Singing - tips?

I'm the "singer" in a band, and have ben for a while. I plan to get vocal coaching this summer as I've always felt my voice was the weak link in the band, and I don't want to let the boys down.

Has anyone got any tips or advice on how to sing well? I can hit notes, and I have a fairly good idea of a warm-up, but I have no microphone technique, I don't know how to sustain notes without them sounding rubbish and my phrasing is variable at best, crap at worst...

Any tips would be really appreciated.. I've trawled the net and only come up with crap about the role of a good singer, nothing about technique.. so good links are equally appreciated!

I know the best advice is practise, but I've been doing this for 5 years now and my voice, whilst stronger, still has the same problems it always did...

Just keep singing... everywhere.

Drive everyone nuts, don't even care.

You'll get better with practice.

record a tape of yourself singing and send a copy to everyone in your local phonebook.



ask them for feedback

KGR, thanks, will probably get punched in the face a few times but it's worth a try

UCOF, takes one to know one good idea, minor problem is my tape shortage.

Depends largely on what type of music you sing.

i need to read topics twice before reacting. thought you'd been out and singed your tits.

anyhoo try contacting local bands/singers/UCOFs etc

"thought you'd been out and singed your tits."


Why contact me?

I have no recording studio.

UCOF, you have hot breasts as well. That's why.



You could give him tips on how to fend off the laaaaaadies.

edit: local bands/singers/village idiots

My breasts are the bane of my life.



*withdraws from the thread leaving a trail of slime....*

SERVED! SERVED! SERVED! SERVED!

jkjk

but no, seriously...

(Thinks up more comments on UCOF's chest and decides to shut it)

It's OK, I'm willing to edit the thread title to "John's Tits" if you'd rather

I bet the thread would get far more traffic.

Mayhaps you should sing a song about them.

OK. Based on all John's posts in this thread, for added insanity

His name is UCOF, he's got luvverly tits
They're the size of an ape and create general bliss
And well may you cough when his dulcet tones
Bemoan his lack of microphones

His boobies have been his rival from birth
Perhaps it is due to their phenomenal girth
And he's some kind of snail, but a snail with breasts
That's some kind of unimaginable fantasy chest.

Yeeeah, that shut you all up, didn't it?

no, it's now my signature.

I aim to please

As said before, lots of practice.

If you're having trouble sustaining notes and your phrasing isn't that great, it's most likely due to poor breath support. Every note you sing has to be supported, no matter how long or short, high or low, loud or soft. A lot of people can hit the notes, but the breath support isn't there so they can't sing nearly as well as they could with it.

The best way to improve, in my opinion, is to get a voice teacher. Practicing on your own helps tons, but a voice teacher is the safest way to go. You don't want to practice techniques and whatnot that are bad and/or could damage your vocal chords. An online site probably won't help you much. Every person's voice is different, so a general online instruction won't do you much good. Also, a site can't tell you if you're doing something wrong. It could sound correct to you, but be the total opposite of what you ought to be doing. Spend the extra money and get yourself a teacher. It really is the best way to go.

Lots of luck!

also, remember that dynamics are key... a sustained note is nothing if it doesn't do something dynamic... creshendo's or diminuendo's are the key to powerful sustained notes... also, kicking yourself in the nuts can help with the high notes.

*winces*

nice pair of g-clamps work wonders for the high notes ive been told

As far as mike technique goes, two good basics are to hold the mike up and straight in front of your mouth, and second not to hold the nike in the cup of your hand or any other 'funky' grips- it'll just mess up the sound.

As far as actually singing goes, it really depends on your style and sound- I'm a choral tenor so sustained, clean notes from the diaphram are the way to go, but if its Rock then its all about the individual voice. Breath control is a must though- even as an asthmatic my lung capacity is greater than many of my friends a) because I don't smoke and b) because I use my lungs a lot singing. Swimming is excellent practivce for breath control- I've been meaning to get into it for years

Hope that helps

yeah, I was told by my teacher years ago to breath from my stomach, not my chest: that way it will be more powerfull and will have more sustain.
if the long notes start bending, try a bit of vibrato in your voice towards the end or dropping to another note in the same scale while holding the same sound, that is the 'trick' most singers use.
as far as mike technique goes (and I am a soundengineer working for bands): don't!!!!!
often you see people who are famous use "technique", dragging the mike away from the mouth as the hold notes. this only means they have no volume while singing 'normal' and boost to get the long notes. and often they drag too far, making the note sound feeble and thin. besides: most clubs and soundengineers have a little machine called a vocal compressor that should correct all of this anyway.
but most importantly: DO NOT 'CAP' THE MIKE. it looks very hip-hop and 'cool', but it makes you voice sound like you're singing through a toilet-roll and will also make the PA and monitor system more feedback sensitive.

Mr Chutney should know... he has cds out



and that song is brilliant Thank you very very much.

Thanks a lot to everyone, this is all great advice Breath control really isn't something I've ever given much thought to, so it seems pretty fair to assume this is where I've been going wrong.. volume etc is also an issue for me.

I'm definitely looks at voice lessons this summer, but obviously it's good to have something to be thinking about in the mean time

Thanks so much for all the tips, I'm actually really excited to have something to look at in order to help it

And there'll be no mike holding for me - I'm also a guitarist

p.s drooling is a bad thing..............go figure

Sing from your belly!

A good simple breath exercise is to start by breathing in cycles (that is, breath in for a slow count of three, hold for three, out for three hold for three) then make sure your belly is expanding, not your chest (but it will a little) This is DIAPHRAMATIC (sp?) BREATHING. If your chest expands more than your belly, you are INTERCOSTAL BREATHING.

Another tip. Find a note that when sustained provides a reasonance. Find out where this reasonance is in your body. If its in your sinus, mouth or upper throat, its not the best place. Try, by providing more power, changing your mouth shape more like an "O" and any other way you can, to shift this reasonance downward. This is your chest voice. When singing higher notes, this reasonace will travel upward. When you are singing very high, it should be in your upper throat. This is "falsetto" and useful for reaching very high notes (if youre a bloke)

Thats just for starters. Any more you have to pay! Teaching singing is some people's way to make a living. That above is practically lesson one!

(You can tell I'm a musical theatre actor and my g/f is in professional training...)

Thanks FP!!

NP N_A_G!

Learn breathing techniques!