One reason untrained singers sound untrained is when vowels go splat. Splatting is when the vowel spreads out and flattens, like a paintball hitting a wall. This is a huge topic, but I’ll boil it down into three words: Vertical. Not horizontal. Click here to hear a vertical ‘ee’, where the lips are stretched into […]
The first time I played drums at a live gig, I was so nervous that I dropped beats several times throughout the song, and forgot where the transitions between sections were. The first time for anything can be scary. Your first time singing in public? Your first audition? Your first time as lead singer? Your […]
You’ve heard it milllion times… “Breathe into your diaphragm.” “Breathe into your belly.” “Your belly should expand first, then your chest.” Well, what if you JUST CAN’T GET IT TO WORK THAT WAY? What if, no matter how you try, you can’t breathe into your belly first? Here are some more ideas for how to get […]
Lots of illness goes around in the fall and winter, and it’s hard to sing. You certainly should not strain your singing voice when you have a sore throat or a head cold. So, are these days and weeks simply lost time? Hardly. Here are a bunch of ways to keep learning and growing even […]
Does this sound like you?… “I’ve been singing along with the voice exercises, and I can do them and it’s all good, but I just feel that I don’t GET it. I don’t see how doing these scale-based and word-based exercises (ya, ha, ee, etc) will get me to where I want to be. […]
Here are six ways to greatly speed up your progress toward becoming a great singer. I’ll get the obvious one out of the way first: Practice almost every day. At least a few minutes. (Your brain will chew on it overnight.) A day or two off per week. ‘Nuff said. Slow […]
I have performed with vocalists who sound connected, relaxed, and open during pre-gig vocal warmups, but then sound squeaky, shouty, or forced once they sing on stage. What happens? They sing the vocal warmups perfectly, but then sing completely differently on stage. They tend to sing too loud, forcing their voice on stage. Vocal exercises […]
Sometimes I’ve been asked which key I prefer to sing in – not just for one song, but in general. That’s an absurd question and tells me that the person asking doesn’t understand much about voice or music. You don’t have one key you sing in. What really matters is where the melody lies in […]
Are you a good singer? Yes? Great! But are you a good performer? What’s the difference? A good singer has good vocal technique, and interprets a song with feeling appropriate to the song. A good performer is also a good singer, but is also so much more! A good performer knows how to move around […]
Do you sing cover songs or jazz standards? Do you find yourself singing just like the artist on the recording? Would you like to sound more like yourself when you sing, and less like an imitation of another singer? Here are a bunch of ways to help you break out of the box of what […]
