Vocal Exercises

QUICK AND EASY VOCAL WARM-UPS

ZOUNDS!
* stretch and yawn; hold the ending "ah" sound; relax your throat and jaws
* chew the letter "N" on both sides of the mouth
* shake out your face and lips, high and low
* feel different parts of mouth and nasal passages vibrate with these different sounds:
MMMMMMMMMMMMMM... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE... NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN...
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV... ThThThThThThThThThThTh...
Mum Mum Mum Mum Mum Mum Mum Mum Mum Mum Mum Mum Mum
* open your mouth , eyes, and face as wide as you can on the last syllable of:
Mumula Mumula Mumula Mumula Mumula Mumula Mumula Mumula

SILLY PHRASES
Each phrase features different difficult consonant combinations. Start slow, over-articulating and then increase speed:

Red letter, yellow letter
Good blood, bad blood
Eleven benevolent elephants
Teaching ghosts to sing
The big, black-backed bumblebee
A critical cricket critic
Selfish shellfish
Really rural
Unique New York
The tip of the tongue, the lips, the teeth
To titillate your tastebuds, we've got these tasty tidbits
Hemorrhoidal removal


COGNATES

* Feel a pulse in your diaphragm with the following sounds

unvoiced: PUH PUH PUH PUH PUH PUH
VOICED: BUH BUH BUH BUH BUH BUH

unvoiced: TUH TUH TUH TUH TUH TUH
VOICED: DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH

unvoiced: KUH KUH KUH KUH KUH KUH
VOICED: GUH GUH GUH GUH GUH GUH

TONGUE TWISTER!
* This long tongue twister contains many buzz sounds and difficult consonant combinations. It is possible to say all in one breath if you use diaphramatic breathing and carefully control the volume of air expelled. Articulate every sound!

What a to-do to die today at a minute or two to two,
a thing distinctly hard to say but harder still to do.
for they'll beat a tattoo at a quarter to two:
a rat-ta tat-tat ta tat-tat ta to-to.
and the dragon will come when he hears the drum
at a minute or two to two today, at a minute or two to two

Song Selection

Song selection is an important issue when it comes to competing in a Karaoke Competition. It is where many otherwise talented singers go seriously wrong. Included below are some tips to help steer you in the right direction.

While it is nearly impossible to tell any singer which song to choose, we here at OnlinePopstar feel confident that the following DO NOT SING list should be strictly adhered to (for reasons far too obvious to mention.)

What NOT to sing:

You Light Up My Life, Debbie Boone

Paradise by the Dashboard Light, Meat Loaf

Sunshine on My Shoulders, John Denver

Achy Breaky Heart, Billy Ray Cyrus

Piece of My Heart, Janis Joplin

All the Girls I've Loved Before, Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias

In the Ghetto, Elvis Presley

What I Am, Edie Brickell

Ice Ice Baby, Vanilla Ice

Physical, Olivia Newton John

That said, we'd like to point you in a more positive direction to selecting songs that are uniquely suited to your voice, style, and attitude.

The following tips are some factors you may want to consider:

Vocal Skill –

-Do you hit all the notes? (Did you hit the center of the note or fumble around until you found it?)

-Do you have good diction? (Did you pronounce all words properly? Could the audience clearly understand what you where singing?)

-Do you sing all the words in the right order? (Did you sing the second verse twice, or sing during an instrumental break?)

-Do you have a rich sound? (Did you just struggle to get the note out or did you hit it like you have done it a million times?)

Song Selection – (It's a biggie!)

-Is the song challenging? (Does it have a variety of high and low notes, or is it an easy song?)

-Safe or a challenge to sing? (Did you shy away from a more difficult song and play it safe?)

-Was the song "nice", or was it amazing?

Stage Presence –

-Are you comfortable on the stage? (Do you look "at home", or are you unnatural on the stage?)

-Are you nervous or apprehensive? (Are you shaking, or statue-like, are you distracted by your nerves?)

-Are you connecting with the audience? (Are you facing the audience, and making eye contact?)

-Are you enjoying yourself on the stage? (Are you dancing or moving to the music, can we tell that you are feeling the music?)

-Are you natural? (Are you doing what comes naturally or is a forced motion?)