Just how do you practise?

[JohnG]

Hi All,

You might just enjoy this, but then again maybe not!

Here is an insight into an opera singer's practice session.

She spends several minutes 'warming up', singing arpeggios and scales, starting at the low end of her vocal range and gradually pushing her voice higher up to the very highest Cs and Ds, etc. From piano to fortissimo.
Then she combines this with vowel practice and consonants too.
Then portamento, sliding up (and down) but mostly up, and different vowel combinations, e.g. ee-oh.
Followed by glissandi, moving up (or down) hitting scale or chromatic notes on the way.
Then further to practising trill intervals, slowly then gradually faster.
Both semitones and tones.

Several familiar songs to exercise the voice, then on to new material.
Lastly on to the repertoire for the next concert (this is the main content.

Here is Susanne (pronounced Zuzanner), my dear lady wife, practising a new piece ... a capella.
Another warning, it may not be to everybody's taste.
A capella Mozart.

Just how does she stay so 'in tune', I wonder?
Well, she has been singing for a great many years, so I imagine that helps.

How do you practise?

Regards,
JohnG.

[Jacqui]

Hi John
Susanne has a fine voice indeed John, wonderful control and tone.

I always do a vocal warm up before I go out to sing, I have a tape I use from a vocal tutor, it's about 6 minutes long and play it while I get ready, most people I know especially men never warm up first! it's second nature to me, I always do it automatically before I ever go to a gig, I think exercises are very good too, but I never seem to get time for them.

Jacqui

[JohnG]

Thanks Jacqui,

I'll pass your comments on to Susanne, I know she'll be delighted.
I've often heard it said that those who don't warm up, and don't learn 'technique', i.e. singing from the diaphragm, tend to have short careers, as the voice packs up early through too much strain on the throat, and they grow nodules on the vocal chords.

We went for a recording session yesterday at a local studio we haven't tried before and, although the place is rather run down and a bit shabby, the engineer was really good and very friendly. He too made the above comment when Susanne spent 10 minutes exercising before beginning.

His poor mic took a bashing on some of the high notes!

All the best,
JohnG.

[doricvision]

If anybody doesn't value the importance of warming up try this little exercise.Tape yourself singing seven songs making sure that song one and song seven are the same song then listen back to the difference between the quality of vocals between one and seven.I only stumbled upon this when I was recording one of my own compositions and had to do about six or seven takes on the vocal track,the difference was like chalk and cheese
Bigmike

[Jacqui]

That's interesting never thought of that one