You can listen but read this first.

Here's my dilemma, at the local beginner/intermediate jam, not a lot of people call songs and as a result a couple would-be leaders kinda take over.  I consider myself a bit of the problem as I don't sing so good so I don't call songs.  So I'm posting this to see what you think.  Please be honest without being nasty. If I called this song at a beg/int jam and sang it would you-- 1) leave, 2) sit further away from me, 3) not come back, 4) ask me not to come back, 5) figure it was worth it for me to add to the jam, 6) say "Great job"?  Any constructive criticism appreciated.  

The song has an instrumental chorus and the break is on the verse and chorus chords so there's about as much picking as singing, which is not a bad thing.  Even I know that with my mediocre skill, I pick much better than I sing.  This is with a $0.20 computer mike with a muffled BiaB background track to help stay on tempo and key.

Here you go....

http://users.rcn.com/kvk/bb/cb20070709.mp3

I probably won't leave this up all that long for fear somebody will find it and do something embarrassing with it on youtube or somethin'.

That was some nice mandolin playing!

Before I make any further comments, I'm in the same boat in that I don't sing well. In fact, I don't play bluegrass mandolin too well either. But at the last jam,I stepped up to give it a try, singing "Handsome Molly.". I got some encourging words and am now learning a new song," Rocky Road Blues" for the next jam.

In my way of thinking, a good singing voice is not a requirement for bluegrass, just let it out "loud and proud." Some of the other regular jammers are not great singers, but we all have a good time jamming just the same. If they or I hit a real clunker (it will happen), we all have a good laugh and move on.

OK, so you're not the next Ricky Scaggs (or insert favorite player), voice-wise, but its acceptable and atleast you're in tune. The more you sing the better you'll get. I plan to move toward improvement by purchasing "Singing! Basic Vocal Technique" by Penny Nichols.

Just have fun with, don't take it seriously and laugh at yourself if you hit a clunker. The whole point of jamming is to have fun, not audition for a recording band!  

--Last edited by gnelson651 on 2007-07-09 23:36:07 --

Well, I always said I'd be a good vocalist were it not for three things-- pitch, tone, and enunciation.  Actually, I think I have pitch good enough for a jam if I know the song well.  Tone, forget it.  I have a stuffy nose all the time from allergies and a deviated septum.  Some of us are born with a Dude or Gil in our throat; I was born with one of them $30 beaters you buy on Ebay.  What gets me is I don't seem to have much control over enunciation.  Sure, I was never good at baseball but how can I be uncoordinated about talking?

leave it up till this evening at least.. mp3's are blocked over our routers..

Well, it's still up.  I'm beginning to think that the lack of comments indicates that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything.

kvk

The mandolin playing is good.  Better than I could do.

I would not worry to much aobut the singing.  Where you have the self-described $30 ebay voice, I don't even have that.  I can tell that I'm singing out of tune, but don't know how to correct it.

i forgot all about it.. i have a good memory, but it's short