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I am just starting to sing seriously and I was wondering what are some good ways to train the voice. Increase Vocal range, vibrato, improve tone....that kinda stuff. Anyone know of any good books for that sorta thing or have any good tips to offer?

Your local community or state college should have classes available at a very reasonable rate.

have you found a good teacher yet? i'm classically trained (and now writing pop songs but a great teacher made all the difference. so much of what good technique was could only be explained through some pretty abstract imagery and when i found a teacher who's abstractions i understood, and who likewise understood what i was trying to accomplish, things got a lot better. good luck and have fun! flo

I was hoping I wouldn't need one, I figure I'd be very uncomfortable singing in front of people at first even though I feel like I am fairly good. No good books or ANY tips at all? hmmm?

I just bought "You Can Sing" by Jerald B. Stone. I've just started using it, but I think it has already been helpful and informative. It comes with a CD and is around $18.

Andy

thanks kruzty. I'll pick it up.

Vocalize, ie: SING, every chance you can, listen to music that contains a lot of harmonies, for example the BEE GEEs and BREAD maybe (I love BREAD), they will teach you how to listen to the instruments and when, why and where harmonies get used. You can develop a lot of vocal strength and confidence by learning how to sing harmonies. Plus, if you get really good at them, they sound fantastic and will help you to write better music if you so desire to be a pure solist err like me

Best of luck

http://home.iprimus.com.au/matese/content

Adam

[This message has been edited by amccarthy (edited 12-09-2002).]

Hi there,
On a hunch I tried two things in order to help you out. First I ran a "Google" search for "vocal training" and came up with enough hits to keep you busy for a while. You could try that.
Also went to Elderly Instruments http://www.elderly.com and found they had about 10 items to choose from in their video section along the line of what you desire.
I know I could probably use some stuff along this line myself. I've yet to take the stage for several reasons, and that's one of em! I can sing fairly well if singing is all I'm doing, but when playing along with guitar I tend to wander off key a bit at times. I don't think I'm unique there, as it's a matter of having your focus redirected. Of course, there are those perfectly disgusting people who can't seem to sing off-key even if they try to! Good luck..hope you find something.
-GP

I haven't heard you sing, but I know from experience that it is MUCH harder to unlearn the way that you are singing than to learn correctly in the first place. I started working with a vocal coach when my voice started to change, and it helped a lot. He also taught me how to breathe correctly which is really important in the long run. If you are serious about singing long term, you should check out the colleges in your area. A lot of times professors will offer a few lessons for free so that you can get a foundation going. There are books and websites about singing, but it's hard to apply general principles to your voice if you don't have anyone to help you.

Singing in church is also great to develop your skills, and the music minister will be able to help you also.

I wish you the best of luck - there is nothing in this world like singing.

Chris
www.ChrisYoungCountry.com

i'm with chris. if you're too nervous to sing in front of a coach, maybe you could think about joining a choir. singing is special in that it's so hard to be objective about the sounds your body produces. i would strongly recommend finding someone who can listen to you objectively and someone who KNOWS what they're talking about. the voice is a very delicate instrument and there are lots of great examples of people damaging their voices on the radio everyday so i REALLY wouldn't recommend imitating anyone on the radio as a method to become a better singer. although i do think you can learn a lot about harmony from listening to simon and garfunkel or i dunno jane's addiction, i wouldn't say you want to emulate their technique. sorry - i'm just very weary of singing practices. i had a teacher who really decreased my range and taught me bad technique and as chris said, it was very hard to unlearn bad habits. since that teacher, i've studied with a few great singers but my last teacher was a perfect fit and it made all the difference. ciao, flo

I am not the religous type but spirtually Iam sound. Some the best voices I've ever come across did there homework in church choirs. Through exposing yourself amoung other voices, trying to position yourself around those people that sing better than you, you will either improve or get an idea what you need to be doing. Don't go out and spend alot of money on a vocal trainer. Practice makes perfect, but be carful what you practice. Rodney

Choir, choir, choir! The easiest, cheapest and most fun way to learn how to sing. Most any community choir should have a director that knows something about how to teach good singing techniques, these days some of your average church choir & community choirs (esp. if based at a local college) have great directors who can teach you tons. I learned way more from my choir directors than I did from 6 years of private voice lessons.

[This message has been edited by jazzer (edited 03-01-2003).]

Choir! I agree! I have sung in loads of them, and you always develop this way, learn how to blend, read music, etc, etc, etc.

Find a good teacher, of course.

May I say to the singing community out there that this singing with the diaphragm can limit the duration of the singing career, be damaging to the singer, and also produce a very unnatural, forced sound.

Check out Cornelius Reid. He's a 90-year-old wonder still carrying a full schedule of voice students. I've seen him in action. I just found this link but there must be more:
http://www.vocalist.org/vocalistbooks.html

My voice teacher in Frankfurt is one of his followers and students, even wrote one of the essays in the 2nd book mentioned on the link.

You guys give your voices a break and let out some natural sound. It's like a good golf swing: The harder you try to worse you do.

My two cents.

Downtown

Good for you for starting!

Here are a few suggestions:
1) Focus your attention as far down in your body as you can. Let the force of gravity work for you. Imagine that your mouth is in your pelvic area. This will ground you, and release tension from the throat area, and voice.

2) Sing with your natural speaking voice. It will also be easier.

3) "Rhythms of the Natural Voice" is a very helpful disc for releasing tension and the blocks that stand in the way of using one's natural voice with ease. The disc includes guided instruction. You can hear excerpts through voicesofeden.com.

I am the founder of this method - it is used successfully by singers, narrators and people who use their voice alot in work. I myself am a singer and narrator - used to work for CBS TV and broadcast the 1992 Olympics using this technique. For years, I could not let a note out of my mouth. If I can ANYONE CAN!!!!

All the best to you, and I am happy to answer any other questions.

------------------
Eliana Gilad, Founder
www.voicesofeden.com
musicpeace@voicesofeden.com

• Music & Peace for Stress Release.
• Do something kind for yourself... you deserve it!

OK, since I'm new to JPF, I'm reading thru the boards and I know I'm "behind" on this one. So, I hope you find this response helpful...

Voice lessons can really be worth it. You don't have to do the once-a-week thing if $$ is tight; do what you can! Yes, singing for a vocal coach / voice teacher can be unnerving, but if you can handle that, you have "swallowed the live lizzard," so to speak, and other things will feel much easier. Tension is a very nasty enemy for a singer; attacking this beast head-on with a SUPPORTIVE teacher can go a loooong way. In seeking a teacher, first clarify what you want to accomplish. Don't be shy! God gave us the instrument of voice, it's up to us to learn to play it.

If a teacher isn't a possibility for you right now, there are many good things out there for you. Gloria Bennett's "Breaking Through: From Rock to Opera" is good reading, among many others.

If you join a choir or chorus, bear in mind that ensemble singing is different from solo singing, but basics such as breath support will be the same. Ask your choir / choral director for help.

I can vouch for Eliana's CD; I have a copy and it is a wonderful way to start your day in many ways - vocally, mentally, spiritually!

One more thing -- if something you try that you've read OR that a teacher has suggested HURTS, don't do it!! Trust your body; ask your teacher.

Brenda

I know of a voice teacher in the Pasadena area, his name is John Henny. He teaches an awesome program. I found myself making significant improvment - with only the 1st few lessons. It's a great method. If you need more info, let me know. Good luck!

Since my last (lengthy - sorry!) post, I received a book / CD I'd ordered recently. Breck Alan's "The Art of BodySinging," volumes 1 - 4. Comes with CDs. I've just started working with it, but the PHOTOS also struck me as being very helpful (and good other material as well). I have encountered numerous diagrams of "the parts of the voice," but this looks like something I can really use.

The website is www.bodysinging.com . And I like the comment on the home page: "The voice is an instrument. Assembly required."

HOW TRUE!

Brenda

[QUOTE]Originally posted by musicpeace2003:

Imagine that your mouth is in your pelvic area.

What?!!!!!I thought I was reading about singing!

No really, lots of great advice here, (and I even tried that last one once, but I'm not that flexable)!

Will try all the rest though!

Thanks everyone! I'll be trying to sing out again, and I'm finding all kinds of techniques here to help. (OK, I'll keep trying that pelvis thing too if you insist), but my wife better not catch me!

John Daubert



[This message has been edited by dhsongs (edited 05-26-2003).]

What works for me as far as learning new songs is to get the song on CD and put the song on repeat with the headphones on. When using the headphones, pit them on one ear and leave the other one off your other ear so you can hear what you are doing. This will help with harmony and timing.

Gazoo

bump

A good voice teacher will be good at helping you feel comfortable singing in front of him/her. I was an extremely shy 14-year-old geek when I took my first voice lesson (a long time ago!), and my teacher sang with me a little bit, and said all the right things to help me feel relaxed. Not only did I learn a lot from him, but he quickly felt like a friend and advocate and mentor. If you find a good teacher, it can be the greatest help in improving your singing fast, protecting your voice from damage, and increasing your self-confidence. Some teachers are happy to give a few lessons, or an occasional lesson; you don't necessarily have to commit to a weekly lesson for a year or anything. --Jean

If you ever plan to go to Nashville or live near Nashville, schedule a vocal lesson with Kim Sandusky. She is one of the best in the biz. She's done wonders for my daughter, she's been working with her for over 3 years.

Her web site www.kimwoodsandusky.com

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managing my daughter's music career. www.lindseylea.com

Bumping some useful older posts