Practice Tips
Here you will find tips for practicing and motivating yourself to work towards your goals!
Warm-ups and vocal exercises
1) For warming up and checking in with our 'head voice' Start on a medium low note for your range. (between C and Eflat) go to a medium high note that is still easy to sing.
oo-oh-oo-ee X3
do-re-do-ti
2)For warming up and checking in with out 'chest voice'. Start on a similar note to exercise 1- go to a low note that is still comfortable to sing. Remember to allow your voice to go into chest tone.
ah-ay-ah-ay-ah
do-re-do-re-do-ti-lah-ti-do
3) For integrating chest and head voice and working on legato. Start on a medium high note working down and then back up.
oo-oh-oo-ee X2 then slide from oo through oh to ah and back up.
do-re-do-ti- do slide down an octave do and slide up the octave.
4) For loosening up our vowels and integrating chest and head tone. Start on a low but comfortable note and move up to a high but still comfortable range and then back down.
ah-oh-ah-ay-ah-oh-ah-ay-ah
do-re-me-fa-so-fa-me-re-do
5) For increasing range and legato singing. Start on a low note and move up as high as you can go and then back down. Don't be afraid! Relax and allow the breath to move freely. Remember to think of sliding between the notes and not placing each note on the pitch.
ah-oh-oh-ah-oh-oh-ah
do-me-so-do-so-me-do
oo-oh-oo-ee X3
do-re-do-ti
2)For warming up and checking in with out 'chest voice'. Start on a similar note to exercise 1- go to a low note that is still comfortable to sing. Remember to allow your voice to go into chest tone.
ah-ay-ah-ay-ah
do-re-do-re-do-ti-lah-ti-do
3) For integrating chest and head voice and working on legato. Start on a medium high note working down and then back up.
oo-oh-oo-ee X2 then slide from oo through oh to ah and back up.
do-re-do-ti- do slide down an octave do and slide up the octave.
4) For loosening up our vowels and integrating chest and head tone. Start on a low but comfortable note and move up to a high but still comfortable range and then back down.
ah-oh-ah-ay-ah-oh-ah-ay-ah
do-re-me-fa-so-fa-me-re-do
5) For increasing range and legato singing. Start on a low note and move up as high as you can go and then back down. Don't be afraid! Relax and allow the breath to move freely. Remember to think of sliding between the notes and not placing each note on the pitch.
ah-oh-oh-ah-oh-oh-ah
do-me-so-do-so-me-do
What's the best way for me to learn a song?
Here are my top tips for learning a new song!
1) Write out the words. Don't type them, write them! Writing the words allows us to process the information more thoroughly.
2) Speak the words out loud as a poem or monologue.
3) Speak the words in the rhythm of the song.
4) Now sing the song- you can sing on vowels or nonsense syllables first then add words.
5) As you practice singing the words to the song, make sure that you concentrate on having long connected vowels and clean crisp consonants.
6)Go deeper into the character!
1) Write out the words. Don't type them, write them! Writing the words allows us to process the information more thoroughly.
2) Speak the words out loud as a poem or monologue.
3) Speak the words in the rhythm of the song.
4) Now sing the song- you can sing on vowels or nonsense syllables first then add words.
5) As you practice singing the words to the song, make sure that you concentrate on having long connected vowels and clean crisp consonants.
6)Go deeper into the character!
How do I go deeper into a character?
Here are my top tips for going into characters of songs. Developing characters will help you give a convincing, meaningful performance and even help eliminate some of those pre-performance jitters! Answer the following questions for each song!
1)Who am I? How old am I? What do I look like? What's my name? Do I have a nickname? Do I have any distinguishing features?
2) Where do I live? Who is in my family? What are my hobbies? Who are my friends?
3) What are my secrets, fears, dreams? What makes me laugh? Have I been in love?
4)Where am I when singing this song? What time of year is it? What time of day? Am I inside or outside?
5)Why am I singing this song? What do I hope to achieve from singing it?
6)Who am I singing to?
1)Who am I? How old am I? What do I look like? What's my name? Do I have a nickname? Do I have any distinguishing features?
2) Where do I live? Who is in my family? What are my hobbies? Who are my friends?
3) What are my secrets, fears, dreams? What makes me laugh? Have I been in love?
4)Where am I when singing this song? What time of year is it? What time of day? Am I inside or outside?
5)Why am I singing this song? What do I hope to achieve from singing it?
6)Who am I singing to?
How do I motivate myself to practice?
Here are some tips to motivate you to practice!
1) Keep a practice log. Write in a notebook EVERY DAY what you practice. Even if you don't practice write that too! Write how long you practiced, what you worked on, what kind of progress you made.
2) Set goals for yourself. I'm going to learn song A by date B. I do this all the time when I have a lot to work on. Then in my practice log I write how far along I am with that song. (75% but I need to work on dynamics, 90% but need to develop character)
3)Don't stress about the length of your practice. If you are busy try to practice for just 10 or 15mins that day. You can practice your warm-ups in the shower, or while getting ready for your day. Then write out the words for your song- this helps you memorize and go deeper with the text.
4)Quality of practice is MUCH more important than quantity. If you have a good practice for 10mins that is focused and intense that is much more useful than an long practice that is distracted and unfocused.
5)Make sure your practice area is comfortable and free of distractions. Have a comfortable space set up, with pens and pencils, a metronome, notebook, clear space for your music and try to have a distraction free area.
6) If you have many pieces to learn and lots of schoolwork you can use the sheet below to help you handle all the work. You don't need to practice every piece everyday. It is best to make a plan and pick what you need to work on.
1) Keep a practice log. Write in a notebook EVERY DAY what you practice. Even if you don't practice write that too! Write how long you practiced, what you worked on, what kind of progress you made.
2) Set goals for yourself. I'm going to learn song A by date B. I do this all the time when I have a lot to work on. Then in my practice log I write how far along I am with that song. (75% but I need to work on dynamics, 90% but need to develop character)
3)Don't stress about the length of your practice. If you are busy try to practice for just 10 or 15mins that day. You can practice your warm-ups in the shower, or while getting ready for your day. Then write out the words for your song- this helps you memorize and go deeper with the text.
4)Quality of practice is MUCH more important than quantity. If you have a good practice for 10mins that is focused and intense that is much more useful than an long practice that is distracted and unfocused.
5)Make sure your practice area is comfortable and free of distractions. Have a comfortable space set up, with pens and pencils, a metronome, notebook, clear space for your music and try to have a distraction free area.
6) If you have many pieces to learn and lots of schoolwork you can use the sheet below to help you handle all the work. You don't need to practice every piece everyday. It is best to make a plan and pick what you need to work on.
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