- Many beginner singers trawl the internet looking
for advice on how to sing loudly.
But did you know that singing loudly is rather easy?
Actually, one of the hardest things to do as a singer
is learning to sing softly.
I know, who knew!
Fortunately, learning to sing softly can be made
a little easier with the right knowledge
and correct techniques, both of which I'm going
to show you right now.
- [Woman] Sound check.
Check one, check two. (cheering)
(soft music)
- G'day there my name is Dr Dan,
welcome to Voice Essentials, the YouTube channel
where everybody sings.
But just because we believe it's the birthright
of every human being to sing doesn't mean
that everyone should throw caution to the wind,
open their mouths and scream at the top of their lungs.
No, there is a distinct difference between just making
a joyful noise and skillfully using the voice
in a disciplined and purposeful way.
You see, all too often I hear young singers stressing
and straining their voice to achieve maximum output.
Sure, it can sound exciting to hit those big crescendo
notes at full volume, but those mountaintop notes
need to be contrasted against quieter valley notes.
Before we do a couple of practical activities
together to learn the skill of singing softly,
let's quickly understand just a few of the reasons
why learning to sing quietly is a must for all singers.
Firstly, let's talk self-preservation.
If your voice only knows how to sing at full-throttle,
then it is going to fatigue at a much faster rate
than if you learn to adjust your volume levels.
Not only over a single song but more importantly,
over an entire set.
But it's not only your voice that needs a rest.
Your audiences' ears also require periods of downtime
moments throughout a performance when their ears
can have a respite from unrelenting volume levels.
Sustained volume on the human ear can cause
the listener to become dazed and tune out.
And a third reason for learning to vary our singing
volume is to achieve a better artistic outcome.
There have been very few painters over the centuries
who have restricted themselves to using just one color,
and there are even fewer professional singers
who perform at a single volume threshold 100% of the time.
Furthering the painting metaphor,
singers are well advised to paint their songs
in various colors and textures,
where volume could be considered the color and tonal
quality could be regarded as the texture.
Personally, I'm drawn to those singers,
regardless of genre, who create variety for me to listen to.
I want to be intrigued and kept guessing
as to where they might take me next.
I hope you're enjoying the video thus far.
Please remember to hit the thumbs-up button
if you're looking forward to doing the practical
singing exercises we're about to do together.
I think for most folks, the predisposition
to sing loudly comes from a primordial drive
to push the voice to be heard.
For many of us, using the voice in the opposite
way doesn't happen so naturally,
so we need to train the vocal instrument
to behave differently when we need it to.
I'm about to show you the first exercise using the keyboard,
but if you don't have a keyboard at home,
you might like to download my exercise CD,
Dr Dan's Voice Essentials.
Specifically, track four will be helpful
when doing this activity at home.
I'll start off on G3.
(keyboard music)
To start I'm going to sing the three-note scale legato,
that is with a smooth glided connection between each note.
I'm going to be aiming to sing the scale as quietly
as I can while simultaneously maintaining
a clear, consistent tone.
I don't want the sound to become breathy.
Let's see how I go.
(softly singing)
(keyboard music)
(softly singing)
(keyboard music)
(softly singing)
(keyboard music)
(softly singing)
(keyboard music)
(softly singing)
(keyboard music)
(softly singing)
Remember, when doing the exercise, yourself at home,
sing as high as you can without allowing
the tone to become intermittent and breathy.
Once you've given the legato version a try,
you might like to attempt the scale
while singing staccato.
(keyboard music)
(softly singing)
(keyboard music)
(softly singing)
(keyboard music)
(softly singing)
And once you've mastered the staccato using the YA sound,
try using other sounds like HA.
♪ HA, HA, HA, HA ♪
And, HO.
♪ HO, HO, HO, HO ♪
The H will increase the difficulty
by tempting a breathy onset.
But remember, the aim is to go as high as you can
all while maintaining a clear tone.
I've got one more practical exercise
to keep you singing this week.
Let's now put the singing softly technique into a song.
Now for a bit of fun, we're going to pretend
that we are singing a lullaby to a newborn baby
just as they're dropping off to sleep.
Now remember, the aim of the voice while singing
the lullaby, I'll be singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,
is to maintain an even consistent tone
without slipping into breathiness.
♪ Twinkle, twinkle, little star ♪
♪ How I wonder what you are ♪
♪ Up above the world so high ♪
♪ Like a diamond in the sky ♪
♪ Twinkle, twinkle little star ♪
♪ How I wonder what you are ♪
If you can sing it through in the middle of your range,
go up one semitone and try it again.
And keep going up until you reach a point
where you're unable to maintain a quiet, clean tone.
Before I sign off, it is important to note
that if your vocal folds are swollen due
to infection or reflux, for example,
you're more than likely to struggle with these activities.
I'd advise waiting until the swelling subsides
so that your vocal folds can come together
evenly and with health.
I hope you enjoyed today's video.
Leave me any comments below, and if you haven't already
done so, take a moment to subscribe to the channel
for more practical singing tips each and every week.
I'm Dr Dan, sing well.