Professional Documents
Culture Documents
classroom and the features that contribute to making all of our online courses
dynamic learning experiences. Before you get started, acquaint yourself with
some of the classroom's most exciting features.
Syllabus
The syllabus not only provides a complete week-by-week road map of the
areas covered in the course, but also allows you to navigate your way to
specific topic areas.
Student Introductions
Among the first activities you'll participate in when class starts, the student
introduction allows you to introduce yourself to your classmates and
instructor, and share your interests and questions with other students. You
can even post a picture or a sample of your music.
Course Content
Course content comes in many forms: course-related text, an accompanying
textbook, interactive examples, practice exercises, audio and video lessons,
quizzes, and more. All of these elements allow you to learn concepts in a
number of ways.
Class Forum
The Class Forum is the primary vehicle for communicating with your
instructor and other students, as well as the main method for uploading your
assignments. It will allow you to view other students work and exchange
feedback.
Chat
Once the class has been assembled, the instructor will schedule live chat
times, during which the class can get together to expand on concepts raised
during the course and ask specific questions.
Instructor Feedback
An important component of the Berklee Online course experience is access
and feedback from Berklee's renowned faculty. In all of the Berklee Online
courses, you will receive one-on-one feedback on your assignments from your
professor, just as you would if you attended the physical college.
---------Course Introduction
Course Goal
The goal of this course is to teach the basics of vocal technique to singers of
any age. At the end of this course the singer will have learned how to have
better breath control, sing with more freedom, be able to sing simple
harmonies, and have a basic understanding of how to take care of their
instrument. Vocal Techniques 101 is a beginning level singing class for
developing singers of any age.
Course Objectives
Topics Covered
Singers will submit examples of their singing of vocal exercises and songs to
prerecorded rhythm tracks. Each weekly lesson will cover a specific topic and
have an assignment related to that topic. The goal is to teach the basics of
vocal technique to beginning singers.
melody prep tracks with basic melody and chords provided for learning
melodic independence on assigned songs
Everyone knows that voice study is the secret to success for many
contemporary vocal artists. Here are some of the questions that many singers
have that will be addressed in Vocal Techniques 101:
melodic embellishment
At the end of the course, students will be able to sing in various styles with
greater facility and awareness in the areas of breath control, idiomatic
embellishment, pitch accuracy, rhythmic flexibility, and style. Students will
demonstrate these abilities through performance-based musical examples
each week, recorded and uploaded for review by their Berklee Voice 101
teacher. Participants will also hone their critical skills through their capacity to
post comments and suggestions for fellow students.
-----------Course Textbooks
General Requirements
Software Requirements
A basic audio recording tool that will allow you to record yourself playing
along with a background track and save the recording in MP3 format. You will
have a tool to use for this purpose inside the learning environment.
Alternatively, you can use software like Audacity (PC) or GarageBand (Mac).
1 GB RAM
Sound card
OS X 10.5 or higher
Intel Mac
1 GB RAM
A printer is recommended, so that you can print out music examples used
in the course
-------Class Communication
Class Forum
The Class Forum is a discussion area for you, fellow classmates, and your
instructor. Post any questions, comments, or other relevant information about
the course there. You can access it by clicking the Class Forum tab in the top
navigation bar of the course.
Guidelines
Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when posting to the Class Forum:
Check the Class Forum often and contribute! It is a wonderful way to make
connections with your classmates and instructor, and will enhance your
learning experience.
Don't be afraid to share your questions about a specific topic with the
class. Often times, other students will have the same question and will
benefit from the exchange of ideas that take place in the Class Forum.
Treat your fellow classmates with respect. You share a common goalto
learn as much as you can from the course.
Read previous messages in the Class Forum before you post, so that you
fully understand the context and direction of each discussion.
Previous activity
Next activity
Chat
Chat is another useful communication tool. You can access it by clicking the
Chat tab in the top navigation bar of the course. Chat allows you to interact
with fellow students and your instructor in real time. Your instructor will hold
office hours via Chat throughout the courselook for announcements from
your instructor about when they will be scheduled.
Chat Guidelines
Keep your posts short. Use one to three sentences, the same as in a
spoken conversation, to allow the dialogue to flow back and forth between
you and other participants.
Allow enough time for others to read, think, and type before posting new
remarks.
Dont worry about proper spelling and grammar, so long as you make
yourself understood. Its more important to get your point across as
efficiently as you can.
---------About Grading
Below is a chart outlining the Berklee Online grading system. If you are taking
the course for academic credit, you will receive a letter grade (the range is
from A to F) for your final grade. If you are not taking the course for academic
credit, you will receive either an "S" for satisfactory completion or a "U" for
unsatisfactory completion.
Grade
Percent
93-100
4.0
A-
90-92
3.7
B+
87-89
3.3
83-86
3.0
B-
80-82
2.7
C+
77-79
2.3
73-76
2.0
C-
70-72
1.7
60-69
1.0
0-59
0.0
Withdrew
Satisfactory Completion
Unsatisfactory Completion
Your grade for each assignment appears at the bottom of your post.
Alternatively, you can view the grade for any assignment from the Grades tab
at the top of any course page.
Please take some time to view the four orientation movies on navigating the
course environment, using the record live (audio/video) tool, the chat tool,
and embedding video.
play
stop
mute
max volume
repeat
Previous activity
-------Welcome to Vocal Technique 101
If you are looking for answers to your vocal questions, you will find them in
this course. We will work on developing your vocal skills, including:
developing your breath support to help build stamina, and increase control
I hope you will have some fun discovering your voice while exploring why
singing one of the most popular pastimes in the world. Lets get started.
Objectives
Whats your musical background and what are your vocal goals?
Posting Instructions
---------Breath Support
The one common element in all great singing is skilled use of breath support,
the management of your breath for singing. Breath support is not only
essential to sound; it is critical to sustained life as a professional singer.
We will start with some exercises to introduce basic concepts. Even if you find
the first exercises easy, please dont skip them. It is not difficult to
understand how to sing, but youve got to work through the process. In other
words, your brain will take in the information much faster than your body can
develop ease and coordination. So dont rush. Take your time and enjoy!
-----------Mental Focus
Set aside a period of time when you can sing without interruptions. Let any
roommates, or family, know that youd like some privacy while working.
Your practice time is a time to focus on you. Enjoy the freedom to sing
without interruption a little each day.
So much of singing is about mental preparation. Feeling relaxed will help you
focus and sing better.
Take a moment at the beginning of practice to put away the cares of the day
while you sing. This only takes a few seconds, but will help you focus better
for a full practice session.
Previous activity
--------------
Next activity
Exercise: Relaxation
Deep breathing can help you gain mental focus. This will prepare you for
singing, an activity that requires a lot of concentration.
Sit in a chair or lie on the floor with your eyes closed and let your body
relax.
Take a deep breath through your nose, filling your lungs completely.
Video
--------Preparation for Singing
Check your posture and release tension before you start with this quick
exercise. You should do this each time you get ready to sing. The goal is to
energize you and help you gain body awareness in singing.
Drop your upper body forward in a forward fold. Let gravity help you
release your shoulders and the back of your neck, so you hang loose like a
rag doll.
Take a deep breath while youre hanging forward and further release the
back of your neck and shoulders on the exhale. Your head and shoulders
should feel heavy.
Slowly roll up to a standing position, one vertebrae at a time from the base
of your spine. Use your legs to support you, or place your hands on your
thighs to support your back as you roll up.
----------Breathe
If you haven't done so, read chapter 2, pp. 1122 in The Contemporary Singer
(purple book) and chapter 2, pp. 815 in Vocal Workouts for the
Contemporary Singer (green book).
Breath is the generator of sound, and we have to control the air in order to
control the sound effectively. When singers have problems controlling their
voices, I first look to their breath support to see if it is working correctly.
Since I cant see you every day, you will need to watch yourself in a mirror to
check on your breath action.
Previous activity
Next activity
Watch yourself in the mirror with your hand on your belly. Have a watch or
clock with a second hand close by. Lengthen your spine and let your
shoulders hang off the sides of your body, not rolled to the front of your
chest.
Take a deep breath, imagining that youre filling your lungs from the
bottom up. (When your belly expands, youre making room for your lungs to
fill up with air.)
As soon as you have expelled your air, take another breath, expanding
around your waist. Do not raise your chest as you inhale.
Take a breath the same way, and sing the following exercise.
Checklist
Your belly should expand outward, away from your spine when you
breathe.
One of the most common voice problems is dry vocal folds. If your body does
not have enough fluids, then your vocal folds become dry and your voice will
not function properly.
Speaking and singing with dry vocal folds often results in vocal problems such
as voice breaks, excessive throat clearing (which further irritates your vocal
folds), loss of volume control or range, vocal fatigue, and voice loss.
A person who doesnt make a lot of demands on his or her voice might not
notice the symptoms of dry vocal folds. Most professional voice users,
including doctors, ministers, lawyers, and teachers, know how a dry, tired
voice can impact daily work.
Your vocal folds require a thin layer of mucous to keep them vibrating
properly. If your vocal folds are not well lubricated, then voice use generates
a lot of friction, which can tire out your voice.
Just as a car engine needs oil to keep it running smoothly, your vocal folds
need to be lubricated to function smoothly. Your vocal folds become
lubricated when your entire body is well hydrated.
and distribute the fluids to all the tissues of your body, including your larynx.
A good rule of thumb (if you have normal kidneys and heart function) is to
drink at least two quarts of water daily.
-----------Hydration (Page 2)
Some singers follow this rule: Pee pale, sing clear. This means that if your
urine is light colored or almost clear, it can indicate that your body is well
hydrated. Certain medications and vitamin supplements can affect the color
of urine, so speak to your doctor if you have questions about this.
You can hydrate your vocal folds systemically (internally) by drinking water,
as mentioned above, and topically (on the surface) by inhaling steam.
There are gadgets made to sit on a tabletop that create a controlled amount
of steam that you can inhale through your nose and mouth via a plastic
mask, or you can stand over a pot of simmering water.
These tools are useful if you have a cold and want to clear some of the thick
mucus secretions from your nasal passages and throat. For most people, they
are not necessary to use daily, unless you live in a particularly dry
environment.
Even if you drink enough water each day, there are several other causes of a
dry voice.
-----------Caffeine and Alcohol (Page 3)
Caffeine and alcohol pull water out of your system and deplete your vocal
folds of needed lubrication.
Caffeinated drinks include coffee, tea, some fortified vitamin waters (usually
identified as energy drinks), and some soft drinks.
Wine, beer, and hard liquor are all drying to the system as well. Small
amounts of these beverages can be tolerated, but should be counterbalanced
by drinking more water to compensate for the diuretic effect of caffeine and
alcohol, especially if you are making singing and speaking demands on your
voice.
Home heating season can be very drying to our bodies. The cause can be
gas, oil, or electric furnaces, or in the summer, air conditioners, as well as
climates with a low amount of moisture in the air. Using a humidifier at night
can help compensate for the dryness in the air.
Antihistamines and cold medicines control the watery secretions of colds and
allergies, but also can dry you out excessively. Inhalers used for asthma can
dry and irritate your throat as well, but are a necessary medication for some
people.
Some antidepressants can cause dryness as well, but the benefits can
outweigh the side effects. Never stop taking a prescription medication
without consulting your doctor.
Sharon Brown
Discussion: Breath Support
by Sharon Brown
Some people say that good breath support gives their voices stamina and
strength. Others report a feeling of ease that comes with correct breathing.
Have you had any issues in the past with developing proper breath support?
How do you think breathing technique impacts or will impact your singing?
Which of the following best describes how breath support helps you the
most?
Steady toneyour voice goes where you want it tohigh, low, loud, soft,
fast, slow
Other
Posting Instructions
-----------Song: My Lord, What a Morning
Choose the high or low key and practice with the melody guideline.
Choose the same key and then record yourself singing along with the
track.
Breathe only at the () marks or on the rests in the music.
Focus on expanding around your waist when you breathe.
If you dont want to sing the songs words, which are of a religious nature,
sing on loo or lah instead.
I've recorded myself speaking the text of "My Lord What a Morning" for
anyone who needs extra help in pronouncing the words.
A note on breath marks: A comma above the bar is a breath mark. I would
like you to try to take breaths only at these marks. Sometimes when singers
interpret songs, breaths are taken at commas in text.
For example My Lord, (breath) what a morning. I want you to try not to
break the phrase in this way. Part of the lesson of this song is that phrases
are uniform for all singers in the class, and that you are working to sing
through the phrase by managing your breath well.
A note on melody interpretation: Many of you will already know some version
of this song, because it is a well-known and popular spiritual. In fact, this
version is slightly different than the one I learned as a child. Even though
there are many different versions of the melody, please sing the melody as
written.
A note on tone: this song has a somewhat limited range, but I dont want you
to sing too hard, even if the low range is comfortable for you. I would like you
to sing with a quality of tenderness and thoughtfulness rather than belting it.
Remember to practice along with the track that includes the melody, and to
record the MP3 you submit for this assignment using the track without the
melody.
You will be using audio editing software that will allow you to import a playalong track in MP3 format, record yourself playing guitar along with the track,
and save the piece in MP3 format. If you have not already purchased audio
recording/editing software, you can use Garageband (Mac) or download the
free program Audacity (PC).
Note: For a full video tutorial on how to use Garageband or Audacity, please
visit our Technical Assistance page.
------------Summary
Prepare your mind and body to sing with quick, simple exercises to calm your
mind, to bring your attention to your breath, and to release tension. A few
minutes spent preparing will enhance your practice.
Singers need to be well hydrated to sing their best. Check your level of
hydration with the quiz, and if necessary, take steps to improve and maintain
your vocal folds condition.
One common element in great singing in all styles is breath support. Breath
support is essential to developing your best sound. Good support helps you
sing in tune consistently and sing with freedom. It also helps give your voice
power and will help prevent vocal injury. How else does it help your singing?
Your challenge over this course is to practice the proper breath action enough
to make it an automatic function that you dont have to focus on intently
while youre singing.
If you learn this first basic step well and internalize it, you will be free to relax
and sing, knowing your voice is working at peak efficiency.
It isnt quantity of air you take in; it is the quality of the breath action that
youre working to perfect. A small amount of breath can go a long way when
you are using your body correctly.
------------Lesson 2
Developing a Balanced Tone and Strengthening Your Range
October 7 - October 13
Introduction Resource
Belting Resource
Vibrato Resource
Summary
-------Lesson 3
Anatomy and Health
October 14 - October 20
Introduction Resource
Medications Resource
Due: October 17
Summary
------------esson 4
Creating an Effective Practice Routine
October 21 - October 27
Introduction Resource
Summary
---------Lesson 5
Let Your Star Shine! Simple Melodic Embellishment
October 28 - November 3
Introduction Resource
Summary
---------Lesson 6
Effective Diction for Singing
November 4 - November 10
Introduction Resource
Summary Resource
Due: November 10
Introduction Resource
Summary
----------Lesson 8
Advanced Breath Management
November 18 - November 24
Introduction Resource
Troubleshooting Resource
Summary
-------------Lesson 9
Performance Polish
November 25 - December 1
Introduction Resource
Summary
-------------Lesson 10
Flexibility, Control, and Stamina
December 2 - December 8
Introduction Resource
Staccato Resource
Summary
---------------Lesson 11
Introduction Resource
Summertime Resource
Assimilation Resource
Innovation Resource
Due: December 12
Summary
---------Lesson 12
The Grand Finale
December 16 - December 22
Introduction Resource
Assignment 12: After You've Gone or House of the Rising Sun Forum
Summary Resource