What is the best singing method?
You should choose a singing method that works for you. Many teachers will claim that their method is the best. As long as the method introduces you to breath and breathing management, tone and resonance, articulation that allows you to be understood without causing tension, and the general principles of good singing, then it’s a good method.
Why doesn’t my voice work sometimes?
Plenty of things can cause your voice not to work right. You can interrupt your singing if you think too much about how you sound. Your voice will not respond well if you are tired; make sure you get enough sleep. If you sang too much the day before, your voice will inevitably get tired. The singing muscles are like other muscles in your body. Working out is fine, but they need a rest after the workout. Emotions also affect your singing voice. Crying may have a negative result on your vocal cords.
Do I have to be fat to have a big voice?
No. The size of your voice is in no way related to the size of your waist. If it were the case, then all large people would have a great voice. In all honesty the extra weight will make it harder for you to breathe. If you have been used to moving under a lot of weight, then it shouldn’t really be an issue. To be honest, the size of your head and throat make a larger impact.
My voice is really scratchy, do I have nodes?
You need to put your vocal cords through a lot of abuse to get nodes. You won’t get nodes by yelling for a day. Your vocal cords would swell, but nodes would take much more. Just remember that nodes are like calluses. Unless there is excessive abuse, you won’t have nodes. Sing in the high range if you are concerned. Nodes are usually only affecting the higher part of your voice. If it’s only the mid-range that is affected, you may have an entirely different problem.
What’s the difference between a singing coach, voice teacher, and an accompanist?
A coach is someone who plays the piano well and can help you or give you tips on singing. During a work session with a coach you may practice hearing the piano cue for your entrances in your song, work on the pronunciation of words, get tips on how to sing with the correct style, and find good places to breath within the text. A coach helps with some basic tips on technique and supports the work of your voice teacher.
The accompanist has a less demanding job because they do not offer you advice, they just play the piano for you. An accompanist is not cheaper than a coach though.
The voice teacher is the most important and will show you your technique. The coach might know the technique, but your voice teacher is the expert. The voice teacher may not play the piano so well but should make up for it with in knowledge and advice on your singing technique. For any voice session, you will probably spend half of it on technique, and half on repertoire.
Want to learn how to sing like a star but don’t have the money for expensive private singing lessons? Then I highly recommend you check out Singing Success from Brett Manning.
