Improving Your Skills

[lumbee_warrior]

For all you singers out there what are ways that you try to improve your skills as a singer?

[SmokeEater]

Sounds cliche`d but... keep singing. Sing everyday. Learn as much as you can.

[WhoMe]

Sounds cliche`d but... keep singing. Sing everyday. Learn as much as you can.

Smoke,

This is really great advice. There is no substitution for experience.

[Drumhopper1]

Personally speaking, I prefer to sing with a variety of different singers. It helps me learn to adjust to different singing styles and voice ranges.

[chipster]

When not singing, listen to your cds northern (powwow, round dance, etc.) & southern (powwow, gourd, 49). It helps to know different styles of songs, drumbeats, changes in vocal patterns, when to breathe, & making sure words or vocables are pronounced correctly in the song. When the feeling hits you to sing, just do it. Nothing better than experience, whether you're @ the drum or not. Singing comes from the heart, not just by memory.

[farmer ned]

Concentrate on your honor beats. Honor beats should stay in rythm with the speed of the drum. It's southern style: hit, fake a hit, hit, fake a hit, hit. It's not hard, however, every drum, even the center drum, can't seem to get this right. Singing is more than beating the life out of the drum, you and the drum are working together when singing. There is a sweet spot all drums have and you simply have to hear it to know how to hit it. Faster is NOT always better.. When your singing fast or you get out of your head and start swinging away at the drum like your mad (usually showing off) your gonna get the honor beats off so bad, you'll screw up the rythm of the song. The more experienced singers are the only ones that are able take a breather, like taking a rest in the middle of a song (in a series of songs), maybe 'cause they're old and tired (tired of having to keep up speed with new singers that are out there just to beat the life out of a drum), or some other reason. But they are the only ones that can do that. And DO NOT be talkin' while a song is being sung, that's disrespectful. Singing is a GOD given gift and we can use this gift to help our Indian people, so put your heart in it, let HIM hear your voice, feel it and jam. Jam for those who can't anymore and the future jammers.

[tsuj510]

Yep

Personally speaking, I prefer to sing with a variety of different singers. It helps me learn to adjust to different singing styles and voice ranges.

I mix up the genre too, as long as you sing and keep hitting notes in the range in question, you'll be good. I sing more NDN stuff a couple of days before the gig though, so I keep as fresh as possible.

Lemons and certain herbs help.

[TacO5000]

grab a lil drum stick beat the hell out of your dash and sing hard while driving! build up those voical cords!!! :)

[LSS]

grab a lil drum stick beat the hell out of your dash and sing hard while driving! build up those voical cords!!! :)

So I'm not the only one who does that huh! I'm surprised my airbag hasn't deployed on me...or my wife for that matter.

[TacO5000]

So I'm not the only one who does that huh! :

It's an oklahoma tradition!!!

[LSS]

It's an oklahoma tradition!!!

You can take that Spirit out of Oklahoma...but you can't take Oklahoma out of the Spirit huh?

[suthernwaterbird]

Number one thing...just go sing...don't worry bout tryna look cute...dont worry bout who's there, who's gonna hear you...forget tryna get rich..not gonna happen...just go out there and jam...don't hesitate, don't think about why you shouldn't just GO FOR IT...go by those words they'll take you places...and sing on your off time...if you want to hit higher notes...each day kinda try to sing a note higher then your usual...then focus on solidity and volume...try and sing it louder...worked for me...learn as many songs as you can..your brain never stops learning so don't limit it..it's a crime to yourself..and find an elder and ask them for guidance...not only will you be getting good info..but it makes those old ones feel good in their heart...and it'll come back around to you in a gooooot way..thas what my cohn told me anyway....but I'm not any first class bad a singer...just another guy that enjoys it...

[50cal]

I was told by a friend of mine......just sing.....and sing hard no matter what you're singing or who you are singing with.....doesn't matter who is sitting with you or who you'd rather have with you.....just sing and try your hardest....oh and sing from your diaphragm...(your gut)...and not your throat.....you'll end up losing your voice faster and not only that you can't hold your tune longer......learned that one from choir....LMAO!!!!

[lumbee_warrior]

good words fellas!!!! really good words!!!!!

[X49ER]

L W,

Well I will take it you mean having songs ready,

My Uncle always told me as far as songs go you have study, listen to recording sing song in your head but not random songs but some in order,

Since this is southern singing, like we sang for this round dance set at NMAI, I would get 6 - 8 round dance songs in order and sing them all week in that order, every morning, so when it came time to sing I had a good little set, If someone else sang one move on to the next, since I sang them in order just hum the tune and the next song just pops in my head,, Ayee , Good luck sing hard, One of my Uncles once told me all this stuff that he know about singing and Tradition did not just pop into his head he had to go out and search for it and talk to elders, When you seek advice from those real good ones stories just come out!!