@bonnielu
You've been given some great advice and information. YouTube is one of those things that we tend not to think of when it comes to learning how to do something. I'd head over there and check it out.
I've taught vocal production, so will leave you with the following:
1. Hydrate: Always have a bottle or container of water with you. Heat and A/C draw the moisture out of our mucous membranes, which is not good.
2. Most people use their larynx, voice box, as their primary resonator. During a day in which the voice is used a lot, that's a lot of stress on the voice box. In some cases, that stress can result in laryngitis.
3. When being coached or working with a speech therapist, you'll learn to (1 )correctly use your diaphragm, which is the large muscle that goes under your lungs, side-to-side. In doing so, you will will no longer raise shoulders every time you take a breath. Rather, your diaphragm will pull in the air and your abdomen will distend, briefly; and, you will learn to stop using your voice box as your primary resonator.
4. Primary to Secondary Resonator: Example: When you decide to say the word, "Oh," you shape your mouth accordingly. Simultaneously your brain sends a message to your diaphragm to intake air, then exhale it. It is on the "exhale" that the voice box is engaged to make a tone. However, the tone should not stay there, especially for those whose professions or avocations require a great deal of their voice box. So what do you do and what is this secondary resonator?
5. Once the tone is generated in the voice box, it is immediately focused up to a "sweet spot" at a point where the hard and soft palette meet. This allows the tone you've just created to resonate throughout your sinuses and most of the front of your head. The tone thus created will be much richer and will sound different than the tone which stops dead in the voice box.
Ideally, I would be standing with you and we would do some hands-on, so that you could get a better feel for your anatomy. However, you can start by working with a mirror at home. Standing in front of the mirror(with your feet at least 6" apart), take 10 deep breaths like the doctor asks of you and look at your shoulders (are they going up and down?). Next, place your dominant thumb just below your breast bone and lay your hand, with fingers splayed and pointing to the side, over your stomach area. Now repeat those 10 deep breaths, but the goal here is to draw air in in a way that will raise your abdomen up and down. Once you get the hang of this and keeping that hand on your abdomen, recite a favorite childhood rhyme. The idea is to coordinate your breathing with talking.
Now that you've got that new skill in hand, it's time to address that secondary resonator. Insure your feet are at least 6" apart and your hand is on your abdomen as above. Now say, "ING." You'll notice that your tongue goes way up to your palette. Next say, "AH." Unlike, ING, when you say AH, everything opens up. Now I want you to chose a note that's comfortable for you to sing and sing ING, then immediately sing AH. The second time you do this and as you switch from ING to AH, FOCUS the TONE of AH to the middle of your palette. Once you can do this and realize a slight vibration or buzz on that spot, you've got it.
So you ask, "How in the heck does singing ING and AH and my palette have anything to do with my vocal quality?" Well, once you really get the hang of creating the little vibration or buzz in your palette, you'll know where to focus your voice, using your diaphragm and abdominal muscles properly. This should compliment your current speaking voice with body and richness, which is not currently present.
**No two people are born with the same shaped voice box and the same vocal folds inside the box. These are two knowns that we cannot change. But, we can strive to breathe healthier and stronger and learn how to focus the tones we say or sing.
This is a lot and may sound extremely confusing. Just thought I'd lay it down in words, because some folks need to see it in the written word, vice the visual form.
Good luck! ~Rebecca
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