INTRODUCTION

If you joined YuBi has trainees, then surely you want to actually get trained and get better, right? I know some of you want to be Idols for real, while others only consider this a hobby, but whatever your plans are, I think reading this can do you no harm. :)

Who are we? Singing tips have been written and compiled by Lily, aka Lydine. No I am not a vocal coach, nor am I a professional singer, if you hear my own covers, you would know. I don't consider I'm that good of a singer, but you know what they say: Those who don't know how to do something teach it and those who don't know how to teach judge. XD Let me be both of the last two. Anyway, this is something I've learn through my many contacts with music.

Rapping tips have been written by YooBi, aka YooBi_CEO. Like Lily, I am not a vocal coach, nor am I a professional singer nor am i a prof rapper or composer either.

If somehow you disagree with what is being said, feel free to let us know, you may certainly be right. If you want to add something to this, feel also free to let us know. It's always nice to share your knowledge with others.

DEFINITIONS

Straight tone:

A voice that doesn't have any particular technique.

Vibrato:

Technique that allows the singer to change the pitch around a note. This is the kind of sound you produce when you try to hold a note while tapping on your larynx.

Tremolo:

Technique that allows the singer to change the volume around a note. To get this effect, you just have to sing louder or add resonance.

Falsetto:

Technique that allows the singer to sing higher notes with a breathier voice. This effect is produced by sending the air on the back of the throat and letting more air pass through the vocal cords than usual. The larynx is usually relaxed for such an effect.

Legato:

The notes are tied together and flow so that each note is barely distinguishable from the previous.

Staccato:

The notes are short and very distinct from one another.

Head voice:

The sound that uses the head as a resonance area.

Chest voice:

The sound that uses the chest and belly as resonance area.

Modal voice:

The notes that are closer to your speaking voice.

High Notes, Middle Notes and Low Notes:

The musical notes as they appear on a staff. They changes depending on the singing range and vocal ability of the singer meaning someone's high note could be someone else's low note.

REGISTERS

You have numerous registers, depending on the pedagogy you are following... The deepest register is the Vocal Fry. It's the sound you make when you go way deep, it actually sounds a natural vibrato, kinda robotic too. XD Then you have the Chest voice, the Mix and the Head voice and they (usually) form the Modal Register. Then you have the Falsetto Register and then you have the Whistle Voice, the highest human register possible. You can speak and sing in all registers if you can reach them, I'm talking about the Whistle voice here, though it is usually harder for women to produce falsetto. There are actually a lot of debates about whether or not a woman can produce a falsetto. But since I'm pretty sure they can, just try singing One Republic's Apologize and you'll see, for now I'm going to assume everyone can do that. 

TRAINING

Training should be done up to 6 days a week, to leave a time for the voice to relax. A practice should last around an hour to an hour and a half, because vocal folds are muscles and get tired easily. Just like if you were lifting weight, you are better to train steadily each day or so instead of pushing your voice to the limit only once in a while. Practice should always beginning by a warm up. You should practice diligently and even put it in your calendar, at the same time everyday. Make sure you pick a moment when you can really sing freely, without having to worry about other people listening or being disturbed. I actually suggest taking a shower and singing in the shower since it really is a place when you don't have to worry about dehydratation. Since humid spaces don't carry as much as dry spaces, be careful not to push your voice too much.

Warming up

Warm up is always done at the beginning. It is not supposed to be harmful for the voice so it could be done everyday, even on your rest day. Singing is done with a lot more of your body then you would think. It requires the throat, yes, but also the jaw, the head, the chest, the abs and the kinda the whole torso! You would know which muscles if you try to cough. Great singers have healthy abs muscles, lol! So because singing is muscular, you might want to start by warming those muscles! Start by relaxing the muscles in your jaw by yawning. Then you can cough gently. It start engaging the muscles of your torso that should be used when singing and preparing them. Roll your lips to remove tensions. You may feel like Jar Jar Binks. Stretch you neck by shaking your head to say yes, no and maybe (or I don't know). You can do lip rolls at the same time, as long as you make sure you don't go stiff. Lip rolls are great and you can use them to increase your vocal range. Try to do a "b" sound while lip rolling and test your range. Bring it high, then low, then high again, etc. Try with a piano and see if you can lip roll high notes. This is a safe thing to do as it doesn't cause strain to your voice! 

What to do during training?

You can practice technique or practice a song in particular. It might be good to change style and explore a little. If you are used to ballads, try rock. If you are used to pop, try country! Exploring different styles is really god for your voice because different styles demand different techniques and overall, you are going to get better. Variety is good.

Alimentation:

When training or in general, you would want to stay away from food that cause mucus accumulation in the throat such as dairy products or very sugary foods, as well as very acid foods that can cause reflux such as lemonade. Pay attention to always keep yourself hydrated, so you might want to carry a room-temperature water bottle. Too cold or too hot can be harmful to your throat and so, to your voice as well. If you feel hungry during your practice, try to keep yourself from eating sugary, salty or fat food because they can cause mucus, dehydration and acid reflux respectively. You should try fruits and vegetables. They are full of vitamins and water and that helps reduce any swelling in your throat. Apples are good. Honey lemon tea is also good to reduce inflammation that occurs when training your vocal chords. Be caution not to make it too hot, though, warm is good enough.

HIGH NOTES

During high note training:

- Don't lift your head as if the note is in the sky, instead, think of the note as farther away in front of you and try to keep your larynx relaxed. Extending your neck in either direction or doing the opposite and trying to hold your neck back can cause strain as it contracts the muscles of your neck.

- Don't scream the note. It is a very bad habit to get. You should start by getting the note right and then add effects such as tremolo if you want to. And if you really want to be louder, use head resonance instead of basic screaming since screaming can hurt your voice.

- Start with a high~middle note and working your way up, try to use falsetto first, then tighten and control until you reach the same note with a head voice.

- Don't try to immediately get that high note. Work your way up. This can also count as warm up. Practice with going from C to G to C again and then move on to D, etc. (for instance: "C4, D4, E4, F4, G4, F4, E4, D4, C4", "D4, E4, F4, G4, A4, G4, F4, E4, D4", "E4, F4, G4, A4, B4, A4, G4, F4, E4", "F4, G4, A4, B4, C5, B4, A4, G4, F4,", etc.)

- Use lip rolls to test your range. Try rolling a "b" sound and keep you neck and shoulder relax while only engaging the abdomen if needed. So stay relax, but firm and roll crescendos and decrescendos. This will not cause strain on your voice so it's the ideal moment to try and go as high as you can.

When you want to hit the high notes in a song in particular:

Break the notes apart and sing them individually when you reach a difficult or high area (practice each note individually)

Outside of training your high notes:

You can train your high notes without actually training your high notes, it's magical! Work on your middle notes to make sure you train your voice without straining. Practicing and straining your voice during high notes can result in worse high notes than no practice. Working on your middle notes can also help widen your range. You should master middle notes before mastering high notes. The more you work on your middle notes, the more your voice will be "ready" when you switch to high notes and it makes all the difference.

LOW NOTES

Low notes are the lowest part of your Modal range, just before you reach your Vocal Fry register. Depending on the singer's ability and natural range, it can go very low or be very high.

- Breath properly. People tend to use a very deep breath for high notes but forget to do the same for low notes. If you don't breath properly or have enough air during your notes, it's going to sound breathy.

- Use your chest as resonance area but don't force it. Low notes are part of what you should do with your Chest Voice but they also resonate in the sinuses near the nose and mouth area. Try to feel the air and it'll help you find a better resonance, meaning you won't have to push so much on those notes and it'll be easier.

- Don't be clenched or tight. Relax will allow the vocal chords to be more flexible and again, it puts less strain. It's going to be easier to reach low notes if you don't clecnch your muscle or neck area.

- When you sing low notes, the larynx has to move a little lower (this is why boys have a deepervoice, because their laryns is lower which is why you can see it in the form of an Adam Apple!) but let it drop naturally, don't force it down if you are not used to it because you can strain.

- Do not open your voice wider than you would usually do because the sound won't be as strong and won't travel and it'll sound dull.

- You can also practice with Vocal Fry.

VIBRATO

Vibrato is a stylistic element that make the voice appear more beautiful. Ears are attracted to approximately 6 "waves" in the sound by second! You can train vibrato. Try to pick two notes that aren't that away from each other, pitch-wise (like a A and a B) and alternate between the two, making sure you tie them together (legato). Then, progressively start to go faster. 

VOCAL FRY

The deepest human register, the vocal fry sounds raspy and slightly robot-like. You can sing in this register just like you can talk in this register. It's easy to train Vocal Fry once you've picked it up and know how you sound when you sing or speak in that register. Vocal Fry is not more harmful to your voice than a modal register or a falsetto register, althought it may sound like it is, but like any other types of singing, shouldn't be overdone. Vocal fry can actually help you voice rest and get better after a harsh treatement. Many singers actually speak in Vocal Fry before a performance. I think Hyorin said she did.

Finding your Vocal Fry:

Pick an instrument and try to go the lowest you possibly can. When your voice gets "croaky" and you really feel the vibrations, that's when you've attained Vocal Fry, most likely. Now try to speak in that register. 

Vocal Fry and low notes:

Vocal fry helps putting more effect into your voice and make it seem really polished or finished but still natural. Going into your vocal fry before you hit a low note makes it easier to reach that note and produce a more beautiful sound. So if you have problems hitting the low notes, try going into the vocal fry first. To practice that, try speaking and adding a vocal fry to the beginning of your words. It will sound like you are a dying frog, but most vocal exercices don't look smart.

Vocal Fry and high notes:

Although the Vocal Fry is a low register, it can still be paired with high notes. In fact, the Vocal Fry puts the vocal folds into a light compression but still relaxed state that makes it easier to compress and get a high note. So transitioning from a vocal fry to a high note is possible and not that difficult. You can practice that. 

So you can see how the Vocal Fry is a state that is very easy on the voice and helps you transition into a Modal Register quite easily, even allowing you to reach high notes.

PERSONNALITY OF A RAPPER

A rappper, first and for most, must have their own style, feel, soul and confidence. A rappers personality defines the uniqeness of the rapper and their music. So for all of you who want to start rapping, start putting on the mask i like to call 'being myself'. Be an open book and tell the world what you are feeling. If your angry,put it out on the table and rage. If your sad, tune the tempo down a bit and be clear about your sorrow. Being a rapper is probaly one of the most easiest thing to be in the music industry, if you can find your inner self that is. 

TRAINING

Training should be done at your own time in your own pace. But if you want to improve better in a short period of time then practice as much as you want. But be sure to give those vocal chords some rest from time to time. So lets start with a cup of water. Take a sip. And lets begin. 

Warming up

Believe it or not you CAN damage your vocal chords while rapping. Therefore, here are some simple tips to go through before you start rapping. I really mean it when i tell you to go and grab a cup of water. Drink some before you start anything else, this will gives moisture to your lips, get your chords up and running and prevent you from dehydration lmao. Start off with humming then move on to buzzing/vibrating the lips and a few 'aah' aah' to wake up those chords. After that, start of by reading/reciting a tongue twister, to loosen your mouth and get your tounge ready for some rapping (examples below). Then go onto a rap that you have memorize or simply know if you read it, and try rapping to a few verses here and there. Now, we're good to go! 
 

What to do during training?

(Just like Vocal Trainning) You can practice technique or practice a song in particular. It might be good to change style and explore a little. If you are used to slow/sorrowful/whipsering kinda rap (Ie. Mad Clown) try the more fast beat/rage kinda feel (Ie. Bang Youngguk). If you are used to rapping carefree/all about having fun/rebelling (Ie. Zico) try the a more fast feel/soul/style of rapping (Ie. Miryo). Exploring different styles is really god for your voice because different styles demand different techniques and overall, you are going to get better. Variety is good.

Alimentation:

When training or in general, you would want to stay away from food/Drinks that cause mucus accumulation in the throat such as dairy products or very sugary foods, as well as very acid foods that can cause reflux such as lemonade. Pay attention to always keep yourself hydrated, so you might want to carry a room-temperature water bottle. Too cold or too hot can be harmful to your throat and so, to your voice as well. If you feel hungry during your practice, try to keep yourself from eating sugary, salty or fat food because they can cause mucus, dehydration and acid reflux respectively. You should try fruits and vegetables. They are full of vitamins and water and that helps reduce any swelling in your throat. Apples are good. Honey lemon tea is also good to reduce inflammation that occurs when training your vocal chords. Be caution not to make it too hot, though, warm is good enough.

PRONUNCIATION

Prounounciation is pretty much the main thing that a rapper must be good at. This is a priority for rappers to take note in. 

Do you have trouble with pronounciation?:

- Don't worry, it happens to alot of people. Try this, put a pencil in your mouth horizontally, bite and hold with your teeth (molars) and speak as fast as you can. You'll sound silly, yes, but this technique trains your tounge to be more nimble and has been shown to help people who have problems enuciating. Do it for 5 or 10 minutes a day (or more if you wish) and watch your pronounciation problems slowly fade.

- Another way to help you, is to practice reading slowly while OVER enunciating, espeacially the consonants (C,P,B,T,S etc.) Slowly build up speed while maintaining the over enunciation.

- As said, practice toungue twistes, espeacially with those with Ss or Bs (ie, she sold sea shells on the sea shore)

- Say abadee (Ah-baa-dee) fast and continuosly, remember to have clear and clean breaks between syllables. This trains you to clearly pronounce every syllable when rhymimng fast.

- Practice opening your mouth to an exaggerated degree when speaking, in order to articulate syllables and words better. This may look funny but it helps tremendously and the faster and more natural your speech becomes, the less likely waht you are doing will even be noticeabble

RHYTHM

Trouble staying on beat or rhythm?:

- Speak to very rhythmical music. Mary had a little lamb or Twinkle Twinkle little star are simples songs taht work well, but you can mix it up. Don't worry about rhyming when doing this. The goal is to get yourself used to flowing to a beat or to improve your rhythm. If the end of the bar ends up chopping your thought in half, so be it. Start the next bar with the remaing hald of the thought and move along.

Example; (in the melody of Mary Had a little lamb)

If the end of a bar ends
Up chop-ping
Your thought in 
Half so be  it start the next
Bar with the re-main-ing

Example: (in the melody of Mary had a little lamb)

If the end of a bar ends
Up chop-ping
Your thought in
Half so be it start the next
Bar with the re-main-ingBreak the notes apart and sing them individually when you reach a difficult or high area (practice each note individually)

CONCLUSION

I hope this helped at least a little? Feel free to drop your questions and I shall do some research to add to this page.