Vowels Warming up by singing through your vowels is a great way to focus your tone and energy before you start singing through your repertoire. Sometimes when we are tired or distracted, our tone can close up without us recognizing it, so taking a few moments to consciously focus your…
This is a perennial choir issue. Clear enunciation makes sure the audience can hear the words and follow the story the song is telling. Remember: Vowels carry the sound. Consonants carry the words. Consonants at the beginning of line must happen together – by everyone! Otherwise the song sounds…
Many singers only listen to themselves. Blend with your fellow singers.. Match your vowels. Match your consonants – especially at line endings. Match volume. Don’t drown out your fellow singers; keep the balance. Listen for melody and accompaniment.
Watch more than you think you need to. The director gives tempo, dynamics, cutoffs, entries and expression. Looking up for even half a second can prevent a mistake.
Keep up an appropriate level of exercise and fitness. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about a suitable regime. We’ll just point out that the better you feel, the better you’ll sing. Get adequate rest. Just how much you need varies from person to person; just make…
Don’t worry, we’re not out to convert you into vegan marathon runners and gym junkies! How you maintain your health is entirely up to you. We will point out a few things, though. You can’t sing well when you’re tired or sick. Your concentration and your energy level suffer. Not…
Smiling changes your whole sound. It relaxes your face and changes the whole shape of your vocal tract. It helps pull your voice up to the front of your mouth. That makes your voice brighter and more distinct so your sound is clearer. Smiling also has a very positive effect…
Your range Your range is the highest and lowest notes you can sing comfortably. Most of us have a feel for where we can sing best but may not know what the range is called. Vocal ranges overlap a lot, as you can see by the chart, yet all ranges…
Terminology is simply language designed for a particular purpose. Over the years, music has acquired a vast amount of specialised terms. You don’t need to learn them all like our poor singer above, but knowing a handful of the basics makes it easier for your director to, well, direct, and…
The mood of a song is how it tells its story. Your role as a singer is to put a voice to that story, to lift it off the paper and give it life. You are the one who gives that song a place in your audience’s heart. Listen to…
