How to be a master of modulation

Have you heard Mukesh & K.L. Sahgal voices? Their voices are different from each other only because of voice modulation. Mukesh becomes popular than that of him, as he understands the meaning of the songs & modulated his voices accordingly better than K.L. Sahgal. All legendary singers in Bollywood such as Sonu Nigam, Kishor Kumar, Asha Bhosle, etc. have superior voice modulation quality. In this post, I am going to share a few tips about cultivating voice modulation in singing.

Understand the lyrics

This is the most important aspect of modulation. It defines the songs & the lyrics. While singing romantic songs voice should be soft & texture should be agile. Whereas, singing patriotic songs, voice should be firm & vibrato should be moderate. These modifications can only be done after reading the lyrics of the song before singing it.

Don’t impersonate others

I have seen in many reality music shows, where the contestants are trying to mimic the voice of singer of the song. This is not a modulation. Modulation is observing & implementing small variations & minute texture formation that create signature voice of the singer. Such as, Sonu nigam always releases the last 2-3 notes with slight vibrato. Whereas, KK is singing flat pitch notes at the end of every song.

Variation in tones & amplitude

Every song has certain ups & downs notes. Singing them in a correct manner requires an understanding of variation of tones & amplitude which can be sung for a particular note. High note generally sings with more a power & throw in voice with high amplitude. The transition from a lower note to high note should be subtle & seamless.

Know about Genre  

Every song is classified in a various genres like pure classical, western classical, hip-hop, etc. Singing them requires versatility. Here, voice modulation plays a cameo role to sing different genres songs. In Bollywood Sunidhi chauhan is known as queen of versatility. As, she can sing various genres of songs. Whether it is, modern classical or pure western, she sings it with all comfort. 

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How to develop vibrato in your singing

Vibrato is oscillations generated by your vocal cord while singing. Almost every kind of music required vibrato. Vibrato in your singing is a proof of good control over Sur & Laya. It is extensively used in Indian classical music. Vibrato rate should be 6-8 per second for a good classical singer. In this post I am going to discuss about various techniques to cultivate vibrato.

Begin with comfortable scale & note

Before starting practice of vibrato, we should begin with singing in our original pitch & scale. Because this activity brings more agility & nimbleness in throat muscles & it helps to generate vibrations in easily.

Breathe deeply from your diaphragm

If we observe singing closely, it is nothing but a breathing exercise. Here, inhale & exhale should be done in a subtle way for a seamless singing. Harmony in breathing is essential for vibrato.

Open mouth & loosen your jaws

Vibrato development not only requires agility of your vocal cord, but also movement of jaws & mouth should be synchronizing with Sur & Laya. While practising it your face should be directed upward, so that your vocal cords get enough space to oscillate to produce desired vibrato. Opening mouth while practising vibrato helps you to breathe easily.

Passion & Patience

Developing vibrato in your voice requires a lot of practice on daily basic. Usually, it takes around 6 months to cultivate 2-3 oscillations per second in your voice. So, patience & perseverance is a must for learning music. Don’t be in a hurry to catch higher note. It is compulsory to practise from lower base note to middle scale of your voice.

So, start doing practise vibrato & let waving your hands synchronized with your voice.

Journey of Modern classical Music in Bollywood

Indian music industry is adopting new trends & Modern classical music is one of the key factors of the latest trends. In this post is about a story of how cultivation of Indian classical Music into Modern classical music.

Those were bygone era for the music industry when songs were composed on typical Indian classical music & Ragas. Maestros like Manna Dey, Mohammad Rafi, Shamshad Begum, etc. were the top singers in the era. But, Indian audience needed more versatile & different than typical Indian classical music. 

The time came when one of the legends of Indian music industry R.D. Burman had started westernized trend in Bollywood music. He used western musical equipment to produce various new tunes & ever green compositions. He was a trendsetter for blending Indian music with western technology.

Till 70s’ Indian music Industry was well versed with the latest sound engineering & technology of that time. But, Synthesizers were not so popular among Indian music composers. Bappi Lahiri was inspired by the foreign music & first time in Indian music history he synthesized Disco music.

The Disco music became widely accepted. This was a turning point for Bollywood music. After this Indian songs were popular in foreign countries also. Indian singers such as Lata Mangeshkar, Bappi Lahiri, etc. went globally to work with foreign composers & music directors. Revolution had already begun.

Singers like Kishor Kumar, Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam acclimatized themselves to add more versatility in their singing.Experiments in Indian music industry are at peak now. Music composers such as Shankar Mahadevan, A. R. Rehman, etc. are doing playback singing on their own compositions.

How to do Riyaaz (Vocal Practice)

This post is about learning different ways of Vocal practice. In Indian classical music it is known as “Riyaaz”. It helps to enhance texture, quality & modulation of your voice.

OM Chanting

OM chanting should be done at least for 15 minutes every day before starting Riyaaz. It calms your mind & helps to focus. It rejuvenates of your body & improves your grasping power. It also helps to harmonize the breathing pattern, which is useful in singing especially Indian Classical Ragas. Watch this video to learn OM chanting.

Hit the bass note first

It is essential to begin your Riyaaz with bass notes. It brings harmony to connect you with Sur. It is the best way to relax your throat muscles & clear your throat. It is advisable not to initiate your Riyaaz with high notes. This will adversely affect your throat muscles. As, singing high notes generally put more strain on your throat.

Sing & play

Riyaaz along with playing harmonium immensely enhances your control over voice & rhythm. Practicing various Ragas on harmonium remarkably increase your grip over Sur & Laya.  Synchronization of your voice with musical note of harmonium improves your ability to learn the Raga faster.

Schedule a time for Riyaaz

It is essential to schedule a time for doing Riyaaz. It is advisable by many ustaad (Maestros) to do Riyaaz early in morning on daily basis. There are certain Ragas, for which their time of practising is fixed. For example, Raga Khamaj should be practised at evening time. Generally, 2-3 hours of Riyaaz at a stretch is sufficient; beyond the limit can harm your vocal cords & may result into swelling of tonsils. Look at the Raga wheel which indicates timing of Ragas to be Practised.

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