Singers! How d'you do it?

I always sung along music I was listening to, I was singing in the background when I was in bands. But I was never that good at it. Last year I realized singing along some tune "Whoa, I've gotten better!" and it perfectly tied in with my solo project which I started around that time.

So far so good. There's only one problem I really have a problem with "letting go"... screaming it all out like Cobain or Reznor.

Just look at the dynamics of Trent Reznor singing Hurt:
YouTube - Trent Reznor- Hurt

Unbelievable!

I'm pretty sure this is a psychological issue. I probably don't have enough confidence, maybe I'm afraid the neighbors could hear me and think less of me

I thought about renting a place where I can rehearse but I don't if it's worth it.

Do have any techniques on how to overcome this and "let it all out"?
Also how do you stay in tune when raising your voice?

Thx

[sahiaman]

Great post. I love singing and do so everyday. I first started singing and using my voice at a young age. I would always do goofy cartoon voices, and mimic the crap out of every character and singer I dug. I hated shutting up, I have always been loud and obnoxious to my parents and siblings. And when I started to sing, I never felt like I had to hold back or else be judged by others. So the force and emotion of the singing was there well before pitch and timing. I just worked on the pitch and timing of singing, and everything fell into place.

I would reccomend that try singing like you would if you were 10. Just have fun, let it all out and soon you will notice that you will start to like certain aspects of your voice and how you pronouce certain vowel sounds. Then you can find your voice and just have fun. Don't ever think that a grown man can't have fun singing and pretending he is young again.

Oh, yeah, one important thing. Know the proper singing methods too. I did have a vocal coach for a while and she did make it a point to show me how not to damage my vocal chords and proper warming up.

[CrankyRayHanky]

I watched a singer grow through professional lessons...interestingly, the one area he really improved on was the all out scream- I guess without good technique you'd blow your voice out

[area51recording]

I have to sing 4-5 nights a week on gigs and although my pitch is good and the quality's ok, I just don't dig the sound of my own voice! I'll say this- anytime I watch a really incredible singer in any genre, from Pavoratti to Aretha and anybody in between, the look on their face while they're singing is the look of someone who is just LOVING the sound that comes out of their mouth. I'm not sure you can be a really great singer and not have some of that "love affair" with the sound you create going on...

Thanks a lot guys, this why I love this place

I was able to shut off the guy inside me that is embarrassed by his singing and just blow it all out today. I hope it'll last until the next time I rehearse.
To hell with the neighbors, what have they been doing for me lately?

Oh btw., it's not so much the "liking my voice" part it's more about being able to stay in key when raising my voice.

[sahiaman]

Don't 'raise' your voice. You'll damage it. Projecting and raising isn't the same thing. I don't feel like I ever raise my voice to he point of straining. Learn to project the correct way.

Try this....
Cross you legs like a chick, lean forward, put your hands on your back where the love handles are. (Right hand goes on right side, left on left)Then breathe in. If you feel the part of your back you are holding inflating, that is the correct breath. Then breathe out hard, (like a sigh), but throw your natural voice into the sigh and hear the sound that comes out. Thats the most pure voice in you where your vocal chords are open and relaxed. Use that as a starting point and start doing the scales. That will teach your projection without giving you the feeling you are 'raising' you voice.
Practice the use of this breathing method to exhale softly(constant hissing through you teeth) until all of the air in you is out and it feel like your lungs are colasping. Try to exhale that for 30 secs, then increase until you can breathe out like that for over a minute, keeping the hissing constant. This is eventually train your lungs to bring in more air and regulate your breathing. Oh, and take breaks between each time you try this method, for like a minute.

[clownjuggles]

Breathing is the crux of it all. And let the engineer raise the volume on your channel. NEVER SCREAM. You don't want to lose your voice to glottal fry! Screaming through your range is not a good thing. The last thing you want is some teacher just teaching you how to make the effectiveness of your bad technique improve!

You want to start simple.
Basic technique is breathing
add pitch to the breath.
then work on vowels and patterns, then words
Repeat as desired.
Enjoy.
Singing serves us all

[stagefright13]

I don't know I just belt it out. There is a difference between a panic scream and a controlled rasp. But it takes some good diaphragm power. Do the wrong thing and it WILL blow your voice out. I don't sing death metal or anything tho. And like clownjuggles said breathing is everything.

Also always pace yourself. Don't put all the hard songs in a row. Sing an easier one after a tough one to give your voice a break. The singer should make the set list. Or at least have the final say.

Letting it go is usually mental. Do it in a private place lol. Then come to rehearsal and surprise everyone. Altho when learning you can hurt your voice sometimes. But it won't be permanent! Practice Practice!

One more tip get a mic that you really like on your voice. Learn it like an instrument. Learn how far away to get a certain sound or how close to bring up the bottom end. The Mic is an instrument for a singer.

[TopCatz]

Originally Posted by sahiaman

Try this....
Cross you legs like a chick,.

Not recommended unless you wanna raise your voice in the wrong kinda way. Too much gear, man

[stagefright13]

I was forced to be a singer cause no one else wanted the job. You can hear my vocals on my site. Not great I know but I carried thru. And tried to get the job done on the sample. I just record people now. The samples are just my friends and I having fun. But I did carry on 13 tracks and redoes. And millions of BK in one day. That's why I say pace yourself. All vocals were one day between sessions.

I had lot's of other samples but got sued by someone who made sum bux on their album... So I only play stuff live not on internet.

[Reza]

Check out James Lugo's vocal coaching DVD - James Lugo's Vocal Asylum

There was a few really useful point in this, that have really opened my voice up.

eg - When you pitch up, think down - as if you're adjusting the tone control on a stereo

You probably have to watch the DVD to 'get it'. The way he explains things makes it really easy to implement the proper technique.

Highly recommended.

Remember, getting that sound of really belting it out doesn't require a really high volume!!!