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Help: Vocal exercises
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Help: Vocal exercises |
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Subject: Vocal exercises From: GUEST,JTT Date: 02 Feb 02 - 02:47 PM What are some good exercises for developing the muscles of mouth and throat, to improve diction and strength in the voice? |
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Subject: RE: Help: Vocal exercises From: RichM Date: 02 Feb 02 - 03:01 PM Here's one thread: http://www.mudcat.org/Detail.CFM?messages__Message_ID=559260 Search the Forum for "voice", you'll find more Rich |
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Subject: RE: Help: Vocal exercises From: Alice Date: 02 Feb 02 - 06:56 PM Guest JTT, I put together a thread that links to many discussions of singing, as well as some links to information off Mudcat:Threads on the singing voice
I can say that each voice is unique in how it sounds and depending on how you are using it, you could need to do exercises that are different than the singer sitting next to you. It would be best to look for a good teacher in your area and have her/him evaluate how you are using your voice and then teach you what you need to do to improve it. It's different for every one, as I said. Some people need more work than others on breath support (the most basic place to begin) and some people are relaxed while others have their muscles tied in knots. It's best to get some individual coaching on this. Alice |
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Subject: RE: Help: Vocal exercises From: Alice Date: 02 Feb 02 - 07:02 PM If you can't find a teacher, you can get some voice coaching long distance by cassette tape from my voice coach, Suzanne Gorder (you send a tape of your singing, she evaluates what you are doing and sends instruction back to you). Here is her website:Click Here Contact her for details on what it would cost. It's affordable. Don't be afraid that you'll turn into an opera singer. Good vocal technique is basic, and she is a great teacher. |
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Subject: RE: Help: Vocal exercises From: Dicho (Frank Staplin) Date: 02 Feb 02 - 08:20 PM Good diction is extremely important. If the listener can't understand what is being communicated, all the technique in the world won't help. (Facetiously, I was wondering what effect yodeling would have in voice exercises- just been listening to Jimmie Rodgers). Alice is right, good technique is needed in all types of singing. Fischer-Dieskau singing classic German Lieder and Frank Sinatra singing "Set 'Em Up, Joe" both capture their audience with a combination of appropriate technique, good diction and sincerity in delivery. |
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Subject: RE: Help: Vocal exercises From: Alice Date: 02 Feb 02 - 08:25 PM Well, I see good diction as a part of good technique. Then again, some people build a whole career on singing in a way that makes it hard to understand the words (Mick, Mick, what are you saying? Jumpin Jack Flash). |
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Subject: RE: Help: Vocal exercises From: Alice Date: 02 Feb 02 - 08:34 PM Jtt, to get back to your question, strength of the voice depends more on having good breath control. Also, if you can relax the muscles in your mouth and tongue, and learn to lift the soft palate (roof of your mouth) you will be doing well in developing the mouth muscles. There is info in the threads I linked to (and refreshed it for you) about developing breath control. Singing technique is really hard to write about and get the info across - you'd best find a good coach who can demonstrate and then monitor your progress in developing it. It takes time and continual work to build the muscles up, just like training for anything physical. There are some classic exercises for warming up your mouth and using vowels and consonants while you sing exercises - try singing scales up and down on the sounds "mada meena mada meena mada meena mah" and "kagle ogle agle ogle ay". Lift the soft palate and relax your jaw and neck muscles. Open your mouth in a relaxed way, don't block the sound from coming out. Alice |
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Subject: RE: Help: Vocal exercises From: Don Firth Date: 02 Feb 02 - 08:49 PM Forget trying to develop the muscles of your throat. You can ruin your voice that way. In fact, the less attention you pay to your throat, the better off you'll be. The best "exercise" for the throat is to yawn a lot and keep it relaxed. Yawning also relaxes your jaw. Alice has the skinny on all this. Heed what she says and check the links she posted. Good stuff! Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: Help: Vocal exercises From: GUEST,JTT Date: 03 Feb 02 - 05:13 AM Mm. These threads are useful, but they're about the voice. What I'm interested in specifically is diction, sharpening up a blurry presentation so the individual words and phrases can be heard. |
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Subject: RE: Help: Vocal exercises From: Don Firth Date: 03 Feb 02 - 01:05 PM For a time I worked as a radio announcer and newscaster. I prepared for it by taking a course in broadcasting, which included several weeks of pronunciation, broadcast English, and diction. Unfortunately my books and notes are packed away right now and I'm not sure where they are, otherwise I would post a bunch of really good diction exercises for you (in fact, I should still be doing them myself, because they keep me sharp). I'll keep looking for them, and when and if I find them, I'll post them. Check your local library for books on broadcasting, acting, and singing. There's probably a lot of stuff out there. In the meantime, googling through cyberspace turned up THIS. I don't think they're quite as intense as the one's I used, but they're pretty good. Read them aloud several times a day. Relax your throat (yawn), use good breath support, and read them slowly and precisely at first. In fact, over-pronounce the words—exaggerate them. Once you can get through them without goofing, speed it up a little, still keeping your enunciation sharp and precise and still over-pronouncing (also, look up the correct pronunciations of any words you're unsure of). My diction was fairly good to begin with (I'd taken a lot of voice lessons), but working on exercises like these really sharpened things up. In addition to helping me get broadcasting jobs, they improved my singing diction as well. I hope these help. Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: Help: Vocal exercises From: Alice Date: 03 Feb 02 - 01:06 PM JTT, go back to the "mada meena" and "kagle ogle ay" I mentioned. Using that exercise, work on getting clear vowels and consonants. Relax. Sing/speak on the vowels, to keep your sound open. Don't hammer "k" sounds, don't let all the air leak out on "h" sounds, don't hiss on the "s" don't hang on to nasal "r", "m" or "n" sounds. Don't break words and phrases in the middle (a bad habit in pop singing right now). Have enough breath to carry you through to the end of a word or phrases (this is where learning breath support comes in). Diction IS about the voice. Even if you are asking about speaking, not singing, it all applies.
Maybe you could give me an example of exactly what you think is "blurry" about the presentation you want to sharpen - do you have an accent that is difficult for some people to understand? What exactly is "blurry"?
Sincerely trying to help, Alice |
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Subject: RE: Help: Vocal exercises From: Alice Date: 03 Feb 02 - 01:13 PM Don, I liked that page you linked to. I used to work in FM radio, in the 70's. Some of the "real life" phrases on the exercise page gave me a chuckle. There are more difficult phrases in ad copy than in many rhyming tongue twisters. My grandmother was a great one for teaching kids tongue twisters - here is one she taught me: A skunk ran up a ladder with a lump of raw liver in its mouth. Alice |
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