- Does your voice sound like everyone else’s? Have you found your own true and unique sound or are you singing in a cookie cutter style, mimicking your favorite singer or what you *think* you should sound like? Learn the correct principles of respiration-phonation-resonance and make your own mark as a singer! Start with vocal exercises that open up your voice and help eliminate unnecessary tension. When done correctly, vocal exercises will guide and develop your true voice, then you can apply it to your songs. Celebrate your unique voice! There is no other voice like yours in the entire world!
- WARMING UP THE VOICE VS. SETTING UP THE VOICE: Do you warm up your voice before singing? If you don’t, you are missing out on an important step! Would you run a 10-mile race without stretching and warming up your muscles? I hope not! The same should be true for your singing voice that requires the coordination of many different muscle groups! Here is the Victoria Rapanan Rule for Basic Warm-Ups: I generally recommend starting in mid-range and working your way down before you go up. 1st: descending scales (maybe start with 5 tone scale, then proceed to full scale). 2nd: ascending scales (same as above 5 tone, then full scale). 3rd: sustained (held) notes. Warm-ups are not the same thing as “setting your voice up” for singing. After warm-ups should be the specific exercises that address exactly what you need – for example, opening up your high notes, getting better resonance, vibrato exercises, tongue loosening exercises, etc. Then you apply to your song. Exercises do not have to be long and laborious. They can be done in 10-20 minutes, depending on the singer. Remember what I always say: The exercises are what build and train your voice! If you skip over exercises, you are only cheating yourself.
- On the opening page my website, http://www.healthyvocaltechnique.com , I ask a profound question: Do you want to *master* your voice, meaning really sing…, or do you want to sound like everyone else? So many singers sound exactly the same, as in the identical cookie-cutter version of each other. Why is that? I believe it is because they are either copying the same singers, or they are singing exactly the way they speak (which means their singing voices are very limited). Discover and develop your OWN TRUE AND UNIQUE VOICE through vocal exercises, and you will sound better and have more fun! The exercises are what build and train the voice! Celebrate what makes you unique as a singer!
- Let’s debunk the age-old advice of “singing from the diaphragm”. Do you know that is physically impossible? The diaphragm is involved when we inhale, but is largely passive when we exhale. Since we sing on the exhalation, the diaphragm is not part of creating sound. It is important to know how your voice actually works. Refer to my article Debunking the “Sing from the Diaphragm” Myth for a complete, yet concise, explanation about the diaphragm.
- Make smart practice part of your daily routine. Everyone can find a minimum of 10 minutes a day, 6 days a week to practice their exercises (warm-ups, followed by targeted exercises focusing specifically on what you need in your vocal training). Of course, 10 minutes is just the minimum, BUT remember that consistency is the key to building new habits. With 10 minutes a day, 6 days a week, you can build new habits and muscle memory. The exercises are what build and train the voice!
- Do you record yourself when you practice? If not, you are missing out on a valuable tool. Remember that we cannot hear ourselves accurately when we sing. Recording yourself helps you monitor your progress, hear where you still need work, and helps you to be your own guide. It provides structure for your training, and you will get more out of your practice sessions.