Ask Me Help Desk - Is this belting, and is it tenor, how do I sing as a baritone?

Here is the song I want to sing.

YouTube - Born On The Bayou - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Is it belting?

I'm more of a baritone, teaching myself to sing. How can I sing this? Most rock songs seem to be high voices...

Any advice?

Best, CYrus

Yes. It is sung in the tenor range. It is an example of stage singing, but not utilizing the voice to its fullest potential as an instrument. It might be construed as some to be belting by a male singer. But, there are many discrepancies concerning the definition of belting as applied to females as compared to males.

As a baritone, you could sing it.

How old are you, please?

Is this the only style of singing that you want to do?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clough

Yes. It is sung in the tenor range. It is an example of stage singing, but not utilizing the voice to its fullest potential as an instrument. It might be construed as some to be belting by a male singer. But, there are many discrepancies concerning the definition of belting as applied to females as compared to males.

As a baritone, you could sing it.

How old are you, please?

Is this the only style of singing that you want to do?

I'm 35 and yes. It's mostly this style. To give you examples, these are some of the songs I'd like to sing to do a little get together of the old band. But I wasn't the singer at the time. I've taught myself a little bit in the last couple years.

Hard stuff
YouTube - Twisted Sister - The Fire Still Burns

Acoustic rock
YouTube - Tesla - Signs Unplugged

Southern
YouTube - lynyrd skynyrd free bird
YouTube - Sweet Home Alabama

Softer
YouTube - Goo Goo Dolls - Iris

I also like Layla (electric) and Fly Away (Lenny Kravitz). So a bit of a range of stuff there.

Best, Cyrus

Thank you for your reply! Please realize that I am on a dial-up, and loading the YouTube videos does take me awhile. If I can at least load a little of them, that might give me an idea as to the sound and range of the voices on them. A lot of bands can change the key of a song in order to accommodate the singer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clough

Thank you for your reply! Please realize that I am on a dial-up, and loading the YouTube videos does take me awhile. If I can at least load a little of them, that might give me an idea as to the sound and range of the voices on them. A lot of bands can change the key of a song in order to accommodate the singer.

Yeah, I was thinking I might need to just lower everything. That being said, I don't really know if they are belting, or what is belting (for a male, as you say). I understand it as yelling on pitch and seems to be what those queens of gospel do when they seem to be yelling but melodiously at the same time!

But for a guy, maybe that's what rock singers are doing often. I have the unfortunate luck of liking so many bands that have high voiced singers (like Led Zep). But I think most rock bands do. So I still need more understanding.

My range seems to be about E (2nd one below middle C), up to middle C. Maybe I can do a little higher with falseto.

At your age, you can always train your voice to go higher. I direct the men's barbershop chorus on the Illinois side of the Quad Cities where I live. I am very busy training them how to sing. We sing all sorts of different styles of music.

If you are able to sing the second "E" below middle "C" with a true resonance, then it's possible that you might really be a bass. I can sing that same note, but I am faking it. I'm not really a bass, but am a tenor. I sing baritone with the barbershop group, because we are in need of baritones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clough

At your age, you can always train your voice to go higher. ...If you are able to sing the second "E" below middle "C" with a true resonance, then it's possible that you might really be a bass.

Hey, thanks. I'm not sure how I'm singing that E note. It just comes out. But my voice is generally low, though my speaking voice perhaps is in the higher part of this range.

And these songs I've included, they are belting? You mentioned there's a difference between belting for a woman and man?

If your speaking voice is higher, than it's more likely that you are not a bass. Like I said previously, I can sing that same low "E" that we are talking about. However, it is not with a true bass resonance. Also, as I have already mentioned, I am a tenor.

I won't really get much of a chance to listen to the YouTube songs that you have listed until Sunday evening, because I am working and also doing a lot of practicing for a solo gig that I have on Sunday afternoon. Sorry! But, I will be listening to them. Please remember that I am on a dial-up connection.

Almost every male singer should be able to sing at least an "E" or "F" above middle "C" with the proper training and support.

Have you ever had any voice training? If you are imitating the singers that you hear on recordings, that is not really advisable, because your voice is unique from theirs, and producing the same kind of sound that they do, most likely is not using your instrument to its fullest potential and may actually be harming your voice. Here is an example: Rod Stewart. He isn't really a singer in the sense of utilizing his voice to its fullest potential. He is a microphone singer.

Does the way that he sings sound good because of the instrumentation, voicings of the instruments and himself? Sure. It's his style. It is unique. His music wouldn't sound as good if he produced his vocal sound another way. He has made millions singing the songs in his style. He doesn't have a very large range, though. If someone sings his songs who has a trained voice, then the songs will sound strange.

Really, it comes down to this, do you want to have a great range for your voice and have a voice that will last for decades, or do you want to be somewhat limited in your vocal range and have a singing voice that doesn't really last all that long?

I hope that I am making sense here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clough

If your speaking voice is higher, than it's more likely that you are not a bass.

I think my normal voice is an A twice below middle C. I'm new at this but found this little thing here - VIRTUAL KEYBOARD - PIANO

It's a virtual keyboard and I think my speaking voice is an octave below the A near the middle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clough

Also, as I have already mentioned, I am a tenor. I won't really get much of a chance to listen to the YouTube songs that you have listed until Sunday evening,

No problem, I'm happy to wait.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clough

Almost every male singer should be able to sing at least an "E" or "F" above middle "C" with the proper training and support. Have you ever had any voice training?

Nope. Well I was in a choir for a bit, but I had too many things about music I didn't understand, so it didn't go well, and I didn't practice enough.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clough

If you are imitating the singers that you hear on recordings, that is not really advisable, because your voice is unique from theirs, and producing the same kind of sound that they do, most likely is not using your instrument to its fullest potential and may actually be harming your voice. Here is an example: Rod Stewart. He isn't really a singer in the sense of utilizing his voice to its fullest potential. He is a microphone singer.

Really, it comes down to this, do you want to have a great range for your voice and have a voice that will last for decades, or do you want to be somewhat limited in your vocal range and have a singing voice that doesn't really last all that long?

I hope that I am making sense here.

Good advice. I'd like to improve my own voice, really. It's great to imagine I could be cool like those singers (especially Fogerty), that I'd listed, but I think I hope to be able to sing the songs perhaps similar, but not mimicking. I recognize my voice is probably lower and obviously different from them. So I want the skill, not sell my soul for someone's voice who isn't me.

My voice probably could do As Time Goes By nicely (Casablanca), but still not exactly like his tone. I could also likely do ZZ Top (who have some low ones) and the mad Englishman (Joe Cocker) You are So Beautiful to Me. I'd be happy to learn those and use my natural bass strength along with the ones I mentioned.

Cheers,

Cyrus

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clough

Thank you for your reply! Please realize that I am on a dial-up, and loading the YouTube videos does take me awhile. If I can at least load a little of them, that might give me an idea as to the sound and range of the voices on them. A lot of bands can change the key of a song in order to accommodate the singer.

No worries. What did you think in the end?