Tag Archives: vocal coach

Exercising the larynx

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I think it is very important for singers to get to know their larynx. The larynx is the mechanism that houses your vocal cords. You can put your finger on the bump on your throat and find your larynx. Good singers have a larynx that is flexible. It can move up and down, and tilt forward.

You can easily make the larynx move up by swallowing. It will move up to close off your windpipe so food doesn’t enter when you eat.

Getting the larynx to go down isn’t so easy. For some, it is a coordination they have never experienced, and therefore the muscles required for this coordination have never been used properly.

The possibility of using the wrong muscles when trying to lower larynx are strong. Therefore, I highly recommend seeing a professional vocal coach to ensure you are practising correctly.

Here at Bee Music Studios, all singers learn to control their larynx. We don’t sing our songs with a low larynx, but we do learn the co-ordinations and exercise the muscles that keep the larynx down. We get to know what it feels like. We enjoy the rich, deep, beautiful tones that a lower larynx can provide. This co-ordination is very important for mixing, and for singing your high notes with beautiful tone and resonance.

Here is a video of Justin Stoney from Voice Lessons to the World. He says it all. Take a look.

VocalizeU

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I vocalized with my new app today driving into church. Have you tried the VocalizeU app yet!? It’s fabulous and FREE!

Singers, you may be thinking…wow, that’s all I need, the VocalizeU app, and I’ll get all the exercises I need to learn how to sing better! Right?

No, that’s wrong. Here lies the problem. Singers, you must realize this. It’s not the exercises in themselves that lead to a better singing voice; it’s HOW YOU DO the exercises!

You see, we all have unique bodies, unique vocal cords, an unique larynx, etc. (do I need to go on?) Therefore, every single voice has it’s own “issues” or “habits” that need to be addressed (including mine!) Therefore, without seeing a professional vocal coach who can assess what is actually going on with your voice, how can you, as a singer, possibly know if you are exercising properly in order to get the desired results? For all you know, you are merely reinforcing the issue that you actually want to change!

Don’t get me wrong. I am a huge fan of this app for singers! I’m also a fan of many vocal coaching sites that give free tips and exercises, such as Brett Manning’s Singing Success TV, Dave Brooks Vocal Coaching (great for country singers), and Eric Arseneaux’s Approach (great for R&B and pop). These are just to name a few.

Singers, soak it all up. There is a lot of information out there. You just need to learn how to sort through it. But first, get to know your voice by seeing a voice professional. Find out what your teacher thinks about these sites. Ask questions and try to figure out if you are on the “same page.” Without a coach’s input, you may simply be going through the motions, and not actually taking the correct steps to a better singing voice.

I’d be please to answer any questions, or recommend a good coach in your area. Leave me a comment!

So you want to be a singer…

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Learning to sing is no different than learning to play the guitar or the piano. It requires a great deal of discipline and practise to get your vocal cords working to the best of their ability. Copying other singers can be a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing. If you are not approaching the pitches correctly, or not using the appropriate mix of head and chest voice for the song, then it can be problem. This can create some very bad habits, and lead to hoarseness and possible damage.

Bottom line is, if it hurts or if you are straining for notes, then you are doing it wrong. Singing should feel easy and free. If you are grimacing and singing loudly during high notes then you are not singing freely.

Everyone’s vocal cords are different. That’s the fascinating thing about the vocal instrument. No two sound alike. Some voices are automatically pleasing, and some not so pleasing. Of course, this is all subjective. What’s pleasing to my ear may not be pleasing to your ear.

If you’re not sure how to make your singing better, then it’s a good idea to see a vocal coach with a reputable background to learn exercises that will help you build strength, endurance and better tone.

Freedom to express yourself….

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Ahhh, we are so blessed to live in a country and culture where we can sing and express ourselves without being locked up or banished. Notice, I didn’t say judged. I wish it were easier for singers to just free themselves from the concern and worry of being judged. Expressing yourself through singing should come from your true self….your inner self. It’s hard to bare your soul through song…especially when you know that some listeners will just not get it. But that’s the point, isn’t it? Who are you singing for? You or the listener? If you are not singing for yourself, then ……. well, why bother?

Seth Riggs says take voice in a “Speech Level Singing” studio not at university…

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Seth Riggs is considered by many to be the best and most successful voice teacher in the world. He is certainly the busiest. No other teacher, past or present, has ever matched his phenomenal track record. His students are a veritable “Who’s Who” of singers, actors, dancers, and entertainers throughout the world. He teaches opera singers, rock singers, jazz singers……..any kind of singer.

He recommends that singers who want to work in the music business take singing lessons outside of university. Here’s why……..university teachers will teach you opera. This does not strengthen the “mix” which is what singers need to do in order to sing in the 21st century of rock, pop, country and jazz music. Singers need to learn how to negogiate through their bridges so they have a proper mix of chest and head voice through all their registers.  This will allow them to sing any style they want………….even opera!