Another Singing Thread

[Shawn Gambrel]

Im having trouble AGAIN!!!! In your opinions do i sing better with mandolin or guitar. I like my mandolin but its hard to find songs to sing with it and my guitar i think i sing better but i dont really care for it but you can find anysong you want.

http://www.youtube.com/user/shawn9106

there is my account if you haven't seen any videos and tell me which you think i sing better with!

[Tim2723]

I think you sing just as well with either, but the guitar is, simply put, a much more versatile accompaniment.

[catmandu2]

You've got a nice singing voice, son (have you practiced your scales today? ;))

That's a pretty nice-sounding mando you've got there, too.

[Shawn Gambrel]

(have you practiced your scales today? ;))
.

Yes i have :grin:

[catmandu2]

A+

[yankees1]

If the only bird that sings in the forest is the one that sings the best, the forest would be a very lonely place!;)

[John Flynn]

I have no business commenting on anyone else's singing, but I find the mandolin does not support me very well as singing accompaniment. I much prefer the octave mandolin, which is more in the range of the guitar, or just to listen to a guitarist in my group for singing support, although the latter is awkward. It's like I have actually ignore my mandolin playing to keep my singing on track. It would be better for me to just stop playing and only sing. I suppose if a person had unerring pitch without accompaniment, it would make no difference, but I need my accompaniment instrument to help keep me on track.

[Bruce Evans]

Response #1 (Feel good response)
Great job! Keep it up.

Response #2 (Serious singing advice)
Your enthusiam is marvelous, but you need to get it under control. With both instruments you are playing them too loud and too hard and trying your best to sing over them. Back off a little and focus that energy into a little more finesse. (Actually, I'm a little jealous of your youthful enthusiasm.)

[Poener]

The guitar has fuller sound and I find it's easier to sing when I'm playing it. The guitar just sounds better to sing with. I find it easier to write vocal songs on the guitar too. It looks like you're very interested in singing and you might like to try one of those Digitech Vocalist 2 or 4 harmony machines in the future. You'll be amazed at how good they make you sound. Keep singing!!

[Tim2723]

Bruce makes a good point. In the other video where you purposely played quieter, your voice came out and the stress went down. Remember too that if you're playing and singing full out, you eat up all your dynamic range and there's nothing left to work with. Music isn't just about being loud enough to hear, it's about producing something worth hearing.

Keep at it Shawn, you're doing better every time.

[sidewinder]

In a band situation I definitely prefer mandolin over the guitar, just easier because I play bluegrass and the mandolin chop is pretty easy to sing with. Tim is dead on with the relaxation comment. It's hard to relax when your on stage and excited, however as you do it more it kind of comes naturally. Very similar to playing sports or any other physical activity. Relax, and get in the zone is what I think when singing and harmonizing. When picking I think 'In the pocket' which helps me focus and not think about messing up. Great to see you working on it. You are the future !!!

[mandocrucian]

(Only addressing the general subject of vocalizing with a mandolin)

A good singer doesn't need accompaniment - they can pull it off without any instrumental support.

At that point, the singer can accompany him/herself with simple (or complex) handclaps, or, just a bass line, in fact...just about anything that's in key and rhythm will enhance the vocal performance. It (self-accompaniment) can be any instrument played with the hands or feet (as opposed those requiring the breath). (Though the vocalist can't do it simultanesously - a vocal can be enhanced with an instrument that is above the voice in register ...tin whistle for example.) Concertina is a high pitched instrument - just as high in register as a mandolin, and there are plenty of those players who back themselves up with the instrument. However, Peter Bellamy, or John Kirkpatrick are/were quite capable of just singing it acappella, and often do/did.

If you want to hear some really impressive self-accompaniment, listen to Dave Swarbrick on the (solo) album Live At Jackson's Lane. There are several songs, among the instrumentals, and on those, if you didn't know better, you would swear that the fiddle was overdubbed - cause what he plays is just as interesting/complex as what he would play if he was backing Martin Carthy singing the same song.

But for mando self-backing up the vocal, just go to Andy Irvine, or Ry Cooder. Or at a simpler (mando) level...Steve Earle, Ian Anderson or Rory Gallagher.

It's a different mindset. Or mindsets. Vocal as a stand-alone performance. Or mando accompaniment as a stand-alone performance. Or two simultaneous co-equal performances requiring splitting the mental focus. Piano players use both hands at the same time, and each hand has a different musical function. Organ players use both hands, plus kick bass lines on the pedals with their feet! And sing on top of that.

Niles Hokkanen

[Steve L]

I've heard a live version of "Broomfield Hill" sung by Martin Carthy with Dave Swarbrick playing mandolin as the only backing. He doesn't even play chords, but weaves in and around the melody with lines and double stops. It's just transfixingly good. It's on a recording called "Both Ears and the Tail".

[re simmers]

It's easier for me to sing with a guitar. I took some voice lessons a few years ago, which helped me a lot. (I need more). But, I still think I do better with guitar.

However, if I practice acapella I can focus more on my voice....pitch, dynamics, breathing, etc. , and THEN sing with the mandolin much better.

I approach the mandolin differently if I'm singing alone. Slightly lighter pick. More open string chords. Play chords cleaner and not a really hard chop unless I want it for dynamics. I try to make my right hand match the song.

After watching Sam Bush's "Girl from the North Country" I almost think the guitar mindset might just be a cultural thing. Sam makes it look and sound very natural to sing with the mandolin only. Of course........Sam is Sam!

As Jethro said, nobody's better...............cept ol' Bill.

Bob