An article about singing the I want to share as it has some good points. But I’ll put my thoughts in brackets where I think they fit. Okay? Let’s start.
“Singing is one of life’s real joys and can be the source of immense pleasure and satisfaction for singer and listener alike. With the popularity of shows such as X Factor around, more and more people are giving it a shot. However, it seems to me that the vast majority don’t consider for one minute that singing incorrectly can in fact cause long term damage to your voice.”(no, I’d say perfect practice makes perfect and bad practice makes bad.) “So if you want to sing, where should you start?”
“Well, first of all, you must understand that the voice is a natural, acoustic instrument. There is a correct, natural and safe way to sing, but unfortunately many many ways you should not sing. If you are trying to teach yourself to sing, the likelihood is that you will experiment with a number of these incorrect and potentially harmful methods. You can in fact cause damage to your voice by singing incorrectly over long periods of time.”
(Singing is just sustained speaking so my video about singing and speaking better, use of the diaphragm, exercises to do for increased lung capacity and articulation that I used are explained in a video. Check it out now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMA2TGrq2_E )
“For many people, learning to sing can be incredibly frustrating. It is rare to find somebody who naturally knows how to sing correctly. It is therefore paramount that you obtain quality, proven teaching materials when you begin so that you set off in the right direction. Undoing bad habits later is difficult to do.”
(for a great course in paperback ‘Set Your Voice Free: How to get the Singing of Speaking voice You Want’ http://lnkd.in/rkfvjE )
“If you have a little more money at your disposal, finding a good singing teacher is invaluable. Unfortunately there are many people that say they teach singing but really aren’t qualified to do so. When choosing a teacher, find out as much about them as you can and try and get recommendations from other singers. Does your teacher have a proven history of singing performance? Do they teach not just by lecturing you and showing you diagrams, but by demonstration and a highly hands-on approach?”
“As a guide, when you start singing you should start by understanding the human anatomy in relation to the singing voice, learn correct breathing techniques and exercises using your diaphragm and the correct production of the vowel sounds. If you don’t understand and practice these elements fully and be totally relaxed and confident whilst doing so, it is not a good idea to try and progress any further. You will simply introduce tension into your muscles, start shallow breathing and push and squeeze your voice out. Falling into these traps is not healthy and will not make you a good singer.”
“Singing is all about a harmonious balance of a number of elements of your body; correct stance, relaxation, correct breathing,
tone production, tone placement and resonance. The best way to obtain this balance is to learn the elements step-by-step and in the correct manner. It might seem laborious. You probably want to jump straight in and start singing your favorite songs. But seriously, the methodical approach is the quickest and safest way to learn to sing. With good training materials and a good teacher, it can also be a very enjoyable and rewarding journey.”
This was by a voice couch named Dave. Well, thanks Dave.
My advise just join a choir* and start. Sing around the house and yard, in the car, bath, while doing chores, whatever, just be happy and start.
*(David Foster used to sing in boys Choirs and has since boyhood admired the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. And that lead to this performance by Andrea Bocelli. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAFj2-u2cGQ )
