Category Archives: Singing Instruction

Singing

The big voice ………

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Do you have a loud speaking voice? Are you the one everyone can hear yelling at the local arena because it’s so easy to do? Do you get hoarse easily? If so, and you are a singer, you need to know about thinning your vocal cords in order to sing into your high register. Without the ability to thin the cords you will simply be yelling louder and louder to reach higher notes, and the stress and damage this causes is hard on the vocal cords.

The first thing a singer with a big voice needs to recognize is how easy it can be to overuse the vocal cords without even realizing it. Because you find it easy to speak loud or yell, you are not aware it is damaging your voice by stretching the cords frequently. If this has been going on for years, your vocal muscles may have this memorized, and you are now faced with the challenge of creating a new memory of thinning the cords.

It is a common problem among singers, both male and female, but steps can be taken right away. It starts with your speaking voice. Instead of simply allowing your voice to do what it has been doing for years, now you can take steps that will allow you to ascend higher in your register.

First, try to add a “cry” to your voice. Let your volume come down and be aware of your intent to add this sensation when you talk. Get in the habit of talking this way. Notice the cry with help you take control of your voice in a way that you can be aware of. Another sensation that will help you stay in this mode is thinking a silent laugh. This will relax the muscles around the vocal cords and give you an easier starting point to put a cry in your speaking voice.

The larynx….an interesting subject….

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As I study various singing methods, I realize that we are all trying to invent the same wheel safely…. just a little differently.

I want to talk today about one of the differences I see in Speech Level Singing and some other modern contemporary singing methods.

The subject on hand is the larynx.

From my experience with SLS, the larynx needs to remain stable and reasonably low (or neutral) as you ascend in pitch. However, in some contemporary methods it is said that the larynx will rise as the pitch ascends, especially around E flat above high C for women and A flat below high C for men. This is typically where the male and female 2nd passaggi are, or in other words the 2nd “gear change”.

This intrigues me and I explore it with most of my students.

In my studio, those who sing more “classically” are encouraged to keep their larynx low in song. This allows them to ascend higher with a nice warm, full and open classical tone. These singers have up to five octaves when vocalizing.

On the other hand, my students who sing rock and country in song are encouraged to monitor their larynx and surrounding muscles to ensure that there is no undue tension as they ascend into their 2nd passagio. The larynx will rise a bit as they belt out above their 1st passagio in song. However, they are encouraged to vocalize with a neutral larynx, which allows them to exercise in 5 to 6 octave ranges.

ALL my students under 16 are encouraged to sing with a neutral larynx, and a full balanced voice in exercise and in song.

The rising of the larynx is an interesting discussion among vocal teachers.

Is it safe and OK for the larynx to rise in rock/pop/belt singing? What do you think?

It starts with balance….

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It starts with balance. My job as your coach is to help free your voice so you can achieve a sound that is crisp and clear, with no random weak spots from the bottom to the top of your range with ease. No voice is the same, and the process can be very different for each singer. I help you find “YOUR” voice.
A good coach should be able to tell you your strengths, weaknesses, and show and explain the exercises needed to improve your singing. These exercises must be done correctly and frequently to achieve the desired result.
There is no instant pill to better singing. Knowledge and practise will make the journey enjoyable and rewarding.

How do they do it?

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That’s always the question? How do they do it?

The masters of rock and pop singing? Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden. Steven Tyler, and more, how do they do it?

They are masters, indeed! Some may say it’s genetics, but vocal experts will say that there are a few key issues going on here.

First, the cry. This is a essential. A primal sound that is key to helping everyone sing better. It is more apparent in some styles, but it is a basic concept in helping the vocal cords come together and stay together for a duration in the higher voice.

Second, the twang. This is essential as well, in every form of singing. It is more apparent in some styles than others, but it is there. In Speech Level Singing, we experience this with “nay, nay, nay”. As I understand it, this, and the cry, will tilt the larynx, and change the vocal tract, and allow you “to mix” your lower chest tones with your higher tones”. If done without constriction for external factors (such as throat constriction, or false cord constriction) then the voice can resonate well and exhibit a loud, strong mix quality to the voice.
Do you have questions about the “cry” and “twang” of the voice? Please let me know. Susie Q.

Pavarotti soothes pain from video clip…

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I just watched a video clip that I wish I never opened. I’m vocalizing now (well sort of, at the same time as I’m writing). Specifically I’m lip-rolling to Pavarotti…..he’s loud. It is soothing me, relaxing me after an exhausting weekend at a conference…specifically after watching a horrible video on line. It’s late and I need to go to bed.

Pavarotti and vocalizing is slowly calming me. Slowly, considering the stress I feel since finishing the video. Why the hell did I watch that. Damn you Eric Arseneau!

No, I don’t want you to watch the clip. I definitely don’t recommend it. How can anyone in their right mind record such hatred.

The future of education…where are we going?

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I wanted to go to university when I graduated from high school but my family didn’t have the money. All my friends were going to university, and I truly felt “less than them” because I had to go to college … it was affordable.

Twenty-five years and tons of experience later, I’m actually content that I didn’t go to unversity.

I have a special friend, bless her heart, who was a professional student for what seemed like forever. She studied psychology and sociology for years. She is now finally working full-time as an office administrator making a reasonable salary, but still owing thousands and thousands in student loans.

I talk about this because I have two children age 10 and 13, and I wonder what their future is going to be. I honestly have to say that I have little in the way of savings for their education. You see, I am self-employed, divorced, and not in a position to put a lot of money away for their education. This is not the best scenerio, but it is the unfortunate truth.

But, is it really unfortunate?

I’m not worried. I don’t feel the post-secondary education system is an automatic set-up for a job when they graduate. Instead, I believe they need to learn how to “fit it” with the ever-changing ways of today’s world.

I cannot predict the future, but I have this strange feeling that universities are not going to be the number one choice of education for families of the next generation. What do you think?

Which is it? Technique or Style?

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I want to address what Speech Level Singing is and what it is not. SLS is a vocal technique that balances and connects the voice from the low notes to the high notes. It is a superb technique that sets singers up to sing in any style they choose safely and efficiently. It is not a technique that teaches the singer how to sing rock, or pop, or gospel, etc. Style and technique are two very different things.
Students in my studio work on style in the song after vocalizing. This is the ideal time to work on the vocal timbre and sounds such as shouting or belting. Shouting and belting is NOT a part of SLS technique….it is a style choice that the SINGER makes.

Why Can’t I Sing In Tune?

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There are basically two reasons why a singer can’t duplicate the pitch that he hears?

Firstly, the singer has an “ear” problem. The singer cannot duplicate the sound he is hearing because he does not know if he is on pitch. He has not (typically) practised this from a young age and has developed no point of reference. The singer has not imitated sounds requiring the vocal cords and pharynx to adjust to different pitches. The singer cannot associate the pitch he hears with the coordination that his vocal cords need to make to duplicate the sound. This problem can be fixed with “ear training” exercises, and methods such as Kodaly and solfege.

Secondly, a “technical” problem. Usually this is evident with singers who sing louder as they ascend in pitch .The singer knows it is the wrong pitch but doesn’t have the control to fix it. This is especially evident in singers with the inability to decrease volume at a high pitch. This problem can be decreased with the help of a good singing teacher.

Are you willing to let go?

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Singing is such a “freeing” sensation. Quite the opposite of how a lot of people sing, however. The ability to “release” or “let go” can be a difficult concept for some singers to grasp. Our instinct might be to “grab on” and “control” those notes to make them louder and more powerful. This “idea” can be quite limiting for a singer. Instead, the ability to “allow” your voice to just sit on the pitch as it moves around, should be every singer’s dream.

We’ve come a long way in 150 years…..

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The industrial revolution is over. The idea that you will simply get a job in a factory when you are finished high school, or go to college/university and have a job waiting for you when you finish in no longer the reality. There is a new trend, a much different trend, a technological trend. It is up to us as parents and adults, to guide our children and teach them to make choices that will allow them to prosper in the years to come.

The education system cannot keep up with the growing and ever-changing demands of employment shifts. It is up to us as adults and parents to realize our kids need more than school can offer.

Building confidence and leadership skills in a child is challenging but worthwhile. I know, I have two children, age 10 and 13. These two qualities, I believe, are so very important for their success in the future. I try to share as much about the world and how it operates as I can.

The more we equip our children with tools to succeed in today’s world, the easier it will be for them to find employment in the future. Subjects like math (music), science, language, communication, and computer technology are vital subjects. Acquiring leadership responsibilities as they grow older will increase their confidence and ability to adjust to sudden changes like job loss or job changes.

A new revolution is underway. Employment opportunities do not exist like they use to. I don’t have a crystal ball to know exactly when things will settle………but it might not be for a long, long time. Our children are the future. We need to help them adjust, and roll with the punches.