The video below is an online voice lesson of a young woman who has developed her pitch and vocal control, but has not yet developed the projection that she would like.
As you watch this video, notice the emphasis that is placed on breath and controlling the amount of air that is pushed through difficult notes. Keep in mind that this, along with most voice lessons online, intentionally over-emphasize certain skills so that it is easier to master the skill during true performances.
If this voice lesson seems odd to you because it doesn’t “feel” like singing, you are not alone. Many singers feel an initial frustration when they start taking lessons because the most time is dedicated to warm-ups and exercises, at least through the first few lessons.
Perhaps this can be understood when compared to working out your body: if you want to be able run faster, you must also stretch and do plyometrics. How does this make you run faster when you aren’t spending most of your time actually running? The answer is because you are building the same muscles that you need to run, but you are building them fast than you would if the only exercise you performed was jogging.
In the same way, vocal warm ups are extremely necessary in order to improve vocal range and increase projection. When you perform these warm up exercises, as demonstrated in the video above, you stretch and work the same muscles that need to be worked when you are performing. If you strengthen them, then hitting high notes, using vibrato, and projecting will be much easier when it comes time for you to perform.
Even celebrities perform rigorous vocal exercises to perfect their voices. Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift are a few among many students of Singing Success, the same company that produced the video above.
Hayley Williams from Paramore (see this post) says that she does not trust any other vocal training other than Singing Success, and she would rather fly Brett Manning (the creator) to her home than take lessons from any other voice instructor.
