Judy Rodman - All Things Vocal

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Singers: Soft First Verses Need To Deliver Impact

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:12:00 +0000

I just worked with a singer who has been asked by her producer to sing the first verse of a song softly but not breathy. I think that's good direction, and a way to build a song. But she was having trouble knowing how to do it effectively.

Here's what worked for her and can work for you when you want to sing with a smaller dynamic.. first verse or breakdown 1/2 chorus are common places:

Sing everything with all of you! From your heels to your face... your whole being has to be involved.

You need to support and communicate the lightest places in your song as passionately and purposefully as the highest, longest, loudest notes. This works for all genres of music.

Think about it... do you want the audience to be lightly involved with the first verse? Or do you want to engage them from the start... making them understand something from your very first lyric? Here's a fact...if you don't engage them at the beginning, you'll likely loose them for the rest of the song, too!

Like a great athlete or violin player, even the smallest moves are deliberate and purposeful. If you just sing from your shoulders because the passage is not hard or you're trying for a quieter dynamic, you will not communicate. Don't tense your body, but do involve it. And pronounce your smallest lyrics as clearly as your loudest. Support (as Power, Path & Performance teaches -- without pushing) every note with breath.

Something to think about the next time you want to sing soft. Your comments are most welcome!

Learning To Sing From Scratch: A Strategy to Fast-Forward A Beginner

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:34:00 +0000

There is an interesting fast forward strategy you can take as a new vocalist, which mimics the way people learn to use their voices as children.

1. First, choose the vocal style you want to sing (rock, pop, country, alternative, etc.) based on particular songs you like. Then choose an easy song in that genre.

2. Now listen closely to the artist singing. I find that headphones are good at this point because they help you zoom in on the intricacies of the vocal performance you're listening to. Listen like you're holding an aural microscope to the sound.

3. After listening a few times, start miming with the singer, SILENTLY moving your mouth, face, tongue, etc. trying to imagine in your mind creating the exact sound and pronunciation of the singer you're listening to. Literally let the intent to make the sound teach your automatic nervous system to sing.

4. After you feel confident miming the song, start putting your voice to it. IMPORTANT: If you're wearing headphones, take half an ear off so you can hear what you are really doing. Don't sing with both sides on ... you'll fool yourself.

Let me know if you decide to do this. It's also a great way to learn a new musical style.

Power, Path and Performance training... when voice matters

Well Behaved High Notes Are More Lovable

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:40:00 +0000

No matter what style of music you sing, from quiet alternative to heavy metal, there is a basic "etiquette" that your high notes should follow to be accepted and loved. It's like the stuff we learned in kindergarten. You, as the owner and operator of your high notes, are responsible to ensure they behave:

No pushing... If you are a reader of this blog, you probably know how much I advise against this. Too much air pressure will sabotage the character of your high notes... they'll be pitchy and icky sounding... and may cause harm!
Share the load... High notes need to be supported with adequate breath so they will not leave the brunt of the phrase to the other notes. Chickening out is no way to develop the beauty or control of your highs.
Play nicely with others... notes, that is... If your high notes poke out of the rest of the phrase, all of a sudden loud and shrill due to incorrect set up and follow through, the jarring sound will be heard and felt with disdain (unfortunately too common in soprano sections of choirs and choruses.)
Know when to use your inside or outside voice... If there is a crescendo or decrescendo appropriate to the music or directed by your leader, learn to control your high notes enough so they appropriately obey.
Play a lot... You can't expect your high notes to behave if they never get to play. Do vocal range and control exercises to make them feel confident.

Now, go out and play nice.

10 Signs Of Bad Vocal Technique

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:40:00 +0000

Whether or not you are studying voice, you are still using certain "vocal techniques" which you've learned either consciously or unconsciously from family, friends or music teachers. Here are some signs that your vocal technique is in need of an overhaul. Your technique is bad if:

Your throat hurts to talk after you perform.
You worry about losing your voice from talking or singing performance.
Your voice feels strained after using it
You don't command much attention when you speak or sing.
You never seem to have enough breath.
You can't hit your pitch accurately even though you can hear that it's "off".
Your vocal tone is thin, uninteresting or hollow and hooty.
You can't do certain vocal licks you're trying to imitate.
You can't sing very low or high, your vocal range is limited so your song choices are, too.
Your manager, agent, label rep or significant other who you trust tells you confidentially they are hearing a problem with your voice. (duh).

I'm here if you need me:)

Indie Connect Membership Fee Reduction: Gone in 12 Days

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:07:00 +0000

Hey folks... thought I'd give you a heads up:

If you are an independent artist who needs to know more about the music business, I recommend an organization called "Indie Connect". Many of you who are also readers of my newsletter have heard me mention it before.

I wanted you to know about the membership fee discount, which will be gone in 12 days. NOTICE: I am a board member but I do not get any compensation from you joining; this is simply a notice I'm sending you for your benefit, if it applies to you. Here's the info:

There are only 12 days remaining before the cost of Indie Connect membeship goes up. The cost of a 1 yr. general membership is $79, but will move up to $99 on April 1. In addition, the cost of an Indie Connect Professional membership will rise from $99 to the still-discounted rate of $129.

What do you get for your membership? Besides meeting and event discounts, a free Broadjam membership, a long list of discounted services (recording studio discounts, voice lessons, Songsalive membership, etc.) you gain access to a vast library of videos, articles, tools, audio tracks and more. Click here to see the entire library. Keep in mind that every week they add more.

Audition Alert: SAG LA Webisode Show wants submission within two days!

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:46:00 +0000

This just in:

THE RYAN AND RANDI SHOW PRESENTS
Webisodes
SAG

Shoot/Start Date: April 15
Pay Rate: TBD (this is a paid job)
Location: Los Angeles

SUBMIT ELECTRONICALLY NO LATER THAN MARCH 20TH, 5:00PM

EMAIL MP3S, HEAD SHOT, AGENCY RESUME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

This is of a spin off of the successful web series "The Ryan and Randi Show."
We are looking for super talented singers and songwriters.
All submissions MUST be original songs.

[MUSICAL PERFORMERS] 13 to 21 years old. Super-talented singers / songwriters for the web series "The Ryan and Randi Show." Bands and Rap artists should also submit. The 20 artists chosen will perform live on the show. We are looking for acts that might break in the next year...We are a union (SAG) series. But nonunion are encouraged to submit.

Heidi Cataldo-Blais
HeidisStudio for Talent
Direct Casting for Talent
www.HeidisStudio.4t.com

PPP Vocal Technique: When Pulling Back, Don't Lift Your Chin

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:27:00 +0000

In my role as your vocal coach today, I'd like to clarify something I teach about head position that people often get wrong when first trying it. My vocal students know that I advise pulling the head back slightly when singing or speaking. Let me be more specific:

Don't lift your chin! Float your chin levelly when singing or speaking.
Don't pull your head straight back!
Do pull your head back slightly to the side, cocking your head at a small tilt as you do.
Do lift your head by lengthening your spine, which carries your head up.
Do balance your head over your tailbone. This is farther back than most people carry their heads.
But...don't bend your head back in such a way that something you were carrying on your head would fall backwards. In fact, practice by putting something on your head as you sing or speak. It should ride along, not falling forwards or backwards.
Do use your lyric to pull ... not push ... your voice out.

Hope these clarification tips help you!

Improving Vocal Ability: How Long Does It Take To Get Results?

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0000

In a recent forum subject on The Modern Vocalist website, a question was posed about how long a singer can expect to take lessons and practice in order to gain significant vocal improvement. I suggested the following thoughts:

How many lessons you must take before your voice improves?

You should notice definite improvement after ONE vocal lesson with an intuitive, skilled voice teacher. Then, if you're serious about vocal training, I recommend committing to two or three months of work with a vocal coach and then reassessing where you are. But your improvement should be both noticeable and growing after every lesson you take.

How long should your practice sessions be?

It depends. You should understand that your vocal ability can improve in two major ways... and you can plan your practice sessions accordingly:

The first way is to improve your vocal technique... meaning the WAY you use your voice, the way you apply breath, the openness you keep in your throat, the degree to which you effectively communicate. (I call this training Power, Path & Performance.) This helps you gain access to the latent vocal ability you already have. And this is where HOW you practice is matters. If done properly, vocal exercises can help you create and correct vocal habits you need. But just like in any athletic endeavor, form is everything. Even if you could only fit in 10 minutes of daily practice with correct form, you could make constant, significant vocal gains. Just don't practice wrong!

The second way is to improve your vocal stamina... meaning to increase the strength, muscle tone and tissue structure... and coordination of the working parts of the vocal apparatus. This is where HOW LONG you practice (practicing correct form at all times, of course) matters. I would suggest singing at least as long as the length of the next performance you will be giving. If you have no particular performance coming up, it would be great if-- after warming up-- you committed to singing at least 30 minutes to two hours every day or every other day, for steady gains in your vocal stamina. Don't just practice exercises, sing your songs FULL VOICE, with communicative body language. Schedule your practice for when you have energy. The main thing here is that you don't want to practice singing with incorrect form, which happens when you get mentally and/or physically tired.

Bottom line... to improve your vocal ability, practice smart-- not hard.

Social Networking for Musicians: Indie Connect presentation

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Lets face it; many musicians are some of the last, most uninformed and uninterested people to get themselves on the web. That's because you're too busy making music! But let's face it, the worms are out of the can and not likely to crawl back in... if you're doing business in music, you need a significant presence on the web.

At Monday's Indie Connect meeting in Nashville, tech and computer guru Scott Munc gave a great presentation on social networking for musicians and "broadcasting your station" on the web. Here are a few highlights from his talk:

Make sure you have a website to which you can point people. You can get your domain name at GoDaddy.com, for instance.

Get a Gmail account, from which you will have access to services like Blogger, Google Analytics, Picasa, and much more.

Set up Google alerts for your name, business, interests... to find out what people are saying about you and your interests. For instance, I currently have google alerts set up for "judy rodman", "power, path & performance", "music business", "vocal problems". I get these alerts sent to my email's inbox, from which I can decide to go to the link or not.

Get a Ping.fm account, from which you can update all your social networking sites with one "ping"! Note... you'll actually have to have or sign up for accounts at the social networks you choose to ping. Twitter and Facebook, along with MySpace, are the least you should do to get yourself findable. Add more when you can... and with Ping, you won't have to go to each site to update!

Get on Tweetdeck. From the tweetdeck interface, you can monitor and interact with not only twitter, but also many other social network sites. You add multiple accounts if you have them, as well.

Get on "Google Reader". Subscribe to some blogs (including this one) and newspapers, etc, for a fast way to keep up with what's happening.

I would add that you should join Indie Connect for physical and virtual meetings, newsletter, magazine and all kinds of music business information. You don't have to be in Nashville for this, it's going global.

As you monitor and interact with people, you will form your own community, within which you give and receive. What a great way to not only do business, but find friends and like-minded people! By the way... thank you for being a part of mine:) xoxo... Judy

What Can A Free Jaw Do? Artist Video Examples

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:09:00 +0000

To get the best tone, control and vocal freedom, the jaw tightness needs to be conquered and the jaw loosed. You don't have to go overboard, just loosen your jaw so that it can move all around in a slight chewing motion and open wide easily at the back of the molars with no tension clamping it together. Doing this helps you keeping the river of sound flowing and not pinched. Pinch-- and you lose vocal control and tone; it's that simple.

To illustrate what I'm talking about, take a look at the following artists' video performances. This works in any contemporary genre, whether you're a rock, country, r&b, gospel, jazz singer... whatever. Free the jaw and free the voice.

Jennifer Nettles singing "Baby Girl"

Whitney Houston singing "One Of Those Days"

Andrea Bocelli singing "Melodramma"

Jason Mraz singing "I'm Yours"

Faith Hill singing "When The Lights Go Down"

Bono singing "Vertigo"

Christina Aguilera singing "Hurt"

...and here's one where you can't see her, because she passed away years ago without a video... but you can HEAR her loose jaw allow this incredible vocal performance on the Sting classic...

Eva Cassidy singing "Fields Of Gold"

Now...There are "boucou's" of examples of the loose jaw at work in great singers' voices. I didn't look too long, so I know you must have other examples. Please chime in and add to the list.
Thanks!

Singing From The Soul

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:47:00 +0000

There is a subtle psychological shift you can make to take your next performance out of the ordinary and make it leave a memory in your listener's heart. I call it "singing from the soul" instead of just from the head. Let me use an old familiar tune to illustrate.

How many times have you sung "Amazing Grace"? When is the last time you ever thought about what the lyrics mean? It's usually played at a swift clip, sung with about as much emotion as "Row Row Row Your Boat" and if the lyrics aren't being read, the words come out as mixed up as most people's un-memorized version of "The Star Spangled Banner".

But one event forever etched the song into my soul's memory, and I no longer can sing or listen to this song without emotion. Picture a woman's prison gymnasium, with an old funky piano somehow situated in a lost corner. This is where it happened.

I used to volunteer at Tennessee Prison for Women for a program called "Better Decisions" . After going through our own training, we each met with one woman prisoner partner for 8 weeks, teaching her a process of making wise decisions which would help her create the life she really wanted rather than the life that ended her up in such a place. Many times we were the only visitors these women usually had, and you can imagine, relationships of trust and friendship were quickly formed. Then we had to completely disconnect, for their own good, as part of empowering them to find answers themselves.

After the 8 weeks, we held a ceremonial "graduation party" for them. At one of them, an impromptu request to sing something before we all had to say goodbye moved me to sit at that old piano and play Amazing Grace. They all took each other's hands... prisoners and volunteers, and while tears rolled, a version was created of "Amazing Grace" that I will never ever forget. And after many years, I ran into one of my fellow volunteers out of nowhere...and she remembered it deeply, too.

Sing every song you perform... from your soul. And if you choose to do this, a warning: Check your own song list. Don't sing anything you CAN'T sing from your soul. There's nothing worse to listen to than fake soul singing.

Singing While Seated: 5 Things You Need To Do

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:31:00 +0000

Got a great question in this morning about singing while you are seated. This is the reality when doing certain singer/songwriter rounds, parts of performances where for looks you want to change from standing to sitting for a song, or when you are physically incapacitated from back, leg or other pain and can't stand without it hurting you, and when your recording equipment configuration requires sitting. Yes, you can do this... but if you want to sing with good breath support and control, and also keep your throat open, you need to do the following:

1. Don't slump in your chair.
Sit on the front edge of the seat with one foot more forward to balance you securely as you sit tall. When you "go" for something, press your rump into the seat, and your forward foot into the ground. This should allow your spine to stretch freely and flexibly.

2. Make sure your upper back stays stretched and flexible.
Don't let the curve of your spine slump, and don't freeze in place, either.

3.. Be sure your head is balanced over your tailbone, chin down and floating.
It's "smooch de morte" (kiss of death) if you let your face drift forward while singing. If you do move forward, do it from your hips, not your shoulders.

4. Use your eyes.
"Talk" with your face just as expressively as you would standing.

5. Use your hands.
"Talk" with your hands. If you are holding a mic, make sure you do that correctly. (Another post soon about that.) Those of you who read this blog or are my "Power, Path & Performance" vocal students know that I caution against letting arms become "rib anchors".

Try these things and let me know how you do... your comments always welcome!

Singing High Notes: 3 Quick Fixes To Make Them Easy

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:30:00 +0000

Straining and squeaking on high notes is a common malady for singers. Here are a couple of tips to rescue you from high note frustration. They not only can make your high notes doable... but also sound better:

1. Stand tall with flexible upper spine
...instead of crunched, shoulders up, neck tight, upper spine stiff.
This will help you control your breath instead of pound it against your cords.

2. Move your head slightly back, chin level.
...This will open your throat channel.

3. Drop and move your jaw.
...Try a slight chewing motion as you hit and hold the note.
This can cause a huge difference because it allows the soft palate to lift.

Squeaking is for mouses. (Mice?) Let me know how this works for you.

11 Things You Don't Think Your Voice Can Do (It Can!)

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 04:45:00 +0000

I have the most wonderful job. I get to hear miracles take place with people's voices. These breakthroughs happen because of the team of teacher and student. It takes both, as any good teacher knows. Just this week a happy Power, Path & Performance vocal student told me she wished everyone knew what was possible. So I told her I'd do a blogpost on it.

Here are 13 of the many surprising things your voice could do:

1. You can learn to sing without vocal strain. This blows some people away to realize.

2. You can learn to sing on pitch. Most of the time it's not even your ear that's the problem, but if it is, it's amazing what a little pitch practice can do.

3. You have more vocal range than you imagine. You can sing higher in chest voice, without strain, when you learn to use mixed or middle voice to do it. You can also sing lower than you think. You enable low notes just like you do high notes... by stretching, not crunching.

4. Your voice is capable of richer, more interesting tone than you think is natural to you. You find your full resonance by learning to open your 'voice cave' so that the vibrations from your larynx can reach all your resonators.

5. You can learn new vocal licks, and learn to use them appropriately to reach the heart of your audience instead of sounding fake. There are tricks good vocal teachers know to help you.

6. Even if you have breathing issues, you can have enough breath to sing. It doesn't take much when you do it right.You can sing long notes without running out of breath. The answer is to balance breath support and control.

7. Your voice can get better with age. As long as your physical health is good, you can find even more resonance and ability, not less, as you get older.

8. You can learn to sing in the studio with the magic you get in live performance. You can also learn to sing live as well as you record, if you are a veteran session singer. Performance coaches can do wonders!

9. You have all the voice you need to deliver a message in any style except classical, if you just know how to "play your instrument". (Don't you know a singer whose technique is lacking but whose voice moves you?)

10. You can sing "ee" and "oo" vowels (and all other ones, too) on high pitches without getting tight. You learn to modify the vowels more openly and vertically and no more squeaky highs!

10. You can get a handle on numbness and stage anxiety when you learn the psychological and body language secrets of making your performance about your audience, not you.

11. You can learn to speak more effectively...without vocal fatigue or strain. The lack of strain in the speaking voice can be life-changing for public speakers and teachers, but benefits your singing voice as well.

12. You can mend frustrating vocal breaks. I used to have the worst "break" I'd ever heard of. I conquered it and now I know how to help others do the same.

13. You can afford to train your voice. Even one Power, Path and Performance vocal lesson can help you. You can get PPP training materials online and have a vocal lesson every day if you want!

So... I'd like to hear from you. What do you think your voice can't do?

Pop Style Trick: Suspend Vocal Technique Momentarily

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:00:00 +0000

Some of the most amazing AND emotionally powerful contemporary vocalists out there have something in their bag of tricks you'd never guess could come from a trained singer. This pro trick is an illusion... the singer temporarily suspends and deliberately drops "vocal technique" out of their performance, giving the sense of quite casual and intimate conversation.

Like most illusions and abstract art, this trick can be poorly or expertly performed. And also like an magician or painter, the real genius is in the mastery of their control... in this case, vocal control. Again: It takes great vocal control to suspend support with complete control of how much and when... and when to bring support and power back in.

Check out this example of de-constructing technique from Cassandra Kubinski, an artist I consider an expert in the technique. Notice that you can still understand her even when she "unsupports".
Here's another video, this time a co-write with me. singing "Still Breathing".

This is a great way to deliver lyrics with authentic emotion, and not just "sing". I consider it an important skill to master for many contemporary styles of singing.

What about you... do you do this? Do you do it deliberately?

Recording Final Vocals Soon? Read This First

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:15:00 +0000

I just listened to a rock singer who purchased my 6 CD PPP vocal training package. I thought I would pass along the assessment I emailed him to any of you who are going in to the studio soon. I include some links blogposts I've written that you might want to take the time to study... they make great supplimental reading to the training cds:

Your posture is “off”, at least for recording. Here are some blogposts I’ve done that can get you thinking: Why Studio Singing Is Hard For Guitar Players ;Getting Live Performance Magic In Recording Studio

You don’t have enough breath support or breath control for your voice. The tension in your head may come from tight muscles at the occipital bone/ neck/ shoulders. Pay attention to your PPP training there. Here’s some blogposts to supplement your cds Breathing For Voice: Counterintuitive Tips , Breath For Long Notes , 3 Parts To Singing Breath

Your jaw is tight, tightening your soft palate. Listen to what I say about your jaw. Here’s a blogpost on it, too Tight Tongue: What It Can To To Voice You are needing more vocal control. More supplementary blogposts Vocal Control For Studio Singing ; Pitch Problems In Recording Studio

You need to know how to put your thinking in the booth in perspective, so here’s one more: Keep Critic Out Of Vocal Booth

These and other "All Things Vocal" blogposts will get you thinking, then Power, Path and Performance vocal training cds should spell it out and give you specific exercises to help. I would also recommend at least one phone lesson with me before you go into final vocals. If you want to schedule one, let me know. My fees at present are $100 an hour for the first lesson, $75 for subsequent ones.

Something else you might consider is my vocal production services. Check them out on my Judy Rodman Productions website.

Stay warm in this icy weather and watch the roads... remember, if in doubt, don't go out!

Musicians and Lizard Brains: Why We Get Stuck

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:55:00 +0000

I just read an eye-opening post from Seth Godin explaining how the amygdala, a prehistoric lump of brain tissue near the brain stem which he labels "lizard brain", may be responsible for our irrational behaviour. (Talk about a disclaimer..."My lizard brain made me do it!")

Seth says it is responsible for fear, rage and reproductive drive. Its predominant fear factor hates change and forward movement and the unknown... all essentials for creating unique, moving and courageous new music and getting a music career going. It wants to be safe, to fit in, to sabotage and stifle the urge to make any brave moves.

Lizard brain in control:

You swear you want to have a music career. But instead of studying materials on music business, marketing and promotion you whine about the fact that you don't have a buying audience big enough to recoup your expenses.

You say you are committed to growing your music skills. But instead of practicing or taking lessons on guitar/piano, stage work, voice or film scoring, you buy a new pair of boots, roller blades or a lobster dinner and when you get home from the dinner/movie/shopping/rollerblading, you're too tired to practice anyway.

You intend to write songs that will rock the world. But instead of scheduling some private time with your keys/guitar, thoughts, pencil and pad, you surf the internet (ouch that hurt!) or watch the 4th re-run of NCIS (that REALLY hurt!!)

We need to follow Seth's advice. The lizard brain will accompany us in our time on earth, but we can tell it to be quiet, we are listening to something else right now. My adage is "act as if, and ye shall be". I also like Yoda's "...there is no try. Only do."

btw...One finger's pointing at you, four are pointing back at me:)

Why Singing On Mic is Hard For Opera Singers

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:17:00 +0000

I just got a great question about classically trained singers having trouble using mics.

I am a classical/operatic soprano who is starting to do live radio and studio work. I also play guitar to accompany myself on some original songs. My vocals are fabulous when I'm at home practicing, but when I find myself in front of a mic, holding a mic, or singing and playing guitar at the same time in the studio, my vocals suffer. Is it just nerves? Does it just take some getting used to? After all the years I've studied how to project without amplification, how do I become a great recording artist? - Maria Kate Fleming

This will be a longer post, folks. To answer this question, you need three things:

A psychological paradigm shift ... focusing on a different vocal goal.
More speech-like articulation ... of consonants and vowels
Use of your hands ... to help with breath control.

1. Make the psychological paradigm shift:

As good actors know, there is a huge difference between acting for the theater stage and acting for the camera. Theater stage acoustics require a lot more volume in the natural voice and bigger body language gestures to communicate to the people in the chairs. If you tried to do that for the camera, it would look absurdly over-done. A slight lift of one eyebrow, difficult to see from the theater audience, communicates reams of information to the camera. Subtlety creates a sense of realism for the camera, like an intimate portrait of emotion. Try that in the theater and your performance will fall short.. literally.

Classical singing demands theatrical voice. Usually not electronically amplified, the voice must learn to resonate it's own natural amplification surfaces loudly and richly enough to be heard well and to emotionally move the audience. This kind of singing actually causes tissue adaptations- for instance in veteran opera singers, a thickened ridge of tissue develops in the suture line in back of the front teeth. When a singer who has learned to do this well suddenly finds themselves in front of a mic, there must be a shift in thought to back off the volume and resonance and create the appropriate vocal sound and articulation.

Your voice has to accomplish a different goal when using a mic than when performing unamplified to a hall. All it has to do is talk into someone's face or ear, not across a room. The mic will pick this conversational voice up and along with other recording electronics will "color" the tone with reverb, eq and level equalization. Important: Even in heavy metal rock, the scream volume should be a result of amplified tone so as not to strain the voice, because the resonating cave and tissues of the open throat will not be as expanded in the same places and "trained" to resonate as the classical voice. The throat should not feel the effort.

2. You must articulate more like you talk.

The soft palate lifts a little differently for speaking vowels and you don't hold vowels so open so long; instead they should flow from and into the consonants more naturally. Your paradigm mind-shift goal of conversing should help you do this... you wouldn't articulate when talking to someone like you would if you were singing an aria!

Try holding a pad of paper in front of your face to check your articulation. How do you sound to yourself? Do you believe you?

3. Use your hands to help control your voice:

When you sing (well) classically, notice what is happening in your hands. Sometimes you will lift your hands or clasp them formally in front of your lower ribcage. Even with hands to your sides, if you're singing well, your hands and arms have an energy in them that will take their weight off your ribcage... and when you raise your hands, notice what you do with them that causes your ribcage to expand. Your hands can help you control your breath and balance your head tall upon your spine to ensure an open throat.

Now, when holding a mic, translate what you do with your hands to control your classical voice by learning to hold and use the weight of your live mic appropriately. Don't hold it limply in your hand, and don't crush your arms to your sides. You must control your volume to use a voice that is more like speaking than what you think of as singing.

In the studio... use your hands in front of your ribcage as you would singing classically. Don't hang them limply at your sides. Control is king - and queen! I have a technique I use which I call "studio hands". Put your fingertips together and press them into each other in such a way as to open your ribcage. Also, stand with your feet close to the mic so your head can't move forward without hitting the mic.

Finding yourself with more control will give you more confidence, so that you can stop "thinking" and commit to delivery that will elicit an emotional response.

Comments anyone? Go here for Power, Path & Performance vocal training products, here for lessons

The confusion of differing vocal training methods

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0000

I've had a lot of queries about my vocal lessons which start with the question "what method of vocal training do you use?" A fair enough question, but more complicated to answer than you might think.

I teach my trademarked method "Power, Path & Performance". It is a three-pronged approach to training voices that I have developed revolving around breath, open throat and authentic communication of message. I find that when I can help a vocalist maximize their abilities in these three areas, they have all the voice they could ever need, and it almost always surprises them how much voice this is. These three areas are synergistic, meaning if something is wrong in one area, it will affect the other two as well. Thus, if you have a tight throat you are not able to focus on communication and you will have tight breath as well. If you have not taken enough breath you will tighten your ribcage which pushes the vocal cords and the throat tightens against the pressure... well, I think you get the idea. The opposite is also true-- get something right in one area and other areas will benefit.

The teaching points that separate my method from others are: my focus on this synergistic action, and that my emphasis on how authentically you deliver the message ("Performance") is equal to my focus on how you breathe and how open your throat is.

Now, there are all kinds of different issues vocalists bring to these three areas of vocal technique. There are also all kinds of ways to correct the problems, strengthen and coordinate the muscles and relax the counter-productive tension that frees the voice. Here is where the "art" of vocal training comes in. I have to ask myself what this particular student needs help with, and how best can I facilitate that help.

Most of my training ideas come from my years of observation of my own and others' voices and what makes them stronger, safer and more effective in practical application. However, I use concepts from any training method that works. I've studied all kinds of methods and teachers, and have pulled vocal secrets from everything I study. I'm still studying and intend to for the rest of my life. It is my belief that this is true of all other intuitive, responsible and effective vocal coaches.

The teachers whose products I have in my vocal training library include such diverse practitioners as Van Christy, Jeffrey Allen, Jamie Vendera, Billy Purnell, Anne Peckham, Melissa Cross, Jeannie Deva, Robert Lunte, Lisa Popeil, Joanna Casden, Dena Murray, Seth Riggs. The latest discipline I've been fascinated to discover is the body work of Feldenkrais Method and the Alexander Technique. My hat's off to AT practitioner Ethan Kind, with whom I've double-teamed some students. I learned so much from this master.

There are all kinds of methods of training voices. Here's the truth: If there is a singer (or speaker) giving a great vocal performance to a room full of vocal coaches, each coach better see his or her training method in that performance. It's that simple... vocal training must work in practical application, or it's useless!!

Here's my two-part challenge to encourage sharing vocal knowledge:

Do you have a particular teacher, vocal training method or vocal training product (book, cd, dvd) that you would recommend for study?
Do you know (or are you) a teacher whom you believe could benefit from studying "Power, Path & Performance" vocal training?

What A Tight Tongue Can Do To Your Singing

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:57:00 +0000

Your tongue is connected to more than you think. Use it the wrong way and it can cause trouble.
That sounds like something your mother would tell you, doesn't it:) Well, here's how speaking or singing with a tight tongue can affect your voice:

A tightness in the root or base of the tongue will cause or accompany a tightness in the jaw which will tighten and stiffen the soft palate, preventing the lifted palate necessary for an open throat. This will cause all kinds of vocal problems.
A tight tongue grabs the hyoid bone and lifts the larynx. This will cause thin, choked sound, limited vocal range and vocal strain.
Dr. Lance Robbins, DC, CPT, suggests we also check the digastric muscles. This set of muscles runs along the sides of the bottom of the jaw. Tension or spasm in either muscle can interfere with flexibility in the tongue, leading to the tight tongue we do not want.

So can we solve the tight tongue problem?

Certain jaw exercises and tongue stretching can help relax these muscles, as well as manipulations by an intuitive chiropractor.
Put two fingers up under the jaw and check for a bulking, tight tongue base. Try talking or singing again, holding those two fingers against the tongue and willing it to relax.
Articulate, or form words, with the tip and front sides of the tongue at the front of your mouth instead of back in your jaw. A deaf person should be able to read your lips for the lyrics.

Your comments and feedback are always most welcome. If you are a student of Power, Path & Performance, focus on the exercises for tongue and jaw flexibility.

Why Studio Singing Is Hard For Guitar Players

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Singing at a studio mic can be frustrating for guitar players. I will illustrate with a true story:

When I first moved to Nashville many years ago, I was singing backgrounds in a "simul-session". These sessions were where the musicians, background vocalists and lead singers recorded together at the same time. Like live TV- if you flubbed it was extremely obvious to everyone!

Anyway, this session was for none other than Johnny Cash. As we prepared to record, I remember that I watched a studio tech take the strings off his guitar and give it to him to hold while he was singing. His wise producer had noticed he sang better when attached to his guitar! At the time I wondered what that was all about; now I understand.

When a singer is accustomed to performing well with something in the hands (be it guitar, piano or just mic), there is a subtle balance adjustment in the body memorized by the muscles. When you take the instrument or mic out of the hands for studio singing, the singer usually drops hands to their sides. Big mistake, because the lifeless arms and hands usually become "rib anchors", crushing in the ribcage and interfering with breath control.

You don't want to mess with your breath control. All kinds of odd things start happening -- to sum it up, you just don't feel comfortable singing, and you can hear that in playback. Your pitch, tone, stamina and style "lics" suffer. You become nervous, lose confidence, assume a more guarded posture and everything gets worse.

It's important to get this terrible chain of events going the other way. Learn to use your hands and arms in ways that mimic the playing of your instrument. I recommend putting your fingertips together to cause the ribcage to stay wide. If you need to put a dummy mic in your hand to synthesize the feeling, do it! Get help from a coach who can show you how to do these things BEFORE you go into the studio.

Singing for Johnny Cash was truly an honor. I'm glad I moved to Nashville early enough to get in on this and all the other great historic sessions. I learned so much from my mentors and teachers, and I'm happy to pass it on. My thanks to Hurshel Wiginton of the legendary background vocal group the Nashville Edition for hiring me.

Do you have any instances of having to sing without your usual gear? How did you do?

The #1 Vocal Mistake Made By Musicians In Live Performance

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:17:00 +0000

First of all, Happy New Year everyone!... I hope your Dec 31st gigs rocked and everyone is home safe and ready for a beautiful new year! Now onto my first post of 2010:

Performers come up in my list of favorites based on one thing: Do they get my emotional attention?

There is a reason that Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne and John Mayer don't move me in live performance like Bono, Sting and Mat Kearney do. The difference is surely NOT in brilliant, creative musicianship.. all six are full of that. It's not in the magic of their edited recorded vocal performances we hear on the radio in which we understand almost every word. The difference is that Sting, Bono and Kearney deliver -and Dylan, Browne and Mayer DO NOT deliver- their lyrics in live shows. This frankly irritates me... they almost give me this incredible song, but stop short and it's like when the satellite goes haywire right at the payoff at the end of a movie!

Here's the deal... the #1 vocal mistake I hear great musicians make: using MUDDY ARTICULATION. It's not enough to mumble cool "sounds" instead of forming messages. This can be career-snuffing for those trying to break out, and for those who are enjoying radio success it results in under-delivering disappointment for their concert ticket-buying fans.

Consider this: In live performance, there are three ways we impact our audiences:

Visually,
Musically and
Lyrically.

It is a testimony to the power in Dylan, Browne and Mayer's live music shows that two out of three ain't bad. But just imagine... just imagine if you could have all three! Lyrics matter. Don't make empty promises of a great live music experience and then fail to deliver it all. Whether you're a stadium star or a songwriter at open mic...Talk to me and tell me something good. (that is, unless your lyrics really do suck.)

Wanna hear the difference?
Watch me demonstrate for you here in my first YouTube video vocal lesson!
Thoughts anyone?

Instant singer's gift idea...for last minute shoppers

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:20:00 +0000

Hey guys and girls... I just finished up my Christmas shopping last night. It took forever for a couple of people because I really wanted to get them something unique and that would enrich their lives somehow. So this morning I'm going to remind you in a shameless way that I have a very affordable product that your singer would love. The cool thing is that you can order it in your pajamas, and get it instantly.

What I'm talking about is the download version of my condensed Power, Path & Performance vocal lessons. This fully-packed 1-cd contains:

A vocal assessment process... how to determine personal strengths and weaknesses.
The basics of Power, Path & Performance method.
A great vocal exercise routine.

Not bad for $19.99 (An hour with me would be $100)... You can instantly download it, then burn it to your blank cd, and voila... a gift that will keep on giving.

Get this vocal training cd here.

The other instantly available product I have is a certificate for one or more hours of vocal lessons with me. If you're interested in this, let me know by emailing me, calling 615-347-5195 or clicking the comments below.

From my house to yours:
May your Christmas and holiday season be full of peace, joy, love and music!

Is Your Voice Too Breathy? Here's a simple test (very simple)

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Rodman) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:34:00 +0000

I have noticed something in many of my students who are overcoming breathiness that I'd like to pass on to you. If you are practicing correctly to eliminate this voice-stealing and possibly damaging habit (speaking or singing too breathy), you will notice this:

Your throat will be much less dry so you will find yourself needing to drink much less water during speaking or singing performances.

This is because you are not dehydrating your vocal cords with too much air passing between them. Simple enough test! Drink lots of water between... not so much during... performances!