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.
Monday, September 24, 2007
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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