photo by CCPiXel.net
Just click on the title to read the full article.
- The secret to great singing that teachers don’t tell you
There is one vital ingredient to being a good singer. It’s not innate talent or vocal range or ability to read music or quality of voice. And it’s something that most singing teachers won’t tell you about.
- How to practice a choir song on your own (and a big concert’s coming up)
A concert is looming and there are a couple of songs you don’t know that well. You’ll need to put in some practice at home, but how do you rehearse on your own?
- Singing is all about listening
We focus so much on our mouths and what comes out of them, that often we forget one of the most important aspect of singing: listening.
- How to improve your singing voice
Tim wrote to say: “I have been trying to sing for a very long time but I feel I always get tight in the throat when I lose confidence, when I hear myself sound bad, or even if some people are around.” And I tried to help!
- How to sing a song in a foreign language
“Great, a new song to learn.” “Oh, no, it’s in ‘foreign’. Help!”
- Easy songs for your choir 2: rounds, chants and call & response songs
I wrote about what makes a song ‘easy’, then I wrote part 2 about specific types of easy songs.
- We’re all equal here: singing together is the great leveller
Singing together or being in a choir is one of the most egalitarian experiences we can have. It doesn’t matter how much you earn, what your job is, where you went to school or who you know. Just add your voice to the overall sound.
- How to plan and run a singing workshop
Planning a singing workshop is a lot like planning a regular choir session. The main differences are that a workshop is usually a one-off and the participants will usually be strangers.
- Arranging songs for your choir 2: the basics of arranging
In part 1 I wrote about choosing suitable songs to arrange. In part 2 I get down to the nitty gritty of how to create an arrangement.
- Why do I end up singing the tune when I should be singing a harmony?
You’re learning a song in four-part harmony and you think you’ve nailed your harmony part. But when all the other parts come in, you end up singing the tune instead. What’s going on? I’ve identified several reasons why this might be happening. I’ll also outline some possible solutions.
Singing: what a difference a man makes!
A woman came up to me last Saturday and said “I like coming to your workshops because there are always lots of men”. Little did she know that only a week before there had been 45 women and just one man enrolled on the workshop!
Does a community make a choir, or does a choir create a community?
I’ve written before about how hard it is to get a cross-section of ages and genders in your choir. But maybe that’s because we don’t have strong communities any more – at least not here in the UK.
Well, that’s it for 2012. Thanks for reading, I couldn’t do it without you!
Happy new year, and I wish you every singing success for 2013.
Chris Rowbury's website: chrisrowbury.com
Chris Rowbury
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