Singing questions continue to crop up every now and then so I'm pulling all the singing resources together in one post that can be referred to. I'll add to it as things occur (If anyone wishes to add to it they are welcome, i'll edit submissions into the main body
Singing 101It's not uncommon for people to dislike the sound of their own voice when they first hear it recorded whether speaking or singing. It only takes a little effort to get past this. As with the guitar, improvement comes with correct practice.
A few links to vocal coaching courses that have free video content (may require registration, but the content is good)http://www.aussievocalcoach.com/http://singingsolutions.com/http://aapproach.com/free-lessons/and a few links to text courseshttp://www.voicelesson.com/html/lessons/free_lessons.htmhttp://www.vocalist.org.uk/voicetraining.htmlGetting the best out of your voiceDrink plenty of water
Relax, singing in the morning when you are rested will produce better results than late at night when you're tired or tense
Warm up by singing or humming scales
Never ignore pain
Vocal registersIt's important to recognize that there are several vocal registers, each with it's own range and tone
Vocal fry: The lowest register which is characterized by a clicking sound due to the low frequency. most vocal coaches seem to discourage regular use of this register.
Modal: This register is also used for speech.
Falsetto: High pitch and quite thin, it's commonly used by men when trying to talk mockingly like a woman.
Chest voice/Head voice: Not registers but where the sound chiefly reverberates.
Finding your vocal range and using the guitar to compare pitch
6th string 5th string 4th string
E--------------- --------------- -------0-------
B--------------- -------1------- -----0---0-----
G--------------- -----0---0----- ---1-------1---
D-------3------- ---2-------2--- -2-----------2-
A---0-3---3-0--- -3-----------3- ---------------
E-1-----------1- --------------- ---------------
Play the mini scale on the guitar and sing the notes along with it. when you finish a scale successfully, increase all of the notes by one fret and start again
Start with the 6th string until you've increased it to the 7th fret on the Low E. when you finish that one move onto the 5th string pattern and repeat until you reach the 6th fret. finish that and move onto the 4th string pattern, repeat until you run out of frets.
this covers almost 4 octaves so don't be surprised if the lows and/or highs are out of reach. don't push your voice for them either, if a note is out of reach go no further and consider that the end of your range.
This exercise will first off help you find your range. done with regularity it should also strengthen your voice and extend it over time.
for reference the first fret on the B string is Middle C and the guitar covers most of the approximate human voice range going from E2 to E6 (on a 24 fret guitar)
Matching your vocal range to the songYou should have two ranges, one you are comfortable in and one you are not.
it is down to you to be honest with yourself when you become uncomfortable.
Once you know your comfortable range you need to find the vocal range of the song. if you can follow the vocal melody on the guitar it should become apparent what the lowest and highest notes are and how many octaves (if any) it covers.
If for example your comfortable vocal range is C3-C4 and the song ranges D4-D5 dropping the key by a whole tone and the vocal by an octave should put you right.
if the song has a greater range than you can manage comfortably, you can try going a little further, just don't push it too far.
Vocal range in comparison to musical instruments
http://images-mediawiki-sites.thefullwiki.org/08/3/8/8/5710768927378145.pngRecordingIt's important to record yourself singing as the sound you hear in your own head is altered by vibrations. recording allows you to check up on your vocal tone and pitch
Singing while playingStart with something simple that you know both the lyrics and music like the back of your hand... well enough that you don't need to concentrate on either vocals or rhythm and can concentrate instead on getting the two to fit together.
No matter how well you can play appreciate that you'll have to slow down your playing to make the initial connections.
You could also try recording your strumming and then sing over the recording, it might help reinforce where the changes should fall with the vocals.
