Singers – don’t forget to use your ears!

As a society, we seem to have become rather image orientated, and seem to be forgetting the importance of our ears. T.V. seems to be more popular than the radio. People often seem to prefer to text absent friends rather than have a conversation with those sitting right there. Pop music is generally accompanied by video images. We live in a noisy world, yet often don’t seem to notice it any more. If we listen to music on our tablets and phones, it’s often turned up so high, it may well damage our hearing. In short, we seem to have little respect for our poor old lugs!

Although this article is intended primarily for singers, music in general and languages have this in common: ears are a very important tool! The acuity of our ears is crucial not only for learning how to sing in tune, but also for memorising pieces at the piano, or learning good pronunciation.

Practising focused listening on a regular basis is an excellent way of increasing the sensitivity of your ears and can help you to get into the habit of listening better, hearing more accurately and singing more in tune.

Here is an abridged version of a listening exercise from my book “Your Song Your Joy” which you can try out. It has the added benefit of being a mildly meditative activity, and can leave you feeling refreshed after just a few minutes. Use it as a little break during your practice sessions if you like – you may find that, as an added benefit, it could help you concentrate better when you continue your practice or your studies.

1. Sit comfortably in a chair, ensuring that you are sitting forward on your sitting bones. Ensure you’re not sitting back on your bottom and not curling your back.

2. As you breathe, notice your breathing. Don’t try to change it for now; just listen to the noise you make as you breathe. Do you wheeze or whistle or is your breath simply a quiet swish in and out? Spend some time simply observing the normal sound of your breath.

3. Move on to the sounds within the room you are sitting in. Is there a computer humming? Listen to that for a while – then move on to the next sound. Is there a ticking clock? A central heating system? Any knocking or creaking sounds?

4. Next, switch your attention to sounds outside. This could mean sounds coming from other rooms in your house or the building you’re in, or sounds coming from outdoors. Can you hear the hum of a fridge in the kitchen? Music, a TV or radio coming from another room?

How about outdoors? Can you hear birds? Traffic? Dogs barking? Your neighbours? Scan your attention around to pick up as many different sounds as you can. Then – home in on one sound and try to hear it in detail.

5. Once you have spent a little time focusing on exterior sounds, bring the attention of your ears back to the room you are in, noting whether its soundscape has changed at all.

6. Finally focus your ears back onto your breathing.

7. When you feel ready, slowly open your eyes.