QUOTE (Jsegura @ Sat 15 Jul 2006, 12:16)
How the voice is prepared before a session? You have some trick that you can recommend to me? Thanks for the advice.
First, you have to take care of your voice few days before session. Do not smoke if you are smoker, avoid shouting and even loudly speaking, take honey with milk every day for a few times. Just before session you have to prepare your vocal for singing. You should do some Breathing and Vocal Exercises.
Breathing Exercises
Steps:
1. Imagine your lungs as a tire around your body expanding and contracting on the back and sides of your torso, not just the front.
2. Draw in a steady breath to the count of three.
3. Wait for a count of three. Think of your breath being suspended rather than held.
4. Allow your breath to flow out to the count of five.
5. Listen to the blowing breath.
6. Try to keep the flow of your breath even.
7. Wait for a slow count of three.
8. Repeat the exercise.
Steps:
1. Lie down on a flat surface.
2. Slowly raise your right leg to an angle of 90 degrees.
3. Breathe in steadily, holding your position, to the count of three.
4. Lower your leg to the floor, breathing out slowly.
5. Repeat the exercise with your left leg raised.
6. Repeat the exercise raising both legs. Pulling in your abdomen will tighten and build up the muscles required for proper breathing.
7. Repeat the exercise five times.
Steps:
1. Imagine entering a room. You see a letter on the table.
2. Pick up the letter and begin to read.
3. Act startled by a particular passage and exclaim, "Ah!" The swift breath you took before exclaiming is right for most singing.
Vocal Exercise
Steps:
1. Say "le" and "la" out loud, with the vowels pronounced in the Italian manner (say "le" rather than "lay-ee" and "la" rather than "la-uh").
2. Join the vowels "a" and "e" together with the "l" in an arc of sound, flicking your tongue briskly to make the "l" sound as short as possible.
3. Practice this exercise for a few minutes.
4. Say the Italian vowel sounds a, e, i, o, u, prefixed by the lip consonant "m".
5. Pronounce these sounds in the following fashion: "ma" as the "a" in father; "me" as the "a" in gate; "mi" as in machine; "mo" as the "o" in more; "mu" as the "oo" in school.
6. To produce the right "m" sound, spring your lips apart to allow the vowel sound to flow and be projected.
7. Keep the flow of your breath constant throughout the exercise.
Tips:
Italian vowels are constantly used in singing. Familiarize yourself with Italian pronunciation.
Improving your pronunciation of consonants (l, m, p, t, d, f, g, n, s, v, z) will help to exercise your tongue. For instance, instead of using the whole length of your tongue to produce the "l," just curl the tip of your tongue backward. It really makes it easier to say it.
Vocalizing
Steps:
1. Sing the melody of a any song, using the Italian vowels from above instead of actually singing the lyrics. This is called vocalizing.
2. Vocalize this song on "la" and "ma," keeping a steady flow of breath.
3. Finally, sing the song using the actual lyrics. Try not to look at the words; pretend that you are looking at an audience in front of you instead.
If there are still some problems with your voice I suggest you take a glass of white wine - it will make your voice more clear.
Whether amateur or professional, when preparing to perform as a singer, remember: You want to be a success. You want to enjoy the experience. You want to learn from the experience. You want to be asked to sing again.
I HOPE THIS WILL HELP!
Sophisticated Lady