Singing Tuition

DRY THROAT?

Below are a some common reasons why ...

Climate

Sometimes it is simply the climate that is the issue... a very dry climate will quickly dry your throat if you are breathing through your mouth... In this case, you can try taking your breath through your nose... however, you will need to inhale well in advance to trying to make a sound... you'll need a second to open your mouth and re-connect it all... co-ordinate - but with practise it gets easier. BTW... this is a great technique for outdoor gigs, if it is windy or the air is dry, dusty or polluted.

Sugar levels

Certain blood sugar conditions can create a feeling of thirst and dry throat... so, to be sure, avoid alcohol and soft drinks around gig time. The body uses up water in order to process sugars and digest food. So, a few cups of water will be used up if you've recently eaten or had something sugary, alcoholic or caffeinated to drink.. which means you need to time your meals and drinks, to give your body time to replenish.

Breathing Technique

If you are taking a h-u-g-e breath through a wide open mouth and throat... then all the moisture in there is going to evaporate pretty quickly. Try taking the breath through slightly parted lips instead... and you may find that this also helps to deepen your inhalation (in-breath) and stabilize your exhalation (out-breath).

Smoke machines, air-conditioning and smoky venues

These are killers for the throat, and smoke can be especially bad for those who suffer hayfever allergies or asthma.

Air-conditioners ...dry out the air... they remove the moisture or humidity... leaving the air dry... which means that the moisture gets sucked out of your skin and throat in this type of environment. So, your body will use up much more water than in a more moist or humid environment. In air conditioning, the throat dries up pretty fast... and it's not usually until you've been jumping around on stage and warmed your body up, that the juices flow a bit better... right? So, try sipping on something non-alcoholic that will coat your throat beforehand... such as lemon and honey tea, for example... honey is great BTW... or a warm drink will also help. Also, just before you go on stage... breathe a bit of steam (be careful not to burn yourself) for a few minutes to moisten the vocal cords. I usually bring a flask and breathe some steam to keep my cords moist between sets.

Smoke machines... Whether or not you are a smoker... smoke machines can certainly have some undesirable effects upon the throat and voice... some types of fog juice (liquid that is poured into the machine to make smoke/fog) can actually make you feel quite ill... and others really catch on the throat. It unfortunately can take a bit of trial and error to get the right one, which does not bother you too much.

Smoky rooms...On the other hand... smoky rooms/venues can have a similar effect... because remember that as a singer, you are taking in much more air than you normally would as an onlooker... or other player. You are breathing using bigger breaths... and taking them in more often... So, really, you're getting twice as much smoke as others in the room... and it all goes past your cords... with some particles sticking to the walls of your throat and vocal cords along the way... Breathing some steam will loosen up this gunk and help your body to get rid of it. If it dries up on your cords, then you will find that you start to cough... or your throat gets 'itchy'.

Throat coats

Ask your naturopath or local health store (if there is one)... or else... check out the web for a natural 'throat coating formula'. There are some designed especially for singers. I have not used any however... so you'll have to find out for yourself which ones are best...

Try Brett Manning's website for some tips on throat coat sprays. You can also purchase them through his site... and I do trust his judgement on these issues. Click link below... for some ideas.

http://www.singingsuccess.com/vocal_health.htm

Which SONG & What KEY?

Helpful tips for singers...

THE MELODY The most important part of the song, musically, for a singer is the melody... the tune itself. Just because you can sing the melody two tones higher, does not necessarily make it the better key. The best key for any singer, is the one in which the voice sounds most expressive of the piece... and comfortable for the singer.

Find the place in your voice where the melody feels the best... and you can hit all the notes. That is a pretty good start.

TRANSITION ZONE One of the things that may be tripping you up is the transition zone between your lower and higher registers. If this 'bridge' between the registers is a bit shaky... you know... the part in your voice where it's easy to crack notes... then, whatever you do... avoid songs that have important notes in that area of your voice.

HOW TO PICK SONGS The art of choosing songs... and it is an art form for sure. Do what you are good at. Choose songs that mean something to you... that you understand the meaning of... and that you like.

Tape yourself performing or practising your song and listen back to it. That is a excellent way to hear yourself realistically. Pretend that you are listening to someone that you've never heard before... and see what your impressions are. Do this with all the songs that you are going to perform. I tape every song rehearsal and practise nowadays... and it has certainly helped me to improve my act.

HOW TO FIND KEYS THAT WORK BEST The key of a song may not necessarily guarantee you an easy ride. It depends upon the melody and even upon the style of music. So, if one song works in Am... another may not. You simply have to learn the melody and find the best place in your voice that you can sing it from top to bottom - start to finish. Work out what your starting note is... and fiddle with the karaoke program / machine at home until you have the key right. OR get a guitarist / keyboardist friend to figure it out for you.

The 'starting note' is the first note that you sing in the verse of the song. You can find it on a keyboard or guitar.

STAYING IN TUNE If you have problems with tuning... or pitching notes... then work on this problem. It is hard to sing when you don't know where you are meant to be singing. If you are ducking under the notes... then perhaps the melody is too high for you. Take the song down a semitone and see how you go.

Check out some of the ear training tools on this site at:

http://groups.msn.com/SingingTuition/eartraining.msnw

MONITORS: When your voice is amplified, it may sound thicker or 'fatter'... even deeper in tone than it would in a normal room, singing to the stereo. In some cases it will have more edge... and in others it will be hard to hear at all. So, listen to the music for your cues and to tune your notes properly, rather than listening to your own voice too much... or you'll put yourself off for sure. Focus upon becoming part of the music... think of your voice as one of the instruments... the lead instrument. When you are concentrating on the music... you will be less likely make mistakes.

Avoid changing the sound of your voice... manipulating it... or adjusting it... to 'correct' the monitors. Just sing naturally. Get used to the feelings within your body, that occur when you are singing well... and use those feelings on stage.

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A CHECKLIST FOR SINGERS

1. Know the melody really, really well... so that you can sing it without backing... and stay in tune.

2. Try singing the melody (without any backing)... higher and lower in your range, until you find the right place... then work out your starting note for the verse or chorus.

3. Once you have a starting note... find out the key.

4. Work on your aural training - ear training... so that you can avoid becoming melodically lost in a song.

5. Always tape yourself singing the song before you perform it live. Listen back and sort it out before you go out there... then you can relax and have more fun on stage.

FURTHER READING ON SELECTING KEYS AND SONGS:

Article and advice... plus list of other helpful articles:

http://www.vocalist.org.uk/vocal_range_key.html

Article about selecting appropriate songs:

http://www.vocalchordssheetmusic.com/Song_Selection.htm