Found this at the absolute best time - at the end of my warm-up, right before I jam, shred, and sing. Mark - You, your knowledge, your character - Are invaluable. Thank you *so* much. Thank you.
Yes! Loud.....no one ever talks about going loud and free...it's so invigorating too. After a while you burn in this ringy, nice resonance. Thanks Mark.
Thanks. I just joined a rock (cover) band and we only practice once a week. Good to have something to add to the morning vocal warm-up that will help me develop and keep power. Thank you.
If you have twitter, follow Mark. Not only great advice and lessons here, but additional through his twitter. I've been a singer for decades and continue to learn more from Mark. Mark, THANK YOU, you are a blessing!
Hi Mark! Thanks for providing remarkable advice, the best I've come across on the internet! What do you mean by 'power comes from releasing around your belt line when inhaling'? That the power is produced before the sound (which goes with an exhale)? I have a high voice with a good range but as a soprano it only really stands out in higher registers. I've always had an issue of not having a 'powerful' voice and being drown out by voices with strong belts. When I sing on my own I feel fine but I always feel inferior with other 'powerful' (loud) singers and often feel like forcing the sound to get loud. What's the best way to improve my belt without overstraing? I understand there are physical limitations but I'd love to sing with more ease and still be heard over music or other vocals.
sir, thank you so much for these tutorials. i had pretty much stopped singing because of crazy working hours at this studio i was employed as an engineer at. i had lost all of my voice and i sounded terrible if i ever tried to sing also thanks to a lot of smoking after recording sessions (in this case recording others haha). im so glad that i have finally found the time to train my voice once again and these exercises are really doing wonders for me. big ups from New Delhi #India
If you get out of breath just by swinging your arms then you got another issue to address along with singing. You should hit the gym or go for a run to build up your aerobic stamina. it will help singing in the long run! (pun intended)
Hi Mr. Baxter, I have a question - In the video, you wrote "Power comes from releasing around your belt line when inhaling." I've had success achieving this by allowing a slight exhale out my nose (which seems to relax my abs even further) followed immediately by an inhale. What are your thoughts on this? My main question though is, will power be increased by releasing around my belt line when releasing around your belt line when exhaling (vocalizing) as well? I have been emulating the feeling of release in my abs when I breathe out, but emulating it while vocalizing, as opposed to the literal gentle nasal exhalation prior to inhalation out that I've been doing. Thank you, -James
+James Purcell When you release air (whether through nose or mouth) you feel the belt line collapse like a balloon emptying. When you sing you'll feel resistance there because the vocal folds close off the wind pipe and the air below become pressurized. So I think it's better to focus on releasing the belt line when inhaling - in order to allow the diaphragm room to descend. But I don't think it's a good idea to focus on the belt line when singing. Instead focus on the throat, neck, jaw and face remaining relaxed while singing loud. That will indicate you are not overloading the larynx with pressure.
Hi Mark, enjoy your videos, I just had a total thyroidectomy in July. I sing in the choir and was out a few months now I'm back and can't project the alto notes at all I hear them of course but can't project its like I sing a deep baritone now and tenor. Any ideas for getting back to singing alto? Thanks.
You're mixing male and female terminology so I don't know if you're a male or female. There can be some disruption to the nerve that connects to the larynx with a thyroidectomy and that may be why you feel a bit disconnected at the moment. Don't rush the process. Keep asking for the volume you need but don't alter the behavior you know worked in the past. The last thing you want to do while recuperating is invent more complications. It would be better to vocalize with the exercise above at a volume that you can achieve consistently throughout your range first. Let the troubled notes dictate the output of all notes first - and then gradually ask for all notes to produce more sound.
Voice Lesson.com Thanks Mark for commenting, I am a female and my voice or throat really feels like there is swelling now after the surgery before I could really project the alto notes really high with the nodules and now it feels like my neck/throat is void/hallow like it has nothing to push against (hope this makes sense lol) are there any of your videos you would recommend me to start with so that I can reach my alto pitch again. Thanks.
tamwill5 The exercise titled "Advanced Vocal Frye Exercise" will help your folds gain better closure on those low notes. Again - be patient. Your folds are the same as before the operation but the sensation is different. It will take time for your brain to reacclimate.
Hi Mark! Again, Alejandro from Argentina, male, 47 years old. Another question. I don’t go on tour regularly but I’m an enthusiastic amateur singer and musician and would like to be at my 100% best every time I rehearse at home. Would love to be able to sing for 4 hours straight. And, like that nice comment I read before, I like the idea of recovering fast after I sing demanding songs like Stevie Wonder’s “lately”. I prepped for a gig after almost a year without singing (regularly that is) and my voice got very tired. Lost a lot of power. Sorry, comment too long already. My question is: Assumming I do this exercise the right way (which is never 100% assured of course) can I do this particular excercise every day ? For how long each session ?? Thanks and please never stop doing what you do.
Don't you think your legs would be tired if you didn't run for a year and then starting preparing for a race? So exercises would help build some strength but mostly it would be running every day that would get you back in shape. Yes - you can do this exercise (or any) every day but the important thing is to KEEP your voice active so when the time comes to gig you're already performance ready!
Voice Lesson.com 🤣🤣🤣 Makes sense. Thanks Mark. Today I tried regulating the decibels and made a huge difference. I found out I was shouting even on low register songs and getting equally tired. That might be the key. I’m finding surprisingly difficult to control. When I loose focus I start shouting again without realizing it. So, what I’ve got so far: earplugs, low humming and decibels. I’m ready for all the excercises... PS: Can I buy your book on PDF ? The one called rock survival guide or similar.
Hi thanks for the video! recently i am singing songs with high notes so i am going to need this Vocal Warm up but i am so curious to know if when I will grow up my voice will become louder and with more potency ? I'll wait for a response .... Thanks Isli ...
Isli Msc Volume and range are two completely different things. We often use volume to help hit high notes but that only compromises yet another important aspect of singing: tone. The best way to develop incredible skills is to think of tone, timing, volume and pitches as separate pieces that together make a whole voice. Practice this by maintaining the same volume as you sing higher - or maintaining the same pitch as you sing louder.
I think you did understand my question... :) I was asking if by growing up like a person to one age to an other ( you get taller ... you change in so many diferent ways ) and .. does the voice to the same ... does it become more powerful ... with more color and more volume . I am only 13 and i am notesing some changes in my voice .
HI mark, I wasnt using a lot of strength doing it, but i still have the itche feeing in my through making me feel like i wanna cough, but i didnt cough cus that sensation is too little to trigger a cough, was it normal?
Hi Skyy, It's perfectly normal to feel that tickle but not something you want to encourage. The itchy feeling comes from muscle tension surrounding the larynx. It means you are bracing those muscle in anticipation of driving the air pressure harder. Ultimately we are looking for a balance of air pressure and resistance. You should vocalize just below the level where you feel that sensation and occasionally ask for more volume. The increase in volume should not cause any "extra" muscles to engage.
After I sing for a long period of time my voice becomes hoarse. But I've also noticed this happens to my voice even after I talk for a long period of time (an hour to 2 hours) Am I just generally doing something wrong with my voice?
In a word Andrea - yes. Any time the voice gets hoarse it's due to friction. That means too many muscles are involved and they're irritating each other. Your goal is to dial in the proportionate amount of pressure (by vocalizing) so you can sing expressively without causing the issue. Treat your voice when singing just like you treat your hands when playing guitar. You should be able to play and sing for many hours without a problem.
Hmm. (Rock the Stage) for some reason you've blocked me from replying to your comments - but I thought it was interesting that my book (The Rock-N-Roll Singer's Survival Manual) was published back in 89/90 and has both a windmill exercise and one I call "the drunk test."
CornelionSigismon Yes - a new book is in the works. It will be a while before it's ready so I've been posting on UA-cam and Twitter. You can follow me there for daily posts on the voice:@BaxterOnSInging.
Hi Mark, greetings from over in the UK! Once again a superbly relevant and useful exercise for me to use in my warm-ups. I've been singing for about fifteen years now and I've made my best improvements over the last few years as a direct result of discovering and following your voice lesson exercises. Using a progressive, gentle to loud warm up, performance on stage, warm down and relaxation routine, as you suggest, has massively improved my vocal stamina and recovery after each show. In particular I've benefited from about ten minutes of vocal fry and lip trills during my warm down, which have really improved my recovery after a gig. I'm now at the point where I am fully recovered by the following morning and ready to go for the following nights performance. This is a distinct difference to the time when I did not warm down, where I was frequently slightly hoarse the following day. Thanks so much for all the effort and enthusiasm that you put into your work, it is hugely appreciated and vital for anyone who wants to develop and maintain a healthy and flexible voice. Hope I don't sound too much like a sales pitch for your work, It's a genuine comment on how much your input has helped me over the last few years. I'm 56 years old and singing stronger, higher and more regularly than I ever have, so keep the wisdom coming sensei! Ian Anthony - UK based Tribute Artist.
Ian Anthony Hi Ian. I appreciate you taking the time to write your comment. You are the best test of the advice I offer because you're out there road testing it on a nightly basis. Rock on!
Found this at the absolute best time - at the end of my warm-up, right before I jam, shred, and sing. Mark - You, your knowledge, your character - Are invaluable. Thank you *so* much. Thank you.
Rock on Bilbo!
Yes! Loud.....no one ever talks about going loud and free...it's so invigorating too. After a while you burn in this ringy, nice resonance. Thanks Mark.
Scary
Thanks. I just joined a rock (cover) band and we only practice once a week. Good to have something to add to the morning vocal warm-up that will help me develop and keep power. Thank you.
Mark.. Truly.. You ARE the best. Many thanks
Thank you! 😊
You're welcome!
Great thanks Mark. 4thday. Your knowledge will be timeless as it already is.
If you have twitter, follow Mark. Not only great advice and lessons here, but additional through his twitter. I've been a singer for decades and continue to learn more from Mark. Mark, THANK YOU, you are a blessing!
Good advice, as always! Mark Baxter is cool! any thought on Ken Tamplin vocal method?
I was running around my living room, haha. So much fun.
I am chenged ur v workout and thank u so much from ethiopia 🇪🇹
You're very welcome!
Hi Mark! Thanks for providing remarkable advice, the best I've come across on the internet!
What do you mean by 'power comes from releasing around your belt line when inhaling'? That the power is produced before the sound (which goes with an exhale)?
I have a high voice with a good range but as a soprano it only really stands out in higher registers. I've always had an issue of not having a 'powerful' voice and being drown out by voices with strong belts. When I sing on my own I feel fine but I always feel inferior with other 'powerful' (loud) singers and often feel like forcing the sound to get loud. What's the best way to improve my belt without overstraing? I understand there are physical limitations but I'd love to sing with more ease and still be heard over music or other vocals.
Very good
I hope it helps!
great!
sir, thank you so much for these tutorials. i had pretty much stopped singing because of crazy working hours at this studio i was employed as an engineer at. i had lost all of my voice and i sounded terrible if i ever tried to sing also thanks to a lot of smoking after recording sessions (in this case recording others haha). im so glad that i have finally found the time to train my voice once again and these exercises are really doing wonders for me. big ups from New Delhi #India
it was helpfull .
Real good wout, only took 10 years to find it.
But how much can you be move about/ active so you dont keep getting out of breath?
If you get out of breath just by swinging your arms then you got another issue to address along with singing. You should hit the gym or go for a run to build up your aerobic stamina. it will help singing in the long run! (pun intended)
Hi Mr. Baxter, I have a question - In the video, you wrote "Power comes from releasing around your belt line when inhaling." I've had success achieving this by allowing a slight exhale out my nose (which seems to relax my abs even further) followed immediately by an inhale. What are your thoughts on this? My main question though is, will power be increased by releasing around my belt line when releasing around your belt line when exhaling (vocalizing) as well? I have been emulating the feeling of release in my abs when I breathe out, but emulating it while vocalizing, as opposed to the literal gentle nasal exhalation prior to inhalation out that I've been doing.
Thank you,
-James
+James Purcell When you release air (whether through nose or mouth) you feel the belt line collapse like a balloon emptying. When you sing you'll feel resistance there because the vocal folds close off the wind pipe and the air below become pressurized. So I think it's better to focus on releasing the belt line when inhaling - in order to allow the diaphragm room to descend. But I don't think it's a good idea to focus on the belt line when singing. Instead focus on the throat, neck, jaw and face remaining relaxed while singing loud. That will indicate you are not overloading the larynx with pressure.
+Voice Lesson.com Alright, thanks for your prompt response. These videos and your responses are hugely appreciated. Happy Holidays.
Happy Holidays to you James!
Hi Mark, enjoy your videos, I just had a total thyroidectomy in July. I sing in the choir and was out a few months now I'm back and can't project the alto notes at all I hear them of course but can't project its like I sing a deep baritone now and tenor. Any ideas for getting back to singing alto? Thanks.
You're mixing male and female terminology so I don't know if you're a male or female. There can be some disruption to the nerve that connects to the larynx with a thyroidectomy and that may be why you feel a bit disconnected at the moment. Don't rush the process. Keep asking for the volume you need but don't alter the behavior you know worked in the past. The last thing you want to do while recuperating is invent more complications. It would be better to vocalize with the exercise above at a volume that you can achieve consistently throughout your range first. Let the troubled notes dictate the output of all notes first - and then gradually ask for all notes to produce more sound.
Voice Lesson.com Thanks Mark for commenting, I am a female and my voice or throat really feels like there is swelling now after the surgery before I could really project the alto notes really high with the nodules and now it feels like my neck/throat is void/hallow like it has nothing to push against (hope this makes sense lol) are there any of your videos you would recommend me to start with so that I can reach my alto pitch again. Thanks.
tamwill5 The exercise titled "Advanced Vocal Frye Exercise" will help your folds gain better closure on those low notes. Again - be patient. Your folds are the same as before the operation but the sensation is different. It will take time for your brain to reacclimate.
Voice Lesson.com Thanks so much!!
Hi Mark! Again, Alejandro from Argentina, male, 47 years old. Another question. I don’t go on tour regularly but I’m an enthusiastic amateur singer and musician and would like to be at my 100% best every time I rehearse at home. Would love to be able to sing for 4 hours straight. And, like that nice comment I read before, I like the idea of recovering fast after I sing demanding songs like Stevie Wonder’s “lately”. I prepped for a gig after almost a year without singing (regularly that is) and my voice got very tired. Lost a lot of power. Sorry, comment too long already. My question is: Assumming I do this exercise the right way (which is never 100% assured of course) can I do this particular excercise every day ? For how long each session ?? Thanks and please never stop doing what you do.
Don't you think your legs would be tired if you didn't run for a year and then starting preparing for a race? So exercises would help build some strength but mostly it would be running every day that would get you back in shape. Yes - you can do this exercise (or any) every day but the important thing is to KEEP your voice active so when the time comes to gig you're already performance ready!
Voice Lesson.com 🤣🤣🤣 Makes sense. Thanks Mark. Today I tried regulating the decibels and made a huge difference. I found out I was shouting even on low register songs and getting equally tired. That might be the key. I’m finding surprisingly difficult to control. When I loose focus I start shouting again without realizing it. So, what I’ve got so far: earplugs, low humming and decibels. I’m ready for all the excercises... PS: Can I buy your book on PDF ? The one called rock survival guide or similar.
@@amihanov Amazon has the book on Kindle -
Hi thanks for the video! recently i am singing songs with high notes so i am going to need this Vocal Warm up but i am so curious to know if when I will grow up my voice will become louder and with more potency ? I'll wait for a response ....
Thanks Isli ...
Isli Msc Volume and range are two completely different things. We often use volume to help hit high notes but that only compromises yet another important aspect of singing: tone. The best way to develop incredible skills is to think of tone, timing, volume and pitches as separate pieces that together make a whole voice. Practice this by maintaining the same volume as you sing higher - or maintaining the same pitch as you sing louder.
I think you did understand my question... :) I was asking if by growing up like a person to one age to an other ( you get taller ... you change in so many diferent ways ) and .. does the voice to the same ... does it become more powerful ... with more color and more volume . I am only 13 and i am notesing some changes in my voice .
HI mark, I wasnt using a lot of strength doing it, but i still have the itche feeing in my through making me feel like i wanna cough, but i didnt cough cus that sensation is too little to trigger a cough, was it normal?
Hi Skyy, It's perfectly normal to feel that tickle but not something you want to encourage. The itchy feeling comes from muscle tension surrounding the larynx. It means you are bracing those muscle in anticipation of driving the air pressure harder. Ultimately we are looking for a balance of air pressure and resistance. You should vocalize just below the level where you feel that sensation and occasionally ask for more volume. The increase in volume should not cause any "extra" muscles to engage.
After I sing for a long period of time my voice becomes hoarse. But I've also noticed this happens to my voice even after I talk for a long period of time (an hour to 2 hours) Am I just generally doing something wrong with my voice?
In a word Andrea - yes. Any time the voice gets hoarse it's due to friction. That means too many muscles are involved and they're irritating each other. Your goal is to dial in the proportionate amount of pressure (by vocalizing) so you can sing expressively without causing the issue. Treat your voice when singing just like you treat your hands when playing guitar. You should be able to play and sing for many hours without a problem.
Voice Lesson.com Okay thanks!
day 4
"horizontal switch" to performing from warming up. Love that. Were you shooting for 4 on that exercise? Thanks.
Yup!
Hmm. (Rock the Stage) for some reason you've blocked me from replying to your comments - but I thought it was interesting that my book (The Rock-N-Roll Singer's Survival Manual) was published back in 89/90 and has both a windmill exercise and one I call "the drunk test."
I think I read somewhere that you were writing a new one...Am I right? If so, ocud you tell more about it? Thank you!
CornelionSigismon Yes - a new book is in the works. It will be a while before it's ready so I've been posting on UA-cam and Twitter. You can follow me there for daily posts on the voice:@BaxterOnSInging.
Hi Mark, greetings from over in the UK!
Once again a superbly relevant and useful exercise for me to use in my warm-ups.
I've been singing for about fifteen years now and I've made my best improvements over the last few years as a direct result of discovering and following your voice lesson exercises.
Using a progressive, gentle to loud warm up, performance on stage, warm down and relaxation routine, as you suggest, has massively improved my vocal stamina and recovery after each show. In particular I've benefited from about ten minutes of vocal fry and lip trills during my warm down, which have really improved my recovery after a gig.
I'm now at the point where I am fully recovered by the following morning and ready to go for the following nights performance. This is a distinct difference to the time when I did not warm down, where I was frequently slightly hoarse the following day.
Thanks so much for all the effort and enthusiasm that you put into your work, it is hugely appreciated and vital for anyone who wants to develop and maintain a healthy and flexible voice.
Hope I don't sound too much like a sales pitch for your work, It's a genuine comment on how much your input has helped me over the last few years. I'm 56 years old and singing stronger, higher and more regularly than I ever have, so keep the wisdom coming sensei!
Ian Anthony - UK based Tribute Artist.
Ian Anthony Hi Ian. I appreciate you taking the time to write your comment. You are the best test of the advice I offer because you're out there road testing it on a nightly basis. Rock on!
are u singing teacher
great!