Last time, I wrote about the process of expanding the image of the song, and in parallel with that, voice training has also begun.
Of course, it’s training to build fundamental singing ability, but in the first session, we started by checking my current vocal ability and key range.
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Voice Training for the First Time in a While
It’s not that I’d never had voice training before, but since I spent many years singing in choirs, most of my training had been classical vocal training. It had really been a long time since I’d done vocal training for popular songs.
Feeling a little nervous, I headed to Shinsaibashi, where the voice training studio is located.
The voice training teacher was a woman who was a little younger than me, I think.
Warm-ups and Vocal Exercises
After a short chat and introductions, we immediately started vocalizing.
First, we went through several patterns of vocal exercises that doubled as warm-ups and basic practice.
Breathing exercises using diaphragmatic breathing, lip rolls, humming… and so on.
These are the same kinds of exercises you do in classical training, so they were all things I’m used to doing.
“So they do similar things in pop music too…”
Just as I was thinking that, after listening for only a short while, the teacher said, “Oh, you don’t need this exercise.”
I guess you really can tell a lot just by listening to someone’s voice.
Checking My Key Range
It seemed she determined that I already had the basic techniques needed for singing, so we quickly moved on to the next step: checking my key range.
I sang notes at various pitches as the teacher instructed.
She checked quite a wide range, from high notes to low notes, and also checked my falsetto.
The results of the key check will be sent to the producer through the manager and reflected in the songwriting.
The teacher advised me, “If you’re not careful, your vocal production quickly becomes classical.”
Popular vocals are pretty difficult.
Looking Ahead to the Next Voice Training Session
For the next session, she said, “We’ll skip all the basic exercises and move straight into practical training using existing songs.”
She told me, “Please think of a song you like,” but what should I sing…?
It’s not like I can sing the Candies or AKB48 songs I usually do at karaoke…
As for fairly well-known existing songs that are close to the image of the kind of song I want to sing, there’s “Katte ni Shiyagare” (Kenji Sawada), “Koi wo Tomenaide” (COMPLEX), “Garasu no Shonen” (KinKi Kids), “Saudade” (Porno Graffitti)…
Well, what should I do?
(To be continued)
