I know it’s hard to give advice on something like this, but I know there’s at least 2 or 3 people here who can sing pretty well, so I’m gonna throw this question out there…
How would I go about getting a little more power out my lower vocal range? I’m fine with mid-high notes, but when I sing low… I mostly just sound like I’m talking. I can’t get the same volume, power and resonance I have when I sing higher. The feeling that I’m “singing” just isn’t there. I don’t know how else to explain it. It’s just, the lower I sing, the harder it is to make it sound “punchy.” The problem starts at about C3. Any advice?
Also, are there any techniques to make it sound a little grindier, or am I pretty much fucked? I have a really smooth voice most of the time, which is nice, but I want to at least BE ABLE to sound grindy (ala Max Bemis of Say Anything or Dustin Kensrue of Thrice) when I need to without shredding my vocal chords. Is it one of those things you’re just born with, or can it be developed?
I know these are difficult qustions, but please help if you can.
1)Personally, you can try and get your voice to head into a lower range, if you haven’t hit puberty yet and are not a girl. If both conditions are not met, I’d suggest you stick to those higher notes, don’t try and force it. Have someone with a lower voice handle the low notes. If that isn’t possible, you are going to have to train your voice one note at a time. Start at C3 and keep practicing going down to that note, eventually you should get better wid da note. Might not work dough, sorry if my advice doesn’t help.
2)Uhhh, pretty sure you ain’t going to get a good rock voice widout shredding. The voices you’re thinking of are meant for dat kind of music, you sound like more of a soft rock, classical or some of the higher noted Johnny Cash kind of music.
If youse don’ts like what I said, sorry. I am a Tenor and I have realized dat my kind of music is stuff like Five For Fighting’s “If God Made You.” So, dat’s my two sense.
The problem isn’t hitting the notes. I can go way below a C3 already, the problem is doing it with clout. 21m here btw
My voice is perfect for songs like “Weak and Powerless” by APC. It’s not silky smooth, but I’m thinking there must be a way to get it to sound a little grittier.
I personally find it easier to be gritty than smooth, but that’s just cause I’ve been making weird voices my whole life. I don’t know how to explain it, but you kinda do it by acting as if you have something in your throat. I guess tension is what I’m thinking of?
As for power in the lower ranges, everything should be coming from the diaphragm (I think). When you hit all those higher tones you’re using muscles higher up in your throat, but when you want power in the lower ranges you have to get it from your gut. At least, that’s what works for me.
Use your diaphragm to support and project your voice as you sing. You’ll find that you sound more full and melodic. You will quickly tire projecting from your throat, and sound more nasal. Take deeper breaths and extend your stomach as you inhale. Relax your throat, and focus on utilizing your diaphragm to push out the notes and contract your stomach as you sing.
Everyone has a natural range that can be extended through practice. Your voice is like any other muscle group in that the more you use it, the stronger and more versatile it will get. Try singing scales every other day and you should notice an improvement with your range and volume.
I never studied singing rough or grinding, as you put it. I was told not to do it as it would possibly develop nodes on my vocal cords, which would effect my normal singing. Obviously, there are plenty of vocalists who sing both styles, but I’m not sure how you’d get there without possibly impacting smooth singing. It’s something I’d read up on depending on how serious you are about it.
I’ve find a good place to practice is in the car while you’re driving by yourself. Occasionally, I make doctor visits that require a good 40-50 minute drive, so I sing to pass the time sometimes. A personal favorite of mine is Danny Boy, especially after hearing Bing Crosby sing it. I’ve found that I can go fairly deep now, so I guess it’s just a matter of practice. And listening to Bing Crosby!
How would I go about getting a little more power out my lower vocal range? I’m fine with mid-high notes, but when I sing low… I mostly just sound like I’m talking. I can’t get the same volume, power and resonance I have when I sing higher. The feeling that I’m “singing” just isn’t there. I don’t know how else to explain it. It’s just, the lower I sing, the harder it is to make it sound “punchy.” The problem starts at about C3. Any advice?
Range - high AND low - expands over time. If you’re a tenor, it will probably expand upwards, first. If you’re a bass, it’ll probably expand downwards. It sounds like you’re probably a novice tenor. If right, you might be able to sing much lower than that - the common tessitura for a fully-developed Tenor is C3 to C5.
Speaking of which…you’re not going to be able to make every pitch you can generate sound good. ‘Tessitura’ is a term that essentially means "The notes you can phonate effectively’. Right now, C3 and lower sounds like it’s in your RANGE, but not your tessitura. It’s hard for me to say without hearing you if your range will expand lower, but it won’t likely expand MUCH lower than that if you’re a tenor. Hell, MY tessitura doesn’t even go down to C3.
If you just HAVE to sing those songs…learn the art of transposition.
Also, are there any techniques to make it sound a little grindier, or am I pretty much fucked? I have a really smooth voice most of the time, which is nice, but I want to at least BE ABLE to sound grindy (ala Max Bemis of Say Anything or Dustin Kensrue of Thrice) when I need to without shredding my vocal chords. Is it one of those things you’re just born with, or can it be developed?
I never personally do this, because I really DID permanently damage my voice by yelling when I was younger; but, there is a right way to do it, yes. One of my voice teachers explains it as such: Go take a drink of water and gargle it. Feel how your throat feels as you gargle - feel exactly what it’s doing. Now, do that without water. Hope that helps.
I’m looking at voice classifications on wiki and a few other sites, and I sound more like what most people would call a baritone than a tenor. Maybe my range will expand if I keep practicing, but right now the highest note I can hit is about a G4, and only just, and only if I’m really belting the shit out of it. I can’t even imagine what it’d be like to hit a C5.
I’m definitely not a bass though. If baritone isn’t an official classification, then yeah, I’d call myself a tenor. Although a lot of people would say it’s too early for me to really know.
What you said about tessitura, I’d say mine starts at about C3 right now. Can that be expanded, at all?
If you just HAVE to sing those songs…learn the art of transposition.
Yeah I’ve gotten used to singing an octave lower or higher for some of my favourite songs
Yes, baritone is an actual classification, it’s just that most people don’t here about it as Bass, Alto and Soprano are the most common voice ranges.
If you NEED to go very high up, use falsetto. It’s basically reaching from above the note down. It’s how I can sing mid soprano when I want to and such songs as “If God Made You” by Five for Fighting. (And yes, I’m a Tenor. Da only Tenor in my school chorus now as a matter of fact! ^_^)
Baritone is an official classification. What you said sounds like a pretty basic vocal range, possibly either tenor or baritone. Since you probably haven’t done a lot of serious singing, it will probably expand a bit in one direction or the other.
Yeah. Uhh oops. I answered that above, lol
Well no, that’s not really transposing per se…I’m talking about transposing the key of the song, so that it’s still in a similar range (or as close as it can be) without having to take it up a whole absurd octave.
And both can by expanded. The point of being aware of both is so that you don’t go “Well, I can MAKE this pitch sound, so obviously I should be able to make it sound great!” There are going to be a few notes at the top and bottom of your range which will never sound all that great. Focus on the ones that do - expand the ones that you can.
I answered that above, lol