Want to sing so they can hear me, but not sound like a fish wife
By suspenseful
@suspenseful (40192)
Canada
December 13, 2009 11:28am CST
In the Spring, when we had our spring concert, the ones at the far end of the church could hardly hear me as I have a soft voice. So this Christmas I want to be able to sing so they can (there is no microphone as we sing sacred and classical pieces), so my friend who is a choir teacher and plays piano for the school is helping me get the volume I need so they can hear me. The trouble is when I sing loud, I sound like a fish wife. I just cannot get the melodious tone necessary for that I do not sound like I am a mad fisher woman angry that no customer will buy my fish.
So how does one sing loud without a microphone and not sound harsh and terrible.
4 people like this
8 responses
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
17 Dec 09
And they did hear me.
So I made outall right. Now all I have to do is to get a
Cd of the concert. They usually put it on line, but then my computer does not work that well so I will have to give them a blank Cd and have them put it on it.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
15 Dec 09
That sounds like a good idea. I used my rib cage and it worked. They could hear me.
1 person likes this
@peavey (16936)
• United States
13 Dec 09
I have found that I can sing louder when I pay attention to how much air I draw in. When your lungs are full you have more force behind your voice. Try it with a freshly drawn breath. If you remember to breathe deeply and just before you hit the tones that are the problem, it may very well help.
4 people like this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
14 Dec 09
I did try that and it worked. Most everyone in the church heard e. So now I know the reason behind it. It was just that hearing that you need breath control was not enough. It was how to do it and why. Thanks.
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
17 Dec 09
I was the only soloist there so there was no Kevin to drown me out. 
He is our church's best singer, you know, the one you can hear all over
Winnipeg and he does not use a microphone. They said I was quite good and they could hear me. So it went out well.
He is our church's best singer, you know, the one you can hear all over
Winnipeg and he does not use a microphone. They said I was quite good and they could hear me. So it went out well. 1 person likes this
@eshaan (6188)
• India
21 Dec 09
no ideas about singing...as i dont have a good sweet voice..hope you have got good solutions from others here..i have come from my mailbox..after submitting my response..let me see what others have written about it...i really came to read...but to reach the topic easily was to come through my mailbox...
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
22 Dec 09
What it has to do is breathing. You have to breath using your whole rib cage or diaphragm and for some reason you have to take enough breath so that you do not sing too flat or too sharp.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
13 Dec 09
suspenseful I am not up on the how tos in singing but I have
wondered if you could get one of those hand held microphone
things that people sing into at these karoke singing places
as it would pick up your voice and you would not have to strain
to get some volume in your voice. they are supposedly rather inexpensive and you could use it over and over. Wish I lived
close so I could come over and hear you sing. I love church'
music. we are going to have Christmas carollers coming to sing to us here at Gold Crest next friday evening I really look forward
to that, Christmas is not Christmas without some good music. 
3 people like this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
14 Dec 09
You are not supposed to use a microphone when you are singing classical or sacred music. If I used a microphone there would be no need for me to get the volume in my voice would I? Anyway they heard me without the microphone. The trouble is if I sang any louder, I would sound like a fiah wife.
3 people like this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
14 Dec 09
I suppose a lot of the modern churches use them, but in our church, much of our music comes from the baroque times, and so we have the same traditions. I did hear that with classical you do not use a microphone. And we will sing classical music as well as sacred. Even the choir does not use a microphone.
2 people like this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
15 Dec 09
We had our Messiah concert at the Baptist Church last Monday night. We were also accompanied by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and we used microphones. I've never heard of not supposed to use a microphone with classical or sacred music. I go to the Church Of Christ and our preachers and song leaders use microphones all the time. There's nothing wrong with using a microphone with any of these things. Kathy.
1 person likes this
@rocketj1 (6955)
• United States
13 Dec 09
They say to sing from the diaphragm. I am an alto (actually I can sing tenor too!) and can really belt it out if I need to. I have to sing from my diaphragm (or my stomach) to get volume. Otherwise I sound like I'm shouting. If I have to sing higher, however, I find it difficult to sing from there....
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
14 Dec 09
I cannot belt, am a soprano. And my lower voice you had better not hear it. It is horrible, but I can sing high and the higher the sound, the better I sound. It is only I have to have more breath to sing. Anyway the concert was a success yesterday and I got a lot of complements.
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
17 Dec 09
I can see what I can do. My computer does not work that well, so I might have to use my husband's but his is all filled up with his stuff so it might be a little hard to do.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
17 Dec 09
That is what I am doing. I have not had much opportunity to do so, because I have been so busy lately. I want to get my range back and get it so that I am powerful in the high part as well as the middle part of my range. I am terrible at the low part though.
1 person likes this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
15 Dec 09
I majored in music (voice) when I was in college and I'm not sure if I know what you mean by a fish wife, lol. I was taught to push from the diaphragm and feel it more in my facial muscles to sound louder and be able to reach those high notes. I wish I could hear you. I might be able to help you better if I could hear you. I just hope your friend can help you and I hope you do well. Do you have a solo? Kathy.
. I was taught to push from the diaphragm and feel it more in my facial muscles to sound louder and be able to reach those high notes. I wish I could hear you. I might be able to help you better if I could hear you. I just hope your friend can help you and I hope you do well. Do you have a solo? Kathy.@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
17 Dec 09
Fish wife, one of those C*ckny women who sold fish and had a loud brazing voice. My friend was able to help me and they heard me. I did have a solo and I was the only one there. And I got a lot of applause so I made out all right.
I did not know about feeling it in the facial muscles. I will try that the next time. Thanks.
.1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
19 Dec 09
I sure will. I will also sing at the Spring Concert. I already picked out the piece and I have started to practice it because I sometimes get mixed up in verses so I need all the help I can get.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
17 Dec 09
Thank you. I will see if I cn get a recording of it and upload part of it.
1 person likes this
