No Peaks or Leaks

It’s so important to look after our instrument and one of the best ways we can do that is to have a good routine. A good routine will make the complicated coordination the voice needs to go through to make a good sound, familiar. And it’s great when good singing is familiar to the voice, as it means that sounding great is normal!

I’ve discovered this little principal is essential to a great singing routine. No peaks or leaks – it’s the best way to start off your singing day.

So what are peaks? For a lot of singers, singing higher means adding lots of extra stuff that isn’t necessary – pressure, muscle effort, volume! It’s important that the body learns that these “peaks” aren’t necessary. Start small, maybe a 3 note scale up and down and really focus on balancing volume and the way it feels. When I’m working on this, I like to focus less on what I can hear, and much more on what I can feel. Is it even or does it feel less comfortable at the top. Once you’ve achieved it, take the scale higher, working through your comfortable range. It’ll make a huge difference!

“Leaks” or “breathiness” aren’t great for getting the ultimate tone, plus it can be quite fatiguing for the voice. The key is not to start your phrases lazily but make sure that your first starting note is clean and pure and it’ll help you to work through the rest of the phrase in the same way. Keep your jaw at ease and add a little bit of a “cry” effect if it’s not working as well. You’ll find your voice works better for that day and will continue to improve over time as well.

No peaks or leaks – it’s a winner every time!

Failing Well

Failure is never nice. Maybe small failures cause us to have a quick laugh at ourselves, but the big ones can be emotionally scarring, even to the point of us giving up altogether. Failure however, is an essential part of learning. You can’t get good at anything without learning from failure.

Many singers might embrace this principle to a point, but eventually we start reaching limits where it feels like we can’t go any further. This is made worse, when we attempt something daring – like a high note we don’t hit very often, or even performing in an unknown setting – and it goes terribly wrong! It can cause mini-trauma’s that we carry for years to come. Perhaps you identify with this, knowing you’ve had experiences that caused you to remain in a comfort zone in the way you sing.

If you want to go to the next level with your singing, you MUST be brave. Not reckless, putting yourself wilfully in harm’s way, but definitely open to the idea of failing. Singing something and being bold enough to accept that it might not work, robs the body of the fear and tension that would experience when under threat. Chances are, you’ll relax, accepting that failure is a good thing, not bad. A relaxed body will allow for better transitions in your range, better pitch, better tone and easier access to your emotions.

Accepting failure robs it of its power over us. And for the singer that wants to go to the next level, that’s a game-changer.

Groove that makes your body move

Rhythm for a lot of singers can be pretty far down the list of priorities. It’s not typically thought of as essential and many singers have a “near enough is good enough” approach. But understanding what rhythm can do to the feeling of your performance can make all the difference. And for the world’s top vocalists and producers, this tends to be their best-kept secret – rhythmic feel separates the sheep from the goats!

So firstly we need to understand what groove is. Sure, we have tempo, which defines the speed of our song, but groove looks to the finer elements of rhythm – where your phrase “sits” in reference to the instrumentation. When you get this right, it can really change the feeling of the end result.

So experiment with it. Firstly, make sure you’re singing in time. This sounds obvious but a lot of singers might start out a little loose with their rhythmic accuracy (I certainly did!). The best way to be sure is to use a metronome click (a phone app is perfect) and set the tempo at least a 3rd less than the original. You’ll soon notice if you’re pulling faster or slower and can correct. Once you’re secure with this, experiment (again slowly at first) with different placements. A good rock or upbeat pop song might be directly on the beat, whereas an R&B feel might be slightly behind. You can then get more adventurous, pulling further and further behind if you like. The key is to never slow down or speed up, but to stay consistent with your placement of the groove.

It might take a bit of getting used to but once you’ve nailed it, people will notice! Check out the video for some examples of different groove placements and also some stylistic tricks you can use to enhance it when you’ve found it. We promise you, your groove will make your body move!

Who took all the fun out of singing?

Singing is amazing! It makes so many of us feel alive and for some, it even feels like the only way they can truly express themselves. The problem is that we sometimes have bad experiences along the way. It could be a note that split in front of a group of people you respect, or maybe a negative comment. Before long, the singing we loved so much becomes an opportunity for stress and even anxiety – not fun!

It’s important we try to reframe this a little. It might start with small steps, and it begins by looking at the way we think. Instead of seeing singing as something that wants to embarrass you, see it as being on your side. Give yourself opportunities to get small wins with this. Maybe a short video you send to your family, or a small live performance to your friends – something that might seem low-risk. A little bit of positive self-pep-talk can be great; “I love to sing”, “I love the sound of my voice”, “singing is fun”, “singing is my happy place”. Say your phrase out loud and they can give you a little nudge into a positive place before your performance and can help you relax and enjoy.

As you start to pile up these small wins, you’ll find singing is something you look forward to, rather than dread. Be kind to yourself and take things so slowly. And let’s not forget, singing really is so fun!

The style and the substance

There are so many things that can spice up a great vocal. That said, many singers only seem to use very few. Singers are communicators and you as a singer can deliver your lyrics in a far more insightful and interesting way if you know how to stylistically treat your vocal. Vocal style can energise a song, add emotion and can show your identity as an artist.

Firstly we need to think about vibrato. What is it? They are just regular oscillations in vocal pitch that can really take your tone to the next level. That said, proceed with caution! Sometimes it can be used too much, too little, too heavily, too lightly. It’s good to think about vibrato as a seasoning for a dish – get it wrong and it’s ruined! That said, it’s also good to think about unusual ways of using it. For instance, if you’re always using it at the end of phrases, try using it creatively in a different place, like a passing note or an insignificant word. Because it’s different, it might spice your phrase up even more.

Then we have cry flips. They’re great and often thought of as being from the “yodel” family but when used a little more minimally, this simple chest-voice-to-falsetto flip can make a world of difference to your phrases. Be playful with them and experiment. Sometimes they’re going to sound too intense, whereas other times, they might be perfection. Know also that you can put them on the beginning of a word (onset), or at the end of a word (offset). If you’re struggling with them when you start, imitate a spoken whimper and you’ll find them much easier. Just remember to not take yourself too seriously at first!

And finally, creak is a great stylistic addition to a good pop phrase. Britney used them all the time for a sexy/intimate sound, but you can use them in many different ways. Creak will sound a little like a light crackle and comes when you’re not quite bringing your vocal folds completely together and like flips, they’re best in a phrase when you experiment to find the best treatment for that moment.

What is my song really saying?

How do you choose your songs? Some people love a great power ballad, while others go for something they know that they can really nail, some choose a song that their parents listened to when they were growing up. These are all great reasons, but sometimes when picking the song we like the sound of, we forget to ask – what is the song really saying?

Great singers see the song as a vehicle for communication, not just for helping them sound good. They interpret and extract the meaning of every lyric and somehow, it just seems to come from their heart. If you’re choosing a song, consider how you relate to the lyric. Can you relate to anything in it? Can you empathise with the story?

Here are a few things that can act as starting points for you. Firstly, ask questions; “What is this character experiencing?”, “What do they really want?”, “What have they gone through in the past?”

From there you can use your imagination to flesh out the details. Let your mind be visually active in this process so you can create a vivid scene around you. If you move, moment to moment through the song, those details of your imagination will help you to react vocally as you need to, and the lyric will start to come alive!

Don’t be afraid to bring your whole self to the performance. Don’t hold anything back. Let the audience, the camera or the microphone experiencing an abandoned and open version of you. Let people in and they will relate and you’ll help them understand themselves better – all through the power of music.

Seriously, Why Warm Up?

Warm-ups for a lot of singers are like what salad is to most kids – they know it’s healthy and that they’re supposed to eat it, but most of the time they just can’t be bothered having any.

Does this relate to you? Maybe you’re one of those singers that have felt invincible, but now you are discovering that you’re wearing out quicker. A lot of singers who are having trouble with a song they’re working on will find themselves surprised that after a quick but effective warm-up, the song becomes much easier to sing!

We use our warm-ups to remind the mind and muscles where good efficient singing needs to be. The voice is complicated and really needs this. Once this happens, you’ll find you get easier access to control and accuracy in your voice. The reality is that warm-ups really do make a difference.

Here are a few tips:

1. Start with light and easy easy exercises and build up from there. Jumping straight in with something heavy could cause more wear and tear.

2. There’s nothing wrong with repetition. Take your time and don’t move to fast through your exercises.

3. Know your body. You might respond really well to a short 5-10 minute warm-up, whereas others might not feel ready for singing without a 20-30 minute session. Keep in mind that you also don’t want to tire yourself before you’ve even started singing your songs.

4. You can also use warm-ups on days where you’re not singing your normal load. Keeping “match fit” is important (although there’s nothing wrong with a day off here and there too!).

The video above includes some really effective exercises that will help you with your warm-up routine. These exercises include puffy cheeks, tongue raspberries, twang and a bit of agility. If those names mean nothing to you, make sure you give it a watch!