Vocal Exercises: Tuesday 23rd September 2014: Vowel Formation, Articulation, Diction and Clarity Development

Tuesday 23rd September 2014: 

Vowel Formation, Articulation, Diction and Clarity Development

The next vocal technique we are exploring is incredibly important when performing and that's articulation and diction. The only way every lyric to the song will be heard is if you're articulation and diction of the words are precise.

Sometimes when we're with our friends our diction will be lost because we're lazy or not-bothered, which is understandable but in a performance those two factors are very important. With the amount of vocal exercises out their to help us and develop our diction there is no excuse for poor diction!

Developing your articulation and diction will then bring clarity into your singing too.

Here we're going to go through the steps to improve you diction: 

Step One: 
Articulating the vowel sounds 'A', 'E', 'I', 'O', 'U'

Practising the articulation of the vowel sounds will increase your muscle memory on how to form the vowels in your mouth with the correct tongue positions. The more you practise the more effective your pronunciation of the vowels will be.

Step Two: 

Tongue Twisters 

Tongue twisters are very popular when improving articulation as there are so many focusing on the pronunciation of so may sounds. Tongue twisters also can be quite difficult at first so the more you practise the more you improve and the better and more precise the sounds become. 

The tongue has to work more rapidly to pronounce the sounds which is great because the more the tongue works hard it will become use to the fast pace movement to articulate the words and sounds needed. 

Examples of Tongue Twisters: 

1. "The lips, the teeth, the tip of the tongue, the tip of the tongue, the teeth, the lips." - This tongue twister is great to practise pronouncing the 'th', 'f', 't' and 's' sounds. It's also got a strong rhythm to it which helps when singing it upbeat. 
2. "My mummy makes me mash my mini M&Ms on a Monday morning, ohh ahh." - This tongue twister helps with the pronunciation of the 'mmm' and the movement of the mouth opening and closing. 
3. "Lily likes lollipops, lemonade and lime drops, I like Lily, Lily likes me." This involves the tongue rolling underneath the teeth and focusing on pronouncing the 'l' sound. 

Tongue twisters focus on the pronunciation of the words using diction and articulation for the sentence to make (some) sense. There has to be intense focus for the words to be spoke correctly. By using harder sentences and tongue twisters you're increasing your tolerance of speaking words which may be harder become easy. The audience want to hear the words that the performer is speaking to connect with the performance. Lyrics are written for a reason and should be treated with the upmost respect. 

Step Three: 

Learning Received Pronunciation (RP)

Received Pronunciation is a typical, neutral way of speaking without and characteristics which form an accent. If a performer struggles with clarity or isn't British, RP will help. 

One way we have explored RP in class is singing "The Month Song" by focusing on diction and exploring a more exaggerated posh British accent. 

This week we have really developed our knowledge of vowel formation, articulation, diction and developing clarity. I personally believe that improving diction and articulation is very easy with the right discipline, knowledge and vocal exercises. As they say... "practise makes perfect"! 

Good Luck, 

Somer x

Vocal Exercises: Tuesday 16th September 2014: Engaging the Diaphragm

Tuesday 16th September 2014

Engaging the Diaphragm

The first vocal technique we will be exploring is engaging the diaphragm. The diaphragm is located underneath the lungs. When we breathe in, our lungs increase as the air fills up. The diaphragm then flattens and tightens (contracts) whilst moving downward to adapt for the lung expansion. When we breath out the diaphragm relaxes and moves upward into the chest cavity.

Here is a diagram of the process: 

Using your diaphragm enables singers to sing and belt notes without straining their voices so is a vital part of vocal technique. Your diaphragm can be easily trained and controlled through a performance and it is incredibly important to source the energy of sound through you diaphragm to resist strain or power taken from your chest or neck and draws from the abdomen.

The engagement of your diaphragm is strongly supported by your core muscles in your stomach. Breathing with contracting the diaphragm will help you understand how it should feel when singing and how to engage the diaphragm. The power of a song won't come from you pushing your head up or tensing your shoulders - it will come from engaging and contracting your diaphragm correctly.

When practising a song you may feel like you stomach is contracting and working quite hard, this is normal but as your practise more and you voice develops it will become easier.

Here I have supplied three vocal exercises which focus on engaging the diaphragm, one is my personal one and the other two and ones I've researched:

Number #1: 
(My personal exercise)

I learnt this exercise with an old singing teacher I had. It involved me focusing in on a bit of the wall, breathing in and then blowing out slowly with controlled and sustained breaths for 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds (increasing as you get better and developing to increase improvement of your voice).

You then exhale in five short sharp breaths, as you do this your stomach should get drawn in as you exhale. The sharp breaths shouldn't come from your chest but from your diaphragm. This allows you to control and use the air efficiently and easily detect where you're engaging the diaphragm from.

I tend to use this exercise to help breath control as well as engaging the diaphragm. It also allows me to create focus and clear my mind ready to focus on singing.

Number #2: 

This is a breathing exercise featured on YouTube: 

The exercise involves laying on the floor with a book on your chest and a book your stomach. As you breathe in you're aiming to move the book on your stomach and not the one on your chest. This will detect whether you're engaging your diaphragm or not.

To develop this exercise you could use sound to increase familiarity of singing and engaging the diaphragm.

Number #3: 

When I was learning to sing "Don't Rain On My Parade" last year, Grace Willis helped me with a note by telling me to perform the song in a deep plié position.

A plié position:

As soon as I performed the position I could build up the power to sing the note because I was engaging my core and my diaphragm. This exercise is a great way to detect the engagement of using the diaphragm whilst singing a song to reach a note.

Engaging the diaphragm is certainly an important part of singing and with the right exercises it will become much more easier along with the right knowledge... Did you know what the diaphragm really was or was it just a word that comes across now and then...? This knowledge and those exercise could be the difference between reaching a note or falling flat... The difference between being suitable for a role and not!

Hope you enjoyed!

Good Luck,

Somer x

Vocal Exercises: Tuesday 9th September 2014: Warm Up (Vocally)

Tuesday 9th September 

Warm Up (Vocally)

After warming up your body it's time to warm up your voice! First off you want to ensure you're standing correctly and your posture is strong.

The following is what to focus on to ensure correct standing and posture:

• Weight balanced - If the weight is balanced the performance will look relaxed. By balancing the weight equally your posture will be upright. 

• Shoulders relaxed - The more relaxed the shoulders are the more relaxed the body is. If you have tension in your shoulders then this can cause strain whilst performing, making you look like you're uncomfortable. If the shoulders aren't relaxed there will be strain on the spine and the chest won't be able to be held high. 

• Open chest - An open chest allows more control over breathing which is an essential part to singing. 

• Hands by your sides - The focus should be on your singing so if gestures/actions aren't needed then the hands should be relaxed at the sides. 

• Knees relaxed - Tightening or locking your knees can make your body tense and affect your breathing so every part of your body should be relaxed. 

• Feet in parallel - You should be standing with your feet in parallel slightly apart, grounded on the floor with the toes opined forward. This will help when containing a strong posture. 

Here is an image of bad posture and what we aim for in good posture:

A good posture will increase air flow into your lungs as access to your windpipe will be easier. Correct alignment of your body will help projection too. 

Standing with good posture won't only just help your breath control but also engagement of your diaphragm which is an important factor of singing! If your diaphragm is restricted, it won't work to it's full potential. The diaphragm helps to hold a note and created better tonal quality. 

It's easy to correct your posture when singing alone or in a class but if I were to be cast in a play it may involve me singing in different positions and not just upright. Meaning posture isn't everything and I would need to work on other factors to aid my singing. 

Good posture comes with practise and the more you exercise your body with it the better it will become whether it be singer or just standing up... Posture makes or breaks a person's confidence when being viewed by the world! 

My Vocal Warm Up: 

• Breathing: 
• I take deep breaths in and out whilst placing my hand on my stomach. As you breath in the stomach should expand and as you breath out it should decrease. This helps me breath correctly and controlled. The whole body should be released when breathing and make sure you don't bring your shoulders up! 
• Sirening (with mouth closed): 
• I warm up my voice by increasing and decreasing the pitch of a sound whilst keeping the mouth closed. The vocal folds are being open and closed gently and gradually so isn't too intense to begin with. 
• Sirening (with mouth open): 
• This slowly and gradually then warms up the jaw whilst warming up the voice as well. 
• Sounds:
• I create the sounds of 'pft', 'sh' and 'tf' by contracting my stomach muscles and using my breath control to create a strong and sharp sound. This also helps to enhance projection because the stronger the breath the increase volume of sound by encouraging the diaphragm to become active. An easy way to develop this exercise is to increase the length of the sound, this means a lot of breath control and by practising the exercise more your breath control should increase and longer sounds become easier. 
• Number Scale:
• Gradually counting up to eight from one really helps diction and articulation of the words along with the pitching. The vocal exercises I do gradually increase all parts of the voice and then allows them to work together. 
• Tongue Twister: 
• I tend to use tongue twisters which focus on the 'th' and 'ss' sound as I have a slight lisp and I don't want this to come across in a song. This means practising and repeating words with this sounds in. 

Although this warm up may seem slightly boring it is important for a singer to warm up their voices increasingly. I tend to play with different variations of the same warm up to increase my range and keep it upbeat and active. 

Even Celine Dion stresses the importance of vocal warm ups: 

Celine Dion's warm up shows how to slowly and gradually warm up and start developing the warm up throughout. Celine Dion is one of the best singers and her warm up must really play a significant part in her performance. 

I hope this has helped you in what you need to include in your own vocal warm up and how to gradually do the preparation needed for a performance or a practise of a song and be the best you can be! 

Good Luck, 

Somer x

Vocal Exercises: Tuesday 9th September 2014: Warm Up (Physically)

Tuesday 9th September 2014

Warm Up (Physically)

Although it may not be too obvious, warming up physically is an important first step when preparing yourself for singing and not just performing vocal warm ups. Warming up your body can help you relax and feel more prepared to sing whether that be in class or for a performance. 

Everything does come down to personal preference on what works for YOU. I aim to loosen up my muscles and get rid of any tension during my physical warm up. We want the blood flowing round the body and allocating yourself a set number of physical warm ups will help you to prepare for any type of performance. 

If you're in a position where you're full of tension because you're performing for the first time or at an audition, a physical warm up will help you release tension and then your voice won't sound shaky or scared... You want to sing to the best of your ability and release tension in able to do so! 

My Physical Warm Up:

• Rolling the head four times from left to right, stretch out the neck and then repeat:
• This helps me to level my head and release any tension which I may have in my head and/or neck. Repeating the exercise allows me to ensure that I am relaxed and warms up my body slowly but effectively. 
• Stretching my arms in front of me and then stretching them over my head and then bringing them down to my sides:
• Again, I feel like I have a lot of tension in my arms and to sing confidently I want my arms to feel loose and move freely if needed. 
• I then roll my head down to the floor, touch the floor and roll back up, bringing my head up last:
• This warms up my body but also prepares my body to be more stacked and have a strong stable posture when singing. Posture is important in singing and performing this exercise helps that! 
• A few hip rotations to the sides and back:
• Just to stretch out my hips and further release any tension I may hold but also to keep a stacked and stable posture. 
• Stretching out the legs by bending the knees and holding the ankles:
• When I get nervous my legs shake, I want to appear confident so releasing tension from my legs allows me to look strong and confident! 
• Ankle rotations: 
• Just to ensure that I am keeping a stable body. 
• A WHOLE BODY WIGGLE!!! 
• Builds up my energy and is a little bit of a silly-fun thing to do to release any evil tension that may be lurking. 

After performing my body warm up I then warm up my facial muscles...

• Massaging the cheeks with four fingers on each side:
• This stretches my cheeks and slowly warms them up, enabling more movement to occur but also relaxes the face.
• Massaging the rest of the face with four fingers on each side whilst jogging:
• This really helps keep the energy up and gets the blood running through the body whilst developing the massaging warm up. You want your whole face to relax and be ready to stretch and move when you sing! 
• Sticking your tongue out and rotating it:
• Although, a little bit embarrassing, it really helps to stretch our your tongue for more articulated pronunciation of words. The tongue is a muscle and needs to be stretched as you could strain it if it is not warmed up properly. 
• Various exaggerated expressions (e.g. happy, sad, shocked):
• A fun and rather silly way of using all the muscles in your face and warming them up. 
• Chewing invisible gum: 
• This is quite an intense work out in your mouth so I save this for last to slowly and gradually warm up without starting too intense. The mouth and tongue are stretched into all kinds of positions which is great as you're covering everything!

I hope you enjoyed this post on warming up physically as part of preparing to sing. I think warming up your body can be easily forgotten about but it helps to release so much tension which is incredibly important in a class or performance because it allows you to perform at your full potential. 

Good Luck, 

Somer x

Next we will look at warming up the voice

Vocal Exercises: Tuesday 9th September 2014: Introduction

Tuesday 9th September 2014

Introduction 

HELLO! 

My name is Somer Jones and I preparing to audition for a West End play that my agent as secured for me. I will have to sing for this audition but I am not a trained singer and am currently going through some technique classes every week to work on preparing my voice! I will be keeping a diary and today I am introducing my diary which is also a How-To guide on preparing your voice with vocal exercises, looking after your voice and every necessity you will need when it comes to singing! I will be giving you all the interesting and important information I learn every week. 

Through the exploration of vocal exercises I will be teaching you what I have personally found useful when maintaing and developing my voice. These may be my own regimes, things I have learnt from classes or some research I have completed through the internet. 

Hopefully we will both learn something through understanding the voice and further our knowledge and develop a wide repertoire of knowledge (which is always useful!). 

In order to fully understand how vocal exercises can contribute to the development and maintenance of vocal technique, I will be including the following:

• Warming Up (Physically)
• Warming Up (Vocally) 
• Vocal Technique One: Engaging the Diaphragm 
• Vocal Technique Two: Vowel Formation, Articulation, Diction and Clarity Development
• Vocal Technique Three: Flexibility, Tone and Range Development 
• Vocal Technique Four: Breath Control
• Vocal Technique Five: Projection Development
• Applying Techniques to an Audition Song

Each blog entry will include various video clips of me explaining exercises, performing exercises and my thoughts on them. 

I think this will be a great learning curve for me and you to improve our singing with the correct exercises and develop it further. I'm sure they'll be some fun ahead... 

Good Luck, 

Somer x

Vocal Exercises: Tuesday 9th September 2014: Unit and Project Briefing

Tuesday 9th September 2014

Unit and Project Briefing 

We started our first project today for our singing unit "Singing Techniques and Performance". What genre a performer works in, whether it be singing lead or backing vocals in live performances of recording studios, or if you are an actor or dancer working in musical theatre, the voice can be the central component of the performance work you undertake. For all singers an ability to communicate the meaning of a song is vital to a successful performance.

This unit encourages our development and maintenance of our voices through regular and sustained practise and will develop our understanding or how practise can contribute to good technique. We will also develop the ability to sing at sight, a very desirable skill in the profession. In addition we will develop skills as an ensemble singer and as a soloist throughout the unit and will perform a wide variety of musical repertoire that both demonstrates your strengths and musical preferences and stretches and challenges you as a performer of less familiar songs/genres.

Our first project, "Vocal Exercises", involves us imagining we are an actor whose agent has secured them an audition of a play in London's West End.

The role is which we are being auditioned is required to sing, yet your agent is aware that you have limited experience and are not a confident singer. To help us they have enrolled us in a course with a singing coach who will work with us and teach us a series of vocal exercises that will help as us work on our audition material.

Our agent has asked us to keep a record of the work we do with the singing coach and its value to us over the weeks of our course as we rehearse the audition song and other songs you may be given to help us. This record will take the form of a video diary style blog.