November 22nd, 2009
If you’ve ever recorded a song in a studio, you know that it can be a looong process to get it exactly right, which can be expensive because most studios charge by the hour!
There are things you can do to minimize that however, with a little effort, pre-studio time.
First of all in my opinion, vocals should always be done LAST. I like all other instruments have to be in the song already to complete the feel of it, so then I can listen to it and practice with it beforehand so I know how it will sound best.
It helps to use a free music recording program on your computer to practice with. (I use my webcam recording function) All you do is get your engineer to send you the song file, play it on your computer and sing along with it at the same time, while recording yourself with your software. Then you can listen to what you’ve done and correct anything you don’t like, so you know GOING IN to the studio what you want to do.
And that will help keep the bill low, because you won’t need as many takes! And, it’ll make your engineer happy because you won’t be going over the same piece a hundred times.
Elisha Rae
www.sing-like-a-pro.com
Tags: recroding, studio
Posted in Free weekly singing tips | No Comments »
October 21st, 2009
Check out this link for an article just published on how to add feeling to your songs… hope you like it!
http://www.article-content-king.com/article201789.html
Elisha
www.sing-like-a-pro.com
Posted in Free weekly singing tips | No Comments »
August 16th, 2009
Have you ever noticed that sometimes when a phrase starts on a high note it’s difficult to start? People end up wavering on it for a second, or “scooping” up to get it, etc.
Here’s a little trick you can use to hit it bang on without wavering or scooping. An instant before you sing the note, quietly sing an “M” or “N” consonant on the note you are supposed to start on to place your tone there correctly.
No one will hear you do this unless you have a microphone, and even if you do it’ll just sound like you’re humming the note right before you start it. “M” and “N” consonants are great for helping to place tone. Something about how the sound they make is one you can hold…. it makes it easy to place tone that way, unlike a “T” for example, which is just a quick staccato sound.
If you do this it gives you an opportunity to find that first high note quietly first so that when you actually start singing the word, you’re already on the note and you won’t waver or scoop.
Make sense? Try it, let me know how it works for you.
More great tips and techniques at www.sing-like-a-pro.com, visit us today!
Elisha Rae
Tags: high note, singing
Posted in Free weekly singing tips | No Comments »
July 16th, 2009
Today’s tip is about microphone control, and how to use one properly! Here are three pointers on how to do it:
1) When singing at a normal volume, hold the mic about the distance of your thumb away from your mouth. When you are singing very quietly try not to move it too much closer or the sound can become distorted or muffled, depending on what kind of a sound system you are singing through.
2) Never hold the bulb of the microphone. If you surround the bulb with your hand and hold it tightly, it muffles the sound and your audience won’t hear you very well. You’ll likely come out sounding muddy.
3) Most importantly, when you are singing loudly, move the mic further away from your mouth. The louder you sing, the further you should move it away. It can become very uncomfortable for the audience to listen to a booming loud singer while they’re wailing at top volume directly into the microphone.
Check out the Sing Like A Pro ebook for more tips and techniques today at www.sing-like-a-pro.com
Thanks!
Elisha Rae
Sing Like A Pro
www.sing-like-a-pro.com
Tags: control, microphone, singing, technique
Posted in Free weekly singing tips | 2 Comments »
July 13th, 2009
Like, tomorrow. Been on vacation! Camping and campfire singing make for good times. 
Elisha
www.sing-like-a-pro.com
Posted in Free weekly singing tips | No Comments »
June 17th, 2009
(From Merriam-Webster OnLine)
Professional- (noun) participating for gain or livelihood in an activity or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs.
Here’s another, from Dictionary.com
Professional- An expert player, as of golf or tennis, serving as a teacher, consultant, performer, or contestant; pro.
People have different definitions of what it means to be a professional singer. Some think they are a professional once they are earning money singing in a band or are hired to sing at different events. Others believe you are a professional ONLY after completing an extensive academic education.
I think a good way to go about it is to make the decision for yourself on what it would take for you personally to consider yourself professional, and work towards your goals with appropriate education. You may have different opinions than others on what exactly the word means.
If you require a formal academic education, enroll in school and go get it. If you want to front a band or get a record deal and don’t want the formal education, take the appropriate lessons that work for YOU, and go do it!
Elisha Rae
www.sing-like-a-pro.com
Tags: education, professional, Sing, singing lessons
Posted in Free weekly singing tips | No Comments »
June 9th, 2009
Here is a letter that one of my online students wrote to me today so I could post it. His name is Ron, and if any of you would like his email address for verification that he wrote this himself, he has allowed me to give it out. If you would like it, please send me a message and I will forward it to you.
Hi Elisha,
I am a late in life, (57 yikes!), guitar player that always wanted to sing along
with my playing, but thought my voice and range were awful. (Not enough range, voice cracked, poor technique). I invested in one of the highly advertised courses and worked diligently until I was quite good at lip rolls but could never see any real benefit and was quickly frustrated. When I called for some guidance, I never got a call back or any help at all. I figured at that point I was stuck with what I had.
I happened upon Elisha’s home page and read about her program. I sent an email to her and got a very speedy and helpful reply. She suggested that I try some one on one lessons with her via the web. Still being a little skeptical I signed up for some initial lessons and she guided me through the set up so we could connect for on line lessons. After the first few lessons, I knew I had
made the right decision and immediately signed up for 10 more sessions.
Elisha is very engaging and a terrific instructor. She helped me get over my
timid approach and put me on the right path to being the best singer I can be. My range has improved at least one octave.
I am shocked when I can now sing songs that were not even close to being in my range before. I will never be an American Idol winner, but I can tell you that I am now enjoying something I have always wanted to do and can now do it confidently. I actually enjoy practicing and trying new songs. I now feel that I can sing in front of others and do it very capably.
If you are looking for a program that will get results, (and believe me I looked at and invested a lot of money on programs that did not), this is the one. Do yourself a favor and sign up for individual lessons. The value you will get will far surpass any of these other programs. Elisha, feel free to share my email address with anyone who would like to contact me for verification.
Thank you for all of your help.
Ron Smart
Tags: online, online programs, range, singing lessons
Posted in Free weekly singing tips | No Comments »
June 5th, 2009
This is a widely debated question. People have different definitions of falsetto, some people think it’s one thing, other people think it’s another, and some people confuse falsetto and head voice completely, as being the same thing.
Here is the difference: When you are singing in falsetto, it is a breathy, airy sound where your vocal cords ARE NOT TOUCHING. Air is flowing completely through them, thus producing the breathy, airy tone which isn’t even really a tone at all.
Head voice is the vocal register above chest voice, and when you are singing in head voice your vocal cords ARE touching, somewhere around three quarters of the way together. It’s a higher sound, and most of the tone is being resonated in your head before flowing out of your mouth.
Falsetto is actually just a stylistic vocal technique; head voice is a solid vocal register. That’s the difference.
Check out the Sing Like A Pro vocal program for tons more vocal information, techniques and lessons at www.sing-like-a-pro.com today!
Elisha Rae
www.sing-like-a-pro.com
Tags: falsetto, head voice, singing, tone, vocal cords
Posted in Free weekly singing tips | 2 Comments »
May 21st, 2009
Hi Singers!
Sing Like A Pro has a new YouTube video up, teaching you How To Sing Vibrato! You can check it out at this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KuYiFP69Wc
Hope you enjoy it! Leave a comment and forward it to your friends if you do!
Elisha
www.sing-like-a-pro.com
Tags: Sing, vibrato, YouTube video
Posted in Free weekly singing tips | 2 Comments »
May 13th, 2009
Lots of singers have trouble getting into their head voices. For those of you who don’t know what your head voice is, it’s a vocal register that you use when you are singing high notes. After a certain point in your range, your voice has to change techniques to continue singing higher. The “voice” that you switch into to sing higher is called your head voice.
In order to reach it easier, it’s important to understand what your voice is actually doing while this happens. When you’re singing in head voice, the sound that your vocal cords are creating is being sent in to the resonating cavities in your face to be amplified. (When you’re singing in chest voice, the sound is amplified primarily in your chest) You can tell if you’re singing in proper head voice if your lips and nose are buzzing or tingling a little when you’re singing.
A way to help get into yours, is while you’re moving up the scale singing higher, visualize your tone as a ball inside of you; starting in your chest and moving up into your face and nose while you sing higher. Visualize the sound coming from your face as opposed to your throat.
The Sing Like A Pro e-book explains this technique in full, and many others for singing higher and getting into your head voice. Visit www.sing-like-a-pro.com for more information, and more singing tips today!
Elisha
www.sing-like-a-pro.com
Posted in Free weekly singing tips | 1 Comment »