Vocal Tips from Roger

Drop your jaw

Drop your jaw

Most people simply do not open their mouths enough to let the sound come out unobstructed. I do not mean that you should smile and go very wide. I want you to simply drop your jaw down a bit and not keep your teeth so close together. This will send more sound into the cheek area where it will bounce around and come out more resonant and full.

Use melody

Use melody

When you sing a song the melody is important. Why is it that most people are singing boring songs. They stay on one note, they have no interesting dynamics, and they bore the listener. I say, pretend you are singing while you are speaking. Move it around, shake it up, swoop, dive, soar. Let your voice be as interesting as you are?

No whispering

No whispering

When you whisper, you send a tremendous amount of extra air to the cords which makes them dry and irritated. This is actually worse than screaming and shouting.  

Warm up your voice

Warm up your voice

Use a few minutes of vocal exercises every day. A runner would never start the race without stretching before. Why not give the voice a bit of stretching.  

Stop tightening your stomach

Stop tightening your stomach

Too many people have heard the word support and think that it is simply creating pressure in your stomach that somehow helps push the sound out bigger and better. The truth is, when you lock your stomach muscles, you are actually stopping the air from getting back out of your body and making beautiful noises. The key is to relax your stomach muscles and create no pressure at all.  

Learn Diaphragmatic Breathing

Learn Diaphragmatic Breathing

It is very easy and much healthier for the body. Just put your hand on your stomach where your belly button is. When you inhale, pretend that you have a balloon in there and let it expand. When you exhale, let your stomach fall back to its normal position. It’s no more difficult than that.  

Stop Smoking

Stop Smoking

When you inhale, the cigarette smoke passes directly through the vocal cords and dries up a lot of the natural moisture they need to function.  

Tea with honey and lemon is a bad idea

Tea with honey and lemon is a bad idea

Sorry mom, but, if the tea has caffeine in it, that unnecessarily speeds up the production of mucous and gives you too much phlegm. Then, the tea is usually too hot and that makes the vocal cords change in size. The temperature of liquid can change the size and shape of tissues it comes in contact with. Haven’t you noticed your fingers look like prunes when you take a long hot bath? Then, the lemon is citrus which makes you salivate extra, which also makes too much phlegm. And finally, the honey is so thick it causes moisture problems too....Read the rest

Drink as much water as you can

Drink as much water as you can

There are two holes in the back part of your throat–one where the food and water passes, and the other for air. When you drink, the water goes down the liquid hole. The problem is, the vocal cords live down the air hole. It is actually impossible to drink water directly to the cords. So, you need to have so much water in your system that the bloodstream carries it to your vocal cords. To do that you should drink about one half of a gallon of pure water every day.  

Imitate Great Singers

Imitate Great Singers

The best way to develop a unique style is to spend time learning to imitate great singers. Pick a different singer every week and try and “become” that voice. Play their music over and over, sing along, trying to sound exactly like that artist. Then, record yourself singing along, and play it back listening to how close you have come. If you don’t sound the same, go back to listening, and then singing along and recording yourself later. Follow these simple steps until you’ve become a great imitation of the original artist. Then pick another singer, and start all over...Read the rest

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    Every time we open our mouths to speak or sing we are affecting ourselves and the people hearing us. By opening up your voice to its greatest possibilities, you will experience positive changes both physically and emotionally. Change the way you sound and enjoy the success it will bring to you. Share this: