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To sing or play like a pro you must have the ability to “keep time” accurately and to synchronize (play at the same time) with other instruments and singers.  A steady tempo, whether you are singing or playing piano, is one of the easiest ways to tell an amateur from a professional.  An audience has the ability to feel the beat while listening to music. So much so, that any deviations from the rhythm are immediately noticed and can give…

Your vocal cords (folds) are two bands of muscle tissue. The bands come together and vibrate to create sound when you sing. How do you damage your vocal cords? There are many ways singers can damage their vocal cords. As you might imagine, too much yelling is the most common way to damage your vocal cords. Whether it’s a Super Bowl game, rock concert, or maybe a bad temper, chronic screaming will strain your vocal cords and cause damage over…

Technique is a skillful way of executing a song, whether it is singing or playing the piano. Technique deals with the concept of tone, musicality and expression in your performance. Proper vocal technique allows singers to produce a warm, rich sound that is conducive to achieving a good vocal performance. Your posture, breathing, keeping an open throat, dropping your jaw, open your mouth (approx. 2 fingers from top teeth to bottom teeth) and shoulders back (don’t slouch. All of these…

Music creates a soul for the universe. Music with emotion creates wings for the mind and flight to the imagination. For a singer or pianist to put emotion into a song being performed gives life to the song ad touches the audience. To put emotion into your singing or playing piano, you must feel the emotion yourself. Whether it’s joy, sadness, longing, pain or love; you must feel it in order to release it to others. For a singer or…

The tone of your singing voice is referring to the quality of the sound. Your tone impacts every aspect of your singing. The specific qualities and colors (warm, dark, bright, harsh) of the sound differ from one singer to another. Every singer has their own unique tone (or timbre), depending on the shape of your vocal tract and sinus. This is why siblings and family members blend well when they sing together. They all have similar physical structure and tone.…

Sight-reading is the practice of reading and playing the notes in a song on the piano or any other instrument. Vocal sight-reading describes the ability of a singer who can read and sing the music at first sight. Sight-reading is also called prima vista, which means “at first sight” in Italian. Whether you are a singer or pianist, it is important to develop your musical ear while you are learning to sight-read. All talented and accomplished musicians have an amazing…

What makes one voice sound different from another? If you ever sang in a school or church choir, you know there are different categories or types singers such as bass, tenor, alto and soprano. How to figure out what your voice type is depends on you range. We will discuss the main types of vocal ranges. FINDING YOUR RANGE Using a piano, find the lowest and highest notes you can sing. On the piano (or keyboard) your first (on the…

Yes, it is possible to sing two or more notes at the same time. Just like playing a chord on the piano! I never thought it was possible until I came across Tuva Throat Singing. It is also called Khoomei. THE HISTORY Throat singing is an indigenous oral tradition that has been taught from one generation to the next. There is no record of how it began. Also called katajjaq, it is a traditional musical performance. The ancient Inuit women…

If you can find the feeling in a song, you can find your way. Be creative and find your own melody and create your own song. Whether it’s playing piano or singing, you can be creative. Do you hear a riff or a melody in your head? Stop and record it on a recorder before you lose the idea. FREESYLING OR IMPROVISING Freestyling or Improvising plays a big role in singing and writing a song. If you hear a melody…

I have been asked so many times “what does it mean to have diaphragm and breath support? We all know what is sounds like to have a strong or weak voice. To be an excellent and powerful singer you must have diaphragm and breath support. To have strong diaphragm and breath support means you are working against the natural urge of the diaphragm. The diaphragm wants to release the air that has been inhaled. The struggle between the abdominal muscles…