Singers Handbook

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What’s the best way to learn to do vocal runs like Mariah Carey does?

How Did They Sing That?

Everyone wants to sing higher, louder and longer. Here are my thoughts on how some of the great artists do it.

Breath Control

You’ve probably heard the expression ‘breathe from the diaphragm’ but what does it mean?

If you’ve been singing all your life, by the time you get to high school you’ve been in every choral group available, maybe you’ve joined a band or started singing at parties or events. At some point you realize that in order to sing more, you’re going to need a demo; a demonstration record that shows off your voice and the styles you sing.

Singing With The Band: I Can’t Hear Myself

Since you are an acoustic instrument it’s hard to balance your vocal with the electric instruments in your band. You amplify your voice with a microphone that allows you to be heard beyond the limited distance your voice would normally carry. Even so, it’s difficult to compete with musicians who have turned their amps up as far as they’ll go or with a drummer who is pounding away behind you.

Top 5 Tips For Better Lyrics

Lyricist Mark Winkler helps you improve your lyric writing.

What Is My Range?

We’ve all heard about Mariah Carey’s five-octave range. How is that possible? What do you have to do to have such a huge range? In fact, how do you figure out what your range is?

Background Singing

Jumping up on stage to sing with your friends at a local bar is nothing like professional background singing which is among the most demanding of singing jobs. The basic requirements are a great voice, sightsinging skills, a fast ear for harmonies and the ability to blend.

Session Singing

It’s one thing to send a solo demo if you want solo work but how do you show off your ability to sing backgrounds? Two top session singers tell their stories.

When Rock Singers Need Help

Rock and roll is a big noisy emotional business and singers tend to rant and rave until their voices are shot. Singers often end up with vocal problems. Too often those problems are exposed in the press: shows canceled, recording dates postponed, bands replaced in tours because the singer had no voice.