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SINGING PAGE
Welcome to Cee Jay's Singing Page
The art of singing is made up of simple concepts. Each of these concepts takes some time to understand, implement and master. Furthermore, each singer brings with him a different set of abilities and attitudes, which when added to his training, independent research, personal style, and preference of music, affect his performance as well as the enjoyment of his audience. In the years I have spent learning about music, I been fortunate to be around different styles of music, different ways of singing, and different ideas about how sound should be produced. Sometimes information learned through one teacher contradicted information learned through other teachers and through my own reading, so I was left with the same problem as all those who have multiple sources of information are: Reconciling conflicting views. I refuse to present myself to you as an expert on voice, singing and the music business, partly because I do not feel I am an expert yet, partly because there are far too many "experts" on the Internet, partly because you may be able to claim a better musical education than me. Instead, I greet you as a student, and I present you with what I feel is the best information I can dig out from all of my years and all of my study. Yes, some of it may disagree with what you may have heard, but there would be no point in putting information up if all of it was the same. I intend to make this singing page a readable and useful resource for all. Some of my points have been misunderstood or taken out of context. Some of this is my fault, some of it isn't. I will be spending some time this summer trying to add more content to the page, as well as clearing up some issues that have presented themselves.
Therefore, take what you need and ignore the rest.
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Vocal Ranges
Vocal Ranges
- Soprano -High female voice
- Mezzo-Soprano -Middle female voice
- Alto or Contralto -Low Female Voice
- Tenor -High Male Voice
- Baritone -Middle Male Voice
- Bass-Low Male Voice
- Bass-Baritone- A male voice that sound more like a bass than a baritone, without the low bass notes
- Basso Cantante - A high bass voice suitable for solo singing
- Basso Profundo- A deep bass voice having a compass of about two octaves above C below the bass staff
- Coloratura- A singer, usually soprano, who sings ornamental passages in music
- Countertenor- The highest male voice, also called alto, which is often falsetto
- Heldentenor- A tenor with a poweful dramatic voice well suited to heroic roles
How Do I Know My Vocal Range?
You don't. Well, at least not at first. The problem is that most first-time singers are used to speaking in a different range than they sing at. Americans usually speak lower than they sing, and Europeans usually speak higher than they sing.
Your voice is determined by where your strongest tones, or notes lie. For some people, this is the middle, and for some it is higher or lower. It may take a few years before you actually determine what your voice is. In addition to this, every voice type reaches its prime at a different age, staying at that prime for a number of years (the last estimate I heard was 35-40 years.) Sopranos usually reach their peak at 21-24 years of age, and the lowest bass usually begins his prime at about 30-32. In the meantime, your voice may go through a lot of changes. If you are a 21-year-old tenor, you may be a bass by the time you are 25. Only constant practice will help you through these changes.
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SINGING TIPS (A - Z)
A = Airflow. Never hold your breath while singing. The airflow is what creates and carries your vocal tone, so keep it flowing. Avoid Clavicular Breathing and Belly Breathing -- instead, learn the proper way to breathe for singing, called diaphragmatic breathing. Fill the lower portion of your lungs as if you had an inner tube around your waist that you were evenly filling. B = Breathing properly for singing requires the shoulders to remain down and relaxed, not rise with the breath intake. A singer will gain power to their voice by strengthening the muscles in their ribcage and back. C = Communicate the music's message. During performance it is very important to communicate the message of the song. If you make a "mistake" don't point it out to your audience. It is most likely they did not even notice. D = Diaphragmatic Support. Develop the strength and coordination of the diaphragm and become a pro at controlling the speed of the airflow released, the quantity of the airflow released and the consistency of the airflow released.
E = Elasticity of the Vocal Folds. The vocal tone is created as airflow bursts through the cleft of the vocal cords causing them to vibrate/oscillate. The vocal folds can lose elasticity due to misuse, lack of use and/or increase of age. Be sure to train your voice with vocal exercises on a regular basis to keep your voice in shape.
F = Free your natural voice. Don't be a slave to any music style -- even your favorite one. Learn to sing with your full and natural voice by developing your vocal strength and coordination. Then add stylistic nuances to achieve any singing style you desire.
G = Guessing Games. Never guess the pitch you are about to sing. Hear the note in your head before you open your mouth.
H = High notes require consistent and steady airflow. Many students tend to hold their breath as they sing higher. Let the air flow. Try increasing your airflow and gauge your result.
I = Increase your breathing capacity and control by doing breathing exercises every day. Be sure to avoid patterned breathing. Singers must negotiate phrase lengths of all different sizes, so it is important to be versatile.
J = Jumping Jacks. If you are having trouble getting your body completely involved with singing, try doing some cardiovascular activities, like jumping jacks, for a few minutes before getting started again. Sometimes your instrument simply needs an airflow wake-up call.
K = Know your limits. Don't sing too high or too low. Don't sing to the point of vocal fatigue. Never strain or push your voice. Doing so will not result in a higher or lower singing range, or a stronger voice, only a voice that has suffered undue stress.
L = Low notes are often sung with too much airflow. Try decreasing your airflow to achieve a more natural, more relaxed tone.
M = Mirror. Training in front of a mirror can help a singer discover many things about their instrument, as well as confirm that other actions are being done correctly. Be sure to rely on a mirror during vocal training, but be able to leave the mirror to face an audience.
N = Never sing if it hurts to swallow
O = Open your mouth wider. Nine times out of ten this will help you achieve a stronger, more defined vocal tone.
P = Prepare your instrument before singing. Singers are very much like athletes. Take care of your body/instrument by stretching out the vocal muscles and relieving the body of unnecessary tension before singing.
Q = Quit smoking. Quit talking too loudly. Quit talking too much.
R = Raise the Soft Palate. Creating a larger space inside your mouth by raising the soft palate, or fleshy part of the back of our throat, helps achieve a deeper more well rounded singing tone.
S = Sing through the vocal breaks. If you do not teach the muscles the necessary actions to sing through the trouble spots, success will never be achieved. Sing through it, sing through it again, and again....
T = Tone Placement. Learning the facts about tone placement and resonance make a huge difference in the abilities of a singer. In simple terms, a singer has numerous body cavities (nasal cavity, chest cavity, etc.) and amplifiers (bones, ligaments, etc.) that act as resonators. Focusing the vocal tone through the proper resonating chamber with the proper support is important with regard to controlling and developing your personal sound.
U = Unique Voice Under Construction. Remember that your voice has its own unique fingerprint and is constantly changing with our actions, environment, health habits, etc. With this in mind, listen to your own voice often and use vocal training tools to keep your voice on the right track.
V = Vibrato. Vibrato is a natural or forced fluctuation of a singing tone. Do not concentrate on learning how to sing with vibrato. Instead, concentrate on the basic foundations of singing, breathing and support. When the proper coordination is achieved, vibrato will occur naturally.
W = Water. Water. Water. Drink room temperature water as often as you can to keep your voice organ hydrated. If you only have cold or hot water available, swish it around in your mouth for a moment. This action will keep your voice organ from being startled or stressed by different temperatures.
Y = You Can Sing with Impact! Exercise your voice daily with contemporary voice lesson products. Don't Just Sing when You Can Sing with Impact!
Z = Zzzzzzzz. Be sure to get your rest. If you are tired, your voice will show it. A tired body/instrument will not allow you to produce your best possible sound.
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Comments and Suggestions
Feel free to make comments on any part of the page, especially what I can do to improve it. Certain questions are better asked to me, certain questions are better asked in my email group spicywax. I've been fortunate enough to recruit some good people to help out those who would like some help, and I hope your experience here and there will prove to be a pleasant one.
spicywax@yahoo.co.uk
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QUESTIONS
Please send an email for any questions to
spicywax@yahoo.co.uk
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The 10 Vocal Commandments
EVERY SERIOUS SINGER SHOULD KEEP
Originally written by Yvonne DeBandi 1991.
Revised by DeBandi | Lightfoot 1999.
Additional revisions made by DeBandi 2002. I. THOU SHALT keep the vocal cords moist at all times:
a. Consume at least 8 glasses of water a day.
b. Stay away from excessive amounts of diuretics (substances that dehydrate your body and your vocal cords). Two of the number one culprits are Alcohol and Caffeine. So…think twice before you have that second cup.
c. The real serious singer will sleep with a humidifier to make sure the vocal chords are kept moist during sleep.
II. THOU SHALT get at least 8 hours of sleep a night.
A singer's body is his/her instrument. Mistreat your instrument and it will show. Make sure to give your body and voice the proper rest it deserves.
III. THOU SHALT not smoke.
Among other incredible health concerns, smoking dries out the mucous membrane lining of the nose & throat which adversely affects the voice.
IV. THOU SHALT not overuse or mistreat the voice.
This would include talking over loud noises such as groups of people and loud machinery. Just like any other muscle, your vocal membranes and muscles can suffer from fatigue. In other words, don't talk too much! It is also stressful to the voice to talk too quickly, so slow it down! Those people that have no choice but to tax their voices on a daily basis -- singers, professional speakers, teachers, cheerleaders, auctioneers, etc. --- need to protect the voice.
V. THOU SHALT protect yourself from stress and nerve attacks
prior to performances.
We suggest the following to fight the gig day jitters:
a. Develop a checklist for gig preparation. It might include dry cleaning, reviewing lyrics, or getting your hair cut! (Follow these guidelines and you should be calm, cool, collected and able to give your best performance!
b. Leave a few minutes early for the gig or rehearsal so you can focus prior to the performance. (If this is a new location, be sure you have the proper directions and contact phone number ready ahead of time.)
c. Develop a habit of warming-up with the YOU CAN SING with IMPACT, Daily Warm-up Workout, Volume I, program on the way to the gig to properly prepare your voice.
d. Prepare materials to help you during an "off night" or for special circumstances - lyric books, practice CDs and Tapes.
e. Have promotional material such as business cards and flyers organized so that you can access them easily at the appropriate time. Marketing yourself as a singer is as much a part of the battle as singing and performing well in the music industry.
Remember, properly preparing yourself allows you to focus all your energy on your performance.
VI. THOU SHALT NOT eat or drink milk products before performing.
Sorry, that means no chocolate or ice cream, among some other great tasting foods. These products cause the mucous membrane lining of the vocal cords to create a great deal of mucous that covers your vocal cords. In case you can't guess or don't already know, that makes it very hard to sing well.
VII. THOU SHALT keep thyself healthy and virus free.
We suggest eating right, exercising regularly (don't forget that cardiovascular work to improve your breathing!), and taking a quality vitamin supplement each and every day! Remember, a singer's body is his/her instrument! A finely tuned and maintained instrument will perform at a much higher level than an instrument that has been neglected.
VIII. THOU SHALT never sing without properly warming up.
If you were running in a marathon, would you begin without stretching your hamstrings? Of course not. Doing this would risk reduced performance and possible cramping that would take you completely out of the race. The muscles associated with the voice organ would appreciate the same courtesy. Just like those hamstrings, your voice will reward you for taking the time to properly warm up before strenuous use.
The YOU can SING with IMPACT, Daily Warm-up Workout, Volume I, is the program you need for consistent yet fun daily warm-ups and exercises.
IX. THOU SHALT SMILE.
Smiling not only helps with tone placement of the singing voice, it also improves your attitude! Try it! It really works. It's infectious too!
X. THOU SHALT enjoy life and celebrate every accomplishment no matter how small they may seem.
Sing for fun, sing because you love it, sing because you can. Share your voice with the world and enjoy your journey as you become a SINGER OF IMPACT!
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