VOCAL DRESSAGE TO MUSIC

[FREESTYLER]

Hiya,

So, please tell me, why are vocals frowd upon in dressage to music????????Do you not think some tunes are used over and over again??? If a Judge does not like "up beat" music should you be penalised? Even if your horse is in rhythmn? A few vocals should surely not be avoided? At the end of the day, (yes it is night I know!!!) but the audience love to see /hear an up-beat test and ignore the vocals??? Just love to hear others opinion?

 

[carthorse]

Not sure I like vocals much but you are right some of the music is used again and again. It is a funny class but lovely ,I don't always agree with the result but then I don't always agree with judges anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Glad you're back those fires out there look terrible

 

[FREESTYLER]

LOL!!!!!!!!! I came 2nd in my class so qualified but judge did say "didnt like vocals!" tehe!! It was rather up-beat... old 1950's Swing music........ the audience liked it though!!!!!!

Yep, fires really bad, in places we were at too!!!!! Quite scary really....... ummmm..... someone is looking down on me I think!!!!! Fab.......I have years of boring you lot to death yet!!!!

 

[FREESTYLER]

I noticed your change of name and PG too?????

 

[carthorse]

You are definately NEVER boring.

 

[Halfstep]

I think it is terribly unfair that judges don't like vocals. I like vocals!!!! But I'm too chicken to use them......

I'm putting together a freestyle to 1930s and 40s show tunes at the moment. I love the tunes and it would be fab to use the vocals with them. But I think the vocals are so well known that people sort of hear them as the music plays anyway.

 

[tizer]

dos anyone know how to take vocals off music or do you have to find music with no vocals? sorry if it seems a daft question

 

[Ferdinase514]

I agree, i like vocals too

 

[Little_Mare]

I'm not against some vocals - not all of them work but I think some can really add to the performance

Didn't Anky actually perform the vocals herself to some of her music or am I talking rubbish? I wonder if they marked her down...

 

[Solitaire07]

I think if the vocals enhance the performance and are edited so they are not cut off mid phrase they are ok! It worked for the winner at the BRC Nationals with a singing in the rain routine.
I think that the vocals should blend in with the overall theme or performance but I am not a judge and I haven't been brave enough to try a track with vocals yet!!

 

[Dutch]

I think it depends really, most people don't use vocals but some people do. As for upbeat music my trainer once rode to Paul Van Dyke and won so you shouldn't be put off by upbeat music!

I agree that a lot of tracks are over used so it would be great to try and find music that you have never heard of before!

Go for it!

Diana

 

[FREESTYLER]

Ok, I think I will be brave and do some vocals too... although I wont be as brave as Anky... my voice is not that good!! LOL!!! Yep, you can remove vocals but the programmes can cost around £400!!! Mix Miester is only £50 so will stick to that for now, unless I put it on my christmas list!!! I just love the doo whop music and Misters rhyrthmn goes with it too...
Apparently you can now buy a turntable that allows you to just plug into computer and download all old records, of which my hubby has loads... think I will need a couple of days off sick from work to do this though!!! All good fun though!

 

[Loubiepoo]

You can buy Sony Audio Studio version 9 (must be version 9!) which advertises as being able to remove vocals. I have used the 30 day trial version to put something together, but you need to buy the full version to use to vocal remove application. Oh and its about £50, but cheaper if you ship it over from USA.

 

[Tempi]

Im glad to read that - my canter music is PVD

Personally i dont see the problem with using words, but there we go. I also dont think you should be penalised just because the judge dosent like your music - you should be marked on how in time you are with the music and suitability etc, not what the judge does and dosent like.

And yes, ive changed my name

 

[kick_On]

do you just need this software to run or do you need anything else? i'm thick sorry
so you buy track (cd version) place on computer, then you can mix in this software (ie put tracks together)? and remove vocals or do you need other software?? and will it run on Mac or PC - thx

 

[Tempi]

You can remove vocals on Mixmiester Studio, but it depends on the pitch range of the vocals as it can make the instrumental underneath sound really 'fuzzy' if you take vocals off - especially if its being played loudly it wont sound very good. These days you can find loads of tracks on the net with the vocals already removed properly. I wouldnt advise doing it yourself unless you know how!

 

[Tempi]

You get a programme such as Sound Forge or Mixmiester and you download tracks from online, or use a cd then you can mix (vade in/out etc) the 'splits' in your music so it sounds smoother basically.

 

[kick_On]

thx, you're getting very technical

but got a list of songs which work for paces but lyrics are just not right...

 

[SaraG]

There are different kinds of vocals and much also depends on how they are used.

Background humming - or la-la-laing as with Anky - don't really count at all. It is the very explicit vocals that are telling the story that are "not appreciated", as the FEI put it.

From a practical point of view, as mentioned above, it makes it 10 times more difficult to edit the music when a vocal track is used. As for removing them, no - you can't do that properly. A CD track is not broken down into all the various tracks mixed together in the studio - all you have is a left and right track, and vocals are generally on both.

Some software claims to remove vocals, but all it does is reduce the volume of the vocal and - as Tempi says - it does that on the frequency range and so can take out other instrumental parts as well. The second important factor is that in most cases the vocals are also the melody line. Get rid of them and you are left with boring backgound music.

However - use a few appropriate snippets here and there and they can enhance a routine - maybe at the start and the end. If the right vocals are introduced appropriately, then gradually they'll become more acceptable which will liven up freestyles no end. Go in all guns blazing with complete songs for general competition (displays are an exception) and that is likely to set things back

 

[Loubiepoo]

Yes, echoing what Troi has put about removing the vocals - the melody line is often lost and the track becomes quite unrecogisable from what it once was. Far better to try and find an instrumental version of the track you're wanting, I've been using iTunes, there's loads of Orchestral / Instrumental versions of songs on there.

 

[crabbymare]

I have used vocals before for pretty much the whole routine, and the judges have loved it. When I used them it eas only ae FEI level that they were not allowed to be used predominantly, but I've not looked at the rules recently to see if thats changed for National classes. The big problem as Troi said is to get vocals to fit the routine. It is possible and I would love to see more people using them, it may even get more variety in the music, one class I saw was almost all James bond!!

 

[kick_On]

i've just done some training recently and it was with all classical music and i'm really NOT the great fan of this type of music at all, and defo want to do something a bit more modern........

 

[JLav]

Hi Freestyler, glad to see you back.

I personally loved your music at Patchetts and thought the vocals were appropriate and not over done. (Shame I was judging the other class!!)

I've seen all sorts of vocals used and will never forget the first freestyle I ever saw years ago where a lady did a super test (medium level I think, can't exactly remember) and then finished by going into walk to Tina Turners 'Simply the Best'.
It worked so well and she was streets ahead of everyone else in the class. The few people watching and the judge thought it was wonderful.

According to the judging guidelines you should not be marked down if the music is not to the judges taste but only on whether it suits the horse is in a complimentary tempo etc etc.

I've now bought the MixMeister as well after your encouragement as to how easy it is to use and have already done 2 different freestyles for my little mare Georgie (qualified using them at Blue Barn last Sat, novice and elementary ) and managed to tweak one that was originally done professionally for a friend of mine who wanted the amount of walk, trot and canter swopped around a bit. It's a bit addictive!!

 

[FREESTYLER]

So the Sex Pistols are out then???!!!! tehe!!!

Cool, I shall just have to be brave then and go with my instincts....... like marmite, they will either love it or hate it!!! Hopefully it will not leave a bitter taste in their mouths!! Just bought myself a whole loada CD's from Sainsburys on Special Offer, so who knows, could be do whop, 1950's, 1970's, 1980's or whatever I feel is right for my boy and me and of course the jury, oka the audience!!!!!!!! Here is to a long night of listening to music....... or rather week, month, year???!!!!

 

[miller]

A guy at work has just mentioned some software to me (he's into music) that he says works really well.

http://make-your-own-karaoke.com/karaokedownload.htm?gclid=CJXHo47ZrI8CFQscQgod7VZpgA

Hope that helps, we use a MAC one (well OH does I can't use a MAC) but not yet got round to doing some for me!