[bigFishAndTheSmallPondets]

Hi @StevieJ. Too kind. You're absolutely right. It's a real pleasure, and it's all the more rewarding to receive such positive feedback from you.

I certainly shall. You too. Take care now.

really nice song. nice and personal and must feel good to get it into a song too. really liked the music and the sweet lyrics. congrats and keep smiling!

[bigFishAndTheSmallPondets]

Some great advice there @IronKnee. Thank you. Definitely having lots of fun with it.

Must admit I often underestimate how much practice is required just to reach an acceptable vocal delivery. Singing well requires real dedication.

Really appreciate you getting back to me. Thanks again.

Hi @IronKnee . Thank you.

So glad you were able to find something new in the updated version.

I'm not sure what you mean about my vocals. Did you feel it needed more expression? More vibrato maybe? In earlier versions, I attempted to belt it out a bit more, but then my tuning badly suffered. I found the only way to address this was to soften my voice a bit. I have to admit, I find it tricky maintaining tuneful singing and passionate singing all at the same time.

As I say, I'm not sure if this is what you felt about my singing. Did I get that right please? This kind of feedback is really important for me, so really I appreciate it. Thanks!

Hey there BigFish.........
As an amateur your vocal is fine.
Don't get me wrong, as an amateur myself, my weakest link, in my music, is my own vocal. I think your vocal lacked the "soul" that I myself am always searching for.
The good thing is that "soul" can be achieved, like any other musical instrument.
Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse.
The music is really good........bring the vocal to that level.
Good luck, and above all.....................have fun.

[bigFishAndTheSmallPondets]

Thank you for your kind words there @Bankie. Your appreciation of the song, as a composition, is very gratifying.

I agree, it is a shame to have not produced a recording that brings the best out in the song. I really can't argue with this. I find songwriting such an inspiring hobby, but it requires an awful lot of time and dedication. Apart from writing the material, there's practicing and I also find producing and mixing requires a huge effort. Lots of experience needed too. So many tips and tricks that I've learnt along the way. I tend not to feel 100% satisfied when I release something. I am always weighing up whether I should keep perfecting the song I am doing or move on to the next. Maybe I should enroll on a course for recording somewhere.

Oh yes, I use Melodyne extensively. Without it, my voice can be horribly off key sometimes. I read somewhere that using software to correct pitch, you then lose a sense of character and vulnerability in the music. As mentioned by others, I think more practice is needed in my singing. Sigh! There just aren't enough hours in the day!

Really appreciate your thoughts. Very kind and very true.

I listened to both versions, and the song itself is very strong with good lyrics and lovely melody. The recordings aren't great though and don't do the song justice. I think if we had a competition to cover someone else's song on the forum, this is the one I'd choose because the base is so strong but could be made to sound so much better. Having said that, it's genuine and anyone would appreciate that.

In the piano version, it sounds like you're not using a pop filter or adjusting your mic technique on certain syllables, like Ps and Bs - those bangs were much too audible and could have been easily dealt with. The guitar and piano don't sound bad per se, but I don't think the combination works very well; I think the song needs proper backing, especially in the vocal dept. Talking of which, are you using Melodyne or something similar? Your voice did sound too precise at times; if I'm wrong, then you have quite an ear.

Hope that didn't sound too harsh - just saying what I think. I wouldn't have commented if I didn't see something in it though; the song itself is pretty good.

[bigFishAndTheSmallPondets]

Hey @MonnoDB. Too kind. Thank you!

Singing softly, I find it easier to hit the right notes. May come back to this someday to add some harmonies. Everyone seems agreed this would be a good idea.

So glad you liked the tune. Thank you again.

This is a great song - you have plenty of feedback on the production / arrangement from others who have more experience of such things. I actually really like the laid-back delivery of the vocal but then I sing a little like that myself! I think harmonies would really lift this.

Lovely work!

K

[Maya Clars]

Very beautiful voice tone, I really like it, but what about the recording, you, maybe, need to pay attention to the recording levels. Sometimes I hear distortions at high frequencies in the vocals, though maybe you did this intensionally.
Excellent recording of guitar and piano. Amazing transparent vibe of the melody reminds me of the sunrise among the peaks of the snowy mountains.

Maya

[bigFishAndTheSmallPondets]

Thank you @Maya Clars. Very kind words.

Yes I agree. It is more apparent to me now, coming back to this recording some time later, that the vocal part was not recorded very well. Hopefully the reboot was slightly better in this department.

That's a lovely vision you've described and I'm so pleased the song gave you that inspiration. Thanks again.

Very beautiful voice tone, I really like it, but what about the recording, you, maybe, need to pay attention to the recording levels. Sometimes I hear distortions at high frequencies in the vocals, though maybe you did this intensionally.
Excellent recording of guitar and piano. Amazing transparent vibe of the melody reminds me of the sunrise among the peaks of the snowy mountains.

Maya