singing

THE 7 KEYS

TO GREAT

SINGING

BY

JOHN FORD

Ever dream about singing on stage?

In a recording studio?

Just for yourself?

This is the e-book version of John Ford's extraordinarily successful and fun method of learning to sing. Among the world's premier singing coaches, Ford's students have grossed over $100,000,000. Will his method work for you? 9 out of 10 who use his method become good, often great singers.

You'll discover how to:

• Sing with a passionate, strong, controllable voice • Master The 7 Keys to Great Singing

• Develop your own unique style

• Become a confident and exciting stage performer

• Predict your singing potential with the 15-minute Vocal

Assessment

• Record your first demo tape • Join or form your own band

• Earn money as a singer in 7 different ways

• Get a recording contract and record your first CD

YOUR INSTRUCTOR:

John Ford is founding director of the John Ford Voice Lab. For the past 25 years, he and his staff have helped many people to sing better than they ever dreamed possible, including many who thought they were doomed to a mediocre voice.

Ford's students are working in local clubs and recording studios, and have been featured on MTV, The Late Show with David Letterman, the

Arsenio Hall Show, as well as most pop radio stations throughout the world.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

PART 1: SINGING BETTER THAN YOU EVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE

Chapter 1 Singers Are Made, Not Born Chapter 2 What it Takes

Chapter 3 The Top 10 Myths About Singing Chapter 4 Why the Standard Approaches Fail Chapter 5 A Better Way: 90% successful, easier,

less scary, faster and much less expensive than the standard approaches

PART 2: THE 7 KEYS TO GREAT SINGING

Chapter 7 Key 2: Keep Your Vocal Cords Together and

Maintain Total Control

Chapter 8 Key 3: Keep Your Larynx Neutral to Add

Richness and Depth to Your Voice

Chapter 6 Key 1: Use Warriors' Posture and Experience

Strength and Confidence

Chapter 9 Key 4: Use Your 3 Voices and Enjoy a Huge

Range

Chapter 10 Key 5: Use Singers' Ultra-Breathing to Release

Your Maximum Power

Chapter 11 Key 6: Drop Your Jaw and Create a Resonating

Cave

Chapter 12 Key 7: Add Vibrato and Enjoy Absolute Vocal

PART 3: FROM EXERCISES TO SONGS

Chapter 13 Singing Songs Like a Pro

Chapter 14 Developing Your Own Unique Style Chapter 15 Troubleshooting Guide

Chapter 16 How to Keep Singing 'til You're 95

PART 4: FROM UPTIGHT SINGER TO BLOW-EM' AWAY PERFORMER

Chapter 17 The 7 Secrets of Great Performing

Chapter 18 How to Ensure That You're Even Better on Stage Than at Home

PART 5: HOW TO GET PAID AS A SINGER

Chapter 19 7 Ways You Can Earn Money as a Singer Chapter 20 How to Record Your First CD

Chapter 21 Getting a Recording Contract

PART 6: INSPIRATIONAL STUFF!

Chapter 22 How to Actually Achieve Your Goals Chapter 23 More Really Cool Success Stories Final Thoughts

INTRODUCTION

Singing is fun! Singing feels good! That's why we do it. But most people can't sing well without some help. That's where I come in. For the past 25 years, my staff and I have helped many people like yourself become good, often great singers. This book will help YOU become a good, maybe even a great singer! One of my clients came to me unemployed, and went on to earn millions as a singer.

When you learn The 7 Keys to Great Singing, you'll sing like never before. I know this, because in my job as a singing coach, I see it happen every week. People come to me unable to sing at all, and next thing I know, they're giving me goosebumps!

Read this book, and do the exercises on the Vocal Workout CD, and there's a 95% chance you will become a good or a great singer! That's all there is to it. Read on and have fun! Get ready for one of the greatest

PART 1

SINGING BETTER

THAN YOU EVER

THOUGHT

POSSIBLE

CHAPTER 1

SINGERS ARE MADE,

NOT BORN

Nobody just wakes up one day and sings like Christine Aguilera. It took her many years to build that great voice. She was born with some natural ability, but that ability had to be developed. She had to study and practice just like you do. All the great singers I've taught had to work hard to build their voices.

The secrets of the world's greatest pop singers

Over the past 25 years, I've analyzed what actually enables people to sing well. Surprisingly, great singers--from Lady Ga Ga to Adam Lambert--sing well NOT primarily because of better vocal cords, but because they use 7 special skills. When they sing they do things with their vocal cords and bodies that the untrained singers don't: they use The 7 Keys

to Great Singing.

What's exciting is that most people can learn to do what the pros do. When you learn The 7 Keys to Great Singing, you will develop a

passionate, strong and controllable voice.

In my 25 years of teaching I've learned that 95% of the general population can be trained to become excellent singers, if they learn The 7

Keys to Great Singing.

Success Stories

Now I'm going to tell you about some of my students, most of whom started off not being able to sing at all. I think they will inspire you as much as they have inspired me.

Ricci: From Hobbyist to Money-Earning Singer

Ricci arrived at her first lesson a reserved woman. She couldn't sing, but wanted to. No professional aspirations, just for the fun of it!

After working with her for about a year, she began to sound great. When I got a request for a wedding singer, I thought of Ricci. Even

though she initially told me she didn't want to work professionally, I called her and told her about the job. Ricci decided to go for it. She auditioned and was immediately hired.

After the wedding, she came to her lesson confident and satisfied. She had had a great time and was well paid. Now she wanted more singing jobs! She has since sung at more weddings, and has even begun singing the National Anthem at ball games. She's having fun and getting paid for doing what she loves!

Sylvia: "I've Never Seen My Husband So Happy"

Sylvia called me one morning and asked if I could teach her to sing two songs at a professional level, in four months! (It normally takes at least a year.) She was giving her husband a huge surprise party and wanted to sing for him. She told me she'd never had any lessons and I got the impression that she wasn't a good singer. It's hard for me to pass up a challenge, so I told her "Yes."

When I heard her sing at her first lesson my heart sank. In the back of my mind I had hoped she'd have some singing skills, but she had none.

She was a beginner who couldn't sing, at all.

I told her she'd have to pick easy songs. I couldn't teach her to sing difficult songs in that short a time period. We doubled the number of lessons I'd normally give a beginner, and I had her practice for two hours a day. (Normally I have beginners practice for half an hour a day.)

After two months she was sounding okay on one song and pretty bad on the second. But we were making progress and I continued to drill her hard. At the end of the third month, she sounded good on one song and okay on the second. I was relieved. I knew we'd make it.

At her last lesson, two days before her big performance, she sounded good on both songs. I was happy.

Two weeks later I received a large gift package from her. With the package was a letter in which she wrote:

John,

Sincere thanks!! I couldn't have and wouldn't have done it without your coaching!

It was quite an experience!! I now know what it is like to have an out of body experience!! My brain was completely shut down; sound came out of my mouth and my body moved.

During the sound check, I reminded the sound man that the microphone volume should be increased on "Diggin"... and during the sound check it was...However...during the performance it was not. The first few words that I sang were barely audible. There were four floor monitors on stage, one close enough that I could kick. I found comfort in that, thinking that I would be able to hear myself. And I probably would have been able to, except for the noise from the audience.

The introduction was quite dramatic; actually it was a production. The room was darkened, the music filled the room, and the three of us found our way on stage. There was a big explosive sound, and a pyramid spotlight shined on the first singer, another explosive sound with a pyramid spotlight shining on me, and a third explosive sound followed by a pyramid spotlight on my sister. In addition to this, I had a soft green fog, (or haze) surround us on the stage, that blended in beautifully with our jade green costumes.

While all of this lighting was happening, we were subconsciously doing our choreographed routine. If you could imagine 150 people out of their seats, cameras flashing, camcorders rolling, cheering, whistling,

clapping; I wasn't prepared for this. As a result, I couldn't hear myself over the noise from the audience. I really missed being in your studio and

having the comfort of hearing myself through headphones. In retrospect, I'm glad it happened the way it did. The audience was really receptive, which made it very easy for me to give or express myself.

My husband was in a state of shock. I've never seen him so happy. On "1-2-3", (the second song) I left the stage and sang directly in front of him. It was quite an evening. When we got home that night he said, "I didn't know you could sing. Did you take voice lessons? Of course I said "no".

Sylvia's letter thrilled me. I was so proud of her. She worked hard and reaped the rewards. Her next project is to sing at her fathers 75th birthday party.

Christine: Well Paid for Singing Jingles

Christine really had a hard time at her lessons. She had a beautiful and strong voice, but she was so afraid of criticism that she could not let it out. She would get up on stage during lessons and start to sing and then stop. "I just can't do it," she'd cry.

She kept coming to lessons and eventually got to where she could sing for me. It was very hard for her, but she was stubborn and she persisted. With time and practice, she became a very good singer full of confidence and self-expression.

Christine recently sang on some TV and radio commercials and earned $1,500 for about ten hours of work. I am sure it was great for her self-esteem to hear herself on TV and the radio, and to get paid for her singing. It was also exciting for me to hear her commercials, and to know I helped her get to that point.

David arrived at his first lesson as a middle-aged man who couldn't sing. His goal was to be a professional country-western singer. He came to his lessons, worked hard, and within two years he was singing well and writing good songs.

He then put together a country-western band and began gigging. For about a year, I didn't hear from him. Then out of the blue, he showed up at a nightclub where some of my students were performing. When I saw him I was astounded. He looked ten years younger and had a spring in his step. His new country band was gigging all over the area, and I'd never seen him so happy. Before he left, he gave me a copy of his latest recording.

When I listened to his tape a few days later, I was blown away. He sounded totally professional and his band was hot. No wonder they were performing so much. I was really impressed with the progress he had made, and very satisfied by the happiness that I saw on his face.

Mary: From Secretary to Recording Artist

Mary sat on the couch in my studio and told me she wanted to quit her ten dollar an hour day job and become a professional singer. Her husband had just abandoned her and her two-year-old son. I had her sing for me and she was okay, but not great.

I worked with her for six months, helping her become an exciting singer and performer. At that point I didn't think she was ready to look for work as a singer, but she wanted to and began going to auditions. She was hired by the first band she tried out for, but she didn't like them so she immediately quit.

The second band she auditioned for also hired her, and she liked these guys a lot. Within two weeks the band began touring the West Coast. Next, they released a CD which began getting radio air play. I was blown away! So was she! Mary had reached her goal and was very happy.

Mary's story is amazing because it all happened so fast. Rarely is a student able to accomplish what she did in less than a year. Working with her challenged my preconceptions about how long it should take for a student to reach success.

Cindy: Quit Her Boring Day Job to Sing Professionally

Cindy called me during a transition in her life. She was 33, recently divorced, and looking for a career that she could sink her teeth into. She had been working as a secretary and hated it. There were two things in her life that she truly loved: painting and singing.

She wanted to explore the possibility of a singing career. At her first lesson, I discovered she had an average voice that needed a lot of work. The only singing she had done was in high school chorus. Her voice was very light and operatic, not at all conducive to singing popular songs.

Together we worked to develop her vocal strength, repertoire and performance skills. After about nine months, she was ready to step out into the real world. I sent her to some "open mics" so she could get some

experience in front of live audiences. She began to feel at home on stage. She recorded her demo, put together a promo package, and was ready to look for work. Then she balked. She didn’t think she was good enough. She didn’t think she was ready. She began to feel that working as a

secretary wasn’t so bad after all. It took her about a month to resolve this conflict, but once she did, nothing stood in her way.

The first agent she visited gave her a job at a local hotel nightclub, where she earned enough to quit her boring day job. After that, another agent got her a two month job at a luxury resort in Southern California. She sent me a letter from that resort describing her days of basking in the sun by the gorgeous pool, her nights of singing her heart out. She was in heaven.

I recently went to see her at a club in San Francisco. When I saw the singer on stage, I thought I had walked into the wrong club. I didn’t

recognize her. She looked like a real singer. She sounded like a real singer. I remembered her as a shy, conservatively dressed student, not this hot singer with the Tina Turner hair.

Why was Cindy successful? She didn’t have a spectacular voice. Her looks were average. She hadn’t been singing since she was five (she started at 33). Her friends and family told her she was foolish to start a singing career at such a late age, that the music business had no stability, and that she could never depend on it for an income. But she knew what she wanted

to do, whatever the odds, and she did it.

Linda: Grossed Over $50 Million With Her First CD

When Linda Perry, the lead singer for 4 Non Blondes came to her first voice lesson, I had no idea she would become so successful. To me she was just another starving musician with an okay voice. Little did I know that two years later her first CD would sell over 5 million copies.

I remember turning on my TV one night and there she was on The Late Show with David Letterman. She sang better than I had ever heard her sing. It was really exciting for me to see her on this big show, doing so well.

Linda impressed me because she was so committed. She had devoted her entire being to her music. She had no other options. The passion you hear in her voice is a result of her intense commitment.

How I became a singer

I started my musical career as a guitar player. When I joined my first band, we didn't have a lead singer. I always thought the lead singer got the most dates, so I volunteered, even though as a singer I didn't really know what I was doing. We wrote a bunch of songs, and soon had our first public performance at a large outdoor concert in Berkeley, California.

My first performance was frightening and exciting. I stood on the edge of the stage, my knees shaking, shyly looking out at the huge audience. I wanted to be there, but a big part of me wished I had never put myself in this agonizing position.

My band and I began our first song. My rhythm was shaken by my fear. We were loose, but we were loud! I barely remembered what chords to play and felt like I could fall apart at any moment. Even though our first song was only three minutes long, it seemed like it would never end. My knees shook so hard I wondered if I would collapse. How would I make it through our whole set?

We finished our first song and the audience of over a thousand went wild. They shrieked, screamed and clapped. Their response surprised me.

I thought they had seen my shaky knees and would boo me off the stage, but they loved us!

The second song was easier. I lifted my head and watched the audience move to our music. I began to play guitar with power and authority. I sang with passion. I was expressing! The audience was responding! It was quite an experience.

We finished our last song and the audience was screaming louder than ever. I was hooked. I wanted this feeling again.

The only problem was that I didn't really know how to sing very well. The main reason I got the singing gig in my first band was that I was willing to do it.

It then became my mission to improve myself as a singer. I began taking voice lessons from various teachers. However, the lessons didn't improve my singing at all. I was frustrated and disappointed, and thought maybe the problem was that I really wasn't cut out to be a singer.

But I loved singing and continued to record and perform in different bands. I quit my day job so I could devote my life to my music. At this point I was singing for at least three hours a day, and my voice improved because of the sheer number of hours I was devoting to singing. Also, through trial and error, I had discovered some of The 7 Keys to Great

Singing.

Eventually I found a teacher who taught me more of The 7 Keys to

Great Singing, and my voice improved dramatically. I was in complete

command of my voice and loving it.

I sang in many bands, wrote a lot of songs, and received radio air play. I've recorded in world class studios and worked with famous singers and musicians. It's been a wild ride, and I wouldn't have missed it for anything.

You really can learn to sing

In my teaching practice, I have seen many students succeed, and they weren't always the ones who started out with great voices. They succeeded because they loved singing, and were willing to put in the time to learn the craft. You don't need to be born with a great voice in order to succeed as a singer. All you need is an intense desire to sing, and the willingness to

work, struggle and learn.

Your success is largely up to you. If you work hard and hang in there through the hard times, you have an excellent chance of success.

It won’t be easy. You'll have to practice, and you'll definitely face periods of frustration and disappointment. People may tell you that you can’t sing and are foolish for trying. But one thing is certain: if you love singing with all your heart, and you have even an ounce of talent, your persistence and hard work will pay off.

Decca Records told the Beatles that their records would never sell in America. Bruce Springsteen’s early bands were rejected by New Jersey nightclubs when they tried to get work. But fortunately these artists were persistent. If they had given up, we would never have been able to enjoy their music.

CHAPTER 2

WHAT IT TAKES

In order for you to become a professional singer, there are two requirements. Here's what they are:

1. Can you sing on key at least 70% of the time?

In case you don't know what singing on key actually is, I'll explain. Let's say I play a "C" note on the piano. If you can sing the "C" note as I am playing it, you are singing on key. If you sing any note besides the "C" note, you are not singing on key.

Singing on key is very important because even the most musically ignorant audience member will know when a singer is singing off key. They might not be able to explain exactly what is wrong with the singer, but they'll know something is!

Fortunately, singing on key comes naturally to most people. That's why any group of people at a restaurant or party can sing Happy Birthday with relatively no problem.

Most beginning singers sing on key fairly well, but not perfectly. Being even slightly off key sounds awful, so you'll need to learn to sing on

key all the time. For now, if you can sing on key 70% of the time you're in good shape.

Singing on key is a matter of getting your ear, your brain and your vocal cords to work together. This just takes practice. Eventually you'll sing on key without even thinking about it.

2. Do you have healthy vocal cords?

The other thing you need in order to sing well is healthy vocal cords. If you can produce a loud and clear sound, your vocal cords are healthy and will work for you when you are singing. Most people can pass this part of

The Vocal Assessment because most people have healthy vocal cords.

But about one out of a thousand people have vocal cords that have been damaged by incorrect singing or speaking, and they cannot produce this loud and clear tone. These people cannot be trained unless they heal their vocal cords first. In most cases, this just means a good rest for the vocal cords.

There are some people who have naturally raspy voices, who can still learn to sing well. In fact, these singer's end up with very interesting

voices, as long as they can learn to to apply good technique.

I know most beginning singers worry about whether they will be able to sing well or not. Don't worry! There is a 95% chance you can become a professional level singer.

CHAPTER 3

THE TOP-10

MYTHS ABOUT SINGING

Okay, we've got the big myth out of the way: singers are made, not born! Now you know that most people can learn to sing. But there are other myths that could get in your way, so let's deal with them right now!

Myth #1: It will take many years for a total beginner to learn to sing.

The Truth: Most beginning singers who learn The 7 Keys to Great Singing

and practice on a daily basis are ready to perform in entry level nightclubs within a year or two. Occasionally it will take a singer more than two years to reach "nightclub level," but that's rare.

Myth #2: Singers have to be able to read music in order to succeed.

The Truth: Most nightclub singers and recording artists never need to read

when you sing "Jingle Bells" or "Happy Birthday." Paul McCartney never learned to read or write music. He never found the need to. The only singers who need to read music are opera singers, or in some cases, singers who sing on TV and radio commercials.

Myth #3: If you can't sing high notes now, you just don't have the kind of

voice that could ever sing high notes.

The Truth: High notes are difficult, and most of us have to be trained to

sing them well. But, if you learn The 7 Keys to Great Singing, and practice the Vocal Exercises, you have a 95% chance of being able to sing high notes with the best of them.

Myth #4: If you're scared to perform in front of people now, you'll never

be able to be a confident performer.

The Truth: Your fear is normal. Most people who get up in front of an

audience are afraid. My first performances were so scary that my knees shook. However, learning to perform is a skill that anyone can learn.

Every one of my students who wanted to learn to perform became an

excellent performer. Once you learn The 7 Keys to Great Performing, you'll

become a confident and charismatic performer.

Myth #5: If you drink milk or orange juice before singing, you won't be

able to sing well.

The Truth: Drinking milk or orange juice doesn't limit your singing

ability. When you learn The 7 Keys to Great Singing, you'll sing well no matter what you eat or drink.

Myth #6: If you smoke cigarettes, you'll never become a great singer. The Truth: There are many famous singers who smoke and it doesn't hurt

their singing at all. They may die young, but they sing just fine. So, stop smoking for your health, not your singing.

Myth #7: Drinking warm tea before singing will help you sing better. The Truth: If that was all you had to do to sing better you wouldn't need

to read this book. Unfortunately, drinking warm tea doesn't improve your singing at all. It may make you feel better, which is a good thing, but it won't help you sing better.

Myth #8: If you sing in a place where it's very cold, you won't be able to

sing that well.

The Truth: Maybe if it was 80 degrees below zero your singing would be

affected, but otherwise don't worry about it. Sing away!

Myth #9: If you didn't start taking voice lessons at age five, you have very

little chance of succeeding.

The Truth: I've had students well over 50 who began lessons with me, and

they did just fine. Remember, many successful singers are in their seventies and still sing well. If you start at 50 or 60, so what?

Myth #10: Singing is genetic. If your parents weren't great singers, you

won't be either.

The Truth: Your singing potential isn't dependent on your parents ability.

It's dependent on your willingness to learn The 7 Keys to Great Singing, and practice.

Those are the deadly myths that stop many people from ever trying to sing. Now that we've killed those myths, they can't stop you. You can learn to sing!

CHAPTER 4

WHY THE STANDARD

APPROACHES FAIL

When I was learning to sing, I tried most of the standard approaches. I took college classes, private lessons, and tried to figure out how to sing on my own. It was very frustrating for me because with all the classes and lessons I was taking, my voice just wasn't improving. I thought the problem was me; maybe I just wasn't a good enough singer.

But part of me knew that the problem wasn't me. I was singing in a rock band, and my songs were getting played on the radio. I had achieved some level of success so I couldn't be that bad. It wasn't until years later that I discovered the real problem. My teachers were not teaching me the same techniques the pros were using. In fact, most of them weren't

teaching me any techniques at all. They were using a hit or miss approach that definitely missed.

When I began teaching voice, many of my students had tried the standard approaches and still couldn't sing. Their experience was much like mine.

Why the standard approaches don't work

The main reason that the standard approaches usually fail is that they don't teach aspiring singers THE ACTUAL TECHNIQUES THAT TODAY'S SUCCESSFUL SINGERS USE: The 7 Keys to Great Singing. The standard approaches use outdated, old, and usually ineffective tools that just don't work for modern singing.

What are the standard approaches?

There are basically four approaches people use in learning to sing. I have seen or experienced the results of each of these, by using them myself, and by working with students who have tried them. Let's look at each of these approaches in detail.

Standard Approach #1: Finding a voice teacher and taking private lessons.

Success rate: About 30%

This is a good way to learn to sing, if you can find a great voice

teacher. But finding a great voice teacher is almost impossible, unless you

live in Los Angeles, New York or San Francisco. Also, great voice teachers are expensive, charging up to $1000 per hour. Most people can't afford to study with them.

When I was learning to sing, 75% of the teachers I studied with were of no help to me whatsoever! Finally I did find some teachers who taught me some of The 7 Keys to Great Singing. My singing improved while I was studying with them.

Most of my students who have studied with other teachers have no knowledge of ANY of The 7 Keys to Great Singing. Many of them have studied for years and still can't sing a single song well. I believe their teachers tried their best and probably meant well, but these teachers didn't have knowledge of the techniques the pros were using, and therefore were unable to help these students.

Most teachers use outdated, opera-based methods of teaching. How much opera do you hear on the radio today? Not much! Today's successful pop singers are using different techniques than opera singers, which is why

they sound different!

The main problem with this approach is that there's a scarcity of great voice teachers. I know of four great teachers in the United States. That's a drag, because it makes learning to sing very difficult.

Standard Approach #2: Trying to figure it out on your own. Success rate: About 30%

It turns out that no training is MUCH better than mediocre or bad training. Some of my students who have learned on their own figured out a few of The 7 Keys to Great Singing, and became fantastic singers. Some very famous singers developed great voices by figuring it out on their own.

However, some people who follow this path get into deep trouble. They develop bad habits that really limit their singing ability.

Although this method works for some people, it's potentially dangerous because it's possible to damage your voice. Learning on your own often creates bad habits that can take months or years for a good teacher to repair. I know this from working with students who have developed these bad habits.

Standard Approach #3. Taking a singing class at a college. Success rate: About 10%

I have rarely seen a student who learned to sing well at college. The problem with college classes is that the teachers use outdated methods which don't work for pop singing. You have a teacher teaching opera technique to a bunch of students trying to sing pop. It's pretty weird and not much gets accomplished.

millions of records. Never! College classes are ok for messing around, but for people who really want to learn to sing, they're usually not that effective.

Standard Approach #4. Joining a choir in high school, college, or church.

Success rate: About 25%

This is perhaps the worst way to learn to sing. The main problem is that in choirs, singers are rarely encouraged to really belt it out. The choir singers I see are very quiet and timid in their singing. They're told by the choir directors to be quiet and blend in. It's as if all the life was beaten out of them.

Now, there is one exception. African American churches have produced some incredible singers. In those churches, singers are encouraged to express, which allows natural voices to develop.

Don't freak out, there's a better approach to learning to sing

With the dismal success rates of the common approaches, it's no wonder that many singers become discouraged and quit. But don't lose heart. There is an approach which has a 90% success rate. Read on!

CHAPTER 5

A BETTER WAY

There is a better way to learn to sing. It's simple and effective. Most of the students who use this method become excellent singers.

This better way can be stated in one sentence: IF YOU WANT TO SING WELL, DO WHAT THE GREATEST SINGERS IN THE WORLD ARE DOING.

You're probably thinking, "Well if I could do what the greatest singers in the world are doing, of course I'd sing well, but I can't just DO what they are doing. If it was that easy I'd be singing well already."

You're right! You can't just DO what they are doing. You need to learn to do what they are doing, gradually. You'll do this by learning and experiencing The 7 Keys to Great Singing.

The reason professional singers sing so well is that they are using these 7 Keys. By reading this book and connecting with a singing teacher, who knows The 7 Keys to Great Singing, you'll sing better than you ever dreamed possible!

Anecdote

I used to play golf with a guy who had been golfing for 20 years. I'd been playing for just two years, and I beat him almost every time we

learned the right way to swing my clubs. I learned the same techniques the greatest golfers in the world were using.

My friend never took a lesson. He just got up and hit the ball the same way he had been hitting it for 20 years. Poorly! Then he'd act surprised when his ball went into the forest instead of onto the green. He had bad technique and he never improved.

Learning to do what the pro's are doing is the key

When you learn the techniques the pro's are using, and then practice, your singing voice will improve dramatically. That's what this book is about; teaching you correct technique with The 7 Keys to Great Singing, and giving you powerful Vocal Exercises to practice.

I found that following The 7 Keys to Great Singing made me a better singer than I ever imagined I could become. Before I discovered these techniques, my singing ability was limited and I felt permanently stuck. Now I have control of my voice. It does what I want, when I want.

How do you learn The 7 Keys to Great Singing?

First, read the next chapter to gain an understanding of The 7 Keys to

Great Singing. Next, you can begin applying these techniques to your

singing on your own, or even better, you can begin looking for a qualified singing teacher. A good singing teacher will teach you how to incorporate

The 7 Keys to Great Singing into your singing AUTOMATICALLY!

That's the beauty of this system. It's almost impossible to fail.

You have in your hands a method THAT WORKS. If you've always dreamed of singing well, now you can!

Learning on your own, or finding a good singing teacher.

You can learn most of The 7 Keys to Great Singing on your own. If you can find a good singing teacher to help you, that is better. There are some Keys that are difficult to learn without help.

Good coaches are expensive. They charge between $300-$1000 per hour. But an amateur coach who charges $50 per hour and teaches you

incorrectly is really expensive, because you invest a couple of years studying and never learn to sing.

I'd rather take two half-hour lessons per month with a great teacher than four one-hour lessons with an ineffective teacher. I can learn more in 30 minutes with a great coach than I could in a year with an amateur one.

If you decide to look for a coach, ask each prospective coach the following questions:

1. What are your students doing professionally?

If a coach’s students are working regularly in reputable clubs and recording studios, you can be assured that his/her teaching methods are effective. If, however, the students aren’t working, how good can the teaching methods be? Would you attend a law school where none of the graduates were able to find work as lawyers?

2. What styles of music can you teach?

If you are interested in singing pop music, it is important for your coach to be teaching and singing pop music. If you want to sing opera, study with an opera teacher, not a rock teacher.

I've had many students who studied opera even though they wanted to become pop singers. By the time they got to me they sounded like opera singers trying to sing pop. They sounded old fashioned and rather odd, and it took some work to help them learn to sound like pop singers.

3. How long does it take your average student to begin performing publicly?

If a coach is good, most of his or her students should be performing within a year or two. If it takes longer than that, something is wrong.

4. What have you done professionally?

If a coach has performance experience in the field you are pursuing, great! Even better is a coach who is still active as a singer. There is a lot to

learn from someone who has been where you want to go. If they haven't worked professionally, stay away.

Ask to hear some of their recordings. If they don't have a demo or CD of their own singing, they probably aren't experienced enough to be a great coach.

5. Do you understand the techniques the great singers of the world are using?

Be sure the coach is familiar with and can demonstrate most of The 7

Keys to Great Singing. If they don't understand what you're talking about

when you mention keeping the cords together, keeping the larynx neutral, or using a blend to get above your chest voice, look for another coach.

6. Do you help your students work towards specific goals, vocally and professionally?

If a coach asks you to write out your goals and bring them to your first lesson, great! When a coach sees a student's goals written out, they will work harder to help the student reach those goals. Without specific goals, it's easy to wander aimlessly through lessons and achieve little or nothing.

Perhaps the most important thing you can do, is to have the coach sing for you. If they are singing in a way that you want to emulate, then they can probably be of help to you. If they cannot demonstrate techniques do you want to learn, you will probably be disappointed.

Do not be intimidated by voice teachers. Some of them can be very arrogant. Ask the questions, interview all the teachers, you can, and don't be afraid to pay high rates for a great teacher.

Try one lesson and check out the teacher in person

If a coach passes your telephone screening, set up an initial session. If at the end of the first session your singing and understanding of singing have improved, you may have found a good coach. As the sessions

progress, be sure the coach continues to deliver. Some coaches are great in the beginning but as time goes by they slack off. A great way to keep coaches on their toes and to document your progress is to tape the sessions. Coaches tend to work harder when they’re being recorded.

If you live in an area where are you can find a good voice coach, I recommend trying them for awhile. If you need to learn on your own, remember many great singers have done so. This book contains valuable information on the techniques of good singing. Apply what you learn here, and make sure the teachers understand and can teach what this book

PART 2

THE 7 KEYS TO

GREAT SINGING

CHAPTER 6

KEY 1:

USE SINGERS' POSTURE

AND ENJOY FREEDOM

AND CONFIDENCE

Singers' Posture lays the foundation for powerful, effortless and

passionate singing. It's like the foundation of a house. There's nothing glamorous about a foundation, but you sure need one if you're building a big house, or a big voice.

Singer's Posture consists of four simple parts:

Part 1: Stand straight and strong

Standing straight and strong puts your body into a good position so that instrument of yours can sound as good as possible. It will also boost your confidence and help you look great on stage.

Try this now:

Stand with your back to a wall, with your entire body and head touching the wall. Look straight ahead and unlock your knees. Next, step away from the wall, relax, and try to keep this posture. Now you have a good straight and strong posture. Your posture may slip a little bit as you step away from the wall. That's just fine. What we are looking for is a combination of a relatively straight body, while remaining relaxed.

The ideal singing position

When you're in the ideal singing position, your body is straight and relaxed, with your weight on both feet and your knees unlocked. You're not slumped, nor do you push your head forward like a turtle. You'll feel feel comfortable, balanced, and ready to move.

Standing straight and strong makes the difficult notes much easier

When you're trying to sing that tough-to-reach note, if your posture is good, the note will be much easier to sing. Imagine your favorite singer trying to wail on a high note while slumped over. Even she probably couldn't pull that off.

Standing straight and strong helps you to feel better

If you're standing straight and strong, you'll feel stronger and more confident emotionally. Our posture has real impact on what we feel.

Try this now:

Stand in a slumped, defeated position with your eyes closed. Now go inside of yourself and see what you're feeling emotionally. Do you feel

strong or weak? Happy or sad? Confident or scared?

Next, stand straight and strong, close your eyes, and see what you're feeling. See how much better that feels.

Keep your strong posture even when you're scared

Many of my students have good posture, but not when they get up to sing their first song for me. They shrink about two inches. With the bad posture, they sing poorly and have a miserable experience. When I remind them to stand straight and strong, they instantly sing better and have more fun. They begin to smile as they are singing.

Many students start off singing with good posture, but when a high note comes, their bodies cave in. They get scared, drop their posture, and crash on the high note.

Standing straight and strong is easy to learn, but hard to remember,

especially under pressure. It takes real attention to remember to hold the posture through the hard parts. Our tendency is to cave in when approaching a difficult note. But caving in prevents us from ever hitting the note.

If you knew a gorilla was about to enter your room, and you “wimped out,” the gorilla would probably sense your weakness and wipe you out. Don't let the hard parts of songs or Vocal Exercises bully you. Take the stance. Stand straight and strong. It will help you feel better, and sing better.

Tips for mastering Part 1 of Singers' Posture: Keeping Your Body Straight and Strong

1. Practice standing straight and strong throughout your day. Notice how you feel when you stand straight and strong and when you don't.

2. Sing with your heels, back, and head against the wall for 5 minutes per day. This is an exaggerated position, and not as relaxed as we ultimately want, but it does give you the feeling of a straight and open body.

Part 2: Relax your upper body

Now we take your straight and strong body and help it to relax! Relaxation is as important for singers as for any athlete or performer.

"Relax my upper body. Hey that's easy." That's what you think! Relaxing your upper body while singing is hard, but necessary.

Upper body tension is one of the main reasons a singer's voice sounds strained and harsh. If your neck, throat, shoulders, arms, face or jaw are tight, it will make singing much more difficult.

Most beginning singers automatically tighten their upper body when they're about to sing a difficult note. They get scared, which makes them physically tense. This tension makes the hard note almost impossible to hit. When a singer learns to relax through the challenging parts of a song, the entire song sounds and feels better and the challenging part becomes easier.

How do you get your body to relax?

The key to relaxing your body while singing is to move the parts of your body that tend to tighten up. It's difficult to remain tight while you

are moving. If your neck is tight, move your head. If your shoulders are tight, roll them while singing. Walk around and let your body go loose like a rag doll. As you do these exercises, your singing will become easier.

Example

One of my students came to her lesson terrified and in tears. In just a few hours she would be opening for Primus at San Francisco's Warfield Theater and she was afraid she wouldn't be able to sing her best. She would be singing for thousands of people and probably felt like her career was about to end.

I asked her to sing a song so I could see what the problem was. As she began, I immediately saw what was wrong. Her shoulders were as rigid as concrete. She was holding on for dear life and her voice was suffering

because of all the muscle tension in her shoulders.

I stopped her in the middle of her song and told her to sing it again, but this time to roll her shoulders while she was singing. As she began moving them, her voice became freer. Hearing her voice improving gave her confidence, and she began to let go even more. At the end of the lesson she had a smile on her face and gave me a kiss on the cheek. After that performance and others, she went on to get a major recording contract, and to sell millions of CDs.

Tightening up is normal

The tendency to tighten up your upper body while singing is completely normal, and all of my students have to deal with it. Don't stress about it. Just keep moving your upper body while you're singing, and you'll

learn to keep your upper body relaxed.

Tips for mastering Part 2 of Singers' Posture: Relaxing Your Upper Body

1. Roll your neck and shoulders while singing.

2. Practice deep breathing 30 seconds before you even begin singing. Before singing, especially publicly, many singers get nervous, and their breathing gets shallow. The shallow breathing makes them feel even more uncomfortable and their bodies become tenser. The solution is to begin breathing deeply before you start singing. Then when you begin singing, your body will be more relaxed and you'll feel better emotionally.

Part 3: Open your chest

Part 3 takes your strong, straight and relaxed body and shapes it into an even better instrument. Gymnasts, dancers, and yoga masters have open chests. Just think of your image of Mary Lou Retton. She looks proud, open and confident. That's your ideal open-chested posture.

your body is your instrument, and when your chest is open, your instrument has a good shape. Opening your chest also opens your heart to yourself and the world. When your heart and body are open your voice and emotions can be released.

Try this now:

Put a firm but small pillow on the floor. Lie down on your back with the pillow under your shoulder blades. As you lie on the pillow, your chest will naturally open. Really relax your body. Extend your arms over your head and really stretch. Breathe deeply. As you breathe you'll notice how your chest expands. Continue this exercise for five minutes.

This exercise will show you what it feels like to really open your chest, and will help stretch open your chest, so you can do it while you are standing and singing. I recommend that you do this exercise before each practice session.

Try this while you're singing:

Open and raise your arms while you are singing. Exaggerate this exercise. Open your arms so your look like Jesus on the cross. Really open up your chest. This position will free your body and your voice.

Keep your chest open the whole time you're singing

Singing with an open chest is easy for awhile. Then fear and the need for self-protection kicks in and the upper body starts to cave. You'll need to continuously remind yourself to keep your chest open.

Opening your chest will help open your heart

Opening your chest will make you more vulnerable, which can be uncomfortable, yet liberating. Even if some part of you resists, keep opening your chest. Your singing will become easier and you'll eventually use and enjoy your vulnerability in adding expression in your songs.

Tips for mastering Part 3 of Singers' Posture: Opening Your Chest 1. Practice walking and standing in a proud, open-chested posture and notice the confidence and security that follow. Do this during your daily activities as well as when you're singing.

2. Sing with open arms.

3. Sing in front of a mirror while trying to keep your chest as open as possible.

Part 4: Keep your head level

Keeping your head level is easy to learn and when you learn it, you'll look better and singing will be easier. Most of my beginning students habitually raise their chin in order to hit the high notes. It's a kind of body English designed to help hit these notes, but it doesn't work. Raising your chin tightens the muscles around your throat. The tight muscles make it much harder to sing well. Keeping your head level keeps the muscles relaxed.

Try this when you're singing:

Start with your head in a level position, looking straight ahead. That's the position you should sing from. As you sing, watch for a tendency to raise your chin as you hit a high note. Spend some time singing in front of a mirror because you may be raising your chin without knowing it. If you notice yourself raising your chin, bring it back down to the level position.

Remind yourself to keep your head level

Keeping your head level is not hard to do, but it's easy to forget. In the beginning, you'll need to keep reminding yourself to do it. With time, keeping it level will become automatic.

As you advance, you can raise your chin if you want to, and still sing well. Then you'll be raising your chin for expression, not as a response to

fear.

Tips for mastering Part 4 of Singers' Posture: Keeping Your Head Level 1. Spend half your practice time singing in front of a mirror, and if you find yourself raising your chin, bring it back down.

2. Sing with your back to the wall, while looking straight

ahead, and keeping the back of your head touching the wall. This is the same exercise we did in Part 1, but now the focus is on keeping your head level. This is an exaggerated position. You will not feel relaxed, but your voice will be released as a result of keeping your head more level.

Summary of Key 1: Use Singers' Posture and Enjoy Freedom and Confidence

Singer's Posture is great because it helps you to sing better and

feel more confident. You can practice Singers' Posture at home, at work and while you're walking to the grocery store. The more you practice while you're not singing, the easier it will be to master Singers'

Posture when you're singing. In the end, you want a body that is open,

relaxed, powerful, and free. While you are learning this key, you will experience some discomfort, because you are changing the bad habits that you are used to. In the end, this key will make singing much easier!

KEY 2

KEEP YOUR VOCAL

CORDS TOGETHER

AND EXPERIENCE TOTAL

CONTROL

One of the most important things you will learn is how to sing with your vocal cords close together. I know, you have no idea of what I am talking about! RELAX, DON'T FREAK OUT!! You're not supposed to know what I'm talking about, not yet anyway.

Your vocal cords, located in your throat, are two flaps of flesh that can be moved close together or pulled far apart. When they are moved close together, they vibrate against each other, and produce a loud, resonant, edgy sound. Whey they are far apart they have nothing to vibrate against so they produce a quiet and airy sound.

When you whisper, your vocal cords are far apart. When you shout or talk in a normal voice, their are fairly close together.

Take a big breath and sigh, with your mouth open That's what it feels like when your vocal cords are far apart. Try it a couple of more times, just to see what it feels like.

Now take a big breath and say "awe" as in awesome and hold it for five seconds. At this point, your cords are closer together, and you produce a louder sound.

When you're singing, the goal is to learn to keep your cords close together all of the time. When you do this, you'll produce a powerful sound with very little effort.

A beginners' vocal cords will come together and go apart randomly. These random happenings will make a beginning singer feel out control, as indeed he or she is.

The first thing to do, is to go to youtube.com and search for vocal cord videos. You can type in vocal cords, or Video Stroboscopy of the Vocal Cords. Once you see, the vocal cords in action, you'll be amazed at how simple their function is.

Anecdote

Jeaneen came to one of her lessons and she was sounding terrible. Her vocal cords were coming apart and she had no control. She couldn't even do the most basic Vocal Exercises..

I gave her an exercise which forced her to keep her cords together. Her singing improved instantly. When she sang her first song, she took my breath away. She was powerful, confident and expressive. She had total control of her voice.

My experience:

When I used to sing songs with my cords apart, I could never trust my voice. I had to work hard to produce any volume. Now that I know how to keep my cords together, singing is much easier. I know I'll hit the notes I go for, and if I want to sing with alot of power, I can.

Tips for mastering this Key:

1. Practice making a "creaky door" sound . This is the sound you would make, if you were telling a scary story, and wanted to make the sound of a creaky door.

2. Really "whine" like a little kid when you sing. This whining brings your cords together automatically.

3. Listen to the way singers begin phrases with the creaky doors sound. It is subtle, but very noticeable. Practice this on your songs. It is a very common and powerful technique. It automatically brings the chords together at the beginning of a phrase, and they tend to stay together until you finish the phrase.

Summary of Key 2: Keep Your Vocal Cords Together

Learning to keep your cords together is not that difficult. But, and this is a Key, where a good singing teacher could help.

CHAPTER 8

KEY 3

OPEN YOUR THROAT

TO ADD RICHNESS TO

YOUR VOICE

Opening your throat will have a huge effect on the sound of your voice. Most untrained singers don't know how to open their throat. I'm going to teach you how.

You open your throat by lowering your larynx. Your larynx (or Adams apple) is that grape-sized bump on the front of your throat. As you drop your larynx, your throat opens and you produce a richer, deeper, more expressive sound. The key to opening your throat is

Finding your larynx

Some people have a larynx that sticks way out and others have a larynx that is somewhat hidden. Mens' larynxes are usually easier to find than women's.

Try this now:

To find your larynx, place your fingers near the top of your throat where you think your Adam's apple is. Now swallow. Your larynx will rise. Now yawn. Your larynx goes down. If nothing happens when you swallow or yawn, move your fingers up or down on your throat until you find your larynx. Then try swallowing and yawning again and notice how it moves.

The three basic larynx positions

You just discovered how your larynx can move up and down. The three basic positions of the larynx are:

1. Neutral, which is where it is when you are reading this page or

talking.

2. Up, when you're swallowing.

3. Down, when you're yawning.

Your goal is to keep your larynx neutral or slightly down when you're singing. You'll learn to control your larynx by doing the larynx exercises that follow. Eventually you'll be controlling your larynx when you're singing songs.

Why do I need to control my larynx?

automatically be controlling how open our closed your throat is. Your throat has different degrees of openness. When your larynx is up, your throat is somewhat closed, and the air and sound pass through an opening about the size of a dime. Your sound will be thin, wimpy and potentially obnoxious. Your voice will tend to "break" or "warble."

When your larynx is in a neutral position, your throat opening is

about the size of a quarter. Your sound will be much fuller now and you won't feel like your straining or about to choke on the note. Singing will be easier.

If you take this further and drop your larynx to its lowest position, your throat will open to the size of a half dollar. At this point your sound will be even louder, deeper and somewhat operatic in nature. We usually won't take it all the way down in pop singing because we don't want to sound like opera singers. But singers like David Bowie take it down pretty far, which is why he has that somewhat operatic sound.

When you have complete control over your larynx, you'll be able to control the richness, depth and volume of your sound. Sometimes you'll want a sound with alot of authority and power. Well, just drop your larynx slightly and you'll get that big sound.

Won't my larynx stay neutral all by itself?

No. When you sing low notes, your larynx will remain neutral all by itself. But as you start to sing higher notes, your larynx will gradually begin to rise, and as it does, the opening in your throat becomes smaller. This is a reflex that happens automatically with most beginning and untrained singers.

Anecdote

When Emily started taking lessons with me, she had a tiny, quiet voice. When she learned to control her larynx, (which caused her throat to be more open), she began belting like a great blues or gospel singer. Now her voice is big, open and full of expression and soul. I've had many other students like Emily who had quiet voices to begin with, who developed

powerful voices as a result of learning this key.

How do you learn to control your larynx?

Since you don't have any other activity in your life that asks you to control your larynx, you probably don't know how to control it yet. That's okay. You'll learn to control your larynx by doing the larynx lowering exercises.

Larynx Lowering Exercises:

The purpose of these exercises is to give you control over your larynx, which will then allow you to open your throat. While you're doing each exercise, keep your neck, jaw and throat muscles relaxed.

Exercise #1. Larynx Push-downs.

With your fingers on your larynx, yawn. Notice how it goes down. Now try to make it go down without yawning. If you need to jump start it with a yawn, that's fine. Your goal is to lower it rapidly 20 times. then rest and lower it 20 more times.

Exercise #2. Larynx Holds.

Lower your larynx and hold it down for 20 seconds, then let it come back to the neutral position. Repeat this exercise 10 times. As you're holding your larynx down, the muscles will begin to fatigue. This is good. You're building strength and gaining control.

Exercise #3. Talk "hooty."

Remember the cartoon characters like Goofy, Deputy Dawg or Elmer Fudd? They all talk "hooty." Talking "hooty" forces you to drop your larynx.

The easiest way to talk "hooty" is to yawn and count to five out loud while yawning. With practice you'll learn to talk "hooty" without yawning

first.

Spend five minutes a day talking "hooty." If you're unclear about what talking "hooty" sounds like, listen to the examples on the Vocal Workout CD.

Note: These larynx exercises are difficult and it takes many students up to three months before they really master them.

My experience:

I was in the recording studio having trouble with a high note. This note was unstable and felt like it was about to break. Then I realized that my larynx was rising on that note. I lowered my larynx to a neutral position and tried again. I was amazed. The note was now easy to sing.

Tips for mastering Key 3:

1. Practice moving your larynx throughout your day, at work, in the car, while watching TV.

Summary

It will take a few months for you to have enough control over your larynx to really control the openness of your throat. But if you start practicing the larynx exercises now, you'll be very grateful when you start singing songs.

CHAPTER 9

KEY 4

USE YOUR 3 VOICES

AND ENJOY A HUGE

RANGE

The only way to have a huge range, is to use your three voices. You're about to learn what your three voices are, and how to use them.

What are your three voices?

There are three voices that singers have available to them: the Chest

Voice, the Blended Voice, and the Head Voice. Many singers have built

using all three voices.

You don't need to learn to sing in all three voices to have fun and succeed as a singer, but you'll find singing more exciting when you have different voices to work with.

For me, one of the biggest advantages of developing my blended voice and my head voice, is that my chest voice got a lot better. Remember that the chest voice is the voice singers use most frequently.

The chest voice and the head voice are fairly easy to master. The blended voice is a bit more elusive. Once you experience the blended voice, with time, it will become as natural as the chest voice and the head voice.

Here are some descriptions of the three different voices:

1. Chest Voice:

When you speak, you're using your chest voice. Many rock, and country singers use their chest voice, and nothing else. It has grit, power, authority and muscle. It's big and impressive.

The only problem with the chest voice is that you can only take it so high before it begins to break. In order to sing higher notes, you'll need to learn to use your blended and head voices. Or you could do what some singers do; just sing in your chest voice and be content to never sing high notes.

2. Blended Voice:

A blended voice is a combination of chest and head voices. The blended voice allows you to sing beyond the break at the top of your chest voice. Also, by singing in the blended voice, you prevent the strain that comes from pushing the chest voice too high.

Listen to Seal or Christine Aguilera sing high notes. Go to iTunes right now. You'll notice that their high notes have some edge to them, yet there is no sign of strain. If they were to sing those same notes in their chest voice, it would sound like they were shouting, and it would be easy to damage their voices. If they were to use their pure head voice, they would

sound like opera singers trying to sing pop music. The blended voice is ideal for singing the higher notes that the chest voice just can't hit easily.

3. Head Voice (sometimes called falsetto):

Your head voice is what you will use to sing the super-high notes. It has kind of an operatic quality so you won't use it all that often.

Try this now:

Count to ten in a voice like Mickey Mouse. That's your head voice. Now count to ten in your regular voice. That's your chest voice. Try your head voice again. It feels and sounds much different than your chest voice.

Learning the lip bubble

The lip bubble gets your vocal cords doing the right thing, through most or all of your range, automatically! It makes it easy to work through all of your voices, and most importantly it helps you get your vocal cords

close together! Once your cords learn what to do with the lip bubble, it

will become easier to sing correctly with open vowels.

How to do the lip bubble:

1. Place your thumb and forefinger of either hand gently on the corners of your mouth. Now, barely grazing the skin, slide your thumb and forefinger down half an inch, then spread them one quarter to half an inch wide. This is your starting position.

2. Squeeze your fingers together as if you were picking up an egg and push your fingers up to where your teeth come together. This is your

bubbling position.

3. Separate your teeth about a quarter of an inch, keeping your jaw totally relaxed.