January 8, 2010

Singing Tips You Must Not Be Without

I personally cannot think of a better way to share yourself to others then through singing. Your voice is used for everything and we use it continuously. But really opening up and singing is not only enjoyable but a lovely art form. This does take some practice and proper building. Your voice is your instrument. So let’s go over some singing tips.

I come from the camp that believes we all can sing. Now I’m not saying that there aren’t singers out there that genuinely have a pure gift, but with some work and help anybody can sing. Singing must be worked at and practiced like everything else.

You train your voice with vocal aerobics to help increase strength similar to how we would exercise any other muscle. This means that like any other training we need to stretch, warm up and cool down our instrument.

The easiest and most perfect exercise to limber up or cool down is to softly hum. You can hum anytime and you should do it all the time. This really wakes up the chords and gives them a good warm buzz. Everyone knows how to hum but there is a correct way. Go slow and easy, at a soft volume, using Mmm or Nnn. There should be no strain in your neck or throat. Our aim is a gentle and easy hum.

Next we will practice these hums with actual scales going in both directions up and down. If you get too high and your buzz cracks, stop. Don’t look to force it up there. Just relax and move back down the scale nice and relaxed. Great singers do not force, we should never force a note out. Again we are keeping our throat and neck relaxed, never tight and forcing. Have patience, it does take time and practice to develop your voice.

To sing without tension in the neck comes from proper breath control. Breathing is a vital part of becoming a good singer. The breath support you will need for singing comes from the diaphragm. This muscle is the breathing regulator and controls breath. I’m sure you’ve had hiccups before, well the diaphragm is the culprit here.

I know this may sound strange but pant like a dog for a few seconds. Try that or use the “hut hut” like a quarterback. If you do this accurately you should feel the pressure from just under your ribs. Sometimes you hear people say “sing from your belly” this is what they actually mean. It will take time and exercise to get this diaphragm muscle functioning in sync with our voice but when it does, watch out.

Don’t ever finish vocal training without cooling down with at least a few more soft hums. Taking care of your voice is a constant job. You need to keep an eye on what you eat. For example fried, spicy, or dairy foods are not good for your voice. You also need to be aware of your volume, do not yell or scream as that will just blow your vocal chords out.

Singing well takes hard work and time. It is an all day job because we need to pay attention to what we eat, how we talk, and then spend time practicing. The benefits you will get back unquestionably make it worth it. Nothing can compare to letting your voice loose for all to hear and love! I can’t cover everything in an article and a vocal coach can be of great help, but hopefully these singing tips get you going.

Must follow singing tips to really open up your voice

StumbleUpon It!

Technorati Tags: , , , , ,

Filed under Music & Music Players by Brian Styden

Comment

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to comment

Register Login