Mistakes <3. They are inevitable and help us progress.

Here is a short list of 5 common mistakes that we will seek to avoid in our quest for better singing.

1 - Singing too loudly

"Louder is better" is more a sign of amateurism than of technical skill. Singing loudly is not always synonymous with good technique. It is often said that to be certain that you master a note, you must be able to sing it pianissimo (very softly), without feeling any tightness in your throat.

2 - Singing in a key that gives us trouble

It's okay to change the key of a song to fit our voice. We will progress faster by knowing our limits. So instead of struggling to sing in the original key of a song, let's accept to lower or raise it a little (or a lot: it's okay!). Accepting this change ensures that we can master the song, sing in our comfort zone, and progress on all the concepts (air flow, volume, vibrato...) that will allow us, once mastered, to attempt the song a little higher or a little lower in order to find the original key (if it corresponds to the new progress we will have acquired)!

3 - Singing with bad posture

Maybe we are more comfortable slouched on the couch (I'm actually sitting like an old potato on the sofa while writing this for you), but it won't be useful for singing. Good posture is essential for good breathing and good vocal projection. So let's straighten up (yes, I'm going to do it too!) and take deep breaths!

4 - Singing without breathing correctly

We talked about it above: breathing is a key element of singing. Inspiration prepares the body to sing, putting it in pole position for your next sung phrase. To put it simply, breathing correctly means breathing with the belly coming out and expanding when you inhale (and not the other way around), with relaxed shoulders. So let's take the time to do breathing exercises to improve our breathing capacity!

5 - Singing without confidence in our voice

It's much easier said than done, but if you have confidence in your voice, you will progress faster. By "confidence in your voice", I mean:

• appreciating its flaws,

• knowing that it might go off track

• knowing that you may not necessarily like it and that it can change

• knowing that you will progress

• knowing that everything can be learned

• knowing that it may take time

• knowing that you want to improve it

• knowing that it improves every time you practice correctly

So have confidence in your voice and don't be afraid to show it, at least to yourself, whether it's perfect or imperfect!"