Basic Singing Tips
Content
SINGING TIPS
· When you are learning to sing, you are doing it to find out what your voice is capable of, not someone else's. Be happy with what you have. Be yourself. · Try to stop smoking. Smoke sticks to your vocal cords and burns them. Drink more water · Try not to drink alcohol before and after singing. Alcohol dries out the vocal cords. Drink more water. · Try not to do drugs before singing. Drink more water. · No more yelling or loud talking. · Forget ice-cold drinks unless you have some sort of trauma to the throat area, i.e. tonsils removed, that sort of thing. This tightens up your vocal cords. They must be warm and loose in order for you to sing easily. · Don't talk too much. It wears down your vocal cords. · Try to stay away from a lot of dust. · Try to cough a little quieter. · Coffee dries your vocal cords out. Drink more water. · A singer should never get thirsty. Drink water before you get thirsty. Thirst is a sign that you're dehydrated. · Sleep regularly. · Sleep more than enough. · Don't sing every day. · Don't eat before you go to bed. Don't eat for 3 hours before you sleep. · Don't sing any song out of your range. · Don't sing your loudest for extended periods of time. Loud singing is the fastest killer for your voice. Remember you have a mic. Turn the PA up. · Try to sing softer without loosing the intensity and feeling in your singing. · Raspy, throaty and breathy singing are legitimate tools to make your singing more interesting. (A lot of conservative teachers disagree with me on this.) Bear in mind singing styles like these are all unhealthy even if they're sometimes necessary and very effective. Don't overdo it. Experiment. There are ways to use those techniques in a less damaging way. And don't try do get more intense with volume! · When playing with your band make sure you hear yourself well. The band can turn down. Crank the PA. · Use professional ear plugs. · Get to know and understand the organs involved in singing. · Start your Warm up before singing as softly as possible. · Warm down after singing as softly as you can. · Know what a scale is. Learn major, minor etc. Know what straight and shuffle/swing means. Know basic time signatures. · Good Pitch and good Time makes a singer good. Those are the two most obvious things you have to master. · Dairy products cause phlegm. Drink more water. · Being hoarse in the morning does not mean you will be hoarse in the evening. · Being hoarse doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't sing. · Don't take Antihistamines against Allergies. · When being hoarse gargle with warm water containing 1/2 tsp each of salt and baking soda. · Learning how to sing well takes time. There are no shortcuts. Be patient. · Be aware of your registers (Chest, Head, Falsetto). · Watch your register breaks. Smoothen them out. Bring your registers together. · If you have a headache and you need a painkiller take Tylenol (Not Aleve, Motrin etc). · Breathe deep and downwards. · Know about your diaphragm. That's your support. · Don't lift your shoulders when you breath in. · Your tummy goes out when you breath in. · For healthy singing try to make as little air as possible come out of your mouth when you're singing. · Unless it's called for, always stand with good posture (this does not mean standing stiffly) when you sing. · Don't lift your head when you reach for a high note. · Keep the tip of you tongue below your teeth. · You're born with a range. You can not change it. · Use all your range. · You're not born with a vocal sound. You choose your sound. Use your internal EQ. · Think about your resonance rooms (Chest, Mouth, Nose, Head) and where your sound comes from. · Smiling while singing often gives you a better, modern sound than a l loose jaw. · Don't exhaust yourself the day before a performance. · Pineapple juice can help when your voice is tired. · Choose your personal mic that fits to your voice. Try a bunch. · Learn good mic technique. · Know the basic concepts of compression, EQ, Deessing, Reverb and Delay. · Imitating other singers can be good and bad. You want to be unique but everybody has their influences. Copy them and find your own. · Record yourself as much as you can. Try different sounds and expressions. · Get used to your voice. LOVE YOU R VOI C E
W W W. V O C A L P RO DU C T IO N. C O M
· When you are learning to sing, you are doing it to find out what your voice is capable of, not someone else's. Be happy with what you have. Be yourself. · Try to stop smoking. Smoke sticks to your vocal cords and burns them. Drink more water · Try not to drink alcohol before and after singing. Alcohol dries out the vocal cords. Drink more water. · Try not to do drugs before singing. Drink more water. · No more yelling or loud talking. · Forget ice-cold drinks unless you have some sort of trauma to the throat area, i.e. tonsils removed, that sort of thing. This tightens up your vocal cords. They must be warm and loose in order for you to sing easily. · Don't talk too much. It wears down your vocal cords. · Try to stay away from a lot of dust. · Try to cough a little quieter. · Coffee dries your vocal cords out. Drink more water. · A singer should never get thirsty. Drink water before you get thirsty. Thirst is a sign that you're dehydrated. · Sleep regularly. · Sleep more than enough. · Don't sing every day. · Don't eat before you go to bed. Don't eat for 3 hours before you sleep. · Don't sing any song out of your range. · Don't sing your loudest for extended periods of time. Loud singing is the fastest killer for your voice. Remember you have a mic. Turn the PA up. · Try to sing softer without loosing the intensity and feeling in your singing. · Raspy, throaty and breathy singing are legitimate tools to make your singing more interesting. (A lot of conservative teachers disagree with me on this.) Bear in mind singing styles like these are all unhealthy even if they're sometimes necessary and very effective. Don't overdo it. Experiment. There are ways to use those techniques in a less damaging way. And don't try do get more intense with volume! · When playing with your band make sure you hear yourself well. The band can turn down. Crank the PA. · Use professional ear plugs. · Get to know and understand the organs involved in singing. · Start your Warm up before singing as softly as possible. · Warm down after singing as softly as you can. · Know what a scale is. Learn major, minor etc. Know what straight and shuffle/swing means. Know basic time signatures. · Good Pitch and good Time makes a singer good. Those are the two most obvious things you have to master. · Dairy products cause phlegm. Drink more water. · Being hoarse in the morning does not mean you will be hoarse in the evening. · Being hoarse doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't sing. · Don't take Antihistamines against Allergies. · When being hoarse gargle with warm water containing 1/2 tsp each of salt and baking soda. · Learning how to sing well takes time. There are no shortcuts. Be patient. · Be aware of your registers (Chest, Head, Falsetto). · Watch your register breaks. Smoothen them out. Bring your registers together. · If you have a headache and you need a painkiller take Tylenol (Not Aleve, Motrin etc). · Breathe deep and downwards. · Know about your diaphragm. That's your support. · Don't lift your shoulders when you breath in. · Your tummy goes out when you breath in. · For healthy singing try to make as little air as possible come out of your mouth when you're singing. · Unless it's called for, always stand with good posture (this does not mean standing stiffly) when you sing. · Don't lift your head when you reach for a high note. · Keep the tip of you tongue below your teeth. · You're born with a range. You can not change it. · Use all your range. · You're not born with a vocal sound. You choose your sound. Use your internal EQ. · Think about your resonance rooms (Chest, Mouth, Nose, Head) and where your sound comes from. · Smiling while singing often gives you a better, modern sound than a l loose jaw. · Don't exhaust yourself the day before a performance. · Pineapple juice can help when your voice is tired. · Choose your personal mic that fits to your voice. Try a bunch. · Learn good mic technique. · Know the basic concepts of compression, EQ, Deessing, Reverb and Delay. · Imitating other singers can be good and bad. You want to be unique but everybody has their influences. Copy them and find your own. · Record yourself as much as you can. Try different sounds and expressions. · Get used to your voice. LOVE YOU R VOI C E
W W W. V O C A L P RO DU C T IO N. C O M
