VOCALS
ARE YOU STRETCHING YOURSELF ? | Sheri Gould
Are you growing as a vocalist ? It ’ s easy to become complacent about taking care of or growing your voice . I ’ d like to challenge you with a few easy ways to stay on top of your game and to keep stretching yourself literally and figuratively .
VOCALIZING When is the last time you really took the time to vocalize ? Going through a few exercises daily as a warm-up is essential for vocal health . But if you want to grow yourself as a vocalist , more advanced exercises are necessary . Try to isolate one or two things about your voice that you ’ d like to improve upon and find some suitable exercises to help you accomplish your goals .
When you sit down to vocalize , make sure to set some goals for yourself that include stretching yourself to new lengths . Get better at singing longer phrases by working on breath control exercises that will help you stretch your breath to last longer . Make sure to work on stretching your range both lower and higher . Stretch your ability to sing more powerfully by beefing up your breath support and better understanding resonance and tone placement .
Vocalizing is a very powerful way to make great progress toward achieving your vocal goals . It ’ s not always easy to fit into your already busy schedule , but it ’ s always worth it when you do .
WORK ON YOUR STYLE This is easier than it might seem . What I want you to do is simply add some new styles of music to your playlist . Start broadening the genres of music you listen you so that you expose yourself to many different vocal styles . Choose artists who have been around for a long time . Avoid newer artists unless you have some formal training that will help you to be able to discern between good and bad vocal technique . Many newer artists may be fun to listen to , but not necessarily demonstrating vocal technique that you should emulate . If an artist has been around 20 or more years and are still singing with a healthy singing voice they are probably doing many things right . If they have had to take breaks because of stints in vocal rehab - be cautious . Many artists will learn to correct their mistakes , but not all do . You will have a tendency to sing along with whatever music you listen to . So choose good music with good vocalists for this exercise - don ’ t forget to include Opera and Broadway !
You can learn a lot about your own voice as you strive to take on different styles .
Sing along ! Try to imitate the different styles of music through tone placement and style development . This will help to stretch you in many ways . Pay attention to what your body is doing to imitate the styles you are hearing . You can learn a lot about your own voice as you strive to take on different styles . Even if you don ’ t like the style or think you ’ d never sing it in a million years , still try to imitate it for learning sake . Create a playlist specifically for stretching yourself and sing along to it on a regular basis taking notes and deciding what you might like to incorporate into your own personal style .
TRY A DIFFERENT HARMONY PART If you are one who has found their niche harmony-wise , it ’ s time to shake it up ! In days gone by , I used to challenge myself during hymn singing to read through each part ( Soprano , Alto , Tenor & Bass- in my own range of course ). Each part seemed to have its own feel . I love to stretch myself in this way . If you always sing the same harmony part you can become very narrow in your ability . So stretch yourself to find a different harmony to songs you ’ ve sung before !
LISTEN ! This is an easy one . Stop singing and try to listen more carefully to your music . Pay closer attention to the different harmonies and the way the song is arranged . Dream up new ideas for the songs you are currently singing by learning from others .
KEEP SIGHT-SINGING Not everyone knows how to sight sing and it seems to be fading away as a skill most singers have . Challenge yourself to sight read new music on a regular basis so you can keep the skill you once had or develop a new skill . It is valuable to be able to read the language of music to keep your skill alive !
Sheri Gould An internationally acclaimed vocal coach . She ’ s been helping artists and worshipers find their voice for over 40 years . If you have any questions or need resources don ’ t hesitate to ask . www . SheriGould . com
102 August 2018 WorshipMusician . com