From Vocal Exercises to Songs: Bridging the Gap
Yes! You’ve mastered that vocal exercise!
A five-note ascending and descending scale that stays crisp and fresh, perfectly balanced on the breath, and even opens up beautifully at the top.
Of course it should! You’ve practised it a thousand times!
Now it’s time to sing a song and apply that same technique to your repertoire…
Oh no!
You’ve suddenly discovered a disconnect. The technique that worked so beautifully in your vocal exercise doesn’t seem to carry across into the song.
Don’t worry, you’re certainly not alone! This is a common challenge for singers who struggle to incorporate the technique they’ve developed through vocal exercises into their repertoire.
So, what can we do?
Well, I’m glad you’re reading!
Let’s build a bridge between vocal exercises and songs.
Short melodic phrases of four to eight bars can be a wonderful stepping stone. They’re not quite songs, but they’re not your usual scales either. They’re somewhere in between, which is exactly what makes them so useful!
Unlike a predictable scale, a melodic phrase incorporates a variety of intervals, changes in direction and musical shapes that more closely resemble the demands of a song.
Start by singing these short melodic phrases on a vowel, much like you would with a traditional vocalise. This allows you to focus on maintaining the technical coordination you’ve already established in your exercises, while introducing a little more melodic complexity.
Once that coordination feels comfortable and consistent, let’s add some words!
Introducing lyrics gradually brings us another step closer to singing repertoire, helping us maintain the same technical freedom while navigating consonants, changing vowels and the natural demands of language.
And there we have it! A bridge between exercises and songs.
This is just one of many ways to keep your mind actively engaged in developing a versatile and adaptable vocal technique.
After all, the goal isn’t simply to sing a perfect scale. It’s to develop a technique that allows you to sing music with greater freedom, confidence and expression!
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