charic Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 My singer had this when singing clean, I just told him it sounded like he was struggling and he went for a couple of lessons. No worries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Yeah, just suggest he get a few lessons. Make up some excuse like "you look like your breathing's out", "maybe learn some exercises to stop losing your voice at the end of the set?" etc etc Any decent tutor should point out his pitch issues and also iron out some other vocal problems too! Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubbersoul Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 If our singer (who is generally excellent btw) goes off, we tell him. The recording thing is excellent - we went through a period when we were just starting to put our set together of recording every practice. If he, or anyone else, is out, this is the way to spot it. Encourage everybody to be critical of themselves - if I hit a bum note I put my hands up and say sorry. Imagine going on stage without tuning your bass? Or hitting a semi-tone off every couple of lines? No difference - his voice is his instrument. Record! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markstuk Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 (edited) The TC Helicon Voiceplay Live is also worth considering.. I have the GTX version (uses ambient mics as well as thru bass connection to determine pitch) and IMHO is rather more flexible and sounds better than the Boss box (I had both alongside each other for a while).. [url="http://www.tc-helicon.com/products/voicelive-play/"]http://www.tc-helicon.com/products/voicelive-play/[/url] Edited June 28, 2012 by markstuk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubbersoul Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Don't like the idea of auto-tune personally. Seems like cheating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markstuk Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I agree.. And if you really need it, it sounds like you're using it.. I use my box for harmonies/effects/doubling etc... [quote name='Rubbersoul' timestamp='1340907614' post='1711444'] Don't like the idea of auto-tune personally. Seems like cheating. [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubbersoul Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 [quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1340907829' post='1711448'] I agree.. And if you really need it, it sounds like you're using it.. I use my box for harmonies/effects/doubling etc... [/quote] That's fair enough, but this dude's singer is flat. That would be a cheat, imo. Either learn your instrument or quit, anything else is lazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkin Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1340876395' post='1710764'] can they hear themselves? [/quote] The current band was started just for a bit of fun, with a young girl singer who'd never sung in front of an audience before. Lovely voice, but all manner of pitch & timing issues when we first got together - which all disappeared once we'd sorted her some decent monitoring and she'd gained confidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I don't think you can over-emphasise how important vocal monitoring is. Always essential for lead vox obviously, but sometimes it's seen as less important for BVs, so you can end up not hearing what you're doing and just howling into the void. That's my excuse, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 It is not going to work. If this was a one-off then everyone can have a bad day but if this is reocurring then it should have shown improvement by now. It is what it is and you can either live with it or you can't but you will never work much so what is the point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 The voice is an instrument, just like any other. I wonder how many "singers" actually practice at all? If the singer is precious about it then that it his problem, not yours. Pulling your weight in a band means knowing the songs before you get to rehearsal. Rehearsal is NOT a place to learn songs, it is a place to practice the performance of the songs and get the arrangement right. This includes singers still needing lyric sheets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1340913338' post='1711549'] I don't think you can over-emphasise how important vocal monitoring is. Always essential for lead vox obviously, but sometimes it's seen as less important for BVs, so you can end up not hearing what you're doing and just howling into the void. That's my excuse, anyway. [/quote] I have got round this problem by being deaf in an interesting way in my right ear. I can always hear my voice inside my head as if I had my finger in my ear like a beardy folky type. Which is nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 [quote name='pietruszka' timestamp='1340886251' post='1711017'] I'd personally go for the straight out with it approach, in a non aggressive manner just mention "you were a little sharp there (in places), can you hear your self ok?". As some one said earlier, the singer would be quick to tell the band if they played something wrong. Just tell him, but be relaxed and constructive about then you shouldn't get thrown through the wall. [/quote] ^^^this. Be polite and just point out an issue. Its no wonder bands fall apart when ideas like "tell him to buy him a magic box to make his singing better" are actually taken seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassy Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 [quote name='Rubbersoul' timestamp='1340907614' post='1711444'] Don't like the idea of auto-tune personally. Seems like cheating. [/quote] +1. Not wanting to upset anyone here who uses one, but if you can't sign in tune then either learn to, or find something else that you can do. Fortunately I can sign in tune. Unfortunately my tone is like a bag of nails going through a mangle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Cheating or not the technology is there and it won't go away (hello Cheryl!). I think I did in fact refer to it as a 'cheat box' in my first post to this thread. It does open up an argument though. For many bands the fact that the singer can actually sing is a bit of a bonus. For live work it is only half the story. I don't want to sound demeaning but, since it's one of our own members bands here, I'd say that for a band like Dick Venom that the actual technical quality of the lead singer is maybe less than half the story. It's also clearly about a very strong look and engagement with the audience. Now, consider the scenario of putting a band together and it's down to choosing a front man that sings like an angel but has the stage presence of a wardrobe or someone that's Jagger and Morrissey and Ian Anderson and god knows who else charismatic godsend that makes all the rest of you look less like knuckle draggers BUT he needs just a bit of help keeping in pitch. What to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 i agree with those who have said just tell the singer you think he's singing flat. as a corollary, if someone told me i wasn't hitting the right notes on a bass run, i'd listen and correct what i was doing. better the band bring it up than the audience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubbersoul Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 [quote name='KevB' timestamp='1340977226' post='1712339'] Cheating or not the technology is there and it won't go away (hello Cheryl!). I think I did in fact refer to it as a 'cheat box' in my first post to this thread. It does open up an argument though. For many bands the fact that the singer can actually sing is a bit of a bonus. For live work it is only half the story. I don't want to sound demeaning but, since it's one of our own members bands here, I'd say that for a band like Dick Venom that the actual technical quality of the lead singer is maybe less than half the story. It's also clearly about a very strong look and engagement with the audience. Now, consider the scenario of putting a band together and it's down to choosing a front man that sings like an angel but has the stage presence of a wardrobe or someone that's Jagger and Morrissey and Ian Anderson and god knows who else charismatic godsend that makes all the rest of you look less like knuckle draggers BUT he needs just a bit of help keeping in pitch. What to do? [/quote] I'd take the singer and work on the look and stage presence. You can't polish a turd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oggiesnr Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Either you live with or you tell them (giving them an autotune is as good as telling them anyway). Once you've told them they either accept it, and you then sit down and work out a solution (I was that singer and took a couple of lessons ), or they don't in, which case you have a decision to make, live with it, walk them or walk yourself. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironside1966 Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Tape the rehearsal if he can't tell that he is singing flat from the tape then you either put up with it of get a new singer. There may be a technical reason for him singing flat like not been able to hear himself properly or shouting too much to be herd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 (edited) Our first singer had..."pitch issues". He was a great frontman, but always a few notes out. We went to a recording studio to record some tracks, got the bass, guitar and (eventually...) drums down. We were all sat with the guy who ran the studio, listening to him try to record the singer, who was across the way in a separate booth. The singer kept making mistakes here and there (though, amazingly, was able to harmonise with [i]himself[/i] perfectly in three different octaves), and the technician was tearing his hair out, even going so far as to say: "That bit there, can you sing it in tune?" "No, that wasn't in tune" "Can you stop pronouncing your r's like Johnathon Ross when you sing?" "Try singing like this" and then proceeding to sing in tune. The whole thing was very difficult, the singer is a great friend of mine, so it made the whole thing quite awkward as whenever it was called into question it was always "well that's your opinion, my singing tutor says different". He left the band eventually to sing for his "Christian Metal" band so he's happy enough now Edited June 29, 2012 by Jam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dincz Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 [quote name='ironside1966' timestamp='1341003165' post='1712847'] Tape the rehearsal[/quote] Tried that. The singer blamed his poor pitch on the recorder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markstuk Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Then he's either in denial or has a hearing problem :-) [quote name='dincz' timestamp='1341064106' post='1713385'] Tried that. The singer blamed his poor pitch on the recorder [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.