Can You Read?

Reading music is like reading a foreign language.  In order to decipher all those circles, lines, and other various kooky shapes you must know the translation and the syntax of the language.  Fully understanding the complexity and theory of the musical language requires advanced study at the university level.  And in fact, some universities consider a music degree as fulfilling a foreign language requirement (no French classes!  Woo hoo!)  But you don’t need a college degree to read music.  It’s easy once you have the basic music notation foundation.

Count It!

First, music is a counting language.  Music on paper is divided into measures, usually containing only 3 or 4 beats for each measure.  If you know how to count, you’ve already got a big head start in reading music.

I Got Rhythm!

Each measure in music divides up those 3 or 4 beats using notes and rests.  Your job is to simply remember how many beats each note or rest receives.  A whole note holds for 4 beats.  A half note is 1/2 of a whole note.  A quarter note is 1/4 of a whole note and is the basic rhythmical “beat”.  The list of notes and rests goes on, but you can see it is simply a matter of recognizing the shape of each to be comfortable with rhythm.

Gimme a Pitch!

Music notes are written on a staff containing 5 lines and 4 spaces.  Each line or space is a specific pitch and has a name ranging from A to G.  That’s only 7 notes to remember!  Each note can also be sharp or flat.  For instance, halfway between A and B is B-flat (or A-sharp depending on the key signature!). All you need to do is simply memorize the name of the pitch for each line or space on the staff, and their corresponding sharp or flat.

With these three simple tools you will have a basic foundation for reading music.  The musical language is fascinating, and once you have these tools you can begin understanding key signatures, time signatures, tempos, major & minor keys, and much, much more.  I encourage you, if you are not familiar with the language of music, to begin today.  Find a simple music lesson book or get with me in my studio and we’ll begin understanding an entire and beautiful new language!

What’s That NOISE?!?

Did you know that your beautiful singing is just an organized grouping of noise?  It’s true.  When you sing a note your pharyngeal and oral resonators create a series of frequencies called Formant Frequencies which we hear as a specific vowel and the character of your individual and unique voice.  But if you are not singing with proper support, or without complete laryngeal closure, some of the sound comes out as random frequency fluctuations and unwanted noise.

For instance, sing a note on a simple “ah” vowel.  Now look at the image.  Your vowel Formant Frequencies should be in the 700 to 1100 Hz range, while your “singer” formant frequencies are averaged around 2700 Hz.  This is a normal spacing and range for a singer’s tone.

If, however, your spectrogram showed some random frequencies in between your vowel formants and your singer formants, say in the 2000 Hz range, we would hear noise in the voice.

“Ack!  Noise?!  How do I get rid of it?”

I’m glad you asked.  Vocal noise can be removed with the proper use and practice of the Systematized Approach I teach in my studio.  With a little work using the vocal exercises your vowels will be purer and have more integrity.  And whether you sing with a microphone or project straight off of the stage, a singer with better formant integrity will be able to sing longer, and with more stamina.

So what are you waiting for?  Let’s get the noise out!

Sing Out, Louise!

Anyone who has seen the show, Gypsy, knows that Mama Rose is always yelling at her younger, less adept daughter from the back of a theatre.  Louise is a timid singer, left in the shadow of her highly adorable and talented sister, Dainty June.

What Louise doesn’t know early in the show is that she is going to be a big star.  Of course, she’ll have to remove clothing to become famous, but in the world of Burlesque, Louise becomes Gypsy Rose Lee, one of the top entertainers in the country.  With her newfound attention she grows confidence and transitions from a quiet, timid background singer into a center-stage diva who can belt out a number to a crowd of thousands.

Now I’m not saying one has to become a stripper to be a good singer.  I merely want to point out that even the most quiet and unsure singers have the ability to sing out with resonance and confidence.  It may not happen right away during practice or even at an audition.  But at some point you will find your vocal confidence where you can be easily heard onstage.  You can take the reins and “let ‘er rip”.

When and where that happens is completely up to you.  But if you are a timid, unsure singer who wants to perform on stage it’s always a good idea to audition and get singing experience where you can.  It may mean singing solos in your church choir.  Or maybe you can gain confidence in the high school musical production and later audition for a community theatre role.

Sometime confidence, like a spring flower, takes time and gentle nudging before it blossoms.  But the more you accept the challenge of singing in front of people, the easier it will become.

5 Minutes A Day

You say you don’t have 5 minutes a day to practice your vocalises?  Don’t try to put the wool over my eyes!  I bet it takes you 10 minutes just to blowdry and seal your hair.  And at least 5 minutes to shower, right?  How about your drive to work?  Isn’t the average auto commute about 20 to 30 minutes?

During any one of the above times you could be practicing your vocal exercises.  Vocal exercises are not just helpful to warm up your voice.  The specific vocal exercises in the Systematized Process you receive in my studio were designed to help strengthen your entire support system, give lift in the support mechanism, ease your vowel formations, assist the transitions from lower to upper registers, and don’t forget that they also help extend your range with consistent practice.

So give up on the excuses.  You can find at least 5 minutes a day to practice the vocal exercises that will help you become a better singer.  Why are you still reading this?  Go practice!