Middle Voice Singing Secret | Mixed Voice Singing Lessons » singing lessons

Singing Lessons with a Vocal Coach

nisa — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:27:27 +0000

As a singer without any formal vocal training, you would probably have wondered whether to hire a vocal coach to train your singing voice. Well, your procrastination is hurting your singing career

Just name me any famous singer who never had any vocal training? Yes, some of them may have gotten popular without any formal singing lessons but all these popular singers, without exception realized that they have to engage a vocal coach at one time or another take their spectacular singing career to superstardom and to stay up there.

So what makes you think that you do not need vocal lessons? If you are already singing professionally, then it is vital that you take up voice training to separate you from the mediocre singers. This is how you can get noticed when you are above the pack and above your singing competitors.

If others do not believe in vocal training and you do, then you would already have won because you will be singing much better and control higher fees for your performances.

You need to take care and respect for your voice. That is your musical instrument and your voice determines whether you succeed or fail in your singing career.

Finding a good singing teacher can be a little tricky. There are many so called vocal coaches out there proclaiming themselves to be singing teachers after merely reading up a few books. As this industry is not regulated, there are many charlatans out there.

The best way to determine a good singing teacher is to ask good singers. After all, they are already good singers themselves and their recommendation won’t be all that bad isn’t it?

However, since singing teachers are human beings, it is thus important that the teacher student relationship is good and you can get along your vocal coach. The chemistry between you and your coach must be good, otherwise when you are singing under stress, your voice will come out as very strained and that voice is awful to the ears. If you can’t along with your singing teacher, then you may need to change your vocal coach.

One way of eliminating this human problem in learning how to sing is to get VCDs, DVD and video singing lessons of famous and proven vocal coaches. Not only is it much less expensive than hiring a vocal teacher, you can work at your own time and own pace. Since the teaching tools are yours, you can practice your vocal training anytime and anywhere. Better yet, you are learning from the best!

Most good singing coaches will have a vocal workout lessons plan for you. Learning how to breathe and use your diaphragm properly are the basics of a singer’s inventory. You will find out how remarkable your voice can get when you mastered only these two singing exercises. Once you are using correct breathing and diaphragm control techniques, your singing voice and confidence will soar.

So, if want to bring your singing career to greater heights then go and get a vocal coach now and start practicing singing skills now.

Will Taking Private Singing Lessons Really Help Me Learn To Sing Better?

nisa — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 09:26:37 +0000

If not all, most of us have dreamt singing onstage, in front of a crowd. But what if you can’t even hit a note in real life. Does that mean that that dream will be just a dream forever?
It may sound impossible, but true. Singing voice lessons can help your dream come true. It can absolutely bring out the best of your singing voice and eliminate flat sounds as well. If on the other hand, you know that you already have a great singing voice, taking private singing lessons can also help to hone that talent.
Because it’s really tough to stand-out in the music industry today, many singers know that they just have to get better and better over a period of time to make it big. They also, have to undergo private singing lessons to be able to sing better.
You will be able to learn reality-based singing techniques with private singing lessons. Through private singing lessons you’ll be able to learn how to find and free up your singing voice. And when you do… you’ll be able to hit the right notes even those high notes and still with your natural singing voice.
If you think you should take private singing lessons, make sure you will find a real good instructor to teach some techniques to learn how to sing better. Some offer a week until a month vocal training, others offer per session. The instructor may give you techniques and exercises to do at home and then see if you did improve by letting you do the exercises during the actual session.
It may cost you some money, but certainly, taking private singing lessons is a brilliant first step to learning how to sing better, whether you are an aspiring singer or already a singer.
There are a great many options available to you and you can do quite a bit of research by going online and looking for different coaches and instructors. Depending on the kind of work you want to do and what you want to achieve, you will be able to find one that best fits your ultimate needs.

Kameron Callahan -
About the Author:

Kids Singing Lessons – Why Enroll Your Child?

nisa — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 15:27:32 +0000

Singing lessons for kids are taught differently than lessons for adults. The reason for this is that kids have different learning skills compared to adults. There are a lot of good things that your child can acquire from simple singing and being in kids singing lessons is a great way for them to exercise their singing abilities. Some children become enthralled with singing at a very young age because of the encouragement they got from their parents, but support is not enough. As a parent, you should know what a kid’s singing lesson can offer to your child.

What can be a kid’s singing lesson?

A kid’s singing lesson is fantastic for the child’s frame of mind. It’s a healing method to treat a vast selection of physical and mental well being problems. By teaching youngsters how to sing it provides them an opportunity to discover different music styles while developing their vocal skills. Offering singing lessons to your kid is a great way to ignite interest of some children who may have always wanted to know how but never could find someone to teach it.

Why enrol your children in kids singing lessons?

Having your child in a singing lesson gives joy to your child. Singing offers some of the most fun and energetic experience to the life of your son or daughter. Kids singing lessons teach the basics of singing, release inner tension and construct self-confidence. This will allow the kids to engage in their musical abilities. It is a proper channel to express oneself through singing. Qualified instructors should educate them in an age-appropriate setting. In addition, it would help kids to attain their dreams of becoming a professional singer, a casual performer, sing for fun, or just want to learn how to protect their best asset, their voice, and to increase its potential.

What are the benefits?

Kids singing lessons can help children socialise with other children as singing can also be a social activity such as in singing choirs. It also provides opportunities to interact with other children. Singing lessons make your son or daughter meet other people in a sense of camaraderie. It also tends to make an individual a lot more spontaneous, whilst developing their self-esteem. According to studies, socialising with other people and friends can contribute to higher self esteem and a positive outlook to your son or daughter. Furthermore, all of these can have the effect of making the particular person a lot more successful inside the social sphere in life. In addition, being in a kid’s singing lessons reduces inner tension; it gives an overall sense of well being.

A particular child in a kids singing lesson can be assisted to understand the difference between his or her shouting voice and singing voice. Your kid may also learn a major piece of the tonal-development feature which is triggering a youngster’s tonal lobe of the brain. Children may also benefit from simple ear-training exercises in which they can learn good ear-larynx coordination as well as learn to hear, recognize and sing various musical intervals. It is good to know that every child can sing in tune, know the basic major scale, and recognize fundamentals musical intervals with performance.

By:
Craig Morganl

The Choice Between Singing Alone Or In A Group?

nisa — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 23:15:47 +0000

The thing about singing is that it generally starts when the person is a child. After several years of singing courses and lessons, the person can develop several skills needed to sing. One way to encourage this is to either take them to church or take them to social events that encourage youngsters to sing.
If properly taught, the child could display skills like some artists that are even famous; examples are Britney Spears, Ozzy Osborne, or Natalie Imbruglia.
One thing of note though, even after the child has taken classes and reaches adulthood they should continue these lessons by auditions, or even talent shows. Some live shows now days look for local adults and young teens to participate to get recording records, like American Idol.
Singing in a group however can be another story. Most individuals prefer to work alone when singing but there are also just as many who prefer to work in a group. This can help with complex numbers or routines that a single person might not be able to obtain alone.
When singing alone one of the main things to think about is the fact that the singer is the person who is hitting all of the major notes when there are also back-up singers in the background. Ultimately the performance depends on the singer not the back-ups.
This is not as much of an issue with groups, they are able to perform notes and it’s not just on the main singer to get the right notes, everyone in the band is responsible for hitting the right notes at the right time. It takes practice to achieve this goal.
Norfolk has run an experiment that shows that it is not as much on the number of persons singing but rather the technique used. Some of the things that were tested were pitch, long term spectra, timing, and loudness of both.
The question remains, is it better to perform as a single artist, or in a group? The answer is that no one can tell, this is a answer that only a singer can make. This choice has to be based on what the individual desires and if they can achieve this goal alone or in a group.
Churches still to this day question whether or not a single person is better then a band. This is displayed in the teachings of the new testament. This conflict is still raging because there are no scriptures that state which way it is supposed to be.
The main thing to consider when dealing with a singer other then the choice of single or band is how long that person will be on the stage. Backstage managers, record labels, and other factors determine how long someone will be around, be it just for the night or for the next decade.

Kevin Sinclair -
About the Author:

How To Find A Child’s Singing Voice And When Is The Right Time?

nisa — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 22:42:32 +0000

In the music industry today, you’ll notice that there’s more variety of singers coming out to make a name. With this, it makes a lot of people think about when and how an aspiring singer should start discovering her own singing voice. Is there a concrete blueprint in freeing your voice to learn how to sing?
Before, to be able to attend a formal singing voice lessons, you’d have to be a girl, ages 8 to 13… or a boy, ages 10 to 15. But today, many younger children, even at the age of 4 can now attend these lessons to hone a pretty wonderful singing voice that they already have.
Singing voice instructors teach their students in two different categories. The categories are: pre-pubescent stage and the post-pubescent stage. These guidelines are usually taught to those young students, which lessons are often times short and simple as well. This is in consideration to the level of stamina the younger students can put into singing voice lessons and the level of understanding that they can provide.
Young students also need not to know the technical terms usually used in singing voice lessons. If the students are directed with an age appropriate and sound, learning how to sing and improving their singing voice can be easy.
Because the younger students’ vocal chords are not fully developed yet, their singing voice if far more higher than the adult students. This is why instructors also need to choose. not only age appropriate song, but also sound appropriate songs that student can make.
There are some singing voice teachers that teach voice lessons to the students for the money. That’s why in choosing a voice instructor for a younger student, parent’s guidance is a must. The parents must make sure that the teacher is really passionate about teaching music, teaching music to kids most especially

Rene Randall -
About the Author:

Rene Randall shares some the importance in improving one’s singing voice in order to sing better. You can find more singing tips and techniques at http://howtosing.org.

Your child will sing, dance, and play games, while learning their ABC’s with Puppy Dog, the friendliest dog in town. It’s all part of the Creative Learning Method that reinforces basic concepts, increases vocabulary, and gets your child talking with confidence. Interactive Play: Puppy dog invites kids to speak up, play along, and learn the ABC’s, promoting early communication between parent and child. Letter Identification: Strong visuals, letter repetition, and a comprehensive review teach children the alphabet. Word Recognition: Simple objects and fun animals are introduced with each letter of the alphabet. This Puppy Dog video covers all the alphabet essentials your child needs to know to be prepared for kindergarten.

Find More Teach Your Child To Sing Articles

What one dance move/song would you teach your child?

nisa — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:14:42 +0000

Question by Daniela (Poppy’s Mama): What one dance move/song would you teach your child?

Strange question I know but I was just reminiscing about my youth when I looked on MTV and saw some old MC Hammer video. Anyway, it made me think about all the old songs I sing to my 5 month old Daughter and it always makes me chuckle to think about how much she’ll roll her eyes at me and laugh when she is old enough to be embarrassed by my moves.

So here is the question. If you could teach your child/children one dance move or sing/rap them one song from your youth, what would it be?

Mine is – Push It by Salt ‘n’ Pepper, lol

Best answer:

Answer by Rosie Babayyy
The Cotton-Eyed Joe!

Add your own answer in the comments!

7 Singing Exercises That Perfectionizes Your Singing Voice And Notes

nisa — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:19:04 +0000

7 Singing Exercises That Perfectionizes Your Singing Voice And Notes

If you need Singing Exercises right now, and don’t know where to turn, then we can help you with one that’s easy yet effective to get you up and going.

Vocal Scale Exercise

This exercise, if practiced correctly, will help you hit every note perfectly:
1.   Choose a song that you enjoy singing
2.   Mentally replace the words with the word ‘mom’
3.   Sing your song through once
4.   Pay special attention to the hardest parts
5.   Write down the difficult parts for you
6.   Give your song a difficultly rating from one to ten so you can gauge your improvement as you practice over and over
7.   Sing the song through (3) times, using only the replacement word ‘mom’

Result: On the third try, your difficulty score should drop significantly and the song should roll out of your mouth much more relaxed, smoothly and confidently.

Tip: Try this vocal scale exercise with almost any ‘closed-vowel’ sound. Again, once you master the ‘closed’ words, you can attempt other singing exercises employing more ‘open-sounding’ words.

Remember: Learning to sing successfully is:

•   using the right techniques and building your voice on a sound foundation
•   investing discipline and practice into all your efforts
•   getting sound training and know-how

If you have good technical and singing support, the star’s the limit! No different to other challenges or dreams worth going after.

A Good Source for Other Singing Exercises

For that sound training and know-how mentioned to above, as well as other practical and effective singing exercises, then look no further. We have just the right source for you. What you need is a dependable singing program like “Singorama”.

“Singorama” is a good and affordable step-by-step program which can hep you build greater singing power, help you achieve a wider vocal range, voice flexibility and stability, and help to perfect pitch and tone accuracy. You’ll see overall improvement in every area of your singing if you take full advantage of what this comprehensive singing guide offers.

It provides vocal scale and other singing exercises for building a great singing voice, better vocal fitness, breathing, posture, pitch and to warm-up your vocal cords properly to avoid strain or stress on them.

Why waste time looking for any other resource that might prove a waste of time and money when you have a perfect singing program with singing exercises at your convenience and right at your fingertips.

“Singorama” comes highly recommended and with rave reviews and positive, useful feedback from satisfied singers. It’s a great multimedia training package stuffed with awesome training tutorials, a great selection of audio exercises, even a virtual piano!

If your dream is to write songs of your own one day, well “Singorama” is just for you. Try its Mini Recording Studio software which many have used and found sensational, along with other software like Practice Your Pitch Pro.

Why don’t you take a look at this #1 rated step by step singing program? Visit: Singorama

“Singorama” offers too much to list all here so go online right away and download this great singing program and be on your way to an impressive singing career!

So, do you want to start learning all singing exercises step by step? Visit: Singing Exercises

How Diaphragm Singing Can Help You Achieve An Amazing Singing Voice

nisa — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:16:16 +0000

How Diaphragm Singing Can Help You Achieve An Amazing Singing Voice

The system of muscles which connect to the ribs at their lower level, and surround the lungs, is called the diaphragm. This is what enables humans to inhale. Exhaling is performed from the abdomen, but it is the muscles of the diaphragm which control how quickly air is expelled from the lungs.

Using muscles in breathing in and out air is necessary in diaphragm singing. This is because breathing out is just like singing but without the sound. The sound that is being created by the person performing the action.

Now, do this test to try diaphragm singing. First, while trying to sing, inhale and then exhale. Next, again while tying to sing, inhale and then exhale really slowly. After the two exercises, you will notice that there’s a huge difference between the two. This is because exhaling too quickly expels air as well, therefore there will be less air for you to use necessary for proper diaphragm singing and hitting the notes.

Bear in mind that when you practice breathing exercises, it is important that when you breath in you must also push your stomach out. Then you can start adding your singing sound as you breath out air. If breathing in and out is done correctly, then you will be producing a rich, strong and clear sound. If not done correctly, your singing voice will sound tight and might break. So remember to expand your lungs and rib cage when singing, you can do so by proper diaphragm singing.

One way that helps proper diaphragm singing is by opening your throat or also known as “yawning.” This will loosen, if not eliminates the tightness of the throat. Because when your throat is tight, tendency is that you’ll sound pitchy and will produce a voice that may sound unnatural. Don’t think that you are the only person committing this mistake, if you think your are guilty of it, because a lot of singers commit the same mistake as well. Now, to correct this, your option is to hire a vocal coach that will teach you proper voice modulation.

By strengthening your voice with correct breathing exercises, you’ll definitely learn how to control your diaphragm. The key is to never blow out air too fast when you start to add your sound when singing. In this way, you’ll not cause much pressure that may damage your vocal chords.

Just like any exercise, going the slow route reaps the greatest rewards and the best singing voice. There are websites on the Internet which teach vocal strengthening exercises as well as speech level singing, for a vibrant, beautiful, singing voice.

Find out more about diaphragm singing.

You might also like:
Benefits of Diaphragm Singing

Rene Randall shares some tips and techniques on to how effectively use diaphragm singing to achieve a vibrant singing voice. Learn more at http://howtosing.org.

How To Develop Virbrato Singing Voice

nisa — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 23:34:16 +0000

How To Develop Virbrato Singing Voice

“How can I develop a vibrato singing voice?” This is a question often asked by aspiring singers. But firstly, what is actually singing in vibrato?

A vibrato is a slight variation of pitch tone caused by the free oscillation of the vocal foldss from an open pharynx (open throat) along with the healthy closure of the vocal cords with the use of good singing muscle support system.

However, there are many singers singing with wrong vibratos resulting in awful pitching and tones. This are usually the results of the oscillations being too slow, which is called a wobble and when it is too fast, called a tremolo.

We often hear singers who have a wide and slow vibrato which is actually a wobble. This phenomenon is usually caused by a lack of correct resistance of the breath pressure or a lack of focus in the singing tone. A wobble can also be caused by a lack of proper adduction of the vocal folds.

On the other hand, some singers developed an overly fast vibrato that sound just as awful as the wobble. This overly fast vibrato is called a tremolo and neither the wobble nor the tremolo is the desired vocal tone for good singing.

A tremolo can be caused by a pressure built up at the root of the tongue. This pressure can have its origin at inhalation or onset of sound production. It can also be the result of a lack of vocal cord approximation.

Many singers do not know that the vocal folds must close after inhalation. This lack of proper adduction of the cords can result in a faster vibrato speed and therefore, the creation of a tremolo. The improper use of the singing muscle support system is another cause for producing a tremolo voice.

A good vibrato is when the singing voice is vibrating at an even rate. An uneven vibrato may be the result of sudden changes in the sub-glottis breath pressure. These sudden changes in the air pressure is result of even “body resistance” from the singing support system. The vocal cords then begin to separate and vibrate unhealthily.

Most singers started off having a straight singing tone (no vibrato) before developing the vibrato through good vocal exercises. Some straight tone singers have even sung in choirs where their choir masters insisted that they sing in a straight tone.

Singing this way can be damaging to the singing voice as it put too much stress on the vocal cords and nodules can develop from singing in a straight tone over a period of time.

Good choral vocal blend can be developed through vowel and acoustical alignment but not squeezing the singing voice into straight tone. Most straight tone singers have problems with vocal cord closure because too much pressure has been held at the vocal folds over a period of time.

A good vibrato gets woven into the voice when the singer achieves proper balance in the support muscles and when the feeling of the “oo” vowel is sustained in the pharynx. The feeling of the “oo” vowel allows a healthy adduction of the vocal cords without too much pressure at the glottis.

A diaphragmatic vibrato is the when the diaphragm pulsates during a sustained tone to create a false vibrato. Many theatre singers develop this bad vocal habit so as to have some sort of vibrato when no vibrato is actually present. A diaphragmatic vibrato is difficult to reverse because the abdominal muscles memorize the pulsating sensation and develop a muscle memory. However, it can be corrected through time with proper vocal exercises.

A healthy vibrato can be developed in a rather short period of time with the right vocal exercises. How long does it take for a singer to develop a good and healthy vibrato voice is usually dependent on the singer’s mind/body coordination.

So if you want to develop a good vibrato singing voice, then go look for a good singing teacher or get the right vocal exercises and start practicing.

Chris Chew runs a music website at How to increase singing range and
Play Sing Guitar

‘Self-Designing’ with the Singing Voice

nisa — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 07:17:51 +0000

‘Self-Designing’ with the Singing Voice

By Cathryn Robson BA Hons, CT ABRSM

www.singshop.co.uk

Close your eyes. Imagine taking a deep breath, opening your mouth and releasing your singing voice. You have no idea what is going to happen next, if you are going to be in tune, singing high, singing low, singing quietly or loudly – or in fact singing at all. Imagine making up this ‘song’ in the moment, as you go along, with no rules, nobody to guide you and no backing or accompaniment to hide behind.

Sound terrifying? Great! Read on.

The word ‘improvisation’ will make many of us uneasy. Make that ‘singing improvisation’ and most of those will be struck with a feeling akin to dread. Yet improvisation is something we do regularly. Take a conversation amongst friends for example. Somebody starts it, another adds their bit, someone else changes the subject and so forth. In short, it flows in the moment without predictability. A conversation can be stilted, authentic, full of subtext, captivating or plain uninspiring in much the way singing can be.

Many people will be alarmed at the idea of freely improvising with their singing voices for the simple yet powerful belief that they do not consider themselves singers in the first place. While it cannot be denied that some possess more natural singing voices than others or that professional singers will have more developed instruments than beginners singing is not exclusive, nor should it ever have become so. Singing serves different functions for different people.

As for improvisation, it guides a developed singer to the outer limits of their current technical and expressive ability. At the other end of the scale it puts a beginner singer in immediate, unedited contact with their singing voice, always an exciting moment! Many of my on-line and studio students are terrified at the idea of improvising but once they start they are hooked, always surprising themselves with their ability to be so creative with their voices. They become all-round more confident singers.

Vocal improvisation is an important touchstone and release for singers of all levels of experience because it directly taps the hidden worlds of poetry, life experience and expression within each of us. And no question about it – your vocal world is unique and unrepeatable by anyone else on the planet. Improvisation also teaches us to be absolutely in the moment – because there is truly nowhere else you can be if you are just following your voice where it wants to take you, right now.

Improvisation has many benefits but to name a few:

Very good for singers of jazz or pop repertoire – it helps you to find your original sound (do you really want to remain a karaoke imitator – didn’t think so!)

A good way to let of steam, to release and to practice being ‘in the now’ which is where all the best music happens.

Improvisation helps you put into practice where your voice is now, i.e. technically and expressively and this in turn helps you identify areas you need to work on.

Should your motivation be curiosity, cultivation or confidence-building playing with your voice can truly be a revelation. Incidentally, the Greek word for improvisation is ‘aftoskediasmos’ which translates as ‘self-designing’. I think that says it all!

Here are a few simple exercises to get you going:

Start with a few rules – for example choose three or four notes to play with, maybe a phrase from a favourite song.

Sing your chosen phrase several times, limbering your voice into the singing,

Start to play with your phrase, see where it wants to go. There are no rules here and if you hit a ‘bum’ note don’t worry – just move on!

Start adding ingredients such as different dynamics (quiet, loud) and tempi (faster, slower) to your phrase. Maybe play with whispering the phrase, or repeating one word or trying out different vocal colours in the phrase. Anything goes.

From this point build up a free improvisation based around your chose phrase or notes. If you get lost come back to the original musical idea and take off in a different direction. If you feel you are getting stuck in a rut consciously add another ingredient (dynamics, tempi, colour) to help your voice move in another direction.

When you are ready try recording yourself and listening back. Learn the art of being objective. Hear what is good and interesting in your voice as well as the areas you feel you can improve.

To name but a few from popular music inspiring vocal improvisers include Bobby McFerrin Christina Aguilera and Ella Fitzgerald. Meredith Monk and Cathy Berberian are great examples from experimental/ classical music.

Get your on-line vocal evaluation and lessons by professional voice coaches online at our site www.singshop.co.uk. Check out the ‘Student Profiles’ and free ‘Weekly Tip’ while you are there.

Singshop on-line voice coaching was founded by Cathryn Robson, BA Hons, CT ABRSM. Cathryn is a trained vocalist and internationally qualified voice coach versed in the latest singing and teaching methods. Her coaching experience spans a decade and includes both private tuition and group classes of beginner to advanced singers.

Cathryn studied singing and composition at Brighton University and Goldsmiths College, London in addition to performance training with English National Opera’s ‘The Knack’. Her singing experience includes contemporary, jazz and classical repertoire. She is a certified voice coach with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and a member of AOTOS (Association of Teachers of Singing, UK) and the PRS (Performing Rights Society).

She has performed and recorded extensively throughout the UK and Europe, including appearances on Classic FM, Radio 3, Liberty Radio, London and BBC Radio Napa.

She is currently collaborating with British composer Billy Cowie on the installation ‘Ghosts in the Machine’. She is also voice coach for European choreographer Lia Haraki for the contemporary dance project ‘Party Animals’ which will be shown in London, Prague and Athens in Summer/Autumn 2009.