Singing Tips & Recording Questions

[Guest Diamond_]

What difference does a soundcard affect the quality of a recording??

And also... could anyone recommend a good soundcard??

I'm such a n00b. =(

Oh.. one more thing. When I sing and go up to higher notes I often rely on my headvoice... can kinda use my fullvoice at higher notes but it sounds nasally/whiny and it feels really tight/strained...

Is it okay to be depending on headvoice? Are there any ways to overcome this problem at all?

Thanks a lot for any help!!

[Guest youknokim]

i don't know if this was posted but this is just a tip on breathing through your stomach.

Like at first I didn't know how. I didn't get it but my music teacher told me how.

Like first you know how you give pressure when you are about to...poop(Sorry if this is nasty, but this is the way she explained it to me)so the poop will come out. Well give that same pressure. If you do it right, your stomach will tighten a little.

So while giving the pressure when you want to fart or poop ... you sing.

Only it's kind of uncomfortable for me but i guess it gets comfortable by practicing. I suggest only giving small amounts of pressure.,

[Guest geneyoonit]

^LOL... umm.. YES.. apply pressure through ur diafram by breathing in DEEPLY... u kno how when u breath really deep, u feel like the air is reaching the bottom of ur lungs? ya.. u want that... with the pressure coming when u release ur breath.. i donno.. it shard to explain... tryin to explain without a demonstration ...

not like ur pooping >.< haha

[dahanizzle]

Is "real" vibratto (not the one that people sort of...make up. i cant really explain it but i think most people know what i mean) where when one holds out a long note, it just HAPPENS? you dont even think about it?

ima sking this because well..im like 99% sure im doing this (im a guy btw)

and i dont have the time nor the money to take singing classes but i really like singing and itll be freaking great to have a "real" vibratto...

any tips?

[Guest EvaxTvxQ]

haha um, i want to know like how do u sing with your diaphragm? I mean, how do you know when you're singing with your diaphragm or not? Many people say you sing with your diaphragm but i dont get them and like when i try to sing BoA songs, it dont really work especially when she does the high note part where she screams really loud. I want to take classes but mom dont let me and i dont have choir class either. If you guys can help. THANX!

[Guest Raix]

^ Your stomach goes out and your chest pretty much doesn't move much. Practise it lying down.

dahanizzle: Real vibrato? I haven't heard it like that before haha. Every voice has natural vibrato but it's more evident in some than others. As long as you're not forcing it, it should be real vibrato xD

[Guest EvaxTvxQ]

thanx Rai-Rai!!! love you so much!!!!!!..hmm must practice now xD

[Guest beautifuldays]

^ Your stomach goes out and your chest pretty much doesn't move much. Practise it lying down.

hmm..I still don't get it..^^;;

How can I tell if my stomach moving(?) is due to using of diaphragm or just simply my own breathing?

[Guest K_Holic]

when people sing, are they like really loud? because when i listen to songs and stuff, the people sound like they are using alot of strength but they probably modified the song a bit to sound like the singers aren't using that much energy...do people here use alot of energy and power when they sing or is it just really soft and easy-going? for some reason, i alwasy find it weird to sing loud...

[starforme]

I'm naturally loud-ish. My volume isn't a yell or a scream, but it's louder than my speaking voice.

I think it depends on the sole person and the song style. ? x:

[Guest geneyoonit]

hmm..I still don't get it..^^;;

How can I tell if my stomach moving(?) is due to using of diaphragm or just simply my own breathing?

Rai Rai actually described it pretty well ... it should be ur upper stomach where the pressure is held... ur diaphram pretty much is ur breathing... but breathing with ur diaphram, not ur chest :/ i donno if that helps... these things are really hard to describe w/out actually demonstrating :/ i recommend singing lessons

^oh.. and natural voices tend to be louder than ur talking voice... if its softer, ur either a smoker or ur not singing correctly?(and singing correctly as in ur using false setto or chest voice.. which are not always incorrect...) ... and yea, it does depend on style.. if the whole song is in double p's (pianisimo) then you would expect the whole song to be quiet

[Guest raspberylotion22]

hehe, so through many months of singing for fun, i finally increased my vocal range (using my chest voice, aka not falsetto) by a whole note~ yay i'm so happy lol. ^o^ now i can finally reach the high notes in a lot of the songs that i was DYING to sing about a year ago. i didn't know increasing your vocal range takes soo long haha.

yea sorry about the randomness, but just sharing the news

[Guest geneyoonit]

ya~ congrates! i heard ur soundclick... AMAZING!

my range is from the low baritone E to the Ab above the middle C, but i wish i could improve my high notes.. they sound like im screaming it >.< haha

what exercises did u use exactly?

i heard actually dilberatly hurting ur voice can increase your range (however, the downside is that your voice gets raspier)... anyone know anything safer?

[Guest xACIDxHEADx]

i find this exercise helps get the chest voice out alot:

big problem is not becuase people don't have the "power" to belt, its becuase when they try to, our bodies automatically tighten up to "reduce sound" and because belting out (which is REALLY loud>yelling volume) at home just seems too loud n the brain process embarassing thoguhts.

well anyways, theres no real technique to belting.

but to relieve that "with-holding feeling". you can try this!

1) find a pillow (those fluffy ones that you can still breathe through, no foam ones or u suffocate)

2) sit or stand ( i find kneeling face down for begining works best) and press ur face againt the pillow while holding it. (Remember to breathe first!)

3) Then, belt/yell/scream the scale. Don't start trying to hit those high notes first. Start low. REMEMBER, AS YOU GO HIGHER, YOU MUST TRY TO KEEP THE SAME VOLUME/ LOUDNESS AS YOU SANG THE HIGH NOTES.

4) Don't go on to the next note until you can hit the note striaghtout belted. If you "slide" into the note, it won't help you retain he power to sustain the actual note.

NOTE:

- Practicing belting through a pillow like this helps because you don't have to worry everything beign too loud.

- You can also hear youself alot better, and concetrate only on hitting the note.

- The "positions" you would be in usually results in you tightening your ab area, which is required for any type of singing.

- Psychologically, it gets rid of the "feeling of being observed", and helps you let go.

HOPE THIS HELPS!

[Guest EvaxTvxQ]

i find this exercise helps get the chest voice out alot:

big problem is not becuase people don't have the "power" to belt, its becuase when they try to, our bodies automatically tighten up to "reduce sound" and because belting out (which is REALLY loud>yelling volume) at home just seems too loud n the brain process embarassing thoguhts.

well anyways, theres no real technique to belting.

but to relieve that "with-holding feeling". you can try this!

1) find a pillow (those fluffy ones that you can still breathe through, no foam ones or u suffocate)

2) sit or stand ( i find kneeling face down for begining works best) and press ur face againt the pillow while holding it. (Remember to breathe first!)

3) Then, belt/yell/scream the scale. Don't start trying to hit those high notes first. Start low. REMEMBER, AS YOU GO HIGHER, YOU MUST TRY TO KEEP THE SAME VOLUME/ LOUDNESS AS YOU SANG THE HIGH NOTES.

4) Don't go on to the next note until you can hit the note striaghtout belted. If you "slide" into the note, it won't help you retain he power to sustain the actual note.

NOTE:

- Practicing belting through a pillow like this helps because you don't have to worry everything beign too loud.

- You can also hear youself alot better, and concetrate only on hitting the note.

- The "positions" you would be in usually results in you tightening your ab area, which is required for any type of singing.

- Psychologically, it gets rid of the "feeling of being observed", and helps you let go.

HOPE THIS HELPS!

hahaha i tried that and my sister came in and thought i was possessed..LMFAO!! well but anwyas i dont really get it, like what do you mean start out low, do u mean like YELL low and then high or like doing the "do re me fa so la chi do" thing? xD thanx!

[Guest chigusa707]

Any mixing tips?

Im having quite a frustrating time with mixing vocs and instrus using audacity.. cany anyone give me some advice or tips?

Thanks very much.

[Guest EvaxTvxQ]

i dont get it T_T, how do breathe right when you sing?...cause everytime i sing, it sounds like i'm strainig my voice..T-T

Q1. ok and let me get this straight. SO from your CHEST VOICE IS LOW and as it goes up to your head voice is HIGH?

Q2. Like the past definition that No 1 posted up. So the Faletso (< damn forgot how to spell it) is suppose to make this noise like a wind kinda noise when you sing, is it like Boa when she sings? How do you like "open" the faletso, cause i asked some people and they always say "open" your faletso and seiorusly i dont know what that means.

Q3. How do you really sing with your chest voice? I mean, ^^^^ up there it says its for loudness, but isnt that head voice or the faletso? Yea, i dont get it...it will really help!! THANX!

[Guest geneyoonit]

^ lol.. this question is asked so many times

just make sure, ur breathing down to ur stomach (it should feel like this, when its actually toward the bottom of ur lungs)... when giving pressure, your stomache should actually go OUT..

and yea, if u have enough technique and support, ur voice shouldnt strain.. but ur voice might be straining due to ur natural voice RANGE... so be careful not to hurt ur voice, singing too high can do that :/

[Guest xACIDxHEADx]

i dont get it T_T, how do breathe right when you sing?...cause everytime i sing, it sounds like i'm strainig my voice..T-T

people make the mistake of "breathing right" by liftting their chest as if to "expand their lungs". All this does it poof up ur chest n u actually don't gain any extra breath support.

when you breathe, imagine, ur inside (from the bottom of your ribs area to ur tummy!) is a deflated balloon that you got to EXPAND. when u breathe, put one hand flat against that area of ur stomach/ab, and with the other back of ur hand on ur side.

now when u breathe (better practice standing, or sitting spine striaght like u r really sophisticated), make ur balloon EXPAND! remember that ur balloon is ROUND, sofeel with ur hands ur "area" expand outwards. make sure ur shoulders are DOWN and relaxed back. ( this position is SAME as ballet position). if ur shoulders lift up then u are not EXPANDING your "area" and using your diaprham.

when singign/holding out pharases and notes, try to keep ur "expanded area" EXPANDED. practice by hissing as much air out as possible i na "ssss" sound with teeth together. the longer u can keep the "sss" going, the better u are expanding ur breath support to sing connected phrases/notes. it helps to use ur hand n press flat against ur "poofed out area" while trying to clench ur muscles their to keep it expanded.

hahaha i tried that and my sister came in and thought i was possessed..LMFAO!! well but anwyas i dont really get it, like what do you mean start out low, do u mean like YELL low and then high or like doing the "do re me fa so la chi do" thing? xD thanx!

SAME VOLUME WITH ALL NOTES, except the higher notes would sound a a bit louder. to sing loud even on the lower notes get u prepared for the powerful highg notes. ^___^

i forgot to mention, i don't mean use exactly the do re mi words. you should practice with one sounds, for example, like : "LA" "LI" "MA" "MI" etc, then move on to singin the notes on an actually word.

the yelling part, is to get u out of singing/changing to using your HEAD VOICE once u start singign a hihger note.

it is easy to sing a low note LOUD n STRONG right? buh can u sing a higher note up, for example, a high C the same way as easily? its gonna take more "straining". But if u tighten ur muscles aroudn ur abs instead of tightening ur throat that won't actually strian ur voice, so its not as harmful thing.

like some peopel already mentioned, the strianing feeling is liek when u do the #2.

[Guest Sakura Li]

xACIDxHEADx: That's something I really needed to learn. XD I'll try it out and tell you what happens in a month. XDD