BREATHING TECHNIQUES START WITH: 1. Healthy lungs 2. Strong and healthy body proper posture for singing INHALATION
Sensation while breathing in: feel how back. Body, rib cage and slides expand out and sideways. Body parts opening on inhalation: + The back + Sides of the body + Abdomen (Belly) + Lower ribs The back (often a forgotten body part in vocal; training exercises) expands slightly. Abdomen moves out (focus on the upper abdomen from about your nave to the lower edge of the sternum). The lower ribs and the sides of your body (of your lower torso) move sideways on inhalation. EXHALATION Exhale slowly and feel the abdomen and ribs moving inward during exhalation. Allow the diaphragm to rise which causes your abdomen to move in. The movement of the diaphragm is passive in this phase. Your chest is raised and keeps this position throughout exhalation for as long as possible. At the end of the breath cycle, the lower ribs and abdomen return to their resting position. The exhalation phase during singing is much longer than at rest. We sing on exhalation. The key attributes for exhalation are slow and steady The posture is the same as for inhalation — the back is straight, the shoulders are down, the chest is open, the head and hips are aligned with the rest of the body. + First, develop awareness of what is going on during exhalation. + Then develop breath support for short sustained sounds and phrases. + Finally develop breath support tor long sustained sounds and long phrases. As well as endurance for gradually longer Singing practices with fewer breaks. + Practice breathing exercises together with vocal techniques as soon as possible (as soon as you become aware of the required movements in your body during inhalation and exhalation). SUSPENDING THE BREATH "Suspending the breath" refers to one of the ore advanced breathing techniques for singing. To suspend the breath means not allowing exhalation to happen right away. Instead a singer "suspends the breath" without holding the breath. The singer neither inhales nor exhales; he just postpones the beginning of exhalation. The body is suspended in motion. There is no tension anywhere in the body. This may be a difficult concept to grasp and may require practice. The goal of suspending the breath is to understand how the body wants to return to the resting position and how to resist this feeling when singing. From: how2improvesinging Like more of such tips or looking for a online vocal coach? Check out my review of the online singing program that I'm using right now.
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1. Perform warm ups before training. Vocal similar to any workout. You have to give that target muscles warm ups so as not to strain them, doing warm also help you measure your voice range. 2. Use your diaphragm liberally when breathing. It has been said again and again bur we believe it cannot be stressed enough when you are training your stinging you need to put weight on learning how to breathe from your not from your chest. 3. Improve your articulation. This a common problem among singers that is left unaddressed. The problem with articulation can break your performance. Whether you are singing low notes or hitting high notes. 4. Use a slow but steady pace when practicing your high notes. Start in mid-range and then practice singing higher and higher every time. It is also, ideal that you let your vocal chords hit the scale from bottom upwards and then back again. 5. Find your vowel. Singers have a particular vowel that works best for them. You have to find yours. This is called vowel modification. Experimental singing will help give you an idea what vowel works best with your singing voice. From iSingmag: Like more of such tips or looking for a online vocal coach? Check out my review of the online singing program that I'm using right now. 1) OPEN YOUR MOUTH! Many people neglect how big their mouths need to be to produce a clear and free sound. Having a open mouth means that you drop your jaw to ensure that there is sufficient space at the back of the mouth for vocal production. When singing, think of your body as an instrument such as a trumpet. Your mouth acts as the opening where sound is released. The bigger you open mouth, the clearer and louder you will be. To gauge how big your mouth should be, you should be able to fit two fingers stacked vertically. Opening your mouth beyond two fingers is counter productive as it creates tension in your throat and only leads to uncomfortable singing. When opening your mouth during breathing, it is also helpful to visualize as if you are yawning or drinking in the air you take in to open your throat. This visualization should open your mouth wide enough more naturally instead of worrying about how big or small it has to be. 2) ARTICULATE YOUR WORDS! Mumbling your lyrics will leave audience confused and uninterested in your voice. Try to sing the words as if you're saying them. A great way to practice articulation is by focusing on the consonants of the words. Here are a few vocal exercise I recommend:
Say: Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma
Ta Ta Ta Ta Ta Ta Ka Ka Ka Ka Ka Ka Say: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked Say: Denise sees the fleece Denise sees the fleas At least Denise could sneeze and feed and freeze the fleas 3) CHECK YOUR PITCHING! One problem many singers face is staying in tune. This is especially applicable to those who are tone-deaf(unable to differentiate between different notes they are singing). Fortunately, everyone can be trained howto identify the differences in pitch using our ears. The reason why some people appear tone deaf longer than others is simply because they take longer to differentiate between the different pitches. Start by singing a note that is comfortable in your range. Once you have identified that particular note on the piano, play the next note on the piano and try to match it. Track your progress each day by recording yourself and listening how accurately you have reached that note. 4) IDENTIFY YOUR VOCAL RANGE! Finding your vocal range is important so that you can choose songs where you can sing comfortably without straining. To find your vocal range, start by singing to "ah" at a note which you are comfortable at. Slowly work your way down as you match your voice to the the notes on your piano. You should still be able to sustain your lowest note comfortably. Similarly, work your way up the scale until you have found your highest note. Finally, choose songs which fit in between your lowest and highest note. For those without a piano, play this video should suffice. Approximate Vocal Range of different voice types from highest to lowest : Girls: Soprano - C4 to C6 Mezzo-Soprano - A3 to A5 Alto - G3 to F5 Guys: Countertenor - G3 to C6 Tenor - C3 to C5 Baritone - A2 to A4 Bass - E2 to E4 An average singer has a vocal range between 2 to 2.5 octaves, whereas some singers such as Mariah Carey have extended up to 4 octaves . Your vocal range may seem limited at first due to improper technique. However, you range will increase as your voice gets seasoned to reach more notes. Like more of such tips or looking for a online vocal coach? Check out my review of the online singing programme that I'm using right now.
How many of us have already dreamt of being a rockstar or popstar? Well I know I did. Here's a guide that emcompasses the different techniques and styles rock singers use to achieve their signature rock voices. Rock singing is characterized by intense yelling, screaming which is fuelled by emotions of a anger and sadness. However, screaming will wear down your throat very quickly. Here's not what many people know - rock singing will definitely wear out your vocal chords. This is because your vocal chords are subjected a lot of pressure during vocal distortions and compression. However, this guide will teach you the techniques of how to minimize this wear and tear on your voice. WARM UP: Rock singing is probably the most demanding genre to sing. Warming up our voice before singing opens up your voice and allows for you to sing with more freedom. A good warm up focuses on dropping your jaw and reducing any tension in the body. Here's a warm up routine I use from time to time. 1. Start with light humming sliding between two notes a fifth apart - e.g from C to G. We want our voices to get comfortable to producing sound first. 2. Lip-rolls, exhale while your lips are together to until your lips start to vibrate. Hold it for 15 seconds. This trains breath control as you need to supply a steady stream of air for the lip-roll to continue smoothly. 3. Sing to "oo" as you sing arpeggios. E.g C - E - G - C and back down. You should feel that you will be able to access more vocal range after doing these exercises. LOUD HIGH NOTES: Before we start screaming out our high notes, we first need to develop the muscles and vocal placement needed to sing them. Try singing your song softly in your mixed voice instead of using your full voice. You should feel no tension in your throat. This conditions your vocal chords and throat muscles to singing high notes comfortably. Sing louder once you feel that you are able to do so without straining your voice. BELTING: What is belting? Belting is that loud powerful sound that you hear rock singers sing. In rock singing especially, belting adds an edge to the singers voice. To belt successfully, you need to train your mixed voice so that you can master those high notes first. After doing so, do some vocal exercises that focuses on placing your voice forward. If you feel your throat hurting when belting, that means that you're incorrectly using your throat muscles to push the sound out. Belting should feel as though you're singing any other note, just louder and with more power. VOCAL COMPRESSION: This is what gives your voice distortion and a raspy feature. To do compression, first start singing with a clean, undistorted voice. Slowly adjust the voice as if you're doing a vocal fry. A vocal fry is that low creaking "urk" sound when you try to say something using very little air. If you're feeling any pain in your throat, you are tensing your throat. Drink some water and try again. Like more of such tips or looking for a online vocal coach? Check out my review of the online singing programme that I'm using right now. I'm sure many of us dream of being popstars such as Taylor Swift, Beyonce or Justin Bieber - not just for their looks but also for their extremely popular pop singing styles. I've written this guide here to teach you guys some techniques (or gimmicks!) that these pop artists use in their music. To learn how to sing rock, click HERE. 1) VOCAL FRY: Artists such as Britney Spears and Katy Perry are famous for their vocal fry BOTH during singing and speaking. A vocal fry is that little throat bubbling or croaking that you here before and after a line is sung. To get a clearer picture, listen to this recording by Britney Spears. See how she does the vocal fry before she starts her lines? Pop artists do the vocal fry to create a sexy and expressive voice. It always reduces tension in the throat before singing. HOW TO DO IT: Say "ah" as if you were reaching your lowest note. This should be without any pitch. Practice holding this for five seconds. Once you are able to identify your vocal fry, try slowly connecting it with a note and subsequently to a string of notes. 2) A BREATHY VOICE: Breathiness in the singing voice is that sexy, soothing voice quality that you hear from pop artists such as John Mayer. More air is expelled than usual, so much so that even the the audience hears it. This creates a weaker and less directed sound, and can be used to express sadness in songs. HOW TO DO IT: This should be easy. Try speaking in a breathy, sexy voice and applying it into your singing. It should feel as if you're breathing out when you're singing. WARNING: you wouldn't want to keep singing with a breathy voice as it compromises on support and singing technique. 3) RUNS AND RIFFS: I'm sure everyone's familiar with the runs and riffs of Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey. They are impressive due to the fact that they're so hard to do. One has to practice all the different variations within an octave in order to incorporate them into their singing. HOW TO DO IT: Firstly, you need to break up a specific run variation into single notes and sing them individually slowly. Once you have gotten the notes right, slowly increase the speed and connect the notes together. Remember: the faster the run/riff, the more impressive it will be. Like more of such tips or looking for a online vocal coach? Check out my review of the online singing programme that I'm using right now. This article is written for girls who want to learn how to sing better. This will help you regardless of whatever singing style you prefer singing in - pop, rock, RnB. Should you be interested in how to sing better for guys, click HERE. BREATHING: Breathing during singing is very much different from normal breathing. Normal breathing starts from the chest and is very effortless. However when singing, you need to start your breathe from your diaphragm, the place right below the ribs. You should be able to fill your stomach with much more breathe than normal. This breathe is what gives your voice support and the power you need to reach and hold your notes. Another way of training diaphragmatic breathing is to practice hissing out breaths. Breathe in for 8 counts and feel your abdomen expanding, and hissout 8 short hisses and 1 long hiss. You should feel your abdominal muscles pushing out with each hiss. This trains your breath management skills as well as you need to sustain through all the hisses. Once you get comfortable, begin adding in more counts of hisses to gain more stamina and endurance in holding longer notes when singing. You must be careful not to use up too much air to prevent your voice from being airy - more air expelled instead of your voice. This is a result of lack of diaphragmatic control. Having good breath management contributes to having good 'support', which is the ability to produce notes with good tone. A supported voice is sounds full and not breathy. STRENGTHEN YOUR MIXED VOICE: Most girls switch to their head voice somewhere from A4 - C5. What you need to focus on is to prevent yourself from switching to your head voice along these notes although it is more comfortable to do. To belt or sing high notes, you will need to focus on strengthening your mixed voice - a mix between the chest and head voices. Although some people believe that only some people are born with the ability to sing high notes, this is not true. With proper technique and exercises, we are all able to access the mixed register which makes singing high notes EFFORTLESSLY. Here are some exercises to identify and strengthen your mixed voice. Do note that your mixed voice may sound strange and uncomfortable at first. You will feel like your voice having both qualities of the head and chest register, which it resonates both in the nasal cavity and in the head as well. Your vocal chords are also getting used to mixing between your chest and head voice and it is likely to find your mixed voice airy for certain notes. It will get stronger with more practice. Like more of such tips or looking for a online vocal coach? Check out my review of the online singing programme that I'm using right now This article is written for guys who want to learn how to sing better - a general guide applicable regardless of whether you're looking to sing pop, rock or even the blues. Should you be interested in how to sing better for girls, click HERE. FIX YOUR POSTURE: Many singers fail to realize how much their postures affect the sound they produce. A hunched shoulder or raised neck encourages strain in the voice and loss of control of support. Generally, you want to keep your entire body relaxed while keeping your body aligned. Head: Keep your head parallel to the floor, avoid pushing upwards up when singing high notes or pulling downwards when singing low notes. Shoulders: Keep your shoulders relaxed but not hunched. Shoulders and rib cage should not rise when breathing as it prevents optimal usage of the diaphragm when singing. Hands: Keep your hands loose and at the sides of your body. One common mistake singers make is clenching of the fists which translates into tension in the voice. Back: Back should be in a normal standing position, not hunched over or hunched back. Doing so will make it hard and tiring to sing. Abdomen: Your abdomen will expand as you breathe with your diaphragm, hence you should keep it relaxed. Knees: Keep your knees unlocked and slightly bent. Locked knees will inhibit your back from expansion during breathing. Toes: Keep your feet shoulder width apart and your toes pointed at a 45 degree angle. One feet should be placed slightly forward then the other as it helps to keep your weight forward. DEVELOP YOUR MIXED VOICE: The number one problem guys have when singing is high notes. Most of your high notes which you seem to have reached effortless when you were young are no longer reachable due to puberty(ARGH!). The only solution to this is to train your mixed voice. Our voice is separated by 3 registers - the lower chest voice, the mixed voice, and the head voice. Our chest voice is what you use to sing your lower notes and sounds similar to our speaking voice. Our head voice or better known as "falsetto" is characterised by airy, feminine and weak voice we use to fake our high notes. The mixed voice is essentially a mix between this chest voice and head voice. To develop a mixed voice, one has to first find the mixed voice, then gradually strengthen it. A simple exercise to develop the mixed voice is to sing to "GUG" in arpeggios. Do note that your mixed voice may sound strange and uncomfortable at first. This is natural as your vocal chords are getting used to mixing between your chest and head voice. It will get stronger with more practice. NEUTRALIZE THE LARYNX: Lots of guys are guilty of raising their larynx when singing high notes and dropping it when singing low notes. The larynx is basically the voice box, the organ which houses our vocal chords. When we move our larynx, our neck muscles tense up and produces unnecessary strain on vocal chords. This results in a strained and thin tone produced in our singing. To prevent this, we need to keep our larynx in a neutral position when singing. Like more of such tips or looking for a online vocal coach? Check out my review of the online singing programme that I'm using right now. |
AuthorHello fellow singers! My name is Damien. I am a singer - not a professional one who loves to write and perform whenever I can. I created this site with the intent to helping those who share my passion of singing. Archives
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