Three Things You Need To Develop To Be a Singer
Posted: Friday, November 11, 2005
by Donna Flynn
www.vocalcoach.ca
You say you want to sing. What does it mean to sing or to be a singer? The answer may appear obvious, but is it?
When we think of singing, we may think of a specific song or performer. We may think of notes, pitch or wonder how many octaves someone is able to sing.
The one thing you may not consider is your mind. Singing starts with your thinking. It is your mental attitude. What you think, you will feel. What you feel, you will sing. Your voice tells us what you are feeling long before the words you say or sing do. If you feel happy, excited, or love for example, vocal adjustments will happen automatically in order to match that thought. If you feel fear about hitting a high note, you will not be able to focus on the approach needed to reach it. As you cannot think about two things at once you will undoubtedly miss the note and naively think it is caused by poor vocal technique, lack of range, a dry throat, nerves, or one of many other mind games singers play with themselves because they do not understand how their thinking determines the sound they produce.
1. Vocal Technique 2. Music 3. Creativity / Self-Expression
Vocal Technique: Vocal technique is practical information about your thinking, breath co-ordination, tone production, chest and head registers, resonance, and maintaining healthy vocal cords. These techniques are practiced until the vocal co-ordination needed to produce the desired sound becomes automatic. Often, singers focus only on technique resulting in a rigid and uninteresting style. They lack originality and are disconnected from the audience.
Music: It is your ability to understand the structure of a song and communicate your ideas to other musicians. Those who focus primarily on the music hinder the development of their distinct style. They sound as if they are imitating someone.
Creativity – Self-Expression: Creativity and self-expression allows you to develop a style that is unique to you. It is the result of exploring and stretching your musical boundaries. Singer’s who focus only on creativity and self-expression lack proper technique limiting their ability to hit high notes, sing with power, and the ability to control the voice allowing them to express any song in any style they choose. Un-necessary strain is put on the vocal cords, often causing damage. They do not reach their singing potential.
To be a singer you need to develop a balance between all three areas. Imagine a three-legged stool. You will certainly “wobble" and possibly “fall over" if you do not maintain a balance of all three elements.
Learn and practice vocal technique on a regular basis, understand the structure of the music you are performing, and always challenge your creative boundaries. It all starts with your thinking. Following these guidelines will put you miles ahead of the competition.
Contact:
Donna Flynn
Vocal Coach,
http://www.vocalcoach.ca
donnavocalcoach@yahoo.ca
416-436-8063
BIO
Over the years, Donna has developed a complete mind / body / spirit / voice method designed to access the energy from the body to eliminate any pressure that may prohibit us from singing our best. She combines specific breathing rhythms and patterns along with exercises designed to building proper breath support while gently working the entire vocal range, top to bottom. Donna is a member of SOCAN.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)YES IT WAS AND CAN I TELL YOU WHY I WANT TO BE A SINGER I WANT TO BE A SINGER CAUSE THAN I CAN GIVE MONEY TO POOR PEOPLE AND I WANT TO HELP MY FAMILY BECAUSE MY FAMILY HELPED ME AND BEEN THERE FOR ME THAT'S WHY I WANT TO BE A SINGER
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