I sang from my nose for YEARS until I got proper vocal training! My parents put me in guitar lessons at a young age and I loved to sing. Actually, learning to play the guitar was more of an excuse to be able to accompany myself when I sang. Keep in mind that there was no such thing as karaoke tracks back then. The common mortal didn't know of the Internet yet. We didn't even have a computer! It's amazing how technology has evolved in the last 50 years but that is another topic...
I went on to study classical guitar in CEGEP (a post-high school requirement in preparation for university). The choir director of the program, Mrs. Sultan, noticed my voice. It didn't gel well with the other sopranos and pierced through the group but still she heard some potential in my natural volume considering my petite 5' tall stature. I thank her for encouraging me to take voice as a second instrument as opposed to the default piano.
I remember my first lesson like it was yesterday. I was quite nervous to sing for my new teacher, a lovely lady and fabulous mezzo-soprano. I was hardly finished my first song when she interrupted: “Your voice is too nasal!”. My heart sank. I wasn't used to being given honest feedback. I preferred compliments!
I had no idea that my voice was nasal until then... But I knew what nasal voices sounded like and I didn't like nasal singing. And yet I apparently sang nasally myself too! Oh crap! I suddenly felt embarrassed for all those times I performed with my nasal voice and wondered what opportunities it had unknowingly cost me to sing this way...
During that lesson, I learned a very valuable strategy to recognize whether I sang nasally and I'm just about to share it with you!
To know if you sing in your nose, sing or say something and pinch your nostrils on and off at the same time. If the tone of your voice changes when you pinch your nostrils, it means that there is too much resonance in your nose. And voila!
Identifying my biggest flaw was enlightening yet a bit of a shock to say the least but that wasn't the worst part...
The worst part was that I couldn't figure out WHY I was singing in my nose...
Here is what I later discovered... The face is an important component of our resonance chambers. More so our sinuses that play a major role in defining the quality and colour of our voice. But singing nasally is only the symptom of a larger problem.
You see, there is a lot of energy in the voice. It needs a lot of space to resonate freely. If resonance cannot access most areas of your vocal box, it finds refuge in the nose. Since that space is relatively small, it takes a lot of power to push it through there. Try pushing an elephant through a small mouse hole!
If you have tried singing higher but are stuck in your lower register... If you need to push excessively to hit high notes... If you experience repeated vocal fatigue after singing... If you have tried to beautify your tone but you aren't getting the results you want... And if you are singing nasally... Then you now understand the interconnectedness of these issues.
Basic understanding of correct vocal technique would easily fix this. To eliminate nasality you need adequate:
1) Visualization 2) Breath and support management 3) Resonance placement 4) Enunciation 5) Relaxation
The simple, yet missing secret to unlocking EVERYTHING you have ever desired out of your voice is to GET CLEAR with these 5 simple yet extremely effective singing foundational principles...
Many members of this group ask me for vocal exercises that will fix these issues. There is no “one solution fixes all.” What these singing exercises will correct depends on your unique situation. When you learn strategies tailored to your individual needs, they begin to achieve what they were set to accomplish. I can give you pointers in the group but it's impossible to explain in a Facebook post solutions to what many spend years trying to figure out. If singing were that easy, we wouldn't be having these discussions!
For those looking to discover the skill of these little known strategies that will enable you to transform your voice and sing songs that you never thought possible, I offer private vocal coaching to provide you with the necessary vocal techniques to get you on the right course.
Singing is supposed to be easy. It’s not that hard when you know what you're doing! You can either spend years neglecting your voice by trying to figure it out on your own or invest in developing a solid understanding of your instrument. Imagine the satisfaction of LOVING to hear yourself on a recording. The possibilities of vocal freedom! Ending years of feeling self-conscious and be excited to sing in front of an audience instead. Putting on a stunning performance that will get you fans for life.
Get inspired and head over to my calendar to set up a time so that we can start drafting a plan towards INCREDIBLE vocal success:
This phone consultation is absolutely FREE!
You deserve the BEST,
Val