At 24 I've started taking lessons (SLS to be exact) and am amazed and shocked at how incorrectly placed my old habit of singing was.

I do several drills from the lip bubble arpeggios, to nay nay nay, gee gee gee and so forth arpeggios.

If I sing right after my warm ups and focus on keeping the same placement the drills emphasized, I sound completely different, to me a wee bit nasaly.

I do feel such a workout in my diaphragm and constantly have to take breaths as opposed to my old way.

1. Is this normal for anyone else who started taking lessons in adulthood after they grew up singing with improper technique?

2. If I practice an hour a day how long until I feel comfortable w/ new technique

3. I sing in a band and cannot use this new technique yet since I sound so weak with it as I have yet to still strengthen the right muscles. Should I stop completely or just use the old way? THANKS!

You might be taking lessons on how to sing "correctly" for lyric singers and it could be you sing in band where this technique is not suitable o seldom used.

Lyric style singing should improve your projection (consider you should be able to be heard from the last row of a theater or hall without amplification.

If you sound "weak" in your band, something does not fit.

BTW, what is SLS?

SLS means "speech level singing," an approach to vocal training that emphasizes the similarity of singing and speaking voices. The point of this approach is that singing is simply speaking in pitch.

This is actually (to my mind) a useful way of looking at vocal training, as many would-be singers wreck their tone by contorting their voice into some "singing mode." I know I had that problem, and learning to make my singing more like speech has helped me quite a bit.

But lots of good teachers use this emphasis without signing on to be certified SLS instructors. These certifications are policed by Seth Riggs, the guru of SLS, and I'm not sure that this certification means very much.

Thank you for the information. I had no idea of that technique.

Starting voice lessons in adulthood can be challenging, particularly if you dont like the sound of the new way. As your teacher has probably explained it is going to take your body a while (2-3 months) to adjust because you are having to learn a whole new muscle memory and its the continual repitition of practice that will then make it second nature and from that your true voice should start to come through.....and if SLS is a healthy vocal technique you will have learnt how to protect yourself from vocal damage, which will mean that as you get older your voice will just keep getting better!!!!
Of course its important that you feel you trust your teacher and their method, otherwise your mind wont be open to the experience which will mean your body will have trouble following. A good teacher will have a sound understanding of vocal anatomy and be able to explain the reason for everything you are doing and its future benefits.
If you are diggin' the lessons but finding this part rocky I say ...surrender and let us know how your doing in 3 months!!
good luck
www.connectedvoicecentre.com

Starting voice lessons in adulthood can be challenging, particularly if you dont like the sound of the new way. As your teacher has probably explained it is going to take your body a while (2-3 months) to adjust because you are having to learn a whole new muscle memory and its the continual repitition of practice that will then make it second nature and from that your true voice should start to come through.....and if SLS is a healthy vocal technique you will have learnt how to protect yourself from vocal damage, which will mean that as you get older your voice will just keep getting better!!!!
Of course its important that you feel you trust your teacher and their method, otherwise your mind wont be open to the experience which will mean your body will have trouble following. A good teacher will have a sound understanding of vocal anatomy and be able to explain the reason for everything you are doing and its future benefits.
If you are diggin' the lessons but finding this part rocky I say ...surrender and let us know how your doing in 3 months!!
good luck
www.connectedvoicecentre.com