- For some, finding their own voice is akin to
searching for the holy grail.
Most singers know intuitively that
they have a unique sound, but many struggle to find it.
Today, I'm gonna give you some practical exercises
designed to reveal your one of a kind voice.
- [Announcer] ♫ Sound check.
♫ Check one, check two.
- Hello everyone.
Dr. Dan here with another video
designed to develop your voice and improve your sound.
Thanks for taking the time to click on my video.
Now, you may have noticed you your YouTube travels,
that some of the most popular videos
by singing, teaching channels are those
that talk about finding one's own voice.
At the end of the day, we all want to know
and understand our voice, we all have
an ongoing search for significance that is
driven by our personal insecurities.
Now I hope that doesn't come across as accusatory,
just like you, I, too, have insecurities about my voice
that I continually seek to mature and develop.
I think one of the fundamental insecurities
for most beginner singers, is this need
to know one's own voice.
Now, before I give you some practical tools
for developing your individual sound,
let me just say that there really is
no magical mystery to this.
We aren't about to discover something
you don't already have.
Your voice has been with you since birth,
and though it continues to change
as it moves through the various stages of life,
it is, and always will be, the voice you were born with.
I want to make this point before continuing,
because you have to reconcile this fact within yourself
first before you can further enhance your natural sound.
Now I'd be in a pretty weak state mentally
if I woke up every morning hoping to
see George Clooney's face
reflected back at me in the mirror.
Sure, a shorter haircut with a gray rinse,
not to mention a significant amount of plastic surgery,
might morph me into something slightly resembling
a more handsome me, but at the end of the day,
underneath it all, I'm still just Daniel, plain and simple.
So, too, it is with our voices.
You weren't born with Ed Sheeran's voice,
Beyonce's voice, well it's spoken for.
So the first step towards finding your own voice,
make peace with yourself.
Wobbly notes and all, your voice
is special just the way it is.
- [Announcer] ♫ Sound check.
- So that's the mental side of things covered.
Now let's address the physical aspects.
What can we do practically, to truly embrace
our individual sound.
Firstly, start by humming a single note
in the middle of your range.
♫ Mmmmm.
As you hum, a want you to pay attention
to both the sound and the physical sensation
that you get from the hum.
Now, as I hum, I feel a warm reverberance
in my upper chest.
I describe the sound as having
a sense of weight to it without being too heavy.
Of course, when describing your own sound,
there is no right or wrong.
The important thing is not the description,
but the process of focusing in
on the sound and how it feels.
Now, using the same note, start a hum,
and then extend that note onto a vowel.
♫ Mmmmm Aaaaah.
How did that feel?
Did you notice any change in the
sound or the sensation?
Now, do it again, but this time,
take the note into your upper register.
♫ Mmmmm Aaaah.
I immediately noticed that my sound
became lighter in color and the sensation
was less pronounced in the chest area.
In those two examples, I'm using an "a" vowel.
Now you might also like to try
using other vowel shapes like "e" or "oo".
When experimenting with the different vowel shapes,
pay particular attention to the subtle differences
that each vowel shape makes in both sound and sensation.
Next, we're going to start moving your
unique sound over multiple notes,
but before you do, take a quick moment
to hit the thumbs up button if you're enjoying the video.
- [Announcer] ♫ Sound check.
- Still with me? Excellent.
Now, we're going to move the hum,
followed by an open vowel, over a five note scale.
♫ Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah.
Once again, I've commenced the activity
in the middle of my range.
How would you describe my sound over the longer phrase?
More importantly, how would you describe your own sound
when you sing the phrase?
Are you hearing any differences in your voice
as it moves up and down the scale?
Now, try it again in your upper register.
♫ Mm-Mm-Mm-Mm-Mm-Mm-Mm-Mm-Mm, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah.
How did that feel, different, the same?
Again, there are no right or wrong answers,
just the experience of your own sound.
If you want to really deep dive into this process,
you might like to use track nine
from my exercise CD, Dr. Dan's Voice Essentials.
The track will take you through your entire range,
working the voice low to high and back again.
I'll leave a link in the description section below
for those of you who don't already have the CD.
- [Announcer] ♫ Sound check.
- And now it's time to apply your newfound sound
to a song, and it's at this point
that many people go wrong in
their search for their own voice.
What many people do in their search for their own sound,
is sing along with the original artist.
Now all that serves to do is
cause the developing singer's voice
to be drowned out by the cover artist's voice.
Remember, we are not seeking to emulate
another voice here, we are working
towards establishing a firm sense
of our own unique vocal identity,
aside from the sounds of other singers.
So, at this point, you can either proceed acapella,
that is unaccompanied by instrumental backing,
or you can purchase a backing track
for your own chosen piece from Ichoose,
or your favorite download site.
Okay, with your chosen song in mind,
hum the melody in the same manner as before,
that is, don't focus on the accuracy of pitch,
instead, pay attention to the sound and the sensation.
So, if I were humming the chorus
to the 70s classic Rainy Days and Mondays
by The Carpenters, it would sound like this:
♫ Mm-Mm, mm-mm, mm-mm, m-m ...
Now, when you hum through your chosen tune,
take note of the physicality of your voice.
How does it feel as the song rises and falls?
How would you describe the quality of the sound?
Now don't use words like good, bad, or ugly, instead,
utilize descriptive terms like full, round, thin or raspy.
Now when you feel like you're starting to hear your
own sound in the song, try the same tune on a
single open vowel.
♫ Ah-Ah, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah ...
Are there any differences between the hummed melody
when compared to the melody sung with an open vowel,
and now, to complete your search for the holy grail,
try singing the song using the actual lyrics.
♫ Talkin' to myself and feeling old,
♫ Sometimes I'd like to quit,
♫ Nothin' ever seems to fit,
♫ Hangin' around, nothin' to do but frown,
♫ Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.
Now hopefully, you'll have a greater sense
of yourself and the sounds that your voice is making
in the tune.
Perhaps the all-encompassing rule when
establishing your own sound,
is the more time you spend with your own voice,
the more comfortable you will become
with how it sounds and feels.
Every relationship needs time to develop and mature.
Your relationship between you and your sound
is no different.
Spend the time, and your voice will
naturally reveal itself in all its unique splendor.
I hope today's video has been helpful.
Here at Voice Essentials, every voice sings.
So if you're keen to join our supportive
and encouraging community of singers from across the globe,
jump across to the Voice Essentials channel
and subscribe for weekly videos about singing technique
and vocal performance.
I hope to see you again soon.
I'm Dr. Dan. Sing well.