At Vocalise we always encourage you to always enjoy singing as an expression of your love and passion for music.
Singing Songs for Practice is a great addition to your training, however, if you want to develop your vocal skills and build a strong foundation in technique and breath support; vocal scales are essential.
A great vocal teacher should encourage you to include the following when practising at home:
Step 1: Diaphragm breathe always! Breath support exercises through diaphragm breathing are crucial to your technique. Encouraging controlled release of your diaphragm breath such as hissing helps with your tone, volume and breath support.
Step 2: Gentle beginnings Start with soft warm upscales. Descending scales are perfect to start with, applying minimal breath and soft volume. After a few of these scales, you can then move onto ascending scales making sure you have an even breath flow, tone and volume through your range. You are now ready for classical scales which includes intervals and harder passages in preparation for vocal melody lines in your songs.
Step 3: Sing with caution Sing songs softly focusing on technique. You are striving for even quality of notes especially when you are transitioning in and out of your vocal registers. This practice allows your vocal chords to naturally indicate to you which register you should be using in the song. The ultimate goal is to blend your chest, middle and head registers for a flawless vocal range.
Step 4: Sing with freedom and expression Now your voice is completely warm and you have 'set' the technique, it's ready for you to be able to sing freely without focusing too much on your technique. The beauty of this training allows you to continue to sing songs with freedom and at the same time, continuing to develop your range, strength, skill and confidence.
Step 5: Cool Down with Soft Descending Scales Just like after an aerobics class, you MUST warm down. Your vocal cords are a muscle and require a warm down after your practise session. I always recommend soft descending scales and if they are responding with very little breath and volume, you know you have applied the technique well during your practise session.
So there you have it! You can sing songs for practice; but if you're serious about developing your skills with the ability to sing for hours on end without losing your voice, then Technique is Paramount!
"We help you Unlock the Power of Music so it becomes a Grounding Force Through Life"
Phinemm Nelson Founder and Principal
Vocalise Music Academy has been helping students develop their vocal, music and performance skills for over 16 years. To find out more about our Academy, visit our website at www.vocaliseacademy.com.au
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