Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with vocal

Speak the speech trippingly. Or pitched low. Or with a mumble.

grumblebee — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 09:07:15 -0800

Is there a resource that lists and explains the various effects one can use to accessorized speech, such as altering pitch, speeding up, slowing down, etc.? As a director, I often have to help actors make vocal choices. My company regularly employs doubling -- that is using one actor to play multiple parts. So that the audience doesn't get confused, it's great if the actor makes each of his characters sound different.

Some actors are naturally gifted this way. Others need help.

Note: like most modern actors and directors, I take a psychological approach to character work. So I would never simply tell an actor something like "speak more quickly" or "raise your pitch." But once we've done the psychological work, it would be awesome to see an array of choices from which you could pick an appropriate set of effects.

The vocal instrument is flexible but not infinite. There are only so many things one can do while speaking: add gruffness/gravel, change the pitch, change the speed, change the degree of annunciation, try an accent, etc.

I would like a complete list. The perfect list would include effect, example (e.g. an actor who naturally talks with that effect, such as George C. Scott for gravel) and any hints/pitfalls to help create the effect without hurting your voice.

I have a bunch of Voice-For-The-Actor books, but none has the list I'm looking for. If such a list doesn't exist, maybe we could compile one together here.

Classical composers who sang instead of played instruments?

mediareport — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:56:33 -0800

Are there well-known classical composers who aren't trained on a particular instrument? An acquaintance is a young singer who's interested in composition (mostly for voice), but in talking to him I get the sense that he feels a little inadequate compared to his fellow students who are accomplished on at least one instrument like piano or violin. Can you give me examples of classical composers whose work is respected but who weren't primarily instrumental players? Modern or otherwise. Thanks!

me me me ME me me meeee

2or3whiskeysodas — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:11:16 -0800

Vocal warm-up suggestions for a play that requires me to talk loudly for about an hour straight, and then sing loudly for another hour? I'm performing a (virtually) one-man show that has me speaking, sometimes yelling, for about an hour in Act I. In Act II I'm singing almost throughout, including one song where I have to go full-on high-pitched ROCK POWER.

Additionally, my character has a kind of pinched voice, even when singing, and doesn't sing from the diaphragm at all. I'm trying to work on getting the same effect without murdering my throat, but it's tricky.

I've read a bunch of threads here with general warm-up advice and some great recommendations for teas, lozenges and other stuff I can ingest, many of which I'm eager to try. However, can anyone point me at some specific warm-up exercises I could be trying? The show opens in (oh shit oh shit oh shit) a week and I don't want to go mute halfway in!

Help! Thanks!

Original Andrews Sisters Arrangements

stewiethegreat — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:29:59 -0800

Where can I find the original Andrews Sisters vocal trio arrangements by Vic Schoen? I'm putting together a trio for fun, and I think it's important for us to do some Andrews Sisters arrangements. Unfortunately, the original arrangements are very hard to come by.

What I've found so far are transcriptions of their stuff for trio and full big band, which cost about $65 each. That's unfortunately out of my price range.

Have you seen such arrangements lurking around the web somewhere?

Thanks!

Where Can I Find These Vocal Harmonies?

goalyeehah — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:18:20 -0800

Is it possible to find sheet music for background vocals of a 40 yo cover of a classic tune? The Beach Boys did a cover of Leadbelly's "Cotton Field's Back Home" in 1969 on their "20/20" album. The single version has more emphasis on background vocal harmonies that I find amazing in both complexity and spirit. I'd actually like to get a group together to sing this and am wondering where I can find the written version of this recording with both lead and background vocals.

Help me keep my cat

Niomi — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:29:02 -0800

My husband has given me a deadline of two weeks to keep our cat from waking us up at night. If I can't change her or find a home for her he will insist on giving her to a shelter. (alternatively, if you live near Ft. Wayne In and would like to adopt the cat) Our animal control shelter kills animals and no-kill shelters in the area are not taking more animals.

She cries at night and wakes us up. I sleep through it easily and have not considered it to be a big deal but last night my husband got frustrated and decided that she must leave. On the revelation that no one we know wants her and all the no kill shelters are full, he has given me two weeks to stop the behavior or she'll go to animal control.

We've had her for a year, she's now three years old. We have tried ignoring her: I think in part she meows just to entertain herself. We've tried punishing her by spraying her with water (she doesn't mind a little water) and completely dousing her in the shower (she may or may not settle down for one night, but starts the next night, and getting up multiple times a night to douse her is more disturbing than her behavior). Plus punishment is a possible issue if she's happier to get negative attention than to be ignored.

I am considering getting her a shock collar for small dogs. I want to know if this will harm her physically in any way, she is a smallish cat and weighs 8 pounds. I would normally not consider this a humane treatment at all. I feel like this is a last resort to save her life.

I love this cat, please help me help her.

Vocal remover (from CD) software

page123 — Sat, 30 May 2009 16:48:30 -0800

The best software available for voice remover from a CD etc.

Vocal coach for 30-year-old male aspiring soul/reggae singer.

rubadub — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:23:46 -0800

Looking for a vocal coach for a 30-year-old guy (me.) Preferably one who is hip to soul, jazz, r&b. I love singing (been in several rock bands, sang on a few self-released albums) and have been on a massive soul/jazz/reggae/r&b kick lately. Like anyone else with blood cells, I sing along, but no way can I manage their precision/control. At age 30 and playing music as a hobby I will never be Curtis Mayfield, but I'm starting to wonder how well I could sing if I took lessons.

I'd like to find a vocal coach who is hip to this stuff instead of choral singing / opera or rock. I've thought about it on and off for years but I don't even know how much to expect to pay, much less who to check out.

If you know of any good online resources to get started, those would be much appreciated. Exercises/etc might save me a little dough and reinforce some basic skills up front.

Located in Columbus, OH if you have any specific suggestions.

Suggestions for comedy songs to sing at the piano

chrismear — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:20:33 -0800

I'd like to learn some more comedy songs to sing at the piano along the lines of Hugh Laurie's Mystery. Suggestions? I have a book of Tom Lehrer songs, but that's where my knowledge ends. Can you suggest any classics, gems, or just personal favourites that I should seek out?

Mike Patton is the male _____?

sleevener — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 11:36:13 -0800

Who is the female Mike Patton? She must meet some or all of the following criteria:

- Interesting voice, used with a wide variety of vocal techniques (singing, screaming, speaking, etc).

- Collaborates well with others, does so (semi)frequently

- She is not Bjork

- Maybe she is Maja Ratkje?

- Engaged with many different genres/tendencies of music (especially extremist rock styles and the avant-weird)

- Her recordings are available for purchase over the intertubes

Thank you.

It should be a Good Friday, not just an Okay Friday.

Madamina — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:33:14 -0800

Help me find a soprano/mezzo solo for an Episcopal Good Friday service! I'm a subbing soprano soloist (more of a mezzo, but who's counting?) in an Episcopal church. I offered to do a solo any time before Easter, and I got the Good Friday service. Now I'm racking my brain trying to think of what to sing, as my usual B Minor Mass/Messiah solos won't cut it. Aside from Barber's "Crucifixion" or something from the St. Matthew Passion, what can I do? I can pick up just about anything quickly (I love a challenge), except the aforementioned Passions, and I have access to a ton of scores. The altar area, I am told, will be cleared of everything, so something very simple and solemn would fit the setting. This will be at noon.

Thanks!

Why does my fellow commuter squeak?

awfurby — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:28:49 -0800

Every morning on the bus to work there is a young woman who makes a stream of odd sounds - little squeaks, yips and moans. Every couple of minutes. I can't see if she is using her mouth (I usually sit further back in the bus than her) but they sound to me like she makes the sounds without opening her mouth. I have been tempted to ask her, but I think it would be very rude and probably embarrass her. So, can anyone please tell me - why does she squeak? (Or at least proffer a plausible guess).

Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?

Beardman — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:43:06 -0800

I like to gripe about Top 40 radio, but I don't have much of a technical music vocabulary. Are there names for the vocal styles of Avril Lavigne, Taylor Swift, et al.? Recently I found myself trying to articulate the particular way that these singers deliver lines, and I quickly ended up using unsatisfactory phenomenological language to describe it ("they, um, kind of curl their words in this irritating way...and it's kind of nasal and groany...does anybody know what I'm talking about?").

It got me thinking that I'd like to know more about the technical names for the vocal styles that are commonly used in the music they tend to play at my gym, in the grocery store, and so on. Avril and Taylor were the first to come to mind, but I'm interested in all of it, including, say, that heaving, ogre-ish singing in Nickelback. So: is there any go-to resource for this kind of information, or any informed criticism you can point me to? Or is it really as ineffable as my poor attempts to describe Avril Lavigne would suggest?

(Note: I realize that the most obvious thing to say about vocals in contemporary Top 40 is that they're autotuned to hell and back, but I'm asking about the styles of singing, not vocal production. So the fact that Nickelback typically builds a wall of sound out of vocal overdubs alone isn't what I'm after.)

Waking up with a frog and a hoarse

ajp — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:51:40 -0800

I've noticed my voice is hoarse in the mornings after an evening spent in any noisy environment. After an hour or two of speaking with a louder-than-normal voice, I'm croaky the next day. I've also noticed that my voice is "breathy" when I'm singing, particular in higher registers. It loses power and control, and the only way I can hit higher notes is to "power" through them, which feels damaging, and limits my control. While I like the quality of a breathy voice, I'm concerned that I'm slowly losing range, power, and control.

I'm not overly worried that I have anything like vocal chord nodules, although I may go for a check-up. I may explore the Alexander Technique, since it was invented by a public speaker for just this sort of problem.

Ideally I'd see a speech therapist and a singing coach, but time and cash are against me. For now.

So does anyone out there have any suggestions? I'd prefer tested, practical tips from singers or vocal therapists on how to train my voice, if at all possible. I'd like to make myself heard in a noisy pub at the weekends without waking up with a frog in my throat; and I'd want some basic exercises for improving control and vocal range while singing. My singing style is pretty middle-of-the-road -- pop, folk, rock, nothing too extreme. And I record, but don't perform publicly, at the moment.

I shall be following the advice in these previous threads, but any specific advice would be gratefully received:

http://ask.metafilter.com/68129/How-can-I-sound-like-Wilson-Pickett

http://ask.metafilter.com/36589/Blargle-graaaah-ruggl-RAKZCH-BLAHHHH

http://ask.metafilter.com/14967/Voice-Care

Thanks, Hive Mind.

is it possible to change the sound of your voice?

krautland — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:44:00 -0800

is it possible to change the sound of your voice? I'm curious if there is a way to influence the sound of your voice -- to go from a keith olbermann voice to an ed rendell or clint eastwood voice. this is not about pronunciation or intonation to me but about the sound their vocal chords produce before they put any twang onto it. is this a question of drinking too much whiskey, sheer good or bad luck or is this something one could influence?

this is a theoretical question. I sound awesome.

What's wrong with my throat?

alligatorman — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:03:15 -0800

Something funky is going on in my throat area. What could it be, and is it something I should be worried about? Every once in a while, maybe once a month, I feel like something in my throat is getting misaligned with some other thing. I have to turn my head to "realign" it, and if that doesn't work, I push an area in my throat to move it off of whatever it's on.

I don't know if that makes any sense, but that's because I have no idea what's in my throat or what could be going on.

Imagine two not-yet-disconnected Twizzlers, and then disconnect them slightly so that part of one remains on top of part of the other. That's what my throat feels like. I feel like there are two cords in my throat that are supposed to be connected, but one is now loose and goes out of place if my neck does something funny.

When this happens, it's impossible for me to gulp without feeling extreme discomfort.

I have no idea what it could be, so I don't even know what I'd tell a doctor if it was indeed a big deal.

Does anyone have any idea of what it could be?

Thanks

Hit me with the hot beats!

jstef — Sat, 03 May 2008 14:10:35 -0800

Where to find digital hip-hop EP's? I want the backing tracks and vocals split up, but ripping to Ableton Live from my turntables is a pain (and I am having trouble sourcing the records I want). Is there anywhere that does digital downloads of hip-hop vocal and backing tracks?

It's such a pain (and expensive) to source vinyl. Now that everyone seems to be switching over to this digital vinyl control stuff, where the hell are they downloading their tracks from?

It begilns to tell 'round midnight...

Phire — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:07:13 -0800

Give me recommendations for vocal versions of Round Midnight. The first time I heard this song, it was sung to me by a friend with a lovely mid-range voice, and the lyrics were absolutely haunting. The style of delivery was very simple and crisp rather than resonating. More Diana Krall than Sarah Vaugh, let's say.

I've got four instrumental versions of the song, but I've yet to find a vocal version with a singer that makes me feel as calm as this friend did. Amy Winehouse's take gives me a raging headache, for example. Kenny Rankin's version makes it sound like a teenybopper song. Linda Ronstadt's is pretty good, but a bit rushed (and it sounds like she's stretching her voice at times), though Ella Fitzgerald's version is very close to what I'm looking for.

I apologize if I come off as really picky - I guess I am in this case. I adore the lyrics a lot and would love to find the ideal cover, and maybe you know of some niche indie artist that fits these descriptors perfectly. I'm not sure how clear I've expressed myself and I'm sure there are hundreds of covers to pick from. I guess I'm looking for more melodic, less raspy/throaty, more focused on a decently jazzy beat and a smooth delivery rather than the "creative takes of rhythm" some of the above artists seem to favour.

Thanks in advance!

Microphone and amp for vocal practice

mmoncur — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 05:52:29 -0800

Trying to choose a microphone / preamp / amp for a vocalist to use when practicing with a band. My wife sings vocals in our band, and we need a decent way to amplify her voice. The other instruments are electronic drums, guitar, and bass, each of which have their own amp. We're currently plugging a cheap Peavey dynamic mic into one of the drum monitor inputs, but we'd like something better.

Which type of microphone is best for practicing in a small room with other instruments? We don't want feedback but we want to be able to hear the vocals clearly.

Should we get a separate amp/speaker just for vocals, or a preamp to plug them in with the drums? Ideally she wants to add a bit of reverb to the vocals, or at least a bit of warmth.

This is strictly for practice, but if any equipment we purchase were useful in future recording or live situations it would be a bonus.

Note: I'm pretty much aware of the difference between condenser and dynamic mics, and pickup patterns, but I don't know what's best for this particular situation.

Bass Gospel Vocalist?

prettyboyfloyd — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 10:36:00 -0800

Bass Gospel Vocalist: Gospel. Recent Public Radio Interview? Hi, I was listening to public radio in California a few months ago and they were profiling or interviewing this gospel bass vocalist. I thought he was black but he could have been white or some other race. He is still alive I'm pretty sure. The music style is fairly traditional gospel/soul style. The guy has a very low bass voice.

Any of you know the guys name?

For some reason it seems like this radio program also had something to do with Eric Alatorre, the bassist from Chanticleer. Maybe he was citing this guy as one of his influences? Maybe I'm just confusing two different public radio interviews/reviews?

I know its a pretty vague question. But any help is much appreciated. My google skills are failing me.

Looking for a definitive list of Tom Waits's spoken word tracks

TheDonF — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:17:30 -0800

I'm looking for a definitive list of Tom Waits's spoken word tracks. I realise that sometimes Wait's vocal style stretches the verb that is "sing" but I'm after things that are obviously spoken word, for example Army Ants; Children's Story; What's He Building In There and Circus. The One That Got Away has a tiny bit of singing in it, but probably passes muster for what I'm after. Thanks.

Name this band and song

Jofus — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 03:20:51 -0800

Identify this song and band: American, male, R'n'B vocal group attaining brief mid-chart respectability in the UK in '92 or '93. A tough one this:

I'm looking for a single by an American male R'n'B vocal group from the early nineties.

This would probably have been 1992/93. The band were part of that kind of doo-wop revival that Boyz II Men were part of, (standing around braziers on street corners, singing in terrifying close harmony...) I'm pretty sure it wasn't Boyz II Men, but the comparison is good: 4 or 5 members, identically dressed, probably a bit of rap in there, but mostly harmony vocal...I think their USP was that they were a vocal group that wasn't wussy.

I do remember that they *definately* appeared on "Later with Jools Holland" (In the UK) in appaling yellow leather tracksuits. They would have certainly been promoting their first UK single.

The song itself was a keyboard and drum loop kind of thing that I *think* might have borne a passing resemblance to The Roots "Next Movement" only with a bit of harmony vocal over the top and a wicked bit of modulation in the hook that really tweaked my ear (the only way I can describe the effect is in comparison to the beginning of the Beach Boys "Wouldn't it be nice" but not sounding anything like that.)

OK, so could I be any more vague? Help me chaps. It's driving me mad. What the hell was the song and who the hell were the band? Any and all suggestions welcome. The only thing I can't do is explain why I want to know this.

Manhattan Vocal Teacher

captainscared — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 17:30:20 -0800

I need a recommendation for a Manhattan singing teacher for an actress in a movie. I am producing a short film and need to have an actor sing a short a capella number. She has no prior experience and needs to be on key. I am looking to find her a vocal instructor in Manhattan for a few brief, relatively inexpensive lessons. I know I could pick a teacher at random on Craig's list but I'd prefer someone that comes recommended.

Thanks so much.

Help me learn how to sing!

DMan — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 07:32:03 -0800

So, I want to work on my (admittedly lacking) singing skills. Is there any way I can do this online? So, due to a series of problems my church's praise team has had, we now no longer have a good singer--the one girl we have doing it seems to be tone deaf, and although she certainly tries, she just can't do it.

I'm the drummer, and while singing is not my forte, I feel like I should give it a try...I'm very musically inclined and can play several instruments pretty well, so I feel as though I have somewhat of a chance of being able to help out. I'd like to find something to help me practice and get better at singing, on the off chance that I have enough skill at it to help my church.

So where am I at right now? Well, it's hard to say. I've never really sang, never been in choir or anything like that. Like everyone else, I sing in the car, and most of the time I can hit the same notes as the singer on whatever song is playing, but I know that singing by yourself is a completely different proposition. I can't go too terribly high, and that's something I'd like to work on, but I'm a guy, so it's not as much of a concern. I plan on recording myself in a day or two so I can accurately see where I'm at and how I would sound to another person.

But what I'd really like is something on the internet that I can look at to get some help with my learning process. I know the obvious answer is going to be "vocal coach" but that's not really an option right now--I don't have a set block of time per week that I could do that, and this is a very tentative thing, so I want to try and learn on my own a little. So are there any good resources available online where I could find some sort of "lessons" as well as practice techniques and such?

Of course, if any of you singing types have any tips or ideas at all that might help me, I'd love to hear them.

Fiction movies in which actors, portraying musician characters, actually play the instruments and/or sing?

lorimer — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 22:44:05 -0800

Real music-making onscreen: Fiction movies in which actors, portraying musician characters, actually play the instruments and/or sing? I'm inspired to ask by Laurel Canyon, a movie with several musician characters who all play their own instruments & sing with their own voices (I think this would have been less evocative & effective as a movie if they'd faked the music-making scenes).

The music doesn't have to be a main focus of the plot; I'm just interested in examples of real onscreen music-making.

I'm also interested to hear about
- movies that use hybrids of the actor performing at some times and a pro performing at other times (as in The Pianist); and
- movies where a pro musician has an acting role, rather than a role "as themselves," and their character performs music onscreen (as in Dwight Yoakam's amateur-musician role in Sling Blade).

Here are all the examples of this I remember having seen already:
- Antonia's Line
- Cold Mountain
- The Crying Game
- Dancer in the Dark
- Dark City
- De-Lovely
- L.I.E.
- Laurel Canyon
- A Mighty Wind
- Mulholland Dr
- The Pianist
- The Piano
- Sling Blade
- Strange Days
- The Talented Mr. Ripley
- Timecode

So which others should I check out? If you can do it without spoilers, I'd also love to hear any info about which character and what instrument they play (or that they sing). If anyone is curious, I can give the same info for my list above.

(PLEASE, NO SPOILERS IN THIS THREAD [please don't reveal surprises / plot points in any movie]. THANKS!)