A Singing Career in Your Future? Learn to Play an Instrument

 If a singing career is your goal, while you make a commitment to pursue a professional singing career, you should also make a commitment to become a multi-instrument player. A good voice and the ability to execute a well turned phrase are simply not enough any more. If you want to have a career in singing it’s important that you become a well-rounded musician.

Learn to play an instrument. In fact, learn to play several: guitar, piano and drums at the very least.

Guitar

I highly recommend studying the guitar first -- it’s easy to learn to strum a few chords and you can get started playing music right away. The guitar will teach you about the relationship between the keys and how repeating patterns form and transfer.

Piano

I also recommend learning to play the piano because it will teach you the language of music. It’s all laid out for you (quite literally!) right there in black and white on the keyboard.

The wise student will learn to develop two piano skills, playing by ear without written music or from chord charts, and by learning to read music by sight. If you cannot find a teacher who can teach both systems, find yourself two teachers.

Drums

If you want to develop your rhythmic integrity, it's also a good idea to take a few drum lessons. You will be expected to know the difference between a shuffle, a disco beat and a waltz, and how to accurately indicate the tempos you prefer. An error in setting the tempo could lead to a nightmare as the song progresses.

Get as much onstage experience as possible, this is imperative for those who want to have a career in singing. Join a band or put a band together; you need to experience how to run a band and entertain an audience under every kind of condition.

Touring drives record sales and creates a fan base. When you are ready to approach record executives they need to see that you have honed your craft through extensive onstage experience and that you can command the attention of a crowd and build a following. Without it, you have no proven history and you will find it difficult to convince anyone to make a high-dollar investment gamble on your singing career.

Nashville producer Paul Worley, (Lady Antebellum, Dixie Chicks. Martina McBride, The Band Perry. . .) has a program that he makes his unseasoned young singing clients go through. They must schedule, book and play 90 gigs in 99 days. Now if that sounds difficult, think ahead to when you could be playing 99 shows in 99 days. If you're not tough enough, there are plenty of others who are ready and willing to jump in.

In order for a career in singing to be hassle-limited (notice I didn't say "hassle-free ) you have to give yourself every advantage when you communicate with your band, your producer, your audience. You have to know what you want before you can get it. Everything you learn about the mysterious inner workings of the music you make will make you a better singer and a stronger leader.

 

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.

Choosing the Best Songs to Sing

How do you go about choosing the best songs to sing -- the ones that define what you are about and why?

There’s no way MapQuest can tell you how to get from your local hole-in-the-wall all the way to Hollywood, but a big part of a singer's success comes from having a good nose for sniffing out the right songs at the right time. So, how do you know if you are choosing the best songs to sing?

Some of you may feel that a good singer ought to be able to sing any song at all -- including the phone book. But there are certain parameters -- social, vocal, and age -- that define what is normally considered to be acceptable. So why ask for trouble? Why not get songs that are exactly right for you?

Age Appropriate

First and foremost, songs should be age appropriate. If you’re young and you haven’t had fourteen steamy love affairs, it’s hard to sing "You give me fever, baby" convincingly. It always shocks me when a nine-year-old turns up with a song about whiskey and failed second marriages. On the other hand, neither should a mature artist ramble on about what happens after school and the end of summer vacation.

Vocal Range

I find that a majority of singers choose songs that are way too high for them to sing comfortably. Perhaps they feel the need to challenge themselves. Forget that, you should sing what makes you sound best. I mean, it’s fine to challenge yourself in private, but choosing material that is too high to present well in public doesn’t make any sense. I find myself suggesting lowering the keys for many of my students, and most of them are already pretty evolved singers. So, especially if you are fairly new to singing, the best songs to sing are those with notes you can reach with ease.

Social and Ethnic Background

You would also be wise to avoid songs that are sung in dialect. If you’re not Irish, don’t sing an Irish jig. If you are Irish, why not make the most of your heritage by exploring it in your music? Writers are told to “Write what you know.” Singers should take that same advice and “Sing what you know.” If you were born and raised in New York City, it’s a good bet you know little about tractors, barns, or hay rides. But, you do know about Times Square, all night dancing and perhaps what it’s like to be lonely in a big city. The same is true for a Tennessee farm boy. If he's never been off the farm what does he know about bright lights and the big city? The best songs to sing are those you can, in some way, personally identify with.

Personality

Who are you? It’s a simple question, but oh, so hard to answer. Know thyself! Know who you are and choose songs that you can identify with, wild child, county boy, or classy lady. Are you a high-energy singer who moves all over the stage? Then you should look for songs with an upbeat tempo. If you are the more George Strait stand-in-one-place-and-strum-a-guitar type, look for ballads and easy-going songs. This does not mean all your songs have to be one or the other, but you want to load up with songs that play to your greatest strengths when you are performing.

What do you listen to most

Perhaps the best songs to sing are simply the songs you like to listen to. Check your radio dial, your CD collection and your MP3 play list. Do you see a pattern? Our favorite songs tend to be the ones we like to sing along with because they are in a comfortable range: the ones that don't require three octave high notes sung at full throttle. Make note of those songs that you have loved for years and keep their properties in mind when you are choosing the best songs to sing for yourself.

Some of the above suggestions may appear to be obvious. However, the number of singers that don't seem to take these issues into consideration is surprising (and alarming). Remember to keep in mind when you choose songs that your age, range, personality, and personal history are all very important factors.

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.

Turtles share their Management experiences in the funny, yet true video.

 

Looking for a manager to control your music career? Don't let this happen to you!

The Turtles are an American rock band led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman later know as Flow and Eddie.The band became notable for several Top 40 hits; "It Ain't Me Babe." They scored their biggest and best-known hit in 1967 with the song "Happy Together." Wikipedia

Make Karaoke Fun

You can make karaoke fun, or you can let it be your worst nightmare. A potential karaoke moment could be lurking anywhere -- at a party, a wedding reception, or perhaps at the restaurant you visit after a long day of working with your Asian business partners.

You walk into the room and spot it -- the karaoke machine. Uh-oh. You know what's coming. “Hey, why don’t you get up and sing one next?” someone yells. Gulp! All eyes turn toward you and someone hands you the microphone. Your mind turns to jelly. Your knees go weak. Sure, you sing along with your favorite songs on the radio, but in front of everyone? And why is it that you can’t remember the title of a single song right now?

It’s only natural to have a pang of anxiety whenever we’re in the spotlight. But singing with karaoke isn’t about giving a perfect performance. It’s about having fun with your friends. People want to hear you. If they wanted to hear Lady Gaga or Garth Brooks, they’d buy the CDs. Besides, what’s the worst thing that can happen? The worst thing that can happen is that you sit there and don’t even try. So why not do some preparation and be ready to dive in?

Here are a few steps you can take to make karaoke fun instead of fearful next time you’re in the spotlight:

Learn a few of your favorite songs.

Choose well-known songs that are in your range. Make sure the melody is easy to hum and that you can feel the rhythm easily. Can you reach the high notes and be heard on the low notes? In short, simply learn the songs that you would sing along to with the radio.

Some easy popular songs you might want to try:

Like a Virgin 

Friends in Low Places 

These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

I Love Rock and Roll

I Will Survive

My Way

New York, New York!

Bad to the Bone

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

Sweet Caroline

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Born to Be Wild

Sweet Home Alabama

Hey, Jude

Practice using a real microphone (not your hairbrush!).

Using a microphone for the first time can be daunting, so you want to get accustomed to hearing your voice amplified.

Fortunately there are inexpensive and easily-obtained microphone devices available. In the toy section of Amazon.com you can find inexpensive battery-operated karaoke microphones that don't require costly amplifiers starting at about $15.

There are microphone apps available for smart phones. As well as karaoke apps. And if you have access to music video games such as "Rock Band" or "Guitar Hero," you can learn a lot by using the game's microphone to make karaoke.

Remember the purpose of the microphone is to amplify your voice, so don't shout at the top of your lungs. That's why we have microphones.

Calm your fears.

There's a trick I teach my students when they are nervous about a performance. I tell them to write down all the things they think could go wrong -- going off pitch, forgetting the words, falling down -- whatever they fear most. Then I tell them to sing and make all those mistakes -- just do a terrible job. This is not as easy as it sounds. You'll find it's almost as hard to be terrible as it is to be perfect, but once you've done it a few times, you'll find this exercise helps put your performance fears to rest.

Ham it up.

Getting up to sing is an opportunity to act out your "star” fantasies. Go all the way. Find the “ham” in you. Wear lots of bling and glam clothing, do some rock and roll moves, sing your heart out. In truth, most people would rather see you succeed than fail, and giving a full-out performance will always go over better than hanging back. Trust me. Things don’t improve when you sound as if you’re apologizing for giving such a rotten, worthless performance. Think "Diva."

Now, I can’t guarantee these tips will get you a recording contract, or a spot on the David Letterman show, but they sure could make karaoke a lot more fun!

 

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.