DT vocal covers by Nicky Spanjaards

[Tick]

I'm just waiting for his cover of Learning To Live. I feel he's going to take this thread as a prasonal challenge, and thusly aim for the stars.

I don't know what the word "prasonal" means but Nicky has no interest in becoming a better vocalist. He already thinks he is, and all he needs to do is keep on singing and that alone will make him better. If he does it long enough he will get somewhat better but right now he is just plain old bad so...

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

I'm just waiting for his cover of Learning To Live. I feel he's going to take this thread as a prasonal challenge, and thusly aim for the stars.

I was thinking the same. Watch him nail the F#. 

[Zydar]

I'm just waiting for his cover of Learning To Live. I feel he's going to take this thread as a prasonal challenge, and thusly aim for the stars.

I was thinking the same. Watch him nail the F#. 

Oh he's going to rupture a ball in that attempt!

[ZBomber]

Nicky, you should do some vocal covers of Mars Volta.

[Tick]

Nicky, you should do some vocal covers of Mars Volta.

Nicky should become a mime who performs Dream Theater songs.

[Perpetual Change]

Nicky, you should do some vocal covers of Mars Volta.

LOL. Just imagine Nicky performing this music in a video.
The thing is, this guys pitch sucks too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH11YFqMoB0&feature=related

Just goes to show you Nicky, even if you decided to stop trying, there's still a chance you can be a famous singer.

[Occasional_Madman]

I honestly think this guy could be a halfway decent singer, if he actually put some time and effort into working on it. But again, he has no interest in this, and no progress will be made. But I do believe we've arived at this conclusion multiple times.

[El JoNNo]

I hate to say it but this thread probably should be locked.

[Ħ]

What I'm about to say is the honest truth.  I thought that you were quite decent at times, but really off at others.  Like we've said, the real problem was the lack of a sense of pitch.  Don't lay your vocals over JLB's.  When you do, we can tell just how off you are. Fuck, we can even hear the wah-wah's of being off a half-step.  However, I do think that you have some potential.  Your Maiden cover was not too shabby.  Since you're still at quite a young age, you are in a position where I wouldn't be surprised if you sang something that blows us away in a few years.  But as for now...work on improving.

[NickySpanjaards]

(I still have a few old records of me singing along with DT for evidence).

I want to hear this.

Here are the video's I recorded in the time I had the vocal injury:

Pull Me under:

https://vimeo.com/16138511

And a part of The Killing Hand:

https://vimeo.com/16138973

And for those who say I haven't learned anything...well listen to this and to the covers now. There is a time of +/- 11 months between them.

[Perpetual Change]

I thought they were supposed to be from before your vocal injury? Meh. Honestly, these videos don't tell us much to prove you really had a vocal rupture. If anything, you coulda just sung them really poorly intentionally to fool us. I mean, it sounds like you're trying to sing out of pitch.

[Bertielee]

OK. I just wanted to see and hear for myself. Well. Do you really hear what you're singing? It's off most of the time. Btw, why didn't you try singing without James's voice? I think it would do you good. Maybe you'd b able to hear yourself singing and hear what's amiss.

B.Lee

[NickySpanjaards]

No, these were recorded at the time I had my vocal injury. Sorry if it was not clear. Didn't they really gave prove? Well sorry about that, but it is the best evidence I have. And I didn't sung them really poorly to fool you. Why would I? And there is a lot of evidence in it. I used another microphone, my voice cracked all over the place and in The Killing Hand you can even hear some hick-ups, especially the one in "Will it be the same?" You hear Sahaaa -hick-aaaa-hick-aaame. That's something I can't even do anymore!

[Perpetual Change]

Well then looking forward to how things sound in another +/- 11 months 

[Vivace]

There is a noticable improvement but I must say there is still a lot more room for improvement. Key issues being: stop singing using someone else's style and start developing a style of your own. Switching between the melodic and the pseudo-scream isn't working at all. You still have breathing issues. This is very evident with the "watch the sparrow falling" section. This is where the head voice is key and this is what I need to work on so believe me when I tell you, you need to work on this too. Also....relax. relax, relax, relax x1000. You are straining your voice and it really sounds as if you are doing damage to your voice in singing that way. You really need to relax your voice. The song is clearly out of your range. I would push it down a fifth in the very least. Audio editing software can help you this. Again, you don't have to sing a song 100% accurate to be a cover, there are plenty of singers out there that push down the vocals just so they can sing them. There is nothing wrong in this and shows a clear indication of knowing your limits.

This thread has basically stated more times than I cound now what you need to work on. Why do you insist on trying to prove you don't need to work on them by continuing to post videos of your improvement? you have improved but that never the point of this thread. That is to prove you have improved from 2009 to now. We are simply asking you to work on it and come back in a year. I don't think this forum is going anywhere so you have all the time in the world. I am also working on my voice and plan to post a few covers in the future, but that won't happen for at least another year and a half. I clearly have patience and I'm twice your age. 

[Mebert78]

Thanks for sharing these, nicky.  Keep the passion going.  I live your spirit and enthusiasm.  Personally, I would love to hear "Wait for Sleep" sometime down the road.  

[rumborak]

What Vivace said, really. While you may or may not have had that "vocal chord rupture", it has never been the issue we are criticizing. You are off as many times in those videos as you are off in the newer ones. And we don't have the impression you are working on that.

EDIT: BTW, I'm not sure whether you are aware of this, but we're having a Karaoke thread right now in the GD area. Fiery Windu submitted an excellent cover of Wither: https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=17627.msg642588#msg642588
I think it's important as a musician to know where you fit in in terms of the "hierachy", and Fiery Windu's peformance is something you could work towards in terms of quality. In case you have any illusions, he sings far better than you currently, and he has a lot of good habits you can copy.

rumborak

[IdoSC]

I'm not quite sure what did those videos prove...I mean, now I know he sang even worse a year ago, but it could always be a flu or whatever, or like PC said, a lie. It still doesn't prove he was any better than that, and doesn't reflect his potential.

[MykeHavoc]

Sit down at a piano and go up and down the keys until you can nail your pitches better. Please. Before you make any other videos. Really prove to us that you can do it by resisting the temptation. It will only make you look worse if next week you put up another one. You must realize that you will continue to be ripped apart until you truly make the effort.

[NickySpanjaards]

Sit down at a piano and go up and down the keys until you can nail your pitches better. Please. Before you make any other videos. Really prove to us that you can do it by resisting the temptation. It will only make you look worse if next week you put up another one. You must realize that you will continue to be ripped apart until you truly make the effort.

Those were video's I recorded last year  

What Vivace said, really. While you may or may not have had that "vocal chord rupture", it has never been the issue we are criticizing. You are off as many times in those videos as you are off in the newer ones. And we don't have the impression you are working on that.

EDIT: BTW, I'm not sure whether you are aware of this, but we're having a Karaoke thread right now in the GD area. Fiery Windu submitted an excellent cover of Wither: https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=17627.msg642588#msg642588
I think it's important as a musician to know where you fit in in terms of the "hierachy", and Fiery Windu's peformance is something you could work towards in terms of quality. In case you have any illusions, he sings far better than you currently, and he has a lot of good habits you can copy.

rumborak

I wasn't aware of that, thanks for sharing, I'll definitely sign up!
Next week I get my new microphone and then I'm going to cover Wait For Sleep for the Karaoke thread and after that I won't post any more video's for at least around a year! 

[Ultimetalhead]

FYI, Nicky, the DT round is not until Round 8, which will be many moons from now. The first round is any song you like (except DT), so this is definitely the perfect time to post something that is not James LaBrie.

Song's due by Wednesday. Glad you feel like signing up.

[AcidLameLTE]

If he's only actually going to enter with one song, just let him post DT.

[Ultimetalhead]

If this man sings another DT song, I think the world may end.

[MykeHavoc]

Sit down at a piano and go up and down the keys until you can nail your pitches better. Please. Before you make any other videos. Really prove to us that you can do it by resisting the temptation. It will only make you look worse if next week you put up another one. You must realize that you will continue to be ripped apart until you truly make the effort.

Those were video's I recorded last year  

Regardless, it's still sound advice. Please leave and return when this is done.

[Vivace]

That version of Wither on the Karoke thread was pretty good. 90/10 pitch wise which in my opinion is grand. The only advice I would give is dynamics. Regardless, it was certainly something I listened all the way to the end. I think that's the sign of a good vocal performance. That is, if most listeners here or on any forum are actually able to sit through the whole performance. Most of the tim on Youtube I have to stop the video before I throw up.

[rumborak]

I wasn't aware of that, thanks for sharing, I'll definitely sign up!
Next week I get my new microphone and then I'm going to cover Wait For Sleep for the Karaoke thread and after that I won't post any more video's for at least around a year! 

Well, you have to stick to the rules of the competition. The first song has to be submitted by Wednesday, and it can't be a DT song. Don't worry about the microphone; despite of what you think of us, we can very well recognize a good vocal performance through a cheap microphone.  Some of the submissions in that thread have been recorded with worse equipment than you have, and they still received praise.

rumborak

[Awake87]

Nicky, you're young, you already had vocal issues (vocal rupture you said, or something like that..)and still continue to damage your voice. And first of all, you have no TALENT.. Sorry, don't take this as an offense! This means that you simply can't go and sing whatever you want and pretend to sound good without having no idea of pitch and thecnique.. Even for talented people it's essential to study hard and improving to became a real singer!! Considering the point you are at now, forget to sing difficult songs like those you posted. Forget to sound like James LaBrie and trying to fit his own style.. you can't even sing in the right pitch! Singing is NOT just screaming to reach high notes and jump around the room to look 'cool'

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Nicky, you're young, you already had vocal issues (vocal rupture you said, or something like that..)and still continue to damage your voice. And first of all, you have no TALENT.. Sorry, don't take this as an offense! This means that you simply can't go and sing whatever you want and pretend to sound good without having no idea of pitch and thecnique.. Even for talented people it's essential to study hard and improving to became a real singer!! Considering the point you are at now, forget to sing difficult songs like those you posted. Forget to sound like James LaBrie and trying to fit his own style.. you can't even sing in the right pitch! Singing is NOT just screaming to reach high notes and jump around the room to look 'cool'

Great n00b post.

[MajorMatt]

That version of Wither on the Karoke thread was pretty good. 90/10 pitch wise which in my opinion is grand.

In my opinion thats insanely good!



Matt

[Vivace]

That version of Wither on the Karoke thread was pretty good. 90/10 pitch wise which in my opinion is grand.

In my opinion thats insanely good!



Matt

grand, insanely good, all great ways to say, 

[Awake87]

Nicky, you're young, you already had vocal issues (vocal rupture you said, or something like that..)and still continue to damage your voice. And first of all, you have no TALENT.. Sorry, don't take this as an offense! This means that you simply can't go and sing whatever you want and pretend to sound good without having no idea of pitch and thecnique.. Even for talented people it's essential to study hard and improving to became a real singer!! Considering the point you are at now, forget to sing difficult songs like those you posted. Forget to sound like James LaBrie and trying to fit his own style.. you can't even sing in the right pitch! Singing is NOT just screaming to reach high notes and jump around the room to look 'cool'

Great n00b post.

Sorry Vivace, English is not my first language so can you explain better please?

[Vivace]

Nicky, you're young, you already had vocal issues (vocal rupture you said, or something like that..)and still continue to damage your voice. And first of all, you have no TALENT.. Sorry, don't take this as an offense! This means that you simply can't go and sing whatever you want and pretend to sound good without having no idea of pitch and thecnique.. Even for talented people it's essential to study hard and improving to became a real singer!! Considering the point you are at now, forget to sing difficult songs like those you posted. Forget to sound like James LaBrie and trying to fit his own style.. you can't even sing in the right pitch! Singing is NOT just screaming to reach high notes and jump around the room to look 'cool'

Great n00b post.

Sorry Vivace, English is not my first language so can you explain better please?

This wasn't me, but it's a compliment. That is, you're initial posts to the board are excellent. I wish I could say the same about my initial posts.

[MajorMatt]

That version of Wither on the Karoke thread was pretty good. 90/10 pitch wise which in my opinion is grand.

In my opinion thats insanely good!



Matt

grand, insanely good, all great ways to say, 

I was getting at the 90/10 typo 

But, back on topic...

I think the best advice I can offer you is to develop a practice routine. It goes the same for all instruments including the voice. Have a strict schedule everyday but mix things up so it doesn't begin to bore you. Always start with a warm up and finish with a warm down (if that makes sense ), then spend a certain amount of time on one exercise before moving onto the next - keep the timings of each exercise strict so it is a productive session. Break up each session by slipping in some time singing basic songs - as you begin to improve you can exchange the songs for harder ones. One tip is to record each time you sing and play it back to yourself and criticise it so you have it clear in your head which areas you need to work on. Save these recordings and listen back to them in a few months against a newer recording of the same song to see where you have improved. Structure, routine and evaluation are all key things in learning and improving.

I would also forget about trying to sing any difficult songs at this time, which pretty much encompasses the whole DT catalog. To put it in perspective, imiagine for one minute you want to learn to play guitar, do you think you would start by trying to play the 'Under a Glass Moon' solo, or any pertucci solo (or rhythm part for that matter) ? No you wouldn't, believe me, when I started playing guitar I thought it looked easy after watching JP play on the Scenes from NY dvd, turns out its not at all as easy as it looks - much the same with singing. I always said the first song I would learn on guitar would be Pull Me Under because it was the first DT song I heard, after ~3 years I could play just about everything but the solo. The same as I couldn't play a DT song straight off I wouldn't expect many people to be able to belt out Innocence Faded on the spot having never sung in their life.

Now, I understand that you have sung before and apparently you were better before your 'vocal injury', but I would suggest forgetting everything you know, start from the basics and importantly, get a reputable vocal coach if you can afford it. Additionally, forget YouTube, Vimeo, etc. even exist - if you keep on posting videos to the standard you have been then they will probably go viral (yeah you'd become marginally famous for your singing, but not for the right reasons!)

I realise I've probably repeated alot of what has already been said but anyhoo, good luck! There has been some awesome advice given in this thread - use it!!

tl;dr version:
develop a practice routine, forget about singing DT or anything like it for the time being, start again from the basics, get a reputable teacher, take on board the advice in this thread - its good and its free!

Matt

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Nicky, you're young, you already had vocal issues (vocal rupture you said, or something like that..)and still continue to damage your voice. And first of all, you have no TALENT.. Sorry, don't take this as an offense! This means that you simply can't go and sing whatever you want and pretend to sound good without having no idea of pitch and thecnique.. Even for talented people it's essential to study hard and improving to became a real singer!! Considering the point you are at now, forget to sing difficult songs like those you posted. Forget to sound like James LaBrie and trying to fit his own style.. you can't even sing in the right pitch! Singing is NOT just screaming to reach high notes and jump around the room to look 'cool'

Great n00b post.

Sorry Vivace, English is not my first language so can you explain better please?

This wasn't me, but it's a compliment. That is, you're initial posts to the board are excellent. I wish I could say the same about my initial posts.

Yup, thats what I meant. 

[Vivace]

^^whoops. Just noticed my horrible typo. 

Oh the 90/10 wasn't a typo. 90+10=100.