Mastering the nuances of each Vowel can revolutionize your vocal technique! Each Vowel has a distinct shape when sung. The long EE sound, as in “geese,” is known as a Closed Front Vowel. It often feels as though it “buzzes forward” in the face, and the tongue is arched high in the back. This diminishes the space in the back of the mouth. Conversely, the “AH” vowel sound, as in “hot,” is categorized as an Open Back vowel. You can feel why - the tongue drops and creates more mouth space. Plus, the resonance seems to retreat more into the back of the mouth. Practice FEELING the difference between these two very different vowels. Pay close attention to how the internal shape of your mouth changes the sounds you create as you work through all your vowels!
Do you struggle with a vocal WOBBLE? A “wobble” is generally a Vibrato that is either too slow or that deviates from the fundamental pitch too far. Singers of all ages can develop wobbles, but it affects the aging voice even more. Luckily, there is hope! A wobble often is the result of singing too loudly, with too much force, with too much “weight”, or with an overly depressed larynx. Some solutions include practicing straight tone, experimenting with volume control exercises, and becoming skilled with a lighter and brighter tone quality. Agility exercises can also help to shed excessive wobbly weight and speed up the movement of the vocal folds. So, if things are WOBBLING for you - take heart! Some simple steps should STEADY your sound soon!
What is STACCATO? Staccato is a musical term that means “with QUICK, sharp sounds or movements”. You’ve probably heard singers and instrumentalists use Staccato as a stylistic or expressive tool. But, it also has amazing applications for improving Vocal Technique! Staccato assists with vocal fold looseness, agility, pitch precision, and vibrato. One way to practice Staccato is to repeatedly speak or sing the word “HA” like a panting puppy. It is helpful to accentuate the letter “H” with each sound you make. This consonant helps loosen the vocal folds and ensures that each note will come in free of tension and hopefully with great precision. Practicing Staccato will build surprising new skills for your singing… real QUICK!
Get more Resonance at no extra cost! Resonance is essentially everything that you can change ABOVE the vocal folds. With Resonance, there is less pressure, effort, and cost to the vocal folds themselves. The good news is - you can get Resonance for FREE! Want more “brightness” in your voice? Don't try to over-compress the vocal folds to create it. Instead, use TWANG. Twang is a narrowing of the vocal tract via the AryEpiglottic Sphincter. This sounds very fancy, but it's easy to accomplish. Try experimenting with Twang characters like witches, nerds, cats, or even a duck. Or, try a vocal exercise on a bright NAAN-NAAN while making sure the larynx and embouchure stay fairly neutral. Twang gives your voice stronger Resonance without costing the vocal folds a thing. It really is the vocal deal of the century!
A repertoire book should be both SCARY and SAFE at the same time! When choosing most audition material, keep it on the safe side. In other words, make sure that your go-to songs are well within your comfort zone in terms of range, style, and emotion. On the other hand, no repertoire book is complete without songs that scare you! It’s important to have songs that stretch you outside your comfort zone and develop your artistry. Be brave and try to learn a new song that you never thought you could do. You’ll find your audition material having greater diversity than you ever thought possible. And, you’ll find yourself becoming more and more FEARLESS!
It’s time for a little Vocal LIMBO! “How low can you go” in your Head Voice and Falsetto? In popular music, it’s very common to hear singers singing HIGH in Chest Voice. Many singers mimic this aesthetic because it often sounds thrilling and exciting. Yet, it’s actually just as important to practice taking your Head Voice and Falsetto as LOW as you can take them as well. This may not be aesthetically pleasing to you. In fact, it usually sounds quite weak. However, doing this balances the voice in terms of vocal technique and also vocal health. Plus, it will assist you with developing the Mix and will give you more possibilities for stylistic nuances, dynamics, and dramatic choices. So practice the Vocal LIMBO, and find out: “How low can you go” in Head Voice and Falsetto!
Mirror, mirror on the wall! Thou art a practice tool above all! While you shouldn’t always practice singing in front of a mirror, an occasional check-in with your unbiased wall-mounted observer is very beneficial. Certain physical movements and tensions can become habits and eventually crutches if they are not eliminated. So, sing in front of your mirror from time-to-time to gain awareness of your own tendencies. Search for physical habits that distract from your singing or add tension to your instrument. See if you can achieve your best sounds without any undesired movements or tensions. Soon your mirror practice will reflect a polished performer and a technique that’s the fairest of them all!
Do you ever feel uninspired, not in the mood for practicing, and discouraged about your vocal abilities? Not to worry! Every singer goes through these emotions at one time or another. It is very normal to feel this way when you are passionate and eager to develop your instrument. If you feel this way, try practicing the MENTAL elements of singing instead of the technical elements. Take 5-10 minutes to execute this very different kind of vocal goal. Take calm, slow breaths. Let your mind become clear and settled. Then, MEDITATE on your voice. What does a great high note feel like? What is your favorite memory as a singer? Why do you love singing and practicing? What will it feel like to accomplish your dreams? What tensions in your jaw, larynx, tongue, or soul need to be released? Sometimes the best vocal practice is SILENT.
Practice your singing SMARTER, not LONGER! A lot of times we skip our vocal practice because we think we don’t have enough time. But, we can actually get a lot done in a short amount of time if we’re very focused. Try isolating a challenging musical phrase and working very specifically. Think about how your breathing affects the phrase. Make any necessary adjustments to your larynx position. Consider whether you are squeezing your vocal folds or allowing them to phonate freely. Ask yourself if there are modifications that need to be made to the jaw, the tongue, or the resonance. It only takes 10-15 minutes to practice this way. After only a week or 2 of these SMART practice sessions, you'll see just how much progress you can make in a truly SHORT time!
“Don’t sweat the TECHNIQUE!” There’s a huge difference between TECHNIQUE exercises and Vocal WARM-UPS. A warm-up is something you might do for 5-15 minutes before a performance, an audition, or even a practice session. However, technique exercises are specifically designed vocal workouts that help to build strength, flexibility, coordination, stamina, resonance, agility, and tone. Too many singers never achieve the results they are hoping for because they don’t see the point of doing “warm-ups”. Yet, when this happens, they have sadly missed the point entirely by mistaking valuable technique practice for mere “warm-ups”. Don’t just warm up and then sing songs. Make sure you’ve also got focused daily technique exercises that allow you to become the singer you want to be. For the best results and fastest progress with your singing: “Don’t sweat the TECHNIQUE!”
One of the most important vocal skill-sets is Vowel CLARITY. It’s sometimes okay to change Vowels in singing. This is called “Vowel Modification”. However, our first goal must be to sing our vowels as accurately as possible before modifying them. For example, is your EE vowel as BRIGHT as it should be? Or is it slipping into something like an IH sound? Or, what about the OH vowel? Are you using your lips to form the vowel or is the tongue retracting backwards instead? The concept of Vowel Clarity has been around since the foundations of Vocal Technique and applies to all musical styles. If your vowels can all be sung accurately, then your voice is going to find a great balance of resonance, breath, registration, control, and CLARITY!
Sometimes we get to choose the songs that we sing. Other times we don’t. You might be asked to sing a song for a wedding, a new musical, or a recording session that just doesn’t seem to suit your voice. Maybe the tessitura isn’t right for you. Perhaps it contains many vowels that aren’t your favorites. Or, maybe you don’t feel completely at home in the song’s style. Don’t get frustrated that the song isn’t a perfect fit. All songs inherently have assets and liabilities. Identify the challenging spots right away. Work to develop your technique and style in those specific areas. Don’t expect the process to come as easily as usual. But, DO expect it to open up something new in your voice. You will be surprised how often repertoire that initially intimidates you, later becomes your very best work!
Singing with ACCOMPANIMENT can be tricky for some singers. If you struggle with Rhythms, make sure to listen for the DOWNBEAT in the Accompaniment. That’s the first strong beat of the measure. Look at your music to see which words fall on this strong beat to guide you. If you struggle with Pitch, there are often clues in the Accompaniment. See if you can locate your Pitch somewhere in the Accompaniment before you sing. Often the piano or another instrument will "double" your melody. This can be very helpful for staying in tune. Mostly, though, remember the Accompanist should follow YOU. You shouldn’t follow the Accompanist. Knowing these truths will help you sing with more confidence and not second-guess yourself as a musician!
Many times singers OBSESS over which register they’re using. Is it “Head Voice”? Is it “Chest”? Is it “Chest Dominant Mix”? WHAT IS IT?! Don’t let fancy vocal concepts intimidate you. Vocal Registers boil down to variances in breath flow, vocal cord closure, and resonance. There are actually an INFINITE amount of register possibilities. It’s indeed very helpful to use labels like “Chest” and “Mix”. But, be careful that you don’t obsess about these labels! Many different schools, teachers, and vocalists use different terminology. In fact, you can actually even make up your own labels: This is my “Comfy Cozy Power Register.” Or, this is my “Floaty Flexible Resonating Register.” If it helps you to understand your voice - use it!
Practice makes perfect! Right? Well, for singing perhaps it’s better to say, “Perfect practice makes skillful singers”. When practicing, focus on targeting a SPECIFIC skill and ensure that you are doing so in a healthy way and an intentional way. Just imagine if every day you practiced increasing your range and you strained and tensed your muscles to hit the high notes. You would actually be practicing BAD habits that may lead to vocal problems in the future. So, the next time you practice, focus on healthy technique and specific new skillsets - make THOSE your habits! While we may never be perfect singers, we can become “perfect” practicers!
Want a more ENGAGING speaking voice? We often think that engaging speakers simply have “confidence”, “conviction”, or "charisma." However, becoming engaging isn’t something you feel, it’s something you DO. Start by engaging your breath. All it takes is a gentle engagement from the bottom of the abdomen when you make sound. Not a squeeze or a press. But, an intentional exhalation from deep in the body. Next, engage the intensity of your sound. Be sure to not speak too softly or too forcefully. Instead, commit to what you are saying in a way that you KNOW you will be heard clearly. Finally, engage your eyes. Imagine that every word you speak emanates from a twinkle of spontaneous insight. Try these simple speaking tips and you’ll leave your listeners… ENGAGED.
One of the most important things to keep in mind when trying to make it in the music industry is PERSPECTIVE! It’s easy to focus solely on where you want to be. But, don’t forget to look at how far you have come! When you began your singing journey you were nowhere near the vocalist that you are now. Your past self would love to be the vocalist you are today! Keep that in mind as you follow your musical pursuits. Each opportunity you are given to showcase your vocal skill, no matter how big or small, is one more step along the road towards vocal excellence and success as a musician. As you reflect on how far you've come, allow this perspective to inspire you to continue striving for what is ahead!
Give your Larynx the credit that it deserves! Your Larynx is more than just a house where your vocal folds live. Different POSITIONS of the Larynx can be used in a healthy way to produce a vast variety of vocal sounds and styles. Keep an open mind and try out laryngeal coordinations that you might not be used to. Explore a LOW Larynx to discover strong, deep, and robust sounds. Try a HIGHER Larynx to experience some softer, brighter, and thinner sounds. As long as they're done with thoughtful and conscientious technique, different Larynx positions can greatly expand our vocal horizons. Give your amazing Larynx all the credit!