Guitar with Vocals
Breathe easy guitar fans. We are back after a few weeks of jamming, and now it is time to get down to business. Last thing I recall we left off sitting in nice chair practicing poise and posture. In order to stick with the chair theme, I’d like to share a quick lesson on how to get better at singing in accompaniment with your guitar.
So between you and me let me start by telling you that I was not born with much of a singing voice. I could write the words and the music, but I was not to hip on singing my songs. I knew that was something that would have to change in order to want to continue pursuing music.
At first, I thought I was just shy. I really wanted to share the songs I had written, but it always seemed like my voice got cut off in the throat. It was like the garden hose that had a kink in it. Sure straining ones voice can make it ‘bluesy’, but I felt like I was wavering around and missing the notes. For some reason I just couldn’t belt it out like the great jazz and blues guys that I aspired to be.
It was years ago in a college apartment that I met this rather portly lady that could sing with what seemed to be the powers of the howling wind. She had taken years of singing lessons and told me about the voice exercises like warming up with vowel sounds..AEIOU..and what not. That made sense and all, but one thing she showed me has always been my favorite training trick.
She slid a chair out from the table. It was a normal wooden chair. She said the reason my notes were getting cut off and strained was because I wasn’t using my belly, or more specifically my diaphragm, correctly. She said I had to blow my voice from my gut like all those trumpet players that I adore. In order to change my bad habit and strengthen my stomach she instructed me to grab the chair down by the seat. Then I was to hold it up with my arms outstretched. Finally, I was instructed, “Now sing.”
By holding the chair out like that it was creating just enough resistance that you are forced to use your diaphragm. As I breathed in deep I could feel my lungs filling up, and suddenly I could make the notes last longer.
These days, after years of practice I am still waiting for that moment to posess the powers of the howling wind. However, once you get an idea of how to work those unknown muscles in your stomach you’ll find your own voice; and the power is yours to do with it what you please.