Posts Tagged ‘vocal lessons’

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VOICE PROTECTION for TEACHERS and SPEAKERS

Saturday, August 28th, 2010

Every Fall I get emails from teachers complaining of voice fatigue, and sometimes even voice loss.  In these next few minutes I’ll share some ideas and exercises that are good for teachers, salesmen, pastors and anyone who uses their voice consistently throughout the day.

To begin with, remember that what we call “the voice,” is really a physical, mechanical and acoustical instrument.  It is designed to work in a specific way and involves a number of different organs and systems of the body. Posture, breathing, articulation, projection and more are involved every time you speak.  Here are some thoughts and exercises to help you prepare and maintain your speaking instrument:

  1. The voice is a complex, physical instrument.
  2. Physical systems need to be warmed up and cooled down.
  3. Understanding how your voice projects, takes the pressure off.

A Physical Instrument

Since your voice has always just “been there,” it’s easy to mistreat.  The fact is, the voice is a series of physical systems that need to be maintained and cared for.  Posture, breathing and articulatory muscles are all involved.

Warm It Up and Cool It Down

Because we are dealing with muscles, tendons, cartilage, membrane and more, you should warm up your instrument before you hit the classroom or office.  Just how does a teacher or speaker warm up the voice? Here is a checklist that will help:

1. Hands Up! Prepare the instrument, which is you, by lifting your hands straight up over your head to align the body.  It will feel good, while at the same time, prevent tension in the neck and larynx that can tire the voice. Muscle memory will help you maintain this posture throughout the day.

2. Check the Power Source. With hands still up, take in four sipping breaths and feel the entire waist area expand. Now, expel the breath on four hissing sounds.  Sip, sip, sip, sip, hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss etc. You will quickly realize where you should be feeling the breathing.  Muscle memory will help you use these same muscles throughout the day, rather than leaving the chest up and down.

3. Hummmmmm. Relax the arms and start humming anything you want – a song, or just sounds.  Go high and low, reaching into all parts of your range.

4. Cool it Down. At the end of your teaching or work day, do some more Humming on a simple melody.  The goal is to allow this physical instrument to gradually return to normal resting size and temperature. The obvious parallel is sports.  Those who cool the muscles are more protected from injury.

Use the “You” Sound System

You are the sound system. While you were humming you could dramatically feel vibrations in the face, head, neck and chest. These are the acoustical chambers of your body amplifying and projecting the sound. The great part is that it doesn’t take a lot of air.  Instead, it naturally amplifies the sound if you don’t over-push it.

As you respect your voice, warming it up and allowing it to naturally project, speaking becomes much less stressful on the voice.  To learn more about ways to preserve and maintain your voice check out the FREE RESOURCES page of our site. If you have questions you would like to have answered just email chris@vocalcoach.com . Need some training tools?  The Complete Breathing, Warm-Up and Diction and Daily Workout CD’s are perfect for teachers and speakers.  The are fun and easy to use.  Check them out by clicking here.

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Posted in Choir Directors, From the Coach, Performance, Posture, Tips Tailored for You, Tone, Uncategorized, Warm-Ups | No Comments »

HOW TO REGAIN LOW NOTES AFTER SINGING HIGH ONES

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

Question from a Blog Reader: Both my daughter and I have a problem: After we sing for a time in our highest range (we’re both sopranos), we can no longer reach our lower notes.  Is there something we’re doing wrong? Thanks.

Vocal Coach Answer: This is a very, very common problem and I’ve got some solutions I think you’ll like.

Common Scenario: You “kind of” warm up . . . though not all the time . . . and even then often while doing other things.  As you begin a rehearsal, or performance your voice gets stronger.  Because most songs don’t start on their highest notes, everything continues to feel good . . . for a while.  Then it’s time to move into some higher notes for a while AND THEN SUDDENLY sing some lower notes.  The same notes that were strong and easy when you started.  How hard could that be?

Plenty hard if you don’t regularly exercise through your full range, from top to bottom.  And the more casual you are about maintaining your voice the more likely you will encounter this situation.  Does the above scenario describe your experience?  If so, a great solution can be easily explained.

Solution:

First Some Background

Understand that there are 19 muscles busily adjusting so that just the right length and thickness of the vocal folds (vocal cords) are able to vibrate. As the sub-glottal breath comes up from the lungs, the vibrating leading edges of the folds produce a specific pitch, or frequency. Faster vibrations result in a higher pitch; slower vibrations, a lower pitch. The many adjustments that make this all happen can be quite effortless and automatic if, and only if you have trained and prepared your voice. It’s all about muscle memory and what your voice has memorized, be it good, or bad.

Here’s Your Course of Action

  1. Review your own concept and process of warming up your voice. If you’ve been too casual about it you can change that.
  2. Determine to never do much singing without first warming up. Even if you’re singing in the shower or the car, a few minutes of humming and lip-trills can go a long way. Often, the biggest offenders are trained singers who manage to “get away with” no warm-ups. But, it will catch up, and there is danger of slowly wearing away your vocal health without even knowing it . . . until it’s too late.  An obvious parallel is the trained athlete. The good ones always, warm and stretch the muscles to minimize the risk of injury and maximize the performance potential. It’s no different for singers. Either you are treating your voice well, or you’re not.  The proof is in how well, and how consistently your voice performs.
  3. Schedule times to warm-up and workout your voice. Be creative, but find a time and place that allows you to focus and analyze the feedback you’re getting from your voice. Just singing doesn’t make you a better singer.
  4. Plan your warm-ups. In addition to the many helpful tips on this site and at vocalcoach.com try this pattern: Start in a comfortable “speaking” range, humming five-tone scales on a light Hooo.  Start going up by half or whole steps. Then, come back down to where you started. Next, go lower, then back to the starting range, back up, down to the starting area, down lower,  etc. The goal is to always exercise both extremes of your range every time you warm up.  Just preparing the higher range can leave you vulnerable when those lower notes are needed, and it’s unhealthy for the vocal mechanism. Another athletic parallel: Good physical trainers always have you work both the biceps and triceps, not just one or the other. They also have you strengthen the abdominal and back muscles. It’s the only way to have a structurally sound and functional body.
  5. Respect your voice and it will always be there.
  6. Never sing harder or higher than your voice is ready for.
  7. Use technology. Carry warm-up CD’s in your car or on your phone or iPod.
  8. Anticipate the particular challenges of the songs you’ll be singing and prepare for those challenges.  That means not only systematic warm-ups, but also getting enough rest, eating well and getting some exercise.  Remember: You are a vocal athlete.

You now have one more reason to care for your voice. As you do, you and your listeners will hear the results and you will be a happy singer.

Let me know your thoughts or questions in the “comments” section below.

Chris Beatty

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Posted in From the Coach, Performance, Singing Exercises, Singing Subjects, Soloist, Vocal Range, Voice Fatigue and Strain, Warm-Ups, Worship Team | 3 Comments »

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