singing question....

[YankeesFan175]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 12:45am

ok, sorry if this is a stupid question, but...i just recently got into theatre and recently started singing. and when i sing, i tend to be really quiet (i asked my friend who stands next to me all the time in our show and he says he cant even hear me). is there a way i can project more without shouting? b/c usually when i try to be loud i end up shouting and i end up sounding worse than i already do (im not ashamed to admit i dont have a great voice). any advice anyone has would be greatly appreaciated. sorry if it was a stupid question!

Updated On: 8/12/05 at 12:45 AM

[Sporti2005]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 12:58am

if you strengthen your stomach muscles (specifically your diaphragm) you will be able to propel your sound more and you'll be able to use more air.

in general, think of singing as coming from much lower in your body than your throat....that always helps me. think of it as a full-body act.

[YankeesFan175]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 1:08am

ok, thanks! our show premieres tomorrow, ill try it during warmups and if it helps ill try it during the show!

[Hairspraydoll]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 1:10am

Breath support.

[Wormlett]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 1:13am

breath management is a big part of it. This doesn't mean always take massive breaths, but if you need it take it. manage your breathing,dont let it manage you. Also if you do basic excercises like singing all the vowels on one note and just going up and down, you can work on your projection. I too recently started singing, and my choir teacher worked with me and my voice got much much stronger just from simple daily excercises. Just keep hangin in there, and one day it will click!

[YankeesFan175]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 1:31am

wow, thanks for all the help guys!!

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 9:01am

YOU PROBABLY WILL NOT ENLARGE THE SIZE OF YOUR VOICE, BUT EVEN THE SMALLEST VOICE CAN BE HEARD IF IT IS A FOCUSED SOUND. YOU HAVE TO IMAGINE YOUR VOICE IS A STRING THAT CONNECTS YOUR MOUTH TO THE BACK OF THE AUDITORIUM. IF YOU SING ALONG THAT STRING, YOU WILL BE HEARD.

[Aigoo]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 9:53am

Make sure you're standing straight: the vocal folds aren't "interfered" with anything else in your throat, your larynx is straight, and you're standing tall.

Your diaphragm is this big...balloon-ish thing that is the main muscle which controls the rate that your breath escapes your mouth. Make sure that is strong, and you're not from your throat, which can lead to bad things and is pretty uncomfortable anyway.

It just might be that your voice is naturally quiet. If that's the case, you have to work on projecting. Everday, try this exercise: Use your diaphragm, take a deeeep breath and just let out easy "ah"'s. Gradually, let them get louder to the point where it's loud enough for you without it being uncomfortable in any way.

If you're experiencing "breathiness" that might lead to having a quiet or thin voice, experiment with placement with your soft palette. That can alter the sound that you produce.

[bella cantato]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 9:58am

Just don't push! Eek!! Maybe look into voice lessons-- but make sure it's a teacher who knows what s/he is actually doing. aka make sure they actually have a DEGREE from a decent school for singing or teaching singing (not an instrument... singing specifically). (There are way too many teachers in my area who think that bc they teach piano, they automatically know how to teach singing and just teach their students how to push). So keep your throat relaxed. If it feels tight then you're doing something wrong! Again, I don't think you can really learn as much from a message board as from a real life lesson. Even a few might be able to help you open up a little.

[YankeesFan175]

Posted: 8/12/05 at 1:40pm

yeah, i realize a message board wont help me that much, but my show opens tonight and i just wanted to see if anyone had any technique that could help me be heard (b/c sometimes the whole ensemble isnt loud, during one swing number the trumnpets and drums are so loud its hard to hear us). so thanks for everyones help!