SINGING SIMPLIFIED
- 1. The Exercises ** COURSE SAMPLE ** Includes all exercises from week 1 of my 8-week Video Course Available on Udemy.com Instructor: Steve Glazer
- 2. Section 1: The Foundation Lesson 1.1: It's All About the Breath In this lesson you are going to work on a few simple breathing exercises that are designed to strengthen your diaphragm and add power to your voice. What you're learning here is the foundation of my entire method. It may not seem very exciting, but if you practice these exercises consistently for just 15 minutes a day you'll notice a huge improvement in your ability to project, your vocal control and your stamina, very quickly. Don't skip these exercises! Lesson 1.1 Exercise Instructions: 1. Breathe into "your stomach" with loose abs. 2. Immediately after inhale, tighten lower abs and pause for 5 seconds... don’t tighten like crazy though! 3. Exhale with abs relaxed... 4. Repeat Remember: - Breathe down (think about breathing into your knees, "drop the elevator") - You should feel ZERO movement in your chest when you inhale - Don't hold your breath (think "H") - Use a mirror
- 3. Lesson 1.2: Breath Control (Part 1) Lesson 1.2 Exercise Instructions: 1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and both arms at your sides while having a hardcover book on your belly. (Like an old-fashioned sit-up) 2. Breathe "into your stomach" quickly and loosely, lifting the book up. 3. Pause for 5 seconds while tightening your lower abs, holding the book up. 4. Exhale fairly quickly by relaxing - let your belly and the book fall. 5. Repeat. Remember: - Don't hold your breath (think "H") - Make sure you aren't making any vocal noises when you breathe (like gasping sounds) - Don't "suck the straw". Keep your jaw relaxed and dropped. - Try to imagine throwing the book into the air with the movement from your stomach. - Breathe with intent! (As if you're about to say something important!) Lesson 1.3: Breath Control (Part 2) Lesson 1.3 Exercise Instructions: 1. Breathe into your "stomach," as usual. 2. Tighten your lower abs. 3. Make "sssss" (snake) sound for as long as you can, keeping the support (lower abs) consistently tight the entire time and keeping the air flow consistent. 4. 25 to 30 seconds of "sssss" sound is a good goal. 5. Repeat this for 5 - 10 minutes
- 4. Remember: - Don't force the air out! The point of this exercise is to learn how to control the flow of air coming out of you. Always remember the balloon concept. - This is exactly what you'll be doing every time you sing. - Watch out for tension, the only place you should feel it is in your lower abdominal area. Lesson 1.4: Breath Control (Part 3) This exercise expands on what you learned in lesson 1.3. It's designed to teach you how to exhale before you take your next breath while you're singing. It allows you to get into the "rhythm" of correct breathing, so it becomes second nature when you start vocalizing. Lesson 1.4 Exercise Instructions: 1. Inhale, support, make "ssss" sound for 5 seconds, exhale... repeat! 2. Same as above but count to a different number with each exhalation. (This is just like breathing while you sing, because each vocal line in a song varies in length.) 3. Listen to some of your favorite songs and pay close attention to when the singer breathes. You'll notice that there are a lot of little breaths that you may have never heard before. TIP: Search for “(Your favorite singer or band) Vocals Only” on YouTube. You’ll find many solo vocal tracks and you can hear all the breathing details!
- 5. Lesson 1.5: Warming Up Your Voice In this lesson I'm going to introduce you to a couple of great vocal exercises that will help you warm up your voice before you sing. Lesson 1.5 Exercise Instructions: 1. Lip Rolls (5 minutes): Make a resonant lip roll sound in your chest and falsetto voice. 2. Tongue Trills (5 minutes): Make a resonant tongue trill sound in your chest and falsetto voice. 3. Same as above with "sirens" (5 minutes) Remember: - It's incredibly important to warm up your voice before you start vocalizing. It's just like stretching before you exercise. - Don't "push" the air out. - Try to sound as "buzzy" as possible. (If your nose itches, that's a sign that you're doing it right.) - Make sure you don't feel any muscle tension in your neck. Lesson 1.6: Humming Along In this lesson I'm going to show you a little trick to instantly make your voice more "resonant" and powerful sounding. Lesson 1.6 Exercise Instructions: 1. Make a mechanical/buzzy hum sound then drop jaw open to an "ahhh " (DON'T PUSH THE AIR) Remember: - Resonance creates volume. If you find that you often have trouble projecting your voice, this exercise should help you tremendously. - Try to focus on keeping your voice in your "mask." - Don't "swallow" your voice. Make sure you feel a subtle "yawn" in your throat. - Practice at a pitch that is comfortable for YOU. (Don't go too low or too high.)
- 6. Section 2: Make the Sound Section 3: Putting the "Moan in the Tone" Section 4: Hitting Those Notes Section 5: Movin' On Up! Section 6: Vocal Control Section 7: "Putting Words in Your Mouth" Section 8: Advanced Singing Techniques