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| Advice on singing
Posted: 9/29/2007 5:34:57 PM | | Like my guitar playing skills, I got a below average singing skills. I can hold a for a bit, like 10-13 seconds, I can hit some high notes okay. However, I need to some tips on how to expand my lungs, hold notes longer, and improve the sound of my voice. There's noone here that is a vocals coach, so I'm asking you good people, and fellow musicians. | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 9/29/2007 6:15:33 PM | If you smoke stop. Start swimming or running. Drink a lot of water and no caffeine. Those are the key methods.
Look up some diaphragm exercises online and work on getting that up to par. If you are singing with your throat like most people do you will do nothing but damage in the long run. | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 9/29/2007 8:21:01 PM | bummer....i'm doin it all wrong...LOL
oh well, some folks like the way my voice sounds....
*lightscigaretteandpoursanothercoffee* | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 9/29/2007 9:41:30 PM | | Letting go seems to be most peoples biggest barrier. When I finish a song I feel like I just did sit ups,that;s because I sing from deep down,using my stomach muscles. Like body building, you have to do it a few times a week to see results. Don't be afraid of going off key, just belt it out, have fun with it and don't be afraid to experiment, make the song yours. It takes work and dedication, not everyone is born with a perfect voice but you can improve on it, just give it time. | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 9/30/2007 8:24:42 AM | | Good Thread,I have been playing guitar a long time,but as far as singing goes ,like rockin blues said,its a matter of letting go,I am kinda shy when it comes to singing,I will check for more replys on here | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 10/12/2007 12:51:52 PM | I'm a completely self-trained singer and guitarist. I've sung professionally and am an excellent singer. Caveat: While I'm not a "natural," I have the advantage of coming from a family where everyone had a good voice -- my father has one, his mother had one, my mother did, and my brother is a jazz singer out west with a bit of a following -- although as kid I was definitely bringing up the rear in this department (I probably sang more like Alfalfa than Sinatra back then). I also have a great ear, and am a natural mimic.
I'm not sure exactly how to convey the "how" part, since in some ways I consider it a complete mystery that I can sing this well without any other training. But I will tell you that I used the same skills I used to do voice impersonations that I used to train myself as a singer -- listen, copy, record if possible and listen to yourself (uggh, I know). These techniques may or may not work for you. (If you do any good impressions, by the way, that ability will help you here.)
I primarily used Sinatra and Elvis records to learn to sing. First, I would listen to a song over and over, each time listening very carefully to the nuances of the vocal sounds, how long a phrase would go, when to breathe, where there was more "air" in the sound, bent notes, etc. Then, I would play the song again, this time singing over it. I'd do this over and over again also, each time trying to align my sound exactly with the singing on the record. Occasionally, I would record myself, which is about as fun sometimes as looking at a fun-house mirror. But then I would see where I was off, where the voice had a flattened or rounded tone, or where I was off the note.
This is something I did literally for hours, often singing in front of the mirror.
Learning to sing from the diaphragm is another skill set entirely, and really not easy to get, but if you do it, you'll get tons more power in your voice and your voice will last a lot longer, especially on high-volume singing like rock.
I hope this is helpful.
Andrew | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 10/12/2007 1:49:41 PM | When I was young, I couldn't sing on key, my pitch was all wrong, I was baaaaad. Then I met a woman who taught singing, swearing she could teach ANYONE. Well, I couldn't afford her and with ranch work and all, didn't have the time. She said to sing as loud as I could as often as possible. So down there with the cows, I was singing loud, pitching hay, digging ditches, whatever. I can sing some of the hardest songs there are to sing, Amazing Grace, What Child is This, and the National Anthem. I can slip from high to very low, Soprano to Bass. My range is terriffic. Still can't read music, though.
My son began doing the same thing, and he got better once he got a car and could go for long drives just singing loud and strong with no one listening. He was unbearable to listen to once, now, not so bad.
Some songs I can't sing at all, they don't suit my voice. Picking best songs for your voice may be the best hint if you already know how to sing some. Record yourself so you can hear yourself as others do, you'll get a good idea of what songs match best. | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 10/14/2007 12:49:14 PM | Find the right key for the song you are singing...
...get it so the high parts are n't too high and the low parts are n't too low.
...sometimes shifting the key by 1/2 or one tone can make all the difference as the tone of the voice changes through its range and getting the song sung so eg the verse is in chest voice and the chorus is all in head voice can be really effective.
To actually learn how to sing is about practice - it is a physical stamina and the ability takes a while to build up and goes quickly if you stop - but anyone can learn how to sing. | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 10/14/2007 4:01:38 PM | http://www.vocalist.org.uk/physical_exercises.html
enjoy, it has all the answers you need. | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 11/12/2007 12:40:36 AM | | Go to singsnap.com its a great place to sing at im starsabove1961 there.... we have a great time singing and sharing our talents there. its all about fun. | |
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s.cath
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Joined: 11/6/2007
Msg: 11 | |
| Advice on singing
Posted: 11/12/2007 10:13:11 PM |
However, I need to some tips on how to expand my lungs, hold notes longer, and improve the sound of my voice. There's noone here that is a vocals coach, so I'm asking you good people, and fellow musicians.
Hi Solemn,
I think you should treat advice on message boards as a salad bar: take what you want and leave the rest. That said, I'll try to give you some advice that has helped me in my academic career, and has held true in my newly launched professional career. I hope it helps.
1) Breathing Good singers are always looking to improve their breathing, no matter how old they get. Some quick tips:
- Practice "non-clavicular" breathing: When people breath in (especially large breaths), their clavicals and shoulders tend to rise... as if they're sighing. This is a bad thing, because your lungs can expand a lot more horizontally than they can vertically, so when you breathe like this you're working against yourself. When you breath in, keep your shoulders down, and try to let the sides of your rib-cage expand sideways. Next, try to push your stomach out a bit as you breath in; you might feel like you're pretending to be a pregnant lady, but don't overdo it. Then as you exhale, keep your stomach muscles tight (but not too tight). This will mean that the sides of your chest will move back inward. When they can't move inward anymore, allow the stomach to pull inward. It's a lot to coordinate, but when you've practiced it enough it becomes second nature. Remember don't let your shoulders rise. You may have to fight with yourself to keep them from rising; do it. Do whatever you have to to keep the shoulders down.
- Breath interval training: This is really good breath support exercise I learned from a choral conductor friend of mine. He learned it at a workshop at Eastman.
The idea is to go from "lungs empty" to "lungs full" over a set period of time (say 8 seconds), hold it for the same amount of time (again 8 seconds, for example), and go from full to completely empty over the same amount of time (8 seconds). The trick of it is to do all of the breathing in at a controlled, clean, constant rate; don't start the exercise, count to 6 and realize "Darn it, I'm almost done the interval and I'm nowhere near full, so I should breathe in faster!"... instead, constantly monitor how fast you're taking in air and try to keep the intake and exhale of air going at a constant rate. Start with a small interval (as I mentioned, 7 or 8 seconds per interval is a good starting point), and expand when you feel ready. Good singers can develop this to 18 or 20 seconds after a few weeks of doing it 3 or 4 times a day. Good opera singers can go for longer ;) If you ever feel light-headed, woozy, or that you generally need to stop, do so. Please don't leave a message here saying "Thanks! Tried your exercise and I ended up in hospital!". I'll only laugh at you ;)
2) Tone control There are a lot of different styles of singing, and they all have their own technical nuances and requirements. In my opinion good singing is good singing, no matter what kind of material you're performing. Tone control plays a pretty key role in how you communicate, so a good singer should be able to change their tone to fit the piece. You should be able to sing a lullaby without screaming, just like you should be able to wail when you need to.
- The magic of the letter N. The letter N is an enormous help when learning to sing. Be warned, if you lean on it too much it'll become a crutch and you'll sound terrible ;)
To start, find a really comfortable not to sing on. Then place an N in front of a vowel, like A, E, I, O or U; it becomes NA, NE, NI, NO, NU. Sing it on that comfortable note. Here's the trick: Hold the "N" sound until you really feel it resonate in the front of your face/head. You might feel your nose start to tickle, or your tongue, or anything start to become buzzy. When you feel this, let your tongue drop. You'll make a sound like "NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNAAAAHHHHH!" Spend time on the N sound, really feel it. Moreover, really enjoy it. If you're doing it right, you'll be surprised at how much sound you're creating, but also how much control you have over the sound. The next step is to sing that NA as the start of a 5 note scale going down. Keep in mind that this exercise has no real musical value and is only a teaching tool. The goal is to learn to put the sound forward (which the N helps you do) and to learn control over how far forward the sound is.
- Footballing Crescendos and Diminuendos We say "football" because of the way a well-passed football travels: nice, even, smooth arc up - nice, even, smooth arc down. We want our dynamic control to be just as nice. In this exercise, pick a comfortable note to sing on, and start as quietly as possible, gradually get louder until you're at full blast, and then gradually get quieter until you're back to nothing. Try to keep the amount of air you're using under control... the breathing exercises I listed above really help. You'll have to use more air to be louder, but if you're breath control is good you should still have enough air to complete the exercise. Do this exercise the same way Breath Interval Training is done: super quiet to loud over a set amount of time, stay loud for the same amount of time, loud to super quiet over the same amount of time. Start with 8 seconds. The real trick of this exercise is this: it's just as difficult to crescendo (get louder) smoothly over short intervals as it is over long intervals, so practice it both ways (i.e. go from 8 to 7, to 6, to 5, etc... AND go from 8 to 9, to 10, 11, etc...).
Start with that, and see if it helps. If it does and you want more, let me know and I'll find more exercises for you.
Best of luck,
S. | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 11/13/2007 6:26:05 PM | | There have been timesin my musical experience when the only"advice" i wanted to offer on singing was if you can't...don't...i take that advice..i can't and don't. | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 12/2/2007 12:21:50 AM | | The best and simplest advice I can give you is to sing like you have a piece of PVC pipe shoved down your throat and practice, practice, practice. Keep at it =D | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 2/4/2008 6:29:58 PM | | Very good advice from all. Adding my two cents: I have found that I do better singing in minor versus major, so I tend to sing the Blues better than other musical genres. | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 2/5/2008 7:46:04 AM | | practice, practice, practice and don't try to imitate anybody else.. and relax | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 2/6/2008 9:41:37 PM | | Lots of practice ! your range of notes will expand the more you practice. As far as holding notes . It's all in breathing. You have to pull air from your diaphram. Remember the note doesn't neccessarily have to be loud as long as it's firm. People get volume confused with the ability to hold a note. loud doesn't always mean good. As long as it's a clear sound it will come through. Again your ability to hold a high note will come with practice. keeping your vocal chords stretched. I've sang since age five and spent five years in Nashville , Tn around some of the best. Another thing is just letting go . Being nervous will play a part in your ability to hit and hold notes. Let it fly man. Believe it or not some of the best artist in the business still have problems inline with what you are talking about. | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 2/7/2008 1:34:29 PM | Someone much smarter than I said, "A song is a short story set to music". So one of the things I do whenever I approach a song is to try just saying the words (without the music) aloud. It helps me figure out the phrasing. And if I can't figure out how to "say" it, I won't "sing" it.
And be of good cheer - most jazz musicians consider Louis Armstrong one of the greatest jazz singers that ever lived - definitely not because of his voice but because he knew how to tell the stories. The great cabaret singer Mabel Mercer had a very limited range in her later years - and people like Frank Sinatra would come to see her perform just to learn from her. | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 2/13/2008 10:52:54 AM | | Breathing is key. Place your hands over your abdomen. Inhale deeply. Your lower belly should expand upon inhaling. Exhale...your lower belly should contract upon exhaling. If you breathe correctly you will get so much more air, and a deep resonating quality to your voice...but to me, the key is to sing songs that you FEEL...so that you can pour all your heart and soul into the song - - that way you can really make your audience "feel" something when you sing to them... | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 2/16/2008 9:56:13 PM | | quitting smoking was one of the best things I could have done to help my voice. my range expanded to fill in the middle gaps, and increased on both ends. I also used to busk downtown and having to be heard above cars, buses, and all the other urban chaos gave me power. I have a background in choirs and musical theatre, which taught me control and projection. Although many professional singers sneer at karaoke, I go a few times a week just for fun. It's like an earlier poster said: it's like bodybuilding. You need to work out regularly. I also think that two very important elements are listening and feeling. You need to listen to the music as well as yourself, and you will also eventually develop a sense of how notes feel and resonate. This is especially good if you can't hear yourself. Learn how notes feel when you sing them. They will resonate inside you and you can learn how to match that with the music. Sounds little esoteric, I suppose, but it works for me! | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 2/17/2008 4:24:52 AM | Find the right key for the song you are singing...
...get it so the high parts are n't too high and the low parts are n't too low.
I actually disagree with this strongly. I am a firm believer that if you can squeak out the high note now, with enough practice, you can successfully sing that high note. Anyone can tune down a guitar and sing withing their range. But a good musician/vocalist would rather train themselves to perform the song the way that they would like it to be heard.
Would you rather have musicians in the audience saying "That guy had to play that song in a lower key to sing that song" or "That guy can really hit those notes"? | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 2/28/2008 1:52:29 AM | When you breathe you should feel almost no air passing over your tongue. Also breathe low, you should feel a downwards expansion into your waist, and an outwards expansion below your rib cage. If you chest or shoulders rise, then you a breathing wrong.
Once you learn how to breathe properly it is much easier to hit high notes.
When you go up to high notes, don't be afraid to open your mouth more. Make sure your jaw is loose. | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 2/28/2008 9:20:04 PM | You've gotten some good advice here, but I would disagree with lady who told someone to sing as loud and as often as possible. If you're doing it wrong you could do more damage than good. Proper breathing is very important. Stand in front of a mirror when you practise your breathing and watch to see if your shoulders/chest rise. If they do, then you're not breathing from your diaphragm. When breathing out to produce a note don't force the note from the back of your throat, you want the air to flow out over the vocal chords with as little resistance as possible. Here's a simple exersise: hum a note, any note, until your lips buzz, don't clench your teeth, relax and hum until your nose and sinuses buzz then simply open your mouth and let the note out. This is how you want it to feel.
Proper breathing will feel like a workout at first if you're doing it properly. You'll be surprised once you watch yourself in the mirror at how much tension you have in your body. If you're having trouble getting a proper posture try this: stand straight and tall like you are a puppet and there is a string attached to the top of your head pulling you up straight. raise both arms, palms down, straight out to the side to shoulder height. Take a deep breath, turn you palms upward, and start to exhale, lowering your arms back to your side as you exhale. This should have you standing tall and straight, and get rid of tension. | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 2/29/2008 10:09:31 AM | | Act like you're blowing into a balloon. Don't quit smoking or you won't have that cool gravelly voice like a Cash. | |
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| Advice on singing
Posted: 3/1/2008 10:17:47 AM | hallo.well im lee. and have been a musician now for almost 10 years.
my advice realy is quite strate forward and simple.firstly when listening to your favourite songs on the stereo.join in with the singing.they are songs you love so you no exactly how they should sound.and realy push yourself.as having some other voice behind your own.will help to stop you from being too concearned with making any mistakes.
and also try useing basic and easily acheivable chords.try writeing your own songs.as 1 its so satisfying.and 2 its your song.no one can tell you youve played or sung it wrong.because you are the only one that nos how it goes.
singing is all about confidence.and beleive me once people start to compliment you on how good you are sounding.you will just get better and better.your voice will develop its own character.
i love to sing its amazing. bye..lee m. | |
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