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Singing
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Published: November 9, 2006
One of the most striking images of singing occurs at the beginning of the film Victor, Victoria, when Julie Andrews' high B flat unexpectedly shatters a nearby wine glass. While this scene is an optical trick—even Andrews' voice cannot crack glass—many singers over the years have envied her clarity of tone and her admirable vocal range.
In order to get the enviable, musical quality distinguishing good from bad singing, seasoned vocalists and voice teachers recommend one start with a few basic techniques.
The most vital element of singing is the tone's relationship to the singer's body. In practical terms, this means one should always use correct posture, warm up before singing and be attentive to how he or she is breathing. Many voice teachers assert a singer's body is his instrument, so it must be carefully cared for. Just as a violinist would never hold the neck of his instrument improperly, a vocalist should never use slack posture.
Although the best way to learn to sing is to attend private lessons, the time and expense involved might lead beginners to explore and practice on their own first. All vocal experimentation should be done carefully, since poor technique could damage one's voice permanently.
One simple exercise, however, is finding proper posture. Correct posture begins with standing up straight, holding shoulders level and positioning feet shoulder-width apart. The vocalist should be relaxed with knees slightly bent and arms hanging at her sides. Standing like a soldier will make the singer sound as tense as she looks.
From the basics of proper posture, a singer can proceed to a few simple warm-ups. Warm-up exercises range from singing up and down scales to singing chords in a group to test for intonation. No matter what warm-up a singer chooses, he or she should generally warm up the upper range of the voice before the lower range. This is due to the nature of human anatomy and how vocal cords prefer to stretch.
During warm-ups, a singer also should practice good breathing technique. Correct breathing starts with learning where the diaphragm is and ends with learning how to stagger breathing. The diaphragm is the muscle located in one's abdomen just below the rib cage. It is arch-shaped and pops a singer's stomach out when he breathes in properly. Voice teachers constantly urge their students to breathe from the diaphragm because it reduces tension and increases the dynamic range one is able to produce. Proper breathing often is the key to true musicality.
When choral singers stagger breathing, it means they do not all breathe simultaneously. The purpose of staggering breathing is to create continuity of sound within a group of performers. This technique is typically used during hushed or sustained moments in a piece because it can create a mysterious or suspenseful effect. Solo singers cannot stagger breathing, but they can certainly learn the skill from practicing with friends.
The specifics of solo versus group singing are useful to any theater performer, since both appear in musicals with such frequency. To best diversify one's vocal talent, aspiring singers should practice, practice, practice.
Sources:
How to Improve Your Singing Voice Instantly. Available at http://www.knowledgehound.com/khhow2s/singbett.htm , last accessed November 8, 2006.
Koopman, John. A Brief History of Singing. Available at http://www.lawrence.edu/fast/koopmajo/brief.html,1 999.
National Association of Teachers of Singing. Available at http://www.nats.org/, last accessed November 8, 2006.
Singing. Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singing, last accessed November 8, 2006.
Vocalist- Singer and Singing Teachers Resource. Available at http://www.vocalist.org.uk/, last accessed November 8, 2006.
In order to get the enviable, musical quality distinguishing good from bad singing, seasoned vocalists and voice teachers recommend one start with a few basic techniques.
The most vital element of singing is the tone's relationship to the singer's body. In practical terms, this means one should always use correct posture, warm up before singing and be attentive to how he or she is breathing. Many voice teachers assert a singer's body is his instrument, so it must be carefully cared for. Just as a violinist would never hold the neck of his instrument improperly, a vocalist should never use slack posture.
Although the best way to learn to sing is to attend private lessons, the time and expense involved might lead beginners to explore and practice on their own first. All vocal experimentation should be done carefully, since poor technique could damage one's voice permanently.
One simple exercise, however, is finding proper posture. Correct posture begins with standing up straight, holding shoulders level and positioning feet shoulder-width apart. The vocalist should be relaxed with knees slightly bent and arms hanging at her sides. Standing like a soldier will make the singer sound as tense as she looks.
From the basics of proper posture, a singer can proceed to a few simple warm-ups. Warm-up exercises range from singing up and down scales to singing chords in a group to test for intonation. No matter what warm-up a singer chooses, he or she should generally warm up the upper range of the voice before the lower range. This is due to the nature of human anatomy and how vocal cords prefer to stretch.
During warm-ups, a singer also should practice good breathing technique. Correct breathing starts with learning where the diaphragm is and ends with learning how to stagger breathing. The diaphragm is the muscle located in one's abdomen just below the rib cage. It is arch-shaped and pops a singer's stomach out when he breathes in properly. Voice teachers constantly urge their students to breathe from the diaphragm because it reduces tension and increases the dynamic range one is able to produce. Proper breathing often is the key to true musicality.
When choral singers stagger breathing, it means they do not all breathe simultaneously. The purpose of staggering breathing is to create continuity of sound within a group of performers. This technique is typically used during hushed or sustained moments in a piece because it can create a mysterious or suspenseful effect. Solo singers cannot stagger breathing, but they can certainly learn the skill from practicing with friends.
The specifics of solo versus group singing are useful to any theater performer, since both appear in musicals with such frequency. To best diversify one's vocal talent, aspiring singers should practice, practice, practice.
Sources:
How to Improve Your Singing Voice Instantly. Available at http://www.knowledgehound.com/khhow2s/singbett.htm , last accessed November 8, 2006.
Koopman, John. A Brief History of Singing. Available at http://www.lawrence.edu/fast/koopmajo/brief.html,1 999.
National Association of Teachers of Singing. Available at http://www.nats.org/, last accessed November 8, 2006.
Singing. Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singing, last accessed November 8, 2006.
Vocalist- Singer and Singing Teachers Resource. Available at http://www.vocalist.org.uk/, last accessed November 8, 2006.
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