a "natural" singing voice?

i dont know if there is a right or wrong answer to this, but;

do singers truly have a "natural" singing voice? or like, do singers emulate their favorite singers to some extent... it seems like, for example, ryan adams and jeff tweedy really emulate paul westerbergs voice, and they are both big fans of westerberg. (maybe a coincidence? i think all 3 smoke...)

also, when i practice my vocals by singing with certain music, it seems my voice fluctuates tonally, depending on what music i am singing with, like i sing more like bowie while listening to bowie, etc etc etc

anybody have any opinions on this? just wondering...

[Bellringer]

I think it's a natural tendancy going back to childhood that untrained singers will try to sing like the original vocalist. This is a big part of influence and a kind of hero worship. Like when you emulate a guitarist, drummer, etc. that you admire. If you're lucky, the vocal style you want for yourself will be one that is easy for your voice to recreate. Otherwise you risk battling throat problems without some training. Some people will take a song apart and make it their own but I believe that comes with confidence in your own voice.

ok, that's good advice. so, would ya say, the best way to find your most original natural voice is to sing originals? and i imagine, even one's natural voice can fluctuate depending on volume, emotions and a wide range of other factors too? so would you say ease of singing, comfort and control is the best way to find ones natural voice?

I took a voice and articulation class, they said that the natural pitch of your voice, or the range where you can function the easiest, can be found by yawning. That range is the area where you should concentrate most of the melodies. Oh yeah and yawning increases blood flow to the brain, thus enhancing productivity.

Originally Posted by lukedavo

I took a voice and articulation class, they said that the natural pitch of your voice, or the range where you can function the easiest, can be found by yawning. That range is the area where you should concentrate most of the melodies. Oh yeah and yawning increases blood flow to the brain, thus enhancing productivity.

woah, the yawn theory actually works! thnx lukedavo, i owe ya one... exactly what i was looking for, this forum rules...

Now a days with the technology of mods.There's no way at least right now that you can recreate a vocal style Each of us are made Unique.Ah la Steve Parry, Mariah Carey,Johnny Rotten...

Originally Posted by plishous

Now a days with the technology of mods.There's no way at least right now that you can recreate a vocal style Each of us are made Unique.Ah la Steve Parry, Mariah Carey,Johnny Rotten...

i think yer right, we are all unique... it's easy to imitate other singers, but obviously, even famous singers are influenced by other singers too, so it is interesting to try and see how well known singers sing, and how they came to sing the way they do... the more i listen to other singers, the more i realize they do sing differently song to song, tonality changes...

[smopo24]

reguardless of how "origional" your voice or style are, they will find people (some times multiple people's qualities) to compare you to. i remember hearing josh caterer from smoking popes, and thinking how origional he sounded, then some people needed to compare him to someone and inaccurately (i don't hear it at all) say that he sounds like morrissey! he himself admits that he tried singing more like elvis costello (check out "poor napolean" off of blood and chocolate to hear what i mean); but people hear only what they want to. i guess they both have natural vibrato in their voices; but that can be said of many singers.

Originally Posted by smopo24

reguardless of how "origional" your voice or style are, they will find people (some times multiple people's qualities) to compare you to. i remember hearing josh caterer from smoking popes, and thinking how origional he sounded, then some people needed to compare him to someone and inaccurately (i don't hear it at all) say that he sounds like morrissey! he himself admits that he tried singing more like elvis costello (check out "poor napolean" off of blood and chocolate to hear what i mean); but people hear only what they want to. i guess they both have natural vibrato in their voices; but that can be said of many singers.

yea, i think that's a great vocal technique whenever i hear that vocal vibrato outta a singer, i call it warbling, it's a very effective technique, me thinks...

[Nubus]

The screamer that I recorded this weekend was using Halls lozenges. That seems bad to me, like you could push your voice over the edge and break something.