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New guitars and Singing
My wife gave me a Taylor T5-C for Christmas. I've wanted a T5 since they came out, but was reluctant to spend the $$$ and couldn't figure out how to get the "jazz" sound I wanted. Got a great deal on the ax from Ken Tobias at Tobias Music in Downers Grove, IL; and I'm starting to figure out how to get the tones I want.
Anyway, my wife saw a Baby Taylor in Ken's store. She played folk guitar in a church group back in the middle '60s. The guitar disappeared and her hands couldn't negotiate the neck on standard guitars, but the Baby Taylor was different. I ended up getting her a Baby Taylor (and luggage; no message implied).
Now she's relearning guitar (she's a professional musician on sax and piano), and we play along together. She's doing wonders for my time (when I play alone, I "feel" the pulse; can't do that with another player and can't cheat like you can with a play-along). I'm surprised that she has trouble with chords like the C and the partial F in the first position; she is playing mostly D-E-A chord songs.
She also complains about my singing (justified). So does anyone have some tips to at least sing close to pitch?
Anyway, my wife saw a Baby Taylor in Ken's store. She played folk guitar in a church group back in the middle '60s. The guitar disappeared and her hands couldn't negotiate the neck on standard guitars, but the Baby Taylor was different. I ended up getting her a Baby Taylor (and luggage; no message implied).
Now she's relearning guitar (she's a professional musician on sax and piano), and we play along together. She's doing wonders for my time (when I play alone, I "feel" the pulse; can't do that with another player and can't cheat like you can with a play-along). I'm surprised that she has trouble with chords like the C and the partial F in the first position; she is playing mostly D-E-A chord songs.
She also complains about my singing (justified). So does anyone have some tips to at least sing close to pitch?
Views: 11
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lou on -
Ya know John, I can't give anyone "tips" about anything but I can relate to your predicament with your wife, mine says the same thing about my singing. Within the past couple of years, a guy by the name of John Stewart, a long-time member of the Kingston Trio and composer, died but before he did, he expressed his views on singing and I'd like to paraphrase him if I may. Stewart in effect said, 'we spend our whole lives trying to be cool, then die. People will say, "he didn't have a good time (in life) but he sure was cool". Forget what others say, sing. Don't you owe it to yourself'? That's the philosophy I've developed. I howl/sing publicly and privately; even do it at open mikes. It gives me pleasure and it's legal
(although that could be debated). My point is, forget about what others think and just do it. You will improve and if not, so what. Enjoy the moment!
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Permalink Reply by John J. Cebula on -
Thanks Lou! But in truth, that good-looking hound dog probably wails as well as I do.
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Permalink Reply by John Burr on -
it's not always self explanatory John. The voice is an instrument and it often takes some instruction to play it well or even decently. There are simple tricks that can help but the truth is that most folks would benefit greatly from some instruction on how to sing. Voice lessons are tedious, lots of scales and interval training, making sounds that keep your mouth all twisted in uncomfortable ways, always pushing different envelopes to sing higher or lower in your different registers and then learning to smooth the transitions from head to chest and back again. Three months of lessons and you will find other folks don;t mind singing with you in general, that or your instructor will have already explained tht you are truly one of that tiny percentage of folks that just cannot pear pitch. Of course if you can tune your guitar after setting the low E with a tuner by fretting the lower string and bringing the next string up to match the pitch, well, you CAN learn to sing.
No more shame ion getting voice lessons than in getting guitar lessons, It;s just that guitar lessons can come from the internet easily enough. Not so much with voice it seems but maybe it would pay to look around...
BSR
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