Singing Techniques

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tyler657recpro

tyler657recpro

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I'm not really sure where I shoulda posted this, but I guess I'm gonna stick it here.

What ways are there to get the most out of your voice? Or where can I go to get this information without vocal lessons?
 
There are a variety of book+CD packs at bookstores that can help a great deal.

When taking vocals lessons the first major focus is the way in which you use your body to produce the air flow... the second is learning to control the airflow at all pitches in your range, and this work sinto learning to move through pitches in a key and in songs.

You can still get a strong idea of the first one through books even though no teacher is there to feel your chest to ensure you are performing properly.

They're cheap and can help and give you structure.
 
The Event forum is the unofficial vocal forum pending re-assignment from the 'net gods.

As far as getting the most of your voice without lessons is kind of akin to getting the most out of your car without oil or gas. I mean, people do it, but most mortals really require lessons to get the most out of their voice - the most without lessons doesn't usually amount to much. Yes, there are many exceptions.... great singer, blah, blah, blah.....not a lesson in his life.... blah, blah, blah....

It really depends on what you want your voice to do. If you merely want to be able to sing in tune, then you probably don't need lessons. If you want to establish a technique that will serve you throughout a lifetime of singing, and that will enable you to continue to develop and maintain your voice into old age, then lessons are pretty much mandatory.

There are many millionaire singers who have had to have throat surgery, cancel shows, etc. - all due to vocal fatigue, nodes, etc. Those stories are just as easy to find as the exceptions to the rule.

Perhaps you'll glean some useful tid-bits from CD's, books, etc., but one-on-one instruction is WAY more beneficial. Try to think about learning how to swim from a book or a CD-rom.... You'll get the most out of your arms and legs without lessons - which will amount to a great deal of thrashing about of the arms and legs, and being tired as all hell after swimming about 12 feet.

Chris
 
I see what you are saying. But at this time I am unable to get lessons. I guess what I'm specifically asking about is how to improve vocal range. And can it be done?
 
tyler657recpro said:
I guess what I'm specifically asking about is how to improve vocal range. And can it be done?
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Yes - with lessons............

I want to improve my medical skills - but I don't/can't go to med school right now, so how can I become a better amateur doctor??????????!!!!!!!!!!!

Ged'dit????????????? :eek: :rolleyes:
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
Yes - with lessons............

I want to improve my medical skills - but I don't/can't go to med school right now, so how can I become a better amateur doctor??????????!!!!!!!!!!!

Ged'dit????????????? :eek: :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I know a guy that can make you a fake doctrit. And he has this book he has you read that can teach you to perform do-it-yourself surgery.

Ok you guys have been a great help. What I've found out, without the help of the rankor reflected in your statements, was that most good singers teach themselves, although this is the hard way to do it. It seems that you can improve vocal range by singing a song that you are barely able to hit the high notes. And then you can also sing that an octave or so down. This im told will help to stretch your vocal chords and make them stronger. And you should sing at least every other day.
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
Yes - with lessons............

I want to improve my medical skills - but I don't/can't go to med school right now, so how can I become a better amateur doctor??????????!!!!!!!!!!!

Ged'dit????????????? :eek: :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I know a guy that can make you a fake doctrit. And he has this book he has you read that can teach you to perform do-it-yourself surgery.

Ok you guys have been a great help. What I've found out, without the help of the rankor reflected in your statements, was that most good singers teach themselves, although this is the hard way to do it. It seems that you can improve vocal range by singing a song that you are barely able to hit the high notes. And then you can also sing that an octave or so down. This im told will help to stretch your vocal chords and make them stronger. And you should sing at least every other day.
 
drink water like it's your job. this helps tremendously. never scream, and don't try to talk over people at concerts. don't sing early in the morning. your voice has to wake up just like your body. start off by humming and drinking water, and work into singing.

as far as physical things go, warm up every day. working out your voice is exactly like working out your body. if you don't do it every day, it'll become weak and grow tired, and lose definition. as trite as it sounds, singing scales is the way to go. here's my warm up routine:

start in the lower-middle end of my range, and sing "ma, may, me, moe, moo," and go up half steps until i reach my top. then i go back to the note i started on, and work down till i bottom out.

next i start on the lowest note i can sing and sing the root, third, fifth, hold the octave w/ vibrato, fifth, third root. so for example: c e g c g e c. go up until you have to flip into headvoice, or you are straining to much.

then i just go straight up and down a major scale going up by half steps.

next i do a major scale in threes, meaning: cde,def,efg,fga,gab,abc,bcd, cde. again w/ half steps.

this really wakes the voice up and gets me ready to sing. i started off as a bass II (low as you can go) and w/ time have extended my range to a tenor II without head voice.
 
dont scream? What about all the rock singers who do scream. Is there lessons on how to do this well also?
 
i've never read about how to accurately do the whole screaming thing. i know i can't do it now, but i'm fairly positive that its not full out screaming like we think of when we yell. that physically tears the voice apart, and if you were a touring band, your voice would be shot in a few days...if anybody knows how do to this well, please lemme know
 
see now was that so hard? Thank you VERY much freeform. I'm gonna hafta try that.
 
About the screaming, there certainly is a technique to it. It is not all out belting like some may think. My band has a fair amount of screaming and we just toured the country playing every night, if you do it right it doesn't hurt you at all and doesn't cause fatigue. It's all about how you position your lungs and whotnot....I am not sure how to explain it.
 
Best screaming vocal ever?

John Lennon doing Twist and Shout. I hate all that 'metal rock' screaming.
Listen to John Lennon doing that song and thats REAL passion. Sounds like his soul's ripping at the core.

How did he do it? I know it was the last song (10.30pm) of the 1 day marathon session for the first album so his voice was already shot. And he had half a tub of throat sweets before attempting. I know he smoked alot and drank too. He had a cold that day too. (if you listen to the whole album of please please me all the beatles sound a bit snotty)

He also spent the last two years singing full belt in raving german nightclubs, but i know he also could hardley speak for a couple of days after the session.

His mum died when he was 17 too... and his dad abandoned him...

You just gotta sing your heart out man!
 
dang he definelty got his karma back though. surprised after all that stuff u described that he did that he didnt get vocal nodules though.
 
Yup he got it back

and went on to sing more screamers such as Money, Rock and Roll Music etc... never with quite that desperation tho...
 
Hunger

He was hungry back then.

Not rich and succesful.

Maybe that has something to do with it.
 
see now was that so hard? Thank you VERY much freeform. I'm gonna hafta try that.
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Yes but, the problem is that Freeform really does not know WTF he is talking about and you are only interested in hearing only answers you want to hear.

The fact is your question was, "What ways are there to get the most out of your voice?"

You got your anwser, both Chris and Blue Bear, who both have respect on this web-site for thier knowledge, gave you the truth, which you do not want to hear.
You like most want a simple pill or quick fix to singing better.
This does not exsist.
The advice that Freeform gave you if you go and follow can RUIN YOUR VOICE.

He is not a singing coach, he is very young, he his simply speaking from his ass.
His advice is simply to show off his knowledge, of which from his post, is limited.

But go ahead and sing any way you want. Ruin your voice, you do not seem to want to really learn how to sing properly.

Sean

PS.
know a guy that can make you a fake doctrit. And he has this book he has you read that can teach you to perform do-it-yourself surgery.
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This is an idiotic argument, are you an idiot ?
That is why other informed members have not given you more answers.
 
A lot of people "get by" with poor singing technique cos they have a naturally pleasing vocal quality and a good ear.

A lot of the rest of us really wind up screwing ourselves up because we can tell we need to change something, but we're not sure how to do it. So we bear down on our voice, tighten up our throats, breathe unnaturally, etc.

It's kinda like your golf game - it probably won't really improve until you spend some time with the club pro.

I've been singing for 30 years - poorly. I finally broke down and had six group vocal classes this summer, with one of the vocal profs at my college...

...by lesson TWO, there was a huge difference. And the reason was, she didn't just tell you what to do, or show you - she listened to what you did, gave you feedback, had you try it again til you got it right. Or righter, anyhow.

It made ALL the difference in the world. I'm still light years away from being a good singer, but I've got way more vocal control than I had, and, even better, my tone is no longer nails-on-a-chalkboard.

I was always afraid that I'd lose my rock-n-roll vibe if I had some classical music voice teacher - but it's just about control, support, and developing vocal strength. You learn how to turn the effects - like vibrato and "opera tone" on and off.

If you REALLY care about improving your singing, take the plunge, take some lessons - or join a community choir or something. You might get some of the training for free that way.

Daf
 
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