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anybody here started to sing at some point?


offnote

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Yeah, I sing. Very, very well. I took a year of opera trainng when I was a Music Major on the mid 70s. taught me the proper breath control. Now I have a very wide range of tonalities with my voice.

 

I can sing very clean when the song calls for it, put a little dirt in my voice, and go all out growl similar to Joe Cocker, all in the same song if need be. I've got a 2 1/3 octave range. I can cleanly hit G above middle C, and on a good day hit the Ab.

 

I am of German Irish decent, but my wife tells me that when she closes her eyes while I sing, she thinks she married a Black man. This came from listening to Motown, Funk, Blues, Soul, etc. I tell people that I come by it honestly. (true story) I was born in Chicago, and my grandparents were LeRoy and Lucille.

 

I actually have been singing longer than I've been playing. My first public performance as a singer came at age 3, where I took my first keyboard lesson @ 6.

 

Friday I did a gig with national recording act, sax player Eirinn Abu. After the gig, we all went out where there was karaoke. At the urging of my wife I sang "Leave Your Hat On". The host begged me to sing another, so I went with "One Way Out". Eirinn commented that he needed to get me in the studio to do some vocals on his next album.

 

It feels really strange if I Don't have a mike in front of me.

 

 

"In the beginning, Adam had the blues, 'cause he was lonesome.

So God helped him and created woman.

 

Now everybody's got the blues."

 

Willie Dixon

 

 

 

 

 

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Yeah, I sing. Very, very well.

 

hey what a confidence :thu: I like that, singing probably

requires same confidence as public speaking.

 

It feels really strange if I Don't have a mike in front of me.

 

what kinda mikes do you prefer to use? because I just bought two hoping they will be good for studio and stage.

 

 

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At my normal gig I use an EV N-DYN 767.

 

At church they put a Sennheiser in front of me.

 

The best mike I ever used was a Sennheiser 441. An absolute pleasure to sing into. My EV has a very similar frequency response.

 

After a couple decades of people telling you what a great voice you have, you finally start to believe. Any time I hear myself, I hear little places where I can improve, but that's normal for all good musicians. The voice is an instrument, and it takes work to perfect, just like a keyboard takes work.

 

Do I sing better than most, Yes. Am I the best there is, absolutely not. The confidence I have with my singing comes from time and experience.

"In the beginning, Adam had the blues, 'cause he was lonesome.

So God helped him and created woman.

 

Now everybody's got the blues."

 

Willie Dixon

 

 

 

 

 

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I sang backup a bit in the last band, the lads were amazed I could even do it, and I was stunned. I was still probably pretty sheethouse at it though.
Roland Fantom G6, D-70, JP-8000, Juno-106, JV-1080, Moog Minitaur, Korg Volca Keys, Yamaha DX-7. TG33, Logic Pro, NI plugs, Arturia plugs etc etc
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As I mentioned many threads ago, this is my Achilles Heel. If I could sing, I would be a very bad man (in a good way). :laugh::cool:

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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The best mike I ever used was a Sennheiser 441. An absolute pleasure to sing into. My EV has a very similar frequency response.

 

wow, expensive dynamic baby...

I bought a condensers ones for my studio rode NT1-A and AKG 220.

 

 

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I share duties singing 50% of the time. Sets usually go 3 by me and 3 by the lead guitar player, rinse repeat. I too like Sennhieser mics. Currently I use an e945 but have also used the much cheaper e835. I like them because there is much less pronounced proximity effect when you get close to them. I also don't shout so to compensate my mic is hotter than the Shure mics used by the rest of the band.

Boards: Kurzweil SP-6, Roland FA-08, VR-09, DeepMind 12

Modules: Korg Radias, Roland D-05, Bk7-m & Sonic Cell

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Personally, I like proximity effect, and will play with it. It can add balls to the low notes by getting right on the mike, then back off a bit with the higher, stonger notes, and the bottom backs off a bit, and smooths it out. To me playing with the proximity effect is almost as important as playing the Leslie Speed when I'm on the Hammond

 

 

"In the beginning, Adam had the blues, 'cause he was lonesome.

So God helped him and created woman.

 

Now everybody's got the blues."

 

Willie Dixon

 

 

 

 

 

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If you really want to add singing to your repertoire, I suggest taking a few lessons to learn proper breath control, how to fully utilize what God (or Buddha, Allah, Ra..) gave you, how to project, and how not to hurt yourself.

You don't have to enroll in an opera company, but a few sessions with a professional (a schooled professional) will pay off many times over.

Step two is playing and singing at the same time. For some it's very natural; for others, they may be playing along all well and fine, but they start singing and it's like someone put handcuffs and mittens on them. I was like that the first time someone put music in front of me and asked me to play/sing at the same time. Years of piano lessons, years of singing in chorus, and I couldn't do both together to save my life.

It takes time and practice to be able to sing and play naturally. Start off by finding your own voice, then add the piano to it. Don't shoot for the moon at first, and understand that frustration and failure are part of the gig.

 

Good luck!

Muzikteechur is Lonnie, in Kittery, Maine.

 

HS music teacher: Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Chorus, Music Theory, AP Music Theory, History of Rock, Musical Theatre, Piano, Guitar, Drama.

 

 

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I started singing backup a few years ago. I was always reticent about singing, never liked my voice, and had that weird ear-vocal cord disconnect that plagues so many. But I started doing it and through practice got better. I now sing lead sometimes in the Brazilian band - again, that came about out of necessity. I don't consider myself a singer, and I'm not that passionate about singing, but I can do it decently now.

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I am of German Irish decent, but my wife tells me that when she closes her eyes while I sing, she thinks she married a Black man. This came from listening to Motown, Funk, Blues, Soul, etc. I tell people that I come by it honestly. (true story) I was born in Chicago, and my grandparents were LeRoy and Lucille.
Which black man? Charlie Pride? Little Jimmy Scott? Paul Robeson? Corey Glover? Wesley Willis?
A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable.
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I am of German Irish decent, but my wife tells me that when she closes her eyes while I sing, she thinks she married a Black man. This came from listening to Motown, Funk, Blues, Soul, etc. I tell people that I come by it honestly. (true story) I was born in Chicago, and my grandparents were LeRoy and Lucille.
Which black man? Charlie Pride? Little Jimmy Scott? Paul Robeson? Corey Glover? Wesley Willis?
Michael McDonald.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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I am of German Irish decent, but my wife tells me that when she closes her eyes while I sing, she thinks she married a Black man. This came from listening to Motown, Funk, Blues, Soul, etc. I tell people that I come by it honestly. (true story) I was born in Chicago, and my grandparents were LeRoy and Lucille.
Which black man? Charlie Pride? Little Jimmy Scott? Paul Robeson? Corey Glover? Wesley Willis?
Michael McDonald.

 

A little closer to Howlin' Wolf.

 

I am, after all, 300 Lbs. of Joy. :cool:

 

 

 

"In the beginning, Adam had the blues, 'cause he was lonesome.

So God helped him and created woman.

 

Now everybody's got the blues."

 

Willie Dixon

 

 

 

 

 

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I sing quite a bit of backups. I have sang lead on a song or six in some of my past projects, but I never seem to quite pull that off as well as I would like.

 

As many have said, lessons are useful. I took a few, and learned better warmup and breathing techniques, which are very important. I could actually do with some more lessons, and I've been thinking about doing that lately.

 

Like anything, practice makes perfect. And listen to recordings of yourself singing!

 

--Dave

Make my funk the P-funk.

I wants to get funked up.

 

My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/

 

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And listen to recordings of yourself singing!

 

--Dave

+1000

 

You will always sound differently to your own ear compared to what you sound like to others. Hearing yourself in a recording gives you a chance to hear what you REALLY sound like. Tape Doesn't Lie. You might think you're right on the money, only to find out you're a bit flat.

 

Just as it's important to listen back to what you play, you should listen back to what you sing.

 

 

"In the beginning, Adam had the blues, 'cause he was lonesome.

So God helped him and created woman.

 

Now everybody's got the blues."

 

Willie Dixon

 

 

 

 

 

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Some people have a gene that allows them to both play music and sing at the same time effortlessly. Maybe it should be called the Geddy Lee gene. I do not have that gene.

 

I can actually sing pretty good.

 

When playing a simple guitar part that does not rythmically conflict with the melody, I can sing and do sing backups and even a couple out front on occaision.

 

When I'm playing keys though, I can't even talk. The slightest attempt at singing while playing the keys and I look like Joe Cocker with a face-cramp.

 

Don't know why.

You want me to start this song too slow or too fast?

 

Forte7, Nord Stage 3, XK3c, OB-6, Arturia Collection, Mainstage, MotionSound KBR3D. A bunch of MusicMan Guitars, Line6 stuff

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Iconoclast, I can relate. Only recently started actually singing in public, and found that while piano is my first & main instrument, it's much harder for me to sing while playing keys than it is while playing guitar. Missing that Geddy gene, too.
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Iconoclast, I can relate. Only recently started actually singing in public, and found that while piano is my first & main instrument, it's much harder for me to sing while playing keys than it is while playing guitar. Missing that Geddy gene, too.

 

well, even the big guys when singing they are playing rather simple, rhythmic chops most of the time. Cannot recall anybody playing some Bach inventions while singing, can you?

Jerry lee played some crazy stuff in his left hand even when singing but well, he was crazy right :cool:

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