Hi people. I'd like to know what you think about my voice. Don't mind the flats, though, as I did this in one take and am sure I would have been able to correct them if I had the chance. :-) Just comment on the quality of the voice and maybe tips to improve. Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL4uuqNjQPU

Wow, brave of you to put yourself out there! I really love this song & I think you have a good range. Hope you post more stuff to listen to in the future.

Thanks! Well, I'm not afraid if get told off for having a horrible voice. I do everything to improve, even if that means having to listen to nasty comments. :-)

I have recorded another hard song in the past, but I don't think I did it much justice. Still, if you want to listen to it. :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIsAhgusZZ4

You definitely DO NOT have a horrible voice. I could never be brave enough to put a clip of me singing on the internet. Whatever you do,keep singing.

Thanks! I'm extremely brave. LOL. That's my gift. :-)

You definitely have potential, however less than perfect technique. If you are truly motivated you can achieve significant improvements. The first thing to do is to fix the already acknowledged pitch problems(I assume this is what you mean by "the flats"). If you have access to a piano or keyboard or any other musical instruments,use them. Practice playing a note and then singing it exactly in tune. Try it with an electric guitar tuner(this is alot of fun). The best and most popular singers sing exactly in tune.
I also notice you seem to have a lack of control over your voice and break on some of the higher notes. Vocal exercises can help this. I highly recommend Seth Riggs' Singer's Advantage program( it is somewhat expensive)or his book "Singing For The Stars"(about thirty dollars on Amazon). They both worked wonders for my voice! Good luck!

Thank you! I think it also helps that I focus. I was just playing with my computer when I recorded this and was sitting in a very awkward position. I should probably stand or something when doing songs of this difficulty.

I think you have a voice with potential and if you study and practise you can succeed.

But too many notes are too much out of tune, to the point I cannot identify the melody, particularly in the first part of the song.

You should work hard on this aspect. I suggest you practise with songs that are easier and have a strong melody, not so chromatic as this one, until you can sing them perfectly. It will improve your perception of tuning.

I apologize if I am being too frank, but keep working.

Thanks for the input. Much appreciated.

I recorded another song. Much easier one. Still, there are pitchy parts but I'm too lazy to rerecord those parts. LOL.

Here it is: http://youtube.com/watch?v=p_b1TBaje5g

This song is easier, but still difficult in some parts for your present technique level.

You seem to enjoy a wide and nice voice register and you would take much profit receiving some sing lessons.

It is very difficult to learn everything alone. A good teacher would signal the problems and work on them, so that you could improve faster.

Keep the good work and good luck!

Thanks Aron_tate. :-)

Jose, what is it about my current technique that you find wrong?

I think you need to practise intonation. But I am not a teacher, only a student with good ear. So take my opinion as just that, an opinion.

If you have the opportunity and the resources, having a good teacher could make the difference between staying at amateur level or climbing to higher professional levels. You are young and have a good voice, so I think it would be a good investment (time and money put together).

Good luck

I don't have the time for voice lessons. But maybe I can practice intonation by myself. Where do I get any good exercises?

Sorry I cannot tell. The books I know are to be used with teachers and I myself have always studied with teachers. Otherwise you will not be getting a feedback on how you are doing.

You could try with an electronic tuner, they are cheap but I am not sure whether this could be effective. I used a tuner from Korg for my flute, but not for voice. Sorry I cannot help more about this.

You can train your ear by singing in a choir, but this activity takes a lot of time, much more than lessons. However it is highly rewarding if you find a choir that sings what you like to sing.

Please note that classes are relatively expensive (but normally quite affordable) and this is usually the limiting issue. The time they require is very little, a maximum of one hour per week, but you could do with two half-hour lessons per month or so. Practise time comes apart, but anyway you would be doing your practise with the book and without teacher.

The time and money should be considered an investment more than an expense, as they will open you new ways and prepare you for a professional career, if this is what you wish.

I think you have the conditions for achievement.

I did sing in a choir for about 4 years. I was a bass.