SINGERS
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Judy just completed a vocal instruction CD series complete with vocal exercises that can be done daily. Very important tools for the professional singer.
This
section was written for the serious singer who wants to become the best he or
she can be. It is for the singer
who wants to be a great live performer as well as a recording artist.
Every singer must work to protect and enhance their vocal
ability. God has blessed many singers with natural ability and talent, while
others must achieve their goals by working a little harder.
TAKING CARE OF YOUR
VOICE
THE
MOST COMMON PROBLEMS OF SINGERS
All singers
are different and their problems vary, however the most common problems are (in
alphabetical order):
ARTICULATION * ATTACK * BREATHING * CONFIDENCE DISCIPLINE * ENDURANCE * HEALTH * LIMITATIONS
POSTURE
* TASTE * TIMING * TONE
1.
ARTICULATION: As it pertains to singing, it is the ability to communicate
the song in a technically correct, yet natural manner. Various things affect the articulation of singers, the
primary culprits being tension and natural physical problems.
Tension
affects every vocal performance. The
vocal chords, which are muscles and the muscles of the jaw, lips, inner mouth
etc. tighten resulting in poor tonal quality and articulation.
Certain speech habits also affect articulation.
One
common problem involves singers dropping or not emphasizing certain letters at
the end of certain lines. They may,
for example, not emphasize a “V” when singing the word “love” or the
“T” sound on the word “didn’t.” These
are only two of thousands of possibilities.
Another articulation problem may be substituting and “H” in words
with soft vowel sounds – for example, the word “you” will become “you
hoo hoo,” or the word “me” may become “me hee hee,” or the “fly”
becomes “fly hi hi.” You must
learn to power through these words keeping the integrity of the vowel in tact
and not using the “H” sound as a power crutch.
These
are just a couple of examples of poor articulation. There may be a physical problem which would cause poor
articulation as well. A lisp is a
major problem for a singer, especially in the recording studio where sensitive
microphones pick up every nuance.
2.
ATTACK: This
problem presents itself in two forms – too much attack or not enough attack.
Too much attack is simply singing too hard.
It happens when singers begin to sing
and “try too hard” and push and force notes through the vocal chords.
Too much attack can result in the formation of vocal cord nodules which are one of the singer’s greatest
fears. The opposite problem is when
excessive air is released prior to singing. While this soft attack rarely has an
adverse effect on the vocal cords, it does causes a breathy sound, which may be
used in certain situations. It may
also be utilized to help correct a hard attack.
3.
BREATHING: One of the most common problems for singers is breathing and
breath support. Singers who "gasp" for air, and exhibit
shallow breathing patterns are not and cannot sing effectively.
Professional singers primarily use diaphragmatic breath support. The muscles of
the diaphragm, lower back and abdomen are consciously used.
Breath should be used to support the vocal performance and there should
be little tension on the vocal chords or larynx. There may be too much breath
support or not enough breath support and each individual singer must find their
own niche.
4.
CONFIDENCE: Singing with confidence may be the singers greatest tool.
Having the confidence that what they sing will always come out the way
they intend makes a good singer into a great one.
Many times the slightest deviation in the vocal chords can result in
momentary loss of vocal control, and singers hold back in order to maintain
control and relieve that anxiety. If
everyone sang with the same confidence as their “shower vocal” they would
soon find their level of expertise would increase dramatically.
Despite the anxiety, singers do gain confidence through regular
performance and rehearsing difficult songs until they are able to sing them.
It is better to “go for it.”
5.
DISCIPLINE: The professional singer is, in a sense, an athlete and as any
athlete knows, daily practice is imperative to compete at the professional
level. Most singers do not believe
daily training, exercise and diet are important in their careers.
Some singers are reluctant to accept the advice of others, especially
when that advice may be contrary to the singer’s personal beliefs and work
ethic. The singer's practice and
performance regimen must be both sensible and productive.
Working too hard can be as damaging as not working hard enough, but daily
practice will produce results.
6.
ENDURANCE:
Vocal training in the 1700’s and 1800’s placed much emphasis on vocal
endurance. Part of that training
required a singer to perform rapid scales.
The use of these rapid scales helps to develop a relaxed, yet strong
vocal performance, and that contributes to the development of increased vocal
endurance. Vocal endurance
allows the singer to sing for long periods without tiring, and is part of the
daily routine of practice. A tired
vocal will always show in the recording studio and singers tend to sing off
pitch when tired vocally and physically.
7.
HEALTH: The
very nature that singing is entertaining creates many situations which are
unhealthy for the singer. The
physical demands placed on a singer require the singer to get adequate rest,
perform effective aerobic exercise, eat a proper diet (including an
understanding of the effects of alcohol consumption), learn proper use of
over-the-counter and prescription medications, and abstinence from smoking.
By the nature of some singing environments, singers test the limits of
their vocal health by overindulging in "partying", alcohol or drugs,
and yelling. Some singers are aware
of the care of their singing voice, but abuse their speaking voice.
Professional
singers who travel are frequently confronted with changes in climate, allergens,
sleep habits, and eating patterns. Traveling singers should avoid talking
excessively, especially on airplanes that are both noisy and dry.
Performing in dry, dusty, smoke-filled venues increases the chances of
vocal fatigue and infection. A
minor cold or allergy can be devastating to a professional singer, who is has to
perform with swollen vocal cords. Every
singer should practice good vocal hygiene, exercise good travel habits and good judgment.
8.
LIMITATIONS:
All singers have limitations. The
boundaries on limits such as range can be stretched with practice, however the
secret to avoiding damage is in knowing those limitations and not exceeding
them. Typically, the untrained singer has a much narrower pitch range than the
trained singer, and it is mainly due to lack of both high and low register
development.
9.
POSTURE: Good posture is imperative to a good strong vocal
performance. The biggest problem
faced by singers is the collapse of the chest and rib cage that affects
breathing and vocal power. There
may also be a corresponding downward fall of the head and neck or a
hyper-extended, "stiff" posture that results in tension throughout the
entire body.
10.
TASTE: Knowing what to sing and when to sing it is a major
problem for singers, especially if they have copied their favorite singers all
their lives. When you copy a
successful singer, there are pros and cons.
A singer learns a lot of great vocal tricks, but they usually have a
problem developing their own style. They
sing each song the way the original singer does, but when given an original song
with no vocal blueprint they have a problem knowing what to sing and when to use
the tools they have developed vocally. Knowing
what to sing, how hard or soft to sing, what vocal tone to use, whether or not
to use vibrato or other “trills” is called “singing with taste.”
It is imperative to learn to sing with taste before going into the
recording studio with original material. A
good producer or vocal coach is recommended.
11.
TIMING: Since singing is normally accompanied by music,
timing is very important. The
impact of a song is sometimes determined by the placement of certain words on
certain beats with the music and “working with the band” vocally.
A singer with poor timing ultimately loses the ability to be effective
with regard to certain songs. Singing
out of time can also be an effective tool with some songs, however an
understanding of the timing is imperative to making this skill work as well.
Working with a metronome on a daily basis will help set your “internal
clock” and make you more aware of the importance of timing when singing.
12.
TONE: A
singer’s tone may be described in many ways.
It may be “rich,” “resonant,” “gravelly,” “breathy,” or
even “nasal.” Tone is a highly
subjective term with relation to singers, as it becomes a matter of taste. Some people like “gravelly” voices, some people like
“breathy” voices. It is all
according to the singer, the style of the song and the personal preference of
the listener. The problem with tone
becomes apparent when the singer is not using tone tastefully.
For example, a guitarist would not use a heavy metal distorted tone on a
soft ballad. Singers should sing
songs that compliment their natural singing voice and develop the ability to
change their tone just as a guitarist would.
A breathy tone, for example, may be used to perform an
"intimate" or "sexy" song. Other tones may be used as a trademark by a singer such
as the "gravelly " sound of Michael Bolton or the “nasal” sound of
Willie Nelson.
THESE THINGS HURT YOUR VOICE AND PERFORMANCE
·
SMOKING in
any form (tobacco, marijuana, or any other form)
·
RECREATIONAL
DRUGS
·
ALCOHOL in
any form the day before or the day of a
performance
·
COFFEE
before a performance
·
STRESS avoid
it
·
SHOUTING,
SCREAMING, CRYING
·
TALKING TOO
MUCH on the day of performance
·
TALKING TOO
LOUD AND HARD over loud music or environmental noises like buses, airplanes,
jack hammers etc.
·
TALKING IN
AN UNNATURAL VOICE The "hmmm" pitch (expressing mild surprise) is the
pitch at which you should be speaking!
·
SNEEZING
WITH SOUND or vocalizing a sneeze
Note: This does not mean you should stifle a sneeze -- never do that!
Go ahead and sneeze, just don't make a noise other than the natural
passage of air while doing so.
·
YAWNING WITH
SOUND
·
OVER EATING
OR EATING DAIRY PRODUCTS before a performance
·
LACK OF REST
·
OUTDOOR
SINGING especially in poor air quality and / or high allergy conditions
·
COUGHING or
CONSTANTLY CLEARING THE THROAT
·
SINGING WHEN
THE THROAT IS SORE
·
SINGING
WHILE DEALING WITH A COLD OR LARYNGITIS
·
SINGING
BEYOND YOUR RANGE LIMITATIONS
·
OVER-SINGING
(if you are hoarse after singing, something is wrong)
·
WHISPERING
LOUDLY OR FOR LONG PERIODS
·
VOCAL ABUSE
- Abusing your voice in a rock band without vocal training to do so
·
WEIGHTLIFTING
·
CHEERLEADING
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW AND DO AS A SINGER
·
EAT RIGHT
·
TREAT YOUR
VOCAL CHORDS AND BODY AS AN INSTRUMENT
·
HUMIDIFY THE
BEDROOM ESPECIALLY IN WINTER MONTHS
·
DRINK WATER
- 8 glasses a day
·
PEE CLEAR
– SING CLEAR -- your urine should
be clear -- yellowness means you are dehydrated unless caused by vitamins (the
more yellow it is, the worse)
·
SURGERY NOTE
– If undergoing surgery insist that intubations be performed by someone well
acquainted with the risk to the voice
·
SUPPORT YOUR
SPEAKING VOICE just as when singing
- BE HAPPY AND LAUGH A LOT but with good support
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