I can carry a tune and hit some notes really beautifully..but I want to improve. I know the best way is to get a vocal coach..but I cant..so what kinda stuff can I do on my own??? (detail please)
Are there any online tutorials??? or information. I cant find anything.
I don't know of any online resources. But, I can give you some tips and ideas I've acquired from personal experience.
First thing…This is something I always emphasize. I have a track record and it's always one of the first things I discuss….
BREATHING!!!! Breathing is one of the most important things when you sing. You need to support your notes, your strength…with breathing. It helps you reach the very high notes or the very low notes and carries you through everything else. You need to make sure you breathe from the stomach/rib cage area.
There are crazy ways to practice breathing that I don't think you should really do, so I just have one thing to say about that. The best way to practice your breathing is standing up and making sure you take deep, deep breaths. One way that used to work for me is just inhaling and seeing how long that one breath will last me as I exhale. That allowed me to kind of measure how I breathe. When you get a sense of how you breathe…you can adjust your singing to it. Breathing is rythm. I'd say it's almost everything when it comes to singing.
Another thing I'd recommend is warm-ups. You don't have to do anything set. You can use a song that has the range of voice you want to sing. I recommend doing vowels. For high warm ups I use vowels like a and e. Actually, most the only vowel I don't use is i. But something like "fla fla fla fla…" or "bumble beeeee." They really help.
Another warm-up related exercise that is interesing to try is singing whatever song you want and leaving out all the consonants. (I just did it aloud, I know it sounds kinda weird.) What it does though is it kind of loosens up your voice…your throat…it allows you to carry on notes in a more open manner. Vowels only carry out this consistent sound, you know. You don't break anywhere so you can just hear yourself pull through the notes. It helps you see how you sing, what to improve and it makes you refine the tone of your voice and the tune of it as well. It is a little easier to hear your pitch and tone on strictly vowels. It wouldn't hurt to give it a try just to see what you hear.
I've been through voice lessons. Basically it's a routine. Your teacher will warm you up. You sing for them. You go over what they think is right or wrong. Well, you have some tips here and if you practice…I think you'll be okay. Practice and breathing would be my top proiroty for you since you can't take voice lessons. (They are very pricy, especially in big cities like the Bay Area where I live.)
Another thing I've seen people recommend and that I also agree with is recording yourself. MP3 players and phones have "memo" or "voice" recorders. You can record yourself and see how you sound. It just kinda gives you an idea of what you need to improve and if you do well – it gives you the satisfaction of knowing that you sing really well!
Practice (and breathing) makes perfect, though!
Good luck!