Singing Exercise: Octave Glissandi For Altos

By Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith - Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum)

This is an exercise in seamlessly changing registers, moving from one part of the voice to another. The aim should be a smooth sound sliding from one note to another, and back again. The exercise is probably easier to sing than to read about, so feel free to jump in, play the sound file and sing… Continue reading Singing Exercise: Octave Glissandi For Altos

Singing Exercises 3: “Tuning” The Voice

After making sure we are breathing correctly, and having warmed up our singing mechanisms, it’s time to tune the voice. Here we are going to begin to use the Kodaly Method,  developed by Zoltan Kodaly. Remember the Sound of Music? The exercise below should be sung using the Solfege notes: “Soh, Me, Soh, Me, Soh, Me, La,… Continue reading Singing Exercises 3: “Tuning” The Voice

Singing Exercises 2: Warming Up The Voice

After making sure we are breathing optimally in order to sing well, we need to make sure our vocal chords are working well, and that our voice is resonating across a comfortably wide range. To begin with let’s quickly look at the basic mechanisms of singing, to give us an idea of why we might… Continue reading Singing Exercises 2: Warming Up The Voice

Singing Exercises: Breathing

Here is the first of a series of singing exercises. To begin with, we need to breathe correctly. Below is a video that describes the diaphragmatic breathing that singers need to utilise. An additional tip when practising the exercises described in the video is to put your thumbs just below where your ribs meet in… Continue reading Singing Exercises: Breathing