Wanna know if you’re really a good singer?  Wanna know if your voice itself (the technique that makes all of your styling work) is really strong?  Are you willing to look under the hood and see if all your bells and whistles are hiding gaps and weakness that are putting your voice at risk for vocal damage?

Well, then.  Read on.

What is Vocal Styling?

Styling is anything we use to dress up a song; slides, dynamics, laying back or pushing a note, trills, etc.  Think of styling as a huge palate made for dozens of colors we use to paint a picture with our voice.

Styling should be a conscious decision, not an accidental habit.  You wouldn’t paint a landscape with only two colors and make all the shapes the same size.  You’d think about what colors are appropriate for different parts and you’d be careful not to paint over important details.  That’s the way to approach vocal styling.

One of the biggest downfalls found in styling come when we learn by copying what we hear other singers do.  We think that if we can copy what they do we will be good singers just like them.  But what they do, where and how they do it in a song, may cause problems when you try it on.

Some Styling is Hiding a Weak Voice

Copying another singers styling would work perfectly if we all had exactly the same type of voice, the same range and the same vocal tendencies.   But….we don’t.  

Our voices are as different as snowflakes.  So when we copy what another singer does we could be, and most often are, shoving a square peg in a round hole.  

That means we’re asking our voice to naturally do what it just can’t naturally do.  End result; vocal strain, weakness in parts of your range, a limited range, damage….the list goes on and on.

Some Styling is Sticking You in a Vocal Rut

Some of your styling may not be causing any vocal problems but instead may be such a habit that your voice literally can’t style a song any other way.  That means you’re painting the exact same picture with every song and that gets old to listen to.

To develop as an artist you need to know where those ruts are so that every song doesn’t sound exactly the same.

Some Styling is Over Done

Bling is a good thing.  But just like jewelry on a little black dress, restraint draws attention to you, not your bling.  That’s what we want as artists.  

Why is over styling a bad thing?  Because styling, just like color, can be used by anyone.  People won’t keep coming back to listen to you because you can do a mad trill.  They will come back because you let them connect with who you are, your songs and give them an experience they can’t get from every other singer that can do a mad trill.

Don’t let styling take a more important place than it deserves.

How to Test Your Styling

Remember when you just sang songs straight; no fancy stuff?  Yes, the good old boring days.  Well, I’ll bet you can’t do it now.  Don’t believe me?  Try it!

When you sing a song with NO styling, it’s really easy to hear weak places your styling has been hiding.  You can hear if your real voice is strong and fluid or if there are weird spots or limits to your ranges you didn’t really notice before.

Removing styling lets you to hear how good, or not, your vocal technique (the engine that runs everything) really is.

Fixing problems in your voice always begins with getting solid technique training.  Our tendency to style over unsure spots will only lead to more vocal problems.  

Build a stronger voice and learn the basics of styling and you can create any picture you want and paint beautiful songs like a pro with ease.

If you’d like to understand the basic types of vocal styling so you can start mixing and matching and creating your own unique vocal style, check out the video how to;  7 Steps to Successful Styling.

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

It doesn’t matter if you’re an indie artist, singing covers or even doing musicals, start sneaking one or more of these great vocal tips into your next performance and you’ll not only add to your own styling ability, but these tested and true tips will get your audience on their feet and coming back for more.

5. Sing phrases, not notes.

Singing notes is like hearing a violin pluck every tone of a song. Nice enough. But connecting the phrases is like the ebb and flow of the bow skillfully singing a story. Most singers sing notes, probably because we’re so focused on not missing any of them! But when you take a line and sing it long and connected, it not only improves the listenability of your performance, it allows you to do number four….

4. Tell a story.

Anyone can sing a song. And regardless of how talented you may be, there are plenty of people who can probably sing it better. But very few singers ever tell a story. Songs are nothing more than stories set to music. Once you know the basic rhythm and melody, focus only on the story of the song, how you can identify with it and how you can tell it in a way that brings people along. Good singers are a dime a dozen. If you an tell a story that people identify with they will come back for more.

3. Sing with your face.

The last time you griped about your day or told someone a secret your voice wasn’t the only thing talking; so was your face. Body language is a huge sign we rely on to decide whether or not we believe someone. If your face doesn’t reflect the story you’re singing, your audience is not gonna buy the performance… or your album. Bonus; when your face gets into it, your voice will want to take more risks too.

Watch yourself sing in a mirror. Do you look believable?  Get in touch with the emotion of the story.  It may take stepping outside of your comfort zone, but isn’t that what New Years resolutions are for anyway?

2. Go someplace with it already.

Just knowing the notes and the words is only the beginning of preparing to perform. Adding the story and the emotion is really important too. But NOW you get to add the magic; you get to make it your own.

Look over the lyrics and make some decisions. Where will you press into the notes and give them power? Where will you back off almost to a whisper and leave your audience on the tale end of a secret? Where will you slip in a trill and take them for a ride?  Style each song appropriate to your skill set and what fits the feel of the song and take some risks.

Even if the song you’re singing has been performed thousands of times by every major singer out there, NO ONE can sing it like you if you take the time to make it your own. Takes a little planning but the payoff is huge.

1. Hold the money note.

Ok. Here it is; the number one thing that impresses audiences; and it’s not even hard! You know that one note that’s the big ‘tah-dah’ moment? It’s usually at the end of a song, but sometimes it’s in a bridge. That’s the money note. Some singers trill around it before making a landing, some get in and out and are just glad to hit it (especially if it’s a bit high), but as simple as it sounds, the single biggest things crowds respond to is if you dig in and hold that sucker as long as you can.

Not sure you can hang on? You can increase your holding power by getting in the habit of holding the notes at the end of a phrase until it would be wrong to continue (like when the cord changes and you’d be out there on a limb alone… awkward. Don’t go there) The ability to hold a note a looooooooooooong time comes from a strong diaphragm muscle. It’s the muscle below the lungs we use to ‘belly breathe’ (watch a baby breathe; that’s all diaphragm, baby). Filling up your lungs won’t do it.

Here’s a simple way to increase your holding power; lie down. This kind of gets the shoulder-liftin’, lung breathing habit out of the way. Breathe in as slowly as you can and count in your head, ‘one thousand one, one thousand two….’ Then when you can’t take it any longer, breathe out as slowly as you can, counting from one again. Over time your time will improve, and so will your ability to hold that money note and wow your crowd!

This New Year, make a resolution to make every performance better than the last. Improve your skills and the experience you give your audience and you will gain the incredible satisfaction of knowing there is no one who can sing it like YOU!

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy