I often recieve emails, letters and phone calls about vocals. The question I am always asked is, "can too much coaching and practising ruin my voice, because my teacher or who ever says it can?" Firstly I would like to say that who ever these people are, they are obviously not true professionals otherwise they would know the facts. The answer to this question is, "No, too much coaching and practising can not ruin your vocals as long as you warm up and and warm down properly, and give your vocals the rest that they need."

Now there is a lot that a vocalist needs to know about their vocals. Unfortunately, there is way too much information for an advice page. There are a lot of key points which even those that are signed don't even know about. But I will say this about vocals. As a vocalist, your vocals are your instrument, which means your body becomes your instrument. Just like a guitarist, a guitarist knows their instrument inside out. What to do if a string breaks and what to do if it needs re-tuning etc. The same thing applies to vocals, but instead of understanding the technical side of things like you would with a guitar, you need to understand the biology behind your vocals, like what's happening inside your body when you sing. This is what brings me to Mark Baxter. Mark is probably one of the top, most well respected vocal instructures in the USA. Mark knows absolutely everything there is to know about vocals and has trained many top acts in the USA.

So, what has this got to do with help and advice I hear you ask? Well, as mentioned, there is too much information that you need to know and there just won't be enough space to put it all on here, but, Mark has a website. Because things like moist, cold and hot weather conditions and the enviroment around you can affect your vocals aswell as what you eat and drink, and because of the whole biology of the vocals, Mark has set up this website to explain everything in detail. On this site you'll find a "free lessons Q & A" page. Every question you can think of is answered on this page and it also trains you at the same time. Topics include; breathing technique/power breathing, warming up, and how to avoid damage, what to do if you get a cold etc. There's also a page for voice and video lessons too. Now the video voice lessons is a way that Mark can help you train if you don't live anywhere near his vocal studios. This video is not a pre-recorded series, it is filmed as you need it. You send a tape of you singing, just a normal audio tape and he will send you a video tape of what to do next etc. Where the camera is, well basically it is as if he is talking to you via a video link. This is, however, very expensive for those living outside the US. There is also his book "The Rock-N-Roll Singer's Survival Manual," which you might be able to buy via your local book shop or order it direct from his website. His vocal studios are in "New York, Boston and Los Angeles," you'll have to visit the site and contact him to get the exact locations. Also, if you still have a question, or something you don't quite understand or maybe you just have a querie, then don't hesitate in contacting him directly. There is a contact page with his email address on. Here's the website address;

http://www.voicelesson.com

Be sure to visit the site, you will not be disapointed. You will come away understanding your vocals much better...

Song Structure

Structure is an important part of song writing. It doesn't matter what style the song is in, the song always has structure and instrumentation from start to end in both lyrical and musical form. When you listen to a song by any Artist in any style you'll notice the following key points of the their song; Introduction, Verse, Bridge (optional), Chorus and Fade Out or End.

To give you an example I have chosen "Baby one more time" by Britney Spears. Due to copyright and publishing I am not able to post the lyrics on the site, but there is no harm in you listening to the song and writing out the lyrics as you hear them. By doing this you'll have a better understanding of the below structure...

Intro: The song starts with a guitar riff followed by ad libs.

Line 1 = 5 syllables
Line 2 = 5 syllables

Verse 1: The verse comes in with six lines. Each line has a certain amount of syllables. Notice that lines 1-3 are nearly the same as lines 4-6;

Line 1 = 5 syllables
Line 2 = 8 syllables
Line 3 = 12 syllables
Line 4 = 5 syllables
Line 5 = 12 syllables
Line 6 = 11 syllables

Bridge 1: Here you'll notice that the bridge sounds like a continuation of verse 1, but you can tell it is a bridge by the sudden change in the music and vocal melody. The bridge contains 2 lines;

Line 1 = 8 syllables
Line 2 = 19 syllables

Chorus 1: The chorus contains 5 lines:

Line 1 = 13 syllables
Line 2 = 12 syllables
Line 3 = 15 syllables
Line 4 = 6 syllables
Line 5 = 10 syllables

Verse 2: Again, this verse contains 6 lines. Notice how each line of this verse in syllables either match that of verse 1 or are within the same amount of syllables;

Line 1 = 5 syllables
Line 2 = 9 syllables
Line 3 = 10 syllables
Line 4 = 5 syllables
Line 5 = 13 syllables
Line 6 = 12 syllables

Bridge 1 Repeat: This bridge is exactly the same apart from the last line, where an extra word has been added, so technically it is still the same because there's only a 3 syllable difference, but some may call it Bridge 2 because of the change;

Line 1 = 8 syllables
Line 2 = 22 syllables

Chorus 1 Repeat: Notice how this chorus matches exaclty to chorus 1, this is why we call it "Chorus 1 Repeat."

Line 1 = 13 syllables
Line 2 = 12 syllables
Line 3 = 15 syllables
Line 4 = 6 syllables
Line 5 = 10 syllables

Instrumental: Here is the part where it becomes instrumental but with the ad libs from the intro, but with a third line;

Line 1 = 5 syllables
Line 2 = 5 syllables
Line 3 = 3 syllables


Bridge 2: Notice how there's a change in the amount of syllables. Because it is different it becomes Bridge 2, not just because of the syllables, but because of the change in lyrics;

Line 1 = 15 syllables
Line 2 = 12 syllables

Chorus 2: Now here comes the most noticable changes as to why we call it "Chorus 2" instead of "Chorus 1 Repeat." Notice how this chorus still says the same thing, but is worded in a different way, not only that the chorus change becomes 7 lines;

Line 1 = 8 syllables
Line 2 = 9 syllables
Line 3 = 7 syllables
Line 4 = 10 syllables
Line 5 = 8 syllables
Line 6 = 8 syllables
Line 7 = 10 syllables

Chorus 1 Repeat: Notice here, the song goes back to the original structure. See the above "Chorus 1 and Chorus 1 Repeat;"

Chorus 2 Repeat: Again, notice here, the song goes to "Chorus 2," then ends on the last word of the last line. See above "Chorus 2."

So there you can see the structure. So, what's so important about the syllables? Well, the syllables will match the melody in notes. Say for instance you was to sing the word "forever," that will be "3/4 syllables," depending on how you sing it, therefore, the melody will have "3/4 notes" for that word. The same applies from "line to line." Also, if you was to carry this word, you would carry the last syllable with the last note. So there you have the structure from "intro to end" and "line to line." Also, from this you can see that the same principles apply to writing the music. This helps with the instrumentation of your musical arrangement.

Ok, so looking at the song above you'll notice three things, repetition, blance and form. Listen to any song and what do you hear most? The chorus and the chorus has a "hook" line and this "hook" line is normally the title of the song. Why? because it's memorable. Just with the song that I have used, the last line of the chorus is the "hook" line. This applies to all styles of music, not just pop. Everything from rock to R&B to Country etc. So why is the "hook" line the most memorable part of the song? Because it's the "hook" line that sticks in your mind the most. It leaves a lasting impression on the listener. Also, the music repeats it's self aswell.

So, where's the balance? Well the balance is the amount of lines per verse, bridge and chorus. A verse can be anything from 4,5,6,7,8,9 or even 10 lines. So all other verses should contain the same amount of lines. But I do suggest that if a verse is 10 lines or more, then don't use a bridge. But then it's up to the writer of the song. The balance is also the amount of syllables per line, per verse, bridge and chorus. As you can see in the above structure, each line from each verse has approximately the same amount of syllables and some lines are equal. You'll also notice how the chorus repeats it's self word for word a couple of times, before at the end of the song you see a change in the chorus. 99% of the time the chorus is the same apart from the exception that the final chorus will sometimes contain changes.

Now where's the form? Well, if you listen to any song you'll notice something that is different between all songs - the time of the song, how long it lasts. Most songs today are between three and a half minutes to four and a half minutes long. This becomes very important to you as a songwriter. Why? Because if you was to send your latest demo off to a record/publishing company or act for their consideration, they will only listen to about 1 minute of it, and/or 1 minute of each song. So it's important that you capture their interest in the song in this time. So writing a song that is over 6 minutes long, the rest of it will not be listened to, unless you capture their interest. So the formation of the song becomes very important. At the introduction to the song, it's best to set the mood of the song, so depending on the song whether it is happy or sad. Also a song most of the time starts with an instrumental, this can be all or part of the chorus, but without the vocals. Now depending on how long your verses are will depend whether or not you go straight into the chorus or go from the verse to the bridge. The average length of a verse is around 4 lines with a two line bridge going into the chorus. But if we look at Britney's song above you'll notice the verses have six lines with a two line bridge before going into the chorus. This is also an average length to today's songs. So as a songwriter you need to decide how many lines per verse, bridge and chorus you are going to have. I know of songs that have four verses, but each verse is made up of three lines, there's no bridge, so it goes straight into the chorus which is around eight lines. Also your form can be anything from the above form in Britney's song or you can have verse 1, bridge, chorus, verse 2, bridge, chorus, instrumental, chorus to fade. What you can do with the form is endless as long as you stick to the structure of each individual verse, bridge and chorus.

Whether you just want to be a songwriter and have acts cover your material or whether you are an act writing your own material, you have to sell your song to the person who is listening to it. With the repetition, balance and form you are making it easier for the listener to relate to the song it's self. Your chorus ("hook" line) will be the strongest part of the song both musically and lyrically, so there has to be a difference between the verses and chorus and bridge if you are using a bridge in your song.

A Guide To Demo's:

As a songwriter or a performer, your demo is your main and one of your most important tools. If you just want to be a songwriter then you should send your demo's to a publishing company, especially those that deal in your specific style of music. It is a waste of your time and their time if they do not deal in your style of music. After landing a publishing contract you can then think about promoting your material to record companies and acts alike, again, make sure they deal in your style of music. Always make sure you research record/publishing companies and acts before sending in any material.

The same applies to those who are just singers. If as a singer you don't write your own material, then you will be looking to cover original works that have been written by people who just wish to be songwriters. You will be looking for a recording contract and as you don't wrtie your own material, on your demo's you will be covering well known songs to demostrate your singing ability. Now when doing this, it is important that you do not cover songs that are out of your vocal range and do not suit your vocal style, otherwise you will struggle with these songs. Always do songs that are within your vocal range and suit your vocal style. Also, when sending your demo's off to record companies, make sure you research the record companies. Again, as I have already said, it is a waste of everyones time if the record company you approach doesn't deal in your chosen style of music. Let's face it, a heavy metal band will not approach a record company like Jive records who deal with the likes of the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. Also you may want to consider sendind your demo's to music management companies. Either way, whether you are signed or not, you will need management. By sendong your demo's to a management company and they like what they hear, then you will have an advantage other acts. Music management companies are well connected within the music industry and it is guaranteed that your demo's will be listened to. Be careful when selecting a music management company because some will only deal with certain types of acts, just like the record companies.

Now not everyone can afford to pay for time in the studio to have their demo's professionally done. Which is why I suggest you try and get signed with a management company first. They will take care of all the costs involved. But if you have access to basic recording equipment or a karaoke machine, then these will do fine just to demostrate your singing ability. No matter how poor or good the actual recording quality is, the music management companies and A&R Staff will be able to tell how good you actually are. They know that not everyone can afford time in the studio, so there is no need to apologise for the quality of the recording. If you don't have access to any form of recording equipment, then you can always try to arrange an audition with the management companies and record companies. They will know either way whether you have potential. Still signing with a mangement company first will give you that extra added touch of professionalism, therefore you will stand out above the rest of the acts if you have a management company approach a record company on your behalf.

Still, whether you are just a songwriter looking for a publishing contract or an act looking for a recording contract, there are some issues to consider when putting your demo's together. Below is a list of tips to consider when putting your demo together.

1: Use a good quality tape and the best recording system that you can.

2: Only put a maximum of three tracks on the demo and put what you think the best out of the three first. Always remember that you are trying to make an impact, you are trying to sell yourself. Make sure your chosen tracks get straight into it, no long intro's because most of the time only the first minute of each track will be listened to.

3: If you are just demostrating your ability to sing, then as I have alrady said, don't do songs that are not within your vocal range and suit your vocal style. Choose your songs very carefully.

4: Clearly label your demo's with the track list, your name and contact details.

5: Include a biography containing all the general information about yourself or the band. Hobbies ans interests, height, weight etc, and include portrait and full body pictures. If you are a band, then include group shots and individual portrait shots. Make the biography a group biography with each individual member of the band having their own page.

6: Include a cover letter explaining who you are and what it is you are looking for. Whether you are a solo artist or band looking to cover original songs by songwriters or you write your own material, what instruments you play.

7: Once again, only send demo's to record/publishing companies that deal in your chosen style of music.

8: The same applies if you write your own material and you are a singer/songwriter.