Ever get tired of hearing your singing voice? You may think that your voice is too soft or too low. Do you sometimes wish you could sing with such power and feeling like the lady in your choir or a singer on TV? Do you ever feel intimidated to try out for a solo part because you feel that your voice just isn’t good enough? Before you give up on singing, you need to realize that answer to improving your singing does not rest in your voice. The answer is your ears! Don’t believe me? Read on.

Many of the greatest singers the world has ever known grew up listening to GREAT singers. They grew up in musical families where music was a part  of their everyday world, or they listened to records, cassettes, and CDs for hours. Unwittingly, they were arming themselves with the most powerful musical weapon there is – -the musical ear. Having a “musical ear” is having the ability internalize the music you hear, moving to its rhythm, feeling its harmonies, and knowing where a melody wants to go even before it gets there. A musical ear is magical and blesses its owner with a beautiful, rich tone.

Now you may be saying, “I don’t have a musical background. In fact, the closest thing to music in my home as a child were the jingles for cartoons or commercials on the TV.” We may not all have the rich musical heritage of, say, The Jackson Five, but we all can develop a musical ear. How? I’m glad you asked.

1. By making a committment – -Polish off that rusty ipod, download some of your favorite vocals and commit to listening to music for 30-60 minutes every day. But you have to really listen. Close your eyes and ask yourself what the singer does with his or her voice to make the music come alive. Go to concerts that allow you to hear live music. You’ll get to see the beautiful rawness of music being created on stage.

2. Don’t be afraid to imitate – -Pause the music and allow yourself to try new vocal techniques you hear. Don’t ever be afraid to make a fool of yourself! It’s the only way to really learn.

3. Record your voice – -You need to hear what your voice really sounds like. It may sound like Whitney in the shower, and Buckwheat everywhere else, but you have to know where you are to know where you need to go. Critically listen to what you do well and what needs improving.

Remember, you can do this if you want it badly enough. Let me know if you have any questions or comments on our post today. And don’t forget to:

SING OUT LOUD!!!!!

Want to achieve a rich, vibrant sound as you sing? The key is SMILING! Not the kind of smiling that your audience can see, but an inner smile that lifts the lower pads of your eyes and the roof of your mouth. Not sure this will work for you? Try it out! Begin by singing a simple “LA” on any note without an inside smile. Sounds good, but today we are looking for great! Try this instead:

• Lift your eyebrows as if someone has just surprised you. Doing this lifts the pads under your eyes and makes it easier to get that inside smile.
• Now pretend that you are about to yawn. Do you feel the roof of your mouth (the hard palate) lift up and create more space within your mouth? Congratulations! You’ve achieved an inside smile.
• Now combine both steps. Lift your eyebrows and begin a yawn. Before you start yawning fully, sing “LA” again.

Did you hear that beautiful, rich sound? That was your voice, compliments of the inside smile. Practice using the inside smile every time you sing until it becomes second nature. And remember:

SING OUT LOUD!!!!

Ever wondered how high or how low you could sing?  Or if there was anything such as a female bass or baritone? Well, today’s post is for you. We will look at the typical ranges of the major voice types and then help you to decide where you fit in. So, let’s get started!

Soprano: A soprano is typically a female singer that can sing from the fourth C on the piano to the sixth C on the piano. Bear in mind that there are many sopranos that can sing higher or lower, but this is just the average range. For instance, Mariah Carey uses a whistle register that hits notes way above this range!

Mezzo-soprano: A mezzo soprano or second soprano can typically sing from the third A up the piano to the fifth A on the piano.

Contralto: A contralto is a female singer whose range is close to a tenor’s range. She can sing from the third F on the piano to the fifth F on the piano. (You go girl!)

Tenor: A tenor is typically a male singer who can sing from the second C on the piano to the fifth C on the piano.

Baritone: A Baritone is a male singer that can sing from the second G on the piano to the fourth G on the piano.

Bass: A Bass or Basso singer is a male singer that can sing from the second E to the fourth E on the piano.

Now you may be saying, “That’s great! But what’s my range? Am I a tenor or a bass?”

Well, here’s how to find out!

Sit at a piano and try playing the middle note of each one of these ranges. You want to start with the middle and not the extreme notes of each range because you want to give your voice a chance to warm-up in order to sing a really high or low note.

For instance, if you are checking to see whether you are a soprano, try singing the fifth C on the piano and work your way up the piano until you’ve sung that sixth C. Did you get it? Now work your way down to the fourth C on the keyboard, singing each note in between. Were these notes comfortable for you? If yes, then you are a soprano. If no, don’t despair! Just try another range in the same way. The key is to find the the most comfortable range for your voice.

Did you know that your body type can help you decide your range as well?

Stand in front of a mirror and look at your neck. Is it pretty long and slender? Chances are you are either an alto or contralto (if a girl) and a bass or baritone (if a guy). The reason for this has to do with your vocal chords. People with long necks tend to have longer and larger vocal chords which are essential to sing lower notes. The opposite is also true. A shorter neck tends to mean that you  can sing higher notes. Now is this always the case? Nope, but try it for yourself and send me a comment. For tips to increase your range, check out the post http://www.vocalbuddy.com/how-to-sing-high-notes/#more-37 .  And remember:

SING OUT LOUD!

In our last post, we talked about some general ways to create blend. Today’s post gets down to the nitty gritty of creating a unified vocal sound for your group. In order for a group to sound unified, they must sing unified and this all boils down to how they form each word they sing. There’s a well-known saying that shows how differently we all pronounce words:

“You say ‘to-may-to,’  but I say ‘to-mah-to.’”

Yes, we all do speak differently because of our culture or background. But we must sacrifice these differences for the sake of unity in a choral setting. You may be asking how easy this is to achieve.  It would take forever to go through each word in a song and make sure that everyone sings it the same way. Have no fear! Your task is easier than you think! All words are made up of two things. All you need to do is encourage your group to master these two things and you are on your way to creating blend!

1. Vowels

In order to create a great blend, a group must sing all their vowels in the same way. Luckily, there are only five vowel sounds to master. Using vocal warm-ups, demonstrate how you would like the group to sing each vowel. When they see the same vowel sounds in the music, take time to make sure that each singer is applying the same sound that you used in practice.  After doing this a couple times, you will hear the difference in your group.

2. Consonants

Consonants are the stopping and starting sounds of our words. Think of the word “m-a-p.” The mm consonant begins the word and the “pp” sound cuts it off. If you can train your group to begin and end consonants together, you will create blend. The key here is precision.  A fun and effective way to achieve this precision is to allow the group to speak a phrase in the song with the correct rhythm. Conduct the beginning and ending of the phrase to see if everyone follows you. Repeat this process until everyone begins and ends together. It may take a few practices to master consonants but the end result is well worth the effort!

N.B. Certain consonant sounds pose more problems than others. For example, an “ss” sound at the end of a word can have your group sounding like hissing snakes if everyone does not cut off together. Instead, encourage them to pronounce the ending “ss” as “zz” and you’ll hear a more precise cut-off. So the word “peace” becomes “peaze.”

Additionally, words like “Hallelujah” that begin with a very soft consonant can pose problems as well. One solution is to replace the soft “H” sound with a more precise “Ah” sound at the beginning of the word. Remember, these are only suggestions. The key is not how you get your group to sing the same thing, but that you actually get them to!

Please leave any comments and suggestions of exercises and techniques that you have found helpful in creating blend. And Remember:

SING OUT LOUD!

One of the greatest accomplishments of a choral group or ensemble is the ability to sing with such a unified sound that the audience cannot tell who is singing what part. We would then describe this group as having great blend. Think of your favorite smoothie. Most smoothies are made by using fruits with different colors, flavors, and textures. If you blend these fruits well, you are rewarded with a rich, smooth drink without the lumps and bumps of individual fruits. A choir that is able to blend the different tones and voices of its members to produce a rich, unified tone is priceless! Let’s explore some ways to achieve a great blend in your choir!

Firstly, let your choir or group in on your secret. Clearly, if you want your group to blend well, the members must KNOW this! Start practice by encouraging members to sing in such a way that their voice is not louder than the overall group’s sound. A fun and effective exercise that encourages blend is for the choral leader to close his eyes while the group sings. If he is able to identify where a choir member is standing by the sound of their voice, then the group is not blended. If the leader cannot differentiate between the voices in his group then the group is on its way to creating great blend. To make this exercise even more fun, allow the choir members to switch places at will once the leader’s eyes are closed.

Additionally, the group MUST begin and end words together! Nothing destroys a group’s blend more than everyone beginning the song at different times. Also, an individual’s holding out a word longer or shorter than the group sticks out like a sore thumb. As you practice, listen for trouble spots and demonstrate how you would like the group to attack and end words. Don’t be afraid to be a stickler for details! Your group will respect you even more when they hear the blend that comes from singing together.

Finally, encourage your group to keep their focus! Choir members can easily lose their blend when they are not focusing on the music. Encourage them to look ahead in their music for notes, rhythm, and dynamics, things that either make or break the blend. More importantly, encourage your group to keep their eyes on you!  Nothing hurts a great choral sound more than a choir member with his head buried in the music singing his own song while the group is trying to follow the leader. Encourage singers to hold their music up in such a way that they can see their music but do not lose eye contact with you. This is important because your conducting and articulating gestures will help keep them focused on producing a unified sound.

Try incorporating these principles at your next practice and you will be astounded at the difference. In our next post, we will look at some more technical ways for your group to create a better blend. Be sure to leave any comments or questions below and remember – -

Sing out loud!

If you have ever found yourself struggling to sing on pitch, then this post is for you! Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone. Many people struggle to sing on pitch and may even have given up hope of ever carrying a tune. But you don’t have to be one of them! Before you declare yourself a lifetime member of the Donkey Bass section, know this; tone deafness CAN be cured! In fact, by following a few simple tips, you’ll be on your way to singing your best.

1. Listen up!

Grab your mp3, favorite CDs, and yes, even those cassettes and devote some time to listening to music you enjoy. The music could either be vocal or instrumental because we will not be focusing on the voice but the actual pitches in the music. But in order for this to work, you must be actively listening. Active listening is not turning on the radio while you are cutting your toe nails. Active listening is turning everything else off and tuning in to the piece of music you are listening to. Can you hear the pitches go up and down? Or do you notice when the pitch stays the same? When you actively listen to music, you are training your musical ear to hear variations in pitch. Hearing these variations will help you as you try to sing on pitch. Try to devote at least 10 minutes every day.

2. Play it!

If you are having problems singing a particular pitch, your best method of attack is to play that pitch on the keyboard. As you hear the pitch try humming along and see if the note you hum is the same one you hear. If not, here’s a little trick that’s sure to work. Sing any pitch you want to on a “La.” As you are singing, try to find the same pitch on the keyboard. This time, you are not trying to match the keyboard. The keyboard is trying to match you. After you’ve found the same pitch on the keyboard, then slowly play the next note in the direction of the pitch you were having problem with. Each time you hit a new note on the keyboard, try matching it with your voice.  Now try singing this pitch. Keep going until you reach the original note you had problems reaching. Trust me! This method works! Try doing this five minutes every day for a couple of days.

3. Keep your focus!

If you notice that you continually go off pitch when you sing with others, then this signals that you are losing focus. Often, when we are singing with others or with an instrument, we can sometimes get carried away listening to some other vocal line and forget about our melody. To remedy this, constantly shift your focus back to the melody you are singing. Mentally preparing for when the pitches should go up and down will help you to keep your focus and stay on pitch. Additionally, before you sing as a group, make sure you practice your part thoroughly by yourself. When you sing together, you will be more confident!

The crowd grows quiet, except for your beating heart. You feel the sweat begin to flow as you make your way to the podium. It’s amazing how the lights always seem to glow brighter when you are alone on stage. You slowly take your position behind the mic as your knees begin to knock ever so gently, creating their own percussion section. Although your mouth has suddenly gone dry, you are still able to open your mouth for your first note….

Most singers have experienced stage fright at least once. For most of us, we struggle with some level of anxiety before we sing. Naturally, if you are too nervous to sing then that will hamper the sound you want to achieve. So this post today is all about controlling stage fright so that it does not control you! Here are five things to remember:

1. Nerves are your friend, not your foe!

Biologically speaking, nerves remind us that we are alive and kicking. Nerves help us to feel what is going on inside of our body. As singers, we can actually use our nerves and the adrenaline rush that comes with them to propel us to better singing. For instance, knee-shaking is a way for our nerves to tell us to relax our legs by moving them around on stage. So next time you get the shakes, thank the Lord that you are alive and try shifting your body into a more comfortable position. It works!

2. Yawn!

Stage fright makes singers tense and that tension reeks havoc on your voice. Solution? Just yawn! Yawning relaxes the muscles in the mouth and throat, lifts your hard and soft palate, and helps achieve that inner smile. All these things will make your tone smooth and effortless. So a few seconds before you sing, indulge in a good, long yawn. Just try not to fall asleep!

3. Keep Breathing!

This sounds simple, but is so important. The more nervous a singer gets, the more shallow breathing becomes. This means that the body is not getting enough air to maintain a vibrant tone. So right before you sing, practice breathing deeply. Begin by pretending to smell a rose, allowing the breath to fill your body. You should feel your stomach, back, and ribs expand. Then slowly let the air out. Breathing deeply not only gives your body enough air to sing well, but also relaxes any tense muscles.

4. Practice, Practice, Practice!

The most common cause of pre-singing jitters is lack of preparation. Overcome stage fright, by practicing your song many times before your performance. Try to focus on weak spots so that you have more confidence as the day approaches. When the song becomes second nature to you, you will be amazed by how comfortable you feel.

5. Think positively!

Visualize yourself giving a stellar performance and don’t forget to say a quick prayer before you sing. This really changes your perspective!

Ever wondered why your singing voice sounds remarkably different from your speaking voice? Or why no two singers sound exactly alike? The answer has to do with your make-up – - not the make-up you put on your face, but your actual physical make-up. Today’s blog is all about how the voice works because in order to be the best singer you can be, you must understand what’s happening in your body every time you sing. So, get ready for a virtual tour of your voice!

The first stop on our tour is your nose because in order to sing a note you have to breathe in. So go ahead, take a deep breath! Air comes rushing into your nostrils and makes a bee-line for your lungs. As your lungs fill with oxygen, they press down on the arched lining right above your stomach. This lining is called the diaphragm.

As the diaphragm is pressed down, you should feel your stomach, sides and back expand. But don’t get too comfortable! What goes in must come out! Your lungs will automatically begin releasing the air, and as this happens, the diaphragm shoots back up, pushing the air out of the lungs, bringing us to the next stop on our journey – - the voice box (or larynx).

The second stop,the voice box or larynx is most visible when you swallow. It is that little ball in your throat that moves up and down as you swallow. The voice box consists of two vocal cords or folds that sit very close to each other.

When you breathe out, the air rushes between these two cords, making them vibrate. This vibration produces the sound you hear when you sing! The size and thickness of the vocal folds determine the sound produced. For instance, men, whose vocal folds are twice the length of those of women, are able to sing very low tones. Additionally, the unique length and thickness of your vocal folds ensure that you will sound dramatically different from any other singer. But hold on! we have one more stop on our tour of the voice.

The last stop on this virtual vocal tour is the articulators, which include the mouth, nose, eyes, and face in general. Remember, the sound was produced in the voice box way down in your throat. In order for others to hear you sing, this sound needs to be magnified. As the sound escapes your voice box, it vibrates (resonates) on the bones of the roof of your mouth (hard and soft palate),nose, and virtually all of your face. This area is called your mask and is as important as a mike and amplifier are to a musician on stage. To feel your mask in action, simply hum. Do you feel a slight rattle by your nose? You should, because this proves that your mask is vibrating and your sound is the best it can be!

The question of how to sing high notes is probably the single most asked question. A quick search in Google or Bing will result in a myriad of different techniques, all promising to teach you to sing glass-shattering notes. A word of caution – - not EVERY singer can sing EVERY high note. As stated in our last post, the length and thickness of your vocal chords do determine your range to a certain degree. However, ALL singers can learn to sing the highest notes in their range by following this simple rule:

MORE IS MORE!!!

Think Over The Top!
When practicing to sing a high note, try hitting notes that are higher than the ones you are aiming at singing. For instance, your goal may be to hit the second G above Middle C. As you warm up, practice going beyond that G and you’ll be amazed at how ready your voice is for that elusive G note. We’ve all probably heard the quote, “Aim for the Stars.” For our purposes here, aim for the highest notes you can. Chances are, if you miss those high notes, you will still land those high notes that your song requires.

Think Bigger Breath!
Yes, it does take more air to sing a higher note. As we learned in our last post, as we exhale, the air rushes through our vocal chords causing them to vibrate. The higher the note, the more vibration we need. Consequently, we need more air pressure coming through. Before a phrase containing a high note, breathe deeply as if smelling a rose and pretend that your whole body is expanding to receive the breath. Then let that mouth of yours open wide, allowing that high note to come bursting out!

Think Bigger Heart!
In your mind, hear the note you are trying to sing. Then see yourself hitting it! You must remain positive and tell yourself that you CAN hit that note, and you will. Singing is ten percent physical and 90 percent mental. If you tell yourself that you CANNOT sing that note, your body will respond with tension and chances are you will either crack or fall flat. Trust me, I know! However, if you visualize yourself hitting the note, your body will relax and allow you to reach the note. Also, you cannot focus on what others will think of your sound. That is vocal murder! Free your mind of negativity, embrace positivity, and sing out LOUD!

This video demonstrates exercises for the top five voice warmups.