Olive Post: 2010

2010/12/13

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2010/12/09

Singing Tips: 7

Singing with a relaxed vocal fold, opening the pharynx and oral cavity, and focusing the tone forward will allow for the best sound
Listen carefully to the accompaniment and other singers to match pitches correctly
Sing with a forward, face-buzzing tone and listen to match those singing around you
Never sing so loudly you cannot hear people near you
Enunciate clearly and use open vowel sounds to ensure the listener can understand the lyric
Do not add ornamentation unless it adds meaning to the song
Think about what you are singing and try to make a connection with the listener
When singing together, sing strongly and confidently enough to contribute to the group, but do not sing so loudly that you cannot hear your neighbors

Singing Tips: 6

Interpretation

A song for the solo voice or choir is the blending of a lyric setting, melody and harmony to communicate something to the listener on multiple levels
Good songs use some kind of common musical vocabulary tosupport and expand the meaning of the lyric and good singers use nuances in the music and the lyric to tune their performance to interpret the song for the listener
First, learn the notes and lyrics well enough to be comfortable singing the song without having to look at each word and note
Then learn the dynamic and tempo markings while singing to add another dimension to the lyric and melody
Once you are comfortable with the lyric, notes, dynamic and tempo, start thinking about how to charge the meaning in the words using short pauses, tone coloring or other kinds of vocal emphasis
Record yourself and ensure that the effect you want to achieve is not overshadowed or distracted by meaningless ornamentation

Singing together:

Singing together requires confidence in your own part, awareness of your own voice and a careful ear for the pitch, tone, dynamics and diction of the other singers
Most importantly, singing together requires matching pitches for unison or harmony parts since even a quietly dissonant note is noticeable in an otherwise perfect chord
Matching vocal tone will ensure that the sound of group blends together pleasantly
The dynamics must match so no single voices stand out
Good diction matching generally takes the most practice to achieve since most people tend not to sing vowels consistently and everyone must know their music well enough to look up and follow the director so they can start and end together
It is best to avoid any superfluous ornamentation when singing in a group because it makes it more difficult to create a good blend

Singing Tips: 5

Diction:

Singing is a type of complex communication that uses music and lyric to convey something more than the meaning of the words alone
Without clear diction, you rob the listener of almost all of the meaning of the song
Always use warm, open vowels, even if that means changing the sound of the word slightly, because pinched vowel sounds are not pleasant when sung and do not project well
Clearly enunciate hard and soft consonants in words
Always move as quickly as possible from consonant sounds to vowels and sustain the vowels as long as possible before switching to a consonant
When adjacent words in a phrase end and start with the same consonant or vowel, run them together and sound them only once

Ornamentation:

Vocal ornamentation has been made popular in more relaxed and contemporary styles of singing, but can lead to bad singing habits
Sliding into starting or ending notes may sound good in country music, but in more formal music it will sound like the singer has problems with finding the right pitch
Slurring between notes in a phrase sounds sloppy and is hard to blend with; always try to sing each pitch distinctly and consistently, especially at the start and the end of the note
Vibrato is a naturally occurring osculation of the diaphram that creates slight variations in a volume, and sometimes the pitch, of a sung note. Accentuating it for effect creates problems for others singing with you as they try to blend
Just like at Christmas, you don't put the ornaments on the tree until after it is securely mounted on the floor, so do not simply throw ornaments on a song until you know the song well and have determined they are a truly necessary style element

Singing Tips: 4

Tone:

The tone of the singing voice is created in the resonating pharynx and oral cavity and is focused as it is passed through the jaws, tongue, teeth and lips.
A properly focused sound will cause a buzzing or tingling in the teeth, lips and nose
The vocal range is a function of the length and thickness of the vocal fold, but a singer's vocal part classification is determined by the frequencies where the tone naturally resonates based on the size and configuration of the throat, mouth and sinuses
For example, a tenor's voice resonates or rings most strongly between middle C and high C even though he may be able to sing down to the same low C pitch as a bass singer
Your voice's tone sounds differently inside your head than it does to others listening to you, so practicing with a tape recorder can be a help to determine and practice singing with a proper tone
The strings of an acoustic guitar set up vibrations that resonate in the body of the guitar which naturally amplifies their sound

Dynamics:

Playing a guitar's strings harder or softer controls its dynamics, but the essential volume of the guitar is a function of its resonating body
Air from the lungs that flows through the larynx is vibrated by the vocal fold and resonates in the pharynx and the oral cavity
Increasing or decreasing the air pressure through the vocal fold controls vocal dynamics, but the essential volume of the voice is a function of the resonating pharynx and oral cavity
Trying to singing loudly and powerfully simply by increasing the flow of air through the larynx will cause the vocal fold to tighten to handle the increased air pressure and that will produce a distorted and unpleasant sound
Singing loud dynamics requires opening the resonating space more fully and ensuring the tone is focused toward the front of the face

Singing Tips: 3

Singing:

Singing should be a smooth, relaxed process of vibrating and shaping the air you push from your lungs
Singing starts by opening your mouth to prepare to produce the starting vowel or consonant you wish to sing
The throat and oral cavity should be open and the vocal fold should be relaxed, as if you are just about to yawn
Use the muscles in the diaphragm, abdomen and lower back to produce a consistent stream of air out of your lungs by engaging them smoothly and building to full pressure
Fix the pitch you want to sing in your mind and then engage your vocal fold to produce it with as little neck muscle tightness as possible
Listen carefully to tune the pitch and tone as you sing
Use dynamics to give life to melodic lines and emphasis to lyrics
Use vocal ornamentation like slides, slurs and vibrato sparingly and only as required to properly interpret the song

Pitch:

A sung pitch is the frequency that the vocal fold vibrates the air passing through it
Singing on pitch requires both constant listening and good muscle control of the vocal fold in the larynx
Singing well together requires careful attention to both your voice and the voices of the other people in the group to either match pitches or to harmonize
The range of pitches that a person's vocal fold will produce is primarily a function of their natural length and thickness
The vocal range is flexible and can be improved through practice, but there is still a limit based on physiology that cannot be avoided
Sometimes at the high end of the vocal range, a note may be sung either in chest or head voice and it may take some experimentation to determine how to sing those notes comfortably in a particular phrase

Singing Tips: 2

The Singing Voice:

The singing voice has two registers commonly called the chest voice and the head voice (or falsetto)
These registers are defined primarily by the configuration of the larynx and how the vocal fold vibrates the air passing through it
The references to a middle register actually refer to a blended tone from both the chest and head registers
The transition between chest voice and head voice is commonly called the break
Lower notes are generally sung with the chest voice and higher notes are sung blended or in the head voice, but there will be a handful of notes that can be sung with either chest or head voice
There is usually a marked difference in volume and tone of the chest and head voices in untrained singers, but training can smooth out the transition and create a blended range that makes the best use of both registers

Prepare to Sing:

Proper breathing is the foundation of all singing and good posture is the only way to breath properly. To get into the correct posture, imagine a you are dangling from a string tied to the top of your head. Your neck, shoulders and back are hanging straight with the muscles relaxed
Breath in through both the mouth and nose with the throat as open as possible to allow air to move quickly without a pronounced hissing sound.
When breathing in the stomach should move out and down and the chest should expand out, but the shoulders should not need to lift.
If you need to hold your breath before beginning to sing, leave the throat open and keep the air in the lungs by keeping the diaphragm and lower back muscles extended.

Singing Tips: 1

The lungs push air up through the trachea
The vocal fold sits in the larynx on the top of the trachea and vibrates the air to create the fundamental pitch as well as harmonics that color the tone
The sound produced by the vocal fold then moves along with the air into the pharynx and the oral cavity where it begins to resonate, which reinforces the harmonics present in the tone
The jaw, tongue, teeth and lips shape the sound into vowels and consonants
Good singing starts with solid, consistent air pressure from the lungs
The vocal fold must be relaxed and low in the throat so it can vibrate freely and create a pleasant sound
The pharynx and the oral cavity at the back of the mouth must be opened fully to resonate, which provides the voice's volume and a warm ringing tone
The jaw, tongue, teeth and lips should only be closed enough to enable good enunciation

Vocal resonation is the process by which the basic product of phonation is enhanced in timbre and/or intensity by the air-filled cavities through which it passes on its way to the outside air. There are seven areas that may be listed as possible vocal resonators. In sequence from the lowest within the body to the highest, these areas are the chest, the tracheal tree, the larynx itself, the pharynx, the oral cavity, the nasal cavity, and the sinuses.

A popular pedagogist approach is to divide both men and women's voices into three registers. Men's voices are divided into "chest register", "head register", and "falsetto register" and woman's voices into "chest register", "middle register", and "head register". Such pedagogists teach that the head register is a vocal technique used in singing to describe the resonance felt in the singer's head.

Recently many vocal pedagogists have redefined the use of the terms chest voice and head voice. Vocal registration is seen today as a product of laryngeal function that is unrelated to the physiology of the chest, lungs, and head. Many vocal pedagogists argue that the vibratory sensations which are felt in these areas are resonance phenomena and should be described in terms related to vocal resonance. These vocal pedagogists prefer the terms chest voice and head voice over the term register. This view believes that the problems which people identify as register problems are really problems of resonance adjustment. This view aligns with the views of other academic fields that study vocal registration including: speech pathology, phonetics, and linguistics.

Voice: The Anatomy

Singing depends on the use of the lungs, which act as an air supply, or bellows; on the larynx, which acts as a reed or vibrator; on the chest and head cavities, which have the function of an amplifier, as the tube in a wind instrument; and on the tongue, which together with the palate, teeth, and lips articulate and impose consonants and vowels on the amplified sound.

The sound of each individual's singing voice is entirely unique because of the actual shape and size of an individual's vocal cords and also due to the size and shape of the rest of that person's body. Humans have vocal folds which can loosen, tighten, or change their thickness, and over which breath can be transferred at varying pressures. The shape of the chest and neck, the position of the tongue, and the tightness of otherwise unrelated muscles can be altered. Any one of these actions results in a change in pitch, volume, timbre, or tone of the sound produced. Sound also resonates within different parts of the body, and an individual's size and bone structure can affect the sound produced by an individual.

Singers can also project sound so that it resonates better within their vocal tract. This is known as vocal resonation. Another major influence on vocal sound and production is the function of the larynx which people can manipulate in different ways to produce different sounds. These different kinds of laryngeal function are described as different kinds of vocal registers. The primary method for singers to accomplish this is through the use of the Singer's Formant; which has been shown to match particularly well to the most sensitive part of the ear's frequency range.

Voice: Videos

Erica Lane

Larissa Lam

Tim Gilberg

Voice: Exercise

Breathing and posture:

Keep your chin level, head up, knees loose, toes pointed forward with weight on heels and soles, and your neck, abdomen and back relaxed.
Place your hands on your waist with your fingers aimed toward your belly button.
Take a slow, deep breath and attempt to make your stomach rise.
Keep breathing in until your chest slowly expands.
Breath out slowly to a count of five. Repeat 10 times.

Humming warm-up gently stretches your vocal chords to avoid any strain:

Attempt to hum the expression, "Hmm."
First, allow your pitch to rise at the end, as if you were asking a question. When your pitch rises, you should feel a sort of buzzing sensation in your nasal and eye area. This is a signal that you are doing the exercise correctly and not over-using the throat.
Then, allow your pitch to lower, as if you are doubting something. When your pitch lowers, you should feel the buzzing move downward to your chest.

Pitch accuracy, flexibility and note durability:

Sing up and down the traditional scale: do, re, me, fa, so, la, te, do at the correct scale pitches to practice flexibility and pitch accuracy.
Sustain a note as long as possible to practice note durability. Breathe in deeply and slowly. Sing one note and hold it for as long as you can without becoming short of breath. Avoid sucking in your stomach.

Voice: Technique

Singing is an integrated and coordinated act that effectively coordinates the physical processes of singing. There are four physical processes involved in producing vocal sound: respiration, phonation, resonation, and articulation. These processes occur in the following sequence:

1. Breath is taken
2. Sound is initiated in the larynx
3. The vocal resonators receive the sound and influence it
4. The articulators shape the sound into recognizable units

Some areas of vocal technique which tie to the ability to coordinate various functions are:

1. Extending the vocal range to its maximum potential: sing to the natural limits of one's vocal range without any obvious or distracting changes of quality or technique. There are three factors that significantly affect the ability to sing higher or lower:

The energy factor — "energy" has several connotations. It refers to the total response of the body to the making of sound; to a dynamic relationship between the breathing-in muscles and the breathing-out muscles known as the breath support mechanism; to the amount of breath pressure delivered to the vocal folds and their resistance to that pressure; and to the dynamic level of the sound.
The space factor — "space" refers to the size of the inside of the mouth and the position of the palate and larynx. Generally speaking, a singer's mouth should be opened wider the higher he or she sings. The internal space or position of the soft palate and larynx can be widened by relaxing the throat. Vocal pedagogists describe this as feeling like the "beginning of a yawn".
The depth factor — "depth" has two connotations. It refers to the actual physical sensations of depth in the body and vocal mechanism, and to mental concepts of depth that are related to tone quality.

McKinney says, "These three factors can be expressed in three basic rules: (1) As you sing higher, you must use more energy; as you sing lower, you must use less. (2) As you sing higher, you must use more space; as you sing lower, you must use less. (3) As you sing higher, you must use more depth; as you sing lower, you must use less."

2. Posture: Good posture provides singers with a greater sense of self assurance and poise while performing. Audiences also tend to respond better to singers with good posture. Habitual good posture also ultimately improves the overall health of the body by enabling better blood circulation and preventing fatigue and stress on the body. There are eight components of the ideal singing posture:

Feet slightly apart
Legs straight but knees unlocked
Hips facing straight forward
Spine aligned
Abdomen flat
Chest comfortably forward
Shoulders down and back
Head facing straight forward

3. Vibrato: Vibrato is used by singers in which a sustained note wavers very quickly and consistently between a higher and a lower pitch, giving the note a slight quaver. Vibrato is the pulse or wave in a sustained tone. Vibrato occurs naturally, and is the result of proper breath support and a relaxed vocal apparatus.