Singing For Dummies
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Use vocal variety in your song arrangement through variations in registration and resonance. If you make the same exact sound throughout the song, it sounds repetitive after the first few phrases. Gradually changing the vocal sounds shows off your versatility and provides a changing and flowing journey of sound throughout the song.

For example, you can sing the first phrase of your song in a head voice–dominated mix, the second phrase in a chest voice–dominated mix, and the next phrase using belt.

You may choose to sing softly and use your head voice or falsetto. If you speed up the tempo, you may want to belt the song. To know which sounds work really well, record yourself singing and listen back. You may have to experiment for a while and record yourself several times before you really find the sounds that fit your new version of the song.

Singers often say that it feels weird to change registers when they sing a song. Somehow they think that they’re supposed to sing in the same register throughout the song. The singers you hear on the radio shift registers, and so can you. Unless a spunky dance beat requires you to belt it out for the entire song, you’ll want variety in your sounds.

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Pamelia S. Phillips is a professional singer with over 35 years of teaching experience. She has designed curriculum for high school students, college BFA programs, and professional training programs, helping thousands of singers refine their singing technique.

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