Seven Singing Tips from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

摩爾門大會堂唱詩班的七大演唱秘訣

Singing is among the most powerful ways to express emotion. People sing in the shower, they sing on the streets, and sometimes, of course, they even sing on stage. But not everyone is blessed with the innate musical ability of, say, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

唱歌是表達感情最有力的方式。人們會在淋浴時唱歌，也會在街上唱歌。當然，有時候，他們也會在舞台上唱歌。但不是每個人都天生有副像摩爾門大會堂唱詩班一樣的好歌喉。

That’s no problem, according to Rebecca Wilberg, a voice coach for the choir. With just a few tips and tricks, Wilberg said, anyone can improve their singing voice. We asked her to share some of her advice on how to warm up, sing within your range, and overcome stage fright.

大會堂唱詩班的聲樂教練瑞貝卡溫伯格說：這沒有關係，只需要一些秘訣與技巧，每個人都能改善他們唱歌的音質。我們請他分享一些如何發聲暖身、用自己的音域唱歌、與克服上台恐懼症的建議。

Sit or Stand Up Straight

坐得正或站得直

Wilberg always advises her singers to “think about their muscles the way an athlete would.” Singing is easier while maintaining a straight posture, and a common mistake among beginners is to “sit down and slouch.”

溫伯格建議歌者必須像運動員一般運用自己的肌肉。維持直立姿勢會讓唱歌比較容易。初學者最常犯的錯誤就是「唱的時候窩著坐」

Warm Up Your Muscles

暖聲

The diaphragm and larynx are the two most important body parts for singing, and both must be warmed up at the start of any singing session. “My very favorite exercise is called the raspberry,” said Wilberg, and it should come naturally to anyone familiar with playground antics.

橫隔膜與喉頭是兩個唱歌時最重要的身體器官，唱歌前務必要做這兩部位肌肉的暖聲運動。溫伯格說：「我最喜歡的運動是把舌頭放在兩片嘴唇中間發出聲音，對每個調皮小孩來說，應該都很熟悉用這個怪動作來發出聲音。」

To blow a raspberry, seal your upper lip to your tongue and blow air out the bottom. This pulls out the tongue, vibrates it, and releases the muscles. You may feel silly doing this, but Wilberg assured us that “when you’re done, you can sing much higher or lower notes than you thought.”

把舌頭放在兩片嘴唇中間吹氣發出聲音，應該將上唇靠緊舌頭，讓空氣從下嘴唇爆出來。這樣會讓舌頭抬高、震動、並放鬆舌頭肌肉。雖然做這個動作看起來很蠢，但溫伯格跟我們保證：「做完以後，你就能唱比你原本音域更高或更低的音。」

Don’t Push Your Voice Too Hard

不要太逼迫自己的聲音

Instead of mimicking your favorite American Idol contestant, Wilberg recommended looking to Christmas carolers for inspiration. “They just sing with nice, light voices, but they all blend together.” In other words, they don’t push too hard.

溫伯格建議：「與其模仿最愛的美國偶像歌唱比賽的參賽者，不如從聖誕頌歌的歌者來尋找靈感，他們只用溫和輕柔的聲音演唱，但所有聲音都融合在一起。」也就是說，不要把自己聲音逼到極限。

So how can you avoid straining yourself? For starters, check to make sure your tongue isn’t too high. “If it’s very, very high,” Wilberg said, “you’re probably trying to [belt it out] and that’s not so good.” Make sure your tongue stays low by blowing out some hot air, just like you’re fogging a mirror—Wilberg calls this the “hot-air position.”

如何能避免太超過自己能力？初學者只需要確認舌頭位置不會太高。溫伯格說：「如果舌頭抬太高，你可能就是在聲嘶力竭的喊叫，這不是好現象。」只要像在鏡子上吹霧氣一樣，吹出一些熱空氣，你就能把舌頭維持在低位。溫伯格稱之為「熱空氣位置」。

Fight Stage Fright at the Source

從根拔除上台恐懼症

Stage fright—that familiar feeling of butterflies in your stomach—can actually cause your larynx to tighten and makes singing more difficult. “Your psyche affects how your muscles react,” Wilberg said. “If you’re scared, you get that fight-or-flight response and your body prepares to either hit someone or run away.”

上台恐懼症—那種胃裡彷彿有蝴蝶飛舞的熟悉感覺—能使你的喉頭緊縮，唱歌因此更為困難。溫伯格說：「你的心理會影響你的肌肉反應。如果你害怕，你就會有打或跑的反應，你的身體就會開始準備打人或逃跑。」

To break that response, just breathe. More specifically, take a deep breath “where you sink way, way down, almost to your groin muscles.” Then, try to inhale by pushing those muscles out. This helps to loosen up the larynx so you aren’t singing at a disadvantage.

要破除這種感覺，只需要呼吸，尤其是深深的呼吸。「深吸一口氣，將氣送到丹田位置，然後運用丹田的力量將氣送出來。這樣能幫你放鬆喉頭肌肉，讓你不致表現失常。」

Don’t Eat a Big Meal Before You Sing

唱歌前別吃太飽

In general, you want your stomach to be fairly empty when you sing because your stomach sits between your lungs. That’s why it can be difficult to breathe after a big meal. When you’re stuffed, “your stomach is like a rock … and since your lungs cant expand against it, you can’t take a deep breath,” Wilberg said.

一般來說，唱歌前必須維持相當於空腹狀態，因為你的胃就位於兩片肺葉中間，如果吃太飽，就會很難呼吸。飽餐之後，你的胃會像石頭一樣硬，你的肺就無法伸展，你就無法深呼吸。溫伯格如此建議。

Pick the Right Starting Note

一開始就要選對音調

A lot of singers worry about hitting the high notes, but Wilberg said they should be more concerned with not going too low. “Usually, someone will just pick a low pitch, and then [certain] parts of the song go down too low for everybody to hit the notes.” To avoid this problem, start with a pitch that’s right in the middle of everybody’s range.

很多歌者擔心高音唱不出來，但溫伯格說他們應該更注意不要唱太低音。「通常人們會選比較低的音調，導致一首歌中某些音會太低，低到沒人可以唱的出來。」要避免這個問題，一開始就要選擇在每個人音域中間的音調。

Just Enjoy Yourself

享受音樂

Wilberg’s best tip is also her simplest: just enjoy the moment. “Don’t be so worried about how you’re singing—as long as it’s not hurting—and don’t forget to feel the energy and the joy of the other singers around you.”

溫伯格最棒也是最簡單的建議：好好享受上台的時間。不要太擔心你唱的如何—只要不傷到人就好—不要忘記去感受你周圍歌者的活力與歡樂。

原文連結：https://www.groupon.com/articles/how-to-sing-better-tips-from-the-mormon-tabernacle-choir-al?SID=iaqrt0pjnc00kakm0070f&utm_source=rvs&utm_medium=afl&utm_campaign=6159054

（此為個人筆記，非教會正式翻譯）