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Posts tagged vocals
5 Ways To Make Your Band Rehearsals Productive
Sep 8th
Have you ever thought you were wasting your time while rehearsing? Also, have you thought you could’ve used your time more wisely? It is very important that your rehearsals are not wasting time, rather being productive and efficient. Here are five steps you and your band can follow to make sure rehearsals run smooth and efficiently:
1) Set a time limit for a maximum of three hours
If you rehearse for a long period of time, you will start to lose concentration. Therefore, setting a time limit of 3 hours is important, having more focus and determination to get things accomplished in that slotted amount of time. It is also important to take at least one break during a rehearsal so you can rest and relax.
2) Know what you are trying to achieve
You should have an idea as to what you are going to accomplish before your rehearsal starts. Wandering rehearsals are not productive and therefore a waste of time. If it’s decided that there will be a jam session for three hours to get song ideas, then at least you will know the jam session will have a purpose.
3) Arrive early
Don’t be late or even on time, get there early. You will need to get there at least 30 minutes early in order to set up all the equipment. The rehearsal starts exactly on the time reserved, not when you show up.
4) Record Everything
You will build up your music library of ideas and completed songs as you do more rehearsals. By doing this, you will feel a sense of achievement and a way to study the previous session on your own time.
5) Vocal rehearsals and music rehearsals are separate
Vocal rehearsals can be done at home. If it’s during the time of the general rehearsal, don’t waste the time of the non-singing instrument players by working on vocals.
Planning your rehearsals properly is an integral part to developing a band, and if done properly, then your band will be able to take the next step playing live.
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Improve your Singing and Vocal Performance
Jul 26th
Many artists fail to practice their most important instrument; their voice. No matter your age or skill level, building your voice through voice rehearsals can always add some value to your next musical project. Did you know that your Larynx (what allows you to sing), contains five major muscles and two of them specifically create the quality of your voice, such as pitch and tone. They are called the Arytenoid muscle group and the Crico-Thyroid muscle group, and they control two different registers. The lower register, known as the chest voice, is the action of the Arytenoid group. The upper register (Falsetto voice), on the other hand, is handled by the Crico-Thyroid.
There are a few more differences between the upper and lower registers. The lower register tends to produce a heavier sound, while the upper register produces a higher tone commonly associated with females. There is also a big break (or “crack”) between the two registers between the notes E and F and above middle C. The action of these muscle groups is what causes this break to occur, and training to avoid this break is what great singers do to maintain a quality vocal tone and range.
During singing rehearsal, most programs that offer voice lessons train people to change these involuntary muscle actions in order to eliminate this break. The goal is to have the upper and lower registers come together to from one big vocal range. Voice lessons are always helpful, even if you already know how to sing. There is always room for improvement, and practicing, especially with a teacher, will only allow you to enhance your singing abilities, which will ultimately make your music sound better overall. Even the industry’s top signers maintain vocal coaches and practice consistently. Think of your voice like a well tuned athlete. If they don’t practice, exercise and use their bodies every day they will slowly deteriorate. The same applies to your voice. Use it or lose it.
Voice lessons allow you to form new vocal responses, break bad vocal habits, increase your resonance and develop smoother transitions between notes. By training your muscles to work in a different and effective way to improve your singing, you will be able to build endurance and learn to sing without these breaks. Voice rehearsals are importance because since they help the artist’s singing ability and if your lead singer sounds great; your band will sound great. By scheduling regular voice rehearsals or voice lessons, you will notice an improvement in your tone, flexibility to sing at various pitches, better accuracy, balance, and an increase in the range of melodies your are able to sing.
Greg Gerla
greg@audimated.com
audimated.com