Useful techniques you need to know when you sing Japanese songs
Hello, J-pop lovers! Welcome to Honey Music School. If you are interested in singing Japanese songs, this is the best place to join because we are going to sing “Tokino Nagareni Miwo Makase ”by Teresa Ten, which was released in 1986 in Japan and is still popular among many people.
On top of that, this song is perfect for those who want to practice singing with a soft, airy voice without tension! Let’s all begin!
Interpretation of the lyrics
First thing first, Let’s have a look at the lyrics so you will know the message that Teresa Teng wanted to tell us. For the first line, it goes like this: “Moshimo anatato aezuni itara watashiha naniwo shitetade shoka” which means “If I had never met you, what would I be doing now?
The next line says “Heibon dakedo darekawo aishi futsuno kurashi shitetade shoka” which translates to “Would I have loved somebody else and lived an ordinary life with that guy?”
From those lyrics, we could feel that she is in love with the guy whom she’s not supposed to be in love with because when you look at the verse ” Heibon dakedo darekawo aishi futsuno kurashi shitetade shoka “, it implies that the guy whom she fell love with changed her life dramatically into something not ordinary, but something illicit or even the one she cannot tell anyone about it.
When you sing a song in Japanese, thinking about what the lyrics are trying to imply or tell us adds some flavor to your singing.
Point ①：Keep your breath pressure consistent
It is possible to say that Many people are struggling with mastering soft voices when singing Japanese songs. “Tokino Nagareni Miwo Makase” is one of the perfect songs for us to practice singing with a soft, airy voice without any tension.
We are going through 3 techniques you need to keep in the mind when you sing softly. Let’s begin with the point no.1; “Keep your breath pressure consistent”.
Even though you sing a song softly, you still need to support your breath. Please don’t forget to take enough air to support your breath throughout the song.
Point ②：Place your resonance forward
The second thing you need to keep in mind is that you need to place your resonance forward in your mouth.
Just try to be conscious of the front of your mouth when you exhale and make a sound so that your voice sounds warmer compared to the one with your resonance placed backward.
Point ③：Articulation
The last thing you need to know when you sing softly is articulation.
I know that many people tend to focus on lowering their volume and forget to articulate and enunciate the words but try to pronounce each word clearly, especially when you use your soft voice.
Learn More About How to Sing Japanese Songs at Honey Music School!
We offer online lessons at Honey Music School by native Japanese vocal teacher who can teach you many useful techniques and tips to sing your favorite Japanese songs.
If you feel like singing more of the rest of “Tokino Nagareni Miwo Makase” by Teresa Teng or if you have any other Japanese songs you want to sing, please join us at Haney Music School. Until then, see you soon!
Information
I have been passionate about learning different languages and playing music since I was a kid. I engaged in childhood education, music education, and second language acquisition research while I was studying at Yokohama National University as a graduate student. After graduation, I worked at an international preschool in Tokyo. Currently, I’m working as a bilingual teacher at an online English school and writing some articles about research on bilingual education. I post the cover songs videos of my favorite artists and my piano performances on Instagram and Youtube, so I’ll appreciate that if you go and check my posts. Thank you.
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