Number of posts : 75 Age : 30 Location : Philippines Registration date : 2012-10-15
Subject: Vivi's Vocal Critiques ^^ 23rd October 2012, 15:09
Hi there! My name's Vivi, and this is my critique centre~ I'll review any Korean, English or Tagalog song, in any genre.
Areas I'll Look At:
First Impression:
Did I like it?
Whose voice do you remind me of?
Did it suit your voice?
Voice Quality, Pitch and Volume:
Is your voice breathy, nasal, soft, high or deep?
Did you go off-pitch?
Were you struggling to reach notes?
Were you too loud or too soft?
Technical Aspects:
Was the audio peaking?
Was the mixing good?
Tips and Tricks:
How can you improve?
What songs would go best with your voice?
Am I harsh?
Spoiler:
No. It's true that sometimes you do have to be cruel to be kind, it's just not my style. No matter what though, I promise you I will always be honest and fair.
Where Am I Coming From?
Spoiler:
Piano (2 Years) Pop (2 Years) Classical (6 months) Musical Theatre (4 years)
But even with all that under my belt, I'm still learning. I'm not the best singer, no, but I used to be a really bad one. Instead of giving up, I had my parents invest in lots of lessons so I could be even half-way decent :))
I learned a lot from my teachers, and now I want to share that knowledge with you.
Interested? Leave your cover (one per post, every five reviews) in the comments, along with this form.
Code:
[b]Name:[/b] [b]Song Covered:[/b] [b]Link:[/b] (Box or YT only) [b]Would you like a rating?:[/b] (If yes, pick either 10/10 or 100/100)
Shiori Rainbow
Number of posts : 896 Age : 29 Location : Where the polar bears roam and beavers chomp and igloos reside~! Come ski with me in July ;D Registration date : 2012-03-02
Subject: Re: Vivi's Vocal Critiques ^^ 23rd October 2012, 16:11
I really like your choice of song. You have a very feminine, expressive voice, and it suits ballads perfectly. The high notes are also really good. The slow fade + vibrato when you hit "gaseume" was the highlight of the cover, for me.
But yeah, I think you have to work on your vocal control. It affected your pitch, phrasing and interpretation of the song a lot.
For pitch, you seemed to waver a lot. Not quite wrong, not quite right. There was some minor scooping too. I think it was because you were either trying to force vibrato in, or you were unable to control it.
For phrasing, you seemed to be really breathy throughout the song, and it messed up some of the lyrics. There were some times you had to cut a note short to make room for the next line.
For interpretation, you gave it all too much at one time, at least for me. You were putting power behind every line, and while I love the energy, it doesn't give the song room to grow. The chorus was supposed to be the climax, and I didn't quite notice it because of all the power going around.
Tips:
Practice your vibrato. Imagine a hollow spot in space your voice has to reach, and let your voice resonate there. Vocalization helps too. The classic "Amore" is a lifesaver. Also, vibrato is nice, but limit its use to a few special places, like long held notes and emotionally-charged moments. All good things in modration, right?
Phrasing: Hold back your breath, so you can hit the notes that really matter. That said, you actually don't have much of a problem hitting high notes, but still :)) It'll help your breathing problems and interpretation.
Minor things: There was some popping near the beginning of the clip. Stretch an old stocking over a hanger and hold it somewhere between the mic and your mouth to prevent this from happening again.
Score: I'll give you a 72, all in all. Don't get me wrong though, the tonal quality of your voice is lovely! Keep practicing :D
Shiori Rainbow
Number of posts : 896 Age : 29 Location : Where the polar bears roam and beavers chomp and igloos reside~! Come ski with me in July ;D Registration date : 2012-03-02
Subject: Re: Vivi's Vocal Critiques ^^ 23rd October 2012, 21:16
Thank you~!
cloudymelody LTS Firefly
Number of posts : 911 Age : 27 Location : Singapore Registration date : 2012-05-01
Subject: Re: Vivi's Vocal Critiques ^^ 24th October 2012, 10:08
Number of posts : 1869 Age : 35 Location : Singapore Registration date : 2011-05-27
Subject: Re: Vivi's Vocal Critiques ^^ 24th October 2012, 14:48
Because I'm really curious :O
Name: Jessica Song Covered: BToB - WOW Link: (Box or YT only) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-SrhQXCY2g Would you like a rating?: (If yes, pick either 10/10 or 100/100) 100 :)
Aliteralid LTS Firefly
Number of posts : 75 Age : 30 Location : Philippines Registration date : 2012-10-15
Subject: Re: Vivi's Vocal Critiques ^^ 24th October 2012, 15:31
First of all, I like your voice. You can reach a lot of notes, without losing depth, and even when you go high, it retains a nice, soothing quality. I also like how you chose to use your head voice instead of belting out the notes. It's a good stylistic choice, and all in all, I think it's a pretty good cover :)
That said though, I think you need to work on your vocal support. It affected your pitch, interpretation and phrasing.
For pitch, you were in tune, but somehow faltered when it came to the big note jumps in the chorus. Those notes are probably your transition notes, which is to say, notes you can still hit with both your head and chest. The body sometimes gets confused on how to attack the note, and it results in an awkward off-pitch sound.
For interpretation, I understand you had to go soft on some of the notes, but there were times I felt you could've pushed it a little more, especially in the last chorus. It just would've made the the story that much clearer.
For phrasing, there were some notes you could've held longer, cleaner, and with a clearer vibrato.
Tips:
Conquer the transition notes by mixing your head and chest voice till you get something that sounds almost like your natural voice. This is called your mix voice, and well, I personally find it's something you'll discover by yourself, through steady practice.
Also, I noticed you had a little trouble with the lower register in the first part. The best advice I can give you is to think high. Treat them like you would a difficult, high note and drop your jaw accordingly.
Vocal Support: You know how they say you should sing from the abdomen? Well, it helps a lot if that abdomen gets a regular workout. Crunches and other ab exercises will help you direct your breathing better. Try pushing on your stomach too, when you're trying to reach a difficult note. It sometimes helps to physicalize what you want your body to do.
Technical Stuff: The audio's a little soft. Amp up the volume next time? :)
Score: 82
Last edited by Aliteralid on 26th October 2012, 03:45; edited 1 time in total
Alicia LTS Firefly
Number of posts : 1054 Age : 24 Location : Singapore ! Registration date : 2011-10-29
Subject: Re: Vivi's Vocal Critiques ^^ 24th October 2012, 15:36
Name: Alicia Song Covered: U-KISS - 0330 Link: (Box or YT only) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQwFneerIdU&feature=plcp There's also an acapella version in the description box . :) Would you like a rating?: (If yes, pick either 10/10 or 100/100) 100 :D
Aliteralid LTS Firefly
Number of posts : 75 Age : 30 Location : Philippines Registration date : 2012-10-15
Subject: Re: Vivi's Vocal Critiques ^^ 25th October 2012, 09:07
Review:
I'm not quite sure how to attack this :)) So let's start off by saying, wow, you have a really unique voice! I was genuinely confused for awhile there. But uhm, putting that aside, I enjoyed your cover! There were some harmonies that were a little off, but your main vocals were on pitch, your raps were on rhythm and there was a lot of energy, which is always appreciated :D
I'm not quite sure if I like the tone of your voice though. There were times you came off too nasal, like the beginning and the start of the chorus. I'm also a little confused as to why it sounds like you used your head voice for some parts. The song is within the normal female range. It would've sounded better if you'd used a fuller voice. A chest voice conveys more energy and strength, both of which I think are really vital to this song.
Tips:
Nasal voices are the result of of a resonance problem. Straighten your posture, drop your jaw and the soft palate should rise. It'll feel almost like you're yawning. There'll be more space inside your mouth then, so the sound will resonate there instead of inside your nasal cavity.
Also, the harmonies don't blend that well. They're generally correct, but it sounds as if you're still feeling the notes out instead of making a conscious effort to blend. Lower the volume on them a little bit too. They sometimes detract from the main vocal instead of enhancing it.
Score: 88
Last edited by Aliteralid on 26th October 2012, 03:38; edited 2 times in total
Jessica LTS Co-Admin
Number of posts : 1869 Age : 35 Location : Singapore Registration date : 2011-05-27
Subject: Re: Vivi's Vocal Critiques ^^ 25th October 2012, 14:49
OMG YES HAHA, I'm so fail at my harmonies!! Still trying them out though, practising ;A; & yes I agree. To be honest, my voice is always quite nasally. Not too sure why. I think my normal speaking voice's quite nasal actually. Had never liked my voice much :X Thanks for your comments, they're really constructive! I'll take heed of the tips & do better! :D
Aliteralid LTS Firefly
Number of posts : 75 Age : 30 Location : Philippines Registration date : 2012-10-15
Subject: Re: Vivi's Vocal Critiques ^^ 26th October 2012, 06:24
Alicia wrote:
Name: Alicia Song Covered: U-KISS - 0330 Link: (Box or YT only) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQwFneerIdU&feature=plcp There's also an acapella version in the description box . :) Would you like a rating?: (If yes, pick either 10/10 or 100/100) 100 :D
Sorry it took so long... Your post got buried under my malfunctioning singnature D:
Review:
I enjoyed this cover. It was well mixed, your vocals were clear, well-supported, and there's no denying you have a talent for rapping. There were times though, that I didn't feel the energy. It almost felt like you were bored during the calmer parts of the song.
You were also off-tune for a lot of the song. I found that you'd be on tune till the end of a phrase, at which point you'd sort of slip and go flat. The same is true for your adlibs. You have to remember to concentrate on the note at hand-- don't just let go cause you've reached it, otherwise it'll probably scoop down. The harmonies were also pretty messy, so you might want to work on those.
Tips:
Pitch: Listen to what you've recorded acapella, so it's easier to pinpoint the parts which are off. I'm thinking that maybe you also underestimated the song because the notes were very much within your range. Don't think about that, and concentrate on all notes equally.
Harmonies: Harmonies are a trial-and-error process for me, but I find they come easier if I record without the background music. Record the main vocal first, and then base your harmonies off of that, so there are no outside distractions. Also, be sure of your harmonies. There were some points at which I felt you were still feeling them out. It won't blend that way.
Technicals: Stand farther away from the microphone: There was a lot of peaking, especially during the rap parts, and it interrupted the flow of the song.
Score: 78
Hyuriko LTS Raindrop
Number of posts : 419 Age : 31 Location : France , Montbéliard Registration date : 2011-04-17
Subject: Re: Vivi's Vocal Critiques ^^ 26th October 2012, 22:24
Hi vi ! Can you critic mine ;D ? It will be kind *_* Name: Hyuriko Song Covered: T-ara ~~ Day by day Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8cJgzmhYTQ Would you like a rating?: (If yes, pick either 10/10 or 100/100) 100 :D
Llorta LTS Firefly
Number of posts : 5 Age : 51 Registration date : 2012-10-01
Subject: Re: Vivi's Vocal Critiques ^^ 26th October 2012, 22:29
This is actually Shiori posting... cuz my troll is just a lazy lazy bum like that XP
Aliteralid LTS Firefly
Number of posts : 75 Age : 30 Location : Philippines Registration date : 2012-10-15
Subject: Re: Vivi's Vocal Critiques ^^ 27th October 2012, 01:38
Quote :
Hi vi ! Can you critic mine ;D ? It will be kind *_* Name: Hyuriko Song Covered: T-ara ~~ Day by day Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8cJgzmhYTQ Would you like a rating?: (If yes, pick either 10/10 or 100/100) 100 :D
Review:
I like your voice. It's soothing, yet powerful. The notes, even the soft ones, are pretty well supported. The vibrato is there. Could be a little stronger, but it's already pretty good. You also have quite a jazzy feeling to your voice, and it works in your favor even when you rap. The energy was great, and I felt your emotion. It's a nice cover :)
You go a little offbeat when you rap, and sometimes too on the chorus, but I guess that's understandable because it's a live cover. You also go a little off-pitch (it's most noticeable during the last parts of the song), but it's nothing too serious. Probably just need to be more careful when moving from one note to another.
Another thing is that your tone gets thinner and more nasal as you go up. I actually don't mind it much, but still. Just be careful when using your head voice to direct it into the head and not the nasal cavity.
Tips:
Nasal tone: Straighten your posture and drop your jaw as if you're yawning. Feel all the space that opened up? That's where your voice should resonate, instead of your nasal cavity.
Pitch: Be sure to hit all the notes dead-on, instead of rising to meet one note from the other. Your adlibs tended to scoop a lot.
Rhythm: I think you were just overwhelmed by the language. I find it helps me though, if I sometimes listen to the official recording of the song while singing, to act as a guide.
Technicals: Get a pop filter, or make one yourself from a stocking stretched over an old hanger. There was a lot of sudden popping sounds that ruined the flow of the song (which I really like btw :D)
Score: 86
Last edited by Aliteralid on 27th October 2012, 01:50; edited 1 time in total
Aliteralid LTS Firefly
Number of posts : 75 Age : 30 Location : Philippines Registration date : 2012-10-15
Subject: Re: Vivi's Vocal Critiques ^^ 27th October 2012, 01:50
This is actually Shiori posting... cuz my troll is just a lazy lazy bum like that XP
Review:
This is a beautiful cover. Hug your troll for me. I tried to look for problems, but there was nothing I could find fault with. The tone of the voice is great, plus it's really clear-- both the recording and what he's saying. I don't hear any pitch problems either, and the adlibs are really clean. The emotions is there, and I love the jazz-vibe of it all. AGAIN, HUG YOUR TROLL FOR ME.
Score: 100
Good job!
KunoichiofDestinyKasumi LTS Firefly
Number of posts : 171 Age : 27 Location : United Kingdom Registration date : 2011-04-20
Subject: Re: Vivi's Vocal Critiques ^^ 4th November 2012, 22:58