Some miscellaneous tips for the amateur singer:
- Listen carefully at all times.
- Learn to hear the other parts as you sing, and work on tuning with them.
- Listen to the vowel sounds. Try to match the vowel sounds of the rest of the choir. When everyone is singing exactly the same vowel the perceived volume of the choir will be amplified, as the sound will be in better focus.
- Take a foreign language. Concentrate on the sounds of the language. Your singing will be improved by your broader knowledge.
- Listen to other choirs. If you are fortunate enough to live in an area with several choirs, be sure to attend some concerts. Listen for what works and what doesn’t. If you don’t have access to other local choirs, look for a variety of choral music recordings at your local record store. If they don’t have a good selection of classical music then join one of the record clubs and build your library.
- Try something new. Even if you don’t like it, you will have learned something.
- Enjoy yourself. Relax and have fun. Remember, you sing because you like to sing. Sometimes the stress of rehearsing and performing can tend to make you forget that. Get back the enjoyment.
