Tag: technique

  • The Five Senses In Singing – Taste

    Welcome to our series, The Five Senses In Singing! For the next five weeks, we will be examining how the five senses – sound, sight, smell, touch, and taste, are all related to singing!

    taste

     

    Taste is a very important sense in singing. As singers, our instrument is an integral part of our bodies, which means that any food we put in our bodies can have a negative or a positive impact on how we sing.
    One of the most important things singers need to consume is liquid; specifically, water. Although coffee, and soda might seem like hydrating fluids, they can contain caffeine, which, as a diuretic, is not helpful in hydrating your voice.
    Sugary drinks like soda, and fruit juices are also not great for singers because they leave a sugary coating on the throat. Milk is definitely something singers should drink, if they can, but not right before a concert, as dairy products can also leave a coating on the throat.

    In terms of food, the best kinds of food to eat are healthy ones! Anything with a high salt content will not be helpful before a performance, because the salt will dry out your throat. Leafy greens, and lean protein are the best things a singer can eat before a concert!

     
    Why else might taste be an important sense in singing? Tell us in the comments below!

    = Calgary Children's Choir

     

  • The Five Senses In Singing – Touch

    Welcome to our series, The Five Senses In Singing! For the next five weeks, we will be examining how the five senses – sound, sight, smell, touch, and taste, are all related to singing!

    touch

     

    Our sense of touch is an important sense in singing. Touch is what allows us to feel the muscles in our abdomen support our air flow. Touch allows us to feel the air move up through our vocal folds, and to feel that air turn into sound. Touch enables us to feel that sound move up into our mouths to be formed into vowels, and sung out into the world!

    Touch is also important because it allows us to plant our feet firmly on the ground, to support our sound from the bottom. As well, touch allows us to relax our bodies, so that our sound can flow naturally; free of unnecessary tension.

    The sense of touch can also tell us if something is wrong with our body. If our throat hurts, if our body is too tense, or our sinuses are blocked, our sense of touch tells us that our body is not at its best for singing.

    How else is touch an important sense in singing? Tell us in the comments below!

    = Calgary Children's Choir

  • The Five Senses In Singing – Sight

    Welcome to our series, The Five Senses In Singing! For the next five weeks, we will be examining how the five senses – sound, sight, smell, taste, and touch, are all related to singing!

    Sight

     

    Sight:

    Sight is a vital sense to the art of singing for several different reasons. Sight allows singers to read the music on the page, and respond to other singers and musicians with whom we are performing. It also allows us to gauge the emotional connection of the audience to the music, as well as to watch the conductor for important musical signals.

    An interesting aspect of sight that is not as obvious, is the evocation of  imagery. Having text in a piece, adds another layer to the musical interpretation. The poetry often found in vocal music conjures an image in the mind’s eye that allows singers to connect to the music in another way. This kind of ‘sight’ is a wonderful facet of musical interpretation, and really helps singers to communicate musically.

    Singers also have to use the sight of their mind’s eye when thinking about vocal technique. Imagining how the muscles of our abdomen regulate the air moving up through our throats and into our mouths; picturing the placement of the tongue, and the nasal passages to ensure great resonance also involves creating an image in our minds. This kind of ‘self sight’, allows singers to use their instruments as efficiently, and musically as possible.

     

    What are some other reasons why sight is an important sense in singing? Tell us in the comments below!

    Singing For The Joy off It!

  • Choral Singing Versus Solo Singing

    = children singing

    There are many differences between choral singing and solo singing. Here are three important differences to consider:

    #1. Blend: One of the key factors in choral singing is blending many voices to sound as one. This involves modifying vowels, matching voice colours, and decreasing vibrato, all to make a seamless sound. In solo singing, the objective is to make the voice stand out against the other instruments. Blending voices with other singers is not an aspect of singing on which a soloist needs to focus.

    #2. Breath: Another important difference between singing in a choir and singing solo, is breathing. As a solo singer, there are no other voices to support you when you need a breath. A solo singer must manage their breath to last for the entirety of a phrase. While choral singers also need to pay close attention to phrasing, they have more flexibility to breathe, because there are other voices to cover a breath in the middle of a phrase. This method of breathing in choral music is referred to as staggered breathing.

    #3. Intonation: While a solo singer needs to be very conscientious of their intonation in respect to other instruments, choral singers also have to consider matching pitch to the other singers around them. This can be quite challenging since tone, colour, and energy are all factors that can affect intonation. The more voices there are in a choir, the more challenging good intonation becomes!

     

    What do you think are some other important differences between choral singing and solo singing?

     

    Singing For The Joy off It!