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Starting Out Improve your vocals Introduction All singers no matter how good or famous, have lessons and use vocal training to keep their voices strong. This section looks at some basic techniques you can use to improve and develop your voice including: What to look for in a teacher Technique Warming up your voice Breathing exercises Vocal exercises   Lessons and Lifestyle Don't smoke. Go swimming, eat sensibly, drink lots of water, and get enough sleep. In order to be the best vocalist you can be, it may well be worth investing in a few singing lessons. When you find a teacher, have a trial lesson first, and don't feel bad about not liking someone. Ask if you can have a chat with a current student if you're unsure. Other things a good singing teacher should do are: Explain to you why you are learning certain things. Retain your individual voice, so you don't sound like a clone. Sing in the same style as you so they understand what you're trying to achieve. Be honest and realistic.   Technique Remember that your voice is part of your whole body, and your voice is affected by the movement of all surrounding muscles. You need to make sure that your posture is correct, and that all the supporting muscles, including shoulders and neck are relaxed and warm, otherwise you will strain your voice, and risk injury. That is why it is strongly recommended that you go through breathing exercises and vocal exercises regularly, to ensure that you are warmed up before singing, and that your singing technique is sound. Online Exercises Introduction We got together with Juliet Russell, a professional singing teacher at Vocaltech to find out what you can do to improve your voice. These exercises are not to replace a teacher, but are basic breathing and singing exercises to give you an idea of the type of things you can do to improve your voice.  If you feel dizzy at any point, have a break and sit down until you feel better. Repeat all these exercises until you feel warmed up - there is no right or wrong number of times to repeat them, but be thorough. Warming Up When warming up or singing, concentrate on breathing through the diaphragm - you can locate this by feeling under your ribcage when you cough or laugh. Watch the warm-up video exercises Listen to the warm-up exercises Breathing Starting Position Start all the exercises by standing with your feet hip distance apart, knees unlocked, hips aligned and your abdomen relaxed. Your head should be upright, looking straight ahead. Breathing warm-up 1 Begin at the Starting position Once your posture is aligned, close your eyes and spend a little time breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. (When singing, breathe in through your nose and out through your nose and mouth.) When breathing in, imagine the breath going down through down into the lowest part of the lungs, keeping the shoulders down and relaxed. When breathing out, try to maintain your inflated shape, breathing out slowly until you feel as empty as possible.  Breathing warm-up 2 From the starting position Counting four, breathe out whilst you bring your left ear down to your shoulder. Counting four, breathe in and bring your head up to the starting position. Repeat, with the right ear. Breathing warm-up 3 Start in starting position, breathing in. Lower your left ear to your shoulder, to the count of eight, breathing out. Rotate your head forward, breathing in to a count of eight, until your right ear rests on your shoulder. Raise your head to the starting position to the count of eight. Repeat, in the opposite direction. Shake yourself loose. Breathing warm-up 4 Start in starting position, stand still, and bring your shoulders back (loosen your shoulder blades). Breathe in to a count of eight, gradually bringing your shoulders up. Breathe out to a count of eight, gradually bringing your shoulders down. Breathing warm-up 5 Start in starting position. Breathe in and shrug your left shoulder backwards. Breathe out shrugging your right shoulder backwards. Repeat 8 times. Reverse - shrug the shoulders forwards. Concentrate on breathing from the diaphragm. Shake yourself loose. Breathing Exercises Breathing Exercise 1 - Hissing Watch the Hissing Exercise video Listen to the Hissing Exercise Breathe in to the count of four, breathe out, hissing, for four Breathe in for 6, and hiss out for 10 Breathe in for 6, hiss out for 12 Breathe in for 2, hiss out for 12 Breathe in for 4, hiss out for 16 Breathe in for 2, hiss out for 16 Breathe in for 4, hiss out for 20 Breathe in for 1, hiss out for 20 The idea behind the hissing is to monitor your breathing, and ensure that you can last through long phrases, and be economical with your breathing. Make sure the hiss is consistent; that it is not louder at the beginning than at the end. You are aiming for smooth even sound. Breathing Exercise 2 - Snatched Breaths Watch the Snatched Breaths video Listen to the Snatched Breaths exercise Breathing in gradually, think of your lungs filling up in fractions, when counting. Focus on the diaphragm, being careful not to hold tension in the throat. On the count of '1' - breathe in (1/4 full) '2' - (1/2 full) '3' - (3/4 full) '4' - (full) 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 - breathe out, gradually. (For a deep effective breath within a short space of time, releasing the diaphragm and filling up the lungs quickly.) Repeat, on the count of '1' - breathe in (1/2 full) '2' - (full) 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 - breathe out gradually. Vocal Exercises Start in the middle range and never feel that you're straining - if it hurts, or feels uncomfortable, stop. Drink room temperature water throughout. Give yourself a break in-between each exercise. As with the breathing warm up, there is no right or wrong number of times to repeat these exercises, but be thorough. Start right in the middle of your range - the most comfortable note for you. Vocal exercise 1 Watch Vocal Exercise 1 Listen to Vocal Exercise 1 Start just below middle C for women*, an octave lower for men. Hum "mm" with mouth closed, gradually opening the mouth until you are singing "ah". Do this over the count of 8. Try to feel the resonance on your lips and open up to a pure vowel sound. Move up to the note B - "mm" turning into "ee" Note D - "mm" - "uuh" E - "mm" - "aaay" F - "mm" - "ooh" * higher voices start on C and go up rather than down. Vocal exercise 2 Watch Vocal Exercise 2 Listen to Vocal Exercise 2 Start on a note that is comfortable for you, and slowly sing "me may moh mah moo", all on the same note. Go up note by note. As you get higher, make sure the sound doesn't get lost in the back of your throat - keep remembering to use the diaphragm, to avoid a weedy, "heady" sound. Then try it on these different notes, making a tune. E - D - C - D - E - - C - - Descending down the scale: D - C - B - C - D - - B - - C - B - A - B - C - - C - - Go down as low as you can, but don't strain your voice. Vocal exercise 3 Watch Vocal Exercise 3 Listen to Vocal Exercise 3 Starting around middle C for women, an octave lower for men: 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1-3-2-4-3-5-4-2-1 OR: C-D-E-F-G-F-E-D-C-E-D-F-E-G-F-D-C Sing this on "ah", then go up one tone, and "la", then up one tone on "me", then up one tone on "mah", then up on e tone on "fah", Do the same, starting again from C, going through the vowels: "ah", "eeh", "iih", "oh", "ooh". Feel your mouth opening into the vowels. Vocal exercise 4 - Sirening Watch Vocal Exercise 4 Listen to Vocal Exercise 4 Starting within the most comfortable range for you, slowly go up and down like a police siren, throughout all your vocal range, with an "ng" sound. Breathe as slowly as possible, and snatch a breath when you run out, trying to ensure an almost perfect, continuous line. You can do this exercise forever! But try different variations, like trying your lips buzzing together, try with your tongue trilling, or "ooh"ing. More... from How to... Professional singing auditions http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onemusic/startingout/auditionsp01.shtml Improve your practising skills http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onemusic/startingout/practisep01.shtml Develop your stage presence http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onemusic/startingout/stagep01.shtml Make a vocal demo http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onemusic/recording/vocalp01.shtml More... from Music exposed Sinead Quinn What did she learn in the Fame Academy House? http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onemusic/exposed/sinead307p01.shtml More... from the web BBCi Parents Music Room Singing http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/parents/learninganinstrument/singing_article.shtml www.vocalist.org.uk Lots of useful hints on singing and auditions http://www.vocalist.org.uk www.vocal-tech.co.uk Vocal school in London where Juliet Russell is based http://www.vocal-tech.co.uk The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites (c) BBC Radio 1 OneMusic 2005