Last week’s article seemed to strike a chord (no pun intended) with many clients and readers. It sparked a lot of questions along a variety of different angles. For example, for those who have not studied with me – I accompany clients by playing piano when they want to sing their songs. This means I […]
I’ve talked before about how some songs are more helpful for the voice, and some songs are less helpful for the voice. A semi-regular discussion I have with clients is closely related: certain songs don’t just test your voice — they actively teach you about great singing. Start Simple When people first learn piano or
For those who may remember, I broke my foot over Christmas. I rolled over my ankle – didn’t even fall down – but a VERY loud crack was audible, like thick bamboo being snapped. And the rest is history. It’s been about 3 weeks since the original injury. As a result of being a husband,
I was at the gym when a song came on that both sounded familiar, yet I didn’t truly recognise. We’ve all had that ‘songs that sound similar’ phenomenon occur to us, so I thought it was worth diving into using this specific example. It took a while to find it, but it was this: Save
Hard-to-Sing Songs & Helpful vs Unhelpful Songs If you’re here, you’ve noticed a painful truth – some songs seem utterly impossible! You keep flinging your voice at some songs, but they keep fighting back. Why some songs fight you, which ones accelerate progress, and how pros choose material that actually builds skill. Hard-to-Sing: what makes
Your voice isn’t static. It shifts, grows, and adapts as you move through life — from the dramatic changes of adolescence to the subtle weakening that often comes with age. Many singers are caught off guard by these transitions, mistaking them for “problems” rather than natural stages. In this cluster, we explore what really happens
Vowel Substitution in Singing: A Practical Guide Most discussions of vowel substitution in singing are either too abstract to grasp, or too narrow to be applied in real situations. This article aims to bridge that gap with simple explanations, concrete examples, and a clear sense of why vowel substitution in singing is a helpful tool,
In part 1, we discussed how the voice is made up of various registers, connected by transition points we call bridges. Each have their own colour, sound and feel. But learning about the idiosyncrasies of the voice is hard without some context to place it in. So let’s consider some other instruments first. In part
