Generally, we don't really need much time to warm up our voices. But we DO need specific exercises—used regularly over time—to build the voice in ways that will lead to the most significant improvements in our technical capabilities.
Singing in your car may serve to warm up the voice, but it can't really be considered honest “practice” because the seat tends to compromise posture and singing over the outside noise of the engine and traffic encourages pushing the voice. Plus, if you are really giving your singing the focus it deserves then you aren't paying enough attention to your driving.
Singing through a bunch of songs is one form of practice but it should never be a replacement for daily technical work.
Here is a site I saw recently (thanks, Cecily!) about how professional trumpet player Wynton Marsalis practices:
http://arbanmethod.com/wyntons-twelve-ways-to-practice/
His list of twelve ways to practice emphasizes a lot of elements we have worked on and discussed in lessons but also introduces some concepts that were new to me. I especially like #9 and #12, which I hadn't ever seen spelled out in quite that way before.
Which number(s) on the list work the best for you? Which numbers do you need to emphasize differently?
“I like to say that the time spent practicing is the true sign of virtue in a musician. When you practice, it means you are willing to sacrifice to sound good.” —Wynton Marsalis
Now go practice.
I completely agree! I usually like to lots and lots of technical work along with the song work, and I find it very successful because in exercises it is very easy to see the progression. If I start a certain exercise one day and continuously do it for 14 days, I can very clearly see the progress in terms of range and quality of the voice. I find that seeing the clear improvement is very good for the mind and body because its good to know something is headed in the right direction. I was very pleased when working on my AI/HD audition material because my voice was automatically shifting between the styles, which are very very different. Sometimes I would get stuck in just the American Idiot style, but by focusing on the roundness of the voice, the classical stuff just dropped in without me really having to think about.
ReplyDelete-Cameron fleck
I like the list. I definitely have trouble with 4 and 5: Concentrate, and Relax and Practice Slowly. With the business of schedule that I, and probably many of us keep, I find it sometimes makes me feel rushed and easily distracted when practicing. I especially like 10. I've never thought that I might have something dramatic to give to the vocal professional community, but I definitely think that thinking for oneself and asking why and how are crucial to really progressing in one's abilities and especially one's understanding of their own instrument.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this article because it put practicing into parameters that are not only practical and easy to do, but also made me feel empowered about the possibilities of what good practice can result in. I especially connected with #11 and his message here about being optimistic. We recently had the director of I Hate Hamlet come in to talk with our class, and he said something that really resonated in me and that was reaffirmed in Winston's article. He said that 'negative expectations will yield negative results.' He explained that as humans we love to be correct and when we set negative expectations for ourselves we will subconsciously try to fail, or not work as hard, to prove our expectations right. For example, if you go into an audition saying, "there's no way I'll get this part." then you will actually sabotage yourself intentionally so that you can then later say, "see I was right, I didn't get the part." This then turns into a vicious cycle of negativity that only grows as you continue to fail.
ReplyDeleteThroughout my life I have noticed this myself, without actually putting it into words the way he did. I have always observed that truly successful and happy people are inherently optimistic. They know what their potential is and go about tasks with confidence that comes from knowing their capabilities. Whereas, people who seem to continually run into tragedy and failure tend to be more naturally negative. Of course, there are exceptions to both of these generalizations but I've personally found that it is easier and more enjoyable to go about tasks with a positive attitude.
This is what I think Winston is alluding to by talking about optimism with regard to practicing. It is so easy to let practicing become a negative thing, like homework or a chore that needs to be done, but when you look at practicing with optimism about what it could do for your skill with time, then it becomes exciting because the potential of success and improvement are exciting!
*Wynton :)
DeleteI really like this list! Especially number 5. Because when I am practicing, especially practicing something that is difficult for me that I need to work through, I tend to rush through it and that is something that definitely doesn't help. But by just reminding myself to take my time and work through it slowly and to relax then I find myself actually being able to improve on things.
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ReplyDeleteThe list is something that artists in general can refer to often, even if they apply or not. I think throughout development of excelling a certain talent, we all go through these phases where they speak louder than other days... or years. I find myself feeling overwhelmed (as most do) learning how to sing and while practicing because it is such a task where you are only focusing and relying on yourself and nobody else. In this case, number five was the one that I need to work on. Since it is a new skill that I am developing, the feeling of being unsure while working on something that is more difficult, I do tend to skim over because I am not completely sure how to master that specific chore/technique of obtaining that level. Something that I strongly believe in and do often is number 12. Connections are key. I have noticed with voice lessons, more connections, presence, confidence etc.. in every thing I do. Whether it be dancing, teaching, day to day tasks, I feel more in the present and able to approach anything that comes my way.
ReplyDeleteKellie Rae Williams
#9 is hard for me. When I learn a skill that I'm proud of, I just want to share it with people. More often than not, I share it with people who enjoy the skill for themselves. But there's a fine line between sharing a skill and 'showing off'. I don't get to practice often, and I don't feel shame doing some of it in front of my classmates. But there is a built in performance aspect to singing in front of others, when what I should be doing to working more on the technique. Finding more time to focus and practice by myself may lead to more effective practicing (although I do enjoy when I have practiced a song spontaneously for my class enough I feel comfortable with it in almost any environment).
ReplyDeleteI think that all of these are great steps in order to achieve the most successful practice sessions. Personally, I need the most work on setting goals. I rarely go into a practice session saying that I want to work on the tricky interval in measure 27 or that I want to script out my exact placement for each note... I usually just get caught up in wanting to sing through everything. While this method works once in a while, it never allows me to truly hone in and tweak my technique. Also, recently it seems as though my practice is limited by what is going on around me. For example, with auditions this week, pretty much the only thing I practiced was the audition material. I felt as though working on other things was a waste of time. Thus I think I need to not let deadlines get in my way. If I have something extra like auditions or a masterclass, I need to make extra time to add to what I am practicing instead of replacing what I am practicing. For this next week I will try to focus on very specific and minute details and goals.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed that when I sit down to "practice" on guitar I tend to try to learn something new for about ten minutes or so and then just play all of the songs I know for the next couple of hours. Winston says to practice the difficult things. This is something I struggle with. I give up on the difficult things and focus on what I already do well. It is a habit that I should work on fixing. I am sure that I do the same thing when practicing singing. I am good at hearing and memorizing music quickly, so I tend to rely on that rather than actually learning to read the music. When I was learning the songs for American Idiot I just listened to them over and over and plunked out a few things on piano until I had learned them. I should try to develop my ability to read the music to help myself to become a more complete musician.
ReplyDeleteTwo of these that really relate to me (and each other) are numbers 8 and 11. As Brian knows, I'm very hard on myself and am quite the perfectionist (in the context that I always expect a lot out of myself). It's gotten to the point where it's almost subconscious for me to cringe or exclaim "ew" if I do something that I think sounds wrong. Of course I usually try to fix whatever the problem is, but if I'm being honest with myself, I still retain the negative attitude. It's been hard for me to be positive and confident, because I tend so much to focus on the negatives. This article really helped me, though, because I often forget that--as Wynton says--"none of us are perfect." I've been working in my practice to focus on improvement and positivity, and have started making myself say several things that I liked about each practice session instead of berating myself with constant criticism. It's rough, but I think I'm improving, slowly but surely!
ReplyDeleteNumbers 9, 3, 5, 10, 12, and 2 really resonate with me. When I practice, it's not very "structured" or goal oriented, it's to sing as much as possible and what I want to sing. I don't get as specific as I need to. It would definitely help me improve. I've definitely had times in my life where showing off has been relevant and it's so true, you get so caught up on this ornamental craziness and it cuts me off slightly from being connected with the song, words, message, character, story, discovery, etc. I really need to relax when I sing and/or practice. Even in voice lessons, I can often be anxious and worried, I think I hide a lot of it, but I become very scattered and my physical energy becomes scattered as well. So, I'm not grounded at all when I'm singing and then everything falls apart. My voice isn't connected, it's off, it's just not working the way I want it to and I really need to JUST RELAX. When I'm relaxed I learn more, I take more in, I listen more, and I grow more and faster... Also, I'm not in a scattered anxiety ridden state of being. All of these really will and can help all of us grow in our practicing habits.
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