Heart of Saturday Night - A cover of Tom Waits' classic beauty

[theflink]

Originally Posted by reeve21

Marc,

I just listened again and gave you a "like" on YouTube.

The playing and vocal are both very nice. I'd love to know what you did to improve your signing as much as you say. I'm working on mine, and I sense it getting better, but I lack a plan. I should probably get a teacher, but I've got all my time and money tied up in guitar

Keep it up!

Thanks a lot, friend!

Well, I've tried a myriad of different options over the last 5 years. The thing I found, which has been the only real thing to really work, is this:

Consistent vocal warm-ups, taking my time and making sure I do them properly.

There are several different techniques, but the most effective one for me has been the lip roll, or lip trill.

If you aren't familiar with the technique, it's going to sound ridiculous and seem weird. It can also be really really hard to learn at first. It took me a while to get it right, because it can be hard to get your cheeks and lips to work together to get the roll going.

There's a video here that explains it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpAjGsC_4po

I guess, basically what it does, is send vibrations through your vocal cords and get them shaken up and warmed up, and ready to go. There are many other exercises to learn and use, but if I had to recommend one, this would definitely be it.

What it does for my voice, is that after a couple of minutes, going up and down, making sure I cover my full vocal range, my voice becomes clear, my range is extended to its full capacity, my voice basically never cracks, i'm free from exhaustion or pain when i am done, and I don't have to strain myself to reach for notes.

Other parts of the work i've done has been to try and make sure I open my mouth properly when singing. I did a lot of work with over-articulation so i dont mumble and use air efficiently so that I dont strain myself when singing.

There are loads of vocal coach videos on youtube as well to give some ideas. I had a vocal coach in "real life" that I later found out, had no clue what she was doing and set me back months with bad exercises that did not work for me and harmed my vocal cords.

I stuck to the safe exercises and kept working those. My range has been extended significantly and my tone is just a million times better.

I literally sounded like a dying animal when i started out singing ( to go along with the guitar playing)..

Hope that helps a bit

[reeve21]

Thanks for all of that information, Marc!

I watched the lip trill video and tried it out. Not as easy as it looks! But amazingly, I thought my voice actually sounded OK afterwards

Looking forward to hearing more from you on show and tell!

[evenkeel]

Wonderful cover. Tom Waits fan here and this tune is one of my favorites. You do it beautifully. Well done.

[Step]

lovely. Mellow and articulate much like the original. great job.

[raysachs]

I just listened. Was really enjoying the intro guitar work, but then you started singing and that FLOORED me. Very very nice guitar, but incredible singing. Your voice is obviously nothing like Waits', but your vocal couldn't have been more true to the song. Almost like a male Rickie Lee Jones interpreting Tom Waits, which seems overwhelmingly appropriate given their connection.

Very very nice!

PS - just checked out your other videos - very nicely done. But THIS VIDEO is the one that should have the Bukowski book sitting on the table, if any of them are gonna!

-Ray

[theflink]

Originally Posted by reeve21

Thanks for all of that information, Marc!

I watched the lip trill video and tried it out. Not as easy as it looks! But amazingly, I thought my voice actually sounded OK afterwards

Looking forward to hearing more from you on show and tell!

Glad to hear that my wall of text might be of some use to you!

And I look forward to posting some more!

[theflink]

Originally Posted by evenkeel

Wonderful cover. Tom Waits fan here and this tune is one of my favorites. You do it beautifully. Well done.

Always a good feeling when you can please the fans of whoever's song you might cover! Thank you very much for the kind words

[theflink]

Originally Posted by Step

lovely. Mellow and articulate much like the original. great job.

Thank you! I really love Waits' first 2 albums. He continued with the wonderful songwriting, but I could never quite get used to his change in his singing voice. He used to be so clear, yet raspy and soulful. To hear that i got even remotely close to that is wonderful! Thank you

[theflink]

Originally Posted by raysachs

I just listened. Was really enjoying the intro guitar work, but then you started singing and that FLOORED me. Very very nice guitar, but incredible singing. Your voice is obviously nothing like Waits', but your vocal couldn't have been more true to the song. Almost like a male Rickie Lee Jones interpreting Tom Waits, which seems overwhelmingly appropriate given their connection.

Very very nice!

PS - just checked out your other videos - very nicely done. But THIS VIDEO is the one that should have the Bukowski book sitting on the table, if any of them are gonna!

-Ray

Wow, Ray. This might be the nicest anyone has ever been to me regarding music. I even showed my girlfriend this comment, because I was so proud! I gotta tell you, this really made my day, heck, it made my whole year!

It's so great to hear someone talk about you like this. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart You've made my very happy and equally proud