[atsonicpark]

I know I'm going to get answers like "to sing, just open up your mouth and sing", I know HOW to sing, but... I need to know how to figure out good things TO sing.. hmm.

In the many bands I've been in over the years, I've mainly adopted a yell, a shout, a Beefheart-ian rant, or something else, and while I occassionally hit different notes when I'm vocalizing, I've very rarely SANG. The reason for this isn't that I'm insecure about my voice, but more so that I can't clearly think of good notes to hit when I'm singing. I can't find good vocal melodies. I actually am pretty good at singing other people's songs and immitating their voices, so I must have a decent range, so that's not the problem....... So, I don't really know how to ask this properly.. but.. Should I just sit down and play guitar and come up with a cool riff and then just try to match my voice to the notes? Are there any good sites online about how to sing well? Etc.. I think my voice sounds cool, but I just don't know how to use it properly for something like this. So, if anyone does, lemme know! Thanks!

[floatingslowly]

I wouldn't know.

I play Guitar Hero.

[Rob Instigator]

you must breath properly, and you must use yr diaphragm to evenly exhale as you sound out notes. my suggestion is find a popular singer whose voic eis in the same range as yours (for me it is Morrissey, ddly enough) and sing their shit, matching notes.

[gmku]

For me it's Wild Horses by the Stones. I can do both Keith's high part and Jagger's lead.

[Trasher02]

Either you're able to sing or you're not.
I guess you could always take lessons you know...

[king_buzzo]

Originally Posted by floatingslowly

I wouldn't know.

I play Guitar Hero.

hahhahahahaahahaaha, ill have to rep this

i like to sing 'my way' in an off key russian folk singer accent and a lot other songs.

[Danny Himself]

Originally Posted by atsonicpark

Should I just sit down and play guitar and come up with a cool riff and then just try to match my voice to the notes?!

Thats what Thurston and Malkmus do. Not many people seem to enjoy that 'sing with the riff' thing though. Try writing another guitar part that goes in tune with that riff, and then sing those notes.

If that makes sense..

[floatingslowly]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

my suggestion is find a popular singer whose voic eis in the same range as yours (for me it is Morrissey, ddly enough)

*POINTS AND LAUGHS*

[atsonicpark]

Oh, that's not what I meant, I don't necassarily want to sing along to the notes I'm playing, a la Deerhoof or your examples.. I'm just saying, is that a good way of figuring out what notes are good to sing? Like, totally independant from the song I'm writing, just sitting there and thinking of cool vocal melodies, is that how a lot of people do it? (I guess most people would use a piano other than a guitar, but yeah)

[Rob Instigator]

MOZ!

 

[floatingslowly]

I smoke because I'm hoping for an early death....

[Rob Instigator]

if you are concerned with singing to match a guitar melody then you have to harmonize with your guitar melody.

if the guitar is playing an E chord then any note on that E chord, whichever octave up or down, can b sung and it will sound cool. different dissonances make for different emotions though so you have to take that into account.

[atsonicpark]

Hahah okay cool, I was just saying.. is that how people usually figure out good things to sing? By seeing how it sounds on an instrument and trying to match up with it? Stuff like that. Just trying to get tips on singing.

"You're the one for me, fatty."

[Trasher02]

I just play and let it all go, just sing random sentences and try to find something that fits it... You shouldn't think so hard about it, let it come to you.

[Rob Instigator]

trasher, that only works if you already have a good ear for melody and harmony and are inventive.

[Glice]

Figuring out what sounds good to you... I think that's a bit of a no brainer, surely? Try melodies without any backing, recorded on tape. Play it back, figure out if you like (it's a funny thing that, in spite of producing the sound, very few people can hear their own singing).

In terms of strengthening the voice, unfortunately it's a boring case of either getting lessons or playing a few inflections of a scale up and down and then moving up a semitone and doing the same, for hours and hours on end. And all that guff about breathing, eating well, not smoking (arf) and such.

[atsonicpark]

Yeah, and it sucks, because I do recognize good melody in other bands, so as a listener it's hard to listen without saying, "Oh, I could do that!" Like Animal Collective. I can sing Leaf House pretty perfectly, so it's hard for me to come up with vocal melodies that don't ape them now. Which I don't want to do!

One of my favorite vocal harmonizing melodies is in "It Fit When I Was a Kid" by LIARS... at the end of the song... that part's amazing.

[atsonicpark]

Yeah, glice, I guess you're right, it's obvious "What sounds good to you" but I guess I was asking more for any tips people use instead of just randomly putting notes together vocally, which you also covered, so thanks.

And indeed, when I sing or speak, it sounds TOTALLY different to me (of course) after I record it and listen to it. The human voice is weird...

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

I don't know, people tell me I'm a pretty good singer. I've just been singing along to shit ever since I've been a little kid.

I'd say listen to a bunch of Bowie and Queen.

[atsonicpark]

And so, to completely derail my own thread, let's talk about this great song.
Deep
At the end of space,
Further than the Sun
Is a crowd of chairs.
Way out
On a crystal sea,
protecting you and me,
is a battleship.
I...
I raise my eyebrow
Into a question.
Who is this captain,
And where do his friends live?
We were walking in the snow
Down the street from your front door,
I jumped a neighbor's fence at dawn,
Danced my way across your lawn,
Used a diamond on the glass,
Slithered slowly through the dark,
Made my way up o'er your stairs,
Crystals flying everywhere.
I...
I...
We will
Drive you in the boot
Through the crooked past
To your resting place.
We will leave you in the woods,
Tell your friends you slipped,
Down the Lumen Tree.
If you're
Seen there,
Blooming
Inside
Each time I
Hope that
Talking
Improves
I will
remember
You...
You...
In June
Follow lonely crowds as clouds will come.
Follow lonely crowds as clouds...
Follow lonely crowds as clouds will come.
Follow lonely crowds as clouds will come.