Singing Tips & Recording Questions

[Guest sikkony]

ic ic ic >.> i thought head voice is when you like scream reallly loud like boa x] but i guess i was wrong. lol hehe thanx anyways! so if i want to like scream really loud on notes kinda like what boa does, what do i do? is it still using your chest voice?

Hmmm those top notes aren't chest or headvoice, they are a mix combination of both. Hence why you get the nice ping in those top notes, yet the lower thicker and heavier timbre you find in chest voice. So therefore to sum up what I just said, it's both. What BoA sings in is called a heavy mix. A more clearer example is Pavarotti's (he's the leet stuff!) Tenor C. You can't learn to do a heavy mix overnight. It's not because it's that hard to learn (although it is), it's purely because you have to build up some muscles first inside your throat to do such adductions. Analogy = going to gym.

What do u mean by opening throat amy I ask?

Also how do you prevent the mic from making blowing noises?

Answering for your friend Amy if you don't mind (and her) but by opening throat this means to keep your throat free of constrictions (ie, not making your throat use extra muscles than needed) and also to not allow yourself to sing in the swallowing position. So what I think she means really is, keep your larynx down (if you raise your larynx, you enter the swallowing position, which causes the larynx to rise, which causes the vocal tract to become smaller (ie, closed throat)). By keeping your larynx down, you leave your vocal tract at a much bigger space, (ie, opening your throat). She also mentioned "yawning". In affect, she's trying to say, raise your soft palate like how you're just about to yawn which also pushes the larynx down. So just sing in the position like how you're just about to yawn. You could just also pretend you're Yogi Bear and sing in that tone, although definitely less exagerated than that tone lol, and that should help push your larynx down. The idea is not to control your larynx, yet not allow it to rise. If you depress it too far down, you will cause damage!!

I think the best way to prevent making those blowing sounds is just by doing what Hmaster, tsububu etc does and stick a stocking on a coat hanger infront of your mic LOL. Funny idea but it works! The only other way I can think of if you don't want to look funny is making your mic "hot" (turning up your mic volume) and singing with the mic slightly below your mouth level. Probably won't work well if you don't have some sort of amplifier on your mic.

[Guest stellabella]

Just a question...I feel really stupid asking this but I'm new to singing seriously so bear with me...

I believe it's called a vibratto...that makes your voice sound really nice while singing...thing is, I have a decent voice, but it seems so plain because i can't for the life of me make my voice do that! Is it something that's supposed to come naturally or do you have to practice it?

hopefully that didn't sound too dumb....

[Guest vivosergirl]

I think that vibratto sounds better when it's coming out naturally...

I heard some girls in my choral groups trying to vibratto when they can't and it didn't sound so good because it feels forced. But this one girl figured out her own way to do it, which was trying to put the center of her breath even lower. It didn't work for all the girls, though.

I never really worried about it because if I have a certain amount of air coming out, my voice just naturally does it...

But I do think that having vibratto all over the place doesn't sound too good. Sometimes you need a solid, clear tone rather then a vibratto. I wouldn't worry too much about it if you don't have a natural vibrato. In fact, I want my voice to be a little less vibratto ^-^

[Guest stellabella]

It's not that I want vibrato all over the place...but my voice is so flat and I just can't get a vibrato. Will it come to me or is it something I have to practice? I have no idea...

[Guest ~*.:Yuki:.*~]

hi ^^ umm could someone please help me... I can't get a vibratto, like I've tried 'opening' my voice/throat and all but it just doesn't seem to come. My notes would go on for ages sounding all plain and flat >_<

[NAN]

I think it takes time to develop a decent vibratto. For me, I sang a lot until one day, bam, it hit me. You just gotta' keep on practicing and singing and it will come to you. Gotta' have patience.

[Guest appledapple]

okay i need desperate help lol

when i sing by myself or when i just sing at karaoke with a few people

i feel completely fine and comfortable

and i can sing up to my full potential

but when i get up on stage and i got the nerves going on

they get me sooo badly

but it's weird because when i'm on the high notes

i'm actually better than when i'm singing the verses.

when i'm singing the lower notes,

my voice goes soo shaky and the vibratto goes out of control

so helppppp

Have a plan, down to every hand/body/postion onstage movement. Rehearse it like it was the real thing over and over even if you feel stupid practicing that way. That's what helped me, anyways...I felt extremely prepared and could finally relax more.

[Guest Raix]

^ First of all, it isn't easy to become a singer. I'm not trying to bash your dreams or anything but it's takes a lot. a lot of time, energy, training etc. Not that I know anything about the music industry

Don't practice continuously for hours or you'll wear your voice out ^^0 But honestly, I don't think there's any other way to improve than to practice. Try different exercises, sing different styles of songs.

Some other people might have better ideas =x

[Guest K-popMiko]

How would you practice to reach higher notes than your range? My range is pretty small, I can barely reach a middle C (I can reach lower notes, but not too low) and that's about it. Around two octaves. How can I widen my range and reach higher notes?

[Guest lita]

Just a question for you guys.

I've been listening to all your good singing and wanted to try recording also so i downloaded the trial version for Adobe Auction1.5(yes a little outdated i know but it's just the start). I know how to sing and record and mix them together. I use my normal karaoke microphone but when i record with it, as soon as i start to go for the higher notes my singing sounds muffled and weird(nope it's not my singing). So i tried not to put the mic so close to my mouth when singing, maybe 15cms away, and when i listen to it, it sounds a bit better but still muffled. Can someone please help me?

[Guest sikkony]

How would you practice to reach higher notes than your range? My range is pretty small, I can barely reach a middle C (I can reach lower notes, but not too low) and that's about it. Around two octaves. How can I widen my range and reach higher notes?

Hmmm, that's a very low range for a female (from memory, I think you're a female). Did you mean the C above middle C? Anyways, I think it's best for you to vocalize on scales. Don't be scared that you have no high notes, high notes can be achieved by training/practicing with singing techniques, so it's in there, just you don't have access to it yet.

Try to vocalize on a comfortable note on your chest voice (the voice you use to speak with) and slide it up (much like a scale) without holding onto your larynx. It's hard to describe what I'm saying, but if you put your mind to it, and some experimenting, you'll understand what I mean. Let it slide up, don't worry about how you sound. If you crack, that means you are still imbalance, which is definitely OK. From here you'll probably end up vocalizing in falsetto (that breathy tone, sounds false, soft etc, unless pushed hard, where it would sound hooty). Now try to work on that crack place in your voice, trying to let go of your larynx. Basically what you should aim to do is join those top notes (headvoice) with your chest, hence making a mixed voice (middle voice). When going up in your chest, don't pull it, meaning, don't strain. If you're straining, you're doing it wrong, and you should try to continue to correct this. Singing in headvoice, in (light) mixed voice, chestvoice should be as easy as talking. Headvoice will feel like falsetto, yet only more rounder in tone. Initially your headvoice would be closer to falsetto, but your cords will soon learn to adduct more.

It'd probably be more easier if someone posted you an example of chest to headvoice through the mix transition, but definitely, you can work it out yourself. It will take a bit of time, so be patient.

Oh btw, don't aim to get those notes you hear your singing idols obtain, they too are using this technique, but their technique is developed more (assuming they sing with a correct technique).

Just a question for you guys.

I've been listening to all your good singing and wanted to try recording also so i downloaded the trial version for Adobe Auction1.5(yes a little outdated i know but it's just the start). I know how to sing and record and mix them together. I use my normal karaoke microphone but when i record with it, as soon as i start to go for the higher notes my singing sounds muffled and weird(nope it's not my singing). So i tried not to put the mic so close to my mouth when singing, maybe 15cms away, and when i listen to it, it sounds a bit better but still muffled. Can someone please help me?

I don't know about this, but I have a feeling it's your mic. That or it's your soundcard. Adobe Audition 1.5 is fine btw, I think it is CoolEdit 2.0 equivalent, or maybe 2.1 (same program basically, diff looks). One way to check is to plug your mic somewhere else, maybe into your MD? And try recording there. If you post us your mic/soundcard maybe it'd be easier to find the culprit to your problem.

[Guest appledapple]

^ First of all, it isn't easy to become a singer. I'm not trying to bash your dreams or anything but it's takes a lot. a lot of time, energy, training etc. Not that I know anything about the music industry

Don't practice continuously for hours or you'll wear your voice out ^^0 But honestly, I don't think there's any other way to improve than to practice. Try different exercises, sing different styles of songs.

Some other people might have better ideas =x

My advice would be CORRECT practice.

Go to a voice teacher and find help on what your problems are; ask lots of questions...you don't have to go forever, just enough to at least learn what your doing and how to properly attack the problems you personally have...I recently have done that and it's helped a lot...I'm still not great but I'm actually improving now.

[Guest Am_I_Sam_I_Am]

This is just a question I had....

Does the quality of the mic you use to record affect the quality of the recording? Because my mic right now is the crappy one I got with my comp almost 9 years ago. Just recently I started getting into singing music, but as I recorded myself I thought the recordings sounded terrible, but I don't think I'm THAT bad just hearing myself sing live...

Am I just fooling myself into believing I am a passable singer when I'm not really or would a better mic improve my recordings vastly?

Thanks in advance

[Guest dark intuitions]

Um...is there any way of increasing the range for chest voice? I can't really "belt" out a song, and my voice is pretty soft, so are there any exercises that people would recommend? The one suggested earlier about singing (loudly) into a pillow really only just hurts my throat, and didn't really increase the range.

Oh and Am_I_Sam_I_Am, quality of the mic will affect the quality of the recording, as in, your voice may sound unclear or muffled, have lots of background noise, or if it's as bad as my voice recorder, chop it up *needs to buy a new voice recorder before various lectures*. But it wouldn't actually change what your voice sounds like...wait, that's not putting it very clearly is it...it won't turn an average singer into a brilliant singer, or a brilliant singer into a bad singer. A better mic would make the recording clearer though.

It's more likely that you aren't used to the way your voice sounds recorded, I'm sure most people here would agree, what your voice sounds like normally is often completely different to what it sounds like recorded.

I pick up all sorts of weird accents -___-" What I did though was keep recording, so that I got used to the way my voice sounded recorded, and tried to improve my voice (for recording). Keep at it.

[Guest EvaxTvxQ]

hehe i tried that too..the pillow thing..x] my voice hurted so i stopped...i wanna ask the same question..so haha..

[Guest tokyoniights]

does anyone know any good home recording programs to use besides CEP and AA and audacity and goldwave. b/c audacity speeds my vocals and all the others give me headaches! thanks!

[Guest Taka Yuki]

I've been singing for some time now, but after singing 3-5 songs, my throat starts to close up and I have to forcefully make out the notes. Is it because I'm stressing my throat too much or something else?

[wowastyle]

what program do u use to record?

the one thing i have is sound recorder, but i cant seem to upload any .wav files >.< any sites?

[Guest moto]

i havea question. where can you dl these programs? i've used goldwave but it sucks.

[Guest sikkony]

hehe i tried that too..the pillow thing..x] my voice hurted so i stopped...i wanna ask the same question..so haha..

Yes, the pillow thing is very dangerous if done with the wrong technique, for it may lead you to more problems from incorrect vocal abuse. If it hurts, you know you've done something wrong.

I've been singing for some time now, but after singing 3-5 songs, my throat starts to close up and I have to forcefully make out the notes. Is it because I'm stressing my throat too much or something else?

Although it sounds like you're singing with a bad vocal technique, the only tip I can think of is, lessen the amount volume given out by your voice, a lot of fluids (room temperature or warm - room seems to do the best for me), get sufficient amount of sleep, warm up before singing, and don't eat dry chilli food before recording, or dairy things.

I assume you sing by "pulling chest" (a term that means to strain, and pulling your voice/forcing your voice) so you really need to take care when you do that. One of the most dangerous things to do while singing with pulling chest (incorrect singing method), is to "blast". If you're blasting + pulling chest, you really will feel pain and will find a lot of problems. Hence why I said, try to lower the volume when singing (with this technique).

This is just a question I had....

Does the quality of the mic you use to record affect the quality of the recording? Because my mic right now is the crappy one I got with my comp almost 9 years ago. Just recently I started getting into singing music, but as I recorded myself I thought the recordings sounded terrible, but I don't think I'm THAT bad just hearing myself sing live...

Am I just fooling myself into believing I am a passable singer when I'm not really or would a better mic improve my recordings vastly?

Getting a clear mic is definite if you want to improve. It doesn't have to be studio quality stuff (ie, condensor mics) but just as long as it captures your voice clearly.

Never give up on wanting to be a singer, if you believe in yourself and are hard working, you will move forward most definitely. Singing can be achieved by all, just some are quicker than others.