SINGING WITH YOUR OWN VOICE

[MIKE 450]

How many singer/songwriter/guitarists use their own voice!

Over the years I've played/sang in many pubs/clubs."I retired in the nineties to do my songs" I sang all types of songs Blues/Soul/Country/Jazz/Folk etc and I always tried to sound like artist who wrote the song "it helps when doing covers" when singing After The Gold Rush by Neil Young I'd try to sound like Neil or even look like Neil LOL

When singing a Rolling Stones song like Brown Sugar I'd use that old Mick SWAMP VOICE "never could get those lips" I also used to sing No Woman No Cry and try to inject some of Bob Marlys Jamacian licks.

My favorite cover song was Try With A Little Help From My Friends "the Joe Cocker version" Joe Cocker was my favorite singer back then "WHAT A VOICE" check him out on youtube singing this song at Woodstock AMAZING!

Still when it comes to singing my songs I'd rather use my own voice because it's mine "it's not that good" but it's mine. So many of my friends have went to Nashville, only to return sounding like Stevie Earl or Bob Dylan -WHY!

Some local artists who live in here in Belfast try to sing with a Belfast accent--- NO NO NO stop this immediately! JUST SING the way you would normaly.

The reason why I'm posting this, is because I know so many people who won't sing, who think they can't sing. You can sing everyone can sing IN THEIR OWN VOICE--Just practice enough to get you story out--YOU may not like your voice but others might--YOU MAY BE SITTING ON A NUMBER ONE HIT---

So what should we do ACT like someone esle OR use your own voice--you can check me out at my website "have a beer first"

[singlereed]

I prefer to sing with someone else's voice. Like Ray Charles for example. The audience prefer it, too as my voice is terrible.

[Coen V]

Nowadays modeling software can get you allready all the guitarsounds you want , Clapton, Hendrix etc. Maybe in the future it will be possible to create the 'voice' you want, just push the 'Ray'-button and when you open your mouth there he is !!

[Irish Hearted Canuck]

I think many of us who have played the bar and pub circuit tend to fall back on artists that we either identify with or who have influenced our "styles". I know that when I was playing the bars I would frequently play Cat Stevens and Jim Croce songs because they fit my vocal qualities nicely. As time went on I found myself mimicking the artist more than singing in my own voice. This became true of songs by other artists such as the aforementioned Steve Earle and Bob Dylan. Over the years you forget what your own voice sounds like because you have spent so much time re-creating the music of others. It wasn't until many years after I stopped playing the bars that I learned to sing with my own voice again(quitting smoking helped a great deal as well ) I think if I was a songwriter things may have played out differently, but alas I have always felt more comfortable playing the songs of others.

[Paudman]

I think many of us who have played the bar and pub circuit tend to fall back on artists that we either identify with or who have influenced our "styles".

I once read a quote that it was impossible to sing the old Irish song "the Cliffs of Dooneen" without sounding like Christy Moore.
Even if you'd never been near Ireland in your life.