Powerful Vocal Training Tips

These vocal training tips will help you get your singing voice on track. Don't underestimate the simplicity of some of these techniques. They are very capable of producing
powerful results...

Record Your Voice As Much As You Can

You hear your voice very differently when you are singing. Recording your voice will give you an idea of how you sound outside your head. The insight you will get from
this is priceless.

If you can, record every practice session. Heck, record yourself every time you sing if you can! You will then be able to compare each session, hear improvements, and
realize when things are going right... or wrong :(

This exercise is one of the best ways to hear what the listener hears. It's also a confidence booster when you hear how much you have improved from session to session.

But...

You don't need to break the bank on expensive recording equipment! Any cheap microphone and tape recorder will do.

Don't underestimate the power of this vocal training tip!. Please, at least give it a try. You will be amazed at your results.

Know How The Voice Works...

If you don't know how the voice works, then how can you get it to work?

It's a great idea to give yourself a simple education. The basic mechanics, etc.... Once you have an idea of what's happening inside you when you sing, it will make it
much easier to realize when you are doing things right.... or wrong :(

Do you ever find yourself asking "Is this right"? "Is that right"?

It's not uncommon to lose confidence when you don't have a instructor to guide you. That's why a simple singing education can be so effective.

Knowing how the voice works will give you the confidence to practice by yourself. You will never be asking yourself "Am I doing this right"?

Learn How To Sing Correctly

An obvious vocal training tip right? But are you singing with good technique? Let's find out...
1. Do I ever feel strain in my neck, chin, or anywhere else?

2. Can I sing high notes as easily as lower notes?

3. Does my voice have a consistent tone over it's entire range?

4. Do I ever get a sore throat when I sing?

There is a correct way to sing, and when you adapt correct technique your voice will flourish! You will develop a powerful, wide vocal range. Your tone will be thick and
rich, consistent through your entire range. Which leads me to another point....

Practice Great Technique... Regulary

There are programs to help you develop great singing technique. But, you must put the work in to receive the prize!

Set yourself a regular schedule..... And stick to it!

Just like any other muscles, your singing muscles must be developed. Regular practice is the only way this can be achieved.

30-minutes to 1 hour a day is best. If you can't manage that, every second day will still be effective. As long as you keep up the regular sessions.

This schedule will develop your singing muscles (provided you are practicing proper technique). As they continue to get stronger, your voice will get better and better. You
will continue to find new high and low notes. Your voice will begin to function as one instrument, not two or three separate instruments.
How do I get my voice to warm up quickly?

A:Warm-up time varies from singer to singer and depends on four

factors:

1. The thickness and length of the vocal cords

2. The health of the singer, i.e. allergies, physical condition, dietary
and exercise habits, sleep and stress levels
3. Veisel dilation - how fast the vasculature expands to receive
blood flow.
4. Warm-up habits

If you have thick cords, you have a stronger, fuller sounding voice
(James Ingram/Elvis Presley). Thinner cords will producer a lighter,
thinner tone (Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney). Think of the voice as a
train. The bigger the train, the longer it takes to get moving. Keep this
in mind while warming up. Warming up should be incremental and
never forced. Find your vocal co-ordinations through the right
exercises and then slowly build volume, speed and range. Too high,
too loud, too soon is a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately, most singers
don't know the recipe for vocal health and longevity. This is why so
many singers lose their voices. I work with hundreds of singers every
year who have never properly warmed up their voices.

Veisal dilation is another important factor in warming up. Without

adequate blood flow to the musculature, the cords have great difficulty
warming up. Things that affect veisal dilation are fatigue, poor
circulation and lack of exercise. Sometimes these are simply genetic
and you deal with it by being diligent and patient with your vocal study
and your warm-up time. Other times it's just laziness, lack of discipline
or a bad diet. Allergies can also affect your warm-up time because
circulation and health are inhibited. Seek either a medical or natural
(diet, herbs and vitamins) route to dealing with your allergies. I have
found great relief taking 'Prime Again' and 'Conco' to nourish my body
in a way that deals with these weaknesses. Both are available in our
vocal health store.
Breathing.

Yes, I know. Our approach to breathing is a very casual approach (against seemingly
every other coach in the world). We have said again and again...start with the right
vocal cord technique and you will not have to worry so much about your breathing
technique.

Singers are told to practice "diaphragmatic breathing" by their teachers the world
over. Our answer to that is: "the ONLY way to fill up your lungs with air is by using
your diaphragm! There is nothing BUT diaphragmatic breathing!"
Imagine a basketball cut in half...made of thin but strong muscle, turned over like a
hat and sewn around its edges to the bottom of your rib cage, and you've got
something like the diaphragm. As long as that muscle is relaxed it sits up like a
dome and your lungs are empty.

But when it contracts, it flattens out, thus sucking air into your lungs.

On top of the diaphragm there are a couple of air-sacs that join by a pipe running up
to the back of your throat (your lungs, of course).

Now if you are unconscious and NOT breathing, hopefully, someone will come and fill
your lungs by force from the outside, mouth-to-mouth. But when you are breathing
on your own, your lungs fill from the opposite direction (vacuum) caused by the
dome-shaped diaphragm sucking downward, drawing in air.

While in Colorado, I discovered that at a mile and a half high, the air is VERY thin.
You can suck a lung full of air and feel like it's only half a lung-full.

When performing there, singers often get light-headed and the main-stage at the
venue we were at even had an oxygen tank for woozie performers.

I BREATHED IN...NOW WHAT?

Ok, you used your diaphragm to breath in correctly, letting your abdomen expand
outward.

The only real complicated part of breathing for singing is deciding what to do with
the air once it's in there awaiting use (to produce a tone).

Here are the theories I'm aware of:

1. Just focus on your cords and let them determine how much air is released to
produce the desired sound.

This is largely what we teach. I say "largely" because for the most part, singers need
the most help in tone production and shaping. They've been breathing all their lives
or they'd be dead. But their tone is in need of improvement. Or their range. Both of
these, we argue, are handled best from the "vocal cords first" approach.

But sometimes, we get a singer into a beautiful place tone- and range-wise, so we
can work on adding a little more "power." That brings us to another breathing
approach...

2. "Support (gentle)." This is such a common cliche among voice teachers that I
hesitate to use the term for fear of your mind switching off. Stay with me.

Because I AM a singer, I approach vocals from a "how do we get this into a singer's
head simply" angle. The best mental picture I was ever given on this was this:
imagine the air cascading down the inside of your body like water and splashing
outward at your pelvic area. As you sing notes, make sure that the air keeps
splashing DOWNWARD at your pelvis.

This simple picture will keep your breath giving just enough support without having
to think too much.

3. "Support (hard)." This is for ROCK singers and anyone who wants to strike a more
edgy tone.

In this approach, once the breath is taken in, you firm your pelvic floor exactly like
you do when you are eliminating your bowels. YUK! I know that mental picture is not
so pleasant, but it just happens to work.

You can try this and give a slight "grunt" to feel what this will be like when you are
producing a vocal sound.

The trick is to NOT allow too much of that pressure on your cords (we call that
yelling). You will blow your cords out if you don't regulate the amount of pressure
down there.

CONCLUSION

MOST of your attention should NOT be on breathing (unless you find yourself at 7500
ft above sea level and you feel you might just die any moment on stage.)

Focus on your cords, like Brett teaches in the Singing Success Program.

At some point most aspiring singers ask themselves how can I add
vibrato to my singing voice, and what exactly is vibrato and how do I
produce it?

The majority of singers think that vibrato is something that can’t be

learned. For a long time mastering vibrato has been considered as one
of the most challenging singing skills to master. A great vibrato can
make or break a singer. Some of the most unforgettable singers have
a stunning vibrato.

Many singers have their own idea of what a good vibrato is. There are
various kinds of vibrato. For example, a number of singers have a very
fast vibrato, while other singers don't have any vibrato at all, or their
vibrato is barely audible. If you are trying to master vibrato here are
some things that you should know about when it comes to mastering
vibrato.

The biggest myth about vibrato is that vibrato comes naturally. I don’t
know how many times I’ve heard people say; “just keep singing and
eventually your vibrato will come naturally”. Vibrato never comes
naturally it is something that you have to deliberately practice.

There are a number of dangers to look out for when you are trying to
master vibrato. A few things to watch out for are that you do not
develop a wobbly vibrato or a vibrato that is too fast.

Vibrato is a small variation in pitch as the vocal cords oscillate freely

from an open throat or pharynx along with the proper closure of the
vocal cords and good singing muscle support technique.

There are a number of singers with bad vibratos that that produce
awful tones and all kinds of pitch problems. When your vocal cords
oscillate too slowly, you will develop what is know as a wobble and
when your vocal cords oscillate too fast, it creates a terrible tremolo
effect.

Neither the tremolo nor wobble is desired for producing a good singing
tone.

An excellent vibrato is produced when the vocal cords oscillate at an

even rate. A vibrato that is not smooth or even may be caused by
abrupt changes in breath pressure. These abrupt changes are usually
caused by an uneven "body resistance" from your singing support
system. Causing your vocal cords to start to separate and vibrate in an
unhealthily manner.

The majority of singers start out with no vibrato at all prior to

developing vibrato using proper exercises. A few beginners are not
even conscious of vibrato or how it is produced in the voice.

Many choir conductors do not allow singers to sing with vibrato. This
practice can be very damaging to a singers voice because it puts a lot
of stress on your vocal cords resulting in the formation of nodules.

Good harmonic vocal blend can be built-up through acoustical and

vowel alignment but not by squeezing the vocal cords into singing with
a straight tone. Generally singers that do not sing with vibrato have
troubles with proper vocal cord closure.

Some singers use a diaphragmatic vibrato. Diaphragmatic vibrato is

created when the diaphragm pulsates during a sustained note.
Diaphragmatic vibrato is a false vibrato. A lot of theatrical singers
usually develop this bad vocal habit so that they have some type of
vibrato when they do not possess any vibrato at all. This type of
vibrato can be troublesome to undo because your abdominal muscles
remember the pulsating feeling and acquire a muscle memory all of
own. But, it can be fixed with time and the correct vocal exercises.
A very healthy and pleasant vibrato can be developed in a fairly short
time with the proper vocal exercises. If you want to master a healthy
vibrato there are a lot of various methods, but it all begins with proper
instructions. I strongly recommend that you speak with your vocal
coach and find out what she or he recommends.

If you do not have vocal coach or have never had any formal voice
training then I recommend that you find a good
vocal coach or a good singing course that is
produced by a qualified instructor.
I lose my voice when I sing live. I guess I'm
pushing harder than when I practice. What should
I do about this?

A: The first thing that I usually ask a singer is

"how well do you hear yourself in the monitors?"
Often, they are not hearing themselves sing on stage, so they figure
that the audience can't hear them sing and push their voice harder
than what is natural. The result is that the tone becomes dull or
strident and often intonation problems occur. Talk to your sound man
and make sure that you have enough of your voice in the monitors. If
you've got the funds, invest in a headset microphone.
I'm working on my R&B/Gospel styling, but my trills are slow and
sloppy. Is there any thing I can do to speed up my trills?

A: The first thing we need to do is understand what trills are (also

called licks, runs and turns). A trill is a scale sung dynamically with
crisp delineation, fast vibrato and a clean attack or onset. In other
words, going from one note to another without slurring or sliding,
because slurring notes together gives the impression of poor vocal
control. On the other hand, you don't want to add an 'H' sound, a
staccato or glottal stroke (clucking noise) to your vocal line to achieve
separation between notes. This will create an artificial and artistically
unpleasant sound. So how is note delineation organically achieved?
First, start on an F below middle C for the men or F above middle C for
the women. Now sing up to a G and then back down. Learn to go back
and forth as rapidly as possible without sliding or losing note
distinction until you feel a 'bounce' between notes. Use a metronome
and start at sixty beats per minute and speed up one or two bpm at a
time while singing eighth notes. Speed up only as fast as you can
while remaining clean in your note delineation. If you can get to 200
bpm, then you're up to speed with Mariah Carey and Brian McKnight.
Now you just have to learn to put together longer patterns of notes
within the scales used for the style you are singing in. These scales are
cataloged in the Singing Success Program. It's important to
understand that learning is incremental with this. If you only speed up
one beat a day, which is so gradual that it can hardly be felt, then in
less than four months, you can be at 200 bpm.
hould I eat before I sing or perform?

A: If you are hungry, eat. Don't stuff yourself with a 7-course meal.
Just eat until you are satisfied. Always eat at least an hour before your
performance to avoid what singers call a "gunky" throat. You will have
the strongest temptation to clear your throat (which can be harmful)
immediately after eating, but waiting an hour is usually enough time
for your meal to settle.
Is it OK for me to sing when I have a sore throat?

A: Depending on what's causing it, singing with a sore throat can be

catastrophic. I tell my clients, "if it hurts to swallow, don't sing!"
Conversely, if it's a mildly soar throat, consult your doctor (it's a good
idea to find a good ear, nose, throat specialist in your area and build a
relationship with him) and then use your best judgment. Dry air,
singing abusively, and viral/bacterial infection are some of the more
common causes of a sore throat. Some people just wake up with a
sore throat every day of their life. I've found that the majority of those
people have acid-reflux, which means they are burping up stomach
acids while they are sleeping or sometimes even while they are awake.
For most, however, this happens in the night, so they may be
completely unaware of the problem. They then wake up with a
scratchy, raspy voice and a sore throat. There are numerous web sites
directed to the problem of reflux. Let me recommend a couple:

www.texasvoicecenter.com
www1.wfubmc.edu/voice/reflux/

Because a dry throat is often a sore throat, consume two to three

quarts of water every day. I actually drink up to a gallon or more a
day. If you live in an arid climate, sleep with a humidifier next to your
bed and try to warm up your voice in the shower. The moisture is an
incredible help for your voice. Also, learn to breathe in through your
nose as much as possible. This will help moisten the air before it
reaches your cords.

The next concern is vocal abuse. Some of the causes are singing too
high and too loud for too long, screaming, yelling at a football game or
concert, talking at the top of your voice in a noisy crowd, breathing
cigarette smoke (first- for second-hand), doing voice impersonations
that are extreme or that cause strain and talking or singing with a
raspy, manufactured sound. Whenever my throat is sore from vocal
abuse I try to get some vocal rest, drink plenty of liquids, and then
rehabilitate my voice with gentle exercises like humming, lip bubbles,
and tongue trills. If you get laryngitis and your tone starts to 'skip' or
'cut out' in the middle of a sustained note, you really want to get
serious vocal rest. Most of all, ALWAYS consult your physician if things
don't clear up rapidly. By this, I mean, if you get a sore throat in the
morning and it clears up by noon and doesn't come back (this
occasionally happens to me) then there's usually nothing to worry
about. Otherwise, call the doctor, because if this condition is medical
and you don't get help, no amount of vocal rest will help. I personally
prefer herbal immune system remedies, but do what works best for
you.
Are falsetto and head voice the same thing?

A: No. Falsetto is the lightest vocal production made by the human

voice. It is limited in strength, dynamics and tonal variation. Usually,
there is a considerable 'jump,' 'break' or 'disconnect' between your
chest (speaking) voice and your falsetto. Noted vocal coach and voice
therapist Randy Buescher of Chicago defines falsetto as:

"a coordination where the outer layer of the vocal cord (mucosa, i.e.
internal skin or muscular covering) is vibrating, creating sound, but
without engaging the actual musculature of the cord. Also, there exists
no medial compression. In other words, during the vibratory cycle, the
cords never fully approximate. In head voice, the cords approximate,
but the vibration of the cord moves away from the full depth of the
vocal cord (chest voice) to a pattern that involves less and less depth
of vocal cord as you ascend toward the top of your range. The highest
notes of your range involve only the vocal ligament. However, there is
no consensus among experts on the official definition of vocal
registers."