Hi, I'm a 16 y/o soprano, have been taking singing lessons for about a year now. I still don't have much vibrato and not much of volume either. Everyone tells me "open your mouth" but when I do, I lose the timbre/tone, whatever it's called, y'know the ringing sound? What should I do, I'll sing a duet in July with a tenor???
2007-03-12 07:11:45 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Performing Arts
The best advice I can give you is to use your posture to your advantage. Make sure your rib cage is open and not collapsing as you exhale. Good breath support is the only way to enhance the volume of your voice. Make sure when you breath you use your entire lung (most people breath shallow and only use the upper part of the lung). To make certain you are breathing correctly, put one hand on your lower tummy and one hand on your back then breathe into your hands. One other thing you could try to to "plie" (squat) while you sing. It lowers your center of gravity and makes your breath drop. The first time you try to sing in that position you will notice a difference!
One more thing, you don't need to open your mouth by unnecessarily dropping your jaw. You need to open your mouth on the inside by raising your soft pallet (if you look inside your mouth in a mirror, you will see/feel a hard pallet right behind your front teeth; the soft pallet is right behind it) and relaxing your throat and tongue. As a singer, you will learn how to control these muscles with experience and a good teacher.
Vibrato will come as you mature and relax your voice when singing. Some voices mature later than others. At the current moment I am a mezzo-soprano, but all of my private teachers have informed me that if I keep working, when I'm thirty I will be a sought-after dramatic soprano. Keep working hard and your time will come.
2007-03-19 04:36:24 · answer #1 · answered by Sarah S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hey, i'm actually a band geek in pursuit of a musical career so I have taken some choir. The key is not opening your mouth but rather posture and air support. I've found when singing I am loudest standing up straight (no slouching) and breathing deeply. Also, when you take a breath in a good spot (preferably on a rest, one can only hope) breathe slowly. You may have held a note for 5 measures but taking in a deep gasp will only make your breath shorter and you may end up light headed afterwards. the only good for opening your mouth is only for pronounciation and a solution to stop mumbling. Breath not from your chest but your diapragm (located just below the chest) it's okay to exert that and look a little chubbier as long as you are singing well. Good luck with the duet. By the way the tone thingy you are thinking about is pitch. Make sure you listen because it's harsh sometimes. use your ear, it's your best friend as a singer.
E minor
2007-03-16 23:31:40 · answer #2 · answered by E minor 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, not having much vibrato doesn't tell me much. Do you mean that it doesn't feel natural to you? This is very common at 16 as your voice has not reached vocal maturity. Have you discussed this with your teacher? Do you think the piece is too mature for where you are right now? Volume comes in time and has very little to do with how wide your mouth is. Volume comes from the natural size of your instrument, breath control, age and concentrated focusing of sound. If you are phonating and focusing correctly, volume with come. As you gain more confidence with the piece volume will come. Don't focus so much on the volume. Focus on your technique, creating a beautiful line of sound and let your teacher help you with the rest. Don't push yourself too much. Young voices can't handle that very well. Good luck to you.
2007-03-12 15:35:27 · answer #3 · answered by Yogini 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
SInging is all about how use use the breath you take in. Make sure you are connecting everything from your toes to the tip of your head and use that diaphraghm all the time! Open your mouth as much as you need to be keep a tall sound not spread out! Use the air and the vowels to help the sound be produced! I teach voice if that helps the credibility any. Good Luck!
2007-03-19 14:04:37 · answer #4 · answered by justinhbanner 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maurice Ravel once said, " the strongest force in the world is the pianissimo", so please don't be obsessed with volume. Since you are 16, and not yet full-grown or fully trained, you have some time to go before you have all those abilities ready to go. As the other answerers have already stated, it's a matter of breath support that ultimately allows us to play with the volume. Listen to your teacher, and not "everybody". Enjoy your sound as it is today, and enjoy the fact that you are doing something as wonderful as singing, without comparing yourself to "everybody else". Each voice is a different entity, with its own strengths and weaknesses. vive la difference, I say, because if we all sounded alike how boring it would be.
Please discuss this with your teacher. S/he is the best help right now.
Best wishes and keep on singing
2007-03-12 18:51:22 · answer #5 · answered by lynndramsop 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Singing is ALL about the breath. You must i repeat MUST have control over your breath. It has to come from the stomach. Once you are able to do that you will be much louder and the tone will be amazing.
As for the vibrato issue, what helps me is you use ur finger and you spin it in a circle. Imagine spinning ur voice and it will come with lots of practice
Best of luck
2007-03-17 21:49:36 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi there, Well as far as volume when I first started singing I had a fear of hitting the wrong note, but when I let go and tightened my diaphragm the sound came, as for vibrato, it somes with time and training, I luckily had natural vibrato. I know how frustrating things can be, but if your teacher has the necessary skills he/she can get you to where you need to be for your duet. talk to your teacher, ask questions, and practice,,,a lot...you can do it.
2007-03-12 17:20:23 · answer #7 · answered by Colleen Q 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all, who classified you as a soprano? Hopefully it was a certified music teacher and/or choir director. Second, at 16 your voice has not reached full maturity. You still have a little ways to go. I would suggest (if you are seriously interested in pursuing a singing career, whether in the popular or classical field) not to pay any attention to the so called "experts" and only heed the advice of a qualified singing teacher. She/he would be the only person qualified to guide you in what you should or should not be doing. If you strain yourself by not requesting the advice of a trained professional, you may hurt yourself permanently, and who knows, the world may deprive itself of a star diva!
2007-03-12 17:14:20 · answer #8 · answered by Sabelotodo 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tighten your diaphragm...I'm sure that you've heard it a million times but that's where the strength of your voice is. It isn't just about your mouth because opening your mouth too much can change the sound.
2007-03-12 15:14:38 · answer #9 · answered by Chetney W 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
talk to me on aim.
soconfused. i will give you some tips.
samantha
2007-03-12 23:19:41 · answer #10 · answered by Samantha d 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋