Can you sing?

singemonkey · 2011-09-11T10:07:41+00:00

Do people play guitar because they're not confident with their pipes? Or can more of us yodel up a storm than we think? (old forum) Poll Results: Can you sing? Like a badass nightingale: 4 I'm a confident, useful singer: 19 I can hold down a tune if I have to: 19 I'm ok in the shower but I don't trust my voice in front of people: 16 I wouldn't dare, people would throw things: 14

TomCat

I Can't.. ☹...But my wife can, and well too.......Ask Keira......

Arno-West

X-rated Bob wrote Can't sing harmonies for toffee.

...but you'll try for a six pack.

Arno-West

Norman86 wrote Kurt Darren is disappointing.
The CD's lead you to believe he can sing.
And NO-ONE i know has been impressed with his live singing.
The "leave the venue, go outside, start smsing" thing happens with him.
I have even heard him botch the anthem. not the wrong words, but flippit, so off key its sad!

Being able to sell CD's does not mean you can sing live! Not unless you have all those effects for your voice!

THE KURT sucks a**. I spoke to his sound guy at the SAMAs, (the guy that mixes an I-pod and 1 mic...) and he told me under his breath that he pushes Autotune into the red but Koert still manages to be off key. All together now...Kurt sucks a**.

Nitebob

I know the guy that does sound for Juanita and Theuns etc, apparently he did sound for Kurt once and afterwards said: "Let's just be friends" :roflmao:

Norman86

Nitebob wrote I know the guy that does sound for Juanita and Theuns etc, apparently he did sound for Kurt once and afterwards said: "Let's just be friends" :roflmao:

On this subject, what amp does Theuns' guitarist use??
Fender Deluxe Reverb? (it sounds like it!)

StefStoep

IMHO, not every1 can sing! You get people that is tone deaf and others who just don't have tha vocal ability. Yes, practice can help people with potential.

Myself I have played guitar and sang lead vocals in every band I've been. I have done backing vocals / harmonies in church while playing guitar.

I think a good point to raise is that vocal caracter is sometimes more important than vocal ability, e.g. Dylan. But if we are talking about "great" singers we are talking about vocal ability!

One great vocalist and also a pretty good guitarist worth mentioning is Myles Kennedy for Alter Bridge, he has a 4 and a half octave vocal range! That is bigger than a 6 string guitar's range!

21Fretter

I definitely think you can learn to sing the correct notes but your voice can still be not enjoyable to listen to (tone i guess). I went to school with a girl who was like that. Won awards and grades and all this and that for singing but listening to her sing made me want to punch myself.

Nicholas-L

21Fretter wrote I definitely think you can learn to sing the correct notes but your voice can still be not enjoyable to listen to (tone i guess). I went to school with a girl who was like that. Won awards and grades and all this and that for singing but listening to her sing made me want to punch myself.

:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

I know at least I can sing within a certain range, but I really need to learn to sing properly (all the breathing and singing from the diaphragm and such). Maybe someday I'll go for lessons and all that jazz.

Seventhson

So tonight I learnt I can actually sing. ???

singemonkey

Daniel Stuart wrote So tonight I learnt I can actually sing. ???

And that means, buddy, that you can start your own band without looking for a vocalist. That's a big deal.

domhatch

singemonkey wrote
Daniel Stuart wrote So tonight I learnt I can actually sing. ???
And that means, buddy, that you can start your own band without looking for a vocalist. That's a big deal.

indeedly do. here's what to do next:

1 extend right arm straight up into the air from your shoulder.
2 turn hand backwards
3 bend at the elbow
4 touch hand to shoulder blade
5 extend hand back up
6 repeat 3 to 5 at will
congrats! you are now patting yourself on the back. ?

Atherie1

I read a book a while back that claims that everybody can sing with the correct training (forget the title now). Hmmm... Not sure I entirely agree but here's to being hopeful! I thought I was really bad at one point, but anytime I play a gig or someone listens to a recording the first thing they compliment me on is my voice. So maybe some truth in the whole voice training thing.

@StefStoep, I basically worship Alter Bridge, sing along to their stuff for practice and think Myles has an insanely amazing voice. I'm glad someone else also picked up on that!

singemonkey

Atherie1: Anyone can sing with the correct training. But you're at a disadvantage if you get to adulthood without ever having learned at all. Singing is not an inherent talent. We can see that clearly in SA where white culture has almost entirely given up singing for pleasure (fewer attending traditional hymn-singing churches, tv, x-boxes, etc.). So, surprise surprise, most white people are useless to mediocre at singing. While singing - harmony singing - is still an incredibly important source of entertainment among a great many black South Africans. Consequently the ratio of can-sings to can't-sings seems to be the reverse.

I learned to sing because my ma used to sing in the car... to entertain herself. I learned from that that you could entertain yourself by singing (boy genius ?). So I started doing it when I was wee.

I sing at home. I sing in the car. I've done it my entire life.

Now what if you'd never done it? You didn't start when you were little. Then you were a person who "couldn't sing." Now you're 25 or whatever and you want to learn. It's much harder. But it can be done.

It's a lot like guitar playing. How come some people were virtuosos when they were 18? Turns out they used to drag their guitars everywhere. Never put them down. Hendrix apparently used to play on the toilet. Putting in those hours when you're older and have competing interests is much harder.

Singing is easier in a way though, because you need nothing but yourself to be there. If a person is trying to learn to sing later in life, lessons are important. But so is singing at every possible opportunity throughout the day to catch up.

It's just fascinating that my culture has developed this myth that singing is like some internal switch that some people have on and others off. There's a reason that most pop bands in the '60s had two, and usually more, members who could sing really well. Because most people back then could sing a bit.

AlanRatcliffe

Great post Singe. Thanked!

StefStoep

@Atherie1, Myles is probabely my favourite vocalist currently. I see Myles and Slash is busy with a album now, can't wait for it to come out!

I still don't agree with the "every body can sing" idea. Yes, every body can sing, but a lot of them won't be in tune! And if you think that I'm wrong just wait for the next Idols and watch the first couple of auditions!

I agree that if people start when they are young they will probabely have a more natural feel for it. Remember when you pick up a guitar and can strum a few chords, then most people will agree that you can play guitar, even if you're timing is out, etc. So do you call somebody who hits every 3rd note a singer? Or say they can sing?

singemonkey

StefStoep wrote @Atherie1, Myles is probabely my favourite vocalist currently. I see Myles and Slash is busy with a album now, can't wait for it to come out!

I still don't agree with the "every body can sing" idea. Yes, every body can sing, but a lot of them won't be in tune! And if you think that I'm wrong just wait for the next Idols and watch the first couple of auditions!

I agree that if people start when they are young they will probabely have a more natural feel for it. Remember when you pick up a guitar and can strum a few chords, then most people will agree that you can play guitar, even if you're timing is out, etc. So do you call somebody who hits every 3rd note a singer? Or say they can sing?

If you only get every third note on a guitar chord right, no one will say you can play guitar.

Everyone can play guitar. That doesn't mean that someone who's never picked one up before can play it. You learn to play guitar. And you learn to sing. Someone who can't sing a simple song in their range in tune can't sing.

Starting off young doesn't give you a "more natural feel." It gives you practise.

Atherie1

@Singe: You raise some good points.

@StefStoep: Oh Cool! Can't wait to hear it too! Another fave of mine is Chris Cornell! His voice melts my soul...

Bob-Dubery

I'm with Singe on this, and I think it's a bit of a pity that in this modern day and age and life we don't sing so much. Because we don't sing we think we can't sing.

Jack-Flash-Jr

X-rated Bob wrote I'm with Singe on this, and I think it's a bit of a pity that in this modern day and age and life we don't sing so much. Because we don't sing we think we can't sing.

He can't actually sing, he's just "sings" better than the other band members ?

singemonkey

Jack Flash Jr wrote
X-rated Bob wrote I'm with Singe on this, and I think it's a bit of a pity that in this modern day and age and life we don't sing so much. Because we don't sing we think we can't sing.
He can't actually sing, he's just "sings" better than the other band members ?

Well it's the act that counts most. Like when Jack grooves about on stage while randomly fretting notes on his bass with fingers showing all the precision of pork sausages.

« Previous Page Next Page »