Wouldn’t you love to be one of those people that aces every audition they do, someone who goes up in front of a panel and never hears the dreaded words “pitch problems”.
Wouldn’t it be great to experience what the audience is hearing when you open your mouth to sing your heart out to them… and wouldn’t it be better still if they didn’t cringe as though your fingernails were being scraped down an old blackboard?
Wouldnt the ultimate compliment be auditioning for Simon Cowell and having an actual positive response from him?
Today we look at you and your voice: You as a singer being able to develop your own ear to hear what’s going on in your performance and most importantly how to enjoy your own voice.
So check it out and remember as you master this you will never have to hear a critic’s voice bashing your voice on international television again!
Most of us will know Simon Cowell and his reputation for brutish truth telling and scathing reviews of performers who give it their all on American Idol. Well today is your chance to get in and review your voice before he ever gets a chance to.
You cannot learn how to sing well or become a good singer without first knowing everything about your own voice. For example, do you know what your range is?
Do you know what sort of tonal qualities your singing voice exhibits? You should have experimented with all the ways in which you can shape your own mouth, throat, and body to get a variety of different sounds.
So, before we jump right into vocal technique, let’s spend a little bit of time getting to know you.
Do you think you have a terrible voice … but friends tell you it’s awesome?
Do you think you sound too reedy, too nasal, and too breathy?
Did your choir teacher classify you as an alto when you think you have it in you to be a soprano? Are you worried that you’re too old to sing?
If you have the above concerns about your singing voice, drop them!
In this letter, we discuss why you never sound to others as you sound to yourself, the reason you should enjoy the distinctiveness of your own voice, how vocal range is classified, the effects of age, and the basics of good vocal practice.
You’re Not Your Own Best Judge
Do you think you know what your voice sounds like? We’ll let you in on a secret. The biggest problem in learning to sing isn’t having an imperfect voice. It’s having imperfect hearing.
We’re not talking about not being musically inclined, or thinking you’re tone-deaf or having terrible pitch. I’m talking about the impossibility of being able to hear yourself as you actually sound while you’re singing.
The reason is simple. Your audience hears you when the sound waves leaving your mouth enter their eardrums.
You hear yourself from the inside, through the bony structure of the head. Thus, when you have a cold and are feeling congested, you may think that your voice sounds nasal and muffled, while those around you think that your voice sounds the same as always.
The difference isn’t your voice; it’s your hearing. As a result, an invaluable tool for any singer is a tape recorder. By recording your own voice, you can play it back to yourself and hear your voice as others will hear it.
It may be hard to admit that your voice doesn’t sound as good on tape as it did to yourself. But that sort of objectivity is crucial if you want to be someone who sings to an audience, not just in the shower.
Fortunately, you don’t need to go out and buy a tape recorder and tapes. Included When you purchase Singorama 2.0 is the SINGORAMA Mini Recording Studio that enables you to use the microphone on your computer to record and playback your voice. The sound quality is sufficient to show you whether or not you’re on the right track.
The program also includes a Virtual Piano so that you can practice singing scales, or just get the first note of a song so that you can get the right key inside your head.
Developing a Mental Ear
Although you can’t hear the sound waves you produce accurately from inside your head, you can and should develop your ability to mentally “hear” music or notes, using your imagination. For example, think of the tune of your favorite song. Can you hear how it goes?
All of us have an auditory memory that stores sounds in the same way our memory stores images and smells. Some composers can even compose music inside their head, with no instruments at all. This auditory memory is essential for reading music, as it allows us to associate a note on a staff with a particular sound.
Few people can hit a note out of nowhere. However, what you can do is listen to the note and use it as a base to hit notes above and beneath it. This is called “relative pitch.” With the aid of an instrument to provide the base note, most people can easily hit the rest of the notes they wish to sing.
Enjoying Your Own Voice
Every voice is distinctive, and the best singers realize this. They take advantage of what separates them from the rest and develop a style and repertoire that shows off their unique voice. For example, Tom Waits didn’t let his raspy, gravelly voice keep him from singing. Similarly, don’t let any unusual qualities in your own voice keep you from becoming the best singer you could be.
You should always sing with your voice instead of against it. See what your particular, unique voice can do; be willing to experiment and make new sounds. You may just surprise yourself and discover the powerful singer inside with a musical style you’d never thought of trying before.
Coming Up...
Wow! Now you know what it takes to step out of the world of the amateur and into the critical world of the professional singer.
Take the time to listen to your voice and give it an honest appraisal. Get ready for the next lesson.
Can we all sing the same depending on our age?
Can children and senior citizens hit the high notes with the same power?
Find out the answers to these questions and many more in our next lesson!
Another Singorama Success Story!
Jessica Stephens
United States
I did an internet search of online singing courses and found Singorama to be the best thing for me. It has really helped save my voice, and especially helped me sing through the “breaks” in my voice without damaging anything!
I want to say THANK YOU for creating such an amazing system. I'm so impressed with the versatility of Singorma. It truly is made for beginners and advanced singers alike! I've been singing since childhood, but due to some negative experiences, I started to lack confidence in my singing ability and fear of performing started to creep in. Through the detailed vocal exercises and being able to hear my own voice, using the Mini Recording Studio, I've been able to make the necessary adjustments in my voice, improve my range, fine tune my pitch, and get back the confidence I needed. Thank you so much for bring back my joy in singing!
How to develop your mental ear and how to listen critically to your own voice and the voice of others is vital for your development as a singer. Check out in depth content on this and much much more at www.singorama.com