Some Good Observations During Voice Practice...

If you read my last lesson post, you'd know that my teacher is taking the next two weeks off for some much deserved rest, but in the mean time, I will post what I observe during my practice sessions. I've been taking lessons now for just about 7 weeks. The first couple of weeks I was practicing 40 minutes or so, each day. From the third week on, I was practicing a good hour, everyday. For the past two weeks or more, I have been doing a good hour and a half, everyday. The first couple of weeks I was finding myself very hoarse after 40 minutes, during the third week I noticed a small improvement. However, now, at 7 weeks, going for an hour and a half, each day, I am finding that I have very little to no hoarseness. This is huge!! It tells me that even though I am not doing everything correctly yet, I am improving and doing things closer to correct, than I was previously. I also noticed something yesterday that I hadn't noticed before. I always use a mirror when practicing and also at my lessons, per my teacher. It's a great tool!! So, I was practicing yesterday and noticed that when I sing certain vowels and as my pitch raises, my tongue backs up, which in turn raises my larynx, which creates throat tension. (Consonants cause tension too, but that's for another day). We have been working on throat and tongue tension quite a bit, but I had not noticed this before, like I did yesterday. My teacher already knows that my tongue is backing up, but for me to SEE it, was a good thing. I made some notes (questions) to talk to her about at our next lesson. I think that if we can resolve this tongue tension, it will greatly help with the throat, as well. These observations may not sound like much, but for me, they are huge! I think at this rate, I will have two pages of questions and observations for her by the time I see her again! :)

Voice Lesson #6

So, lesson #6 was today, and I am sooooooooooooo frustrated with myself!! My teacher is great..it's just all me! Again, I am having issues with head alignment, shape of the mouth with vowels, and of course my arch enemy...THROAT TENSION!!! I can't seem to shake it! She told me today that because I've had so much singing experience, for so long, using my chest voice only, that I have to be patient. I know this is true and I will continue to be patient, focused, and determined... I will NOT give up! My tongue is also giving me fits. We are working on all of these aspects and sooner or later, I will get there. There have been some small improvements, but it's taking time. I suppose it would be worse if I wasn't making any progress at all, but that is not the case..it's very slow going, however. Phlegm is not helping either..it is not my friend! My teacher told me today that though I am getting into my head voice easier than I was, I am still not comfortable with it, which is true. It will take more time. I understand what she tells me, I hear what it should sound like and understand how I should get to "that" sound, but my body won't let me do it, just yet. But oh, trust me, I WILL win! I will not be defeated by bad singing habits! Proper technique will win out, for sure! I will continue to practice and work on everything she tells me to do..I trust her completely. I know that I am in good hands :) Like I always say, with a great teacher and Jesus, I WILL do this! And for anyone who may be wondering, I practice over 6 hours a week. My practice sessions go anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half, six days a week (lately an hour and a half). I do not practice the day of my lesson, but I do listen to it afterwards. Also, no posts about lessons for the next two weeks, while my teacher takes some much deserved time off! :) I may post about practice sessions, though..we'll see.

Voice Lesson #5

Today was voice lesson #5. I seem to myself to have made about an atom's worth of improvement, from last week. My teacher said, however, that I am getting it and WILL get it. She is always so positive..I love that! No matter how horrible I sound, she always has something good and constructive to say. She really is an excellent teacher..and I am trying to be an excellent student, though the results are slow. But that is no reflection on her..it's all me. I am having trouble mostly, at this point, with keeping tension out of my throat and neck. The sound MUST come from below. I get that, intellectually, but executing it is a whole different matter. She told me today that it does take a long time. She said, even singers with no previous singing experience have a hard time with it, because the natural tendency is to want to sing everything in the chest voice, which is improper technique. So, me, having a lifetime of singing experience, and singing everything in my chest voice, I have an even MORE difficult time with this concept. But again, she assures me that I WILL get it..and I trust her. She is the expert. We did some different exercises today, a bit more difficult were some of them. We also worked on the tongue and did some exercises for that. The beginning of training it to do things it doesn't naturally want to do. We went over vowels, too. We talked about the "EE" vowel, which is the most difficult for me, especially in one of the songs I'm learning. She demonstrated how the "EE" should sound when done properly..WOW, you should've heard that note! Amazing! I can only hope to sing at that caliber some day. So, to sum it up, I am still struggling, yet still incredibly determined to learn this and do it properly and sound great when I do it. Like I always say, with Jesus and a great teacher, I can't fail! Oh, and the good news..I didn't delete my lesson, today! :)

Voice Lesson #4

Well, today I had voice lesson #4. There was a lot of great info in this lesson, but unfortunately, I DELETED IT!!!!! I will be kicking myself ALL week for this! For anyone who says, "why on earth would you delete your lesson?"..I didn't do it on purpose..it was a complete and horrible accident! Some of you may be thinking, "what's the big deal?..it's just a lesson". Well, no, it's not "just" a lesson. It's what could make the difference between progress this week or not. It's a very big deal. Now, everything that was said and shown to me; every bit of direction and instruction, and every sound I made, every question I asked and answer I got, is gone! Oh, I feel sick! But, there is nothing that can be done about it. I will simply do what I can remember and work on the same things from last weeks lesson, which yes, I still have. Anyway, the lesson itself was great, except that I still sound hideous. However, my teacher said she could hear progress, which is good, no matter how small it might be. I am still struggling with Larynx placement, breathing, vowels, head alignment, chest/head voice break, and the list goes on..so, everything, I guess. Plus, today we started working on the tongue. A very stubborn muscle! Learning classical voice is extremely difficult. My teacher told me today about someone she knows who thinks classical singers make way to much out it, that it isn't difficult at all. Well, that made me laugh because being one who is starting at the bottom of the singers latter, I know first hand that is it no easy task to learn this stuff. Well trained, classical singers, like my teacher, just make it look and sound so easy. I wish it WAS that easy! However, for me, these are not only lessons in singing and correct technique, but it's lessons in discipline, endurance, determination, humbleness, trust, steadfastness, and being a good student..it's learning that no matter how hard it is or gets, there's no giving up! Like I've said in previous posts, I am in this for the long haul! With God and my teacher, I can't help but get it! But man, I wish I had my lesson!

Voice Lesson # 3

So, today was my third voice lesson. Had to miss last week because of Memorial day. Anyway, I must say that after my lesson today, I was feeling quite discouraged. Not only is learning to do everything different, quite difficult, but I was also battling extreme Phlegm, today. Gross, I know, but a fact. As for technique, I am having a lot of trouble getting the sound to come from my abdomen, as opposed to my throat. I have extreme tension in my throat that just doesn't wanna give up! My teacher reminded again, though, that making "bad sounds" is just about as important as making good ones. Good thing! hehe! Now, not only did we go over some different vocal exercises, but we also started a song, which is fun, but difficult! The range is quite high for me...but my teacher is trying to keep me in the head voice, at least most of the time. That is where most of my problems seem to be, though we haven't explored the chest voice much at this point, but I'm sure there will be issues there, as well. The good news is that when I got home, I began to listen to my lesson and slowly found encouragement in her direction. This is what is so great about recording the lessons..not only do I get to go over everything we practiced, but I get to hear all of her direction, again and again. Just the reminders, of what to do and what NOT to do. Each week there seems to be more, seemingly small things to do..adjustments, here and there, but they make a huge difference in the long run. It's all part of technique. There is just so much to learn and so many bad or incorrect habits for me to break. I am reminded again today, that I am in for the long haul. This is going to be no easy feat, getting me to sing properly AND sound good. All I can do is keep practicing the way I am being instructed to, and hopefully, at some point, it will pay off..actually, I know it will, it will just take some time..ok, maybe a lot of time, but I will not give up and will not be discouraged...well, maybe for a moment I might get discouraged, but it won't last! I will not give up! Thank you, Jesus for a great teacher who is willing to take on a challenge!