voice lessons

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:43 am

I recently started voice lessons again. The last time didn't go so well because I didn't have the discipline to keep up and I had a horrible relationship with my teacher. Now I have a great and very patient teacher and (I hope) more discipline, and I was wondering if anybody here ever started singing "from scratch" and what your advice would be?

I have trouble even matching tones on a piano (she'll play something and ask me to sing it), but my teacher told me not to worry that it will get better, since apart from my earlier failed lessons I've never sang before (I also had throat surgery last year so that might have affected my singing voice, or it might not, we'll just see as time goes on.)

CHasR · Post by **CHasR** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:28 pm

*breathe from the diaphragm, not your chest
*know where your chest voice ends and your head voice begins.
*spend as much effort in downward passages as you do in upward passages
*look as if what your' e doing is second-nature
*look as if you've got 'something to tell' when you sing
*when you sing, make certain you (and I DONT mean this in an insulting way WHATSOEVER) look as if you've never had a worthwhile thought in your head your entire life
*overenunciate everything
*open your mouth MUCH more than in ordinary speech
* learn to follow the teacher's non-spoken cues & body language
*if singing to their accompianment, stick to the tempo like a laywer on a rich client.
*over-control the use of vibrato: use sparingly, if at all
*focus on pure sound production and projection.
*learn to yawn effectively
*realize that your body is your instrument

NOW, having said all that:
I relate my favourite TRUE diva story
(I played oboe in a bunch of now-defunct pickup orchestras in the 90's specializing in 'concert-operas'.)

We're rehearsing the complete 'Egmont' (most listeners only know the overture) the singers are between the cond. and first row of winds, and Ive just nailed this horrendously difficult oboe/soprano duet with her,and the conductor breaks for the next movement. She turns around and says to me, in all seroiusness, "That was really great - I just love clarinets!"

So I smiled and waved back.

.

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:08 pm

"That was really great - I just love clarinets!"

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:27 pm

ya'd hope for more from someone in the business, wouldn't ya....

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 6:30 am

Chas' comments are good.
I think one of the toughest things is knowing when and how to switch smoothly from one register to the next.

(note: I can achieve decent vocal tone over a range of about 5 notes. My advice comes with complimentary grains of salt.)

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 7:59 am

It can be helpful to record the lessons and work on it during the time between lessons. Think about what your end goals are. What kind of singing do you aspire to? Matching tones is a building block. Sight singing from sheet music is a good deal above that. Karaoke singing doesn't really require formal voice lessons.

Advice? Schedule time for singing every day. Recording the lessons will help with that. Keep it fun. A basic keyboard may help with the basic tone matching exercises. Find some informal groups to sing with. That will give a focus to what is otherwise isolated practice with no performance.

CHasR · Post by **CHasR** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:12 am

& it you really want to train your ear;
then buy this book called 'Melodia'...all it is is simple short scalar melodies for you to solfege through.
Recording yourself from the get-go is invaluable. For years I froze when in front of a rolling tape...until I started recording everything, it becam so commonplace I thought nothin of it.