Certif1ed

Heh - that's a bit harsh!

I'm running a singing group at work, and we always start off by humming a note together for an indeterminate period of time until everyone is singing the same note and the group's tone is pleasing.

Sounds a bit wierd - but it's like getting an orchestra to tune up their instruments to a single note, so it's totally practical.

After that, we hum one of the pieces we're going to work on. This works really well, because when people are focussing on the music and not having to concentrate on the words as well, you can hear them adjusting their tone and experimenting with dynamic as a group.

To use a horrible business word, it creates a kind of "synergy".

OceanAndSilence

truth of the matter is if you want to be a great singer (that is powerful AND consistent) you have to practise singing techniques for at least half an hour every day. it's like learning an instrument; the process is slow. you must do vocal exercises and it takes at least 6 months for good results. i went to uni and had vocal lessons however i never practised them, and i still don't. so i know the techniques but haven't bothered practising them. i'm too lazy. luckily my voice has a pretty good range naturally, but i still struggle sometimes with any note over A5 in my chest register (since you're actually meant to use mixed register) and an F#6 in falsetto.

the main aspect of singing effortlessly is keeping you larynx stable... focus on that and the rest really comes naturally. i've never run out of breath while singing.

VEGANGELICA

Hello OceanAndSilence,
I feel your advice to practice at least 30 minutes every day is very good. During the last 2 weeks, while I was practicing for a musical, singing an hour every day helped me improve my consistency, such as my ability to keep my throat position stable as I sang lower and then higher notes (preventing a break in the sound as I switch from one to the other).

We finally had our two performances last Thursday and Friday, and I felt I was able to sing the songs much better than I was able to sing them 2 weeks ago, before we began daily singing practices. I will try to continue to practice regularly.

During run-throughs and the actual performances, I found I had to remember two things before every song: (1) take a full, deep breath, and (2) open my mouth quite wide (as if I were going to exclaim, "Ahh!") before the first note. I actually wrote "Breathe! Open!" at the top of each song to remind myself. It turned out we used microphones for singing, so I didn't have to project as much as I thought I'd need to, yet the deep breath and the reminder to open my mouth wide helped ensure I actually got a clean first note with my throat in more of an open, yawning position.

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Roseanne

Hi - my octave range is from D below middle C - 2 and a half octives and up to upper B.

I used to sing soprano, but now taking lessons in jazz, soul, and blues.

It's a lot of fun, but really hard for me in the middle register, which tends to "crack" as I go through my chest voice and up to head voice.

I don't have a great voice - I just love to sing!

I used to play a couple of instruments, again, fairly averagely, so can read, compose, and write music, which I think helps me with rhythms, and I just love the "off-beat", behind, or in front of the songs in jazz and blues.

Music is so important to me, and I just couldn't live without it.

I so admire the professionals in all music genres - they make it sound so easy, which it isn't! Years of hard work and dedication, not to mention talent!

Roseanne

DogmaticRock

I'm what they call a standard tenor.
My range is A2-D5.
I find I have the same range as Art Garfunkel, Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance, and Kenny Loggins (for the record I am not a fan of Garfunkel or Loggins)
My dad says I need more "power" in my voice to be heard over the electric guitars and drums. He says not necessarily volume.
How do I achieve this "power"?

Howard the Duck

i like to have a throaty croak when i sing

otherwise, it's a monotone deep register or a ridiculous falsetto

i think i'm mostly a punk singer

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Malaise is THE dominant human predilection.

DogmaticRock

I also have this problem where I often have to clear my throat to keep the clarity going.

Trick Bastard

My practice range is F2 - C6. Although when I've been on stage doing al the bad ass **** you're supposed to do when you're a rocker, I find it comfortable to stay between F3 - A4.

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Trick Bastard, arrogant ****in' rock n roll!

"Silly Rabbit... Tricks are for bastards!"

VEGANGELICA

Huh...I assume you're using a microphone while singing with electric guitars and drums? Do you have any recordings to share that demonstrate what your dad thinks is the problem?

Whoa. Your practice range is huge!!

This made me curious how my usable vocal range would be classified.

I found that with Middle C as C4, I can sing from F3 (the F below middle C) to F5 (two F's above middle C). I can sing E3 and G5 in tune but don't feel comfortable with those notes...and I really prefer not to sing notes above D5.

Looking this up on Wikipedia Vocal range - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, I learned that my vocal range is a perfect Contralto (F3 – F5), the lowest female voice. This makes me think I should probably exploit my lower notes more.

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Trick Bastard

You achieve power, volume and and good cut-through EQ with resonance.
Put more of your resonance in your mask when you're singing. This will make it easier to hit the high notes and keep them full and round, instead of that squeezed, annoying tone.

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Trick Bastard, arrogant ****in' rock n roll!

"Silly Rabbit... Tricks are for bastards!"