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Diction is the art of speaking (rap) or singing so that each word is clearly heard. It is the way in which you enunciate our words as you sing them. Good diction includes the accent, inflection, intonation and the sound; how you sing your vowels sounds and close out your words. Closing out words is very important. For instance, “important” people tend to leave off the “t” at the end. Another word “listen,” make sure you enunciate the last letter…

A motif is the smallest possible group of notes encapsulating an idea or theme. A motif is a molecule of music, reoccurring throughout the song in different variations. It may have melodic (melody), harmonic (harmonies), and/or rhythmic aspects to the music phrase. A motif can be played on a piano, sung by a singer or played with other instruments. A composer will use a motif to build a larger piece of music by duplicating, modifying and combining it with other…

This method is basically a way to learn how to write a song by using a “template” guide. Choose one of your favorite songs and use it as a template to build and write your own song. Learning from successful songwriters will give you a good understanding of the process. This method is to help you put a song together and to get your creativity juices flowing. You will begin by taking the song apart. You want to figure out…

Your voice is your calling card; it has the power to communicate confidence and emotion in your singing. Your singing voice can make you sound like a professional singer or a nervous Nellie. Have you ever had someone comment “you have good tone?” The tone of your voice is the unique sound, color and timbre qualities that give you a distinctly different sound than anyone else. It is the overall sound of your voice. For example, Joe Cocker had a…

It helps to understand how all the pieces fit together and what is going on inside your body when you sing is amazing. Singing is the air flow from exhaling breath as it passes over the vocal cords. The air flow causes the vocal cords to vibrate and the sound is the made louder and modified by the resonance spaces located in the mouth, throat and behind the nose. There are three basic elements to produce sound when singing: air…

To put emotion into your singing or playing piano, you must feel the emotion yourself. Whether it’s joy, sadness, longing, pain, love, etc., you must feel it in order to release it to others. For a singer or pianist, it could be the music or the lyrics that draws you in or it could be both. Have you ever listened to a song and the music moved you. Then you found out what the lyrics were saying and thought “wow,…

What exactly is the melody of a song? Melodies are the most memorable and important part of any song. A melody is a sequence of single notes creating a musical idea often referred to as the tune. For instance, the song “Happy Birthday To You” is a memorable melody; it is the main idea of a song. The melody can also be amazing guitar riffs or a catchy chorus. Melodies are crucial in every form of music. A really good…

When putting a song together you need some basic elements. An Artist will have their own unique way of expressing the song and the way they want to structure the song. Many singers write their own songs and don’t play an instrument, they create the lyrics and melody. While others songwriters create songs with a beat or an instrument like a piano or guitar. Music training is not a must for songwriting. There are a few basic elements needed to…

The mark of a weak singer is lack of control, weakness and feebleness in their voice. To improve your singing voice, you must have solid support for your singing. Having a solid support system when you sing let’s you produce clear and solid notes without any wavering. To be an excellent and strong singer you must have vocal support! A solid vocal support system consists of a combination of things. First, you must have good posture, a hunched back or…

Choosing the right style of music to sing or play (on the piano or any other instrument), all depends on the individual. I’ve learned over the years if a client does not connect to the music, they are not going to put 100% into it and they will not practice. Many artists have been put into a genre box to fit what the label wants to produce. Through that process the artist will lose their passion and excitement for the…