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SingingWithAmy
Singing advice for beginners to advanced.
Eliminate Strain Whilst Singing
Singing is fun but it isn’t easy. Sometimes we get in the habit of pushing and forcing the voice to hit those high notes, but when you feel any discomfort and pain, you know you’re not doing it right.
We strain because we fear a note and we feel that it won’t come with ease, so the natural thing to do is to force ourselves to get that note. Straining doesn’t look attractive and it sure won’t do your vocal chords any good. Continually forcing the voice to sing out of you natural range will damage your voice. Here are a few little tips to prevent straining when singing:
How to add power, while decreasing tension
The lip trill is a great exercise to effectively warm up the voice and it is a great place to start for those to struggle to relax whilst performing. Whilst doing the lip trill, imagine there is no ceiling. There is no end to where your voice can go. No note is too high or low. Bend over for the really high notes with a flat back.
The mixed voice never fails to create a fuller sounding voice without adding tension. Singing “meow” up and down a scale will warm up the voice and allow the voice to transition through the breaks. Slide up and down and don’t fear the high notes, just allow the voice to go through the breaks.
Singing “we we we” whilst swaying the head from side to side will relax the mind and body. If you feel stressed you will be tense and every note will feel like a struggle. This technique helps to relax you.
Singing with the tongue out of the mouth
I’ve already discussed how the tongue can add tension (refer to the article “Getting the Tongue out of the Way.”) So if your tongue isn’t relaxed, it will naturally curl up towards the back of the throat and add extra pressure on the chords. Simply perform your favourite warm-up whilst hanging the tongue out of the mouth to get the tongue to move towards the front of the mouth. Over time, your muscles will remember that your tongue shouldn’t rest at the back of the throat. If it does, you will tense the jaw and sing at the back of the throat – this is setting yourself up for an embarrassing break.
Vocal fry
Vocal fry is like a massage for your voice. It’s that groggy tired sound you make as soon as you wake up. It is the bodies natural way of warming up slowly. Vocal fry connects the chords and it eliminates strain. Singing “woah woah” with vocal fry will put you in a relaxed state. Do it with your eyes closed and you will feel even more at ease.