Voice Techniques Singing
Proper Singing Techniques : Breathing Properly for Singing
Breathing properly is important for singing, get expert advice on proper singing techniques and music lessons in this free video.
Expert: Yessenia Balan
Bio: Yessenia has a Bachelor of Music Education and over 10 years of experience as a music teacher.
Filmmaker: Francisco Baez.
Questions and Answers
I adore singing. I discovered my chest voice about 9 months ago, after being told that your singing voice was your head voice only. This may be mildly significant for sopranos, but that I am certainly not. My head voice is decent but not strong enough to pull off a whole song.
Anyway, in February I had a singing lesson, to try and find out if there was any way to improve my 'singing voice'. My teacher told me half way through 'my heart will go on' that the reason I could barely reach the low notes, and struggled to sing with volume was that I was using the 'wrong' voice for me – which of course I didn't understand so she explained to me. Subsequently she asked me to sing Hero by Mariah Carey in my newly discovered chest voice, and I belted it out like nobodies business – ecstatic to have finally found my voice. She told me that there was a voice just waiting to be uncovered, and that I could sing whatever genre of music I liked -pop, soul, jazz, musical theatre, even opera.
Since then I have progressed dramatically, and obtained much more control over my voice. I've also found my own unique take on singing – but that's irrelevant. I would love to have more control over my voice and incorporate vibrato and other similar techniques into my singing. One in-particular is the vibrato-type thing that Christina Aguilera excels so well at. For instance she does it at the beginning of her song 'ain't no other man'. Please help. I am not trying to sound like her, I would just like to be able to use her technique. Many other artists use it also, so it is not directly 'her's' as such. I would work incredibly hard to gain that much control etc, as I have already worked so hard to be at the stage in which I'm in now.
Thank you for your time and help, its much appreciated x x.
Wow, sounds like you really have been working hard! Anyway, vibrato technique generally comes with time and patience but there are a few techniques that you can use to develop your vibrato and help speed it along. In fact, the chances are that you already have some vibrato in your voice, almost every voice does, its just very soft. Try singing a note and just listen to it carefully, you should be able to hear some reverberation in there, if not, just listen harder, its often very soft in voices not trained to use vibrato. Its actually very hard to sing a flat note (no vibrato) because our voices are naturally designed in a certain way. Vibrato comes more noticeably at the end of a note, just as you stop singing. This automatic vibrato is no use if you are trying to get Christina-style vibrato so try this exercise: sing a note that you are comfortable with and then sing another note, maybe a third higher. Now try alternating between these notes, keep going faster and faster until it sounds like one note with vibrato over it. Of course, this kind of vibrato will sound a bit funny on stage because a third is too much of a difference to sound like good vibrato, but this exercise shows you how vibrato should feel. Another way to get vibrato into your voice is simply by stuttering the breath, try making "huh" sounds very fast. You can feel the stuttered breath, now try singing a note using the same principle of stuttered breath, but not just singing a lot of notes – make sure that you are making a sound throughout the whole note. With both these exercises, you should feel a slight tremble at the back of your throat, this is how we use vibrato on stage. If you have practised both those exercises then you will hopefully now be able to try just singing a note and using that tremble without having to try and alternate notes or stutter your breath. If not, don't worry and keep practising, vibrato takes practise, it should come to you in time without you having to think about it but if you want it now then what i have written should help you. Lastly, to get a lovely vibrato sound you need a very strong support so keep that in mind when you practise your vibrato (if you don't know what support is, ask your teacher). Hope this helps you, good luck developing your vibrato, if you have any more questions, just email me.
I know I'm not tone deaf (I'm a piccolo/flute player.) but I'm a horrible singer. If I am a horrible singer, but have musical background, could I take lessons to learn how to sing well? Would it help my poor vocal range? Would there be any significant improvement in my voice?
If this helps, my family has a history of good singers. My mom for one is a wonderful singer. I feel like my vocal range is weak and people have told me that I could sing nicely if I just sang in key.
Voice lessons will train you to use your voice. They will help you learn proper technique for singing, help you to increase your range, and there should be an improvement in the quality of your voice. However, one thing you will have to remember is that these changes will happen over time and there won't be a quick fix.
I love singing and playing staind songs ALOT especially "outside" but i have a little problem with singing the actual song. I dont have an amazing voice but its ok but everytime i get to the bridge of the song, i can never sing that high like aaron lewis can without breakin up or sounding like a moron lol. Please i need help, im so freakin desperate to sing decent enough that i can show my friends or strangers without embarassing myself.
Hey! I am glad that you are interested in singing, and I have some advice, and tips for you. First of all, Here is a method that will help increase your range, your ability to sing with style and variation, and help to sing clearly and strongly. Speech Level Singing. It works very well, and I recomend it highly. Speech level singing helps cure vocal cord paralysis, and nodgules. It also helps people without these conditions to prevent them.
SLS helps people learn how to sing, and become the best that they can! A lot of famous and non famous people use this technique because with it your voice will not come out, or be damaged. It also helps you sing high and low notes with a connected voice, so it sounds pleasant to the ears. Find a Speech Level Singing teacher near you, so that you can start now! For more information, go to sources!
Singing in a way is a little differant because you have to keep the tone you were born with. On our vocal cords, we have a thin or thick layer of skin like material. It is close to our skin and it protects the vocal cords. Depending on the quality and quanitity, of that skin, makes us sound like us. That is why everybody sounds differant. Basically you can not change the you sound. Some people get lucky and get a really good natural sound..that is just the way it is!
If youre voice is just out, and you need it for a recital, or audition, you can fix it. Always remember to drink water a lot! It keeps your vocal cords moist. Also, stay away from drugs, ciggerettes, alcohol, and cofee. They are not so good for your vocal cords. Remain from screaming, or damaging your vocal cords. If you need to warm up your voice, than drink 1 cup of warm water with 1 tsp lemon juice, and 1 tbsp of honey. It gets gross tasting to some people, but it helps your vocal cords warm up. Also, fruits, vegtables, and natural food really help your vocal cords. Stay away from junk food, and make sure to get regular exersize. Suprisingly these factors effect your vocal cords too! Any way, Good Luck! 🙂
Oh yeah, by the way…if you don't have time for a singing teacher, or you can't afford one, etc. Then you can do SLS warm ups on youtube.com Someone put them on there, so just type in speech level singing and then go to the playlist, and start at the begining. The advantage is you can do them at home, but the disadvantage is that you may not be doing them right, and may be wasting time because you don't understand it. I highly recomend a singing teacher though! Just go to my source and find a teacher near you! 🙂
Some other things that help you sing are tecqniques. If you are interested in pop singing, then you might be interested in runs, melisma's, and also licks,etc. These are when the notes connect and move really fast, but it sounds good. Examples are Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson, and Christina Aguilera.
In all singing be sure to use your diaphram, and always remember that. The diaphram breathing and singing is really important. If your chest moves while you breathe, then it is wrong. You have to breath more by your stomach.
Work on making your vowels nice and round. They can determine wether or not your are in tune. Making an EEE sound makes you sharp, and doing Oooo can make you sound more in tune, or flat, depending on your natural pitch.
Singing can be different for every person. It depends how good you are at reading music, and singing it with natural tone. It also matters how directible you are, and how good of a teacher you have. It matters if you practice alot, how motivated you are, and how much passion you have for it. One of the most important things is pitch, which takes a long time to get down unless you have it naturally. IF you have really good ears for music and you can hear if something is flat, or sharp, or perfectly in tune, then you have good ears. Also if you can determine exactly how sharp of flat ex: how many cents off from pitch you are, then you will suceed through singing and most likely all music. It is also highly recommended that you play musical instruments if you want to sing. You will gain musical ears, and be a lot better than before.
Most important thing, sing from the soul. There is not point in singing a song if you do not feel it, and you can't agree with it or connect with it. So, just try your best to do that! 🙂
Sorry this is soooo long and complicated! Hope it helped you! 🙂
[monetize id=”1″]
One Light: The Musical Journey of Jeanne Newhall (dharmalounge)
I was given a rare opportunity to participate in a Kirtan recording session with musical virtuoso Jeanne Newhall, who was making her first album of ancient Hindu chants entitled Blossom of Transformation. I originally meant to experience the process and interview Jeanne, but our discussion took me to unexpected places as we explored the parallels […]
The Voice loser is a virtual winner – Philippine Star
The Voice loser is a virtual winnerPhilippine StarBeing a part of the show really helped me boost my confidence, and appreciate and learn more kinds of music genres and singing techniques.” Morissette who just turned 18, just keeps learning. At this stage of her life and her career, she's like a …
[monetize id=”2″]
Vocal Exercises – Mixed Voice, Best free singing lesson
Learn the basics of this amazing vocal technique for free in this video! Sing easier! Sing Better! Period.
Http://Twitter.com/SophieShear
Http://Facebook.com/SophieShear
Http://VocalPrimer.com
Http://SophieShear.com
Lessonface Partners With Broadway and Jazz Musicians to Launch Live In-Studio NYC
Lessonface, the premier provider of live online music lessons, presents a one-of-a-kind music education program, Live In-Studio NYC that takes place in the heart of NYC! Students all over the world can …