Is this normal or am i just a musician

[23outlaw]

Hi guys,

I am still new here but love all the threads. My question is this, I have been playing for 2 1/2 decades now (i am now 40) and my fovorite thing is playing acoustic covers. I never thought of myself as a great vocalist (i am very insecure as a musician) but i am a very strong guitar player. I have been with my current band for about 6 months now , we do mostly acoustic rock as a trio , guitar, drums and female vocalist. We are probably going to add a bass in the next few weeks.

When I am home alone practicing I usually sing and I am fine with it because there is nobody to judge. Recently my singer overheard me playing with the tune "Cats in the Cradel" and really was trying to push me to do it live wich is really a stretch for me to go and sing in front of a baroom of people. When I her my own voice coming back at me it just does not sound good to me. I have to admit I am very insecure in this way, as childish as it may seem but my wife agrees that I sound good on alot of the songs I do at home and I should try them live.

So Friday nite we did a live show and toward the end of the nite she (My vocalist) convinced me to do a few tune and she would back me up on the chorus. The crowd was thin and i figured I would try it. At the end of the nite I had some freinds tell me that I should be doing songs on my own and were stunned that i sounded so good using words like awsome and amazing.

I am not at all the type of person who lets things like that give me an ego or give me a big head, I am just the opposite. To me I did not at all sound amazing or awesome I just heard that voice coming back at me thinking that these people must think i am nuts to be singing next to the bands voacalist who truly is amazing.

I kind of write it off as they are just freinds who are showing support but part of me really does want to get up there and have a few songs to sing. Is this a normal feeling, do some of you have the same feelings when you sing or do I need to really believe my freinds????

I have tried in the past to record in the past and when I her my voice over the music I have the same feeling.

I guess Its kind of like when I see someone else sing live and are
tanking ,and I am not at all trying to sound mean by saying that but we have all seen it happen, i guess I just dont want to be that guy.

How do I get past this?

Thanks

[Stetson]

I don't like the sound of my voice either. However, for guys like us, who don't like the sound of our own voices, and have others tell us that they like it, all we have to know is this: we are never going to truly like the sounds of our voices. However, we do know when we sing off key or out of time. And those are things you can control for the most part.

The "sound" of your voice is something you actually haven't gotten that much control over, in the sense that you have a certain range that you can work within. Sure, you can practice, practice, practice, and you will get better. But, unless you were born with the ability to mimic other voices, you are stuck with the one you have.

I am not a professional, and have never thought I was all that good. I have performed in front of crowds as small as just my wife and kids to a room of about 200. The room of 200 was coworkers, and I knew most of them if not by name, then by sight. I did one song... did it well, not AWESOME, but, well, using just my voice, a simple strum pattern and a 3 chord song (with a relative minor thrown in to the chorus). When I finished the room exploded with applause. So, you (and I) may not like the way we sound, but sometimes we just have to trust other people.

The ultimate test for me was going to a contest about 2 years ago that was basically an audition for local music producers looking for talent to promote. You could use your own band or equipment or they had a karaoke system in place if you needed it. Well, pretty much everyone used the karaoke, myself included, as I just wanted to know what they though of my singing, not my guitar playing. They didn't have 1st, 2nd, or third place winners, etc... but, they did give out awards to outstanding singers. I got one award, and although I was not interested in a contract, I did have 2 of the producers try to get me to sign with them. I ended up with the affirmation I wanted.

I still don't like my voice. To me, I sound nasaly... but, I, like yourself most likely, am my own worst critic.

Steve

[rmyAddison]

I really don't like my voice but I am over worrying about it. I love songwriting and just wish other people would sing my songs instead of me, which is what we did when I was back home with my long time band.

I think everybody is harder on themselves than the audience ever is. UNtil they start throwing bricks I'll keep singing/playing.......

[Bobby1note]

23outlaw,

Take "yourself" out of the equation. People don't give a darn about "you", or anyone else for that matter. It's "the song" that matters. Bob Dylan was no Luciano Pavarotti, and you can barely understand a word he sings, but who cares. He does a WONDERFUL job at "being Dylan".

Don't be too self critical. Sing within your range, in the style you like, and respect the song. That's all you need. With the "you" taken out of the equation, poof goes the ego and the trepidation of performing in front of others. You become part of the audience in that respect. Sing it like you're alone in the shower or the car. FEEL the song,,,,,Siiingggggg!!!! If you're having fun, it'll be infectious. Siiiingggg!!!

Bob

[martind gibsona]

Bobby1note beat me to it about Dylan. You could add Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker, Tom Waits and others to the list. None of them has the voice of a Sinatra or a Crosby or a Mathis ... but they all have great voices for the material they do. I'm in the same boat as the other posters here -- I don't like the sound of my own singing voice. Yet I've had many people tell me that my voice is sweet or that it's got an old-time authenticity or that it's ... you get the idea. My recommendation to you is if you want to sing, then do it ... but find material that complements your voice, and then put all the emotion and power into it that you can. Ask your bandmates for honest appraisals of a few songs you want to do. If they shoot one or two down, take it like a grown-up as it's a "professional" observation, not a personal one. If they tell you they like a particular song, then believe them and just go do it!

Don Smith

[mike o]

We're our own worst enemy (and harshest critic)...... Go have fun and enjoy your newly discovered talent!

[bagelsgirl]

I hated my voice at first. For years. Certainly never thought I was good enough to be a pro singer. Then I got a bit better and started playing gigs. Over the years, it has improved and so has my appreciation of it. Now there are days when I think I think I have a really strong, controlled and unique voice. Other days, I can't hear anything but the things about it that I don't like. (yuck!)

I have decided that I am not objective enough to know which is the truth. I have enough confidence on any given day to go out a sell myself and pursue work. Now that I have been hired to sing over 3,500 times, I'm guessing I must not be too bad.

So yes, I'd say you are normal...

Keep singing - a lot. And tape yourself. It is painful at times, but it does help. (Try to use a good recording setup, not a cheapo tape player. Much less painful! )

[Kel]

Hello, I'm new to the forum, but not new to performing and playing. I started when I was fourteen and have been playing since. Which is quite a long time. Anyway, it has been my experience that "yes" you're a typical musician. I've found that a lot of musicians are very shy and have to force themselves to let go. You don't have to like your voice, the audience does. If you want to sing and everyone likes it, do it. Enjoy the compliments and just have fun with it. Apparently, people love your voice give them what they want and have a good time doing it.
Good Luck,
Kel

[Bluepoet]

It's actually kind of amazing how often I've seen musicians describe themselves as shy, when performing...but then, I'm in that boat, too, so to speak. It just kinda flashed to me, a few moments ago, that it really makes sense to be shy and love to play/sing music. After all, the really outgoing, social people are far to busy being, well, outgoing and social, right? Whereas, music takes varying degrees of practice, patience, perserverance, intellect, and talent. It requires a lot of time spent alone, as well as with a band, if one is lucky enough to find a band...

Don't worry about your singing...just keep it real, and audiences will respond...sing with heart, mind, and soul, and it will surprise you what comes out...

By the way, I understand why Dylan gets brought up a lot, as an example of bad singer done well, but I don't agree that he's a bad singer...his voice fits perfectly with his music...if you don't believe me, try singing "Tombstone Blues", without sing/talking it, as he does...(yeah, I thought so...). I do admit that a lot of his songs have been sung better, by others, but they had to really change the arrangement/style/key, in order to do so.

Ah, singing...it's truly the human voice that is the instrument...

It's the singer, not the song...(well, most of the time)

[Tsckey]

There are singers with very good voices whom I can’t stand, and there are singers with “bad” voices whom I love. It’s what you bring to the song that counts. And, from the reactions you’re getting, it sounds like you bring a lot. Keep it up.

TC

[23outlaw]

Well I guess I am not alone then, and I feel a little bit better, Thanks for all of the encouragment and advise and I will try to add a few of my (cover) songs to our set list.

Thanks guys
23 outlaw

[gmds123]

Originally Posted by Tsckey

There are singers with very good voices whom I can’t stand, and there are singers with “bad” voices whom I love. It’s what you bring to the song that counts. And, from the reactions you’re getting, it sounds like you bring a lot. Keep it up.

TC

Very well said............. Thanks TC

[jaxson50]

Bob one note and others have hit on it. Make it about the song, not the singer.
I recently got pummeled severely on another forum for stating that Dylan is not a good singer. Well, he ain't! His best vocal work I believe was on Nashville Skyline, and when you watch him play with Cash it's like a different guy then the Dylan we see today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPpxwjsP76E
The point is, we still love Dylan because it was never the voice, it was the story it told.
There are two kinds of singers IMO, great vocalist, they can yodel and we would admire their abilities, then there are story tellers.
Some great vocalist are also great story tellers, but some of the greatest story tellers/singers where not great singers.
Right after Electric Ladyland was released Jimi Hendrix was interviewed I believe for Rolling Stone, he told the interviewer that he never considered himself a good singer, he was very shy about singing, then he attended a Dylan concert, and the rest is, as they say, history.

[PorkPieGuy]

I started to get the crazy idea that people liked my voice. My friends and family told me I had a great singing voice. So, being the big dummy that I am, decided to put out a solo record and play coffee shops. I went ahead and had 100 of them pressed. I probably played about 20 shows. Wanna know how many I sold?

About 5.

Anyone wanna buy a CD?

Wow. We live and learn, don't we?

[wthurman]

Originally Posted by PorkPieGuy

I started to get the crazy idea that people liked my voice. My friends and family told me I had a great singing voice. So, being the big dummy that I am, decided to put out a solo record and play coffee shops. I went ahead and had 100 of them pressed. I probably played about 20 shows. Wanna know how many I sold?

About 5.

Anyone wanna buy a CD?

Wow. We live and learn, don't we?

All I can say is... you're too hard on yourself. CDs are hard to sell.