How NOT to sound like a trained singer.
How NOT to sound like a trained singer.
The biggest fear for a lot of singer songwriters is that any sort of singing lessons or voice training will strip them of their unique sound and turn them into something they’re not. Thankfully this doesn’t have to be the case.
What is voice training?
The whole purpose of seeking out a singing teacher, vocal coach or voice trainer is the same thing... to make change and to improve. Voice is an instrument. It follows the same physics and principles that all musical instruments do. With voice, it is the relationship between the airflow, the vocal folds and the shape of the vocal tract that create unique sound qualities that we each produce. Singing is the action of playing your instrument. Through moving and controlling different muscles, we can produce the dynamical changes in the tone as we see fit. And this learnable skill is voice training.
What makes your voice so unique?
The way you use your voice for both speaking and singing is truly unique to you. Despite all of us having basically the same body parts, there are so many variations that can be made with the voice that no two people will sound exactly the same.
There was a study conducted in 2009 led by Kathleen Wermke at the Center for Prespeech Development and Developmental Disorders at Würzburg University in Germany that observed the cries of 60 newborns (30 French and 30 German). What they discovered that these newborns already had an “accent”. This came down to the unborn child’s ability to hear within the womb. Your environment plays a big part in how you use your voice. Have you ever been to another country for a month and started developing the accent? Perhaps there is a deep need to fit in? But it goes to show that your influences play a big part in the way you already “play” your instrument. And that is something as a singer songwriter you do not want to lose.
The bias and techniques learned from voice trainers.
We can all put funny voices on or mimic other people or characters from our favourite movies and tv shows. It’s quite amazing how we can change or “play” our instrument differently to create a very similar sound to someone else. This can be extremely useful on a voice training perspective. If you understand the muscle groups and the feeling required to make such changes this can be used to create, for instance a musical theatre quality, an opera quality or any sound you require. Do some research before seeking a voice trainer / singing teacher. Everyone has a bias to what sounds they like or dislike. It’s quite likely that training with a classical directed teacher is going to have a classical influence on your singing. We turn to teachers for guidance and expertise, make sure you are getting the training you need, not what they want.
Know what you want?
Know what you want to achieve or be able to create with your voice. Whether its increasing your range, belting high notes or removing the fatigue from your singing, it’s good to have a goal before seeking out the help from a teacher or coach. Can they objectively see the areas that are holding you back? Do they understand what is going on and can they help you understand and train your voice to achieve your goals?
Sometimes it’s easier if you know specifically that you want to be a musical theatre singer, or a classical singer. Certain genres have a particular instrument “set up” and sound that correlates to each type. But for singer songwriters or for speakers, it’s understanding who you are, and what you are looking for that will shape how you use and sing with your instrument.
Open a world of possibilities.
The beauty about understanding how the larynx moves is that you are not limited to learning “styles” of singing. With Estill Voice Training, You can maintain your unique voice and accomplish endless variations and possibilities with one voice, yours. You don’t need to copy... create!
This is why as an Estill Master Trainer, I truly love working with singers, speakers and teachers. I love helping others paint a picture with their voices that showcases their artistry the way they have dreamed.
Written by Greg van Bergen | Estill Master Trainer
