A "different" singing problem....

[Vic Lewis VL]

The problem I have when singing, especially when recording my own songs, is this - I hate the sound of my own singing voice! Possibly this dates back many years, the first time I heard my own voice recorded, I thought, God, that's not me is it?

Since then - subconsciously or otherwise - I always seem to sound like someone else...There's the Dylan voice, the Ian Hunter voice, the Joe Cocker voice, The Paul Rodgers, the Rod Stewart, the Lennon....even if I deliberately try NOT to sound like anyone else, somebody's going to listen and say "Hmm, sounds like.....blah blah."

So....how do I develop a voice I can call my own?



Vic (musically schizophrenic!!!)

[Mike]

The trick is to have a voice like some else that nobody has heard before.

Really though, there are TONS of singers and it would be hard to not sound like someone else.

Besides, I like your voice the way it is.

[geoo]

Hey Vic, how would you answer it if it was turned around. Say someone was saying that no matter how they played guitar, they always sounded like someone else?

I think the truth of it is that even if we were trying to sound like someone else, it really does to those that are listening to us. Might have characteristic of this person or that, but as with guitar it is doubtful you will even copy them completely.

If it makes you feel better, I have alot of different voices as well. From Megadeth, to Garth Brooks, to John Mayer. Just depends on the song really.

Geoo

[Chris C]

That's a good question Vic,

I think we'd all like to develop our own voice, and I doubt if anybody is ever fully satisfied with what they first start out with.

I'm trying to work on my singing voice, and my "voice" as a guitar player.

With guitar I do a lot of noodling. Just fooling around with the intrument trying to discover where all the sounds are and how I can shape them and use them. I spend more time doing this than I do trying to learn other people's songs or specific techniques, although I do both.

Maybe there's "voice noodling" too? Where we just sing nonsense words, or nursery rhymes, or anything that isn't already overlaid with past sound associations?

And I wouldn't be too unhappy with your alternative voices. So far mine are:

Bugs Bunny with the flu.
Leonard Cohen's unmusical grandfather.
Schoolgirl discovering rat in her hair.
Someone's Uncle Fred after 8 pints at a party.
and a particularly tortuous one that I call "electrodes on the testicles"

I'd swap for your Dylan, Cocker and Lennon any day...

[Vic Lewis VL]

Previous comments about my, er, voice have included....

"Where does it hurt?"
"Those hinges need oiling"
"Flatter than an anorexic supermodel's chest"
"I don't know who said you could sing, but I'd love to know how much you paid him"

and (many years ago, from my mother....)

"Like barbed wire rubbing between two bricks"

These days, I tend to put my head down, deep breath and go for it...and I'll only shut up if the dogs tell me to....

In English.....

In writing.....



Vic

[pbee]

Hey Vic, at least they commented.
All I ever got was "Hey you, can you whistle?"

[mattguitar]

bloody brilliant question Vic. One that is constantly on my mind.

When i play Shelter from the Storm, I go all Dylanesque..so i know what you are on about.

Trouble comes when i try and sing like Chris Martin of Coldplay. Cos i can't!!! ha ha!!

So what's the correct approach then. How do you get your "own" voice?

Matt

[cnev]

Vic,

Personally I don't think you should worry about it. I've heard your recordings and they are fine, well above average.

So what if you sound like Dylan or Paul Rodgers or whomever, that's not to bad.

I've heard alot of singers and think man they sound just like so and so.

I think your voice is a combination of all the different voices you think you sound like, alittle Dylan a little, Rodgers, a little Hunter..all of that makes Vic Lewis.

[Leftyrocks]

No , there is absolutly no reason to fear singing.Singing is more of heart than voice , (i said that in my different topic )

[greybeard]

Vic,

don't you feel privileged that Dylan has made such an effort to sound so much like you?

Singing? I've been known as "50 Cents" for decades - 50 cents sharp, 50 cents flat...Random Atonal Vocalisation Disorder, that's what I've got (along with a load of noise abatement injunctions). 30 seconds of my singing and the tomcats start throwing things.

[missileman]

I don't get any comments about my singing at all, people just get up and walk away
Just don't force anything, sing what you feel and bring it from inside you.

[Number6]

"electrodes on the testicles"

I heard that's Geddy Lee's secret!

[manontheside]

I heard once that to sing "properly" you shouldn't make all the "singing faces". Now, I'm not saying I don't do singing faces. I go all John Mayer when I open my mouth, I'm what you could call a cinematic experience, probably in the horror-genre

Anyway, what I'm getting at is when I sang for my mother she used to comment how I would emulate(???) voices and not use of my own. But I think there's a lot of learning involved in the emulation as well. Falsettos, vibrato, high pitch, low pitch, heck... even accents.

I think you need to find your "comfort zone"-vocally, the range you like to sing within and start from there. Develop it as you continue. If you write your own songs, you will probably be one who knows it best and know how to express it. Like Chris said, noodle around and experiment. Find out what kind of music you like to sing and what kind of singing goes along with it.

But the fact of the matter is, I'm still operating with 4-5 different voices
John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Jeff Buckley (and might I add, I should have written "Jeff Buckley"), Dave Matthews.... the list just continues to grow, but I feel I pick up a little here and there, so it can't be all bad

Perhaps someone else should answer the question

[geoo]

I heard once that to sing "properly" you shouldn't make all the "singing faces". Now, I'm not saying I don't do singing faces. I go all John Mayer when I open my mouth, I'm what you could call a cinematic experience, probably in the horror-genre

I'll take the other side on this one. I think you should stretch that face out as much as humanly possible when singing. Get that mouth WIDE open.

To me the biggest probly, and maybe its an OKlahoma thing, are singers putting in a few too many notes. They are trying to be Mariah and carrying each sentence out for ever instead of focusing on the song and how its "supposed" to go.

Ohh and just to bring it back on topic, if you are emulating John Mayer, Dave Matthews or the others on your list.. then taint bad at all.

Geoo

[manontheside]

Edited to "John Mayer", "Jason Mraz", "Jeff Buckley" and "Dave Matthews"

Nah, I'm lucky enough to be confident enough in my singing, regardless of how it sounds. I tend to let those who hear decide, so you tell me