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A nasal tone produces a sound that is thinner and less clear in tone. Some country and pop singers have a very nasal sounding voice. You can determine the big difference between a nasal voice and a non-nasal voice by plugging your nose while singing. Nasality is used in some genres of music. Brittney Spears has made a career with a nasal sounding tone. Everyone has a slightly different quality to their voice. People that speak with a nasal voice…
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The first step to create a beautiful and professional sound is how you enunciate & pronounce your words. You can immediately make your voice sound better by enunciating your words the right way. A good singer should aim to achieve good enunciation, pronunciation and inflections to create a professional sound in the voice. The right inflections (rise and fall of pitch), enunciation (how clearly & distinctly you sound out the words being sung) and pronunciation (which syllables are emphasized and…
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There are different styles of singing, but good basic technique is the same regardless of the style. There are distinct differences in the way you sing pop, opera, country, rock and jazz. The foundational techniques are the same for all types of music. For instance, posture, tongue placement, diaphragm & breath support, smoothly transitioning from one vocal register to another are the same for all genres of music. All singers need to building a good, solid vocal foundation first and…
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There is a difference between rhythm and the beat in music, it can be confusing. Now, it really doesn’t matter if you play an instrument or not. We are going to simply explain the difference between the two, rhythm vs. beat. A professional singer or pianist must have good rhythm. The beat is a steady pulse that you can feel in the song; it is an element of rhythm. It would be the beat you want to tap your foot…
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Good posture can be defined as the proper stance for singers and properly seated position for a pianist. This is something you are usually taught in your first piano or voice lessons. Good posture is actually very important in our daily lives. Try this, stand or sit slouched, then sit or stand up straight, head held high, shoulders back…now how much better do you feel in seconds! Good posture protects you from the damages of chronic inflammation according to Harvard…
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Vocal And Piano Dynamics The best singer and pianist know how to sustain dynamic control when they sing or play the piano. The proper musical language for dynamics is diminuendo (or decrescendo) for getter softer and crescendo for getting louder. Dynamic Control For Singers For professional singers using dynamics to strengthen their voice and performance is a matter of control. Dynamic vocal control requires practice regulating the vocal volume, impact and effect. There are a few vocal exercises to strengthen…
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A skilled singer should have control over their vibrato. Vibrato is a slight variation in pitch, wavering back in forth on a note. It is used to add expression to the song you are singing. This will give you a richer tone in your voice while you are singing. There are speeds of pulsation fluctuation when singing with vibrato. Some people sing with a fast vibrato and narrow pulsation like Dolly Parton. This is caused by subglottic pressure (air pressure)…
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A singer should master moving from one register to another smoothly without a break or shift in the voice. As you move up or down in your range it is important to transition with ease. For all voices, there is a point in which the shift from one register to another occurs. All singer’s voice breaks are located in different places. The shift from one register to another is called the passaggio. It is an Italian word which means passage.…
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It is possible to expand your vocal range at any age. It doesn’t matter if you just started singing or if you’ve been singing for a decade. A singer can always work on extend their vocal range higher and lower. It feels different hitting higher notes verses lower notes. First, it is very important to use proper vocal technique, which means keeping your larynx in a rest position. You should never force your larynx up or down. Always sing with…
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A good songwriting principle is that musical energy should built as a song progresses. If you listen to the start of a song, then skip ahead you will notice how the energy in the song builds as you move toward the chorus. There are three ways to build the energy in a song. Creating a more dynamic song that comes alive with an energy build is accomplished by singing the melody and harmonies, playing the piano (instrumentation), or the composition…
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