How To Maintain Good SINGING VOICE

A labeled anatomical diagram of the vocal folds or cords.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Good professional singers not only have to be fit and healthy to look good for stage performances, but they must also know how to maintain and preserve a good singing voice.

You have only one voice and when your voice is damaged permanently, it will probably spell the end of a singer's. Many singers who have not been through professional singing coaching by good singing coaches or attend any singing schools may not even know that they may be damaging their voice.

Many singers also forget that when their singing voice does not feel right and they are not singing effortlessly as they should be, they will have a tendency to compensate with bad and unhealthy singing habits. These newly created or old bad habits may become stuck unconsciously and will have to be unlearned with the right vocal exercises. That is if the singer is aware that such habits are already in existence in the first place.

There are many things you can do to damage your singing voice and sometimes the damage will lead to permanent damage to your vocal cords. Here are some examples of what can harm your voice and there are many more.

a) Constant screaming or talking forcefully all the time. This happens very often if you are singing in a night club environment where you have to speak above the din to be heard.

Making funny voices may be cute, but you may be doing terrible damages to your vocal folds.

b) Dry air and/or not enough water consumption will dry up your larynx and thus placing too much friction on them.

c) Poor diet, lack of sleep, stress will place more toll on your body and your singing mechanism.

d) Caffeine consumption, alcohol consumption, smoking will also damage your voice.

e) Talking, singing, or whispering when you have laryngitis or sore throat. You need to rest your voice when you have a sore throat.

True professional singers must spend a lifetime working to minimize the stresses on their voices. Why should they want to destroy their singing career by being ignorant about what these bad habits can do to their singing?

What is more, if the voice is damaged because of frequent abuse and polyps grow on the larynx, they may even need to go for surgery to remove the polyps. That will mean an of income and avoidable medical expenses. So you must preserve and maintain a healthy singing voice if you want to have a successful singing career.

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Why SINGERS Must Conduct Band SOUND CHECK

Photo by ibm4381

When your band and you as the lead singer use electronic musical instruments such as the electric guitar, electric bass or the microphone etc, conducting a sound check is necessary to balance the sound of the instruments and your voice.

Your band members will sound check their own instruments and their systems such as the monitor first and then you, the singer or the vocal section will do your own sound check last once the sound system for the musical instruments is already well balanced. Soundcheck in this sequence will enable you to hear how you sound when you are actually singing with your band.

At the sound check, make sure that your microphone is free from its stand if you want to move around or dance during your singing performance. Also, ask the sound equipment technicians for a monitor to be placed in front of you so that you can hear yourself sing. If you can get your hands on a pair of sound monitor earpiece, that will be better because this will give you more room to prance around and entertain your audience and fans.

How to sound check the singer's microphone?

Your singing voice when produced by the microphone should be louder and above the sounds produced by the band so that your voice can carry the songs well and able to portray your feel, song interpretation and emotions clearly. Sometimes, this may result in loud feedbacks (that loud piercing screeching sound produced by the microphone) so much so that your sound technician or yourself must know where the maximum volume can be before the irritating screeching feedback occurs. The sound technician should mark this threshold on his soundboard control.

During the crescendo parts of songs, move away from the microphone so that you do not trigger feedback and move back in again during the softer part of the songs. By doing this, you are not only able to control feedbacks, but you will also not irritate sensitive audience who may not enjoy loud singing. On the other hand, when the singing is soft and you are far away from your audience, they may not be able to make out what you are singing and that is why you need to move closer to the microphone when the interpretation of the song calls for you to sing softly.

It is important to watch out for consonants or lyrics beginning with 'P's and 'B's. When you are singing loudly into the microphone, these consonants may cause explosive pop sounds on the microphone. If you think 'M', you will be able to prevent 'please' and 'baby' exploding out of the speakers.

The final sound check

At the end of the sound check session, you and your band must run through a couple of songs. This is done not only because you want to hear whether the sound is good from the audience perspective but also whether all your band members can hear themselves, the band as a whole and sound from their monitors.

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LEARN TO SING Correctly Every Time

Portrait of Harry Belafonte, singing
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Kids tend to find singing very amusing and never miss a chance to show off their singing talent.  For some kids, the desire to sing does not wear off by getting older. In some cases, it grows even stronger and it becomes a passion they wish to pursue as adults. In this case, singing becomes a bit more challenging. It's one thing to make singing mistakes as a kid and quite different to become embarrassed in a karaoke contest. In fact, many people give up singing as adults, simply because they are afraid of the harsh criticism they may get.

If you can identify with the above situation, you'll certainly be glad to know that you can, in fact, learn how to sing properly, every time. Sure, good genes are a factor if you want to become a star, but anyone can learn how to sing impressively well if they devote the time and energy required to master the technique. Hence, the most important step you need to take is to decide if you are really determined to learn how to sing and everything else will follow with studying and practice.

You will have noticed that the word "studying" was mentioned in the above paragraph, along with practice. You see, in order to sing properly, you definitely need to learn some of the principles of voice production. Singing is a highly physical activity and professional singers know that. That's why they seem to be singing with their entire body rather than just their vocal cords. Pro singers can manipulate three types of singing voices, which are usually common to all people. The chest voice, the middle voice and the head voice. 

The chest voice is the voice you use when you speak. With this voice, you can create a rich, full-bodied sound. The head voice is usually used for higher pitched notes, most frequently by female vocal artists. The middle voice acts somewhat like a bridge between the chest voice and the head voice. You can think of these different singing voices as the ABC of singing. Only after you've studied and learned your ABC does it make sense to practice. And if you practice with some solid guidelines in mind, be sure that you can learn how to sing correctly, every time!

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Why LYRICS Are Important

Morrison's handwritten original lyrics to 1971's LA Woman.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What makes a good song so appealing to the people who buy CDs and MP3 files? Is it the background beats or the guitar riffs played? Is it the voice of the lead singer or how high he or she can take his vocals to? The truth is that the most important part of most songs, techno possibly being an exception, is the lyrics, or the words of the song. The lyrics are the meat of any song and are usually the part that is most recognizable from any song. They are an integral part of any music tune and it would be a mistake for any artist to take them lightly.

As mentioned before, the most recognizable part of any song is usually the lyrics. What this means is that when someone is looking for a song they heard on the radio, they will probably remember some key lines from the chorus. They are not, however, likely to remember a well-done guitar solo or something of that sort. While the instrumental play is important as well, people usually link songs with the words inside the music. This is because words are not only much easier to remember than instrument music is, they are also easy to translate to someone else. For example, it would be much easier to find a CD if you know the words to a song that if you knew the drum beats from a song.

Lyrics are often commonly considered to be the single artistic part of music as well. While this is certainly not true from a musicians standpoint, as guitars and drums take a lot of practice and time to master, it doesn’t change the fact that many people feel that a good song must have quality lyrics. Good lyrics will relate to a person’s life and make them feel better about a bad situation. Bad lyrics will focus on trivial parts of life that really don’t matter and will have no deeper meaning to them after the song is over. Artists will find that after a while people tire of hearing the same old stuff about showing off gold chains and shaking behinds. Many music fans are looking for songs that have meanings, and this, in turn, means that artists need to spend more time on their lyrics.

Remember that before it was stated that lyrics are important because of how they can be recognized. This is double-fold when you consider that good lyrics in one song can sometimes single-handedly assure an artists legacy. The journey is one good example of this, as their biggest hit in “Don’t Stop Believing” is a pop culture hit that has never lost fans throughout the decades since it’s release. On the other hand, artists without a standout lyrical song will often find themselves fade out of the picture as their era in music ends.

All in all, lyrics are an important part of any song and the words are the part fans look to the most for inspiration and meaning. Artists who come up with great lyrics are usually the ones most revered long past their prime, so it is important that they focus on this part of a song!

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How To SING From The Diaphragm

Diaphragma - Photo: Wikimediahttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Diaphragma.jpg

You must have heard people saying "Sing from your diaphragm", but what exactly do they mean? How can your diaphragm sing? What they actually mean is to use your diaphragm to control your singing breath.

Well, you must actually practice with good vocal exercises to perfect your singing breath. Singing from the diaphragm is a complex muscle/breath coordination that many singing teachers find it difficult to their students in words effectively. That is why there is so much confusion on this topic.

Just to give you an idea of how your diaphragm works when you are breathing, try this breathing exercise. Stand up straight with a relaxed posture, and then take a big yawn - Ahhhhhh! While you are taking that big yawn, notice how your tummy expands outwards? That is the diaphragm at work, pushing out your tummy so that your lungs can drop lower so that you can take in more air.

Now the diaphragm muscle is also used for the control of airflow by sending the correct amount of air to the vocal cords. As you sing the higher notes, less air is required for the vocal cords. By sending the correct amount of air, your voice quality will be stable and relaxed and the overall singing voice will sound so much better.

However, you need to practice with the correct vocal exercises until "singing from the diaphragm" is an ingrained habit so that you don't even have to think of it when you are singing because you are automatically using this singing technique. You don't even need to remember how much air to release to your diaphragm because you will be releasing just the right amount of air naturally.

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need breathing exercises for singing to strengthen your diaphragm! The muscles in your diaphragm are already strong enough already as it is. This is because your vocal cords are very small and delicate muscles and thus do not require too much support.

Since this is an article, it is not possible to show you the vocal exercises breathing technique demonstrations. However, you can get a feel for it by experimenting with this exercise.

Now put your palms lightly on your tummy. Take in a deep long breath. As you are breathing in, extend your tummy outward and sideways as the air comes in. When you breathe out, pursed your lips together to release a controlled stream of air and at the same time, with your tummy becoming smaller and back to its natural state as air is being released. Now, this is how you will feel when you are singing from the diaphragm.

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What Is a POWER SONG and Where Do I Get Mine?

Native American "conjuror" in a 1590 engraving (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Power Songs are oral prayers expressing your true self, your nature, your individuality, your power. All cultures have power songs but you can have your own power song too. We think of the power in a hymn or an African chant, a Shamanic ceremony song or even in the howling of a wolf. And there is definite power in sound.

All Shamans have several power songs because the vibration of the notes in the voice and in the fourth chakra of the throat stimulate sympathetic vibrations in the universe to respond. Everything is connected. What you put out comes back to you. When a butterfly flutters his wings in Cost Rica the winds of Africa are stirred. And when a sound is offered, the universe responds.

Power songs are used in preparation for journeying, healing, offering Reiki, praying, grounding, for protection, for celebration, for solace, anytime you want to connect with the universe in this very special way.

To demonstrate the power of voice and musical notes I would like to you try this exercise.

The fourth chakra is the note FA as in Do Re Me FA. Find a piano and discover the sound of this note if possible. Or find your own closest approximation to it. It is important to find the sound of FA. It is the F key above middle C on the piano but any F key in any octave will also work.

The fourth note or sound of FA is also the note of manifestation or creation upon this planet. So if we want to manifest healing, for example, we can send our intention out upon the note FA into the universe and healing will resonate with our voice of FA and become manifest where we are intending. It really is that simple.

Don't try to complicate it like so many others have. This little simple secret is one that some people have paid thousands of dollars for. Some people have made millions creating musical tapes based on the sound of Fa, subliminal, holosync tapes that offer healing are based on the sound FA. But now you know how to do it yourself.

The visual symbol for the universe made manifest is the square. This symbolizes the power of thought and vibration becoming solid and material in this apparent world. So let’s combine the sound of Fa with the visualization of a square.

Get yourself someplace comfortable where you will not be disturbed for a while. Close your eyes and visualize a square. Intone the sound FA and watch the square and see what image appears there.

You can also do this backward by visualizing the person you want to heal in the square and intoning the sound of FA. Or anything that you would like to manifest for the good of yourself and the world.

Shamans use this technique all the time. The last ingredient the Shaman uses here is desire or strong will. He or she really wants this healing to happen, they can really feel the wish, they put all their emotional energy into the intent.

I often get to dancing and rattling while I intone my power song and bring my whole body into the act of intending a healing for someone. The more feeling you put into it, the stronger the vibration.

Have you ever listened to a Native American song? There is usually one major tone for the song, isn't there! Now you know why!

As a final thought, each note in the scale represents a unique vibratory pattern in the universe. You could do a study to find those out if you would like to know more about sound.

So you see the need for your own power song. Create one this week. it is usually just a line or two repeated over and over. You can use words or vowels or an imaginary language. As long as you create it with FA as your base and emotion and intent, it will be perfect. Power songs are usually kept private and seldom sung in public. The only time they are sung in public is when a group of Shamans has gathered to do a combined healing. It is your prayer to the universe.

Come Walk With A Shaman Indigenous Traditional Shaman Elder Maggie Wahls offers an introductory course starting with the history of Shamanism around the world. You learn about healing herbs, finding your totem, what Shamanic ecstasy is and how to achieve it without drugs, how to meditate and many actual visualizations to help improve one's skills and much more. To Start Today visit: www.shamanelder.com Article Directory: Article Dashboard

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10 Tips to Help Improve Your SINGING VOICE

Portrait of Harry Belafonte, singing, 1954 Feb. 18.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Need a little help to improve your singing voice? Here are 10 tips to help you reach your potential!

1. Breath from the diaphragm, not the lungs. You need to really control the air that you're expelling when you sing, and breathing from the diaphragm gives you more air to work with. To do this, breathe so that your stomach goes out rather than your chest when you inhale. When you practice, try to focus on using the same amount of air for low notes and high notes. This will help erase the break between your registers and give you more steady tone.

2. Run through scales-a lot. If this was guitar, it wouldn't be different, and the human voice is a lot less accurate than a guitar. You need to get your sense of pitch down, and you need to train your voice to reach higher and higher if you want to really hit all the notes in your range.

3. Don't strain your voice. Practice is a good thing, but don't try to sing too high or you might damage your vocal cords. Go slow and steady and you'll sing well in no time. Keep your practice time to an hour or so a day, then move up if you feel like it. If you ever feel like your voice is straining, or if you feel soreness or pain, stop right away.

4. Listen to criticism. Singing well takes a long time, and in the meantime, you're going to hear people say a lot of bad things about you. If you notice a trend, recognize that people are probably making a good judgment and try to work on the problem aspect of your voice. Don't let anyone get you down who really has nothing to say other than, "you suck," though. You don't see them trying to do this, and they have no idea what they're talking about.

5. Make recordings of yourself. This is the only way to hear your problems because you can separate yourself from your voice and listen to what other people hear. You may not like this at first, but keep at it; you'll improve vastly, and you'll start to notice stuff you like about your voice and really expand on those things.

6. Talk to established singers. Most of them will be happy to give you some tips and exercises that helped them out, and any time you need to ask for directions, the best idea is to ask the person that's already at your destination.

7. Eat and drink well. Don't do anything that'll dry out your voice and stop you from singing well. Caffeine is bad, as is anything that causes mucous buildup like dairy products (milk, in particular, is a very bad choice). Don't smoke or drink too much; this can really make you sing poorly. One famous case of booze and cigarettes ruining a classic voice is Harry Nilsson, who shred his vocal cords while working on his "Pussycats" album with John Lennon and ended up carrying a bucket with him to spit blood into during the recording session. His fantastic voice eventually improved and sounded great, but he never could sing quite as well again; his highest register was permanently damaged.

8. Sing for the style. If you're singing country, listen to country singers; if you're singing rock, listen to rock singers. Notice things that are the same in each style and emulate those. Be careful, however, to keep your voice unique, and not to simply copy another singer's voice. Make your personality come out in your music.

9. Experiment with different sounds. Certain noises, like a really nasal note, can help you expand your range if you practice with them. Ask singers for their suggestions, and take them up on it.

10. Finally, stay positive! If you've had a few bad scales, that doesn't mean your voice is going to be bad all day. Drink some warm tea and try again. Don't get down on yourself, and don't think that your voice is bad, or it certainly will be. I know how stupid that sounds, but the mindset is definitely a big part of singing, and if you don't think you sound good, neither will anyone else.

If you are a social singer or someone looking for a career using their voice you can benefit from a little training. Online learn to sing software is not better than ever and can help you get started right away! Click below to find out what is available and what suits your needs best!

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How to SING Deep

. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Are you looking for tips on how to sing deep or to just deepen your voice overall?  This can give you more singing range and even help the sound of your voice when you're just talking. Men especially are often concerned with having a deeper voice but women too may find their voice is too "pitchy" or may sound nasal as well.

You can learn singing deep with a few simple tips to consider. First, remember to strengthen your diaphragm muscles in order to deepen your voice. This means working on your breathing; take deep, full breaths. They should be deliberate breaths that you pull slowly and hold for a few seconds before exhaling. You can also try panting quickly and deeply as well to strengthen the diaphragm.

Second, mind your posture. Remember that singing comes not just from the throat but from many different muscles in the body. Good posture will help those muscles to be properly aligned and ready to support that deep voice. Think of having a long tail that extends past your tailbone and how you want to stand up enough to support that tail. This will help train your posture to support those muscles as well. You also need to raise your chest and pull the shoulders back a bit so they too are properly aligned.

Learning how to sing deep is not difficult if you practice these simple tips. It helps to try them in between singing sessions. When you're at a microphone is not the time to start practicing your breathing! Your posture especially is something that should be a part of your everyday life; if you work on it regularly you'll just have naturally supportive posture. Try these tips and see if you don't notice a beautiful deepening of your singing voice!

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How To Preserve Good SINGING VOICE

Portrait of Harry Belafonte
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Good professional singers not only have to be fit and healthy to look good for stage performances, they must also know how to maintain and preserve a good singing voice.

You have only one voice and when your voice is damaged permanently, it will probably spell the end of a singer's. Many singers who have not been through professional singing coaching by good singing coaches or attend any singing schools may not even know that they may be damaging their voice.

Many singers also forget that when their singing voice does not feel right and they are not singing effortlessly as they should be, they will have a tendency to compensate for bad and unhealthy singing habits. These newly created or old bad habits may become stuck unconsciously and will have to be unlearned with the right vocal exercises. That is if the singer is aware that such habits are already in existence in the first place.

There are many things you can do to damage your singing voice and sometimes the damage will lead to permanent damage to your vocal chords. Here are some examples of what can harm your voice and there are much more.

a) Constant screaming or talking forcefully all the time. This happens very often if you are singing in a night club environment where you have to speak above the din to be heard.

Making funny voices maybe cute, but you may be doing terrible damages to your vocal folds.

b) Dry air and/or not enough water consumption will dry up your larynx and thus placing too much friction on them.

c) Poor diet, lack of sleep, stress will place more toll on your body and your singing mechanism.

d) Caffeine consumption, alcohol consumption, smoking will also damage your voice.

e) Talking, singing or whispering when you have laryngitis or sore throat. You need to rest your voice when you have a sore throat.

True professional singers must spend a lifetime working to minimize the stresses on their voices. Why should they want to destroy their singing career by being ignorant about what these bad habits can do to their singing?

What is more, if the voice is damaged because of frequent abuse and polyps grow on the larynx, they may even need to go for a surgery to remove the polyps. That will mean an of income and avoidable medical expenses. So you must preserve and maintain a healthy singing voice if you want to have a successful singing career.

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How to SING Better - 3 Tips for Immediate Results

If you want to learn how to sing better, engaging in daily singing practice is the best long-term strategy for improving your voice.

That said, it is possible to learn how to sing better almost immediately, by following the three tips outlined in this article. The tips address three things that too many singers are not aware of, yet each of them have enormous impact on the quality of your voice.

If you correctly put these three tips into practice when singing, you will notice a significant improvement in the quality and tone of your singing voice in a very short space of time.

Tip #1: Breathe "naturally"

Many singers get confused about how to breathe when singing. They end up doing all sorts of strange things that feel weird and uncomfortable, because they hear instructions like "expand your ribs" or "pull in your stomach" and don't entirely get what body actions are required.

Try this. Lie down on your back, and relax. Gently place one hand on your stomach, and one near your lower ribs. Try not to think about the breath, just let it happen.

Start to pay attention to the parts of your torso that move as you breathe, and those that don't. When you breathe in singing, you should be breathing the same way, naturally, only with deeper breaths. Your lower ribs will expand and move out, while your upper body will stay still because you're filling up the bottom of your lungs, and not shallow breathing up the top.

Breathing should never cause strain. Relax, and breathe naturally when you sing.

Tip #2: Keep your tongue on the floor of your mouth

It sounds a bit funny, but sometimes tongues have a habit of getting in the way when you sing. Most of the time you don't notice them, but if you tense up when you sing and the root of your tongue gets tense, it can result in a strained sound and tightness in the voice and the throat.

Try putting the tip of your tongue on the back of your bottom teeth, and then feel the sides of your tongue against the insides of your back bottom teeth. It should feel relaxed, not tense.

As you sing, try to keep your tongue down in your mouth. Don't press it down hard, or tense it up, just be aware of keeping it low in your mouth. It will move a little as you sing, but keeping the tip near the front of your bottom teeth can make a considerable difference to your sound.

Tip #3: Memorise your music

If you're singing and reading music, or lyrics, at the same time as you sing, then a large portion of your brain is not focused on singing. The act of reading music or words takes up a fair chunk of processing power in your brain. If you're trying to sing at the same time then you're only half concentrating on singing.

The key is to get away from your music. Memorise it. Learn it by heart. Use repetition and song memorisation games when you're not singing, just throughout the day, whenever you think of them. That way, when you come to sing a song, you can focus purely on the act of singing, without reading. You will be surprised how much better your singing is when you are able to completely focus on your performance.

Summary

The process of becoming a singer involves constantly learning more about how your voice works, and putting into daily practice each thing that you learn. To improve your singing voice, make it your goal, today, to implement these three tips into your practice routine. You will notice a difference in a short period of time.

Learning to sing better means being open to try new things and take advice from more experienced singers. Remember that you will always progress faster and sing better with the assistance of voice lessons, either from a local singing teacher or a high-quality singing training program.

Good luck with your singing journey.

By Nic D Nic D is a music teacher, e-Learning expert and musician with almost 30 years of experience. Visit her web site at: http://www.howcanyousingbetter.com Article Source: EzineArticles

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Hearing Voices: Understanding The Different VOICE TYPES

Olive Fremstad (1871 - 1951)
,Swedish-American mezzo-soprano
 and soprano opera singer
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Voice type is a particular system for classifying opera and classical singers. The system allows composers, singers, and listeners to easily and quickly categorize voices. Here's a simple breakdown of the different types of singing voices.

Female Soprano: The female soprano voice typically ranges from middle C to at least the “soprano C,” that is two octaves higher. The voice is high-pitched and will vary from a light and sweet soubrette style to a rich and powerful dramatic soprano.

Female Mezzo-Soprano: The mezzo-soprano is more often used for choral voices. The mezzo-soprano range is often lower than the soprano and the tessitura, or comfortable timbre, is lower as well.

Female Contralto/Alto: The Contralto, or Alto, is the lowest female voice, usually deep and dark. The term alto is usually used in choral and popular music.

Male Sopranist: The sopranist is a man capable of reaching the levels of a female soprano. It is the highest range for male voices, and often sung in falsetto or by young men. Technically, part of the tenor range.

Male Tenor: Though there are a number of sub-classifications, tenor generally refers to simply a higher pitched male voice.

Male Baritone: This is the level that falls between a tenor and a bass. Deep and rich, but still with movement. The lyric baritone is a touch higher and lighter than the dramatic baritone, which calls for a fuller voice.

Male Bass: The bass is very low, in fact it is the lowest segment of the musical vocal. When a bass male sings, the room should rumble. The basso profundo is the deepest and darkest of the singing voices, one often used for dramatic and scary events. Meanwhile, the Basso cantante still retains a touch of agility.

Next time you're listening to your favorite singer, see if you can tell which class they are in.

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