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One Size Does Not Fit All...

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Judging by Youtube and other websites, it seems that nearly every vocal coach or  teacher has a system, method or approach (also known as 'pedagogy') to singing. Everyone seems to have the golden rules to learning to sing, and believe that their way is best.

There's  Speech Level Singing, Bel Canto, Alexandra Technique, Estill, the list goes on. Some advocate head voice, some don't, some divide the  vocal tract into registers, some will swear by tone placement, some talk about the mask, some say forget about the mask. Others tell you about breath support and posture while some don't even mention it.

So what is the truth?    Which pedagogy is right?

Well, I believe the the truth is this. If you study all these vocal methods, systems and approaches you will find very quickly that there are five main principles underpinning them. They are:
  1. Posture
  2. Voice
  3. Breath
  4. Aural
  5. Self Awareness

These five principles are the foundation to successful singing skills.

At SOS we no longer focus on a method or system because we are all different and sticking to one system is not preferential for all. We want to be flexible and cater completely for the vocalist sitting in front us in the lesson at that moment. We focus on vocal technique through understanding the voice, anatomy and working to this successful rule:

       One size does not fit all!

    Quick Survey

3 important things I believe you must know before learning to sing

  1. You must WANT to sing  - No one can force you to sing if you don't want to but if you want to learn it helps if you have  passion, desire, determination and a love of singing. Even if you think you can't sing for toffee, just loving to sing is enough to learn.
  2. You must be willing to give time to the learning process-Singing doesn't happen overnight it's an art and it takes time to learn.  So be prepared to give yourself time to work with a coach and understand what it takes to develop strong vocal skills.
  3. You must have a goal- Your goal could be as simple as just wanting to a sing a song confidently for yourself or to auditon for X Factor. It's a place to start and a goal to finish.
3 things you diffenately DON'T need to know before learning to sing

  1. How to read or write music  - You don't need to know how to read or write sheet music in any way. You can learn this as you go along if you want.
  2. How to play an instrument - You don't need to know how to play a guitar or piano  for accompaniment. Many singers successfully use backing tracks to practice singing along with.
  3. How to sing - You don't need to know how to sing or have a natural singing voice. Many people won't explore singing because they think they do not have a natural singing voice. But, the truth is, if you can speak clearly you can sing because they are the same instrument!

Edyta's Testimonial

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"Everybody finds it difficult to overcome his/ her fear especially when we have to face a possibility that perhaps we are not capable of doing something we've been dreaming about.

Well, Dionne is definitely capable of pointing out that perhaps it's not a matter of lack of talent. It' s just the matter of being aware of what you should or shouldn't do while singing. 

I really believe that with the proper guidance we can move mountains and there is one person really I would like to thank for moving mountains that happen to be in my way - Dionne."   

Edyta Ciupak, Luton and Poland, Feb 2010.

Don't suffer in silence. Set you voice free. You can book lessons online now and start  as soon as next week.

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    If you have any queries ask them here

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Dionne
Principle Coach,
SOS Vocal Training

Ps: Remember there may be many approaches and systems being offered on the internet but they all agree on 5 important principles underpinning great singing skills: Breath, Voice, Posture, Aural Skills and Self awareness.

At SOS this is our own starting point to great vocal and singing technique.

Read about more about our 1-2-1 lessons. Book Online Today and you could start singing as soon as next week.