Saturday, June 30, 2012

Support for Singing: Part 1


 
Support for singing refers to the system of muscles that powers the air and forces it past our vocal cords when we sing or even speak. The muscles you choose to do this work will greatly influence the quality of your voice. When you engage the strong muscles of your lower body, you achieve the same desirable qualities we hear on the radio every day in our favorite singers.



The voice qualities generally considered to be assets to successful singers, are described as: rich, full, mellow, soothing, warm, clear, precise, commanding, edgy, in control, and sincere When these qualities are found present in a singing voice, chances are good that it has a lot to do with support.

The one and only sign I have posted in my voice studio reads: IT'S THE SUPPORT, STUPID. The sign is there to remind not only my students, but also myself, that if the support isn't right, nothing works well for a singer. When the support is in place and working, at least a singer will have a shot at producing a good tone and good intonation.

This all ties in with the breathing. I frequently reference how important I feel support is to good singing. And, good low abdominal breathing is imperative for good low abdominal support. You must learn to target your sound towards your lower abdominals. Now, I realize there are no actual lungs down there but it feels like there are. This is where your imagination comes into play. Wherever you put the air in your body is where you will press to push it out to make a sound.

If instead, you breathe high into your shoulders and power your voice from the upper body, shoulders, neck, and throat, you wind up with a voice that may be perceived as: nasally, thin, shallow, whiney, grating, squeaky, whispery, raspy, pinched and insincere. This can be deadly for a performing singer.

Breathing and support work hand in hand. Don't forget; whichever part of the body you direct the air into is where you will apply pressure to force it out when you sing. It’s easy to understand why it’s so important to let your air flow into the lower part of your body. Applying more lower-body strength will give your voice a richer, fuller sound.


Furniture movers discover the secret that increases
vocal range and helps singers hit killer high notes!

Something else magical happens when you engage lower body muscles. Others sense that you have a strong commitment to what you are singing. Your audience wants to feel that you stand firmly behind the emotions you are trying to express. They will be more inclined to believe in you when you sing using your entire body. If your breathing and support are shallow, that’s exactly how you’ll sound—shallow.  


Nashville vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams reveals the trade secrets that have already helped hundreds of aspiring singers become celebrities: Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Dixie Chicks, Miley Cyrus, Huey Lewis, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Jason Aldean, Christina Aguilera...


Like me on Facebook at or follow me on Twitter @MyVoiceCoach. My blog can be found at MyVoiceCoachBlog.com.

Go to CyberVoiceStudio.com and sign up to receive my free weekly Video Voice Lessons.

For more information go to MyVoiceCoach.com or call 615.244.3280 to schedule a private voice session in person, by telephone or by Skype.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Throat Nodes - How to Avoid Them




Throat nodes, also known as vocal nodules, might not top a singer's list of things to worry about. Or at least that is not until the problems start turning up. The condition of a singer's throat is very serious business.


Many singers advance to a certain point in their career where they begin to experience success; they’re singing great and they start making great records. Immediately other demands start to intrude and their lives change drastically.

They begin a heavy tour schedule. They have a public to cultivate. They already sing well enough to get picked up by a record label so they think, “Okay, the voice is fine, I’ll worry about these other things now instead." Understandable, but still, a bad decision. Life on the road combined with all the other demands of a successful career are hard to handle. Too many singers lose the healthy voice that brought them success in the first place.

This is exactly what happened to Kim Wilson, lead singer of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. You may be familiar with their hit song from the eighties, Tuff’ Enuff’.

Kim is a very energetic blues/rock singer. Singing from his throat for years had damaged his voice and he opted to have surgery to remove the throat nodes that had formed. The surgery cleared up his problem -- for a while.

But he hadn't really changed anything about the way he sang so he developed the same condition again a couple of years later. Only now, the scar tissue from the surgery compounded the problem. Kim was at the height of his career and not eager to have another surgery, only to possibly be faced with the same situation again two more years down the road. He began to wonder if he should start thinking about a new profession.

Austin singer Toni Price told him about my work. We decided he should come to Nashville for a few weeks where we embarked on an intensive rehabilitation program that included:

Passive Breathing
Passive Breathing is as relaxed and easy as falling down a drain. Quite literally. Simply open up your throat and let the air fall in, like water going down an open drain. Never fill beyond your resting capacity, It forces you to tighten your throat to control the flow of air.

Lower Body Support
Think Elvis. Tuck your hips forward and put the power of your lower body under the sound, like lifting a heavy chair. Relax your knees and support the sound with strong legs. Imagine you are sitting on your tailbone.

Freely-Vibrating Resonance
Direct the resonance to almost any part of your body other than your throat. Do not tighten your jaw and lift your chin. Again, think Elvis and keep your head rounded over the microphone. Try feeling the sound resonate in your collar bones. Imagine that they are hollow resonators.

Heed Your Body
If you think something is wrong, it probably is. A raspy voice, a throat that's irritated after singing, and the constant need to clear your throat, are all signs of trouble.

Heal Your Body
Try putting yourself on complete vocal rest. No talking, no singing, no whispering. Then start back gradually, using the physical concepts above to get your voice back on track. For throat nodes that persist -- call a good Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor.

Kim worked hard to learn to sing with more of his body. He decided against the surgery and went back on tour and never did have to have another operation on his throat. If you follow the suggestions above you should manage to avoid falling victim to throat nodes. 

Click here to see part 1 Vocal Nodules: What Are They Really?



Nashville vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams reveals the trade secrets that have already helped hundreds of aspiring singers become celebrities: Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Dixie Chicks, Miley Cyrus, Huey Lewis, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Jason Aldean, Christina Aguilera...

Like me on Facebook at or follow me on Twitter @MyVoiceCoach. My blog can be found at MyVoiceCoachBlog.com.

Go to CyberVoiceStudio.com and sign up to receive my free weekly Video Voice Lessons.

For more information go to MyVoiceCoach.com or call 615.244.3280 to schedule a private voice session in person, by telephone or by Skype.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Wedding Songwriting Contest Winner


We are thrilled to announce the winner: GWEN POWELL. We received many songs covering a wide variety of what constitutes a wedding song. Unfortunately some of the entries did not follow the “key word” guidelines and were not eligible. Official Rules
The entry that won has all the qualities of a classic wedding song.
But more importantly, it touched our hearts.
You Are My Love
by Gwen Powell
Click here to listen to Gwen’s winning song