Vocal Training Methods

[rainedrop]

haha whn i initially saw the word "yawn" i was thinking if i tried yawning too mani times i'd probably start feeling slpy. ha just crapping thnx for the tips on breathing! any to help increase vocal range? i heard practising low notes and help sing high notes (or sth along this line).. but der's a limit to how low u can go rite? esp for female vocals..

 

[btherl]

There's a limit for both low and high .. they are probably much bigger than you think though The lowest I've hit (as a male) is D. Graphically like this:

Middle C (on piano)
C
D

So that's nearly 2 octaves below middle C. The highest I've hit depends on voice. In falsetto I've gotten up to A above middle C comfortably. In a full voice (with vocal chords connected) I've gotten up to F# above middle C. That's the result of my recent training with the lip trill. Before that, I would begin straining at around A below middle C.

Anyway, the lower limit pretty much depends on your physical structure. A bass can go down to the D I hit and even lower. A tenor can't go so low because their vocal chords just aren't big enough. And a female's low note is higher of course, due to having shorter vocal chords.

But your high note has a much higher limit. As you go up, you need to constantly adjust how you generate the note, shortening the gap in the vocal chords to generate higher and higher notes. I don't think anyone knows if there is a fixed limit. Brett Manning has a 5 octave range, but it increases to 6 octaves on a good day.

Mariah Carey and Jeff Buckley are other examples of huge ranges (one female and one male)

 

[sage]

haha whn i initially saw the word "yawn" i was thinking if i tried yawning too mani times i'd probably start feeling slpy. ha just crapping thnx for the tips on breathing! any to help increase vocal range? i heard practising low notes and help sing high notes (or sth along this line).. but der's a limit to how low u can go rite? esp for female vocals..

Yawning makes me sleepy too!! And makes me tired.. then I lose my mood to sing. Lol!

I think if you wanna expand your range.. you just have to keep practicing higher and higher or lower and lower than your natural range.. baby steps.. but must keep singing.. must keep singing.. must keep singing....

 

[cloudwind]

haha whn i initially saw the word "yawn" i was thinking if i tried yawning too mani times i'd probably start feeling slpy. ha just crapping thnx for the tips on breathing! any to help increase vocal range? i heard practising low notes and help sing high notes (or sth along this line).. but der's a limit to how low u can go rite? esp for female vocals..

haha, dun wori, it's not the usual yawn dat we know of. It's a modified "Ho..." yawn. Covering High,mid,low( Head,Throat,Chest ) voice. It's a weird exercise. The teacher did this & skipped the breath routine. And stil, she possessed power-pack voice. So this exercise oso covers breath exercise unknowingly.

Raine, basically the Breath exercise dat i'd mentioned b4 are recommended by teachers but I dun usually include it in my routine. So dun merely absorb, test it, if they dun work ideally, discard it. haha.

 

[rainedrop]

I think if you wanna expand your range.. you just have to keep practicing higher and higher or lower and lower than your natural range.. baby steps.. but must keep singing.. must keep singing.. must keep singing....

yeah currently my only way of expanding my range is by singing songs tt haf higher notes and stuff.. it helps in a certain way lah. but i guess we gotta cont practising both ends so we dun "lose" them rite? i heard they can shrink back to ur original range =x

haha and i dun reli practise breathing techniques specifically. im a wind instrumentalist too so i guess it helps a little huh? =]

 

[sage]

yeah currently my only way of expanding my range is by singing songs tt haf higher notes and stuff.. it helps in a certain way lah. but i guess we gotta cont practising both ends so we dun "lose" them rite? i heard they can shrink back to ur original range =x

haha and i dun reli practise breathing techniques specifically. im a wind instrumentalist too so i guess it helps a little huh? =]

yesh~ just keep singing... just keep singing..

but sometimes when i stop singing for some time, it'll still maintain. i think maybe cos i still warmup my voice without realising it.

wind instrument... that depends, are you good at playing it? LOL kidding it'll be a good way to understand your breathing technique and control, yeap

 

[rainedrop]

haha noo im not a professional player. just normal band standard.. but at least i'll haf more chances to "practise" those breathing stuff so it wont be tt bad even if i dun haf de time to practise breathing for singing

 

[rainedrop]

oh btw, any tips on how to improve projection?

 

[btherl]

Talk to someone a long way away Seriously. Your body knows how to project, you just need to encourage it.

 

[rainedrop]

hmm but how do i know if im using the "correct technique" for projection? i could have been just straining my voice and stuff, wont i?

 

[btherl]

If you feel strain, or if your voice feels like it's breaking, then you're doing it wrong!

If you're doing it right, then you won't feel all that much. The best way to tell you've got it is when objects in the room resonate to your voice, from the echoes of your own voice (it'll be surprisingly clear), and from the people giving you funny looks You should also feel your diaphragm snap tight, but this won't be a conscious effort, it'll just happen.

You can try roleplaying, like imagining someone is about to break your favorite cd and you have to yell at them to stop. If you get in touch with your feelings and let go, then it'll come naturally.

 

[cloudwind]

oh btw, any tips on how to improve projection?

Imaginary -> Imagine your listeners are at a distance frm where u are.

Physically -> Stand at one end of your room, aim to sing to the end of the room from where you are.