I took this opportunity to add to this thread with some of my thoughts from my experience as a singer.
I’m not a voice teacher, but I do have some hints about singing I’d like to share. I concentrate on these, especially while recording. I also try to practice them in the manner that’s best, but confess I don’t always concentrate that much when practicing.
The attached audio gives some examples of the concepts below.
#1. ‘Attack’ the first note of each phrase.
I don’t know if ‘attack’ is the best word, I don’t mean make it louder. I mean sing the correct tone for the entire length of the phrase’s first note, most importantly its first mini-second.
It is common for people to slur around until they arrive at the correct tone somewhere during that note.
One way to avoid the slur is to take a breath before the phrase and sort of ‘pre-form’ your mouth for that first note, and think ahead about what you want it to sound like.
Slurring within a note is OK for an occasional effect, but sounds tedious if it happens for each phrase in the song.
#2. Sing the ‘little’ notes.
Often the little notes (the ones between the beats, usually) get ‘uttered’ instead of sung. It sounds a lot better if all the notes are sung.
For example, the lower case letters are often just (almost) spoken: ‘aMAZin GRACE how SWEET the SOUND’.
Again, for occasional effect it’s OK to speak some words.
#3. Hold the last note of a phrase.
By ‘hold’ I mean keep it on tone and don’t chop it off too early. Sometimes it sounds good to slur a bit down and up in keeping the note, instead of holding it precisely on tone, but again that is better occasionally.
I hope these hints will be useful to your singing technique.
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