[FreeasmyHair]

Next year I'm going into TY and everybody had to audition. I know it's ages away but they sometimes pick people based on who their parents are and if they're friends with their parents & crap like that.
Every year when I watch the play, most of them are terrible and the ones with the small roles are the best. The play is watched by loads of primary schools and local people. I love to sing but I think my voice is a bit limp.
How can I improve it? Also my range isn't great because I only sing at home when there's no one there - I would sing in front of anyone but never my family.
Thanks

[Lady Chuckles]

Advice number one: start singing at home
I know it can be difficult, but you have something great going on so why be shy? You could always close the door and pretend you are home alone if that helps

I'm sure if your family knew your plans and heard you sing they'd be supportive and delighted

Advice number two: breathe and open up
It's important to breathe with your stomach. Make sure the air goes all the way down. When you breathe in, don't gasp (I hate that noise ) instead just drop your jaw and air will flow in naturally. To reach a higher range you will need to open your mouth widely, sounds a little silly explained like that but try it, it helps
... And don't hold back.

Advice number three: stand up straight
Think about your posture. You need support from the feet, from the belly and from the back. If you sit, sit properly.

I hope this helps

[FreeasmyHair]

Originally Posted by Lady Chuckles

Advice number one: start singing at home
I know it can be difficult, but you have something great going on so why be shy? You could always close the door and pretend you are home alone if that helps

I'm sure if your family knew your plans and heard you sing they'd be supportive and delighted

Advice number two: breathe and open up
It's important to breathe with your stomach. Make sure the air goes all the way down. When you breathe in, don't gasp (I hate that noise ) instead just drop your jaw and air will flow in naturally. To reach a higher range you will need to open your mouth widely, sounds a little silly explained like that but try it, it helps
... And don't hold back.

Advice number three: stand up straight
Think about your posture. You need support from the feet, from the belly and from the back. If you sit, sit properly.

I hope this helps

Thank you so much Lady Chuckles

[Jimmy Iovine]

Originally Posted by Lady Chuckles

Advice number one: start singing at home
I know it can be difficult, but you have something great going on so why be shy? You could always close the door and pretend you are home alone if that helps

I'm sure if your family knew your plans and heard you sing they'd be supportive and delighted

Advice number two: breathe and open up
It's important to breathe with your stomach. Make sure the air goes all the way down. When you breathe in, don't gasp (I hate that noise ) instead just drop your jaw and air will flow in naturally. To reach a higher range you will need to open your mouth widely, sounds a little silly explained like that but try it, it helps
... And don't hold back.

Advice number three: stand up straight
Think about your posture. You need support from the feet, from the belly and from the back. If you sit, sit properly.

I hope this helps

It sounds a little silly because it's not flat out not true. You can sing a high note with your mouth barely open just as easily as when wide open. To say that you need to open your mouth widely takes away from the fact that it is all about technique.

Don't force the note out and don't sing from the stomach. Try to sing as if the sound is coming from your head and with a bit of practice you should be able to sing correctly soon enough.

[Lady Chuckles]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Iovine

It sounds a little silly because it's not flat out not true. You can sing a high note with your mouth barely open just as easily as when wide open. To say that you need to open your mouth widely takes away from the fact that it is all about technique.

You can, but you won't get the full sound. You need to open up to get the tone to flow through you. In order to practice that, it helps to open up widely. The same for when you're singing on an "Mmmmm" you're meant to have a gap between your teeth even though the mouth is closed to get a full lush sound.

My voice coach taught me that - and it works

[Lady Chuckles]

Originally Posted by FreeasmyHair

Thank you so much Lady Chuckles

I'm happy to help

[Jimmy Iovine]

Originally Posted by Lady Chuckles

You can, but you won't get the full sound. You need to open up to get the tone to flow through you. In order to practice that, it helps to open up widely. The same for when you're singing on an "Mmmmm" you're meant to have a gap between your teeth even though the mouth is closed to get a full lush sound.

My voice coach taught me that - and it works

You're confusing me now and contradicting yourself. Range and tone/sound are two totally different things.

The point I made was that there is no need at all to open your mouth wide to sing high notes, it's just ridiculous.

Opening your mouth to make the sound louder is fine, but you should make yourself clearer so that you're not encouraging someone down a wrong path.

Your coach may have taught you that and great if it works for you, but I'm certain that it in the grand scheme of things they aren't teaching you correctly. Maybe you misinterpreted what they said on the matter though.

As a matter of interest is the person specifically a voice coach or a registered singing teacher?

[Lady Chuckles]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Iovine

You're confusing me now and contradicting yourself.

I'm not native in English
... But at least I gave advice. You're just picking on me.

[Jimmy Iovine]

Originally Posted by Lady Chuckles

I'm not native in English
... But at least I gave advice. You're just picking on me.

I'm not picking on you. It's great that you gave advice, I'm just saying that it was wrong. That's all. I'm hardly going to say that you were right now am I.

[Wurly]

Less of the bitching and backbiting. Keep the thread on topic from now on.

Wurly

[TheFiveLamps]

try yawning alot. open up the back of your throat and drop the larynx,feels weird at first but it will be beneficial. also drop your jaw at the front. without any tension whatsoever. be compeletely relaxed. use your diaphragm to push the air too if needed. breathe in and out of your stomach. not your chest. try not to push if you dont need to,it probably goes against technique but sometimes having emotion in the song is more important than being perfect vocally, people sometime prefer seeing emotion in the song and the person rather than pitch perfect notes etc. of course depending on what you're singing.

[krd]

The strangest one I've ever heard, is in one of David Niven's autobiographies (it could be the Moon is a Balloon).

Putting one or two wine bottle corks in your mouth, holding them between your teeth, and trying to talk.

[Lady Chuckles]

Originally Posted by krd

The strangest one I've ever heard, is in one of David Niven's autobiographies (it could be the Moon is a Balloon).

Putting one or two wine bottle corks in your mouth, holding them between your teeth, and trying to talk.

It sounds a little bit dangerous too
What if you choke?

Have you tried it? Does it help?

[krd]

Originally Posted by Lady Chuckles

It sounds a little bit dangerous too

What if you choke?

Then....I suppose... you die.... and the exercise is over.

Have you tried it? Does it help?

I gave it a go - you notice a very resonant bassiness in your voice. Niven's problem was his voice was very high pitched and tinny. There's some interesting stuff in his books on what he did with his voice. Interesting, as in strange and unusual.

I knew professional narrators in the US.....they can be very highly trained - you don't hear the training listening to them. Which is the idea.

[cloptrop]

Im very interested in this because my singing is like somebody is repeatedly kicking me in my ballbag and yet it is terribly monotone sounding all at the same time.
Is there not do ray me exercises or something I should try ? There is very few songs I can sing credibly .
This and my lack of a harmonica are seriously hampering my quest to write a christmas no1 so I can live comfortably on royalties forever.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.