My aim is to just be able to play, sing and enjoy - no aspirations to perform etc.

Then you have already succeeded. ?

I quickly found that I can't really keep quiet while playing songs I like

You are very, very lucky in that. The single most effective way to improve is by doing. As long as you keep on singing you will keep on improving. I wish I could sing and just enjoy it - as a result I don't sing much and I don't improve (trying to fix that now).

Even if you fall short on the technical or raw talent side, given the willingness to actually sing, there is no obstacle to you becoming a great singer - you just have to learn to use what you already have effectively, and the more you push your boundaries, the better you will become.

One thing I would say from your recordings is that you will have to be careful in your selection of songs at first - try find songs that suit your voice better and are in your natural mid to lower range (and Joni Mitchell songs are ambitious for anyone). You'll know them by how naturally comfortable they are to sing. As you get better with singing them, they'll give you a grounded place to start and then you can expand into the more difficult songs.

Alan,

Much appreciated!

I guess I am lucky in that regard yes. I never had the seemingly common problem of struggling with singing while playing (i.t.o. keeping rhythm). To me it's like it fits together from the start, or complements each other. The same with the strumming - I never count and didn't have trouble with the patterns and so forth.

The dear price it comes at, I guess, is that I have a proportional deficiency in the scales/lead/picking-whatever department. Man alive, as soon as individual strings are involved anywhere, from 5tatonic scales to simple finger picking, the proverbial beetle immediately bliksems off of its kurkprop.

It suits me okay though, as I have always been a great believer in, and supporter of the rhythm guitarist/backing vocalist in a lead guitar ruled world, e.g. Malcolm Young who is as much an MVP IMHO as any big-mouthed soloist...

Any which way, I would like to thank you while I stray off topic for the warm welcome reply. I am glad I found the forum and look forward to its use!

D G D A-D~~~
Cheers for now!

Your voice is expressive and has potential. You also pitch correctly which is 95% of the whole thing.

My advice: don't sing like you don't want people to hear you. I'm NOT saying push your voice from volume. Just don't hold it in. No singer was ever of interest to an audience who was shy about being heard. Make sure you're opening up and letting it out.

I only got a chance to listen to Both Sides Now. It is, as Alan said, a challenging tune. It sounds like it goes too low for you. Transpose it up a bit, or use a capo. And when singing your lowest notes (and I struggle with this too) try to relax your voice as much as possible. Pushing will limit how far down you can go.

Good luck.