F.A.Q
Aren't voice lessons like pulling teeth? Every lesson I've had was a miserable experience where I was criticized for every little "wrong" thing I did.
You are so right. Unfortunately, most
voice teachers are still training their students to look and sound like
classical singers, using techniques that have nothing to do with
developing a contemporary sound. That's why students who don't
enjoy older styles of music often find voice lessons frustrating and
fruitless. Brett Manning will never stifle your unique sound and
style. In fact, the Singing Success Program provides tools and
techniques that will allow you to sing with more style. Besides, who wants to listen
to someone who sounds like every other "proper" singer?
Can I improve my tone quality?
Tone quality improves when the correct
musculature is engaged in the singing process. Feel underneath your
chin with your forefinger and slide it inwards to the point where your
neck meets the muscles under your chin. Now swallow. Notice
how your larynx (Adam's apple) raises up and the muscles under your
chin tighten up as you swallow? These muscles that are engaged in
the swallowing process are opposed to those engaged in the singing
process. The use of these muscles while singing creates a myriad
of problems that can take years to correct if left unchecked. For
good tone quality, you must learn to sing without the outer muscles of
the larynx. Doing so will set free your natural voice,
drastically improving tone quality and ease of use. Naturally,
the Singing Success Program
contains techniques that will help you do this.
Is it really possible to teach style?
Until now, there really has not been a
comprehensive system of teaching vocal style. There have been
scales played to reflect certain genres, such as the Blues Scale, but
that's really not enough. Brett Manning worked with hundreds of
brilliant vocal stylists to co-develop training techniques based on
their various skills. Using these techniques you can develop
style skills so prolific that you'll be able to reinterpret any song
you wish into a unique masterpiece. Think of it this way: As a
singer, you are the artist and the final "painting" is up to you.
Brett Manning's style training just gives you more colors to work with.
Other Questions:
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Q: How
do I get my voice to warm-up quickly?
Advanced
Techniques (click here)
A: Warm-up time varies from singer to singer and depends on four factors:
If you have thick cords, you have a stronger, fuller sounding voice (James Ingram/Elvis Presley). Thinner cords will producer a lighter, thinner tone (Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney). Think of the voice as a train. The bigger the train, the longer it takes to get moving. Keep this in mind while warming up. Warming up should be incremental and never forced. Find your vocal co-ordinations through the right exercises and then slowly build volume, speed and range. Too high, too loud, too soon is a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately, most singers don't know the recipe for vocal health and longevity. This is why so many singers lose their voices. I work with hundreds of singers every year who have never properly warmed up their voices. Veisal dilation is another important factor in warming up. Without adequate blood flow to the musculature, the cords have great difficulty warming up. Things that affect veisal dilation are fatigue, poor circulation and lack of exercise. Sometimes these are simply genetic and you deal with it by being diligent and patient with your vocal study and your warm-up time. Other times it's just laziness, lack of discipline or a bad diet. Allergies can also affect your warm-up time because circulation and health are inhibited. Seek either a medical or natural (diet, herbs and vitamins) route to dealing with your allergies. I have found great relief taking 'Prime Again' and 'Conco' to nourish my body in a way that deals with these weaknesses. Both are available in our vocal health store. |
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Q:
I'm working on my
R&B/gospel styling, but my trills are slow and sloppy. Is
there anything I can do to speed up my trills?
A: The first thing we need to do is understand what trills are (also called licks, runs and turns). A trill is a scale sung dynamically with crisp delineation, fast vibrato and a clean attack or onset. In other words, going from one note to another without slurring or sliding, because slurring notes together gives the impression of poor vocal control. On the other hand, you don't want to add an 'H' sound, a staccato or glottal stroke (clucking noise) to your vocal line to achieve separation between notes. This will create an artificial and artistically unpleasant sound. So how is note delineation organically achieved? First, start on an F below middle C for the men or F above middle C for the women. Now sing up to a G and then back down. Learn to go back and forth as rapidly as possible without sliding or losing note distinction until you feel a 'bounce' between notes. Use a metronome and start at sixty beats per minute and speed up one or two bpm at a time while singing eighth notes. Speed up only as fast as you can while remaining clean in your note delineation. If you can get to 200 bpm, then you're up to speed with Mariah Carey and Brian McKnight. Now you just have to learn to put together longer patterns of notes within the scales used for the style you are singing in. These scales are cataloged in the Singing Success Program. It's important to understand that learning is incremental with this. If you only speed up one beat a day, which is so gradual that it can hardly be felt, then in less than four months, you can be at 200 bpm. |
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A: No. Falsetto is the lightest vocal production made by the human voice. It is limited in strength, dynamics and tonal variation. Usually, there is a considerable 'jump,' 'break' or 'disconnect' between your chest (speaking) voice and your falsetto. Noted vocal coach and voice therapist Randy Buescher of Chicago defines falsetto as:
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A: If you are hungry, eat. Don't stuff yourself with a 7-course meal. Just eat until you are satisfied. Always eat at least an hour before your performance to avoid what singers call a "gunky" throat. You will have the strongest temptation to clear your throat (which can be harmful) immediately after eating, but waiting an hour is usually enough time for your meal to settle. But be careful what you eat! Avoid dairy products right before singing. |
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Q: I lose
my voice when I sing live. I guess I'm pushing harder than when I
practice. What should I do about this?
A: The first thing that I usually ask a singer is "how well do you hear yourself in the monitors?" Often, they are not hearing themselves sing on stage, so they figure that the audience can't hear them sing and push their voice harder than what is natural. The result is that the tone becomes dull or strident and often intonation problems occur. Talk to your sound man and make sure that you have enough of your voice in the monitors. If you've got the funds, invest in a headset microphone. |
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A: Moisture and time zones are two very important keys. For me, the worst is flying from Nashville to the dry air of Phoenix and trying to sing the same day I arrive. I need at least twenty-four hours to adjust. Eventually, your body will become more adept to rapid changes in climate, but in the beginning of your career I wouldn't recommend booking yourself in Maine on Monday, Tulsa on Tuesday, and then Orlando on Thursday. This would be vocal suicide. The more extreme the climate change the more taxing to the body. You are a human instrument with good days and bad days. The longer you travel, the quicker your body should adjust to travel and change of climate. In the mean time, get plenty of fluids (about twice as much as you probably think you need) and some Entertainer's Secret. |