I like EE to begin a warm up because it acts a little like a hum in aiding air management. You're right in that many will incorporate too much muscle when producing this vowel - so it's good to begin here and then move on to other vowels.
Amazingly concise and simple! Thank you SO much mark! This is bringing such joy back, after brain cancer and a stroke 8/2011 .... having my voice come back with even more awareness, power, and control is a blessed gift!! I am the song....
Singing requires some muscular strength (from skeletal muscle) but it is not exclusively based on muscle output. Vocal endurance is more the result of strong neurological connections creating a super efficient motor program. Those singers singing those killer high notes for hours are expending much less energy then you are right now to sing. So yes - practicing for 2 hours a day with a focus on reducing effort will speed up the process of creating a lean, mean singing machine!
I can sing killer high notes and also middle notes all day and feel no pain, but low notes are physically exhausting (sore diaphragm) . I have only only recently discovered I have very low notes.
Mark...what canI say except 'THANK YOU SO MUCH"! Not only for your videos, but also for the personal attention to all your "students" here. You are the man, and I plan on letting all my fellow singers know about you. You have restored my confidence that I can overcome my problems and be the singer want/need to be. Awesome!!
My first suggestion is to slooooow down. You don't have to tell your folds to close - you have to ask for a clear sound. If you work very slowly through those higher pitches with the express focus of producing a clear sound you'll find your voice will behave just as you asked. The other exercises I recommend are titled, "Singer's Vocal Workout" and "Advanced Vocal Frye Exercise."
Hey Mark! I found your channel due to a vocal injury and I am so glad I did. Your tips and exercises have been helpful for my recovery and I enjoy your sense of humor too. I subscribed and plan to continue to use the videos to maintain my vocal health. Thank you so much!
Done....my voice is deep today....sudden humid stormy weather popped in this afternoon...it was a fun little warmup though.... You know...I am incorporating little warmups touches into my nightly guitar strumming practice....just light humming but it works and develops its own resonance in rhythm...
Damn! You are my personal gift of the heavens! thanks to your psychological advise I finally start to build a relation to my own voice so i make huge success in singing! you can`t imagine how thankful i am right now. In my opinion you are the best Teacher out there. Please, keep it up! All credits to you!
Thank you so much for this really great exercise Mark! It really helped me to deal and to go through my passaggio without fear! Thanks again you are great!
Thanks again Mark you are my saviour and my lucky charm. Good things entail every time I watch a video of yours and do your exercises. By the way, I can hit the high D now and I owe it all to you!
Hey Mark - yes to both questions! The tiredness is due to muscles working way harder than they need to (incorrect) and a mindset to feel much less (weightless and slippery) when vocalizing will lead to better much better vocal habits. It took a long time to acquire your current habits - so be patient with laying down a new foundation. Every moment spent asking for less effort is a step in the right direction.
Hey Mark! Great video lesson. I thank you for the lessons I had quite awhile ago. You helped me sing properly and I was able to sing multiple gigs for quite some time. I still have the recordings from lessons in Boston and cds in Points of Pines of vocal warm-ups and exercises that I use. I lost my voice a year ago I dont why still workin on getting back. Tx again!
Hey Bob - Glad your voice voice held up during those gigs back then. Could it be that you've lost it because you're not gigging anymore? (meaning - you stop doing those exercises?)
Music makes my whole body move. I even started drumming with my hands and feet during this lol. Trying to remain as relaxed and still as possible is a huge challenge... makes me feel like zombie : (
1337JohnnyG Don't feel bad - the highest form of movement is to be still without locking up. It takes a lot of skill to be so independent so keep your body moving for now.
I'm amazed how faulty my perceptions are when it comes to "even volume" - I think I can manage a pretty even volume but when I do the exercises with headphones & a decibel measuring app I see that I'm all over the place. I have been practicing this for months now and it gets better very slowly. But I can feel the benefits of vocalizing this way so I'll keep practicing. One of these days muscle memory will kick in (I hope! :) Thanks for your great exercises!
Yes - it's very humbling to monitor your singing so closely. Luckily listeners don't! But the result when working that way is heightened skills that WILL be noticed by you and everyone else.
Hey what about private lessons in Hobart...I know, where's Hobart. Have to say, you are the best bar none, well nothing human anyway. The Australian magpie, now there is where song begins!
Hey Mark, still vocalizing and singing lots daily. About a third thru the 100 day challenge. But using many of your vids to warm up exercise and play. Really trying to focus on stronger head and mixed voice now! This axe man wants to hit G3-A3 strongly without straining lol! Baby steps eh, 25+ yrs of strain + last 4 months of proper technique 😄 🤣 😂
Hi mark; I have a question, when I’m “warming up” sometimes I don’t feel warm/prepared to sing because the obstacles I confront I’m “my song” are not the same targets in my warming up or exercise. How can I make sure I’m warming up correctly, how it’s supposed to feel? Thank you!
It's supposed to feel easy! So be more creative when warming up. Take little phrases from your songs and sing those melodies on single vowels (ee, ah and oo) working up and down your range. You most likely would benefit from being more physical when warming up too. Swing your arms around, roll your shoulders. jog in place - anything to get your body loose and your breathing responsive.
Hi Mark, just finished reading your book R&R singers survival guide...absolutely brilliant and am currently re-reading certain points. It has been most helpful, I am practising everyday but still feel a kind of ache or tiredness around my lower throat area which I assume is down to muscle strain or tension, I have developed a lot of bad habits over the years...will this tiredness eventually resolve the more I practice or am I doing something wrong? Thank you.
I keep thinking each one is amazing...and they are...but this one is soo super helpful!!! wow. thank you!! Mark..do u have any recommendations for what would constitute a good warm up before song opera songs?
At first I thought the e sound would be too closed throat, but I'm thinkin' with practice, maybe not too much, and it gives a certain lift that clears the way for higher pitches.
1. Can we draw some parallels between athletic training and vocal training? Will an hour a day singing increase your endurance and will going to 2 hours every week do even more?(like marathon training). If we know how to back off before injury, will some mild tiredness be good as your voice repairs that night and will be even stronger the next day? And how do professional singers put out all those strong high notes(killers for me) in a 2 hour performance without losing it on stage?
Hi Mark! I do this exercise once a day with some other warm up videos of yours (Short vocal warm up for singing, easy vocal warm up routine, 5 minute vocal warm up, vocal warm up with twist and the absolute best way to vocalize). I sing everything in falsetto. I can hit every note and all but I just want to have more confidence and better skills as i love singing and i want to sing in future. My question is: is this enough to do to be better? For now i just do this exercise I don't sing anything else because first I want to train my voice. And can my voice change a little from this? Cuz i dont really like my voice but im still kid and it will change some day I guess this just can help. I'm sorry if this is too long and thank you! I love this exercises and you are great vocal coach! Have a great day! :)
Hi Angie - What you're doing is a great warm up - but you should sing songs you love also. Your voice will change as you grow so there's no need to wait. Start singing songs soft if you feel unsure - but if things feel fine then let it become louder. Training and singing should go hand in hand all your life!
Hi, Mark thanks for the exercisse. Singing thanks to your tips is much easier for me. My technique is pretty good, still I find my voice gets fatigue after singing more songs in a set & I have to take breaks in between otherwise I go over my vocal budget. I warm up before, rest & sing in the evening, do vocal exercisses & have days when I rest. Is there anything I could do to extend my vocal stamina ?
Using less muscle is what increases vocal stamina. That should be your goal when vocalizing. Lay on your back and practice your songs. Wear an ear plug when performing. But most importantly, your thinking need to change. There is no clock in your voice that's counting the minutes you sing. The only thing that matters is the line between use and abuse.
Hello Mark, Love all the work/passion and wisdom you share with us for free! I'm a Top 40's cover band singer who tour's over seas in various hotels. Being that I sing 4- 45 minute sets 6 nights a week with my band, my voice takes a pounding. I find when I try to warm, it is virtual impossible to do it a low level without pushing. I feel my mix is very airy and there's no vocal closure. My chest and whistle voice are their but that's not very efficient if I cannot bridge them all together. I'm stumped as to what to do, I know I should rest my voice a bit, but that's not possible. I've ale been watching all of your videos and they are helping a lot, but I still have this issue. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Cheers from Malaysia, -Ramsey
I was in your shoes for many years Ramsey! Your vocal folds are swollen - that's why they're not closing. More force is not the answer. Sounding terrible is! That means allow your voice to crack and wobble and blank out rather than add force to get things vibrating. The force just re-irritates the swelling - but allowing your voice to flounder as you attempt to produce a low volume vibration encourages your folds to thin down. Sounding bad won't hurt a thing but your ego. You're a pro - so you know what to do if you really need a note to work. The problem is that's how you got into your current situation. From a low volume frye to an intermittent mix note you should spend all your warm up time asking for the folds to thin. Even if they don't - you'll be in better shape then if you just rested before the next gig. Resting takes two weeks to reset the voice. You're going to have to be more pro-active.
Voice Lesson.com Mark, thank you for your kind and seedy reply! I will focus more on thinning by applying more vocal fry and less pressure. The only time i can ever get 2+ weeks off my voice is in between gigs (and sometimes we go straight to other gigs). When you say become more pro-active, is that in regards to the exercises and backing off the pushing? Once again, thank you very much for you time!
Hi Mark, your videos are my bible right now. i love that you exist. i have a strange question to ask that i can't seem to find an answer to any where i go and thought id give you a try. sometimes when I'm singing ill be in the middle of song or a word and my bodies urge to do a kind of mini burp overtakes the moment and thus gets in the way of the fluidity of the performance. is this poor breathing practice on my behalf? I've tried radically changing my diet too yet the problem still exists. let me know if you have any thoughts, thanks
This is a common issue (along with too much spitting) that comes from over driving the air pressure. You are most likely swallowing a bit of air during your inhales and then compressing your stomach with your abs. The only option for that air in your stomach is up (once it enters your intestines trapped air goes out the back door). I suspect you are inhaling too much and relying on pressure to stabilize your voice rather than coordination.
wow, thank you for your speedy response and for your perspective on this issue. i will have a closer look at what my behaviour is when I'm singing in regards to swallowing on the inhale and abdominal compression and if i notice this happening i will do my best to iron out this bad habit and work on improving coordination. thanks again :)
good day mark... tnx for ur advice, i just want to know how to become a counter tenor... like my my idol russell hitchcock of air supply.. pls give some tips and exercises.. tnx again i hope u will help again regarding on this matter
You can't "become" a counter tenor like Russell just like he can't "become" a bass. But no matter what your range is - you can certainly learn to sing as beautifully as Russell. It's the size of your heart that counts - not the size of your larynx.
Hey Hi. It's rainy season here, and I have this feeling in my voice that everytime I sang I felt my nose a lot but I dont have colds. I just felt I sang uncomfortably. Thanks
Pjiggy I recommend placing your flat palm against your forehead to deny the lift of the eyebrows - rather then "tell" your eyebrows not to move by staring at them in the mirror. If you command the brows not to move you'll create isometric tension - which means the scalp muscles are still active but just not moving. The real goal is to have those muscles become inactive.
Voice Lesson.com wow, that is an awesome answer! I trained my eyebrows not move in the mirror but I wish I got that advice when I was trying to figure that out. It just makes sense! And judging by the condition of my voice, I've done a lot of things incorrectly. I'm pretty positive I have nodules after years of incorrect technique. By the way I watch your videos all the time, love them, Thank you for them.
It's better to sing throughout your range and let the high notes sound bad rather than tighten up. When you're vocalizing the goal is to go for comfort first - then performance.
Hi Mark- unfortunately I can not find the video I want to ask a question about. I'll try to explain. You recommend to sing: He hehehe he...( staccato). without using our body ( abdominal muscles etc) You showed us a picture ( vocal chord?vocal folds?) for your explanation. Do you have any idea what I am talking about? I want to know how this exercise works. For me it is important to know WHY I do this. I really hope you know what I mean. Thanks for your great work!
Here's the video: ua-cam.com/video/zTlikuzSf6c/v-deo.html I explained why in the video - but if after watching it you still have questions - feel free to send me an email with your questions. mbaxter@voicelesson.com
Hi Mark. your channel is awesome!! when I do this excercise the higher note of each repetition sounds very breathy when i hit it. and after that the sound comes out, is that ok?? am i doing something wrong? i'm a begginer so I don't know
It's only OK if you want a breathy sound! Training your voice is simply having an intention in mind for the sound you want and then ask for it over and over until it occurs. As fast as those higher note are happening - there still needs to be a change in the air pressure you're creating. The breathiness just means your driving those notes with more then they require (so the extra vents out). Notice this: the breathy notes that are the highest in the first few repetitions are no longer breathy when they occur in the middle of the melody. So it's not the notes - it's that you're treating the highest point in the melody differently then the middle notes. I call this High Note Syndrome. Watch this: ua-cam.com/video/nSlAJdJksf0/v-deo.html
I am recuperating from thyroid surgery and find my voice to feel strained. Are they any exercises to help this? I am resting my voice and won't be performing till March 17th. The surgery was jan. 27, 2015
What are your thoughts on smoking effects on the voice. Ever known any singers that sound better smoking? Do you think it's best to rest your voice the day before a show or work it out hard, or just do exercises?
UNION DRIFTWOOD I don't recommend either resting or singing hard before shows - 80% of what you'll do on stage is a great prep. Video on smoking coming in the future.
I like EE to begin a warm up because it acts a little like a hum in aiding air management. You're right in that many will incorporate too much muscle when producing this vowel - so it's good to begin here and then move on to other vowels.
Amazingly concise and simple! Thank you SO much mark! This is bringing such joy back, after brain cancer and a stroke 8/2011 .... having my voice come back with even more awareness, power, and control is a blessed gift!! I am the song....
Singing requires some muscular strength (from skeletal muscle) but it is not exclusively based on muscle output. Vocal endurance is more the result of strong neurological connections creating a super efficient motor program. Those singers singing those killer high notes for hours are expending much less energy then you are right now to sing. So yes - practicing for 2 hours a day with a focus on reducing effort will speed up the process of creating a lean, mean singing machine!
I can sing killer high notes and also middle notes all day and feel no pain, but low notes are physically exhausting (sore diaphragm) . I have only only recently discovered I have very low notes.
Thank you Mark ✨🎶🎶
I got only 4 lessons with Mark Baxter and my voice improved dramatically. He is the REAL deal.
You are saving my voice one video at a time. Thank you so much for making those videos.
Joanna Lero That's the plan Joanna!
Even after all these years...I find this helpful
Help never gets old!
Very correct. But I wish to get riffs and runs better
@@ninojoej.o.e3214 ua-cam.com/video/0ZqbviyO_Tk/v-deo.html
Mark...what canI say except 'THANK YOU SO MUCH"! Not only for your videos, but also for the personal attention to all your "students" here. You are the man, and I plan on letting all my fellow singers know about you. You have restored my confidence that I can overcome my problems and be the singer want/need to be. Awesome!!
You're fantastic! Thank you for these exercises.
My first suggestion is to slooooow down. You don't have to tell your folds to close - you have to ask for a clear sound. If you work very slowly through those higher pitches with the express focus of producing a clear sound you'll find your voice will behave just as you asked. The other exercises I recommend are titled, "Singer's Vocal Workout" and "Advanced Vocal Frye Exercise."
Many thanks for your many great videos!
You're welcome! Hope they help.
just stumbled on your channel a few weeks ago. Thank you for all this great content. You have an excellent demeanor for teaching voice!
Glad you stubbled here! Welcome to the channel!
God blessed voice! Jesus with you bro and thanks for so many good and productive videos. Have an excellent and Merry Christmas!
Hey Mark! I found your channel due to a vocal injury and I am so glad I did. Your tips and exercises have been helpful for my recovery and I enjoy your sense of humor too. I subscribed and plan to continue to use the videos to maintain my vocal health. Thank you so much!
Welcome to my channel! I'm glad you're here!
Done....my voice is deep today....sudden humid stormy weather popped in this afternoon...it was a fun little warmup though.... You know...I am incorporating little warmups touches into my nightly guitar strumming practice....just light humming but it works and develops its own resonance in rhythm...
You're overloading the muscles in and around your larynx to get your powerful sound. Don't mistake push for passion. Singing should feel weightless.
Thanks Mark ,part of my Good Friday practice , Happy Easter
Happy Easter!
Thank you, Mark! This is a very effective and helpful warm up. I am warming up with this video and some other videos every day.
Damn! You are my personal gift of the heavens! thanks to your psychological advise I finally start to build a relation to my own voice so i make huge success in singing! you can`t imagine how thankful i am right now. In my opinion you are the best Teacher out there. Please, keep it up! All credits to you!
He is so cute makes it easy to practice with 😁
Seen nothing but great to the point tips and examples so far. Thank you so much!
This is a nice one, great tips ,too. Helps relaxing and let go into the high notes.
Thank you very much!
I've said it before...this Mark is just a great guy to share the amount of info he does online. GOOD INFO not hype and crap!!
Thank you so much for this really great exercise Mark! It really helped me to deal and to go through my passaggio without fear!
Thanks again you are great!
I love your videos! Thanks so much!
Mark- thanx for this great warm-up. You've been an asset to my singing for over 2 decades. Rick S.
Glad to be along for the ride Rick!
Awareness exercise, I LOVE IT !!!!!!
Thank you very much for sharing your gift with the world, YOU ROCK :D
Mark I thing your brilliant..... love all this stuff..... trying to get better vocally.
I literally am going through all of your playlists. You have helped me more than u could possibly know! Thank u so much!
You're very welcome! I'm glad to be a little part of your musical journey!
Thanks Mark! Love this exercise :)
Awesome vid...just did this one : ) Must save in my favourites so I can come back to this daily
Thank you mark this is extremely helpful. ❤️
Thanks again Mark you are my saviour and my lucky charm. Good things entail every time I watch a video of yours and do your exercises. By the way, I can hit the high D now and I owe it all to you!
Great indeed!!! Thank You!
love this exercise!!
That's amazing! So simple, but very effective. Thanks a lot!
You're welcome!
Thank you MR Baxter I warm up to you everyday
Thanks 🙏 for teaching how to sing high note
Welcome to my channel!
Thank you. "Great....Exercise", indeed! I've used this every day for a few years. I also use several of your other exercises routinely.
Glad to help Dave!
Hey Mark - yes to both questions! The tiredness is due to muscles working way harder than they need to (incorrect) and a mindset to feel much less (weightless and slippery) when vocalizing will lead to better much better vocal habits. It took a long time to acquire your current habits - so be patient with laying down a new foundation. Every moment spent asking for less effort is a step in the right direction.
Love this one.
I'm glad it's helping.
this is awesome awesome awesome
Excellent!
great lesson thank you very much!!!!!!!
Love this!
Another brilliantly helpful video :)
You are the best!
Welcome to the channel!
Thanks thanks thanks for your simple but effective excercises!
Welcome to my channel! Glad to help.
You are beautiful, thank you so much ❤️
just did this on the E and it was really useful. thanks
Hey Mark! Great video lesson. I thank you for the lessons I had quite awhile ago. You helped me sing properly and I was able to sing multiple gigs for quite some time. I still have the recordings from lessons in Boston and cds in Points of Pines of vocal warm-ups and exercises that I use. I lost my voice a year ago I dont why
still workin on getting back. Tx again!
Hey Bob - Glad your voice voice held up during those gigs back then. Could it be that you've lost it because you're not gigging anymore? (meaning - you stop doing those exercises?)
I feel better just after the warm up! :)
Thanks a lot...This exercise is really helpful...!
Thank you Mark x
Wow! Great exercise!!!! Thanks
You're welcome!
Really great exercise
Music makes my whole body move. I even started drumming with my hands and feet during this lol. Trying to remain as relaxed and still as possible is a huge challenge... makes me feel like zombie : (
1337JohnnyG Don't feel bad - the highest form of movement is to be still without locking up. It takes a lot of skill to be so independent so keep your body moving for now.
I'm amazed how faulty my perceptions are when it comes to "even volume" - I think I can manage a pretty even volume but when I do the exercises with headphones & a decibel measuring app I see that I'm all over the place. I have been practicing this for months now and it gets better very slowly. But I can feel the benefits of vocalizing this way so I'll keep practicing. One of these days muscle memory will kick in (I hope! :) Thanks for your great exercises!
Yes - it's very humbling to monitor your singing so closely. Luckily listeners don't! But the result when working that way is heightened skills that WILL be noticed by you and everyone else.
I've been following you for years. Thank you!
Um . . . that's called stalking!
LOL....you're amazing we can't help it! Thank you again doc.
Great!
I love this
Thanks - and welcome to my channel!
Hi mark!
Merry Xmas, you are the best teacher in the world and hopefully one day I'll take lessons with you
Happy Holidays to you and hopefully we'll work together some day!
YOURE AMAZINGGGG
thank you so much
I enjoyed this :).
Hey what about private lessons in Hobart...I know, where's Hobart. Have to say, you are the best bar none, well nothing human anyway. The Australian magpie, now there is where song begins!
Glad you like the videos! And I believe the internet even makes it into Hobart - so, yeah, private lessons ARE available in Hobart.
I just used this to practice
Glad to help!
Hey Mark, still vocalizing and singing lots daily. About a third thru the 100 day challenge. But using many of your vids to warm up exercise and play.
Really trying to focus on stronger head and mixed voice now! This axe man wants to hit G3-A3 strongly without straining lol!
Baby steps eh, 25+ yrs of strain + last 4 months of proper technique 😄 🤣 😂
Yup - 4 months vs. 25 years isn't a fair fight - but you'll get there!
PreCiOuS..!!
Wonderful
Very nice Mark :)
sweeeeeet!
Do you have any exercises to engage cord closure on the higher notes? Something to remove the breathy sound? Thanks for your videos!!
👏👏👏
Hi mark; I have a question, when I’m “warming up” sometimes I don’t feel warm/prepared to sing because the obstacles I confront I’m “my song” are not the same targets in my warming up or exercise. How can I make sure I’m warming up correctly, how it’s supposed to feel? Thank you!
It's supposed to feel easy! So be more creative when warming up. Take little phrases from your songs and sing those melodies on single vowels (ee, ah and oo) working up and down your range. You most likely would benefit from being more physical when warming up too. Swing your arms around, roll your shoulders. jog in place - anything to get your body loose and your breathing responsive.
Voice Lesson.com got it, thanks for answering! 😁
Hi Mark, just finished reading your book R&R singers survival guide...absolutely brilliant and am currently re-reading certain points. It has been most helpful, I am practising everyday but still feel a kind of ache or tiredness around my lower throat area which I assume is down to muscle strain or tension, I have developed a lot of bad habits over the years...will this tiredness eventually resolve the more I practice or am I doing something wrong? Thank you.
I keep thinking each one is amazing...and they are...but this one is soo super helpful!!! wow. thank you!! Mark..do u have any recommendations for what would constitute a good warm up before song opera songs?
thanks
I do this everyday😊😀
At first I thought the e sound would be too closed throat, but I'm thinkin' with practice, maybe not too much, and it gives a certain lift that clears the way for higher pitches.
00:05 . Regular learners , please use this as a time stamp for practicing different vowels and volumes again and again ! Have a good vocal day !!!
They can't wait five seconds?
@@voicelessondotcom I'm sorry my guru 😅😅😅
Great warm up! what notes are you playing so that i can do this when i have no internet?
Nadine Gingell It's a major scale with a jump to the octave. 1-2-3-4-5-8-5-8-5-4-3-2-1.
1. Can we draw some parallels between athletic training and vocal training? Will an hour a day singing increase your endurance and will going to 2 hours every week do even more?(like marathon training). If we know how to back off before injury, will some mild tiredness be good as your voice repairs that night and will be even stronger the next day? And how do professional singers put out all those strong high notes(killers for me) in a 2 hour performance without losing it on stage?
I have question. Boys II Men has a really great singing voices. what kind of Voice do they use and how to do it? Thanks
Any suggestions for someone who slams their false vocal folds together when talking rather than using vocal cords?
I second completely what MrBearserker says! Now
Hi Mark! I do this exercise once a day with some other warm up videos of yours (Short vocal warm up for singing, easy vocal warm up routine, 5 minute vocal warm up, vocal warm up with twist and the absolute best way to vocalize). I sing everything in falsetto. I can hit every note and all but I just want to have more confidence and better skills as i love singing and i want to sing in future. My question is: is this enough to do to be better? For now i just do this exercise I don't sing anything else because first I want to train my voice. And can my voice change a little from this? Cuz i dont really like my voice but im still kid and it will change some day I guess this just can help. I'm sorry if this is too long and thank you! I love this exercises and you are great vocal coach! Have a great day! :)
Hi Angie - What you're doing is a great warm up - but you should sing songs you love also. Your voice will change as you grow so there's no need to wait. Start singing songs soft if you feel unsure - but if things feel fine then let it become louder. Training and singing should go hand in hand all your life!
+Voice Lesson.com Thank you so much! I can try some songs from Amy or Aretha Franklin they are great :)
Hi, Mark thanks for the exercisse. Singing thanks to your tips is much easier for me. My technique is pretty good, still I find my voice gets fatigue after singing more songs in a set & I have to take breaks in between otherwise I go over my vocal budget. I warm up before, rest & sing in the evening, do vocal exercisses & have days when I rest. Is there anything I could do to extend my vocal stamina ?
Using less muscle is what increases vocal stamina. That should be your goal when vocalizing. Lay on your back and practice your songs. Wear an ear plug when performing. But most importantly, your thinking need to change. There is no clock in your voice that's counting the minutes you sing. The only thing that matters is the line between use and abuse.
Thanks a lot Mark, I will put your tips into practice.
Hello Mark,
Love all the work/passion and wisdom you share with us for free! I'm a Top 40's cover band singer who tour's over seas in various hotels. Being that I sing 4- 45 minute sets 6 nights a week with my band, my voice takes a pounding. I find when I try to warm, it is virtual impossible to do it a low level without pushing. I feel my mix is very airy and there's no vocal closure. My chest and whistle voice are their but that's not very efficient if I cannot bridge them all together. I'm stumped as to what to do, I know I should rest my voice a bit, but that's not possible. I've ale been watching all of your videos and they are helping a lot, but I still have this issue. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers from Malaysia,
-Ramsey
I was in your shoes for many years Ramsey! Your vocal folds are swollen - that's why they're not closing. More force is not the answer. Sounding terrible is! That means allow your voice to crack and wobble and blank out rather than add force to get things vibrating. The force just re-irritates the swelling - but allowing your voice to flounder as you attempt to produce a low volume vibration encourages your folds to thin down. Sounding bad won't hurt a thing but your ego. You're a pro - so you know what to do if you really need a note to work. The problem is that's how you got into your current situation. From a low volume frye to an intermittent mix note you should spend all your warm up time asking for the folds to thin. Even if they don't - you'll be in better shape then if you just rested before the next gig. Resting takes two weeks to reset the voice. You're going to have to be more pro-active.
Voice Lesson.com Mark, thank you for your kind and seedy reply! I will focus more on thinning by applying more vocal fry and less pressure. The only time i can ever get 2+ weeks off my voice is in between gigs (and sometimes we go straight to other gigs). When you say become more pro-active, is that in regards to the exercises and backing off the pushing? Once again, thank you very much for you time!
THAT WAS FUN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
See you tomorrow Whitney - and we'll do it again!
Hi Mark, your videos are my bible right now. i love that you exist. i have a strange question to ask that i can't seem to find an answer to any where i go and thought id give you a try. sometimes when I'm singing ill be in the middle of song or a word and my bodies urge to do a kind of mini burp overtakes the moment and thus gets in the way of the fluidity of the performance. is this poor breathing practice on my behalf? I've tried radically changing my diet too yet the problem still exists. let me know if you have any thoughts, thanks
This is a common issue (along with too much spitting) that comes from over driving the air pressure. You are most likely swallowing a bit of air during your inhales and then compressing your stomach with your abs. The only option for that air in your stomach is up (once it enters your intestines trapped air goes out the back door). I suspect you are inhaling too much and relying on pressure to stabilize your voice rather than coordination.
wow, thank you for your speedy response and for your perspective on this issue. i will have a closer look at what my behaviour is when I'm singing in regards to swallowing on the inhale and abdominal compression and if i notice this happening i will do my best to iron out this bad habit and work on improving coordination. thanks again :)
good day mark... tnx for ur advice, i just want to know how to become a counter tenor... like my my idol russell hitchcock of air supply.. pls give some tips and exercises.. tnx again i hope u will help again regarding on this matter
You can't "become" a counter tenor like Russell just like he can't "become" a bass. But no matter what your range is - you can certainly learn to sing as beautifully as Russell. It's the size of your heart that counts - not the size of your larynx.
Hey Hi. It's rainy season here, and I have this feeling in my voice that everytime I sang I felt my nose a lot but I dont have colds. I just felt I sang uncomfortably. Thanks
You are swollen in your sinuses because of mold most likely. It is an allergic reaction. Don't push your voice more because of this - it is temporary.
Voice Lesson.com And I found out that I its because of this thats why I have pain on my throat. Whats the best medecine for this?
That makes sense - but I'm not a doctor and I don't know you - so I can't recommend a medical solution.
Voice Lesson.com Oh it's fine. But your videos help me a lot. Thank you so much. You are really great. See you soon
@CarlostGaming practice while looking in the mirror and deliberately focus on keeping your brows down. Eventually you won't do it anymore.
Pjiggy I recommend placing your flat palm against your forehead to deny the lift of the eyebrows - rather then "tell" your eyebrows not to move by staring at them in the mirror. If you command the brows not to move you'll create isometric tension - which means the scalp muscles are still active but just not moving. The real goal is to have those muscles become inactive.
Voice Lesson.com wow, that is an awesome answer! I trained my eyebrows not move in the mirror but I wish I got that advice when I was trying to figure that out. It just makes sense! And judging by the condition of my voice, I've done a lot of things incorrectly. I'm pretty positive I have nodules after years of incorrect technique. By the way I watch your videos all the time, love them, Thank you for them.
Mark, what make and model is this piano? I feel like I had this one when I growing up. Lighter wood color though.
Let's just go with that it IS your long lost old piano!
Haha it could be! Thank you for your videos. You took me from not knowing how to sing, to being able to achieve a dream. Practice practice practice!!
Hey Mark, If I focus on lower vocals would I be able to reach the higher notes more comfortably later on? Or am I going to stay on lower vocals.
It's better to sing throughout your range and let the high notes sound bad rather than tighten up. When you're vocalizing the goal is to go for comfort first - then performance.
Hi Mark- unfortunately I can not find the video I want to ask a question about. I'll try to explain. You recommend to sing: He hehehe he...( staccato). without using our body ( abdominal muscles etc) You showed us a picture ( vocal chord?vocal folds?) for your explanation. Do you have any idea what I am talking about? I want to know how this exercise works. For me it is important to know WHY I do this. I really hope you know what I mean. Thanks for your great work!
Here's the video: ua-cam.com/video/zTlikuzSf6c/v-deo.html
I explained why in the video - but if after watching it you still have questions - feel free to send me an email with your questions. mbaxter@voicelesson.com
Hi Mark. your channel is awesome!! when I do this excercise the higher note of each repetition sounds very breathy when i hit it. and after that the sound comes out, is that ok?? am i doing something wrong? i'm a begginer so I don't know
It's only OK if you want a breathy sound! Training your voice is simply having an intention in mind for the sound you want and then ask for it over and over until it occurs. As fast as those higher note are happening - there still needs to be a change in the air pressure you're creating. The breathiness just means your driving those notes with more then they require (so the extra vents out). Notice this: the breathy notes that are the highest in the first few repetitions are no longer breathy when they occur in the middle of the melody. So it's not the notes - it's that you're treating the highest point in the melody differently then the middle notes. I call this High Note Syndrome. Watch this: ua-cam.com/video/nSlAJdJksf0/v-deo.html
+Voice Lesson.com I defenitly had the high note syndrome. after a few days of practicing high notes stopped sounding breathy. Thank you very much!!!
You're welcome!
I am recuperating from thyroid surgery and find my voice to feel strained. Are they any exercises to help this? I am resting my voice and won't be performing till March 17th. The surgery was jan. 27, 2015
Start vocalizing very softly with this exercise: ua-cam.com/video/ySgg2YUDGH4/v-deo.html When the hums are reliable move back to the exercise above.
What are your thoughts on smoking effects on the voice. Ever known any singers that sound better smoking? Do you think it's best to rest your voice the day before a show or work it out hard, or just do exercises?
UNION DRIFTWOOD I don't recommend either resting or singing hard before shows - 80% of what you'll do on stage is a great prep. Video on smoking coming in the future.