Cara LaGreen
  • Voice Technique
  • October16th

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    Singing is technique. You as a singer will spend a great deal of time and effort developing your vocal technique.  One of the most important aspects to consider in developing your technique is balance and control of your airflow.  Too much or not enough air through your windpipe results in overworked and overused vocal cords, and this eventually leads to painful swelling, hoarseness of voice, and eventually damage to your vocal cords.   Many singers do not much consider the damage they may cause to their vocal cords, even though this should be a priority-one item any singer should guard against.  Having the sound you want is useless if it eventually leads to irreparable damage.  So first and foremost – protect you vocal cords!

    One common misconception is that you need a great deal of air in your lungs to be able to sing, especially when it comes to belting out those big power high notes. Contrary to this notion, you don’t need more air than you can muster; you just need to manage the air capacity that your lungs already have. If you take in more air than you are comfortable with, you wont be able to manage it properly to start, so you would be following a self-defeating approach.  Of course there are exercises that will help build and expand your lung capacity, but until you get there, you need to be comfortable with your current abilities and learn to manage the air flow corresponding to your present capabilities. Read More | Comments

  • September29th

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    The Technical Elements of Vocal Style

    In this article I would like to talk about an interesting observation that I have made over my 26 years as a vocal coach; not too many people realize that there are several aspects that have to be addressed with regards to singing in general. First of all, when we talk about singing we are talking about two separate, but very much related elements: physical sound and emotional style. Physical sound is what is achieved by proper utilization of the technical aspects of singing, i.e. breathing (support), structure, placement and projection. Emotional style is essentially how the singer relates to the song and anticipates and complements the style of music, i.e. rock, alternative, country, R & B, dance etc. A common view is that while the technical aspects of singing can be learned through instruction and repetition, style is only developed naturally over time. There is definitely some truth to this statement; some people just naturally have it within them. As a Vocal Coach/Consultant, I strongly believe in the advantages of instruction in the technical aspects of singing. However, I also believe that it is a mistake to completely separate style from technique and I believe that style CAN BE TAUGHT in the same way that a student can be educated in how to stay in tune, project their voice, etc. Read More | Comments

  • July18th

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    Introduction to the JDSMethod of Singing

    The core goal of the JDS Method of Singing is to enable the singer to sing fully throughout their entire vocal range with power and control, and without strain. My approach is to show the singer the critical elements that control the voice, and to coordinate all these systems using the concept of the Balance Point.  The Balance Point represents the place where everything in your voice works in harmony. This includes the balance of the chest and head voice, the balance of air flow to vocal cord tension, the balance of the larynx within the throat, balance of resonance, etc. In this program, we will outline the five major systems that compose the human voice, give you exercises that will help you strengthen and coordinate them, and show you how you can gain mastery of them using the Balance Point. Read More | Comments

  • July17th

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    The Vocal Chords
    The vocal chords are the critical system in a healthy functioning voice. Singers who injure their voices generally have hurt their vocal chords, while singers who project with ease and power have vocal chords that are healthy, strong, and coordinated. Many singers are unaware of the simple and effective techniques that can be used to keep their vocal chords healthy:

    Stay hydrated, drinking at least two liters of water daily Read More | Comments

  • July10th

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    Learning to Sing: Vocal Techniques

    If you’re a person that likes to sing in front of many people, then better singing techniques is very vital to empower you to deliver a better singing show. Learning a practicing these vocal techniques will go a long way and lets you sing those karaoke songs that you like. By following these techniques you can develop a stronger voice, with a better voice range. You will also be able to hit notes easily without straining your voice.

    By following these vocal techniques that i will give you later, your breath will last longer and you won’t end up having to stop in the middle of a song to take a breath. Below are vocal techniques that help you improve your singing voice.

    Exercise

    Just like any other athlete, singers too need to warm up their voice before singing to avoid strain. Here are some effective warm up exercises:

    • Slowly count to four and take a deep breath. Hold it while counting to four again. Then, let your breath out with a hissing sound while you count to eight. Do this exercise a few times.

    • Take a very deep breath, then sing “ahhhh” until your breath run out. Quietly start your voice and then make it louder and louder as you let your breath out.

    • Another technique is sironing. This technique lets you warm up your voice range. Start as low as you can, then go up to the highest note that you can, and then finally go back down to your lowest note again.

    • Sing your voice scales with each vowel sound, do the eight notes up and back again. Read More | Comments