Singing Techniques

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Lost for words with all to say.
Contributor Since: Sep 12, 2003

This is a weird question for all the singers out there. I've been working with some vocalist in our group to get a tighter backup and such. I was wondering if anyone knew good ways to basically teach yourself to sing better. What techniques you use to exercise your voice to be stronger and have more range maybe. Weird question coming from me but I was wondering.

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Member
Since: Jan 18, 2003


Sep 19, 2004 01:28 pm

what's wrong with him, he's not solid all the time? like wavery or something?

i'm not trained in singing, but if anyone else does the thing i am about to describe, maybe it's a method. for notes in a high register, i notice that i can hit them if i 'switch gears' to this 'other voice' i have. this other voice is much quieter, and would thus necessitate standing closer to the mic, and is therefore not that great a voice for singing powerfully. but when i switch to it--and it feels very much like switching gears in a car; there's a threshold you have to go beyond, a hill you have to go over--i have access to notes i can't hit in my 'belly voice.' notes that would otherwise destroy my vox muscles. if you try singing the pearl jam song 'oceans' (great song, that), you find yourself automatically switching into that mode. i think even vedder does it in that song. it's a different 'gear' for your voice. the radiohead song 'pearly' (another great song) has thom doing this as well. he has to be switching gears. that note is just so high, but you can hit it if you learn to switch.

the tradeoff for this method is a volume loss. i suspect that chris cornell is able to bypass this method and actually screams in these high registers, which is remarkable. if he's shifting gears, he's found a way to scream within that higher gear (thatd be a neat trick). if he's not shifting then somehow he is just able to scream along a contiuumn and must have vox muscles made of steel


so i was just wondering if anyone else does the falsetto shift or knows what i mean.

for general training, maybe a helpful thing would be to get an ear training CD with various intervals (you might even make one yourself) and have him sing intervals while driving.



I am not a crook's head
Member
Since: Mar 14, 2003


Sep 19, 2004 03:34 pm

Yeah, I try falsetto alot, although I've yet to try it on any of my recorded material.

Matter of fact, the next song of mine that I'm thinking about recording will use falsetto a lot. I guess I'll find out how I do at it :)

I think that the key to maintaining a constant level between the two is compression. Like listen to the chorus to "High and Dry" from The Bends by Radiohead. I think that Thom Yorke has the best falsetto in the business. And I'm pretty sure that compression is a lot of the secret behind his use of that technique.

I'm not a very good vocalist, but until my dog or wife learns how to sing, its all I have. Although singing a LOT helps, I think that there is no replacement for taking vocal lessons. Someday I hope to do just that.

Make sure that your vocalist warms up before trying to record. Also have him drink room-temperature beverages (I hear that tea or water with lemon and honey are good).

Member
Since: Jul 02, 2003


Sep 19, 2004 07:41 pm

I used to sing alot of falsetto, doing Beatle tunes and a few of mine and other mostly 60's songs, but I don't think falsetto is the one your talking about forty.

Lowering the volume (pressure) you sing at to hit higher notes isn't the same thing. If you can sing a note at lower volume, you can with practice sing it more forcefully. And that is the method I've heard most frequently for practicing. Sing at the lower volume, don't push it, gradually raising the volume, with enough practice it will come. Of course that would work with doing falsetto as well. :)

Dan

Dan

Member
Since: Jan 18, 2003


Sep 19, 2004 07:52 pm

i think it's falsetto and i just explained it badly? the volume loss thing is just something i perceive, i guess, but a more accurate way to put it is maybe that i feel like i'm using a different set of muscles. it's not just singing quieter. it's some physical difference in my throat. its probably jsut normal falsetto but since i know no singing terminology i just tried to explain how it felt. and it's something i have to remind myself to try whenever i'm straining to hit a note, is to use this other muscle set or whatever.

i might be totally wrong about everything.

Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
Member
Since: May 10, 2002


Sep 20, 2004 12:00 am

Well I am no athority on falsetto and thankfully not a casterado. Some more elementary techniques are:

Practice diaphram breathing. That space between the chest and stomech that will give you max air support.

Sing scatt. Don't concentrate on words just intervals. Like target practice for the fretless player.

Listen for the "beat frequency" Sing or project tone next to a tuned instrumet and listen for the worble produced as the two tones mix. The slower the worble the closer you are to on pitch. When it dissipears you are dead on.

Project. Imagine your voice 3 feet out in front of you and put it there.

Member
Since: Apr 22, 2004


Sep 20, 2004 04:33 am

I agree with Walt there.

But vdale, what are you trying to achieve with your backing vocals? Harmonies? Or does/do the back up singer(s) find it difficult to stay in tune?

Has anybody heard of vocal harmonisers? I haven't used one myself but it might help the back up singer(s).

BM


Lost for words with all to say.
Contributor
Since: Sep 12, 2003


Sep 20, 2004 06:03 am

Staying in tone sometimes. We have 4 backups with 2 to 3 singing with the band at one time (rotate whenever they can). One of them is great and right on everytime but then there is another one that has some issues sometimes being flat. Some people have the voice, some people don't. But I belive she could be good with a little practice so I was wondering some techniques if possible. So far, these suggestions have got me thinking. Thanks guys!

Frisco's Most Underrated
Member
Since: Jan 28, 2003


Sep 20, 2004 02:32 pm

I know what you are talking about forty. But with practice, you can make it so that it doesn't feel like changing gears, but rather is a natural slide. For practice, start at the lowest note you can hit, and gradually change pitch until you reach the highest pitch you can hit. I find that when I'm reaching that gear changing threshold, that if kind of push forward with my larynx or vocal chords or throat, that it doesn't have that gear changing effect.

When singing with choir or chorus groups in the past, warming up almost always consisted of doing scales, always moving up a half step at a time (from one scale to another). Try using different syllables as well. Scat is good like Walt said. But most importantly, when singing, don't forget to open your mouth (wide) and throat. Don't let your tongue move to the back of your throat either. Hope some of this rambling helps.

Member
Since: Apr 22, 2004


Sep 21, 2004 01:58 am

If your back up singer is flat only some of the time, it sounds like she should get it eventually. Like everyone says - practise should do it. It really depends on what she wants to do to speed up that process.

Coolo is right about opening your mouth to sing. One easy way to achieve this is to smile while singing :-)

Also warming up is always a good idea...some people use honey/tea etc and keep their throats covered prior to warming up and or singing.

What part of her vocal range does she find most challenging?

BM


I'm scary! Boo!!!
Member
Since: Jul 25, 2004


Sep 21, 2004 07:59 am

Fortymile, I know exactly what your talking about, and I've wondered if anyone else has done it too. I'm trying to teach myself to sing a little better for my own recording and don't know where to begin either. I can hit those hit notes in a lower volume, I just figured I sucked at singing. Honestly the pressure of singing in front of people has scared me away before, but now I would like to give it a try. I would like to get tips also if you guys have them.

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