# Choir/ singing tips?



## 4/4player (Nov 17, 2006)

Hey guys!

When I head back to school in August, I'll be forced to take....chorus class....(the horror! =O)...Anyway, I was wondering if you had any tips or advice on how to sing well or at least to get a passing grade. I'm trying to prepare for all my upcoming classes this summer and that choir class is somewhat a "fear". I just wanted a small head start...(okay, it might be cheating, sue me!).
Thanks, and I'll look forward to your replies! 
4/4 player



P.S. Did I mention that I'm a terrible singer? Hehe....


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## david johnson (Jun 25, 2007)

1) settle the breath deep
2) open the mouth widely
3) sing forward, use the lips a lot
4) keep back of tongue relaxed
5) start doing all this now by singing along with the radio or cds

this is what i start my students working on asap.

dj


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## zlya (Apr 9, 2007)

I shouldn't imagine you'll have much trouble. I seem to remember chorus class grades are based more on attendance and participation than on singing ability.


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## Edward Elgar (Mar 22, 2006)

If you want to sing well, the trick is to imagine your mouth is a trumpet and stick your lips out while making the largest space in your mouth. 

When you breathe in, your stomach/diaphragm should come out and then immediatly in. This means you have the largest volume of air possible in your lungs and you have the support to carry a phrase through without musical blemishes.

Eyebrows should be raised at all times - especially on the 3rd and 5th degree of the scale. Sound should be projected through the forehead and not manufactured in the back of the throat.

Remember these points and you can't go far wrong.

4/4player, you must manipulate the choir's director to sing something good like Brahms or Mozart!


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## zlya (Apr 9, 2007)

Ah, I just recalled the most important tip for singing in a choir. I'm dead serious, this is the most important thing to remember:

Bring a pencil!


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## dexter (Aug 2, 2007)

*Proper preparation for singing*

Singing is physical and acoustical. There are a lot of preparations to do to become a good singer. It takes many years of training and studies for you to sing well. You don't have to worry though. I have some tips and suggestions that you can do to prepare yourself for your choral subject. First is your posture. Your head must be balanced over your shoulders, hips and feet. It means you must stand straight and should not slouch. Your chin must be a little bit lower. Second is your breathing. Exercising your breathing is one point for you produce a clear and full volume of sound. Every time you inhale, your front abdomen must expand or move forward and when you exhale it should move back in. Open your mouth and drop your lower jaw. Relax your lips, tongue and neck. Third, try to find a recording to use as a model for vocalization. This will help you exercise your vocal cords. If you cannot find any recording for vocalization, I suggest that you bring recorder to your voice lesson so you can record the vocalization performed by your teacher and practice at home.


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## music20 (Sep 8, 2007)

Choir singing tips?

I can share with you some essential singing tips. In choir singing, you have to remember two tips, the practice tips and physical tips.
Make sure you practice in a place where you feel free to sing so that your voice can work out well.Give yourself time to relax before your workout.Haste is the # 1 enemy of meaningful vocalizing.always train yourself to be able to sing one or two notes higher than required. Be sure you have a proper warm up because it contributes a lot to your singing for it stretched your voice.
Physical tips would be the ff:
In singing, be sure to drop your jaw just like when you yawn.
Eat and sleep properly.All these things will enable your body to relax and make the vocal cords ready.Maintain a high level of water in your body, it will help in keeping your vocal cords lubricated and in good condition


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## serentan (May 15, 2009)

Hello there. So, how's it going? The onlyentry I see here that could really help is the last, the others a bit complicated and not necessarily right on..
I'm going to put my three cents in (celtic, we think in threes!!)

before you step in, just take 60 seconds and find yourself. breathe, feel where you are.
When you walk in, take your place, and draw a circle in your mind around and "step in" it. That is your singer's magic place. When you're in there, nothing can get to you, only your joy in your body and your giving voice.old stage trick, and works, you'll see.Fill that circle with an image of a field, or a pretty light,whatever you feel..

Now, practical. let your head roll down, your knees NEVER locked (really bad for back--and neck--and throat) as far as you're comfortable. a few breaths out pfffff like a horse, let it all roll off into the floor, roll up slowly, your head hanging until last. do some wolf howls, if you dare, always start from top notes down at first. Unfortuneately alot of choir directors do the opposite, which really gets people tense, so do your own. If you feel self concious, do it as a light "oo" and howl down, not singing yet, , with byoo, byoh, byay. Think of the sound as narrow, going way high and turning, like those dragon fire curls you see in chinese paintings..Don't open your mouth wide, it drags the sound down.The best is to pretend you don't even HAVE a mouth, sing higher than that--NOT int the nose, higher still Pronouce , but not IN your mouth, more over, between your eyes, like a ventriloquist. Keep your feet flat on the floor if you're sitting and sit a bit forward and push against that floor.It'll get you a high or low note that's a bit tricky.
Yes, breathe in that triangle between your ribs, out when your breath comes in, in as you're slowly puttting the breath out, You DON'T need to take a big breath, your body knows perfectly well how to breathe in, alot of breath blocks things--you don't need much breath really to sing, it's the breathing out that requires control and thought. This is important: you *always* have enough breath. Feeling out of breath is just the muscles blocking a bit. To release, get to the end of the phrase, press your feet in the floor, pronouce just that much more, you'll be amazed! there's alwasy enough to get to the end of the phrase.

So, have fun. Keep watching the conductor, it really helps. keep your shoudlers loose, check every once in a while.

How do I know all this?? I'm a Wagnerian soprano who still has a perfectly clear voice after 20 years of singing the big stuff, with no wobble, and who can sing at the drop of a hat, which is great fun. AT home, do some breathing excercises, that breath going outlike brushing a hair off your face, the breath going up, not straight out, your triangle (it's where the daiphragm connects ito the front part of the body) coming in to control the breath out. , then release and let your body pull in the breath it needs, don't "take" a breath..If I can sing a page and a half on that, you can can be sure there's enough breathe to sing what you nedd. do that for 5-10 min at night before sleepor watching the tube, if you do. You'll be very surprised at the results. And yes, drink alot of water, she's absolutely right about that. Don't ever tip your head back or up, cuts off sound. Sing like you're putting a spell on someone, through the third eye...!

Now, when that gets easy, here's a next step to try. Fell like you're pushing out your ribs in back particularly. What you're doing is stretching that diaphragm tight like a trampoline so you can control the beath in and out perfectly. Don't think too much just try it...open those ribs behind and around for those high or hard low notes...It'll be easy from there, promise!
have fun!


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## tenor02 (Jan 4, 2008)

most important thing: listen to the parts around you so you dont stick out, and relax. singing is a natural activity and like playing any instrument, you've just got to relax and let it happen.


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