What do singers and toddlers have in common? They both like to blow BUBBLES! Not only is it great fun, but it can also help eliminate vocal tension. You just need two things: a regular drinking straw and a glass of water halfway full. Round your lips, put the straw into your mouth, and blow some bubbles into the water! It’s okay if your cheeks puff out! Experiment with how big and small you can make the bubbles. The size, motion, and consistency of the bubbles will give you an indication of how much breath you are releasing. Then, vocalize through the straw! You can use scales, musical patterns, or even the melody of your songs. Continue to be mindful of the bubbles’ size and consistency. Discover which combination of these two things minimizes your vocal tension the most. Ah! Singers are forever YOUNG!
Having trouble singing or performing in a new style? Maybe it’s time to stop being a singer for a moment and instead become a SCHOLAR! Go to the style’s source. Learn about the history of the style. Study the pioneers who took it from its roots to its current form. Understand the historical and cultural context that contributed to its rise and development. Listen to as many original recordings and live performances as you can. Try to connect what you hear to what you're learning. Music has a long and fascinating history that can help you embody styles outside your comfort zone. Smart singers make successful singers!
Have you ever asked yourself - “What STYLE of voice do I have?”. The truth is, nobody is BORN with one particular singing style. Individual style develops over time and is influenced by the music you enjoy hearing and singing. This means you can and should sing multiple styles! But, what happens if you love a certain style but have difficulty producing it with your own voice? Immerse yourself in it! Be disciplined in listening to various singers you admire and notice the nuances of their musical choices. Then, copy copy copy! Stylistic aspects can be mastered gradually through skillful mimicry. Solid vocal technique still must accompany any style you sing. However, with practice and attention to detail, you’ll be able to sing the musical style you were "born" to sing!
LEGATO means to sing "in a smooth, flowing manner, without breaks between notes”. While “choppier”, more consonant-driven articulation is common in many contemporary styles, Legato is a crucial skill for ALL singers to master. To develop Legato, try using lip or tongue trills on a song or phrase. If you notice that your trill is uneven or stops at certain places in a phrase, then make adjustments with your breath pressure until it’s consistent. After the Legato line becomes easy with the trill, try to maintain the same sensation while vocalizing the lyrics. See if you can add the consonants back without them being performed too harshly or aggressively. In time, you’ll be able to use crisp and percussive diction while your sound remains supported by a smooth and Legato airflow!
PANEL: “Why did you choose this song?” SINGER: “Because it speaks to me!” We all enjoy singing songs that we love. However, to maximize our chances in an audition, we must consider other factors. Does your song show off your RANGE, style, or have that 'Money Note’? Does your song have LYRICS that you can connect to and play as an actor? Finally, does your song fit within your casting TYPE? You may sing “Bring Him Home” beautifully. However, if you’re in your 20's, then it's probably not going to work! It’s important to choose songs that allow the casting panel to imagine you in parts that you could currently be cast in. Even if this particular audition doesn’t work out, their minds might be racing with other parts you can play. Choose material that gives them every chance to see who you are. SINGER: “Why did I get the part?” PANEL: “Because you spoke to us!”
Having someone with you as you practice is always a good way to get feedback on your performance. But have you ever considered watching YOURSELF? Video taping yourself while you practice is an excellent way to ensure that your appearance, stage presence, facial expressions, etc. align with how you want to come across! It will also be a revelation to you as far as your vocal technique. Small things you may have never noticed that you do will become apparent, making change so much easier! Visualizing your performance from an audience’s viewpoint will also give you a fresh perspective from which to analyze your presentation. So grab your phone or webcam.... and lights, camera, PRACTICE!
They say that you can't sing your best sitting down... or CAN YOU? As a singer, you will sometimes be asked to perform in positions (like sitting) that can be less than ideal for making your best sounds. Good news! Good singing posture can be achieved within almost any position! When you are in a less than ideal physical situation, search for opportunities to lengthen your neck and spine. Find chances to breathe deeply and freely in the abdomen and rib cage. Whenever possible, loosen as much muscle tension as you can while still performing the movement authentically. Whether sitting, standing, lying, or dancing, you'll prove that you can sing your best no matter what position you find yourself in!
“Don’t SLOUCH!”. “Stand up straight!”. "Sing with good posture!". These phrases echo in our ears if we've ever had training as singers. And for good reason! SLOUCHING thrusts the jaw and head forward which adds tension to the neck, larynx, and surrounding muscles. Slouching also limits your breathing by preventing the ribcage from expanding fully. Plus, Slouching makes us look sad, unconfident, and defeated. Thankfully, out of the many vocal habits that exist, Slouching is probably the easiest one to fix. You just have to be willing to stand up for yourself! Or, in other words, you must become SLOUCHLESS!
Do you know about the RELATIONSHIP between your tongue and larynx? If not, it's time to find out! Find a mirror. Release your jaw and open your mouth gently. Your tongue should rest against the bottom gums. While maintaining this position, move between the EE vowel and the AH vowel. You will, of course, notice the back of your tongue lifting on EE and lowering on AH. BUT! Place a finger on your larynx and try again. Does it move as well? Most people will notice the larynx shifting up for the "EE" and down for the "AH". If you feel a considerable amount of movement, you can gain more autonomy by trying the reverse! Deliberately try to lower your larynx as your tongue moves to "EE". Then, imagine it ascending on "AH". By not allowing your larynx and tongue to be codependent, you'll gain more control over each tool in your singing!
What part of your body do you LEAD with? The way you present your body to the world has a big effect on your emotional state and your energy. Some people lead with their chests, presenting a sense of confidence and strength. Other people lead with their hips, like the swaying swaggers of Mick Jagger or Elvis Presley. Some of us lead with the tops of our heads as we walk with our faces down at the ground or our phones. When you sing, think about what part of your body is leading. Your voice may come out of your mouth and nose, but perhaps you feel the energy coming from your chest during a strong song. Or, perhaps your hips need to get involved in a sultry or jazzy song. Maybe you even lead with your eyes during highly energetic songs. Leading with different parts of your body will LEAD you to many new performance options!
Your voice has many registers that can be DRAGGED to change the quality of your sound. For instance, you can drag a register DOWN from above to create a “headier” Mix or UP from below to create a “beltier” Mix. Both are necessary skills. BUT being able to honor every register in your voice is just as important. Think of it this way - there is an overlap of notes that are playable by both a violin and a cello. A cello can play quite high, but this puts the strings under more stress than is sustainable for a long time. Likewise, a violin can play some low notes that align with those of a cello, but the quality is far less rich than the cello. Honoring each register would be the equivalent of playing each instrument in the sweet spot of its range. So, don’t always play your cello too high or your violin too low. As you vocalize, make sure to explore all of the extremes of your voice, but also make sure to spend the majority of time in the sweet spot!
Every singer works on improving their RESONANCE. The Pharynx is the voice’s primary resonator, and it’s divided into 3 sections. There’s the LaryngoPharynx (Larynx space), OroPharynx (Mouth space), and NasoPharynx (Nasal space). Lowering the LARYNX increases the darker Resonances of the voice. Raising the Larynx makes the sound brighter. Opening the MOUTH makes the sound appear stronger. A narrow or neutral mouth position increases Head Resonance and often the beauty of the tone. NASAL Resonance is added when the soft palate is lowered. This provides flexibility to the voice and assists with vocal “placement”. All of these important Resonance adjustments take place in the 3 sections of the Pharynx. There’s so much great singing going on in the back of your mouth!
FREESTYLE your style! Feeling uninspired with the song you’ve been singing? Try changing styles. PLAY! Approach an R&B ballad like a Country song. Try a Classical art song as a Pop tune. Sing a simple Folk tune with your best Gospel belt. Go as far as you can! Be silly even! Or draw some inspiration from imitating another singer - How would Justin Bieber sing a Sam Smith song? How would Jennifer Hudson sing an Ed Sheeran song? Playfulness leads to creativity, and creativity is a great goal for expanding your vocal artistry. After experimenting, return again to your primary style. You’ll be surprised how effortless it is to incorporate the discoveries you made while FREESTYLING in other styles!
Singing Country music is much more than just TWANGING things up with a southern accent! Country singers are some of the most versatile singers in today’s music industry. Some stylistic elements that can help you master your Country sound are the use of vocal fry, registrational agility (switching quickly between head/mix/chest), compression control (breathy/clean/raspy), scoops, riffs, falloffs, high mixed belting, straight tone, and vibrato. Country music is also very lyric-driven and often emotional and theatrical. So, be sure to really connect on a deep level to your songs. Then, you’ll be ready for “three chords and the truth”... and some mighty fine singin’...
Be a Vocal ARTISTE! Put your vowels on a color spectrum! Think of the primary vowels (A, E, I, O, and U) as primary colors. We can make every shade of vowel in between those vowels, the same way we can find every shade of color in between the primary colors. Then, apply these colors to your singing. If an EE vowel feels too bright, try heading toward EH. Or, if an OO vowel feels too closed, try moving in the direction of OH. If your tongue weighs down the AH vowel, try brightening it with EH. What shades of vowels can you find that best enhance your vocal artistry? Get ready for your most colorful singing ever!
You might notice that Jazz singers often have a CONVERSATIONAL approach to their phrasing. This is a great starting point when learning to sing Jazz. Listen to the endless list of great Jazz artists (Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, etc.) and you’ll notice a "speech-like" tone accompanied by inflections, pauses, and emphases that are very specific to each singers’ conversational style. In Jazz, individuality, improvisation, and originality are favored over replicating every written note and rhythm. Learn the original music first as a road map. From there, you can begin to improvise notes and rhythms via your own conversational instincts. Ultimately, your improvisational choices should feel very similar to having a lively conversation on pitch!
GRRRRRUNT! Does your singing ever feel like lifting a HEAVY OBJECT? This feeling often occurs when singers sing too loudly in Chest Voice or Chest Dominant Mix, or when too much Glottal Resistance is used. One way to shed some vocal “weight” is to develop a "light" and "flowy" Head Voice and then drag it DOWN. Start with a note that is HIGHER than the Chest Voice notes you are struggling with. Slide down from the lighter gear to the stronger. If there's a large crack or flip as you slide, then your Chest and Mix are likely too heavy. See if you can make the transition as seamless as possible. If you do, your voice will soon feel more SVELTE than ever!
Should you look UP when you sing? Usually, this is considered a bad vocal habit when we’re starting out as singers. However, there are actually some real benefits later on! We should always avoid jutting or lifting the chin out to the point of unwanted tension in the jaw and neck. However, a slight elevation of the chin and face on higher notes can be helpful. First, it can optimize the resonance by raising the first formant. Next, it can recruit the StyloPharyngeal muscles that assist the pitch-raising muscles (CricoThyroids) in stretching the vocal folds. Lastly, it just looks aesthetically awesome when singers do it well! While it's certainly not the solution for higher notes, this trick can lead to increased vocal freedom in the upper ranges. Things are looking up!
Do you feel like your Head Voice is WEAK and lacks the strength and support of your Chest Voice and Mix? The Head Voice can, in fact, be powerful like your other vocal registers! There are three things to focus on in your technique when trying to strengthen your Head Voice - larynx position, jaw freedom, and breath support. A great exercise to help promote all three of these skills is singing “HWAW” on 1-5-1 in your Head Voice. Be mindful that your larynx doesn’t rise too high. Keep your jaw relaxed, narrow, and downward. Make sure that your breath is small, flowing, and energetic. Above all, though, don’t be TIMID! Never fear making a bold and big sound with your Head Voice!