Text versus video
Now videos are often fun to watch and ideal for demonstrating certain principles. However, you’d have to take notes all the time in order to avoid having to watch videos over and over.
No need. In Songbird you’ll find all important info from videos in text as well. Like handy checklists for example.
So why not just write a book on vocal jazz? Well, you would miss the videos in which I demonstrate things. Not to mention the 150 sing-along exercise videos.
So Songbird is in between a book and a video course. Aiming for the best of both worlds. Oh, and there is another hugely benificial side-effect of repeating parts of a video in text.. Repetition itself. The single most effective way to learn.
How to find your jazz voice
Please note that the instructions below are merely a reference. Ella Fitzgerald doesn’t sound like Diana Krall. Frank Sinatra doesn’t sound like Kurt Elling.
But these famous jazz voices do have things in common. So let’s see what they are…
Step 1 – Range
You could start by reading any article or blog out loud – not too loud :) – and than slowly add some made up melody to it.
Step 2 – Loudness/volume
Make it easy on yourself! The softer you sing – with a mic it can sound as loud as you want it to, but the audience should be able to follow the lyrics – the more room you have to add loudness/volume when needed (for dramatic effect or just to stress some important words in the lyrics).
However, singing in a way that is really comfortable for you is key. Don’t try hard to sing way softer than comfortable unless it is for dramatic effect.
In short, comfort is key!
Step 3 – clear
Jazz is generally sung with a microphone. A clear sound is the most common jazz sound. Your voice has a natural ‘timbre’ (the sound – amount and balance of highs and lows).
But keeping the mic nearer to your mouth will strengthen the low while keeping it further away will make your sound ‘thin’. So you can experiment with that as well.
