly under or over pitch, but anything more than that and you're pushing shit uphill. Nice tits are not always the right tool for the task, or something like that. Gig keys: Hammond SKpro, Korg Vox Continental, Crumar Mojo 61, Crumar Mojo Pedals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montunoman Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 I heard that you can make a singer sound much better in the studio with pitch correction and such. Is there much that can be done to improve a singers voice live? Or is lip syncing the only hope for those beautiful people that can't sing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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