Listen and Learn

When you teach the way I do, you're bound to come across students that challenge you to explain how to do things you've never tried. Singing uses the same physiological components no matter who you are and how you sing. It's just a matter of finding new combinations and shapes to create new sounds and timbres.

Example: there is a young lady in my studio who really wants to work on her belting voice. She struggles with pushing from the throat and tightening the jaw to make it happen rather than letting it come from the more powerful diaphragm and focusing the sound in the mask. We were stuck because I am not a trained belter and was having a hard time figuring out how to teach her how to do what I'm not a natural at. So, in an effort to learn, I went and found recordings of different belting singers. The one that really did it for me was listening to Idina Menzel sing "Defying Gravity" from Wicked. If you listen to her belt out those high notes, you'll hopefully hear how athletic her breathing is. By listening and analyzing her singing I was able to pinpoint what my student had to achieve in order to get the sound she was looking for.

So the moral of the story is that if you're trying to become a better singer, one of the best things you can do is find other singers who's voices inspire you and pay attention to how they breath, how they use their face, their body language, even their personality. If you see something you like, add it to your own technique and see what happens. WARNING!!! Be smart! Know your vocal limits and if you're going to try new things, warm up beforehand!

Be fearless and sing!

What do you do in voice lessons? How long will it take before I get it? Why do I feel like I'm getting worse and not better?

These are questions I get more often than I expected to as a voice teacher. Perhaps it's because people walk into my studio thinking, "I'm pretty good at this already so I'll only need a couple of lessons." Or it could also be due to the fact that people don't realize how incredibly complex becoming a singer can be.

Sometimes the struggles are physical.

There is a student of mine who is constantly bombarded with asthma, congestion, and other health problems that make it hard for her to get to her lesson every week.

Sometimes the struggles are mental.

I have had students with talent that didn't do well in my studio because they either couldn't get past their fear (I'll come back to that later) or they just couldn't figure out how to translate what we were doing into a real life setting.

Sometimes, the struggles are emotional.

In order to be free to sing, you have to be in control of your emotions. Your emotions dictate how you breath, how you stand and how you use for facial muscles. There have been times where I have found myself acting as a therapist rather than as a vocal coach because my student was far too distraught to actually be productive at singing that given day.

So to the questions posted at the top here are my answers. Learning how to sing is a process of discovering who you are and translating that into a song. I teach people how to do things as simple as match a pitch and be able to sing a melody all the way to showing someone how to manipulate a phrase by adding dynamics, changing tonal focus, adjusting the articulation or even by putting a smile on their face. Being a voice student means a different thing to everyone who walks through my door, but to me I have the same goal for each of them.

1) To love their voice and not be afraid to use it.

2) Learn what it means to be a musician and not just a pretty voice.

So, how long will it take to become a great singer? Well, you can learn how to do some things very quickly. And the best answer I can give to that question is it depends on how hard you work at it. I have one student who in particular has progressed faster than anyone I have worked with, and I really believe that the reason for his growth is how hard he works at it and the fact that he's an active participant in his lessons. You will only reap what you sow. So if you want to learn faster, practice more so that when you come to your lesson you have questions! We teachers LOVE questions!!!

The final question is a hard one. I've been a singer for my entire life. There have been times where I felt like a rock star and other times in recent weeks where I really felt like I needed to work on my voice more because my range isn't what it used to be. Some of this is my fault, plain and simple, but some of it isn't. Humidity, climate change, and allergies can reek havoc on a singer's voice, not to mention stress, hormones and changes we go through physiologically. But don't despair, you aren't doomed. Mastering any art will have its ups and downs. Be patient, work through it and with time you'll surpass what you'd ever expected to be.

6th Grader covering "Paparazzi"

This kid has such an incredible voice! When you listen, notice how he uses both the chest and the head registers. Sometimes, he switched and sometimes he didn't. It all depended on what he was trying to achieve with his phrasing. I'd be curious to hear where his voice will take him. His piano rhythms are a bit off, but I think that's all stuff that will work itself out with time and practice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxDlC7YV5is&feature=player_embedded

Solfege Hand Symbols

Solfege is a singing technique that has been used for centuries to teach singers how to sight read and build a strong sense of relative pitch. There are two main solfege methods in use today, fixed do and movable do. Rather than take my word for it, google it and after studying up, make your own conclusions of what works better for you. I was raised with movable do, so that is what I use primarily, but I'm always open to change! Besides knowing your syllables (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, & ti) I like to use the hand signs to help my students develop a visual spacial representation of where each note lies. The more senses you involve in learning something, the faster our brains will respond after all!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solfège

Use your face!!!

When you sing, your goal is to find the sweet spot where you have the most control and the best sound. Oftentimes we teachers refer to that focused sound as 'singing in the mask'. It is exactly what it sounds like. The mask is the area that surrounds your eyes down to your cheekbones and the bridge of your nose. If you find the proper resonance, it will actually make your face, the mask, vibrate.

There are many things involved with singing in the mask, but today, I wish to address the use of the mask in breathing in preparation to sing in your upper register. High notes require a few extra things to achieve an open free and full sound and arguably the most important is your breath support. What this means to me is that it's not just how much air you can take in but the quality of the air combined with the placement of the breath.

So this week, when you are singing, pay attention to how you use your face to breath. If you find that when you inhale, you tend to get a look of terror or pain, take note! Breathing this way only leads to a tight and pushed sound, but if you breath with your face open like when you are awake or happy it will release the muscles in your face from any kind of tension and allow for a higher focus of the air. A good way to think about it is that you're goal is to put the breath in the same place you want the sound to emanate from.

Inspiration "Everybody wants to be a Cat"

I found this while I was doing research for one of my awesome students. The tone of her voice is a very throaty one and something that should be used with caution. A big part of growing as a singer is understanding your many strengths and setbacks. If you can't make something happen without strain, perhaps it's not for you! She's got a great sound though and really groovin' style.

"Everybody Wants to Be a Cat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L08uEAsYt9c

How to read a lead sheet

Learning jazz is very different than every other vocal art. So much of jazz is wrapped up in the emotion, but that emotion is hidden behind complicated chord progressions, tricky rhythmic passages, melodies that move and other talented musicians who don't have the time to wait around for you to get your act together. Anyone can learn to sing a song, but it takes a lot of skill to be a great jazz musician. I pride myself in the fact that I don't teach people how to just sing pretty. I train musicians.

Today's exercise is on how to approach a lead sheet. A lead sheet is a piece of music that is made up of one staff (treble clef) containing a basic melody and chord symbols located above the staff at the points where the chords change. This is what all jazz musicians use to read, so if you want to be a jazz singer, you better learn how to use it!

Below is a Super Simplified outline of how to approach reading a lead sheet. The steps might be in different orders or combined based on your own skills, but these are the things that will challenge you most. You will notice that improvisation was not a part of this outline. Stay tuned! That one gets its own post.

Step 1: Learn the rhythm! Some songs are incredibly easy and you'll have no trouble at all. Others might put up more of a fight because of their complex syncopation.

Step 2: Add the words and build an opinion of what this song means to you.

Step 3: Sing the melody. Solfegge is a great tool in learning melodies! Think of it as hand/finger position for singers. We don't have buttons to press, so it's important for singers to be able to understand how different pitches interact with each other within a tonal center. Otherwise, put those few years of piano that you may have had to good use and plunk it out on the piano.

Step 4: Build your song form. Jazz is great because it's all about putting your own personal touch on it. A song's form has to do with deciding the tempo/groove, arranging the into/ending and, probably the most important part, determining what key you want to sing it in. Jazz lead sheets are written in their original key, which might be too high or too low, so you'll have to transpose it to the key that achieves the right tone quality.

Step 5: Phrasing. Without phrasing, a song lacks direction and personality. Make it mean something to you! Technically, phrasing translate to dynamics, articulation, diction and attack, but artistically, it is defined by an emotion and something that will be unique to each performer.

My last entry had to do with setting goals. Take this outline, and use it as a guide to help you figure out where you need the most help. One person might have a great ear, but can't read music. Someone else might be able to sight read anything, but lack style and phrasing. You get my point. So, go find a lead sheet and give it a try!

Goals

I have a challenge for you! My challenge today is to go, sit down, and write out your musical goals. Think about why you love music and what drives you to improve, and then set down on paper what it is that you want to be better at as a musician and by when. When setting these goals, make sure that your goals are attainable, measurable, and have a due date.

What does attainable mean? Attainable is something that is currently just out of your reach, but doable with some hard work. This could translate into mastering a vocal technique, learn to sing in a new language, or overcoming shyness by singing in front of people. Setting goals that are too lofty will frustrate you and you'll probably quit, but if you set lots of little goals, you'll get farther than you imagined possible.

What does measurable mean? Don't just say I want to be a better singer. How about instead you work toward improving your range by so many notes or try to increase your overall vocal speed by a few clicks on the metronome.

Why do you need to set a deadline? Open ended goals leave you with no sense of urgency, but if you know you have to learn something by your next lesson or before an upcoming performance, you're sure to get it done.

So what's stopping you? Write 'em down! And if you're willing to share one of them, even a small one on Singers Notes, I'd love to hear them!

Posture and it's affect on Breathing

So, today's theme for teaching had to do with posture. Namely holding one's frame to promote proper breathing. Of all the main topics of singing, figuring out how to breath is the one thing that singers seem to struggle with most. I'm sure I'll have many topics of discussion on breathing, but this one is to do specifically with how you stand.

When you stand, make sure first of all that your stance is strong. To check this, stand up and look down at your feet. Are your feet together? I hope not! Make sure you stand with your feet shoulder width apart with one foot slightly in front of the other. In doing so, you will increase your overall strength which sets you up for correct breathing coordination. O.k., so the next part of standing strong to promote deep breathing is to keep your chest up.

Here's something for you to try...Take a deep breath in and then keep your chest up when you exhale as if there was a string pulling upward from your sternum (the bone that goes down the center of your chest). By keeping the chest up, when you take another breath it will naturally fill your abdomen. That's what you want. If you sing in a choir and often find yourself holding up a folder, try standing with your elbows up and out like a dancer. In doing so, you will feel your ribcage expand and will make this breathing method happen even more easily.

Good luck!!!

Inspiration

Here's one of my favorite people singing one of my favorite songs. Her phrasing and tone control inspire me daily.

"Stormy Weather" as performed by Ella Fitzgerald with Joe Pass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teXOPAFMOp0

Make it Buzz!!!

When you study singing, all the different techniques and exercises point toward one goal. What is that goal? Finding your optimal vocal focus. Being able to focus the voice so that it feels free from any strain in the larynx and has the desired resonance is key for any style of singing. When I was studying in college, there was a term used that made me absolutely cringe; legit singing. What this meant was that in order for music to be worth studying, it had to fall into the umbrella of being classical, and the desired resonance would have that operatic tone. I disagree whole heartily. My thought is that if you properly train a voice, it should be able to sing many styles effectively and the difference in sound has to do with the way you focus the sounds and nothing else.

So here's a technique to try that involves finding your voice's focus and identifying the different muscle groups needed to make it work. Hum. That may seem really simple, but try! And when you try, make an effort to get your lips buzzing. I'm talking about the kind of buzzing that makes your lips tingle like crazy. Now pay attention to the different muscle groups being engaged to make that tingle happen. Do you use your support muscles (diaphragm, abdomen, rib cage) differently? Are you running out of air faster/slower than before? Is there any sign of tension in the throat (there shouldn't be)? If you start on middle C on the piano, and go up the scale chromatically (half steps) what you'll notice is that each note resonates in a very distinct location on your face. If you practice this enough you can actually start to memorize different notes based on how each note vibrates. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

The other warm up that I use often that utilizes this same thought process is on a single note, sing Mi, Me, Ma, Mo, Mu up and down the scale. If you hang out on the 'M' a bit longer, you can use that humming motion to place the sound and then when you open up to the vowel you should be able to keep the sound focused right behind the lips.

Disclaimer: Don't over sing! If the exercise is straining in any way, shape or form, STOP!!! Feel free to ask questions and I'll do my best to clarify.

Welcome!

Thank you for visiting Singing Notes! This blog is dedicated to singers who want to be better musicians. The topics discussed are all derived from my time as a private vocal instructor and should be attempted with guidance of your own vocal coach. My teaching style is a combination of classical technique combined with my own trial and error, stemmed from a love of musical theater and jazz, so I'm sure people who read this might not always agree with me. That being said, this blog is designed to be an open forum so please feel free to share your thoughts and we can learn from each other!