Singing correctly? - 2008/03/09 19:58I've been singing for a year now. But I call it more like half a year because the teacher I had first DID NOT monitor my technique. I am taking a better teacher now, and my voice feels alot better now. I was just wondering:
1. Is it normal for your voice to get tired after 2 hrs?
2. Should your throat hurt? (This rarely happens anymore, but just feel like were asking)
I just wanted to ask these questions just in case. If u have anymore tips on singing it will be please post some.
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alouette
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Re:Singing correctly? - 2008/03/09 21:55This all depends on how you're singing. I can only answer your questions from the perspective of classical singing. Belting is probably a bit more taxing.
1. Yes, especially for a young singer. Even professionals and voice majors I know don't practice for more than two hours at a time. The longest I've ever made it was three hours, but that was in a voice lesson, so I wasn't singing for three hours straight. (And then I went home and slept for two hours ) Usually, two is a good day for me, and I supposedly have pretty decent stamina. There are opera singers who can go for, like, five hours, but that would pretty much kill the average person. Really.
2. No, if something hurts, it means something's wrong. It could be anything from there being a technique issue to the voice not being physically ready for a song. I think a certain amount of singing is being able to decide when/what not to sing, because continuously doing something that hurts can lead to lasting vocal damage.
I hope that's helpful
Post edited by: alouette, at: 2008/03/09 21:57
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kristine415
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Re:Singing correctly? - 2008/03/09 21:59As far as your first question, I totally agree with alouette. But if you're singing for 2 hours straight, even correctly, your throat could hurt. Singing correctly or not, you should rest your voice for a day or two if it's hurting.
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My throat rarely hurts hurt anymore after I took a new teaher. But it did before when I was taking my old voice teacher who wasn't even liscensed to teach.
Thank you for reassuring me on that because my cousin and I were practicing one short day from Wicked for this thing we sre going to perform later this week. We kept singing more songs just for fun but my voice started to get tired. That's when she told me that if your voice is tired than your singing wrong. Now, my cousin knows alot but I can't trust her for everything so I thought I should ask on here to be sure. But now that I think about it she was sing in head voicce and I was singing in my lower register in full voice. But my voice feels fine it's just really tired.
Thank you for giving me this advice it helped alot!
Post edited by: xtragically_beautifulx, at: 2008/03/10 01:04
Post edited by: xtragically_beautifulx, at: 2008/03/10 01:04
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CwEinDallas
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Re:Singing correctly? - 2008/03/10 11:50you voice will get tired even with correct technique. if you know you're vocally tired, then don't sing full out and try to push it, you'll just hurt yourself in the long runChris
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Jbug
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Re:Singing correctly? - 2008/03/10 15:25Just like dancers, runners and other athletes who get tired and have to rest - so do singers.
When you are tired - it is time to stop. You risk vocal damage when you get tired because that is when you can revert back to bad vocal habits to keep going. True vocal support and technique is what will help keep your voice safe from harm. When you are sick or exhausted and you sing a difficult song those are the times you have to work harder. It looks like you are a fortunate person to find a good vocal teacher. You did the wise thing to change teachers.
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Elphaba2b
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Re:Singing correctly? - 2008/03/10 16:45I've gotten a lot of bad advice from singing teachers. A church chorus teacher told us literally...
"To hit those high notes, you have to raise your eyebrows REEEEEAALLY high like this!" Then she showed us with her uber-over-plucked eyebrows!
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lilmissbroadway
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Re:Singing correctly? - 2008/03/10 17:27well that's helpful to not sound nasal, but only untill you can do it without looking like that....I Rent a Wicked apartment on Avenue Q! (Unfortunatly, it's haunted by a Phantom) Sarah
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alouette
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Re:Singing correctly? - 2008/03/10 17:50've gotten a lot of bad advice from singing teachers. A church chorus teacher told us literally...
"To hit those high notes, you have to raise your eyebrows REEEEEAALLY high like this!" Then she showed us with her uber-over-plucked eyebrows!
I've gotten some pretty....interesting advice over the years, too. There is a grain of truth in her advice: raising your eyebrows is *part* of correct facial position, but it doesn't help much by itself. Plus, most people look kind of weird when they're hitting high notes. When I saw Les Mis on Broadway, Cosette went cross-eyed every time she hit a high note. She sounded beautiful, though
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the_Megster
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Re:Singing correctly? - 2008/03/10 22:53Elphaba2b wrote: I've gotten a lot of bad advice from singing teachers. A church chorus teacher told us literally...
"To hit those high notes, you have to raise your eyebrows REEEEEAALLY high like this!" Then she showed us with her uber-over-plucked eyebrows!
I get that all the time...Megan
Currently: lost boy in "Peter Pan"
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Christine_wannabe
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Re:Singing correctly? - 2008/03/11 01:11Elphaba2b wrote: I've gotten a lot of bad advice from singing teachers. A church chorus teacher told us literally...
"To hit those high notes, you have to raise your eyebrows REEEEEAALLY high like this!" Then she showed us with her uber-over-plucked eyebrows!
weird... my church choir teacher told us that too just the other day!!! lol-Laura
Favorite Musical: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA!!!!!!! As for more "happy" musicals i like BATB, Music Man, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Singin' in the rain!!!
Next production: R&H Cinderella?
“Practice as if you are the worst, perform as if you are the best.”
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Eddie_Dean
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Re:Singing correctly? - 2008/03/11 22:33I'm an elementary music teacher and I talk and sing pretty much nonstop for 5 hours a day with my students. THEN I go to rehearsals where my current role involves screaming, birthing a baby, shouting at my "husband," and more singing!
Many days I start out fine but end up with a voice that feels very, very tired (though not really sore...just exhausted). Any suggestions on what to do when your voice is tired and you HAVE to go on? I can't just not teach my classes, but would love some suggestions on proper vocal technique to keep healthy. I'm an instrumentalist without any formal vocal training and ended up a singer by accident, so I can use all the help I can get. Thanks!Currently: Kissin' Kate Barlow in "Holes"
Previous Roles: Nettie MacCleary in "Orphan Train," Beth in "Little Women: The Broadway Musical"
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Melissa
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Re:Singing correctly? - 2008/03/12 01:45Well, For one, in rehearsals, DON'T go full-out every time. I'm a soprano, so for rehearsals, I do every other time an octave lower. And for any screaming parts, I only raise my voice a little. If you go full every time, your voice will undoubtedly get sore and tired, which can lead to injuries (AHHH!)
Also, try to get a couple voice lessons. Even a few to just work on technique, and you can save yourself A LOT of grief!Lissa
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chrissyH
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Re:Singing correctly? - 2008/03/12 20:10I agree with Melissa. I am a classical voice student and part of my practice routine is to just do "table work" where I work on rythms, diction, memorization, etc. Things I don't necessarily need to do full out and I will just sing an octave lower. Just don't push your voice when it is tired! You don't want to strain or damage anything."Dance like no one is watching" -Christina Denise favorite show- Chicago
upcoming role- Sweeney Todd (ensemble)
currently performing- Consuela (West Side Story)
dream roles- Christine (Phantom) Roxie (Chicago)
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Jbug
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Re:Singing correctly? - 2008/03/12 23:26My 1st advice is to find a good voice teacher once your show is over. If you do more shows, it would be good to train because technique is very important to keep you from hurting yourself.
When you are working on specific scenes in your show and you are rehearsing the same thing again, and again. I would not go full out on the singing. But I know this is hard. It is also possible, without proper technique, to speak incorrectly and still have vocal problems.
Support your voice from your upper abdominal muscles. When you are tired, you have to work even harder! Do not sing in your throat. You want to sing mostly towards the front part of your face with lower body breath support. It's hard to explain on this post. It is not easy. But if you don't do it correctly you could get growths on your vocal cords called "nodes". Those are hard to get rid of. If you get a node, do not have surgery. That is how Julie Andrews lost her voice. Many have to stop singing and some even have to stop talking to get rid of them in a natural way. A good teacher is very important. Some teachers can even make this condition worse!
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) Usually, two is a good day for me, and I supposedly have pretty decent stamina. There are opera singers who can go for, like, five hours, but that would pretty much kill the average person. Really.
