Critique/Advice for Beginning Vocalist

[Carpe Mortem]

Got a few different styles I've been experimenting with, I apologize for having almost no instrumental track but I'm still learning how programs work so it's basically me singing in a mic right next to speakers. Mainly vocal covers, one freestyle over Testament's Last Call that, aside from the atrocious lyrics, I'm pretty proud of.

I think they all sound pretty decent, aside from a few timing fuck-ups here and there, curious what others think though. Which style suits my voice best, and any suggestions for songs you think I should give a try, much appreciated.

Testament- Last Call
https://soundcloud.com/carpe_mortem/last-call-freestyle

Candlemass- Solitude
https://soundcloud.com/carpe_mortem/solitude

Clutch- Ghost
https://soundcloud.com/carpe_mortem/ghost?in=carpe_mortem/sets/vocal-covers

Moonspell- Sanguine
https://soundcloud.com/carpe_mortem/sanguine?in=carpe_mortem/sets/vocal-covers

Iced Earth- Damien
https://soundcloud.com/carpe_mortem/damien?in=carpe_mortem/sets/vocal-covers
(High notes here are laughable but it should help show my limits haha)

Iron Maiden- Hallowed be thy Name
https://soundcloud.com/carpe_mortem/hallowed-be-thy-name?in=carpe_mortem/sets/vocal-covers

 

[Carpe Mortem]

So I guess nobody had any advice to give based on those... well I've been working on minimizing vibrato, so if ANYBODY could PLEASE take a listen and give me some advice/critique/ something on these new vocal covers I'd appreciate it. I'm aware I'm not the greatest at all but I enjoy singing, enjoy writing lyrics, and think I have potential.

Jex Thoth- Stone Evil
https://soundcloud.com/carpe_mortem/stone-evil-less-vib

Jex Thoth- Obsidian Night
https://soundcloud.com/carpe_mortem/obsidian-night-vocal-cover

Jex Thoth- Seperated at Birth
https://soundcloud.com/carpe_mortem/seperated-at-birth-less-vib

Iced Earth- Damien (See note on link)
https://soundcloud.com/carpe_mortem/iced-earth-damien-vocal-cover

 

[Nephilim96]

Don't quit your day job. They're not the worst vocals I've ever heard or anything, but you're no Jex Thoth either. Keep doing your thing if you enjoy it, and you could improve a bit with maybe some lessons or whatever, but don't get your hopes up too much. I'm sure you don't like reading that, but it's not like I'm going to achieve all my dreams either.

I don't have any advice to offer, as I don't know how to offer singing advice. I'll I know is if somebody sounds good, mediocre, or bad.

 

[Carpe Mortem]

Oh I don't think I'm bout to be doing anything but good enough to get some musicians on board and record some originals as a platform for my poetry haha. That's the motivation.

Considering I've only been taking things seriously for a few months, and just in the past week or two started controlling my vibrato a bit, I am not yet discouraged. Your words are just reminder to keep at it.

 

[Nephilim96]

I think you're voice would work with spoken word music (spoken word poetry over music, just to be clear). I don't mean that in a bad way either, fyi.

 

[Carpe Mortem]

I know man. I rap with friends here and there, I have given that some thought. Also given spoken word some thought. It's a lot easier though, figure I'd try to get good at something harder first then settle if it doesn't work out.

 

[viewerfromnihil]

Vibrato is tough to get. Work on your technique, I'm hearing a lot of upper throat tendencies.

 

[Carpe Mortem]

More like hard to avoid haha. It's hard finding your 'voice'. I am of the belief and theory that everyone has a sound within them that sounds amazing, a particular beautiful style that manifests itself with their natural talk and singing. The difficult part is finding that sound after years of imitating others. It's hard to just sing without thinking of one's favorite vocalists.

 

[Nihi]

From what I can hear, you don't seem to have a problem with projection, which is something that holds many people back.

Practice singing up and down scales as a vocal warm up. And if you want to raise or lower your range, go an octave lower or higher than you're used to and practice some scales there, though maybe cautiously, and see how that serves you. You'd be surprised how much easier this makes it to sing. More or less, it dusts the cobwebs and strengthens your ability, and muscle memory, of hitting the notes your throat isn't otherwise accustomed to hitting.

Don't emphasize the consonants when you're singing. Emphasize the vowels instead. When you do this, you sing more smoothly and bring more color to each word, so to speak.

Since you already know about using your diaphragm (I saw the post you made where you told that guy how to do harsher vocals), I am guessing you already know how to sing cleanly with your diaphragm's support. However, knowing when to take a breath is pretty important. Sometimes your brain will unconsciously pick up on when the vocalist takes a breath in a song, since you can sometimes hear when it happens for more melodic vocalists, but you want to make it conscious until it becomes muscle memory. Know when a segment requires more oxygen from you, whether that is a lot of words sung quickly, sustaining long notes, or a more passionate part, and make sure to not only breathe correctly just before it is required of you, but also to breathe consistently before the part arrives. This is to ensure you're not completely out of breath and are desperately taking one gulp of air, only to find you're soon out of breath in the middle of when you need it most. If you keep breathing consistently, then you'll already have a sufficient supply of oxygen, to then take what you need to sing those more strenuous parts.

Also, don't take deep, slow breaths, but instead 'sip' at the air in short inhalations, using your diaphragm, just before the cue to sing. This'll ensure that the oxygen doesn't have to go very far for you to use it to sing, rather than when you breathe deeply where the air has to come all the way back up, usually wanting to immediately be let out in just an exhale instead of something you can fully utilize.

That's all I can remember at the moment. Please excuse any typos or statements that don't make sense, as I am pretty tired while writing this.

Good luck with your singing, though, and I hope I said something that proved beneficial in some way.

 

[Carpe Mortem]

That was really quality advice, thank you! All anyone ever tells me is to use my diaphragm (which, again, I do), pay for some vocal lessons (which I can't afford just now), or give up all together.

I have been doing really well since my last post about pretty much getting rid of my major overuse of vibrato, so there's some improvement. Your tips to emphasize vowels and 'sip' at the air are especially useful though, generic things that will help me regardless of how my voice ends up sounding.

Seriously, thank you. Much appreciated.

 

[Carpe Mortem]

Kinda just gonna go ahead and keep updating this thread as I progress. Right now, I'm trying to determine what my voice is, really. So here's a sample of me talking, as well as a few rougher sounds at the end. Didn't put much effort into the roughs, just kinda included those for the fuck of it. Please focus on me talking. With my normal voice taken into consideration, any thoughts on what vocalist I may be able to successfully emulate as I continue my studies?

https://soundcloud.com/carpe_mortem/talking-and-samples