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singing-what not to do
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MP
1921 posts
Dec 17, 2011
2:43 PM
much to my chagrin a friend posted this youtube of my old band where i am attempting to sing a blues. i've improved much in 20 years since this 1992 clip i assure you.

but, to get to the point,
one- i'm trying too hard.
two- my phrasing is off
three- my timbre is laughable
four- i've had at least 8 tanquerays and club soda
and the list goes on.

i felt it only fair to use myself as an example rather than picking on someone else.

one last thing, i'll quote a critic from that period. "prados eccentric vocal style is merely servicable."
have at it :) mark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hRBHZ7V0bsI#t=8s
MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.

"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"

Last Edited by on Dec 17, 2011 2:48 PM
REM
125 posts
Dec 17, 2011
3:19 PM
Hopefully you won't take this the wrong way, but....... You kind of sound like a Muppet.

I have good friend who happens to have a couple of old embarassing videos me. And on occasion she enjoys pulling them out and showing them to people when we're hanging out. Apparently she enjoys having a good laugh at my expense.

Last Edited by on Dec 17, 2011 3:21 PM
eharp
1620 posts
Dec 17, 2011
3:59 PM
well- that's one way to get a vibratto! (1:45 mark)

personally- if i had someone call my singing "merely serviceable", i'd be satisfied.
crispyagain
32 posts
Dec 17, 2011
4:30 PM
aaaa....back when you could still smoke in a bar.
MP
1922 posts
Dec 17, 2011
8:15 PM
REM
'Muppet' :0) maybe Kermit?
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MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.

"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
Jehosaphat
140 posts
Dec 17, 2011
8:58 PM
I've heard a lot worse.........I'd be happy if'n i could even match what you did then.
Our lead guitarist used to look so cool when he stuck his ciggie onto the guitar ala Keith Richard
Hard to smoke while your playing Harp.but i've done it..even remember doing a slow blues and blowing smoke rings while the guitarist did his solo after mine..apparently it looked real cool..cough cough
NiteCrawler .
150 posts
Dec 18, 2011
6:35 AM
I would say your vocals have improved through the yrs but as anything time and experience does make a difference if you stick to it as does listening to other Blues vocalist/harpers.I watched another vid from that period when you did Mayalls Room To Move and my one gripe with Mayalls Blues was that he actually did,nt have what you could call a bluesy voice(a la Kermit) flavor(vocals) if you could call it that.(so called white boy blues)The initial tune you sang had a Mayall with a little bit of gruff added to it.In any event it sounded good as did your band.How many original members from that band are you still playing with?
jbone
711 posts
Dec 18, 2011
10:32 AM
i was barely singing in '92. that year was right on the rockover point for me. in fact i was a closet-or-blues jam only harp player, with no idea really how to work those things, or even what keys would be good to have. i had not even gotten to the point where i was blowing out the 4 draw yet! that year saw me get invited to actually sit in with a band or 2 and actually make a few bucks as a sideman harp player. and believe me, i describe my vocal quality around that time as "i made up in enthusiasm what i didn't have in skills".
my early adventures were with a very loud band who had never heard the word "dynamic", so when i started out i not only needed to hit key and timing- more or less- i had to sing LOUD. as a result my voice would be gone after maybe 10 songs or half the night. i was splitting vocal duties with 1 or 2 other members depending on who showed up on a given night.
you sang with attitude on that. a lot of singers are timid, which to me is no way to get anywhere, you have to take command.
how about something more recent?
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MP
1924 posts
Dec 18, 2011
12:49 PM
well this has been fun!
i think i am FMWoodeye.
so have i Jehosaphat but i didn't want to slam someone else.
i have no idea who filmed this stuff. when i look at the young man in the vid, even though i know it's me, he seems like a stranger because 20 years is a long time.
that makes it very easy for me to negatively criticize him.
NiteCrawler- i see all these guys around and they are in different bands. sometimes i'll jam with them.
it was a great time to be in a band and we had a hell of a lot of fun from 84 to 98.

jbone- i'll post more recent stuff after the holidays.
got a great little band and our first gig is jan 15 2012.
i've got christmas things and harps to work on, aside from day job and practice. MBH is a guilty pleasure.
merry christmas! mark
PS crispy-ah yes, the days when you could smoke :) cough cough.

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MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.

"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"


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