By Bob Pardue
This set of singing lessons cover the art (and science) of how your diaphragm affects your voice. If your singing were done by computer, you could click the mouse and correct the sounds and volume. However, you do not have a digital voice, just a human singing voice so you have to learn to control it from within. This article will help you achieve that goal.
If you've been singing any length of time, you have probably heard the phrase "sing with your diaphragm" already. But what does this really mean? What is your diaphragm and how does it work? How does the diaphragm help with singing? Let's explore what the word "diaphragm" really means and how it is connected to good singing.
The Diaphragm Explained
The diaphragm is a system of muscles that is connected to the lowest ribs on the sides. It is also connected to the sternum and the back, top lumbar region. The diaphragm's primary function is to help you inhale. The diaphragm descends when you inhale, displacing the viscera, upper intestines and stomach.
Short-waisted people will notice that their epigastric area, or the area between the naval and sternum, bulges out when they inhale. Long-waisted people will show little bulging while inhaling because there's more room for expansion.
Exhaling
The diaphragm plays no role in actual exhalation, but does act as a controlling muscle system and controls how quickly you can exhale your breath. Exhalation is controlled by the abdominal system, which is located from your naval to your pelvis. When you exhale quickly, the diaphragm is basically inactive; however, when exhaling slowly, the diaphragm resists the natural exhaling action of the abdomen.
**EXPERIMENT: Try breathing out very slowly and you'll notice that for the first second or two, you are controlling the exhalation, but after that it happens without effort. Your diaphragm has taken action to ensure proper exhalation. Amazing, huh? When you breathe out quickly, you control the exhalation process. Try it both ways to feel the difference.
Singing and Exhalation
When singing, it's like you are breathing out these long, slow breaths throughout your song. You try to control them, but on long notes, the diaphragm will have to take over - it's only natural! All people have a strong diaphragm no matter what their size or height. The diaphragm doesn't need to be strengthened, but controlled. You must know how and when it works before you can control it.
Vocal Cords and the Diaphragm
Your vocal cords should not be used to hold back excessive pressure from breathing. Instead, they should only have enough breath pressure to help maintain their sound vibrations. If too much pressure falls on the vocal cords, they press together too tightly and cannot freely function as they should.
While singing, your epigastric area should not be sucked in, but should be in the position it is in when full of air after inhaling, immediately after the onset of a tone. This sounds opposite of what it should be, right? Think about it... if you take a good breath and then exhale most of it or all of it before singing the note, you're going to be "out of breath" too quickly because your diaphragm has already collapsed.
So, inhale a deep breath and be sure you are breathing in properly with your gut extending outward slightly, not your chest. Then begin to sing and allow the diaphragm to go to work. Using the diaphragm, you will notice you can hold the notes or sing longer phrases without breathing difficulties.
Bob Pardue is the owner of Vocal Sphere. Have some fun and learn to sing better by visiting http://www.vocal-sphere.com today...
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Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Thursday, October 4, 2007
How to Throw a Christmas Kareoke Party
Music is traditionally a big part of Christmas, if you're not sure how big, just imagine a Christmas without music!
If you want to throw a great Christmas Party this year, consider a Christmas Kareoke party. Why? Because, people love to sing at Christmastime. Do you remember getting together with friends and family and singing Christmas Carols when you were young? So does everyone else. And, for the most part people love to relive their childhood experiences.
Here's a few tips on how to throw a great Christmas Kareoke party.
1. There's strength in numbers. Your guests will feel much more comfortable singing when everyone else is singing. The smaller the group the more self-conscious people will be. So, be generous, invite as many people as you can.
2. Start with drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Make your guests comfortable and let them mingle over some wine and cheese.
3. Use background music. Background Christmas music is a must if you want your guests to warm up to music. If they hear their favorite Christmas songs they'll be more open to singing when it comes time.
4. After a few hours invite everyone to sit and be comfortable.
If you can, set up theatre style chairs which is a more formal and enrolls and engages everyone to step up.
5. Hand out lyric sheets. Very often your local newspaper will print Christmas Lyrics to popular Christmas Songs. If not, go to the internet and search online for Christmas Lyrics.
6. Put on the Christmas Kareoke CD and get everyone to sing as a group. You can choose a soloist or two if people are so inclined but it's not necessary. It's the caroling that people love to do, not show off their singing voices. It's all about the energy of the group.
7. Don't make it too long. The last thing you want to do is have too many songs to sing. The whole singing event shouldn't last longer than half an hour at the most.
8. Once the singing is complete, put the background Christmas Music on.
9. Let people mingle until the party is over.
You'll find that a Christmas Kareoke is a very clever thing to do and your party will be remembered for its originality and fun.
Christmas caroling has fallen out of style for the past several years. It's time to bring it back. If you can find yourself a great local piano player to come in and lead the carol sing. If your budget will not permit it, then find the perfect Christmas karaoke CD that will work in your regular CD player.
About the author:
Your Christmas Party will be the hit of the season with this all-new Christmas
Kareoke CD.
If you want to throw a great Christmas Party this year, consider a Christmas Kareoke party. Why? Because, people love to sing at Christmastime. Do you remember getting together with friends and family and singing Christmas Carols when you were young? So does everyone else. And, for the most part people love to relive their childhood experiences.
Here's a few tips on how to throw a great Christmas Kareoke party.
1. There's strength in numbers. Your guests will feel much more comfortable singing when everyone else is singing. The smaller the group the more self-conscious people will be. So, be generous, invite as many people as you can.
2. Start with drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Make your guests comfortable and let them mingle over some wine and cheese.
3. Use background music. Background Christmas music is a must if you want your guests to warm up to music. If they hear their favorite Christmas songs they'll be more open to singing when it comes time.
4. After a few hours invite everyone to sit and be comfortable.
If you can, set up theatre style chairs which is a more formal and enrolls and engages everyone to step up.
5. Hand out lyric sheets. Very often your local newspaper will print Christmas Lyrics to popular Christmas Songs. If not, go to the internet and search online for Christmas Lyrics.
6. Put on the Christmas Kareoke CD and get everyone to sing as a group. You can choose a soloist or two if people are so inclined but it's not necessary. It's the caroling that people love to do, not show off their singing voices. It's all about the energy of the group.
7. Don't make it too long. The last thing you want to do is have too many songs to sing. The whole singing event shouldn't last longer than half an hour at the most.
8. Once the singing is complete, put the background Christmas Music on.
9. Let people mingle until the party is over.
You'll find that a Christmas Kareoke is a very clever thing to do and your party will be remembered for its originality and fun.
Christmas caroling has fallen out of style for the past several years. It's time to bring it back. If you can find yourself a great local piano player to come in and lead the carol sing. If your budget will not permit it, then find the perfect Christmas karaoke CD that will work in your regular CD player.
About the author:
Your Christmas Party will be the hit of the season with this all-new Christmas
Kareoke CD.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
How To Warm Up and Cool Down When Singing
Warming up and cooling down before and after singing is crucial in preserving a healthy singing voice. If you don't warm up and cool down your voice, you risk damaging your vocal cords and sometimes permanently so.
All athletes know that an effective warm up is essential for optimal athletic performance. But you say, singers are not athletes, so why should singers warm up their singing voices?
Singers who are dinner guests are often asked to perform impromptu entertainment by their host after the dinner to entertain other guests. The wise singer will politely decline the request rather than singing raw which is further complicated by a bloated tummy.
A proper warming up before a singing performance lets the singer to get in touch with the singer's inner self physically and psychologically since self awareness is the foundation of good vocal techniques.
All good singers know that there is a co-ordination of many muscles parts and therefore warming up before singing should be an unhurried and a leisurely self-exploration that allows enough time for the loosening and coordination of the muscles that assist voice production. Warming up your voice should be an enjoyable experience because as you warm up, your voice begins to sound better, effortless and a sense singing freely is felt.
Unfortunately, most of the time, the singer is warming up while rushing to a rehearsal or as a last minute preparation before taking the stage. The pressure of a hurried warming up may cause physical and mental tension and as such, the warming up may prove to be ineffective or worse, counter-productive.
All well trained singers develop their own distinctive warming up routines best suited to their own personal requirements. The routines may vary with changes in physical, mental and also emotional state.
Most good singers begin by warming up their body first with light physical exercises. This is done to reduce the muscular tension so that the singing voice will not sound strained or tensed. Furthermore, light exercises helps to stimulate deep breathing which is essential for good voice support.
It is vital to start vocalizing in your comfortable vocal range so as not to strain your vocal cords when it is cold. You can then gradually move on to the higher and lower extreme notes.
Some recent biomechanical research have shown that singing at the extremity of both the higher and lower notes of the vocal range can strain the laryngeal muscles, and can result harmful patterns of muscle tension. It goes on to say that thus it is good common sense to avoid the extreme pitches whether they are high or low notes until your voice is warmed up appropriately.
Most singer's warm up is devoted to the goals of obtaining a beautiful voice timbre through the use of various vocal exercises.
After a singing session, the singer should cool down the voice with exercises that soothe the vocal cords such as soft descending scales on the "oo" or the "ee" vowel. If the singer does not cool down after a sing session, the vocal tension will stay and the vocal cords remain tensed and this will lead to further voice complications. So, to maintain and preserve a healthy singing voice, adequate warm up and cool down is a must in any singer's inventory.
About the author:
Chris Chew owns a singing and music website at Music score sheets and Karaoke singing tips
All athletes know that an effective warm up is essential for optimal athletic performance. But you say, singers are not athletes, so why should singers warm up their singing voices?
Singers who are dinner guests are often asked to perform impromptu entertainment by their host after the dinner to entertain other guests. The wise singer will politely decline the request rather than singing raw which is further complicated by a bloated tummy.
A proper warming up before a singing performance lets the singer to get in touch with the singer's inner self physically and psychologically since self awareness is the foundation of good vocal techniques.
All good singers know that there is a co-ordination of many muscles parts and therefore warming up before singing should be an unhurried and a leisurely self-exploration that allows enough time for the loosening and coordination of the muscles that assist voice production. Warming up your voice should be an enjoyable experience because as you warm up, your voice begins to sound better, effortless and a sense singing freely is felt.
Unfortunately, most of the time, the singer is warming up while rushing to a rehearsal or as a last minute preparation before taking the stage. The pressure of a hurried warming up may cause physical and mental tension and as such, the warming up may prove to be ineffective or worse, counter-productive.
All well trained singers develop their own distinctive warming up routines best suited to their own personal requirements. The routines may vary with changes in physical, mental and also emotional state.
Most good singers begin by warming up their body first with light physical exercises. This is done to reduce the muscular tension so that the singing voice will not sound strained or tensed. Furthermore, light exercises helps to stimulate deep breathing which is essential for good voice support.
It is vital to start vocalizing in your comfortable vocal range so as not to strain your vocal cords when it is cold. You can then gradually move on to the higher and lower extreme notes.
Some recent biomechanical research have shown that singing at the extremity of both the higher and lower notes of the vocal range can strain the laryngeal muscles, and can result harmful patterns of muscle tension. It goes on to say that thus it is good common sense to avoid the extreme pitches whether they are high or low notes until your voice is warmed up appropriately.
Most singer's warm up is devoted to the goals of obtaining a beautiful voice timbre through the use of various vocal exercises.
After a singing session, the singer should cool down the voice with exercises that soothe the vocal cords such as soft descending scales on the "oo" or the "ee" vowel. If the singer does not cool down after a sing session, the vocal tension will stay and the vocal cords remain tensed and this will lead to further voice complications. So, to maintain and preserve a healthy singing voice, adequate warm up and cool down is a must in any singer's inventory.
About the author:
Chris Chew owns a singing and music website at Music score sheets and Karaoke singing tips
Monday, September 24, 2007
Can You Carry A Tune?
Can You Carry a Tune?
"Carry A Tune". That is an interesting expression when you think about it. What does "carry a tune" really mean? My definition is the ability to sing a familiar song in a manner that the listener is able to recognize the song from the notes that you are singing.
This is not a hard technique to master, it just takes practice. If you want others to listen to you sing and recognize the song that you are singing, then you as the singer need to listen to what you are singing.
It makes sense, but there are a surprising number of social singers that never listen to themselves while they sing. Is this possible? Can you really sing without listening? The answer is yes. Many people have never consciously heard their own singing voice, so they are unable to pick themselves out of a crowd of singing voices.
The solution to this problem is to sing to yourself. Will you look foolish? It depends on where you decide to do the singing. I suggest that you start by singing in the shower. With all the tile and lack of carpeting in most bathrooms, it is the ideal place to begin your singing career. Provided you can sing and wash at the same time, then you can think of the time spent as multi-tasking.
Pick a song that is very simple. It should be a song that you have no doubt as to how the song goes, both music and lyrics. I usually suggest a song from childhood such as "Mary had a little lamb" or "Twinkle twinkle little star". It's not important what you sing. The important part is what you do while you're singing.
During the song, pay more attention to what you are hearing than what you are singing. Listen for your voice. Listen to the notes you are singing and the pitch of those notes. After singing the song a few times, try thinking the song in your head. Let your brain sing it to you, then sing the song out loud again.
This takes practice, but by singing alone in the shower you can train your ears to pick your singing voice out of a group of singers. This is the first stage of a successful social singer.
Can You Carry A Tune? The answer will be yes if you take this necessary first step. Become a great social singer, try singing in the shower.
I recommend one of these vocal products to help get you started.
"Carry A Tune". That is an interesting expression when you think about it. What does "carry a tune" really mean? My definition is the ability to sing a familiar song in a manner that the listener is able to recognize the song from the notes that you are singing.
This is not a hard technique to master, it just takes practice. If you want others to listen to you sing and recognize the song that you are singing, then you as the singer need to listen to what you are singing.
It makes sense, but there are a surprising number of social singers that never listen to themselves while they sing. Is this possible? Can you really sing without listening? The answer is yes. Many people have never consciously heard their own singing voice, so they are unable to pick themselves out of a crowd of singing voices.
The solution to this problem is to sing to yourself. Will you look foolish? It depends on where you decide to do the singing. I suggest that you start by singing in the shower. With all the tile and lack of carpeting in most bathrooms, it is the ideal place to begin your singing career. Provided you can sing and wash at the same time, then you can think of the time spent as multi-tasking.
Pick a song that is very simple. It should be a song that you have no doubt as to how the song goes, both music and lyrics. I usually suggest a song from childhood such as "Mary had a little lamb" or "Twinkle twinkle little star". It's not important what you sing. The important part is what you do while you're singing.
During the song, pay more attention to what you are hearing than what you are singing. Listen for your voice. Listen to the notes you are singing and the pitch of those notes. After singing the song a few times, try thinking the song in your head. Let your brain sing it to you, then sing the song out loud again.
This takes practice, but by singing alone in the shower you can train your ears to pick your singing voice out of a group of singers. This is the first stage of a successful social singer.
Can You Carry A Tune? The answer will be yes if you take this necessary first step. Become a great social singer, try singing in the shower.
I recommend one of these vocal products to help get you started.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Everyone is a Social Singer
Absolutely everyone is a social singer. I’ll give you an example.
Let’s say you're at the office and you find out that today is Mary’s birthday. At some point in the day, everyone will be asked to gather into the kitchen and sing a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday to Mary.
If you find your self in the back of the room count yourself lucky, because everyone in the back will just mouth the words to the song. But, what do you do if you find yourself in the front of the room, or worse yet, your standing next to the boss?
Well this, my friends, is when social singing comes into play.
You can’t fake it while standing next to the boss, and I can tell you that everyone in the room is half singing and half listening to the singing voice of everyone around them.
In this instance, you need to show your team-spirit, your eagerness to participate, and your abundance of self-confidence. You need to belt out those happy birthday lyrics with pride. If the boss likes your voice, he/she will remember that in the coming days. It is a silent advantage and could prove valuable for things to come.
Don’t let yourself be caught in an embarrassing situation. Try some of my techniques and you will find that you will shine in these social singer settings.
I recommend one of these vocal products to help you SHINE.
Let’s say you're at the office and you find out that today is Mary’s birthday. At some point in the day, everyone will be asked to gather into the kitchen and sing a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday to Mary.
If you find your self in the back of the room count yourself lucky, because everyone in the back will just mouth the words to the song. But, what do you do if you find yourself in the front of the room, or worse yet, your standing next to the boss?
Well this, my friends, is when social singing comes into play.
You can’t fake it while standing next to the boss, and I can tell you that everyone in the room is half singing and half listening to the singing voice of everyone around them.
In this instance, you need to show your team-spirit, your eagerness to participate, and your abundance of self-confidence. You need to belt out those happy birthday lyrics with pride. If the boss likes your voice, he/she will remember that in the coming days. It is a silent advantage and could prove valuable for things to come.
Don’t let yourself be caught in an embarrassing situation. Try some of my techniques and you will find that you will shine in these social singer settings.
I recommend one of these vocal products to help you SHINE.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
10 Pre-Singing Tips
Whether you are a beginning vocal student or a seasoned professional, these 10 pre-singing tips apply to all. If you want to be a singer, you have to think like a singer. Take these 10 little tips to heart and you will be more successful than half the people that are out there singing today.
1. Drink a glass of water - Do not sing with a dry throat. Why, because you sing with your vocal chords and if they are dry, they can be damaged. By drinking at least 8 ounces of water you will properly lubricate your vocal chords and avoid the damage. Also keep a glass of water handy while singing to keep your vocal chords moist.
2. Get plenty of rest - When you sing, your throat and muscles should be loose. When you're tired you tend to tense your body. So do not sing if you are overly tired.
3. Wear comfortable clothing - If you wear tight fitting clothing then you will not be able to breathe properly, and singing is 70% about breathing.
4. Wear comfortable shoes - As you will see from the next steps, your feet placement is critical to proper singing and it is best to learn to sing with your feet fairly level. High heals will tend to put you in the wrong singing position.
5. Stand up straight - Singing utilizes your whole body, but most importantly your diaphragm. If you are slouching, you do not have full control over your diaphragm.
6. Shoulders should be down and your chest should be raised - Imagine that a long cord hanging from the ceiling is connected to your upper chest area. This may feel a little funny at first, but it will give you the correct posture for singing.
7. Position your feet under your shoulders - Your feet should be a foot or so apart. This gives you more control over your body and will allow you to express yourself with slight body movements while singing.
8. One foot should be 6 to 8 inches in front of the other - It doesn't matter which foot. The general rule of thumb is if you are right-handed then your right foot will be in front. This also allows for greater body control.
9. Slightly bend your knees - It should not be an obvious amount. This is to prevent you from locking your knees while you sing. Locking your knees will cause you to put your weight on your back foot and this is wrong. You want your weight over your body but with a slight emphasis on your front foot.
10. Do not have anything in your mouth when singing - This sounds strange to have to say, but I have seen many people try to sing with gum in their mouths. You can't sing properly if you are trying to keep a piece of gum from falling out of your mouth. So get rid of it before you start.
Every professional vocal instructor will tell you that these 10 little tips are the physical and mental preparation needed to begin any voice lesson and certainly every vocal performance. Remember that singing is a physical activity and you must be physically ready to play. With these 10 pre-singing tips and you will go far.
_______________________________________________
Susan has been studying voice for 30 years and has been teaching beginning voice students for 15 years. She is a degreed professional singer as well, having studied under many types of vocal coaches over her career. Here are some vocal products that she recommends.
10 Pre-Singing Tips
1. Drink a glass of water - Do not sing with a dry throat. Why, because you sing with your vocal chords and if they are dry, they can be damaged. By drinking at least 8 ounces of water you will properly lubricate your vocal chords and avoid the damage. Also keep a glass of water handy while singing to keep your vocal chords moist.
2. Get plenty of rest - When you sing, your throat and muscles should be loose. When you're tired you tend to tense your body. So do not sing if you are overly tired.
3. Wear comfortable clothing - If you wear tight fitting clothing then you will not be able to breathe properly, and singing is 70% about breathing.
4. Wear comfortable shoes - As you will see from the next steps, your feet placement is critical to proper singing and it is best to learn to sing with your feet fairly level. High heals will tend to put you in the wrong singing position.
5. Stand up straight - Singing utilizes your whole body, but most importantly your diaphragm. If you are slouching, you do not have full control over your diaphragm.
6. Shoulders should be down and your chest should be raised - Imagine that a long cord hanging from the ceiling is connected to your upper chest area. This may feel a little funny at first, but it will give you the correct posture for singing.
7. Position your feet under your shoulders - Your feet should be a foot or so apart. This gives you more control over your body and will allow you to express yourself with slight body movements while singing.
8. One foot should be 6 to 8 inches in front of the other - It doesn't matter which foot. The general rule of thumb is if you are right-handed then your right foot will be in front. This also allows for greater body control.
9. Slightly bend your knees - It should not be an obvious amount. This is to prevent you from locking your knees while you sing. Locking your knees will cause you to put your weight on your back foot and this is wrong. You want your weight over your body but with a slight emphasis on your front foot.
10. Do not have anything in your mouth when singing - This sounds strange to have to say, but I have seen many people try to sing with gum in their mouths. You can't sing properly if you are trying to keep a piece of gum from falling out of your mouth. So get rid of it before you start.
Every professional vocal instructor will tell you that these 10 little tips are the physical and mental preparation needed to begin any voice lesson and certainly every vocal performance. Remember that singing is a physical activity and you must be physically ready to play. With these 10 pre-singing tips and you will go far.
_______________________________________________
Susan has been studying voice for 30 years and has been teaching beginning voice students for 15 years. She is a degreed professional singer as well, having studied under many types of vocal coaches over her career. Here are some vocal products that she recommends.
10 Pre-Singing Tips
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