Singers and Vocal Damage Essays

Singers and Vocal Damage Essays Singers and Vocal Damage Essay Singers and Vocal Damage Essay Vocal damage limiting singing ranges occurs only from one source; singing outside appropriate registers. The misconception singers have a â€Å"God given gift† and never took lessons is hugely to blame. Singing Bel-canto, requiring advanced training with the head voice, and belting, a very advanced technique uses the chest voice to sing high notes requires years of quality training and consistent vocal exercises to strengthen muscles used producing pleasing vocal sounds. Many self taught singers are capable of improving their own singing abilities and range capacities. Unless singers collect information on vocal conditions along with their singing research, developing problems in vocal chords can go undetected until serious vocal damage occurs. Professional   singing instructors are trained to listen for potential vocal problems. Beginning singers who sing every pitch accurately with the radio are usually disappointed to discover they can safely sing from a very limited regi ster. All vocal injuries must be corrected before expanding use of voice registers. There are many ways to prevent vocal damage. Two of the most commonly known ways are vocal warm ups and careful monitoring of any voice misalignments while singing or speaking.Vocal RegistersRegisters are defined as the area of sound, which may be applied to musical instruments, audio recording technology or vocals. When referring to singing, there are a total of three registers; middle, chest and head. Skilled singers effortlessly and unnoticeable blends all three registers. Effortlessly blending all three registers are indications of a well taken care of voice, using sufficient warm ups with every singing session; not how many years experience the singer has. With information readily available today, there is no good excuse for skipping vocal warm ups before attempting full out singing, including singing in the shower no one else is going to hear. Adequate warm ups increase the vocal registers capa city. 1. Warm ups consist of singing the vowels, before the entire words, even for just 10 or 15 minuets. Advanced singers warm up routines before each singing session usually last about 30 minuets. The warm ups continue through out the singing sessions. Even though children need warm ups, until they are about 12 years of age, they do not have the capacity to   sing outside the middle notes range. Many children’s songs can easily strain children’s vocal chords. Children can only match about two or three pitches, above the middle C. 2. The lead role of Annie, may make the child a star, and parents really proud. But the song â€Å"Tomorrow† is the last thing children of this age this role calls for should be singing, unless the sheet music is modified.   Because of age, the physiology of their sound producing organs, is to small and weak to draw sounds from their deeper registers, chest voice. Singing alphabetical two letter syllables warm up and strengthen ch ildren’s voices. Beginning singing adults can damage their vocal chords, as well as children, if they fail to consistently practice and use their existing range before going on to more advanced singing stages. Repeated careless abuse of voice can permanently restrict   availability of vocal registers singing capacity. Taking necessary precautions allow full development of vocal registers, at least greatly reduce chances of vocal injury.The most significant exercise singers can do to protect and enhance their voice is deep breathing sessions. Neither Bel Canto or belting stages can be achieved without strongest possible air capacity in the lungs.1. To prevent vocal damage, singing sessions are started with deep breathing, and the deep breathing automatically becomes part of the singing session. The breath must be sustained to hold out for at least one or two bars. 2. Not every child who sung the song Tomorrow ended up with vocal problems. The risk of injury is increased when singing the original version of the song.â€Å"When chest voice is used in a healthy way, with proper airflow and sensations of resonance in the head, it can add strength and vitality to the speaking and singing voice† (Ware, 2004). Adequate airflow through the passages is necessary to sustain the demands of making effortless transitions while interchanging vocal registers, in Bel Canto or sustaining the (1) . constant hitting together of the vocal chords during belting.Head VoiceVocal registers consists of high (head) and low (chest) ranges. (2).   The head voice sings high, fast notes; the melody. Singer’s level or singing strengths are measured by the head voice’s effortless shift in and out of vocal registers. In less experienced singers, contrast, changes, voice shifts, breaks, voice tone and quality, and lack of volume occur if there is difficulty changing registers. To prevent vocal damage, all noticeable shifts, breaks, audible contrast must be analyz ed before singing more pitch ranges. If the singers breathing is audible, contrasting with song being sung, the voice is demanding tension from inappropriate registers. Usually, contrasting breathing breaks indicates the singer’s lung or aerobic capacity is not strong enough for the song he or she is singing. â€Å"Having to take breathing breaks in the middle of conversations or when stressed, singing is affected when singing above middle C, voice is unsteady due to spasm in voice box† (Chitkara, 2006). Sheet music is marked indicating when singers can breathe. (3). Singers cannot breathe when they want to, or with each word. The song to be sung in conjunction with the music, the singer must be able to extend his or her vowel sounds through crescending or   descending stages, while sustaining the notes.1. Because belting pulls the voice out of the low register to sing the high notes, the vocal chords forcibly hit together, then immediately bounce away from one anoth er. Belting   puts demands on the vocal chords, but there is no tension or stress on the vocal chords when accurately sung. 2. To visualize the high voice, think of the left hand playing the high notes on the keyboard. 3. Music does not flow if the singer has to stop and breathe in the middle of the song.The microphone picks up on the out of place breathing, magnifies the sound, and sends it out to the audience. When Britney Spears first started singing, many people complained about her lack of singing talent. The advanced recording technology magnified her nasal singing. With regular breathing exercises, lungs accumulate strength and physical ability to sing greater range of pitches, which implements more use of registers to draw out vocal sounds. Usually the head voice is used to control breathing and pitch control.   When the lungs are fit enough to control pitches, even flow of registers are possible. The singer is getting closer to being capable of singing the Bel Canto lev el.