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How to Breathe Correctly to Protect Your Singing Voice

Correct breathing can help you to be the best singer you can be. Not only will it help you sing, but breathing correctly will help you relax for those tense moments when the spotlight’s on you!

Steps

1. The most important part about learning to breath freely is to practice noticing how it is that you breathe. The more you know about your own habits, the easier it will be to release tensions and achieve free-flow while breathing.
2. Breathe in so that your torso expands in all directions (downwards into your bowels, forward in your stomach and ribcage, backward in your lower back and ribcage and up into your shoulders [be sure not to raise your shoulders, however]). Remember not to hold anything in place, meaning, let the body do what it does. Allow your breath to touch the very bottom of your torso, breathe as deeply as possible. As you get more into the technique, your back and sides will move with your breathing.
3. Do not force your breath out. When you place your finger in front of your mouth, your breath should feel warm and sensuous. It should fall out of you, rather than being pushed. It should also be silent. The more noise made while breathing, the more tension there is.
4. Practice noticing the breath with everything you do, singing (or playing any other instrument), talking, exercising, or doing nothing in particular. Notice what happens to the breath while doing different activities.
5. Do breathing exercises to increase the amount of control you have with your diaphragm. To help build stamina and strength, breathe in for four seconds, hold for four seconds, then breathe out for four seconds. After you have mastered this, move to 6-6-6, then 8-8-8, all the way to 20-20-20, but do not go past 20.
6. Try not to think in terms of mastering breath. The best way to approach it, is to be a continual student. The moment you think you have mastered something, you stop learning.

Tips

* Have good posture. Get your shoulders back (not way back, but not way forward), back straight, feet on the floor, shoulders relaxed.
* When breathing in, pretend you are smelling a rose.
* When breathing out, pretend there is a lit candle right in front of you, and you need to avoid blowing it out.
* Pretend your diaphragm area is a balloon, getting bigger when air is put in, and getting smaller when you breathe out.
* In this way, you are controlling duration through varied ‘compression of the bellows’ instead of ‘restriction of the throat’, an all too common problem.

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The Rock-N-Roll Singer’s Survival Manual

Editorial Reviews: Product Description This book is perfect for the aspiring rock singer that needs improvement, but cannot or will not take lessons. It is a thorough, yet easy-to-understand presentation of the basic elements of singing, including vocal production, training, breathing, posture and diet. Written in a down-to-earth style, the author addresses such relevant topics as overcoming nervousness, dealing with emotions, and the true consequences of coffee, alcohol & smoking. Includes useful illustrations and diagrams.

Customer Reviews: Read 22 more reviews… The only book a hobbiest singer needs. October 22, 2008 Dave Matney (Midvale, Utah United States) This book, the Rock N Roll Singer’s Survival Manual, saved my voice with the techniques it describes. It explains, in layman’s terms, everything from chest, head, and falsetto voices to screaming “properly,” how to quickly recover from a cold or quit smoking, and what to eat the day of a performance / recording For six bucks used, I can’t stress enough that it’s worth it to anyone that sings more than just in the shower or car. Results May 15, 2008 Christian L. Winchell (Greenville, NC) I recently purchased this book and so far is the only vocal training book I own. First, the book does sport some pretty big font; probably could have scaled down the font and saved a few trees. Second, this book did give an extremly detailed anatomy lesson on the throat, lungs, diaphram, and mouth. I presonally found it interesting, but I doubt many other “rock” singers would feel the same way. That aside, I found the rest of the book EXTREMLY helpful. Mark goes into discussing all the things that can hurt your voice; everything from milk to cigarette smoke, etc… While most of us already knew these things, it was nice to find out what these things do specifically to your voice. He also stresses the concept of breathing correctly, something I did not really think about before. Lastly, the vocal exercises and warm ups were excellent. Although brief, the exercises really do work. In about 3 weeks I managed to nearly bridge the gap with my falsetto, my voice lasts WAY longer than before, I’ve added about 3 or 4 notes to my register, and I no longer suffer from pressure headaches and blowouts anymore. I now feel relaxed when I sing and not bottled up. If you want to learn how to sing better and smarter, BUY THIS BOOK Don’t judge a book by its cover March 18, 2008 Chen Sun (Houston, TX United States) It’s true, the typography and layout are weak, and the book looks amateurish. But it’s some of the best information on how the voice works I’ve read. There were lots of vocal and singing activities I never understand, and this book explains these clearly. I learned a lot–which is rare for singers books for me. I think some of the commentators here didn’t like this book because–it had lots of physiology, sound production, etc.. And, perhaps these commentators were wanting pitch improvement techniques. The author discuss this at a later chapter, titled “Perfect Pitch”. He basically says, make sure that the physiology and sound production characteristics of the vocal producing mechanism is produced, and then one will have better pitch. I agree. The challenge remains that people’s physiology are so different, such that one has to take this author’s writings and figure out how to apply it for yourself. Then, the author gives some vocal exercises. Perhaps these are the exercises some commentators are referring to as the valuable part of the book. The explanation of the physiology and sound production mechanism is the valuable part… once one understands this, the rest comes much easier. Some commentators also critiqued the book on its drawn charts and diagrams–done by the author instead of a graphics artist, and in early 90s. True, not the most professional looking diagrams. But I’m impressed that the author could write a book incorporating physiology, vocal techniques, apply these toward rock and roll, and be a fairly good graphics artist simultaneously. Obviously, an intelligent vocal instructor. If I was to choose a vocal instructor, I’d go with this author. Better than expected February 8, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful I was supprised with this book. It was recomended to me by a friend and I wasn’t sure that a book on singing would be useful. I was wrong. If you are serious about singing or just starting out you definately need to have this book. This book does not take the place of a voice teacher but is full of good info. Dont Bother September 14, 2007 Lynn (Apex, NC United States) GOes into all the anotamy of the body.Then taking care of your voice.No milk,smoking etc.No info on ACTUALLY HOW TO SING.WHere do people get off taking peoples money for garbage like this?Too bad there isn’t a minus star thats what i would give

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How to Win a Karaoke Contest

Whether you’re looking to be “discovered,” hoping to win cool prizes, or just seeking some recognition of your awesome vocal talents, karaoke contests are a great way to test yourself. While these competitions offer a chance to see some great performers (and some not-so-great ones, too), and have an outrageously good time, they’re even more fun if you win. How do you do it? Read on, and go ahead and imagine a little ball jumping over the words as you do.
Steps

1. Practice singing. No matter what else you do, it’s important to be able to carry a tune and sing on pitch. While you need not be the “best” singer at the competition, and you certainly don’t need to be professionally trained, those things won’t hurt you. Karaoke contests are usually judged on some combination of vocal ability, audience response, and stage presence, but if you can nail the singing part, the judges may give you some leeway on other aspects of your performance. The best way to practice karaoke is to sing karaoke.
2. Learn your songs by heart. Most all karaoke contests allow you to pick your own songs, and if you’re going to win, you should have practiced these time and time again. Yes, the words are right there on the screen, but if you know the words and have perfect timing, you don’t even have to look at the screen. Not only will your overall performance be more masterful, you may impress the judges and audience with your knowledge of the songs. An elimination round in a contest is a bad time to find out that you can’t pull off a particular song.
3. Understand the format of the contest. Karaoke contests are usually either judged by a panel of judges or by the audience. In some of the latter, the audience will actually formally vote, while in most a judge or judges will try to gauge the audience’s reaction to a song. You also want to know how you’re being judged. Most contests are based on overall performance, but some look strictly at how well you impersonate the artist (or how original you are), or other factors. Finally, know how many songs you’ll be expected to sing so you’ll have enough prepared in advance.
4. Follow the rules. Some contests require that you sing a particular kind of music (80s rock only, for example), or that you appear in costume. Make sure to follow the rules or you probably won’t win even if you give the best performance.
5. Extend courtesy to other performers. Yes, other performers are your competition, but don’t try to malign them or mock them, even if someone really can’t sing. Be polite, and unless the rules dictate otherwise, applaud everybody. Remember you will very likely be judged on your audience’s reaction to your songs, and many of your competitors are part of the audience. They won’t treat a heckler kindly.
6. Cater to the audience (or the judges). Above all, sing to the audience, not to the karaoke screen. Beyond that, know your audience. Understanding your audience will help you choose songs that most appeal to them. If you haven’t been to a venue before, you might want to visit it in advance to check out the crowd and see what they’re playing on the jukebox. On the night of the competition, try to gauge the judges’ or audience’s reaction to songs and see if you can spot trends (maybe they hate love songs), and choose your songs accordingly if you still can.
7. Sing a song to showcase your range and talents. There are a lot of songs that just about anybody can sing passably, but if you’ve got an exceptional vocal range or if you can rap just like Snoop (rap is notoriously difficult to karaoke) choose songs that reflect that. If you want to awe the audience–and you do–you need a great performance of a difficult song.
8. Develop stage presence. People come to karaoke (or to concerts) to see a performance, not just to hear one. Don’t just stand there and sing, and don’t act like you don’t know what to do during an instrumental interlude. Convey the emotions of the song with your facial gestures and body movements, and by all means dance if appropriate. Get some ideas by watching concert videos of professional performers. If you can find a video of the original artist performing the song you’re going to sing, all the better.
9. Dress the part. Your attire can help the judges remember you, especially if you go to a themed competition or if you’re only singing certain kinds of songs. If you’re going to sing glam rock, dress like a glam rocker, or maybe dress like a country singer to add a bit of humor to your performance.
10. Be true to the original. Even if it’s subconscious, most people judge a karaoke performance by how close it sounds to the original. It’s amazing when someone gets up to sing a Garth Brooks song and you could swear they were just lip-synching to a CD of Garth himself. While you need not be a professional voice impersonator, try to fit the mood and style of the song (i.e. add a bit of twang to a country song).
11. Add your own twist. Musicians who cover a song can alter it all they want. You don’t have that luxury because the karaoke music is designed to sound just like the original version. That said, there’s a little room for creativity. For example, try inserting the name of a local landmark in place of one mentioned in the song. This can have a humorous effect and is likely to get a rise out of the audience.
12. Try to go close to last in the rotation. You may not want to actually go last, because people tend to lose focus a bit in anticipation of the results or the next round. However, if you can position yourself near the end, the judges will have your performance fresh in their minds.
13. Relax and have a good time. If you have a problem with stage fright, you’ve got to learn to suppress it. There are a number of ways to do this, but probably the best is to fight it by singing a lot of karaoke. Don’t take yourself too seriously up there, and even if you’re nervous, show the audience that there’s nothing you’d rather be doing.
14. Be a good winner (or loser). If you win, congratulations! Now be gracious. If you don’t win, don’t mope, don’t make excuses, and don’t get mad about how “the contest was fixed.” You’ll likely see these people again if you continue to compete in karaoke contests, and you want to leave them with a good impression of you.

Tips

* Nothing beats actually going out to karaoke nights for practice, but you can also practice at home on your own karaoke equipment, or you can find lyrics and karaoke MIDI files on the Internet.
* When you’re practicing, have a friend or two go with you to karaoke and honestly critique your performances. You can’t always judge your performance accurately, and unless you’re in a competition, it’s tough to get a good idea of how well you’re really doing.
* Get hydrated well in advance. Drink plenty of water before the competition, and maintain your hydration throughout. Nothing can sabotage your singing like a dry mouth.
* Choose songs that most everybody knows. People generally get into a song that they recognize and like. Obscure songs aren’t off limits, but only choose one if you have a good reason (i.e. if you can yodel well, you might want to choose a less well-known song with an amazing yodelling part.

Warnings

* Don’t sing a long song or one that repeats itself a lot. If your performance leaves something to be desired, a long song will really wear on the audience. Even if you have a great performance, though, people tend to get bored with a song that’s too long or that’s just the same thing over and over.
* Be careful about alcohol. “Liquid courage” is the very fuel that keeps most karaoke nights running, and the performances in these venues generally reflect that. In a competition, you’ll find that many people, maybe most, don’t drink at all. If you do want to loosen up with a couple drinks, don’t go overboard.
* Don’t sing a song that somebody else has already sung. This invites a direct comparison with somebody else, and you’d better be sure that all aspects of your performance will beat theirs hands down before attempting it.
* Don’t choose a song that’s overdone. While you want a song that’s familiar to people, you don’t necessarily want to sing one of those songs that you are almost guaranteed to hear at any karaoke night you visit. People tend to tire of the same old song and dance.
* It’s not so much a warning per se. If you are doing a theme where you are singing songs by the same artist, and they have a HUGE selection, it is great that you know a song others don’t but you do run the risk of alienating people. But then again, if your performance is great, you may get away with it. After all, most of the best songs on the CD’s never made it onto the radio.

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