Do singers need to get in the shed?
Does practise really make perfect? Or does it bed in frustration and fatigue?
I am working with an amazing artist who was predominantly a guitarist and producer but also a singer. He was getting increasingly frustrated with the productiveness of his singing practise.
Naturally he approaching his singing in the same method as he does his instruments. The phrase most musicians use is to ‘GET IN THE SHED’
This is what people use to describe shutting yourself away in a rehearsal room, or your whatever your ‘shed’ is for a season. This time is off stage, or screen and a safe place to drill scales, pieces technique etc until they are part of your musical memory.
I do think this is neccarsary to be an excellent musician, to build a sound and technique that serves you and know your instrument and have it be an extension of you.
Does this apply to singers??
Well in my Opinion yes and no!
I certainly had formative years when I locked myself away as a pre teen. I taught myself guitar with the tabs on top of sheet music I bought. I wore out my Mariah Carey’s Music box album learning EVERY riff and run, I wrote my own melodies and lyrics using her chord progressions. I was obsessed! This season totally informed so much of my musical understanding and i’m so grateful for it!
When is this not advisable?
Whilst I think singers can miss out of some of the building blocks of practise, compared to colleges who play instruments; we need to proceed with some thoughtfulness on the vocal load and consider what we are bringing to a time of rehearsal.
The fact that we can use our vocal folds as an instrument is MIND BLOWING. When you see an MRI of someone voicing and how the anatomy balances to produce sound, emotion, pitch… it is truly a miracle.
We CAN use our voice in this way, but the mechanisms are there to aid breathing, swallowing, stopping us choking! Phonating is FAR down the list of priorities.
Lets not forget that we carry our voices with us all day. Its unrealistic to have any sort of true vocal rest when we have family, children, shopping, jobs. If we are adding in 2-3 hours of unsupervised rehearsals trying to sing higher and faster every day we are likely to be on a train to vocal burn out or injury.
How to practise well:
Firstly check in with your why, your mindset:
Firstly come to your practise considering your vocal output daily.
Separate if you are doing a warm up or a time of practise. These are very different.
Remember that your instrument is an ACOUSTIC instrument made of LIVING TISSUE
- Handle with care and compassion. It is ROBUST but still your body with all its fragility and ever changing.
Practically:
Keep hydrated, systematically and topically (steamers, nebulisers and a big old bottle of water
Straws are your BFF (see previous blog post on this)
Be in a space with minimal distractions (get in the shed)
Inspiration or Imitation?
There is a very fine line between the two. Listen to your favourite singers and try and imitate them to see how they make their sounds. But its an exercise in exploration and vocal play. It is the best way to explore ones instrument, but it is always helpful to pull it through the filter of your own sound. Its important to move from imitation to inspiration IMO. We want to hear YOUR voice, not a carbon copy!
When you are practising please keep in mind:
Does this feel free? If yes, its usually good, repeat till its part of my muse memory
Does it feel like me?
Is there pain or discomfort?
When to get help?
There is so much help out there. If for what ever reason you are feeling stuck!
Whether you are creatively or vocally stuck or just want to have another set of eyes and ears on your process, get help!
If you are feeling discomfort or that your voice isn’t moving in a way that you want, please get help!
There are amazing vocal coaches, singing teachers, vocal manual and laryngeal therapists and even vocal rehab specialists ready to hold your hand and help you! There is always a path to more vocal ease, I promise.
