Any vocalists out there? I need help

[Morella]

I am rehearsing Marcia Baila (Les Rita Mitsuoko), and I can finally pronounce all of the lyrics in form (they're in French), but I just do not have the range to get those "whoop whoops" in. I've been told that if you try too hard to bring your range up, you can end up fucking it up and sounding raspy, and I definitely don't want that. How much vocal exercising can I get away with, like how many steps over what time frame? I wish I had never smoked...that doesn't help a bit.

The best example of a song that is in my range is Kashmire. I have plenty of wind...when I hold the note after the "Gotta find, gotta find, where I've been", people scream and applaud sometimes, and it feels damned good. I really prefer to do girl songs, but too many of them have one or two notes that I can't get.

Seriously, I have to do this song. It doesn't translate because it is too poetic, but when I sing it, I actually smell smoke and feel like I'm on fire. I'm going to have to make my own CD-G, maybe with Acid loops, but I'm going to do it, on stage at the local lesbian bar.

Even if you don't get the lyrics, it's awesome Latin jazz. You can buy the single for 98 cents at amazon.com and download it.

-denise

[antesup]

vocal help

I was #1 Tenor in RI for 2 years in a row and have been singing my whole liefe. Sang the National Anthem for military and my Police Academy.Im a heavy smoker my self. If you do vocal range exercises for about 10 minutes then drinke a shot of vodka that will open up your throat. After that do a few more exercizes and tr your hardest yo shold be able to hit the notes you would like.

[Morella]

Wish I could do the vodka, but I'm sure that I have one FUCK of an ulcer right now. A finger of fine Bordeaux is about all I can handle, and sometimes I don't even drink it, just enjoy the aroma. Thanks for the advice, though. I've been singing karaoke for about five years...really high energy sometimes, because that gets the screams and applause. I hope my knee heals and I can still jump around on the stage.

My mother's second husband (after we were dumped into the ghetto) was a tenor, and she told me that a tenor always referred to himself as a tenor, rather than a vocalist or singer, because it was a matter of pride. Even though we were poor, she wanted us, especially me, to have class. She took me to the opera, which I love more than ever, and I played first violin (concertmaster) in school until I made some mistakes in my teenage years.

Thanks,

-denise