My latest singing tips video offers a super helpful tip for learning and teaching yourself how to sing - and it's all about harnessing the power of VISUAL CUES and "face shapes."
Singing can be super confusing if you think of it as an infinite number of sounds and possibilities. But if, instead, you memorize (1) where you feel the sound in your face, (2) and what that shape "looks like" to you in your mind, you'll start to internalize and memorize technique MUCH MUCH FASTER!
It also gives you an excuse to watch tons of YouTube videos of singers performing - oftentimes the way their faces LOOK can give you valuable clues about their singing technique and how they're creating their singer sound.
Hi there! Today's singing tips video is all about memorizing songs and lines! Memorization is a key skill in the music, theater, and entertainment industries, but not many singers often discuss their strategies for memorizing.
Since I am pretty horrendous when it comes to learning lyrics and lines, I thought I would let you in on the top methods that help me learn new material.
I'm not an expert on this topic of memorization, but these methods have worked well for me -- and I hope they'll help you, too!
Let me know what you think of these techniques - try them out, and report back - and please share with any friends you know who have had trouble memorizing songs or lines in the past.
My newest singing tips video gives you 3 suggestions (+ 1 bonus tip) for how to relax your tongue and get it to stay neutral while you're singing!
Two ways to gauge tongue tension are:
(1) how your voice sounds (do you sound like Kermit the Frog?)
(2) How your throat or neck feels (dull pains along your jaw or at the top of your voice box).
If you have tongue tension or a tense tongue, fear not! 3 easy triggers to get your tongue to chill include:
(1) Thinking "UH" while you sing
(2) Pretending you're drunk (not kidding)
(3) Practicing a "conversational" version of your song or warmup
And as a bonus tip? Don't make an enemy out of your tongue! As a singer, it does more harm than good to be stressed out about the body part that's causing you tension. Instead, think positively about your tongue, remember that it's just trying to help, and eventually it will learn to back off and stay out of the equation.
My latest singing tips video breaks down and teaches you how to sing "Somebody to Love" by Queen! Trying to sing like Freddie Mercury can at first seem like an epic challenge, but it's my job to help you break it down and find some easy, effective strategies for approaching this song.
In this video you'll learn:
(1) How to break down the song "Somebody to Love" in stages so it's easier to sing
(2) Some key vowel and lyric modifications that are going to help you sing higher without tensing or cutting off the sound
(3) Tips for getting your head voice to be stronger, louder, more focused and powerful
(4) Tips for contrasting that head voice with a full, impressive belt sound, since belting is perfect for rock singing (like Queen)
I hope you enjoy this video! Let me know how your practice goes, or if you find these tips helpful.
Here is my newest video explaining how to approach and use a mixed voice. Mixed voice means singing "between" chest and head voice by accessing your nasopharynx (which lets the sound vibrate in the "mustache" region of your face). Accessing the mixed voice technique itself is not super complicated, but sometimes using muscle memory to master it can be tricky. This video explains some simple exercises that will help you practice.
Let me know if this video helps you access you vocal mix!
Are you looking to beat stage fright and be more confident when it's time to perform a song? This video offers three main tips to help singers be more confident. No more choking up or freezing when you sing in front of people!
This new singing tips video is a response to some of the confusion I've heard/seen around YouTube and in general surrounding singing and how to sing!
Specifically, I want to debunk three lies:
(1) That singing is "natural" and in order to sing like a pro, you just have to forget about technique and FEEL the music! While this is, to some degree, part of the art and craft of singing, so many people underestimate how much time and effort goes into finding your singing voice.
(2) That if you can't learn how to sing a song the very first time you attempt it, you'll never be able to sing it! This is a huge mental block people experience, and I want to explain how this is simply NOT the case.
(3) That belt singing or big hefty sounds require a ton of TENSIONS and EFFORT in the face and throat. This is a misconception! Even though performers make "belting faces" and emote in their faces when they hit high notes, it has nothing to do with the production of sound. In fact, when done correctly, singing should feel basically effortless (except for the breath production down below).
What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Leave me a comment!
Here is my newest video on how to sing low. Remember that it is important to utilize breath support and getting the resonance in the mouth. This video teaches healthy ways to accomplish these singing tasks!
This new video breaks down Taylor Swift's Blank Space and offers appropriate vowel and lyric modifications that help you place the sound in a way similar to Taylor's clear, resonant tone. This isn't necessarily the highest or most challenging song, but it's a great way to practice practice opening the back of your throat and not tensing so you know where to place the sound -- that way it won't fall flat while you're singing.
This new singing video will help you go from "bad singer" to good singer (or at least decent!). Included are some basic tips for beginner singers who don't know exactly where to begin. This video is geared toward answering the questions that unexperienced singers often ask. So if you're just starting out at the very beginning of your singing journey and feel like you might "suck" (haha), then be sure to tune in because I don't want to leave you out in the cold.
Check out this new video if you're interested in learning how to sing like some of today's big POP STARS! Included are a few different singers who have different tones (Adele, Ariana Grande, Sam Smith, and more).
Here is my newest singing tips video on how to strengthen that HEAD VOICE of yours! Watch this video to learn (1) how to find your head voice, (2) migrate it more forward in the face, and (3) eliminate breathiness and "aim" the sound to maximize volume, without strain.
Hello my singer friends! I've recently received a lot of questions from singers who find their default singing voice is airy, breathy, and seems to pop up into a more soprano-y head register that's difficult to control or make powerful. For some singers, it seems almost impossible to locate a grounded chest voice. This new video of mine addresses the top 3 ways to find a grounded, resonant CHEST VOICE. You can find the link to this video below. Enjoy! xo Fel
Hey there!! I'm SUPER close to finishing my long-awaited Singing Transformation Course. (woooo!) I've been designing this mega singing curriculum for more than 2 years, and I'm finally on the verge of wrapping it up (plan is to release in early September...thank you for your patience during the process). In the course I'm going to cover everything you need to know about CONSISTENT, POWERFUL, and CONFIDENT singing. It will include instruction videos, sequenced warmups, daily conditioning, audio downloads, and even some word-and-image PDFs of me doing singer stretches and lolling and other crazy stuff like that (you know how I roll). Plus a select number of enrollees will get to work with me one-on-one (more details to come...) :-) Badass singers who are famous today started off just where you are: with questions, concerns, and confusion. You deserve to stop being confused and reach your potential. It's my sworn goal to help you demolish bad habits and prove that you don't have to be born "gifted" in order to sing beautifully. Truth is, the hurdles and roadblocks we build for ourselves are so often imaginary. I want to show you (1) how simple good singing really is, (2) how powerful it is to KNOW your own voice better than anyone else does, (3) how integral CONFIDENCE, self-talk, and mental imagery is to good singing. BUT! Before I finalize everything, I need to make sure I've covered all your questions. This is where you come in, my friend!! Please take a few minutes to answer this super-short survey (it's totally anonymous, and literally one question haha) --
Hi singer friends!! I've just finished my latest singing tips video, this time breaking down "Chandelier" by Sia! It's a super cool song that got requested by lots of you on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and this blog. When it comes to singing and creating a signature sound (like Sia), you don't manipulate the cord, you manipulate the resonant space in your face and mouth. Please watch and let me know what you think! Was this helpful? Which parts of the song give you the most trouble? Which songs / singer styles would you like me to break down next? Thanks, as always, for watching! Love, Fel
My new singing tips video is called How to Sing"Problem" by Ariana Grande! "Problem" is a high, fast, non-stop belting extravaganza -- but it becomes much less of a "Problem" if you know how to keep the words forward in the "mask" section of your face (see what I did there). This video takes each lyric, breaks it down, and rewrites it with crazy "singer voodoo" phrasing listed for you on the screen, so you know exactly how to approach the lyrics with a relaxed, open throat and pingy, forward belty placement. The trick with vowel mods is that they SOUND the same to the listener but are ultra singer friendly and much easier to place. I would NEVER be able to sing "Problem" if I took the lyrics at face value and didn't take time to rewrite every line. And the same goes for any song I've ever belted. Please leave comments or questions, and share with friends who love Ariana Grande, love to sing, or who are curious about the bizarre workings of singer voodoo!! Happy singing!!! Love, Fel
Hello! Here is a brand new singing tips video about breathing while singing. It was inspired by one of my Belt Your Face Off students, who recently asked:
"Should my breathing be conscious and deliberate, or is it automatic and on autopilot?"
It's a great question that requires we delve more deeply into breathing. So I posted a response video to my YouTube channel. Check it out below! And hopefully this will clear up some lingering Qs you might have about breathing from the diaphragm and using a supported sound.
