Pro-Mic Technique from a Singing Teacher

As a singing teacher a lot time gets spent working with students on their microphone technique. Becoming a master of the mic is a hugely important part of any performance. Therefore, technique with a microphone should be perfected and practiced at every possible opportunity so it can truly be mastered.

As an example. if you watch Jessie J singing you will notice she has professional and powerful mic that is different from the standard Shure SM58 mic. But, do not let this fool you Miss J is a microphone wizard and would sound equally as fantastic on a £10 Argos microphone!

Whilst singing teachers will have their own variations the following is a useful list to help you get the most out of the mic you use and develop great technique.

1.     Hold the microphone in your hand. It means it will be easier to move than stationery placed in a stand and will give you more control whilst helping to develop performance skills.

2.     Sing into the microphone properly! Too obvious!? But, you need to remember that a mic is directional and so the closer (or louder) you get to it, the louder the sound will come out of the speakers, which is great for dynamics. Ideally you should sing with the microphone head around an inch away from your mouth. Touching the mic head itself with your lips will only increase distortion (and, with a mic jammed into your chops quite probably bad diction!).

3.     A singer needs to sing directly into the head of the microphone.Don't try to look cool by tilting it down and singing into it from below... it will not sound good.

4.     The microphone is the shape it is for a reason. Hold the body and keep your hands off the round mesh head because this will alter the produced sound and can result in feedback.

5.     Always check the length of your mic lead to ensure you won't be fighting for more cord, or, pinging yourself backwards like a comedy cartoon character on elastic! It will not look cool either way :)

6.     And, always remember my 3 P's rule... Practice, practice and practice!! It really does make perfect you know.

And, that's it for today. Hope it proves helpful :)

TTFN

Teachers to Inspire... who are your faves?

The best microphone ever!

Now, I'm getting on a bit. Oh, please, I know I look 21 but I'm actually a touch older... anyway, even I had teachers as a youngster that inspired me. And, after chatting with friends over the weekend it became clear that they did as well. A great, inspirational teacher will be able to get you to put more effort into reaching your goals and work harder. They will also be able to develop ability and especially the arena of singing teaching, improve technique, experience, performance skills and develop confidence.

Now, it wouldn't really be that great if my blog named (and shamed) those teachers that have inspired me, because Mr Wilkinson who dragged the best out of me for a good couple of years would mean nothing to you... so, instead, lets take a look at some modern inspirational teachers and figure out what their strengths are, as this may help you when picking your own singing tutor.

1. Steve Irwin (RIP) – Yep, the Crocodile Hunter. What's he got to do with anything I hear you scream!? Steve Irwin had two things that any great teacher should have... passion and enthusiasm. This guy would be covered head to toe in mud while wrestling a croc and still be able to throw out a line about how big this 'little fella' would be 2 years from now. Enthralling to watch and with a never-ending love for his subject matter, Steve should be an inspiration to not only teachers worldwide but every human on the planet. Ripper mate... sadly missed :(

2. Horrible Histories – Haha, I kid you not! This TV show has more awards than you can shake a stick at. And why? Because it proves that delivery is everything. History I hear you say... Boooooring! Zzzzz.... nope, not here! What Horrible Histories does it take this subject and make it funny, interesting, lively and just brilliant! Energy and passion mixed with a delivery to make not only children sit-up and take note is a perfect combination.

3. Jamie Oliver – Boo! Hiss... I know, Jamie stopped you eating burgers and pizza for school dinners! But, that's the point. Mr Oliver had an ideal and believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that he could realise it and make it happen. Jamie Oliver appears to believe that you can improve something and stands out as someone who really cares. Every inspirational teacher shows this trait. A teacher who really cares is worth 100 who are technical experts.

4. David Beckham – Now we're getting ridiculous right? What Becks brings to the table is different to the other teachers and he brings leadership and high standards (well, with the exception of youth on the odd occasion, but he more than made up for that for sure!). David Beckham leads by example and everyone in his team will go the extra mile for him knowing that he will put everything into the cause. Whether it’s flying half way across the world to sit on the bench at an international match or helping this country secure the Olympic bid, one thing is for certain David will give 100% for the cause and never give in.

These are just four inspirational teachers I thought of from my own personal list of faves. But, who are yours? Who make you go 'I really admire that'? Next time you do, analyze and think about what it is exactly you admire.

A great teacher will not just teach at their students - as the above examples show, they will engage them via methods that they can enjoy, relate to or feel passionate about.

When you call about booking a lesson with a singing teacher, or you go visit someone for a free taster session ask yourself if the singing teacher in front of you is going to inspire you to want to be more. Are they going push you in ways that you will respond to? Or, are they just going through the motions? All completely pertinant questions to make sure you get the most and best for your money, but also that your passion and enhtusiasm is not only maintained, but augmented and continues to grow.

Special thanks to Vocademy (www.vocademy.co.uk) for inspiring this blog.

Want to Make Cheap Recordings? Check this advice...

Recording in a studio can be an expensive thing. But, it is usually a very necessary thing in order to get something tangible that you can send / email to people to help promote yourself. One day in a studio can cost in the region of £200, but, that one day's potential spend could actually be used to set yourself up with your very own recording equipment that may be used again and again and again and again... you get the picture.

For anyone who would like to put together their very own small recording studio, this guide should provide some great starting points for to you start recording your own vocals. Before we get cracking though, the research in for this blog has been undertaken by Luke at Vocademy, who is a mega talented singing teacher in his own right, and, so we just wanted to say Merci!

Firstly, go grab your laptop or computer because you are going to be needing that hunk-a-junk...

a) Computer
Nearly all computers these days have the power to support music software and audio recording. If yours does not then it is without a doubt time to invest... this will obviously push the spends over the £200 mark, but, it is a sound investment for sure.

b) Software
Once you have the computer situation sorted you will need to get the right software to record your vocals with. It won't matter whether you use standard PC/Laptop or MAC as there are free, yes free, alternatives for both. On the Mac you have the pre-installed Garageband, which is a very powerful tool for singers and has loads of presets to make your voice sound great. On the PC you can download a free piece of software called Acid Xpress. It is a cut down version of their full Acid software but this free version will certainly get you started. The interface can be a little more confusing than Garageband but with some video tutorials, you'll be well on your way. You can get this here: http://www.acidplanet.com/downloads/xpress/

c) Microphone
At this point, you are going to have to spend some money! I know, it was all going so well, but some things are unavoidable. There are a few different options for mics, but here are 3 microphones that connect via USB, so you won't need an external soundcard or anything complicated. These are all "Plug and Play" so you just connect it to your computer and your recording software should find it nice and easy. Then you can focus on singing and not wiring! Here are three USB microphones for singing that come highly recommend:

i) Behringer C-1u £44 (http://www.dv247.com/microphones/behringer-c-1u-usb--63964)
ii) Samson G- Track Usb £90 (http://www.gak.co.uk/en/samson-g-track-usb-condenser-mic-with-audio-interface/6123?gclid=CNGd0e75wrYCFerHtAodD0IARA)
iii) AKG Perception 120 £99 (http://www.gak.co.uk/en/akg-perception-120-usb-plug-and-play-microphone/39707)

d) Hardware
There are a few bits and bobs left that you are going to need to spend on I'm afraid... but, they will make a difference to the quality of your recordings, so here goes....

i) Pop Shield - £8 - Fantastic at stopping any unwanted 'popping' Ps when singing into a microphone. They are cheap, and a home studio must! http://www.djkit.com/djkit/anti-pop-screen-for-microphone-plastic-spring-clamp-100mm-4inch.html?gclid=COmnh-L5wrYCFdQctAodOEoAUg

ii) Mic Stand - £15 - Always use a mic stand so that you can get those lungs nice and filled with air.
http://www.pmtonline.co.uk/stagg-mis-0822bk-microphone-boom-stand.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&gclid=CPakkMX6wrYCFRMftAod1DoAUA

iii) Headphones - £19 - You will need to have a silent room when recording your voice so you will need to listen to your song/backing track through headphones when you are recording. Here is a great set of studio headphones for under £20. AKG K 44 Headphones - http://www.gak.co.uk/en/akg-k-44-headphones/19407?gclid=CIWDjYz8wrYCFU3KtAodEUwAPw

And, that's your lot! Your Guide to Building a Home Studio for recording vocals all for the price of one day worth of studio time! And you even have money to spare! With this extra cash, you could even buy yourself a singing lesson or a lesson in garageband or sound program of choice and get yourself some great tips from a professional. Or, maybe you could buy your favourite singing teacher a present? :)

Let me know if you try this and I'll do a post on you and add your results :)

Happy Singing!!

Put A Plug In It! Singing Tips...

Good Monday! Over the weekend I was talking to a Canterbury singing teacher called Morgan. When I asked her for a recommendation for singers out there, she said 'get yourself some earplugs!' And, here's why this is a fantastic piece of advice for budding and professional singers alike. Your ears are the only pair you'll ever get and hearing loss will not only affect your singing but your entire life!! Your ears are the only pair you'll ever get and hearing loss will not only affect your singing but your entire life!! YES, I meant to repeat that twice because it is SO important! So, be it for performing or watching a live band, get yourself a good set of earplugs to keep you safe.

With regards choice, there are ear plugs specifically for singers that allow you to change the reduction of unwanted noise. This helps to get the balance right in your head between the music your singing to and the level of you own voice.  A lot of professional singers get their ear plugs molded to the shape of their ears for the perfect fit. Why not have a look on Google and get investigating which ones are right for you!

Practice Makes Perfect! Practical Singing Advice...

Having been chatting to Rosie, a Worthing & Haywards Heath singing teacher, it was reiterated to me time and time again that practice makes perfect! And, how very true this is!!! In fact, this old saying has been around for years because of its authenticity! 

The more you sing something the better you will be at performing. Even if you feel you know the track really well, or even a small passage or phrase in a song it's always worth staying well rehearsed and prepared.

Practice till you know it inside out and backwards then you won't even need to think about singing it when you perform, you can concentrate on looking like a rock god or a dancing diva!

So, the singing lesson for today is the 3 P's.... Practice, Practice and Practice!

All together now.... 

NB. Thanks Rosie for this extremely simple, but massively important vocal coaching point. Here's a video of Rosie performing with her band The Weekend.