MarkM - The Beatles "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" 1st attempt at singing

[MarkM]

Well here are two versions of this. One with me trying to sing :S :S and the other just playing in case someone else wants to give it a go and show me how to do it.

Altough I have a mike, I don't have a mike stand and it would have helped as your about to see. I'm almost.. no scratch that... I am completely afraid of my voice or lack there of. So I tend to sing at a very low volume. Because of this I just strummed along without a pick and used my thumb. It is still a bit difficult to hear my voice so you may want to turn up the volume before you mute it :laugh: :laugh: .

The other video is just me playing. It still doesn't sound right to me as I'm not getting enough bass. Hopefully I'll have that rectified at the end of the week with a new guitar. The song isn't too hard to play apart from trying to keep a steady beat without speeding up. I didn't do the walkdown from the Fadd9 as it just screwed me all up. Something for me to practice in the future.

So with that said here you go. Singing first.





MarkM

[haoli25]

Mark, even though you were a bit nervous, I liked the singing version better. You, like many of us, will have to work on your projection, but that will come as you add more confidence. Good job and thank you for posting your video.




Bill

[dennisg]

Mark,

Never let it be said that singing and playing the guitar simultaneously is easy. It's not. Having said that, I thought you did a very very commendable job. Yeah, you were nervous in the beginning, and drifted off key a few times, but the longer you were in the song, the more confident you got. And, as always, your playing is just perfect. John Lennon never played it better than that.

[tovo]

Mark kudos mate. I would just say put it out there because "hiding your voice away" isn't the way to go. Like a woman can't be half pregnant, you can't half sing it so be confident and give it a try. I cannot for the life of me imagine ANYONE on this site ever being ungracious in their remarks, so there's nothing to fear in that regard. I hope I don't sound condescending, that's certainly far from my intent. In a way it's the blind trying to lead the blind if anything. I just saying how I see it. I say do it again and play like you are on stage and people have come to hear you sing. You certainly play well enough to be on stage that's for sure. Let me be really clear because I get concerned that I will be misunderstood and people will think "what a conceited ass". I'm not saying it's bad, it's not. It's just too timid. Cheers mate.

[Music Junkie]

Mark:

Great job! Like Dennis said, it is NOT easy to play and sing at the same time. Way to go on this song. Keep the singing up and it will get better and better.

Cheers!

MJ

[MarkM]

Thanks everyone.


Bill - Thanks. Nervous is an understatement. I know I need to project more but when I do it gets progressivly worse. I'll have to practice singing more when the family is out of the house.

Dennis - Thanks. I don't know about playing like John Lennon but I try my best. Key? I have no sense of key and that is a major problem when I push more volume out of my voice. If I had the mike I may have done a better job. Who knows.

Tony - Thanks and don't worry a bit. I have pretty thick skin. Honesty is always the best policy and although I like the pats on the back I really like down and dirty constructive criticism. I just haven't sung anywhere but the car with the volume turned up. Who doesn't sound good then. One of the problems is that I don't know where my voice is. Should I sing it higher or lower? I just don't know. I tried to sing like Lennon but I was off quite a bit. Just don't know my limitations yet. Well apart from the fact that I am seriously limited.

MJ - Thanks. Nope its not easy. I needed a song where at least I could pretty much play distracted and still get through it. My voice is certainly a distraction. Now I just need to figure out how to project my voice without shattering glass.


MarkM

[mcfingers]

Mark, Way to go after it. Your singing is not bad, but as you said timid. I find that if I sing a song in too low a key it is harder to hit notes and stay on tune. You might try capoing up one fret at a time and see if it gets easier. Sometimes I am amazed how much higher I can sing a song than I originally thought. Your playing was great, you kept really good time and the strums sounded even. I think there is a trick you can use to help with the nerves, just imagine all of us out here sitting in our undies before you sing and if you can still sing after that with out laughing you're a better man than I. :laugh:

I always thought if Bob Dylan could make a living singing, how bad could I sound?

All the best,
Steve

[izzyhara]

I thought this was awesome that you put this out here. Good for you for putting the singing one first.... it was by far my favorite. Singing and music and keys and all that stuff.... well it is important to learn what your voice will do, and where that range is that you feel comfortable with. Our voice coach should really be able to help us with that. My favorite part of your voice was when you sang "Hey!". Your voice was clear and beautiful and on pitch. Now that you have done this, you will just get better and better. See, that wasn't so scary, right? I loved the deep breath at the beginning. I SO now how that feels. But you shouldn't be nervous - no one should. We are your friends here, and we just want to see you experience joy. If that is in singing, then we are with you. If you prefer not to sing, that is okay also. Good job my friend. I do so love that song too !!! Izzy

[heyjoe]

Hi Mark

Good on you for jumping in and singing, its not something I've ever done, so well done on doing that and showing it to us all. Good sounding guitar, well played too. I have no idea how people can sing and play at the same time, its alien to me, so good on you for doing it.


Joe

[cosmicmechanic]

Mark, that was such a generous post, congratulations.

I agree with all the appreciation expressed so far.

I noticed that before beginning to play, you tried the exercise
suggested by our new voice teacher (sorry, name slips my mind)
in the last TG-Live episode, that is: imitating a horse

Kidding aside, I can only humbly suggest that nobody can be convincing
singing if he does not at least pretend that he himself is convinced for that short while.

Maybe that is the very definition of being a "Ham".

Whatever the qualities of self-deprecation may be, aren't
all credible singers putting that aside in order to "act out" as a "Ham"?

The classic example that comes to my mind is Alice Cooper.
That guy has to be SOOOOO convinced before he goes at it, and good for him!

As for Dylan, his voice came from utter left field, to the point that he
was even out of "can't sing" description, they had to make up a category for him.

Again, a great post, thanks!

Yours truly,
an aspiring "ham" struggling in the throes of self-deprecation!

Pierre