Vocals for Songwriters – Sheri Gould

Vocal Health

• There is a lot of vocal strain in the church today…because of passionate people. We’re more interested in heart than we are in excellent art
• Warm up your vocal chords as a routine!
• ‘Flem’ is natures bandage…it accumulates when you don’t warm up.
• If you’re hurting…you’re using the wrong muscles to sing.
• ‘Speaking’ in a wrong way can also damage your vocal chords. Take times of silence.
• Make a habit of breathing through your nose.
• Caffeine dries out your vocal chords. Citrus juices are even worse.
• Use ‘Breathers’ or ‘Throat Coat’ or ‘Entertainers Secret’ to sooth your throat.
• It takes an hour for water to coat the throat. Start drinking early!
• Do a good 5 minute warmup [hum…make some noise…gently] before you sing
• Prepare your voice throughout the week
• Vocal endurance is building up the vocal strength to stand the ‘4 hour concer

Vocal Technique

• Relax! If you speak correctly…you will sing correctly
• We don’t want to use any outer muscles in the throat… you should feel vibration, not muscular tension
• You need constant feedback in order to get better
• Suggestion: Record a video tape of yourself and watch it with the music off!
• Keep your larynx low as you sing…open your mouth when you sing!
• Don’t whisper
• Most of us take a deep breath and let it all out at the beginning of a phrase…control your flow of air!
• More breathing is not better…but letting that breath out in the right amount
• Breathing exercise: say the alphabet!
• Have an open chest…open rib cage