A Few Tips for Singers
by Tony Koretz http://www.koretzmusic.com/tony.html
 

Here I will present a few ideas to help out the singers amongst you. These  are things I have learned from experience as much as anything over the  years, and apply equally well to both recording sessions and live performances. If I know I have a recording session or a gig coming up, on the day in question, I go through a couple of routines which I will outline for   you here.

Firstly, early on in the day, I begin by drinking water, and continue  to do so regularly throughout the day. Drink copious amounts of the stuff  until you are really well hydrated. This is very important, because if your throat dries out during a performance it is too late by then to "stop the rot",  as it takes too long to get it lubricated again. Keep your fluid intake levels up  during the performance for sure, but it's too late to start at that point, it should be a continuation of what you have been doing during the preceding   hours.

Warm water is better than cold water by the way. Also try to relax as much as possible during the lead up period. Next I like to begin the warm up of my vocal chords slowly in the lead up hours. I start by humming, as this   begins to get the voice going, but is very easy on the throat. From there I try   to start singing lightly and gently, to get the face muscles moving, singing   within an easy range at first, and then gradually extending to the notes on the outer range of my voice. Singing scales is a good warm up if you can do   this.

After a while I sing a bit louder but never too hard out as there is no point in being tired before you start the performance.  Okay, so now comes the performance time. Try to begin singing slightly within yourself, don't strain or you will be exhausted too quickly. If you can,  start off with some easy material and build up from there. Try to sing from  within your chest rather than your throat if you can. I try to envision myself   singing from about my lower rib cage or diaphragm area. Using the throat  can be used for effects at times but try to avoid over doing this at you can  do some serious damage. Get a good monitor mix set up, so that you can   hear yourself clearly, as this can help you not to over-extend. I sing hard   and loud, but always try to hold back just a smidge to save myself for the   long haul.

Think about using your diaphragm properly when you have a   particularly low or high note to sing, lift your diaper for these, and learn   how to control your breathing so you don't run out of breath on the long notes.

Probably one of the most important but often overlooked parts of this  whole experience is that you MUST go into it with confidence. Tell yourself   you are going to really nail this performance, and begin to believe it. If you   can do this you will sing much better than if you are timid or unsure. You   would be amazed how much difference it makes to your performance when   you believe in yourself. Don't get hung up on concentrating too hard, as you   need to be relaxed to sing at your best, but always keep an ear out as to   whether you are pitching your notes correctly, and remember to sing from   within your body if you can, or for a certain feel try to think of singing from   within your face, but don't concentrate on your throat, as this will tend to   tighten up if you do.

If you follow these few simple rules you should find you   can sing well, and for long periods without breaking down or losing your   range and tonal qualities. Remember, tone is just as important as pitch. So,   grab your favorite microphone and go to it! © December 2004 

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