I have singing issues

montiac · Unread post by **montiac** » Mon Apr 14, 2003 11:27 pm

for me it was kind of an overnight thing. i remember trying to sing and play, and fucking up. the next thing i remember is trying to sing and play and just doing it. it's still hard with a couple songs. i can do The Stone no problem, but i have trouble with parts in WWYS. i'd say it took me about 2 years to be able to sing and play. the first song i learned to sing and play was the Bartender/Don't Drink the Water medly from VH1 Storytellers. anyway, i know that doesn't help at all, but i just felt the urge to look at myself type.

duluoz · Unread post by **duluoz** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 5:08 pm

I can sing and play with fairly simple stuff, like Dylan and basically stuff with 4/4 rhythms and pretty standard chords. But stuff with more intricate fingerings and melodies is not good for me, I really can't do Crash. However, I cant sing worth beans, so it's not too big of a deal.

snoopdoug1 · Unread post by **snoopdoug1** » Wed Apr 16, 2003 6:02 am

duluoz wrote:I can sing and play with fairly simple stuff, like Dylan and basically stuff with 4/4 rhythms and pretty standard chords. But stuff with more intricate fingerings and melodies is not good for me, I really can't do Crash. However, I cant sing worth beans, so it's not too big of a deal.

I can't sing either... oh well... maybe I should try some lessons... any good websites for lessons or do you really need to have a "real" teacher?

manjingo · Unread post by **manjingo** » Wed Apr 16, 2003 9:43 am

When I first start singing and playing songs I just mumble sounds that approximate words. After a while(a month or two), the approximation becomes exact. Right now I'm trying to learn how to sing and play Grace is Gone. Fun song.

Jay

Tamjim · Unread post by **Tamjim** » Wed Apr 16, 2003 11:32 am

People, there is no way to avoid this. You absolutely must go through a period where you suck so badly, and sound so awful, that you lose friends. Your parents may even question the wisdom of not putting you in a weighted sack minutes after your birth. Deal with it.

That said, there are some pearls of wisdom I can share that have helped me. I have been playing and singing together for 15 years and have sucked for 14 years and ten months. What happened? I took singing lessons. If singing makes you happy then it is the best investment you can make.

So, two bits of advice:
1. Think of your guitar and your voice as being two instruments that are accompanying (key word) one another. It is really tough to get over this hump, but you will know you are there when you can sing a song without listening to your guitar. Lie in Our Graves really helped me here. The rhythm is relentless and there is no real "right spot" to sing a lot of the verses.

2. When you are trying to sing a song, talk it first. Play your guitar and talk the lyrics (it sounds really stupid, so make sure you are alone). When you can do this, try talking in the pitch that you would sing in (this sounds even stupider). When you are comfortable doing this you will probably find yourself transitioning to singing pretty naturally. The trick is not to go into "singing mode". Singing requires no more effort than talking. Stay loose, bring the sound up from your guts and drive it right out through the top of your head. If you feel a buzzing in your nose, you are doing it right. If you feel your neck getting tight and your throat getting sore STOP.

Wow. Long post. Good luck. See you at the Gorge.

matt2053 · Unread post by **matt2053** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 12:36 am

I have been playing for 2, going on 3 years, and I can just now barely fumble my way through a handful of songs. Not DMB songs though. Those are wild. Try starting off with more folksy songs where the lyrics follow the changes more. First time I ever played in public I did two songs, Rocky Raccoon and Why Don't We Get Drunk.

snoopdoug1 · Unread post by **snoopdoug1** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 5:47 am

Tamjim wrote:People, there is no way to avoid this. You absolutely must go through a period where you suck so badly, and sound so awful, that you lose friends. Your parents may even question the wisdom of not putting you in a weighted sack minutes after your birth. Deal with it.

That said, there are some pearls of wisdom I can share that have helped me. I have been playing and singing together for 15 years and have sucked for 14 years and ten months. What happened? I took singing lessons. If singing makes you happy then it is the best investment you can make.

So, two bits of advice:
1. Think of your guitar and your voice as being two instruments that are accompanying (key word) one another. It is really tough to get over this hump, but you will know you are there when you can sing a song without listening to your guitar. Lie in Our Graves really helped me here. The rhythm is relentless and there is no real "right spot" to sing a lot of the verses.

2. When you are trying to sing a song, talk it first. Play your guitar and talk the lyrics (it sounds really stupid, so make sure you are alone). When you can do this, try talking in the pitch that you would sing in (this sounds even stupider). When you are comfortable doing this you will probably find yourself transitioning to singing pretty naturally. The trick is not to go into "singing mode". Singing requires no more effort than talking. Stay loose, bring the sound up from your guts and drive it right out through the top of your head. If you feel a buzzing in your nose, you are doing it right. If you feel your neck getting tight and your throat getting sore STOP.

Wow. Long post. Good luck. See you at the Gorge.

Wow, thanks! How much should singing lessons cost, and how long til you think I could notice a difference? Any ideas?

trebor · Unread post by **trebor** » Fri Apr 18, 2003 11:00 am

hey i take singing lessons, but im BARELY improving...
what can i do?
i really want to sound like dave... how do you?

Tamjim · Unread post by **Tamjim** » Mon Apr 21, 2003 2:07 pm

trebor wrote:hey i take singing lessons, but im BARELY improving...
what can i do?
i really want to sound like dave... how do you?

Oh yeah...I forgot about this part. One of the big mistakes we all make is trying to "sound like _____". Try to learn how to sound like YOU, not like Dave. I've been trying to sing Bruce Springsteen songs for ten years and all I ever accomplished was tattered vocal chords. I can do it now because I am not trying to immitate Bruce anymore. Same for Dave.

When Dave Matthews plays Watchtower, is he trying to sound like Dylan? Not a chance. Think of that when you are singing somebody else's stuff. Perform your own version of the song.

As to how long it should take and how much it should cost...tough to say. Cost is the easy one. Ten to fifteen bucks an hour? Maybe more for private lessons. Something like that. Time? This is sort of like asking "how long is a piece of string?". You must be able to let yourself go and try new ways of making sound. In my earlier post I mentioned talking a song. This really helps you find your singing voice and your range. Knowing your range is important because you can always change your guitar to fit your range. Just because Dave never uses a capo doesn't mean you can't if it opens up the upper register of Two Step for you...

Have fun.

snoopdoug1 · Unread post by **snoopdoug1** » Mon Apr 21, 2003 7:55 pm

Thanks for the reply buddy

I have actually started trying to "talk a song" but I can't quite get it yet. I don't think I know crash well enough yet... I'm a beginner after all. I'll just keep pluggin' away until i can do it in my sleep, and then I'll try to talk it.

Thanks for takin' the time to answer my question man

DMBTabs.com

I have singing issues

...

Re: ...

Who is online