Tips for singing a song

Music Lesson Tips

Hello and welcome to my studio in the heart of East London's vibrant Brick Lane. Today's lesson will focus on some general tips before we move on to learning songs.

Tip #1: Humming Through Melodies

When you first encounter a song or learn a new melody:

• Humming through it is quite useful.
• Consider using voiced fricatives, which are the sounds we used when we were doing sirens.

Just humming through gently gives you:

• A shape of the feel of the melody.
• The contours and maybe some of the dynamics.

It's an easy way to shape the melody without thinking about the lyrics just yet. This helps you see how it fits and find which notes feel easy and which notes feel harder.

Example:

For the song "I Need a Dollar," you don't need to shape every single note; just get the general shape.

Tip #2: Understanding Song Lyrics

So far, we've been focused on preparing the voice and body for singing. However, most singing is about singing songs, not just exercises.

Questions to consider:

• Are you communicating emotion?
• Are you sharing experience?
• What's your artistic interpretation?

It's crucial to understand the song's lyrics, much like an actor would study a text before performing. Try to:

• Find the emotional connection to the song.
• Think about the story of the song and whether the emotion changes at any point.

Even if the song isn't personally relatable, think imaginatively about how someone might feel, employing a slight character voice without changing your own. This empathy will enhance your performance.

Tip #3: Emotional Connection

When you find a clear emotional connection to a song, it can enhance your emotional communication and performance.

Consider this:

• If you're excited, your voice might come up and faster.
• If you're feeling sad, it could be slower and deeper.
• Speaking intimately may lead to a softer voice, while communicating joy may require a bigger, more expressive voice.

Let your emotions influence your dynamics and expressive choices.

Tip #4: Speaking the Song

Explore the song by speaking it.

For example, when asking someone to recite the lyrics from "Make You Feel My Love," they often just repeat the words like:

"When the rain is blowing in your face, when the whole world is on your case."

Instead:

• Get to the essence of the song. For instance, it's about when everything feels unbearable.
• Notice how when explaining, gestures naturally come into play, which is a big part of emotional performance.

Find what comes naturally for you to express your song.

Tip #5: Choosing Accessible Songs

The songs chosen for this course are from the Rock School syllabus, designed to be relatively accessible for most adult singers.

Remember:

• Every voice is unique, which is what makes singing beautiful.
• If a song feels too difficult, don't lose hope. It could be something as simple as needing to change the key.

Key Change Tips:

• If high notes are hard but low notes are easy, bring the key down.
• If low notes are too difficult, raise the key for easier access.

Tip #6: Prioritize Vocal Health

Your vocal health is of primary importance.

• You should never feel that you have to shout to hit a note.
• It shouldn't feel tight around your throat, and you shouldn't need to work too hard.

The chosen songs are meant to be accessible, but if you feel they aren't suiting you, it's wise to seek individual guidance with a vocal coach.

Your voice is unique, and there's nothing wrong with having tailored guidance.