Hallelujah Lyrics
I heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the lord
But you don't really care for music, do ya?
Well, it goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Well, your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya
She tied you to her kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Well, maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who'd out drew ya
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not someone who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
That David played, and it pleased the lord
But you don't really care for music, do ya?
Well, it goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Well, your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya
She tied you to her kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Well, maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who'd out drew ya
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not someone who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
This song is well known for featuring in the popular animated movie Shrek, and plays during the part when Shrek hands over Fiona to Lord Farquard and walks home drowning his sorrows. The original singer of hallelujah was sung by a Leonard Cohen, many artists, however, made covers of this song including Jeff Buckley, Alison Crowe and Rufus Wainwright, however, the cover that I will be singing is the cover by Alexandra Burke who sang this song for the final in the X Factor. For me this song is a challenging as I am a beginner at singing and this song includes a mixture of vocal techniques such as powerful and less powerful vocals as well as head voice, vibrato, sustain notes and also a key change this means I will need to work really hard if I am going to perform this song for my recital.
Example of the actual song
Week 4 of Hallelujah
This week I will be concentrating on verse one of this song. First, I will listen to the song over and over again. I will then move on to singing the first verse with Alexandra so I can get the pitching of the notes and also make sure I am singing in time with her.I will do this a couple of times each day before moving on to singing through, the song with a karaoke to help with the lyrics and when I should come in, Getting used to singing the song without the help of Alexandra.
Before I attempt to sing this song I am first going to listen to the first verse a couple of times so that I now what the verse sounds like and also what vocal techniques are included in this verse that I will need to learn.
Before I start to rehearse this song the first thing I need to do is to warm up my vocal for this I will revisit my warm up post.
Now that I am warmed up and ready to go let's get started,
From listening to the first verse I have found that the first verse is quite slow and a bit dull when it comes to vocal techniques and has quite a simple rhythm and range. So I think the only thing I need to do for this verse is to just to sing it over and over and over again with Alexandra to make sure I am matching her pitch and also singing at the same time as her. I will then attempt the song with just the karaoke so I can get used to singing the verse on my own. Also by using a karaoke it is helping me to learn the lyrics as well.
Video of me singing the first verse of Hallelujah with Alexandra,
Video of me singing the first verse with Karaoke,
From these videos I have found that I need to work on making sure, I am pitching the notes correctly and also singing in time with the backing as I was a bit out where there is a break between the word "music" and "do ya" and also I need to hold the notes on a bit longer at the end of each phrase and so this is what I will be concentrating on making sure I have got it before moving onto the chorus. I will do this by revisiting the lines and listening to the actual song a couple of time so I know when the lyrics are sung I will also sing the verse with the karaoke over and over again until I am confident with when the vocals come in.
Week 5 of rehearsal
Okay, so the aims for this week will be to learn the chorus to Hallelujah and make sure I can perform it without the help of Alexandra. This week I will also learn the second verse and also be able to perform it without singing along to the actual song.
Let's begin with the chorus,
listening to the chorus it sounds simple as it is just simply hallelujah repeated," great this section is simple" however singing it isn't as easy as I thought.
The chorus is made up of four Hallelujahs, the first three Hallelujahs are sung with the same rhythm and pitch however when it came to the fourth Hallelujah I found that this hallelujah included a low note that was out of my voice range and so I decided to research and watch a video in how to achieve singing low pitched noted without the voice sounding croaky and I found this video,
Video of rehearsing low notes,
Know it is time to put the techniques I have learned into action by singing the whole chorus with the backing adding in the low-pitched note,
Video of me rehearsing the chorus,
From watching this video back I think the chorus went pretty well and I hit the low note accurately to a good standard you could hear a little crockery ness in my voice near the end of the word. But by revisiting it each day and rehearsing this shouldn't be a problem.
So now let's move on to the next verse,
Before trying to learn the next verse I am first going to listen to Alexandra Burke singing it first so I know how the verse should sound.
This verse begins with the lines "well your faith was strong but you needed proof" The first two lines of this verse is exactly the same as the first verse however at the end of the third line she changes the way she sings "ya" instead of sustaining the note she instead decides to use a descending movement while singing the same word. and so I decided to concentrate on this section to make sure I was pitch each note correctly and also to make sure I was singing it smoothly without including a breath half way through the phrase.
Video of me rehearsing singing a descending rhythm using the word "ya"
Know I can sing the third line of Hallelujah reasonably well, it is time to move on,
The fourth line of verse two changes from a quiet soft sound too loud and powerful as this is where we first hear Alexandra's head voice. In order to sing loud and powerful I first need to know how to sing from my diaphragm, and not from the throat we also need to now when we need to breathe in order to keep your vocals powerful as if you run out of breath you lose the power from your voice. In order to learn how to breathe correctly when singing and also to sing using the diaphragm, I decided to ask YouTube where I found this really detailed videos where it demonstrates step by step how to sing from the diaphragm and also how to breath probably during singing. These videos really helped me understand the need to sing from the diaphragm and also how to use the techniques I have learned and put it into the song.
How to sing and breath from the Diaphragm,
Video of me rehearsing singing a descending rhythm using the word "ya"
Know I can sing the third line of Hallelujah reasonably well, it is time to move on,
The fourth line of verse two changes from a quiet soft sound too loud and powerful as this is where we first hear Alexandra's head voice. In order to sing loud and powerful I first need to know how to sing from my diaphragm, and not from the throat we also need to now when we need to breathe in order to keep your vocals powerful as if you run out of breath you lose the power from your voice. In order to learn how to breathe correctly when singing and also to sing using the diaphragm, I decided to ask YouTube where I found this really detailed videos where it demonstrates step by step how to sing from the diaphragm and also how to breath probably during singing. These videos really helped me understand the need to sing from the diaphragm and also how to use the techniques I have learned and put it into the song.
How to sing and breath from the Diaphragm,
Me rehearsing singing from the Diaphragm,
Know I am confident on how to sing from the diaphragm I will make sure I will revisit this exercise every day so that my singing from my Diaphragm sounds more natural and not airy.
Now that I know how and feel more confident singing this song it is time to sing the verse all the way through with Alexandra over and over again to make sure I am singing in the right pitch and also singing the same rhythm as Alexandra. Then I will sing the song again but this time using the karaoke I will sing it with just the karaoke a couple of times until I am confident in singing this verse.
Video of me singing the whole second verse with Alexandra,
Video of me singing the second verse with just the karaoke,
From these videos it is clear that there is still some work I need to do when it comes to correct breathing as you can hear where I am running out of breath of the power of the song is lost I will do this by revisiting the breathing exercise each day and also sing the verse over and over again to get used to where I should breath.
Know I have learned how to sing over half of the song it is now time to put all I have learned together using just the karaoke,
Video of what I have learned so far,
I am really proud of the progress I have made so far the first two verses and the chorus are sounding really good all I need to do now is to learn the rest of the song and also I need to make sure I keep revisiting the first two verses so I don't forget what I have learned as it is kept fresh in my head it will also improve the quality of my voice as I will get used to the way I need to sing it and also help the vocal techniques sound more natural and crisp.
Week 6 of rehearsal
This week I will be learning the rest of the song this includes the second chorus and also the last verse. For me, the last verse is the hardest verse as not only does the verse change key but also requires me to sing at a slightly higher range than the rest of the song meaning pitching the notes may prove to be difficult and will have to be something I work on.Also this week I will learn the second chorus as once again the last Hallelujah changes this time instead of going low it is sung the octave higher.
Before I begin my rehearsal I am first going to warm up my vocals,
Second chorus,
As like the previous chorus, this one is made up of four Hallelujahs and just like before the first three is sung with the same rhythm and power however when It comes to the fourth Hallelujah it changes once again but this time instead of going low It goes the octave higher and so this will have to be something I work on. I will also research how to hit higher notes without my vocals sounding breathe or strained
When researching I found this video,
Singing the second chorus with Alexandra,
Singing second chorus with karaoke,
Okay so as this verse it completely different to any other verse and is the hardest I think the best way to tackle this verse is to listen to the actual song verse and then sing the verse with the actual song over and over again and then when I get to a section I am stuck on I will just rewind the song back and do that section again. By doing it this way I am constantly listening to the changes in the song making it easier to pitch the notes.
Me singing the last verse of Hallelujah with Alexandra.
Me singing without with just karaoke.
Now I think that sounded okay however I did feel the pitching was out and also my voice became croaky near the end. After many attempts at this version of this verse, I am still no further forward than before and so I think it is time to turn this song into my own version meaning I am going to change this verse slightly to fit my vocal range so it isn't putting too much strain on my vocals but will also be powerful and outstanding to the audience. For this I am going to take the rhythm from the last two lines of the previous verse but bring it up a semi octave.
sounding like this.
Video of alternative ending
Now all that is left to do is to sing this through with the karaoke to see if it fits with the music.
Last verse of Hallelujah my version,
Okay so I think that worked really well all I have to do is make sure I stay in the right key when singing it but now all I think is left to do is to sing the whole song through altogether and also include the last chorus which is a repeat of the previous chorus.
Finished song
In my next post I will be taking you through my rehearsal journey of my third and final song The Climb By Miley Cyrus
Know I am confident on how to sing from the diaphragm I will make sure I will revisit this exercise every day so that my singing from my Diaphragm sounds more natural and not airy.
Now that I know how and feel more confident singing this song it is time to sing the verse all the way through with Alexandra over and over again to make sure I am singing in the right pitch and also singing the same rhythm as Alexandra. Then I will sing the song again but this time using the karaoke I will sing it with just the karaoke a couple of times until I am confident in singing this verse.
Video of me singing the whole second verse with Alexandra,
Video of me singing the second verse with just the karaoke,
From these videos it is clear that there is still some work I need to do when it comes to correct breathing as you can hear where I am running out of breath of the power of the song is lost I will do this by revisiting the breathing exercise each day and also sing the verse over and over again to get used to where I should breath.
Know I have learned how to sing over half of the song it is now time to put all I have learned together using just the karaoke,
Video of what I have learned so far,
I am really proud of the progress I have made so far the first two verses and the chorus are sounding really good all I need to do now is to learn the rest of the song and also I need to make sure I keep revisiting the first two verses so I don't forget what I have learned as it is kept fresh in my head it will also improve the quality of my voice as I will get used to the way I need to sing it and also help the vocal techniques sound more natural and crisp.
Week 6 of rehearsal
This week I will be learning the rest of the song this includes the second chorus and also the last verse. For me, the last verse is the hardest verse as not only does the verse change key but also requires me to sing at a slightly higher range than the rest of the song meaning pitching the notes may prove to be difficult and will have to be something I work on.Also this week I will learn the second chorus as once again the last Hallelujah changes this time instead of going low it is sung the octave higher.
Before I begin my rehearsal I am first going to warm up my vocals,
Second chorus,
As like the previous chorus, this one is made up of four Hallelujahs and just like before the first three is sung with the same rhythm and power however when It comes to the fourth Hallelujah it changes once again but this time instead of going low It goes the octave higher and so this will have to be something I work on. I will also research how to hit higher notes without my vocals sounding breathe or strained
When researching I found this video,
By using the technique and exercises they gave me in this video and keep practising them over and over again I already feel like my vocal range has changed and also feel I can sing higher notes with less strain even though the high note still sound a bit breathy the crisp natural sound will come with practise my voice just needs to get use to the change.
After hours of practising high notes I now think I am confident enough to attempt the second chorus I will first sing it with Alexandra then with just the karaoke.
Singing the second chorus with Alexandra,
Singing second chorus with karaoke,
Okay so as this verse it completely different to any other verse and is the hardest I think the best way to tackle this verse is to listen to the actual song verse and then sing the verse with the actual song over and over again and then when I get to a section I am stuck on I will just rewind the song back and do that section again. By doing it this way I am constantly listening to the changes in the song making it easier to pitch the notes.
Me singing the last verse of Hallelujah with Alexandra.
Me singing without with just karaoke.
Now I think that sounded okay however I did feel the pitching was out and also my voice became croaky near the end. After many attempts at this version of this verse, I am still no further forward than before and so I think it is time to turn this song into my own version meaning I am going to change this verse slightly to fit my vocal range so it isn't putting too much strain on my vocals but will also be powerful and outstanding to the audience. For this I am going to take the rhythm from the last two lines of the previous verse but bring it up a semi octave.
sounding like this.
Video of alternative ending
Now all that is left to do is to sing this through with the karaoke to see if it fits with the music.
Last verse of Hallelujah my version,
Okay so I think that worked really well all I have to do is make sure I stay in the right key when singing it but now all I think is left to do is to sing the whole song through altogether and also include the last chorus which is a repeat of the previous chorus.
Finished song
In my next post I will be taking you through my rehearsal journey of my third and final song The Climb By Miley Cyrus
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