Singing...?!
Question: I love to sing, but I can't afford lessons and my dad doesn't like it. I think I have talent, i'm not trying to be cocky, (my whole family is musically inclined) but I don't know what to do. I find it easier to sing in front of people I know well, and they say I'm good, but when it comes to my family I can't and I'm always afraid to try out for stuff because then they will know I'm doing it and will get all weird. How can I pursue my dream when my family won't pay for lessons and won't even listen to see if I'm good? What should I do??!!
Answers: I love to sing, but I can't afford lessons and my dad doesn't like it. I think I have talent, i'm not trying to be cocky, (my whole family is musically inclined) but I don't know what to do. I find it easier to sing in front of people I know well, and they say I'm good, but when it comes to my family I can't and I'm always afraid to try out for stuff because then they will know I'm doing it and will get all weird. How can I pursue my dream when my family won't pay for lessons and won't even listen to see if I'm good? What should I do??!!
Dear dev:
Many people feel passionately about singing and music, but do not have lessons as a option. It is difficult, but if you are really determined you can begin to teach yourself. Be careful from whom you take advice. Learning something incorrectly is detrimental to the advancement of your skill. Once you figure out it is wrong you may have to begin again; back at the start to make sure you get things just right.
Singing is cumulative--all parts affect all other parts. In other words you resonance can be thrown off if you aren't using proper posture or breath support, or vocal instrument placement.
Before singing one should make it habit to stretch all of the body to release tension and to warm up the vocal instrument. Any tension can and will cause vocal strain and eventually damage.
Nothing should be stiff. Loosen up. Do some light stretching and rub out tight muscles especially the ones around your neck, face, and jaw. It might seem strange, but yes, you should massage your face.
Posture: the foundation of great singing.
(Standing) from the top:
Your head should be level with the floor and you are looking ahead, not up or down. No tension, just placed as so.
When singing everything should be loose with no stiff tension. Tension causes things to be incorrect even when you know the right way and use it.
Next, Roll your shoulders back. Rolling your shoulders back elongates the spine and thorax or chest cavity and lifts the sternum, the bone in the middle of your chest. This allows space for proper breathing.
Keep your knees loose, so that they can bend. Don't lock them.
Keep your feet shoulder width apart. One foot can be a little farther forward than the other if that is more comfortable for you.
Imagine yourself as royalty. This is all perfectly natural and normal. It is simply the way you present yourself--with poise and self-confidence.
(Sitting) additional information:
When sitting it is important to keep all the same posture techniques used for standing.
Make sure you sit as far forward on the seat as possible and keep your feet flat on the floor.
When you have proper posture you can learn to breath properly. Correct breath support and control is the gateway to good singing.
To learn the proper way, you've got to know which ways are wrong.
Improper ways to breath when singing:
1) Clavicular breathing ~ shallow breathing--the shoulders lift
2) Costal breathing ~ heaving like when you are sick
3) Abdominal breathing ~ from just the stomach excluding use of the top of the lungs
To understand diaphragmatic-intercostal breathing, the proper breathing for singing, it is import to understand basic breathing for life. Breathing for life is nearly the same with only a few slight alterations.
How we breathe for living:
1) Involuntary impulse of the brain
2) The diaphragm contracts and flattens to enlarge the thorax or chest cavity
3) The costal or rib muscles expand causing the air pressure to drop within the lungs. The air pressure inside the lungs then equals to the air pressure outside the lungs.
4) Exhale.
Modifications used when singing:
1) More air is required
2) Quicker inhalation
3) Longer periods of exhalation requiring control
4) Voluntary--you determine how and when
**It is impossible to breath correctly if you are not using proper singers' posture.**
Ways to make sure you are breathing correctly when singing:
1) Make sure your shoulders and upper chest doesn’t rise when you inhale.
2) Make sure you are expanding all around. The stomach, sides, and even the back
The laying down exercise is great for practicing proper breathing. You should practice it every night before you go to sleep. When practicing, pay attention to the appoggio, or the moment of balance between inhaling and exhaling just like breathing for yoga.
Before bed breathing exercises:
Lie on your back and wait until your breathing deepens and evens. You will feel expansion around your stomach, sides, and even back. This type of breathing is the ideal form of healthy breathing and the breathing we use for singing.
1. Practice inhaling over a count of 10 and gradually grow to a count of 15 and as high as your lung capacity will allow.
2. Use inhalation explained in (1). Exhale with a hiss of air. It will sound like "tissss...". Work your exhale from a 10 count to a 15 count and so on.
3. Use inhalation explained in (1). Exhale with a hiss of air and pulse using the abdominal muscles. ("tisss, tisss, tisss,...) Work your pulsed-exhale from a 10 count to a 15 count and so on.
Remember: When people refer to singing from your diaphragm it is meant to be a locational reference. The activities of the diaphragm are completely involuntary. You don't control it--your brain does.
Proper breathing takes time to develop. You have to keep practicing to build strength and endurance.
Vocal instrument placement:
We'll start with the voice box or larynx. You can feel it in the center front of your neck. Swallow while touching it. Feel how it lowers? That's the position it should be in when you sing. You can't really mentally control it, but if you've gotten rid of your tension it should be just right.
Your mouth/teeth/lips... It should be opened wide enough to fit two fingers in vertically between your teeth, for some people, even wider for higher notes. Sometimes people just don't open their mouths wide enough for high notes to come out properly.
Your hard and soft pallet... Feel the top of your mouth with your tongue. Upfront, behind your teeth it's hard--that's your hard pallet. Farther back, there is a soft fleshy part. That's your soft pallet. When singing you have to make sure your soft pallet is raised. This allows the air to resonate for a fuller sound. This kind of resonation is especially important for high notes.
To find this position you can yawn. Feel how your soft pallet raises? You could also imagine you have one of those really cool little paper party drink umbrella things. Imagine putting it in your mouth and open it up in there. Now sing like that.
Good luck and happy singing! Just shoot me some email if something isn’t clear or you have another question.
~ moss
Dreams are long-term goals that seem impossible, but the only things that are impossible are the things we do not try:)
get a job and pay for lessons yourself or just try out for a musical or american idol then you will see if you have good voice by what they think.
thats exaclly like me,,,but my moms like that!
i suggest you NEVER try out for america idols or any of those shows, getting your own fame is soo much different from those shows, the most famous singers in the world were not on that program!!
teaching youself from good sites on the net is soo important! CHECK THIS OUT!
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/2997_...
good luckk!
xoxoxoxoxoxox
MissJackson
xoxoxoxoxoxox