Breathing Warm-Ups

Breathing is probably one of the most important parts to singing, yet many times one of the most neglected. Here are some warm-ups you can do to increase lung capacity and strengthen muscles that support your breathing.

1. Stretches -

a. Clasp your hands with your fingers intertwined out in front of you. Turn your palms outwards. Stretch arms forward and take deep breaths. This should stretch out the intercostal muscles of your back and as you breathe you should feel your back "expand."

b. Clasp your hands with your fingers intertwined behind your back. Turn your palms to the floor. Stretch arms back and take deep breaths. This should stretch out the intercostal muscles of your chest and as you breathe you should feel your chest "expand."

2. Ab Toning -

a. Laying flat on the floor with your knees slightly bent and your hands cradling (NOT pulling) your head, crunch upwards. Ab crunches can truly strengthen and tone the muscles needed for support of your sound.

3. Breathing -

a. While sitting or standing in a tall position, take deep breaths in. The inhalation should make your lungs fill in the LONG, downward position which in turn will make the belly "pooch" outwards. (Note: Your shoulders should NOT move when inhaling.)

b. After taking a deep breath in, allow it out through a very small circular opening in your mouth while contracting your abs. (Hint: It feels like you're blowing up a balloon.)

c. After taking a deep breath in, "punch" it out through your mouth with a quick and strong contraction of your ab muscles. (Hint: It feels like someone punched you in the stomach.)

d. Count in your mind from 1 to 10 and back to 1. First count quickly and each time you start over count a bit more slowly. While ascending in the numbers (1-10), inhale. While descending in the numbers (10-1), exhale. Each time you arrive at 1, you should immediately start the next count. Beginning with quick numbers and slightly slowing down at each repetition means your lungs are being forced to fill with more air (in other words, it takes more time to inhale and exhale) which stretches your lungs and diaphragm.

e. After a few of these breathing exercises, feel free to repeated them while singing any given COMFORTABLE note. The note should be in your mid-range.

f. After becoming more comfortable with these exercises, try regular melodic warm-ups (such as going up and down, i.e. 123454321 or Do Re Mi Fa So Fa Mi Re Do) while singing the syllable "Ha" on each note. Make sure the "H" is a HARD "h" where you hear air escaping because of a quick contraction of the ab muscles. You can also substitute other vowel sounds, such as: "He, Hih, Hee, Hoh, Hoo."

VOWELS AND PLACEMENT

In my last post, I wrote about bright and dark placements. I want to expand on placement a bit to the concept of "vowel placement."

Vowels and combinations of vowels (diphthongs) are usually categorized in two basic categories:

vibration of sound created by placement of tongue - forward, central or back

position of jaw - closed, mid and open

(a third sub-category is also lip shaping)

Most vowels lend themselves to a certain placement, but the most common English vowels are:

A (as in day) = diphthong (moves positions from central mid to forward closed)

A ( as in bad) - forward open

Ah (as in father) - back open

E (as in see) - forward closed

Eh (as in fed) - forward mid

I (as in fight) =diphthong (moves positions from back open to back closed)

Ih (as in sit) - forward closed

O (as in fought) - back open

Oh (as in pole) - back mid

Ooo (as in too) - back closed

U (as in cute) - back closed

Uh (as in puddle) - central mid

Practicing placement can help to get a more specific idea of where sounds are being created in your mouth as well as which sounds are the best for your overall quality. It helps to look at the piece of music you are singing to pick up on which sounds will be "nice quality" sounds and which ones you might have to spend a little more time on.

Back open vowels give nice, round sounds. Closed sounds can be more directed, while closed forward sounds feel more pointed - like an arrow with a specific bull's eye. Central mid sounds tend to be the most difficult to hold on to and keep a good quality.

HELPFUL HINT: Make sure you SOUND OUT your vowel completely, because the written vowel might make you think it has one sound, but sung actually has another. Diphthongs are infamous for this - a combination of vowel sounds.

For example: the word "night" does not only have an "i." When singing this long note, you can take advantage o the "ah" and add the"ee" sound at the very end of the note. This will create a much nicer, more open, thick and powerful sound.

Forward/Bright vs. Back/Dark

REMEMBER: You can still vote in the poll on the right-hand side!

Even though your mouth might seem like a very small cavity to you, the effects of its positioning on your sound can create hundreds of differences. Depending on how open or closed, rounded or flat, the position of your tongue and all the myriads of slight variations on those can truly take you from one sound to another. I will touch on 2 extremes here.

Forward/Bright:

A forward or bright sound is one that resonates more around the lip area. An extreme version of it would be to imitate a young child. You can also practice it by pursing your lips and singing: "ooo" as in the word "you." You'll hear it very obviously and in higher pitches, it can be almost an "in your face" sound. The forward/bright sound happens most often when the mouth is more closed and can be hightened by the tongue raising in the back and lowering close to the teeth (touching the tip of the tongue to the roots of the bottom teeth). Some singers even push the bottom of the jaw bone a bit forward to get an even brighter sound.

Back/Dark:

A back or dark sound is one that is created more towards the back of your mouth close to the throat. An extreme version of it would be what I refer to as the "Kermit the Frog voice." This extreme sounds very "cartoonish." This voice resonates toward the back almost going "down" the throat. You can practice a more back/dark sound by opening wide and singing "ahhhh" as in the word "father." And, depending on the positioning of your tongue, you can make it a more "open dark" sound or a "closed dark" sound which is sometimes referred to as "velar" or "glottal."

(photo taken from: http://www.zompist.com/kitlong.html)

Of course, the positioning of the tongue, jaw and soft palate greatly affect the sound. And there is neither a good or bad in these 2 categories - the one most desirable highly depends on the type of voice the singer already has as well as the genre of music, vocal category, and performance style.

It's always good to have another GOOD "set of ears" listening to your sound and giving you feedback on what kind of sound you have and/or need (i.e. dark/back vs. light/forward). Since the singer hears their voice within the confines of their own skeletal structure, someone else hearing the "real" voice should be able to assist the singer in recognizing what is actually amplified on the outside. Vocal coaches should not only give advice, but be trained listeners to be able to instruct based on the reality of the sound.

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Baby Business

It's been a while since I updated this site, but I promise it was for a good reason - we have welcomed Leite baby #2 to our family, little Levi!  But I am back to work now and so proud of my students' recent achievements.  All of my students are definitely progressing - Caitlin M. won first place in a singing competition, Kristen Lynn's song "Run Away" was played on KISS FM 106.1 and Alex K. is in the process of co-writing his most recent song with me and will be recording his demo next month.

YAY!

100% of you answered correctly that the EYES/EYEBROWS are the body part most responsible for showing emotion during performance.  Although our tendency is to move our bodies and especially our hands and arms, the fact is that when an audience sees us, the very first thing they look at to try to connect with us are our eyes.

It is vitally important that an audience connect with the musician.  It doesn't matter what kind of incredible singer it is, if the person is "offensive" to the eye, most audiences will immediately disqualify that talent.  First impressions are lasting - even if it is during a 3 minute song. Here are some tips to help you maximize the impact of your eye contact while singing:

1.  Make sure you are "looking with intention."

Have specific places mapped out in your mind's eye, so that you natural eye will follow and seem to graze the audience smoothly and effortlessly.  Neither do you want your eyes to randomly dart from one unintentional place to another, nor do you want to stare down a person or 2 which might make them feel threatened or uncomfortable.

2.  Be "relevant" to your song.

Choose eye movements that have to do directly with your lyrics.  Obviously, if there is a reference to "heaven," you do not want to be looking at the ground.  Also remember that if there are repetitive lyrics, this DOES NOT mean you have to repeat your eye movements.  A bit a change can go a long way.  Having said that, overdoing it can cause a lot of discomfort - so keep a reign on those expressions as not to be over-expressive or "clown-like."

3.  Vary your eye movement.

It is important to be intentional and relevant, but also a bit spontaneous in your gaze.  Many a voice student has been taught to "look at a window" or "look over the crowd" in order to avoid being nervous by looking into the audience's eyes.  But your audience can tell if you look like a robot and are not connecting.  Make sure you vary from place to place.

4.  Be careful about closing your eyes.

There are some introspective songs which might call for a bit of eye closure as to emphasize important lyrics, but if the singer constantly has their eyes closed, the audience can feel excluded from the musical experience and again disqualify the talent.

5.  Practice.

The best thing to help yourself in facial expression is to practice in a mirror at home.  Practice at various times during each month to remind yourself of what you are capable of doing with your face - what looks appropriate, what does not, what is attention-catching or what is boring.  Work on specific songs - think through the lyrics and practice facial expressions that accompany them.  The more you practice using your facial muscles (especially around the eyebrows), the more you will be able to do.  You might even surprise yourself at how expressive you can be!

RESPONSE TO JAW POLL

In the latest poll, I asked what was the correct function of the jaw while singing:

-to stay out the way

-to close tightly and let the rest of the mouth do the moving

-to open as much as possible

The first and third answers got equal support.  The correct answer is to OPEN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.  Although it is many times paid no attention to, the jaw is actually considered one of our articulators (as are the teeth, lips and tongue).  The position of the jaw truly affects the amount of space there is for air flow as well as the placement of correct pitch and quality.

Check out the latest poll in the side column.  Comment here with any questions or comments!

DRINKS POLL RESPONSE

In the latest poll, I asked what drinks DO NOT negatively affect you singing.  You could choose more than one and each category equals 100%.  Here are your responses:

Water 90%

Milk 30%

Tea/Coffee 60%

Soft Drinks 60%

Juice 30%

WATER: To all you who vote for water, congratulations! Independent of it's temperature, water does NOT negatively affect a singing voice.  You do want to probably stay away from freezing cold water, especially after you've warmed up, since it will only cool down your chords, but it will still not harm you.

MILK: Because of it's thickness and high levels of calcium, milk can stick to and weigh down your vocal chords.  Although it is "good for you" and can give you a full feeling in your stomach, vocal chords and a throat full of milky paste can keep you from having elasticity in your voice and complete control of your chords.  So, milk is a no-no before singing.

TEA/COFFEE: Here's a tricky one.  Most tea and coffee are caffeinated which is definitely a negative factor on the throat and vocal chords.  Caffeine dries out anything that was previously lubricated, so downing a cup before singing is just asking for trouble.  HOWEVER, if you have DE-caffeinated coffee or tea, you should be ok.  Just watch out for sugars and milk.  Sugars can also dry you out and you already have your info on milk.  If you need to use something besides plain water to clean out your vocal system before singing, here are some hints:

a. DECAF peppermint tea - inhaling and drinking hot mint can quickly clear out congestion

b. Honey - adding honey to hot water or a mint DECAF tea can help to lubricate vocal chords and your throat on those days where you just feel a little dry and wheezy

c. Lemon - a natural acid, lemon in hot DECAF tea or water helps to cut away any "gunk" that might be sticking around after a cold

*You can use one or another, two or even all three in hot water to keep your chords nice and warm, clean, and lubricated.

SOFT DRINKS:  Soft drinks are usually loaded with sugar and caffeine - 2 DEFINITE no-nos for your chords and throat right before singing.  If you can find a soft drink with neither, we might be able to negotiate, in the mean time - ABSOLUTELY NOT!  :o)

JUICE: This is another tricky one.  Although juices are filled with "good for you" vitamins and sometimes some acidic fruits that can help to clear out the "gunk," generally they are not going to be a good substitute.  The high sugar counts can truly cut away at your lubricated vocal chords as well as set you up for failure mentally.  They can give you a high high followed immediately by a low low attention-wise which can hamper your success over a period of time.

Some smarty-pants students come up with this one:

"Ok, so if I drink milk and then follow it with a soft drink, I should be back to normal!" (or a similar theory thereof)

Don't kid yourself.  High sugar content and caffeine can do so much more harm than your realize.  So, I hope this clears up the doubts on drinks.  Your best bet is always our friendly H2O!  If you have any questions, feel free to comment here.  Also, check out the new poll on the right side.

Keep those chords warm, clean and smoothly lubricated!