Is there anything I can do to help my singing voice?

Question

I'm not a bad singer. I perform in musicals and whatnot... I'm just looking for a way to be more on key. Are there any excercises that can help my recognize pitches. I have acess to piano and I can read music if this helps at all. Any advice?

A way to excercise on my own... without a professional teacher

Answer 1

If you are making a career as a singer or if you are planing to, I would highly recommend you to find a Good Teacher. Try to find a Voice teacher trained in Bel canto Style. To take lessons will help you a lot to build a safety voice technique.

Some times to not hit the notes right in pitch could be a reflection of a wrong thecnique or a signal that you need more ear training. If you can read music, sit in front of the piano and study like this:

You will study just playing the melody, Phrase by phrase, you need to record your study sections. Now, after you warm up your voice (15 to 20 minutes of warming up is enough). You will start singing the song you choose to study like this:

Play the first phrase, sing just the vowels, DO not sing the consonats, for example, if the Phrase is: I went to School this morining, you will sing: I ae oo oo e o e, sing the melody just with the vowels...

Now sing this really slow, and try to feel that all the vowels are projected in the same placement, feel your support working naturally, feel your throat open and let your voice coming forward... DO NOT FORCE YOUR VOICE! NEVER!

After you sing just the vowels in this phrase twice or three times, try to sing the phrase, with vowels and consonats together. Feel your consonants are helping your vowels to come forward... everything in the same placement. Why you should sing like that?

Tthe mayoritie of your consonats are created on your lips or with the front part of your tounge, Like: M, S , T, V, B, P, L, Sh, N, D, F, R, Z, just a few consotans are created in the back of your mouth, with the based of your tounge. What that means? Your vowels need to go to the same place where your consonants are created.

This is the way you need to study, practicing this, you will help your voice a lot, I think you will be able to sing better in tune, you will not need to make preassure or tension on your throat or chest to sing in tune, or louder. This is the way Opera singers sing, We don't use microphones to sing with a full sound. We create a beautiful full sound and we sing in tune becuase we have being trained to sing in the way I told you above.

Of course this is just one of the things we learn, that is why I recommend you to find a Bel Canto Style Voice Teacher. I am 100% Sure he/she will help you a lot with your voice.

Good Luck

Answer 2

What you are referring to is Absolute Pitch, or Perfect Pitch. The ability to recognize an individual pitch without an external reference.
Studies show that 1 in 10,000 are born with perfect pitch. Many of them will never know it because they are not musicians.
It has always been said that perfect pitch can not be learned, but that you have to be born with it. I don't know if I agree with that.
Check out: http://www.perfectpitch.com/
They have a training course that supposedly teaches perfect pitch.
You CAN train yourself to have relative pitch. Relative pitch is the ability to identify the intervals between given tones.
I have been a musician for 24 years. Over those years, I have only met two people with true perfect pitch. It is an amazing thing. I, and most of the people that I have worked with have learned relative pitch.
Practice, practice, practice.
Good Luck

Answer 3

The next step would probably be learning how to play the piano, It may take awhile but that will help you more than anything else on recognizing pitches and tones,as long as you're piano isn't out of tune you should be safe.make SURE you are singing in your range,if you are attempting notes that are to high or to low and you have not stretched your pitch,(to stretch just do scales over and over don't kill your voice you know when to high or to low is TO much.) the sound or note you are going to produce will almost always be flat or sharp,If you record yourself singing scales,and doing normal exorcises then listen to it,that will help you see where your voice needs the most help,buy yourself a tuner! it's pretty intense because tuners are sooo sensitive if you are off it will let you know!which is also very helpful,they sell MANY different types,but their are kinds that you can apply to your voice some produce a tone, and you have to match is just right to move on to the next one .
Breathing affects the tone you produce,also the types of food or drinks you consume before singing,If you go to
http://perfectpitch.ucsf.edu/ppstudy.html it will help explain the study on perfect pitch and how it may not be something you can just learn ,but I wish you the best!
now,IF you aren't in the mood to teach yourself, you could just get a voice coach,those types of coaches will never be able to teach you the "perfect pitch"but they will help you in the process of using your voice to the best of your ability,new techniques,and ways to produce the closest to perfect pitch you may ever get.if you go to voice coach.com they sell DVDs,and also give listings of vocal coaches in your area.

Hope that helps

Answer 4

Your best bet is to exercize your voice with voice training with the piano. Vocal warm-ups (i.e. Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do). Find the keys that are stubborn for you and train your voice to be able to hit them with ease. I do not know if you have the means, but a choral teacher can be there to help you. If you do not go that route. Deep breaths from your diaphram help a lot. I do vocal training often. I am considered a high tenor-low alto and I am 22 years old. Go--Break a leg and Have Fun.

Answer 5

First, It may sound rude but I dont know if you do or not, but smoking cigarettes, or weed will ruin your voice over time. Weed especially becuase it rips up your vocal cords.
Second, try practicing your range with a piano, each time you hit a note, try to match it.
Third, Breathing exercises are very important, and posture is very important too.
Forth, There is no miracle drink that somehow makes you a good singer, but there are a few things that help to make your voice clearer:

Honey - the sugar coaggulates the phlegm in your throat preventing voice cracking.

Lemon - The bitterness causes your throat to secrete a natural saliva-like coating, it helps to prevent throat tickles and the need to clear your throat!

Hot beverages: opens your lungs, allows you to breath (and sing) more clearly!

Things you should stay away from when singing, Cold beverages(closes your throat up (to protect your larynx) allowing for minimal oxygen passage.) or Mints( Mints play tricks with your throats and make them think it is a cold beverage)
Good Luck

Answer 6

Well this can be a two fold issue. First can you recognize relative pitch in relation to one another ( ie. intervals or one sound compared to another and replicate it with your voice). If you can then you can hear pitch well with what's called "inner ear";so, just find an instructor who can help you with vocal techniques to sustain that pitch with breath control etc. If you have difficulty hearing pitches and the relationship of sounds together whether melodically or harmonically then you can work on ear training first. They sell various cd's etc...to help you with that.

Answer 7

Well if you have a piano, try going up and down the scale within the comfort range of your voice, place one finger over one ear while matching the scale, Try to increase your range and volume as you go. Have a recording device on to listen to how well you matched the pitch.
Hope that works for ya

Answer 8

Hi!

You dont need singing lessons!
You can teach youself, all you have to do is set a time each day that you can sing for 10 to 20 minutes after you do this for a while you will notice that your voice will become better.
What do you sing?
Any song that you want, sing it over and over.
And if you want to be a good singer take time out and play a song that you never heard before over and over and memorize it.
I was surprised at how good my voice become after just doing this every day for a week.
It should work for you to, singing works out your vocal cords, a teacher of music will tell you this.
So dont waste you money on a teacher when you can teach your self.... good luck. :)

Answer 9

.keep singing all day even in the bath try singing lessons. write your own music and pratics singing that. do kaqrrioke also lissen to music and sing it then sing in tune wiht out the music on try get a background for it

Answer 10

Take voice lessons, I know it sounds silly, but all great singers do. Even the guy from Metallica.