HARDEST PART

Hardest Part Q&A

Q: How can i make the "Ooooo" sound better when singing?

when singing Ne-Yo's "because of you" its hard to for me to make the "ooo" sound at the part "im so strung out on YOU i can barely MOVE..but i like it" its hard for me to make that sound right what should i do to make it come out sounding good is there a certain way too sing those sounds without restricting any airflow...thanks p.s. vibrato can eventually be acquired with the right practice right?

A: An u vowel is very demanding. Not only do we really have to pucker our lips ( think of holding a drinking straw between your teeth as well) but we need to maintain the open back spaces in our mouth and throat. If you tense the back wall of your mouth/throat in an attempt to help the lips do their job, you'll be cutting down the space that the u needs to resonate properly. It's a balancing act that needs to be done with great awareness. sometimes, it helps to think of that drinking straw going not only through your mouth to the back wall, but all the way down to your navel. Sure, it's a silly image, but it helps coordinate the lips to the pharyngeal space and keeps the base of the tongue and the larynx low, while also keeping your breath balanced at your epigastrium. ( sorry, I get carried away with technical language. a real singer-geek problem) Just don't squeeze down on the inside spaces, and the u should open up a bit.

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