VOCALS
PRACTICE TIPS
Sometimes it ’ s tough to take time to practice . But the only way to get better at anything — or maintain what you ’ ve accomplished so far – is to keep working at it . So , here are some things to help you along as you practice .
DRINK LOTS OF WATER In order to effectively sing well , you need to be hydrated . Drink before , during , and after you practice .
USE A MIRROR It ’ s very important that , whenever possible , you get immediate feedback on what you are doing . As we sing , we often do things physically that we are unaware of . When we look in a mirror , we tend to fix them IMMEDIATELY . This is important because it helps to build good habits . The more we DON ’ T practice in front of a mirror and DON ’ T see what we are doing , the more danger we are in of creating unhealthy patterns .
PUT YOURSELF THROUGH THE PACES There is a reason why your high school choir director did those crazy warm-ups . Those warm-ups get your muscles ready to work out-safely . So , don ’ t cut back on doing your exercises . Warming up is a good start , but working out is even better . When you take the time to push yourself ( safely ) to new levels , you can grow as a vocalist . This means having a set of exercises that you can use to help you in your target areas .
PRACTICE MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU NEED TO Fact : most people UNDER-practice . This is part of why many people get nervous . Most of the time , it takes more preparation than many people are willing to put in . If singers were truly prepared , they would have a lot more confidence and do a better job overall . When I was in college , my voice teacher told me to never sing a song in public that I hadn ’ t sung at least 100 times in private . I tend to go beyond that now that I ’ m “ older ;” I often need more help than I can get from 100 times !
RECORD , RECORD , AND RECORD AGAIN There is no getting around our need for feedback . Many people are so afraid of how they sound that they refuse to record or listen to recordings of themselves . This is silly . If you are willing to sing in front of others , you need to know what you sound and look like . There is nothing like a decent recording to shock you into more practice . One of the great benefits of private lessons is that someone objective gives you immediate feedback . They can help spot your weaknesses and trouble spots . It is invaluable . But , most of you reading this will not be taking private voice lessons any time soon , so the next best thing you can do is to become your own vocal coach , to the best of your ability .
Video recordings can help you to see what you might be doing with your body that is not helping your ability to sing well . Often , singers take on movements and stylistic stances that , in fact , make singing harder . They are usually easy to spot with a video recording . Don ’ t shy away from these , as difficult as they may be for you at first .
Audio recordings can give you the simple facts of how you sound . Resist the temptation to just get discouraged . You will likely be your own worst critic , but try to take it easy on yourself and look for positives as well as things you ’ d like to improve . Record again in a week or two
and look for improvement in the things you specifically tried to work on .
WHAT NOT TO DO If you are not feeling well vocally , DON ’ T SING . The only exception I ’ m going to make for this is that I know you WILL sing when you ’ re scheduled , so at least gently warm up , sing as carefully as you can , and DON ’ T TALK . Do your best to rest your voice completely . I ’ d love to tell you to stay home , but I ’ ve been doing this long enough to know that you likely won ’ t . If something hurts when you do it , stop doing it . Don ’ t push too hard in one sitting ; building skills and muscles takes time . NEVER sing with air in your tone . It can cause serious vocal damage ! And don ’ t get lost in the music while driving because you may find yourself in heaven sooner than you expected !
SHERI GOULD Internationally acclaimed vocal coach with a degree from U of Illinois . Coaching since ‘ 79 and leading worship since ‘ 85 . www . SheriGould . com
16 Jan � Feb 2017 WorshipMusician . com