adding the emotion element into singing
- Thread starter rainedrop
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jeremyspk
New member
Hmm... my vocalist friend commented on my another friend and I at a point of our vocal journey that we lacked emotions or feelings..
i think firstly it will take technique to express feelings. If i can't control well, how to sing softly (or huskily) and clearly to express "low" or "sad" or "sexy"? Or to express the climax portion of a song without resonance? (errr.. not sure if anyone understands me :/) So i've been trying and still working on control in order to "injected" feelings.
and other various aspects like projection..and learning how to belt..
i think firstly it will take technique to express feelings. If i can't control well, how to sing softly (or huskily) and clearly to express "low" or "sad" or "sexy"? Or to express the climax portion of a song without resonance? (errr.. not sure if anyone understands me :/) So i've been trying and still working on control in order to "injected" feelings.
and other various aspects like projection..and learning how to belt..
sage
New member
find something you can relate to in the song, like the lyrics.. if you can't relate then read it and fit your part in like an actor and it'll automatically come usually...
you can search for that connection on your own first, just listen to the singer and what the song's about and sections of the songs where the singer changes the emphasis..
then.. connect and act~! usually it'll come out naturally. like, say,.. if you're singing "sweet child of mine", pretend you're this guy in his 20s who just got attached to a cute beautiful model and everytime she comes by or when you think about her, you feel crazy in love and really happy. then when you talk about her "ohh sweet child of mine"... am pretty sure you won't be singing like you wanna die or something
i remembered when i first heard kate bush's "woman's work", i thought it was so beautiful and sad. then i read the lyrics, and the more i read up about the background and diff interpretations of the song, the more emotional i get. now i can't sing the damn song cos i keep crying. -_-
if the lyrics are meaningless like about vegetables or something, do a background on the song, find out what the emotions were like when it was written.. research research... if really no emotion except abt some guy singing abt vegetables, then it's safe to say you'd have to act out an eccentric character
you can search for that connection on your own first, just listen to the singer and what the song's about and sections of the songs where the singer changes the emphasis..
then.. connect and act~! usually it'll come out naturally. like, say,.. if you're singing "sweet child of mine", pretend you're this guy in his 20s who just got attached to a cute beautiful model and everytime she comes by or when you think about her, you feel crazy in love and really happy. then when you talk about her "ohh sweet child of mine"... am pretty sure you won't be singing like you wanna die or something
i remembered when i first heard kate bush's "woman's work", i thought it was so beautiful and sad. then i read the lyrics, and the more i read up about the background and diff interpretations of the song, the more emotional i get. now i can't sing the damn song cos i keep crying. -_-
if the lyrics are meaningless like about vegetables or something, do a background on the song, find out what the emotions were like when it was written.. research research... if really no emotion except abt some guy singing abt vegetables, then it's safe to say you'd have to act out an eccentric character
hecklerkoch
New member
Shut out the world and lose yourself in the song.
Forget about how you look and bring you AND the audience to the fantasy/make believe world as told in the song. Bring everyone inside.
Singing is a bit like acting, you HAVE to believe in the story, you have to make people believe in the story.
Of course that's after you've overcome the technicalities, you know the song inside out and you are ready to tell your interpretation.
Try using your whole body to sing, a performance is visual plus aural but in some platforms they do tend to look at you more than they listen to you.
:mrgreen:
Forget about how you look and bring you AND the audience to the fantasy/make believe world as told in the song. Bring everyone inside.
Singing is a bit like acting, you HAVE to believe in the story, you have to make people believe in the story.
Of course that's after you've overcome the technicalities, you know the song inside out and you are ready to tell your interpretation.
Try using your whole body to sing, a performance is visual plus aural but in some platforms they do tend to look at you more than they listen to you.
:mrgreen:
btherl
New member
First, you need technique. Trying to convey feeling without good technique is like trying to write with a blunt pencil.
After that, you need to connect your technique to your feelings. Then you only need to feel what you're singing, and it'll come out that way.
A good method I've found is to listen very closely, over and over, to a recording of someone singing with the feeling you want. Then train yourself to copy their style. That adds more methods of expression to your repertoire, which you can then call on when you want to express the same feeling.
After that, you need to connect your technique to your feelings. Then you only need to feel what you're singing, and it'll come out that way.
A good method I've found is to listen very closely, over and over, to a recording of someone singing with the feeling you want. Then train yourself to copy their style. That adds more methods of expression to your repertoire, which you can then call on when you want to express the same feeling.
sage: cool. im currently covering sweet child of mine. maybe i can try thinking tt way whn i sing de song next time lol
btherl: "Trying to convey feeling without good technique is like trying to write with a blunt pencil" nice analogy =)
usually i just try to imitate the actual singer in the way he/she articulates the words so i can better "present" the song. den after tt i might add in articulations of my own or take out some of the original's... den i try to "feel" the song. haha but i guess sometimes it might make me imitate the singer's voice a lot =x
btherl: "Trying to convey feeling without good technique is like trying to write with a blunt pencil" nice analogy =)
usually i just try to imitate the actual singer in the way he/she articulates the words so i can better "present" the song. den after tt i might add in articulations of my own or take out some of the original's... den i try to "feel" the song. haha but i guess sometimes it might make me imitate the singer's voice a lot =x
sage
New member
jaycomposer
New member
On the contrary, I think that you have to have a certain amount of detachment to the song in order to make your audience feel the song.
Like story telling, the story teller has to control his emotions but be very in tune with the emotions of the story, so that the audience can hear the details of the story instead of the emotional outburst of the story teller.
The most important thing is to convince yourself, once you believe the song, your audience will believe it too. Trying to insert emotions to "make" the song sound sad or angry, will give the same result as actors who can't act but you can obviously tell they're trying very hard.
Singing is like acting, like a sales pitch, like story-telling. It's all about convincing people. You can use technique sometimes, you can use real conviction sometimes, as long as you convince the audience, you win.
And I don't believe in imagining yourself as the character of the song, because either you get it or you don't. It's not about imagination, it's about personal experience. People who haven't been through that kind of emotions can't convey it.
Like story telling, the story teller has to control his emotions but be very in tune with the emotions of the story, so that the audience can hear the details of the story instead of the emotional outburst of the story teller.
The most important thing is to convince yourself, once you believe the song, your audience will believe it too. Trying to insert emotions to "make" the song sound sad or angry, will give the same result as actors who can't act but you can obviously tell they're trying very hard.
Singing is like acting, like a sales pitch, like story-telling. It's all about convincing people. You can use technique sometimes, you can use real conviction sometimes, as long as you convince the audience, you win.
And I don't believe in imagining yourself as the character of the song, because either you get it or you don't. It's not about imagination, it's about personal experience. People who haven't been through that kind of emotions can't convey it.
sage
New member
yknow jay now that you mentioned it, it's a thought; you're right that we shouldn't get too emotionally involved or play pretend.
though if it helps the acting, why not
i guess there's a limit and technique for everyone. for me, placing myself in the character's shoes is the only way i can make it convincing cos i'm not good with the acting bit lol. i worry about the convincing and presenting of the emotion only after i know exactly what it is and how it feels. makes it more personal, and easier to express. gives a personal satisfaction and sense of elation also. just me perhaps!
i meant it as imagining it to be from personal experience, not imagining someone else's ;P like a sad love song. everyone has their own experience of having a sad-romance moment and it's using that into imagining it's happening through the lyrics and working your interpretation of it to make it appear real.
though if it helps the acting, why not
i guess there's a limit and technique for everyone. for me, placing myself in the character's shoes is the only way i can make it convincing cos i'm not good with the acting bit lol. i worry about the convincing and presenting of the emotion only after i know exactly what it is and how it feels. makes it more personal, and easier to express. gives a personal satisfaction and sense of elation also. just me perhaps!jaycomposer said:
i meant it as imagining it to be from personal experience, not imagining someone else's ;P like a sad love song. everyone has their own experience of having a sad-romance moment and it's using that into imagining it's happening through the lyrics and working your interpretation of it to make it appear real.
btherl
New member
Here are two techniques I've come across for adding feeling into singing.
1. Add a little 'cry' to your singing. It doesn't have to be too much. This will give you a "slightly heart-wrenching" sound, and elicit an emotional response from your audience. I think that singers like Matt Bellamy from Muse and Thom Yorke from Radiohead are using this method.
2. Use "inner smile". You do this by raising your cheeks just a little, the same way as you do when smiling. Even a slight lift has quite an extroardinary effect on your voice, making it sound bright and cheerful.
The key with both of these is not to overdo it.
1. Add a little 'cry' to your singing. It doesn't have to be too much. This will give you a "slightly heart-wrenching" sound, and elicit an emotional response from your audience. I think that singers like Matt Bellamy from Muse and Thom Yorke from Radiohead are using this method.
2. Use "inner smile". You do this by raising your cheeks just a little, the same way as you do when smiling. Even a slight lift has quite an extroardinary effect on your voice, making it sound bright and cheerful.
The key with both of these is not to overdo it.
KhaiHan
New member
lol that inner smile and crying got me cracked up. No offence mate, but i think its still superficial.
I think any softie here who writes their own song, would be able to inject feelings through their song. simply because certain songs are written cos they were inspired by something that touched them. and the feelings got translated through the music.
doing a cover you'd be simply mimicing the feelings that the writer went through. general tips would be,
- reading the lyrics without the music. figure out what is he trying to say
- listen to the music and close your eyes. imagine the singer is singing to you. you'll definitely feel what is he trying to say.
a good example would be Rick Price's Heaven Knows. =)
hope that helped!
I think any softie here who writes their own song, would be able to inject feelings through their song. simply because certain songs are written cos they were inspired by something that touched them. and the feelings got translated through the music.
doing a cover you'd be simply mimicing the feelings that the writer went through. general tips would be,
- reading the lyrics without the music. figure out what is he trying to say
- listen to the music and close your eyes. imagine the singer is singing to you. you'll definitely feel what is he trying to say.
a good example would be Rick Price's Heaven Knows. =)
hope that helped!
Singers Audition 2008
Singers Audition 2008
Please help to pass the msg:
R. U. 16 – 23 ?
With the Ability To Sing/Dance?
R.U. Streetwise, Outgoing, Ambitious & Dedicated
"URS CONNEXTION PTE LTD Management "
Currently forming a choreographed,
Singing/Dancing,
All Female Chinese Pop Act for a Record Recording Deal.
-------
Audition Date: 26-01-08 (Sat) 12 - 6pm
Venue:789A, Geylang Road, #02-01,
Singapore 389675
(Near Geylang Lor 41, Paya Lebar MRT)
Registration fee: $10/=
Call to register : 67486960 or 94743543
Email: ursmediaconnextion@hotmail.com
http://ursmediaconnextion.blogspot.com/
Singers Audition 2008
Please help to pass the msg:
R. U. 16 – 23 ?
With the Ability To Sing/Dance?
R.U. Streetwise, Outgoing, Ambitious & Dedicated
"URS CONNEXTION PTE LTD Management "
Currently forming a choreographed,
Singing/Dancing,
All Female Chinese Pop Act for a Record Recording Deal.
-------
Audition Date: 26-01-08 (Sat) 12 - 6pm
Venue:789A, Geylang Road, #02-01,
Singapore 389675
(Near Geylang Lor 41, Paya Lebar MRT)
Registration fee: $10/=
Call to register : 67486960 or 94743543
Email: ursmediaconnextion@hotmail.com
http://ursmediaconnextion.blogspot.com/
wow. haha but sounds a little scary huh... =x anyone going?
btherl
New member
The thing is, not all of us have access to the full range of emotional expression. That especially goes for us repressed males. So we often need to use tricks to remind our body of how to express a particular feeling.
Once we've learnt it, we can then use it naturally. But until we open it up, it's just not accessible. It's the same with the "cry". Some people already have access to it, and they can simply use it. But others need to train it first. Once it's trained, you can connect it with your feelings, and voila, you've increased your range of expression!
well thats true in a sense but i guess u cant just close ur eyes throughout ur performances on stage.. i think if we applied all the techniques used by the original singer to articulate that song and stuff, half the battle's won
bladehamster
New member
Interesting discussion, alot of techniques have been brought up.
Another way is to "draw" the words and let it fade out. I dont know how to put it
but try practising Huang Yao Ming's Chun Guang Zha Xie.
Another way is to "draw" the words and let it fade out. I dont know how to put it
but try practising Huang Yao Ming's Chun Guang Zha Xie.
