These techniques will not take away any of your natural rough, edgy blue ness. For all those who want to ‘keep it real’. Keep it real healthy too. There’s no right or wrong style of singing. Only right techniques. These techniques are universal. They’ve been developed over the years to help keep singers singing. No matter what they sing.
Heath first.
I don’t want to go threw a lot of ‘DON’T’ threw out this thread. Rather list them in one post. Because it’s better to know them first. If someone continues to do the don’ts the rest of this is almost useless. The purpose of this is to learn to use proper breathing. And develop healthy habits before, derring and after preforming.
Now for the don’ts.
NO. 1. This is THE number one for a reason. This horror of modern science has destroyed the singing ability of so many people. This is a medical fact. It is the absolute worst thing you can use. It goes by many names. Comes in liquid or melt in your mouth candies. Never use anything that deadens your throat. Not EVEN once before or derring a performance. If your are under a doctors care. He puts you on this stuff. Do not sing until the doctor releases you. If you have a rough, dry or soar throat it’s best not to sing. Try the good rules and see if they help.
NO. 2. This is only slightly worst than no. 1. Before, derring or right after you sing. Do not drink anything that strips your throat of it’s natural moisture. Soda, alcohol, orange juice. You get the idea.
NO 3. Do not consume anything that coats your throat before, derring or right after you sing. Coating your throat makes it work harder than it should. The old “don’t go swimming after you eat.” belief has been proven wrong. However it still holds true for singing. Wait a hour after eating anything to sing. If you have to eat then drink plenty of water before you perform.
All right. I know folks are going to argue about this. Your going to say, “Well I know..” or “So and So said this...” “I’ve been....” Or my favorite. “You have no idea....” If you’ve been around singers all your life. Know singers in their late 40’s on up. Folks that have performed as singers for years. Not the box guitar player or choir boy who’s never had to push themselves to be heard. The band singers. People who perform wile being amplified. People who perform in front of crowds. The singers who have to push themselves to be heard. Point to the ones who don’t have trouble with their throats. How many do you know with nodules on their vocal cords? There are a few billion people on earth right now without nodules on their vocal cords. Why? Because they don’t sing in a band. Singing is extremely hard on your throat. Now I know what your going to ask next. “ What about this pro or that? They’d be singers for years. Why don’t they have trouble???” That’s easy to answer. They know their bread and butter is their throat. They take care of what’s taken care of them. Please don’t make an argument out of “But I’ll never be a pro so why should I care?” Or “I’m a cigar box singer. I’ll never have to push myself over a loud band. Why should I care?” Even if your the most out of key, squawky, breathy mumbler out there you still should care. It’s the only throat you’ll ever have. Be the healthiest out of key squawking mumbler you can be.
Now let’s go on to the good stuff. Because the good stuff is what this is all about.
Good stuff no. 1. Water. Lots of good clear water. No ice. And nothing really hot. Just good plain room temp water. Sip it. Chug it. You can’t go wrong with it. It is the absolutely best thing for your throat! I know what your thinking. “But Rat, water doesn’t go down the same pipe as air. How can water be that good?” It hydrates your entire throat. Not just the parts it flows past. Take a few sips of it wile your singing. Make a habit of having it within reach as you perform. Sing a few songs, take a few sips. If your in a smoky or dry environment drink more than you think you need. Drink plenty before, derring and after your performance is over.
Good stuff no. 2. Relax your throat. Find time to do this before you perform. Relax you lips completely. Take a deep breath. Make this noise. B.B.B.B.B.B.B.B.B.B.B. Let your lips flap in the breeze as you exhale. Try to go up and down in pitch. Right now some of you may have a bit of trouble doing this. That’s ok. Like anything else it takes some practice. Do this before and after you perform. If you can, derring. Make it part of your practicing routine. If you learn to practice relaxed you’ll sing relaxed. How long should you do this? The more time spent doing this the better.
Good stuff no. 3. Try not to do to much talking after your performance is over. If you have to speak do it as quietly as possible. Give you throat a chance to relax. A cool down time. Take some time to quietly hum up and down in pitch. Hum a few songs quietly. Keep drinking water. Do the number two good rule as much as you can. I know most folks are going to want to chug a few beers or shot glasses. Really not the best thing at this time. If you give in then remember to chase it all with plenty of water.
enjoy!
Next,
Breathing. Something you’ve done all your life and still not aware of.
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Read this sentence first a few times then say it out loud.
“All I have to do is think about it then do it.”
Don’t read or go any farther into this until after you have read and said that sentence. Now if you haven’t tried that exorcise go back and give it a go. It’ll blow your mind if you don’t know what is going to happen. If you read the next paragraph before you try that exorcise you will rob yourself of a cool life experience. If you already did that little exorcise then read this paragraph, well sorry. It’s because it’s that important that you experience it. So go back and do it again. Then skip this paragraph.
Now here’s what happened. Your brain knew exactly what and how loud you were going to say that sentence. You took a breath. That breath was JUST enough to say that sentence out loud. There was no space between when you stopped inhaling and the first sound made. It was instantaneous. One motion. When you were done with the sentence you were ready to take another breath. This is natural breathing. This is how we are all set up to communicate. With out even thinking about it. You inhale enough to do anything from whispering to screaming. You do this every time you talk. Because it’s the most natural way of breathing. This is how you should sing as well. Holding your breath. Taking in enough to sing more than one line. Inhaling and holding it for any length of time causes a condition called guttural shock. Every time you hold your breath before making a nose you shock your throat. Even if it’s only for a split second. This tires the throat quickly.
Getting into a good breathing habit.
How to breath. Where to put it all.
OK we’ve gone over how to keep things wet. Because every thing's better when wet. Now let’s work on where to put all that air.
Sit or stand with good posture. Get into a relaxed state of mind. This is best started standing.
Take a long inhale threw you nose and fill your belly. Exhale comfortably. With the next inhale fill everything lower than your belly. Think deep and low inside you. Keep your shoulders relaxed. They should just hang there with little to no movement. Your chest should only mover after your belly is full. Imagine breathing into the lowest parts of your body. Filling up from the bottom to the top. Always breathing in threw your nose. Exhaling out your mouth. The idea here is to stretch your abdomen. To learn to breath deep into your body. Make this a part of your warmup routine. Try breathing in as quickly as you can. This will help strengthen the muscles used.
For me it kind of helped to think I was breathing in threw my backside. It was a way for me to think about filling the absolute lowest areas first. Even if it was just a small breath of air. I know what your thinking. You want to ask, “Hey Rat. Can I think of breathing in threw a different lower part?”. Sure. As long as it doesn’t whistle knock your socks off.
Time to make face noises!
Try this. The next time you talk to someone become aware of your breathing. Watch them as well.
Sit or stand with good posture. Get into a relaxed state of mind. Remember to breath deep. Keep your shoulders relaxed. Keep yourself as relaxed as possible.
Count to yourself and tap out 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. Now do this again and take a quick inhale on the AND after four. One and Two and Three and Four ...inhale. Then say 1, 2, 3, 4. out loud. Make this one motion. The instant your finished inhaling say ONE. Don’t hold or pause your breath. Not even for a split second. Try only inhaling as much air in as needed to say one two three four out loud. Keep doing this till no matter how loud or soft you say ONE TWO THREE FOUR your comfortably out of breath when your finished. Just like you would be if you were talking to someone. Breath naturally when your counting to yourself between speaking. Once you get good at this try saying two measures with only one quick inhale. Remember to always keep this as one motion. As soon as your done inhaling immediately say ONE. This will take a bit to get into the habit of thinking about breathing this way. Keep doing this till it becomes second nature.
Once you get comfortable counting two measures try increasing your count. Try counting to 16, 20 24, 28 and 32. All with just one quick breath on the ‘and’ after the four. Remember to constantly count out loud. One motion. Speak continually without stopping. If you should stop counting for any reason exhale and start over. Remember to breath deep into your body and keep your shoulders relaxed. Don’t practice strangling the last bit of air out. Practice a natural feeling. With no more effort than talking. Counting up to 24 threw 32 will take time and practice. The more you take time to practice deep breathing the stronger your abdomen will get.
Enjoy!
There are exorcises to help increase abdominal muscle strength. Sit ups. Laying on your back and pressing ( not forcefully pushing ) against your belly as you inhale. Any form of regular exorcise will help as well.
Skeesix, I didn't mention smoking because It's kind of a dead giveaway. It's just bad. But folks who smoke can still benefit by doing the other healthy things.
I'm not familiar with Brett Manning's Singing Success. So I watched a few 'before and after' videos by people who have did the exorcises. Perhaps it's just the videos I've seen. I can't call it mixed feelings. What I heard was staccato, choir like singing. Complete pronunciation of words. Completely unprofessional. If this has given you more confidence then it's worked for you. That's the only difference I've heard on all the before and after vids I watched. If this is the style of music your into then go for it with all your heart.
When I needed to become a singer, I took vocal lessons and learned the right singing techniques to protect my throat. Singing should not hurt your throat. The correct technique is called speech level singing, where you don't raise your larynx to raise the pitch of the notes. Your larynx should remain relaxed, the same as when you're speaking.
The best vocal course I've found is Brett Manning's Singing Success. Well worth the money if you're serious about improving your singing.
that all sounds like good advice for a daily routine whether you sing regularly or not. That's healthy living and lifestyle you're hitting on there, Rat.
To give a little anecdotal support, I have known many musicians and singers from the time I was a very young boy. These people are now "older" ( that used to be an adjective, now it's a noun) and you can tell the singers who look after their voices with just one listen on stage. These are the ladies and gentlemen who can sing just as well if not better than when they were in their twenties. You can tell the ones who had exactly the same rock n roll lifestyle but didn't take care of their voice ( taking to the stage with throats aflame gets you hard rocking status but halves your ability to rock hard in the voice stakes long term).
All the best from Bill :D
Replies
PART TWO
Read this sentence first a few times then say it out loud.
“All I have to do is think about it then do it.”
Don’t read or go any farther into this until after you have read and said that sentence. Now if you haven’t tried that exorcise go back and give it a go. It’ll blow your mind if you don’t know what is going to happen. If you read the next paragraph before you try that exorcise you will rob yourself of a cool life experience. If you already did that little exorcise then read this paragraph, well sorry. It’s because it’s that important that you experience it. So go back and do it again. Then skip this paragraph.
Now here’s what happened. Your brain knew exactly what and how loud you were going to say that sentence. You took a breath. That breath was JUST enough to say that sentence out loud. There was no space between when you stopped inhaling and the first sound made. It was instantaneous. One motion. When you were done with the sentence you were ready to take another breath. This is natural breathing. This is how we are all set up to communicate. With out even thinking about it. You inhale enough to do anything from whispering to screaming. You do this every time you talk. Because it’s the most natural way of breathing. This is how you should sing as well. Holding your breath. Taking in enough to sing more than one line. Inhaling and holding it for any length of time causes a condition called guttural shock. Every time you hold your breath before making a nose you shock your throat. Even if it’s only for a split second. This tires the throat quickly.
Getting into a good breathing habit.
How to breath. Where to put it all.
OK we’ve gone over how to keep things wet. Because every thing's better when wet. Now let’s work on where to put all that air.
Sit or stand with good posture. Get into a relaxed state of mind. This is best started standing.
Take a long inhale threw you nose and fill your belly. Exhale comfortably. With the next inhale fill everything lower than your belly. Think deep and low inside you. Keep your shoulders relaxed. They should just hang there with little to no movement. Your chest should only mover after your belly is full. Imagine breathing into the lowest parts of your body. Filling up from the bottom to the top. Always breathing in threw your nose. Exhaling out your mouth. The idea here is to stretch your abdomen. To learn to breath deep into your body. Make this a part of your warmup routine. Try breathing in as quickly as you can. This will help strengthen the muscles used.
For me it kind of helped to think I was breathing in threw my backside. It was a way for me to think about filling the absolute lowest areas first. Even if it was just a small breath of air. I know what your thinking. You want to ask, “Hey Rat. Can I think of breathing in threw a different lower part?”. Sure. As long as it doesn’t whistle knock your socks off.
Time to make face noises!
Try this.
The next time you talk to someone become aware of your breathing. Watch them as well.
Sit or stand with good posture. Get into a relaxed state of mind. Remember to breath deep. Keep your shoulders relaxed. Keep yourself as relaxed as possible.
Count to yourself and tap out 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. Now do this again and take a quick inhale on the AND after four. One and Two and Three and Four ...inhale. Then say 1, 2, 3, 4. out loud. Make this one motion. The instant your finished inhaling say ONE. Don’t hold or pause your breath. Not even for a split second. Try only inhaling as much air in as needed to say one two three four out loud. Keep doing this till no matter how loud or soft you say ONE TWO THREE FOUR your comfortably out of breath when your finished. Just like you would be if you were talking to someone. Breath naturally when your counting to yourself between speaking. Once you get good at this try saying two measures with only one quick inhale. Remember to always keep this as one motion. As soon as your done inhaling immediately say ONE. This will take a bit to get into the habit of thinking about breathing this way. Keep doing this till it becomes second nature.
Once you get comfortable counting two measures try increasing your count. Try counting to 16, 20 24, 28 and 32. All with just one quick breath on the ‘and’ after the four. Remember to constantly count out loud. One motion. Speak continually without stopping. If you should stop counting for any reason exhale and start over. Remember to breath deep into your body and keep your shoulders relaxed. Don’t practice strangling the last bit of air out. Practice a natural feeling. With no more effort than talking. Counting up to 24 threw 32 will take time and practice. The more you take time to practice deep breathing the stronger your abdomen will get.
Enjoy!
There are exorcises to help increase abdominal muscle strength. Sit ups. Laying on your back and pressing ( not forcefully pushing ) against your belly as you inhale. Any form of regular exorcise will help as well.
Skeesix, I didn't mention smoking because It's kind of a dead giveaway. It's just bad. But folks who smoke can still benefit by doing the other healthy things.
I'm not familiar with Brett Manning's Singing Success. So I watched a few 'before and after' videos by people who have did the exorcises. Perhaps it's just the videos I've seen. I can't call it mixed feelings. What I heard was staccato, choir like singing. Complete pronunciation of words. Completely unprofessional. If this has given you more confidence then it's worked for you. That's the only difference I've heard on all the before and after vids I watched. If this is the style of music your into then go for it with all your heart.
Smoking is also very bad for your throat.
When I needed to become a singer, I took vocal lessons and learned the right singing techniques to protect my throat. Singing should not hurt your throat. The correct technique is called speech level singing, where you don't raise your larynx to raise the pitch of the notes. Your larynx should remain relaxed, the same as when you're speaking.
The best vocal course I've found is Brett Manning's Singing Success. Well worth the money if you're serious about improving your singing.
Thanks! Looking forward to the next installment. :)
To give a little anecdotal support, I have known many musicians and singers from the time I was a very young boy. These people are now "older" ( that used to be an adjective, now it's a noun) and you can tell the singers who look after their voices with just one listen on stage. These are the ladies and gentlemen who can sing just as well if not better than when they were in their twenties. You can tell the ones who had exactly the same rock n roll lifestyle but didn't take care of their voice ( taking to the stage with throats aflame gets you hard rocking status but halves your ability to rock hard in the voice stakes long term).
All the best from Bill :D