Can I Really Sing with a Cold?

40 More of Your Most Pressing Questions about Singing,

Answered

By

Copyright © 2013 by Jaime Vendera/Vendera Publishing.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form,

by any means, electronic or otherwise, including photocopying, scanning,

downloading, or by any data storage system, without written permission

from the publisher.

Vendera Publishing

Interior Design and cover design by Jaime Vendera

Hello again, and welcome to 40 MORE of your most pressing questions about

singing. I’m glass shattering vocal coach Jaime Vendera. You may know me from

shows like MythBusters where I’ve shattered glass by voice alone, or from one of

many of my books, such as Raise Your Voice, The Ultimate Breathing Workout, and

Unleash Your Creative Mindset, or you may have even heard about me through

some of my well-known students and vocalists who have used my Raise Your Voice

techniques, such as James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Terry Ilous (XYZ, Great White),

Clayton Stroope (Thriving Ivory/Midnight Cinema), Myles Kennedy (Alter

Bride/Slash), Kevin Martin (Candlebox), and many more. As well, you may have

read Can I Really Sing Higher? 40 of Your Most Pressing Questions about Singing,

Answered.

Can I Really Sing with a Cold? 40 More of Your Most Pressing Questions about

Singing, Answered, came about quickly due to the bombardment of emails I

received from singers around the world saying, “Hey Jaime, I got your 40

Questions booklet but you forgot to answer “insert question here.” Why didn’t you

answer that question?

I honestly thought I had covered all the bases, but apparently I missed quite a few.

So, I referred to the emails, sifted through the endless pages of posts on my Raise

Your Voice member’s message board at jaimevendera.com and revisited many wall

posts on my various fan pages to come up with answers to 40 more of your most

pressing questions. FYI- my answers in this book contain many gold nuggets, so

read each answer thoroughly. As well, I should note that there is no “40

Questions” member’s section with accompanying videos for this booklet. However,

to appease my readers, I will, over time, post each question in video format

through the Vendera Vocal Academy at venderavocalacademy.com. So, here they

are; straight-forward answers to ease your singing mind. Let’s get started.

1. Can I sing with a cold? YES you CAN! Usually, inflammation from a cold isn’t taxing enough on

the voice to prevent you from singing. Yes, your voice may feel sore,

and yes, we tend to shy away from singing when we feel sick because

of the pain in our throat. But the infection that causes pain we feel is

generally located in the surrounding muscles and tissue as opposed to

the vocal cords, which means you are fully capable of singing with

normal tone. Think of a cold as the singer’s challenge, the perfect time

to test your vocal technique. You CAN sing through the pain if you

know your voice and have mastered my techniques. The only time I

would suggest to refrain from singing, even cancel a show, is if you’re

positive that it is an infection of the vocal cords or it is so painful that

it feels like you’re swallowing razor blades with each gulp, such as

when you have strep throat or laryngitis. Sadly, it’s these times when

managers will push a singer to do something drastic such as take

steroid shots into the throat in order to do the show. If your voice is

shot, don’t take drastic measures to do a gig, or else you could end up

with permanent vocal damage. However, if it’s a cold or allergies, you

can do it! Turn to my Voice RX book and warm up mp3 to regain your

voice. Create a fixer elixir as explained in Raise Your Voice, flush your

sinuses with a Neti pot, add X20 (singerswater.com) and some drops

of colloidal silver to your water. As well, drink lots of hot water to help

reduce vocal cord swelling, and increase your vitamin C intake to boost

your immune system for a speedy recovery.

2. Why do I have to sing all my high notes in falsetto? You don’t. You either think you do or you were told by someone such

as a vocal coach that you have to sing high in falsetto. FYI- falsetto is

produced when the glottis (the opening between the vocal cords) is

wide. How hard do you really think is to narrow the glottis a sliver of

an inch to transform your tone from falsetto to full voice? Well, it’s not

hard at all, especially if you’ve been practicing my Transcending Tone

exercises from Raise Your Voice. It is actually healthier to sing in your

full voice than in falsetto because there is less air being released

which can possibly aggravate the vocal cords. So, start performing my

Isolation Method routine from Raise Your Voice, which features the

Transcending Tone exercise, and those high falsetto notes will become

full voice notes in no time flat!

3. Will tuning down for a live performance help to save my voice? Tuning down is an age old concept many tout will help singers sing

night after night. Yes, tuning down a half or whole step can help when

you’re in a desperate situation, but this is still not addressing the

problem, nor is it the end solution. When I worked with Thriving

Ivory/Midnight Cinema singer, Clayton Stroope, he was considering

tuning down a whole step for live performances because his voice was

failing him on the road. He figured it was his high range and by tuning

down he should easily be able to sing his own songs. After three

Skype lessons, he dropped the idea completely because his technique

had improved so dramatically that he gained the ability to hit all the

notes that he sang in the studio with as much power and vigor on

stage, night after night. So, it all boils down to vocal technique and

strength training. With that said, sometimes tuning down can give the

song a heavier feel, so if that is what you’re going for, tuning down is

fine. However, don’t rely on that half or whole step drop for a vocal fix.

Master your vocal technique so that you never have to consider tuning

down as a throat saver and only tune down when the overall sound

calls for it.

4. Should I use my own microphone? FYI- EVERYBODY should own and use their own microphone. Using a

venue microphone or borrowing another singer’s microphone means

you have everyone’s spit and germs to contend with. I mentioned this

in Can I Really Sing Higher? but apparently it needed addressed again.

I’m not trying to turn you into a germaphobe, but you can get sick

from someone else’s microphone germs. Okay, so you already know

you can sing with a cold, but let’s not make ourselves easy illness

targets for the sake of proving we can do it. The goal is to stay healthy

as much as possible, and using your own microphone will help. As

well, get some Mic Wipes from travelwellness.com to clean your

microphone of your own germs before and after every gig.

5. Why do I have to taste blood to get the best scream sound? I get SOOOOO angry when I hear this. Listen up; QUIT watching every

YouTube video posted, especially the ones about screaming, because

many of these so-called “coaches” are giving horrible advice. If you

watch a video of someone explaining grit or screaming for any vocal

style and they mention that they taste blood, have to grunt really hard,

feel pressure in their skull in order to get the perfect scream, or you

can see the veins in their neck getting ready to explode, stop the

video and move on. There is plenty of grit/screaming information in

Raise Your Voice and the Extreme Scream series to keep you

screaming effectively and safely.

6. What is the best vocal technique? Bel Canto, SLS, Estill? I get asked this question a lot. Honestly, I haven’t studied any

particular method enough to make such a such a bold statement as to

claim one is better than the other. I have tried various techniques and

when they didn’t work for me, I moved on until I found what did work

for me. That doesn’t mean any other style is beneath my approach to

voice. It just means that the other styles I tried early on in my vocal

development personally didn’t connect with me. Yet, even if I had

studied ALL of these methods in great depth, I would still not make

such a brazen claim as to say one is better than the other. Sadly, I’ve

heard vocal coaches boast this claim, stating that only their approach

was the best, and in some cases, only their particular way of training

through one on one lessons with them personally was best. While, I

choose to avoid the path of arrogance I will make this statement. We

are physical instruments and as such we each respond differently to

different training. All I can say is that my method, which has its basis

in the root of the original Operatic vocal production methodology, is

what has worked most effectively for me. That doesn’t mean it is best

for you. While, I can guarantee that if you follow my techniques, your

voice will thank you, I cannot guarantee that you’ll learn best from me

because I am a visual teacher as opposed to an analytical teacher. I

tend to stay away from training singers like I am preparing them to

enter medical school to become an ENT. I prefer to use as little

terminology as possible while focusing on sensation and visualization.

Though I do explain the basic vocal mechanics, I will not be asking you

to tilt your cricothyroid, but I will be asking you to concentrate on the

buzz of your voice throughout your body. So, if you need a more

analytical approach that is fine. If you are about visualization and

physical sensation, my approach is right up your alley.

7. How do I find the right vocal coach? Finding the right coach can be tough. I suggest checking out a vocal

coach’s credentials, speaking to several of their students, and

speaking to the vocal coach directly to learn what style they teach. Ask

your potential vocal coach questions such as, “Will your training help

to extend my range?” or “Will you be requiring me to sing songs I

don’t like, such as Opera?” Make a list of the important questions

pertaining to your vocal needs. If you are satisfied with the answers

you receive and if it feels right, try a lesson. After the first lesson your

voice feels great and you feel comfortable, and then stick to your new

learned regimen for a week, book another lesson the following week

and give your new coach a shot. All in all, your coach should be

positive and encouraging. You should feel comfortable with your coach

and excited, not frightened, for your next lesson. However, if your

coach belittles you, tells you that you’re stuck with you current range,

tries to sway you to sing a certain style which you do not like, or if

your throat feels like hamburger after the lesson, I’d say that it’s time

to move on to another coach.

8. Your breath support approach hurts my throat. What’s wrong? Trust me; it’s not my approach to breath support that is hurting your

throat. The way that I have my singers add breath support by pushing

down to tighten the abdominals actually alleviates excess pressure on

the vocal cords and helps to minimize breath release. So, it could be

that you are still in the habit of forcing too much wind, or you may be

grunting, tightening the throat and neck muscles as you sing. These

bad habits will disappear as long as you follow the techniques outlined

in Raise Your Voice for correct breathing, support, and placement, and

by using little tricks like moving your head side to side as explained in

my book series. FYI- I would not still have a voice after breaking those

hundreds of glasses with my voice at over 100 decibels if not for my

method of support. So, if your voice feels a little worse for wear when

attempting to push down, you need to look at your overall approach to

vocal technique.

9. What is the pharyngeal voice? Pharyngeal voice is a term that has been around for hundreds of years

but has been made popular as of late, especially in the rock genre, for

describing a certain piercing, powerful tone that doesn’t sound quite

full voice, but not a pure falsetto tone either. I often refer to it as

reinforced falsetto. One could say it is a sort of mix tone with bite and

power, a tone used by singers such as Robert Plant and Axl Rose. This

is the same tone I use for breaking glass with my voice, though my

glass breaking foghorn tone is a bit too harsh to use in actual songs. I

was taught how to make this particular sound, a sound somewhere

between falsetto and full voice, yet with extreme power, by my vocal

coach, Jim Gillette. Jim used a simple exercise of swelling the falsetto

on an “E” vowel until it was very loud. I dubbed Jim’s exercise the E-

Scream exercise, which is basically the Transcending Tone exercise on

an “E” vowel. But instead of transcending from falsetto to full voice,

we transcend from a tiny falsetto to a loud falsetto with lots of ring to

it, and at times, sliding down an octave and back up to the original

pitch. This helps to build the muscles surrounding the vocal cords so

that you can sing in the upper register without fully narrowing the

glottis as you would for full voice, yet, not leaving the glottis wide as

you would in falsetto. This creates that banshee wail, baby cry sound

heard by many rockers, such as Robert, Axl, and even David Coverdale

on Whitesnake’s Still of the Night. So, if you want this sound, you’ll

need plenty of E-screams. As well, check out James Lugo’s book, Vocal

Insantity.

10. What vocal methods can I combine? I am not here to tell you what you can combine, that is for you to

discover. However, as I stated before, any book I publish by a vocal

coach is a coach that I approve of my students using alongside my own

methods. I often have students use exercises by James Lugo, Elizabeth

Sabine, and Valerie Bastien, coaches who are published through

Vendera Publishing. As well, I support using Thomas Appell’s and Jim

Gillette’s programs, as I consider both to be major icons in my own

vocal path. There are many other great coaches with great scales you

can use. Bottom line, if mixing up programs seems to make a

difference in your voice, helping you to progress, then go for it!

11. Why does my voice get shaky after a couple songs? It could be a sign that you still lack vocal strength and stamina, or

have yet to truly master your vocal technique. As well, those nerves

can still be bothering you subconsciously. If this happens, please pay

attention to your technique. Are you raising your shoulders, is your

breathing shallow, are you tightening your jaw or neck? If you

answered YES to any of these questions, it’s time to hit Raise Your

Voice again and correct your bad habits. Or, maybe you’ve eliminated

those bad habits, BUT you’re forgetting to apply your newfound

technique while on stage. This happens, but in time the technique

should become second nature. Spend more time in vocal practice

working on correct technique until it is a way of life. If you suspect that

it is still a nervous issue, make sure to use Rescue Remedy along with

breathing exercises, visualization, etc. all of which are explained in my

other books. A few sprays or drops of Rescue Remedy WILL help to

calm the mind.

12. What is a bare basic maintenance routine for your exercises? There are already many routine outlines for how to maintain your voice

every day with exercises in my books, Raise Your Voice and Raise Your

Voice 2. But just for the sake of it, I’ll spill it out here. At minimum,

first thing in the morning, I would perform the Vocal Stress

Release/Vocal Stage Prep combo as you simultaneously vocalize along

to one of my mp3s like Voice RX , or if you prefer, you can use a

keyboard or pitch wheel as explained in Beyond the Ultimate Vocal

Warm Up. After your warm up (or even sometime later during the day)

perform a set of the three Isolation exercises from Raise Your Voice or

the Ultimate Isolation exercise from Raise Your Voice 2. As well, (these

are optional) you can add the Ultimate Breathing Workout exercises

and non-vocal exercises such as tongue pushups.

13. How do singers from bands like ACDC sound the way they do? The ACDC/Cinderella tone is accomplished by starting with a strong,

clean pharyngeal/reinforced falsetto tone and then adding the effect

of vocal grit. You MUST apply correct vocal technique, have perfected

that pharyngeal/reinforced falsetto sound with plenty of E-Screams ,

and then have a thorough understanding of how grit is produced and

felt in the roof of the mouth before attempting this sound. Otherwise,

you can end up losing your voice, possibly gaining vocal nodules in

the process.

14. How can I become a better lyricist? This goes well beyond buying a rhyming dictionary. Sometimes it’s

more than just the rhyme and has more to do with phrasing as

opposed to rhyming. Every word you sing should slide off your tongue

smoothly, connecting to the next word like a painted picture. I spent

years writing song lyrics, and I kept plenty of notebooks along the way

for various lyrical ideas. Over the years I’ve used bits and pieces of

lyrics from my notebook stash for different songs. I suggest to simply

start writing, writing, writing. Songs are stories and need to be told

with the right words and emotions. If you’re writing a love song, it may

even help for you to write a 2-3 page fiction story about the love affair

you wish to share in your song, to get a deeper connection to what

you’re trying to express. As well, you could read a fiction story and

attempt to sum up the entire book in a song. If you need a short book

to read, check out 711press.com. These books can be read in two to

three hours from start to finish. Pick a genre, read a book, and write a

song to explain the entire book in three to four minutes. You have my

permission to use these books as influence to write a song for this

exercise, as I am co-producer for 711 Press. In the end, don’t be so

connected to rhyming and don’t feel like you need 27 words in a six

word space. Say what needs to be said, poetically, in a conversational

style, and you will improve over time. SAVE all your lyrics. Your ideas

may not work at this particular moment, but they may be great for

another song down the line! Here is a small section of a song I wrote

called Lisa, which is a true story about my aunt’s passing and how I

felt my uncle saw it:

I can’t take the silence, do with me what you will

I can’t claim her innocence, and face the coming storm

Wailing up with anger, as I’m crying out at God

If religion is the answer, then save from myself

As you can see, there is no rhyming whatsoever in my lyrics, but it

flows poetically, especially in the context of the vocal phrasing of the

song. Bottom line, say it and sing it with conviction and passion.

15. I’m always stressed when I practice and rehearse. Any ideas? You’re thinking too much, upset because your voice isn’t up to your

expectations at this exact moment, wanting it all right now. Know that

all those bad notes, cracks, and other problems are simply potholes in

the road on your vocal journey. As you progress, you’ll avoid those

potholes. Take a few drops or sprays of Rescue Remedy before vocal

practice and band rehearsal to calm your nerves. If you think

negatively about your voice, it will affect you mentally and physically.

Say to yourself, “I am in great voice” over and over again before each

rehearsal to stay positive. Keep a thorough diary of your daily vocal

workout sessions to track how low and high you sing. Review it at the

end of the month and compare it to the first day to see how much

you’ve progressed vocally. This is precisely why I created The Ultimate

Vocal Workout Diary.

16. How can I stay motivated to practice? Someone asked me, “How do you stay motivated? I cannot even find

the motivation to do my vocal exercises.” WOW, that person must not

really want it that bad! Still, I understand that doing vocal exercises

can be boring, but if you are seriously passionate about anything,

whether it’s race car driving, martial arts, playing guitar, OR singing,

you WILL be motivated. So, you should ask yourself if singing is really

what you want. If you truly feel it is, yet you still lack motivation,

maybe it is due to slight depression because you aren’t seeing any

improvement from your prior workouts. Re-read Raise Your Voice, to

make sure you’re doing every step correctly. As well, apply the mental

techniques from Unleash Your Creative Mindset to wipe out

procrastination and revved up your motivational motor!

17. Are breath support and volume connected? Yes and no. Breath support (pushing down) can help to increase

volume, but please note that you can push down until you crap your

pants and still speak right above a whisper. Tightening the abdominals

doesn’t mean instant decibels. Speaking at your lightest volume while

pushing down as hard as you can proves this point. Volume occurs by

using the entire body as an amplifier to create stronger, resonant

sensations to produce a wave of sound that cranks out the decibels. If

you get loud every single time you push down to tighten the

abdominals, you are definitely doing something wrong. Most likely,

you’re adding to much breath and over-tensing the entire body. Re-

read the breathing explanations Raise Your Voice and consider starting

my breathing exercise routine from The Ultimate Breathing Workout

book and the companion video, Beyond the Ultimate Breathing

Workout.

18. What the heck is the Inhalation Sensation? If you’ve heard this saying, yet you have yet to read my book, Raise

Your Voice, I guarantee you are confused. The inhalation sensation is

my reference to how effortless it should feel when singing, so

effortless that it’s as if you’re breathing in each note. However, it’s is

not something you can learn from an exercise, it is something that you

must experience on your own. Just so you understand the concept,

(though I am sort of repeating myself) the inhalation sensation occurs

when you reach a state of vocal freedom that is so effortless that is

feels as if you are inhaling every single note and word as opposed to

expelling breathing to create a pitch or sing a phrase. It will happen

once you’ve become accustomed to my techniques. One day soon,

you’ll have that “Aha” moment and the inhalation sensation will stay

with you for the rest of your life.

19. What are Isolation exercises and are they better than scales? It’s funny that I waited this long to answer this question, but even after

Can I Really Sing Higher? I figured you’d understand my exercises.

Though I’ve already mentioned the Isolation exercises several times

already in this book, you may still be confused. Basically, Isolation

exercises are non-scale exercises performed on pitch slides, volume

swells, and tonal shifts from falsetto to full voice in order to work the

vocal muscles and vocal cords adductions for every single frequency in

your vocal range. They are performed slowly while vocalizing Yah, Yay,

Yee, Yoh, and You. Isolation exercises reveal all your vocal strengths

and weaknesses. As well, I believe they are ten times more beneficial

for strengthening the voice and increasing range than vocal scales,

which is why 90% of my teaching focuses on Isolation exercises.

20. All my high notes sound pinched, but I don’t feel any strain? You may not be feeling strain, but that doesn’t mean you’re not

constricting the throat. You could be lifting the larynx a bit too high or

squeezing in the neck muscles in a subconscious attempt to “help”

make the pitch. Both of these bad habits not only create a thinner,

pinched sound, but create vocal fatigue as well. Switching to the

Ultimate Isolation exercise from Raise Your Voice 2: The Advanced

Manual can help to alleviate this excess stress by strengthening the

muscles and helping enhance the resonance so that you sound much

fuller and singer freer, thus eliminate the pinched, thin sound.

21. My throat is sore after my workout. What am I doing wrong? Well, how sore is sore? Is it sore for a few minutes, an hour, or for a

day or more? Your answer is very important. Soreness right after your

vocal workout, that last for only a few minutes to an hour before your

voice returns to normal is simply vocal muscle fatigue, which is nothing

to be concerned about. It shouldn’t happen all the time and when it

does happen it should pass within a few minutes. However, if it lasts

longer than an hour or two, it could be the result of vocal strain. And if

it lasts for a day or more, you are in serious need of a vocal technique

overhaul. Looks like it’s time to head back to Raise Your Voice or The

Ultimate Vocal Workout.

22. I cannot hear myself when rehearsing. How can I hear myself? As explained in Raise Your Voice, cupping the ear towards the mouth

will help you hear when you don’t have in-ear monitors or decent

monitors. As well, attaching a VAM (vocal acoustic monitor from

vamacoustics.com) to your microphone is like adding a waterslide for

the sound of your voice, delivering your sound right to your ear as you

sing. Still another way to hear yourself is to cut off your sound with

earplugs, forcing you to listen on the inside and discover how each

pitch feels within your body when produced. Bottom line, you MUST

find a way to hear and/or feel your voice or you risk the chance of

over-singing and blowing out your voice. Try all three and use what

works best for you.

23. Where should I place my larynx when singing? Quit trying to “place” the larynx in any position. Any methodology that

has you attempting to control the larynx by forcing it into a low or high

position is only creating vocal tension. Many times the larynx (aka, the

Adam’s apple) uncontrollably rises, like swallowing, on high notes. As

well, some singers are taught to forcefully lower the larynx down on

low notes in an attempt to sing lower. Both positions are taxing on the

voice. In the end, you want the larynx to stay fairly neutral, though it

may rise or lower as you sing, but only ever so slightly. Non-vocal

exercises like Bullfrogs and tongue pushups will strengthen the anti-

constrictor muscles in the neck so this is not an issue.

24. Do I have nodules and can I get rid of them without surgery? Let me state that I am not an ENT, but I do get asked this question a

lot. From what I understand, if for an extended period of time your

tone remains harsh, raspy, occurring roughly around the same pitch,

you may be developing a nodule. The rasp can occur low or high in

your range, depending upon where the nodule has developed.

Nodules can occur from overworking the voice, abuse, and incorrect

technique. If a nodule is discovered early, I do believe you can reverse

it as the nodule is basically a callus on the vocal cord. What I suggest

is a break from singing and excessive speaking if possible. To aid the

voice in recovering, increase your water intake, and vocalize with lots

of tiny humming and singing through a small section of rubber tubing

into a sink full of water as I suggest in one of my useful tips in Raise

Your Voice. It might be easier to simply use a straw in a 16-20 ounce

bottle of water, but only half full. Also, I’d prefer you find a larger

diameter straw than the typical size. Blow on the straw into the water,

vocalizing softly on octave slides both up and down, not going

anywhere near any low or high range where you feel the slightest

onset of tension. However, you do want to work through the raspy area

in order to create the vibrations needed to massage the callused area.

Consider this rock star rehab for the voice. Do this exercise as many

times a day with 5-10 slides per session to help work through the area

in your range where you hear the rasp from the developing nodule.

25. My Isolation exercises sound breathy. How can I correct them? Refer to the last question. Using the straw on Isolation exercises is

amazing for the voice. By using a straw to make water bubbles you put

a lid on the amount of breath released as you vocalize. I believe that

the sound of your voice carries down the straw into the water and then

reverberates back up through the straw until it reaches the vocal cords,

creating an internal massaging effect. You’ll discover that Sirens,

Falsetto Slides, and Transcending Tones are much easier, more

controlled, and free of cracks and breaks when using the straw.

26. No matter how much water I drink, I’m still dry. What can I do? I’ve known singers who claim to drink one ton of water and pee two

tons out. Sometimes the body may not absorb water as efficiently as

you wish. If you feel dry, no matter how much water you drink, you

might consider making a sole as explained by my friend, Ocea, creator

of Vocal Eze Spray. Or, you could use X20 sachets from

singerswater.com which will actually make your water almost feel

wetter, and allow the body to better absorb water. As well, steaming

will help to hydrate the vocal cords. Both a humidifier at night and a

hot air steamer during the day are singer necessities. As well, a 20-

minute steam inhaling session in a hot shower works wonders.

27. How many times can I practice per day? A warm up, workout, singing session, and cool down will suffice, but

the voice is quite resilient and contrary to what other coaches have

said, you CAN work out more than once per day if you so desire. My

own coach, Jim Gillette, worked out for twelve hours per day on vocal

exercises for nearly six months when he was training to expand his

range. His hard work got him all the way to a Soprano F. I have some

students that use Isolation exercises in the morning, breathing

exercises in the afternoon, and more exercises and singing in the

evening. Bottom line, figure out what works for your voice but please

work out at least once a day, six days per week for substantial gains in

your singing abilities.

28. My teacher says I should focus into the mask. Is this correct? There are lots of different philosophies on “where” to “feel” the voice.

Use what works for you. As far as my approach, if you breathe,

support, and place the voice up into the palate as described in Raise

Your Voice, you’ll automatically feel the buzzing sensation of your

voice in the area known as the mask, which consists of the front of the

face (cheeks and nose). Therefore, you will not need to consciously

focus on the “mask”.

29. What is exercise stacking? Exercise stacking is an advanced technique covered in Raise Your

Voice 2: The Advanced Manual, which stacks my three main warm up

exercises and three main workout vocal exercises for a six-exercise

stack that builds strength on one individual pitch at a time by

repetition of that pitch. It has produced amazing results giving many

singers a bigger range, more resonance, and a stronger voice.

30. Why do you say to go slower with Isolation exercises? Think of your voice as a car in a school parking lot. Many schools and

colleges have bumps in the asphalt and speed signs that warn to slow

down. If you hit the speed bump going faster than the suggested

speed, your car will jump and shake. You do the same thing to your

voice when crossing the areas in your range where there are “gear

changes” also known as vocal breaks. By slowing down, you’ll smooth

out these speed bump areas and over time you’ll eliminate these

speed bumps altogether no matter how fast you fly through your notes

from your low range to your mid-range to your high range. Slower is

better as far as I am concerned when performing my exercises.

31. I cannot practice because people are around. What can I do? I absolutely understand, especially when doing exercises like full voice

Sirens. In fact, I developed my method by practicing in my truck on the

way to work just so I wouldn’t bother my wife with my vocal exercises.

Using your car or truck to practice during your commute is a great use

of your time. If practicing while driving isn’t feasible, yet practicing at

home is an issue as well, I suggest finding the farthest place in your

home away from other ears, whether a corner bedroom or the

basement of your house and make it happen. To dampen the sound,

you can purchase heavy duty moving blankets that have sound

dampening properties. In fact, my Skype teaching studio is in my

basement and my walls are lined with sound dampening blanket that I

purchased on eBay. As well, you may consider purchasing a portable

vocal booth such as the Vocal Booth Pro from EditorsKeys.com. I

personally use this exact vocal booth for recording vocals for my songs

and vocal training programs, and believe it to be very useful in

combination with the dampening blankets for reducing sound levels

during practice. When you feel your voice isn’t bothering others, you’ll

have more confidence and freedom to practice.

32. My voice needs a jumpstart in the morning. Any tips? Many singers complain of not having a voice in the morning. When you

go to sleep the throat relaxes and the larynx drops lower, thus giving

one a groggy sound upon waking in the morning. I suggest starting a

morning workout routine. At minimum, perform the Vocal Stress

Release program while vocalizing to a warm up like Voice RX during

your shower. The stretching, vocalizing, and steaming will wake you

up. As well, take a tablespoon of coconut oil after your workout and

allow it to rest on your tongue for at least a minute as you breathe

normally. After the minute is up, swallow the coconut oil. Its medicinal

properties alone are great for soothing the voice.

33. How do I sing in tune? Rule number one, master your vocal technique! When you support

correctly, you’ll tend to stay in tune. However, if you feel you still have

intonation problems, it’s time to pull out the ole tuner. There are tons

of apps for tuners as well as standalone tuners. Sing a note and watch

the tuner, focus on keeping your voice dead center of the tuner on any

given note. Pay attention to your support and placement. How does

your voice feel on that particular note? Many singers say they can

associate each pitch with a color. Does a middle C feel like it is blue,

red, or yellow to you? Whatever you need to focus on to maintain a

perfect pitch in the dead center of any note, use it.

34. Are there any foods that are bad for my voice? Some singers are affected by dairy products, their cords feeling more

phlegm, while others are affected by spicy foods, and others even

react very negatively to caffeine. You already knew most of this if

you’ve read my other books. We are each different, so you need to

pay attention to how your voice feels with everything you eat and

drink. After all, we ARE our instrument.

35. I haven’t figured out how to zip my cords. How do I do it? My vocal coach, Thomas Appell, author of Can You Sing a High C

without Straining? claimed that the zipping actually occurred at the

vocal break, which was typically around an E above middle C for males

and the A above middle C for females. In truth, we have many breaks in

the voice and the breaks can be shifted depending upon how hard or

soft we attack our voice with volume and power as Thomas went on to

explain in his book. However, there are many thoughts on the truth of

zipping, as to where it actually occurs, whether at the first break or

much higher, or even if it occurs at all. In truth, who cares? I prefer to

use the thought of zipping cords as a visualization. So, when you

reach your highest note, where you begin to have trouble, you may

wish to think about the cords zipping. In time, it may feel as if they are

zipping, and that is fine. In the end, use it as a visual tool and allow

the voice to climb higher without worrying about whether you can feel

it happening or not.

36. My voice failed me at rehearsal. What’s going on? Vocal exercises will only get you so far. Singing by yourself will only

get you so far. You MUST put yourself in a rehearsal environment

suited for your stage performance. If you only rehearse with your band

once every few weeks, don’t expect to sound like a rock star. You need

to rehearse routinely to notice a difference in your singing abilities.

Bottom line, your voice will grow stronger the more you rehearse.

37. My throat tickles on certain notes. What’s wrong? The tickling/tingling sensation is definitely a sign of strain. There are

many factors involved. It could be that you are releasing too much

breath, thus irritating the vocal cords, or tightening the neck muscles,

or even lack of support. Tools like the side to side neck movement,

correcting support, and other tips for stress release from my books

should be applied.

38. I can’t find the time to work out or warm up. What do I do? You make time, PERIOD! Quit looking for the time, quit making

excuses; make practice a priority, PERIOD!!! I answered a question

earlier about finding the motivation to work out. If you want to become

an amazing singer, you WILL make the time to work on your voice. With

that said, I know life can be busy with work, kids, life in general, so

remember this saying- “Every time you breathe out, you should

vocalize, otherwise it’s a waste of breath.” Make it your mantra and

apply it. Even if you have two minutes here and there throughout the

day to perform some lips bubbles, use the straw for Isolation

exercises, or perform a Siren or two before your spouse gets home, it

ALL counts toward building a better voice. ANY time you can work the

voice, you’re adding reps towards building muscle.

39. I just don’t feel like a singer. Any suggestions? First of all, you ARE a singer. Just because you aren’t where you want

to be at this very moment doesn’t make you any less of a singer. A

guitar is a guitar even when not being played. Keeping in the thought

that you are your instrument, remember that you are always a singer.

For a daily motivational boost, another great mantra to use is, “I am in

great voice and I am a great singer!” Repeat it a thousand times a day

if needed. Stay focused, work hard, and you’ll reach your singing

goals.

40. Why don’t you answer all my emails? Ha-ha, I had to add this one for my last question. Listen, I try to

answer all your emails, I really do, but please know I am extremely

busy. If you are one of my students or a user of my books you can get

help through the member’s section of jaimevendera.com and the

Vendera Vocal Academy. As well, please note that I have a duty to my

fans and students; they are my first priority. If you aren’t a user of my

methods, a student of mine, a member of the Academy, or owner of

one of my books, I simply will have to push your questions to the back

of the line and answer questions from singers who are my students,

whether in-person, online students, or users of my books, videos, and

audio training programs. My goal is to help as many singers as I can,

but time is limited, which is why I am forced to prioritize.

I hope this little Q&A has helped to bring some clarity to your thoughts on singing.

If you are ready to take vocal training seriously, you can check out my products at

jaimevendera.com. As well, don’t forget that I will be posting videos for each of

these questions at the Vendera Vocal Academy. I hope to see you at the Academy

where we’ll help you develop the voice you’ve always dreamed of, to help you

make it to the top! If you have any questions concerning my products, teaching

methods, lessons, or the Vendera Vocal Academy, feel free to email me at

Jaime@jaimevendera.com.

RAISE YOUR VOICE AT JAIMEVENDERA.COM