Why Can I Sing Great One Day,
but Sound Horrible the Next?
Q&A with Yvonne DeBandi

Q. Dear Coach - Last week I learned a new song and the first day working on it, I thought I sounded great. It was easy and the notes were not difficult to hit. Unfortunately, this morning when I sang it for some friends it didn't go nearly as well. This has happened before to me. Is this normal? Emily

A. Hi Emily,
While this is a phenomenon that challenges new singers more than trained professionals, it is very normal. Singers are much like athletes in that the amount of sleep, dietary choices and physical fitness play a big role in performance abilities. When I explain this to students in private lessons there are two analogies that seem to work the best: The first concept helps you understand the overall idea and the second concept is more specific on how to improve your consistency.

UNDERSTANDING the OVERALL CONCEPT:
Think of the old-timey elevators that used something like the arm of a clock to tell you what floor they were on. The basement would be shown as the arm pointing to the left (like 9:00) and the penthouse would be shown with the arm all the way to the right (like 3:00). Think of the penthouse as your goal - this is the point where you are able to balance out all of the vocal mechanics and support it with performance energy to get the best possible performance you can give.

Now....what floor did you wake up on this morning? If you woke up in the basement you might have to do some extra cardio exercises or lengthen your warm-up routine to make it up to the penthouse in time for your performance. However, for those that maintain their voice and stay fit...they wake-up closer and closer to the penthouse every day.

To summarize, because our bodies/vocal instruments are greatly affected by outside influences, we have to learn to recognize the needed balance - those sensations and mechanical functions required to consistently perform in best voice. Once you can identify and recognize those sensations, you can specifically work to improve your consistency.

IDENTIFYING and APPLYING:
Think of a swing or a pendulum and imagine it moving back and from left to right (like swinging DOWN from 9:00, to 3:00 and back). Now think about 6:00 - straight down as being your goal. When you are able to balance everything needed (vocal mechanics and performance energy) the swing/pendulum will manage to remain perfectly still in that down (6:00) position.

So next time you are singing and you go to hit that high note, and overshoot just a bit -- think about it like you overshot your balance point. Now how far past it did you go - did it swing all the way to 3:00 or did it just swing over to 5:00? Try to be very specific. What caused it to overshoot? Too much air, too much force, too much tension, etc.?

And when you undershoot the pitch/phrase or your vocal tone collapses or cracks...what caused the breakdown? Too little air, too little support, too little energy, etc.? Was it a big error swinging you all the way to 9:00 or just a slight miscalculation?

CONCLUSION
Your ability to understand that you gave too much or too little is a big part of managing your vocal development. The more specific you are with your analyzation, the faster your singing progress. In conclusion, only when you learn to balance your vocal mechanics and performance energy will you be able to consistently sing in your best voice.

If the idea of vocal mechanics is foriegn to you, consider reviewing the Singing is Easy curriculum. It provides specific information with regard to each vocal mechanic and can help you pinpoint your weak spots as well as help you develop a plan for improvement. You can learn about this independent study course at http://SingingIsEasy.com and http://SingSmart.com.

Good luck to you and hope this helps!

SINGcerely,

Coach Yvonne
http://SingSmart.com