Attack of the mask

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Susan McAllister-Bee

For those of you studying speech level singing, this term may make no sense. As a singer, you owe it to yourself to explore other methods and insights to be the best singer you can possibly be.

Attack of the mask is the same concept that all coaches are aiming for with their students…cord closure, breath control, and tone.

Let’s face it. Although the lingo and paths may differ, all methods are trying to do the same thing. And, that is pave the way for you to improve your singing voice.

I actually like the concept of “attack of the mask” (Vocal Release Program by Eric Frey) for some singers. I have also had results with “above the pencil” (Zen of Screaming by Melissa Cross) with some students as well. Whatever concepts get you to thin out your vocal cords and control your onset so you are singing in your head voice are good options. There is also “covering” (The Vocalist Studio by Robert Lunte). If it works for you, that’s great!!

Diary of a singer

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Susan McAllister-Bee

Wow, what a busy weekend. Three singing bookings plus Sunday morning church equals 4 plus 2 plus 4 plus 2 hours of singing between Friday evening and Sunday morning…..and I must say I pulled it off without a hitch.

But, not without a lot of planning, vocalizing, and careful monitoring. Sure enough, I made it look like a breeze. My audience’s feedback was everything from “your voice is like butter” to “Wow, how do you do that with your voice?”

So, here is how it happened.

Friday morning I woke up with a tickle from the dry air caused by having the furnace on for the night. It quickly reminded me to get out the humidifier for Friday night’s sleep. But in the meantime, I had a full weekend of singing scheduled, so I carefully had to set my course.

As always, I started with my head voice, narrow vowels and a volume less than that of regular speech. I did lip rolls and woos endlessly to get the blood flowing. I always vocalize at a low volume. This helps me balance my air flow first, and send signals to the rest of my body that if I want to have any power later on, I had better work for it now. This means engaging my entire body in the process of breath control. My stomach is involved, my ribs are involved, my back is involved….you get the drift….my entire being is engaged. This is slow and methodical, all the while testing and re-adjusting the attack of my consonants, and tone of my vowels on exhale. It’s not easy work, but it’s a sensation I am all-too-familiar with. It’s a balancing act of pressure inside my lungs versus pressure outside my lungs.

By 3 pm I’m ready to load my gear, shower and dress for my show. I keep in touch with my body and it’s direct energy that is connected to my breath control. I know this is what I will need to do for the entire evening if I am going to be at my best.

And I was. I was still able to sing as well at 1:00 am as I did when I started at 9:00 pm.

Saturday morning ritual started similarly, but I was tired. I had a shower and relaxed in a hot bath. I spent some time focusing on deep breathing and releasing narrow vowels on a continuous smooth breath of air. I didn’t push it. My body slowly started to gain more energy and strength. Within two more hours I had the stamina and consistency to continue my vocalizing. Again, mixing well at a low volume. I paid special attention to my ability to create the exactness and smallness of my “cry” which is crucial for good vocal cord closure.

My Saturday afternoon gig was basically like a warm-up for the evening gig. This is because the venue was smaller with a more intimate audience. This was great because it made me work hard to sing intensely and beautifully in a small environment. I set the volume of my speaker system loud enough so that I could get a bass boost on my voice when I had the microphone touching my lips. This is a great technique for singing the verse of ballads, and when you want an intimate and conversational style. Then, for variations in intensity and texture on my voice, I would “dance” with my microphone allowing for immense control of dynamics. I was able to pull back just enough from the mic on high notes to allow my chest voice to mix nicely from the bottom up giving the illusion of “big”. Because I have what is considered a “small” voice, the microphone added a wonderful depth and texture to my tone. With the microphone taken away, my audience could have still heard me sing, just as one would hear you sing in an open-concept large living room. The point here is that without the microphone I would have been inclined to sing a lot louder. But, in this case, the microphone, and my to-die-for monitor system, allowed me to sing with superb awareness and subtlety at a balanced and controlled volume.

I sang again into the evening from 9:00 pm to 1:00 am with sheer confidence, and a slight bit more extremeness than the night before. Knowing I could push the envelop ever-so-slightly made my belting songs such as Cabaret, I Will Always Love You, My Heart Will Go On (etc), just a bit more dramatic. Then and only then did I blow a little bit harder than was actually necessary to accomplish the task.

So, what should you take from this post?

IMHO, singing is very physical work. It is exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. Learning how to pay attention to your body and its’ ability to do wondrous things for your voice is an intense and personal journey. This is something that is not easily taught. No one taught me how hard I would have to work to sing so well. I have learned from years of experience, there is only one person you can count on…….and that is yourself.

So, how hard did you work today?

Speech Level Singing versus Estill Voice Technique

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Susan McAllister-Bee

One of my goals is to share with you the similarities and differences with Speech Level Singing and Estill Voice Technique.

They are both great voice methods, and there is something to be learned from both. In its’ simplest form, SLS is one recipe among the many Estill Voice Technique possibilities.

I love SLS because it balances the voice, which I think is an important element of good singing. What I don’t like about SLS is that it doesn’t allow the commercial singer to learn how to belt or to have more “chest” in the mix. My SLS lessons strengthened the overall balance of both my registers…chest voice and head voice. But, my coach continually had me cutting back on my chest voice in my mix (near high C for instance). I could do this at his request, but it left me wondering where is the “me” in my voice. I needed to “belt” out my high C’s (and I’m in a mix!) when I wanted. I really felt the SLS method let the performer in me “down”.

With Estill voice training, you learn voice qualities….speech, sob, twang, opera, belt, and falcetto. SLS talks about a “neutral” larynx, while Estill recognizes that the larynx moves up and down and tilts according to the sound you want to make.

This is an important point. The larynx can tilt and move up and down safely, depending on the sound you wish to make. SLS leads to confusion about the larynx when they draw so much attention to it remaining “neutral”. The larynx cannot remain neutral in rock singing or musical theatre where the singers needs to give a belt sound (*note: I am not referring to the Estill version of belt here). These sounds can be done with freedom and good technique, but the larynx is slightly raised. Note: that if the larynx is too high, you will not be able to transition well into head voice, therefore, you cannot mix.

But, singers beware. Belting correctly is not easy to do, however, it is possible! Lea Michele (musical theatre), Steven Tyler (rock), and Carrie Underwood (country). All these singers have something in common. They are balanced, and they are able to take their singing voice to the extreme …. called belting.

Belting well simply means a singer is using relatively thick folds, possibly has a sob quality in their voice, and their tongue may be slightly raised (this may alter the vowel sound). Belting requires optimal breath control. In other words, the ability to control the release of breath under great pressure while resonating in both the head voice and chest voice with thick folds. Belting is indeed a great “talent”.

Questions? Comments? Please leave them here.

Tilting is good, rising is bad

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Susan McAllister-Bee

The ability to tilt the larynx happens at the thyroid cartilage and the cricoid cartilage (in the larynx) which are connected at the cricothyroid joint. There is a space in between that can be either open or closed. Tilting happens when the space is closed.

Working on the ‘ng’ sound through your break will work the small muscles that tilt the thyroid cartilage. If you are breathy as you ascend through your bridge, then you need to practise the thyroid tilt daily.

Another great sound that helps tilt is the puppy dog whimper. Again, key is ascending upward through your passagio without getting louder. (Use your breath control and body anchoring from your neck down to try and achieve this sound).

How did it go? Can you do it?

Mix comes in many colors and textures…..

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Susan McAllister-Bee

Adding color and texture to the voice is a sure-fire way to add life to your singing. The best way to get full control over texture and color is to master control over your breath. The best way to get control over your breath is to master good cord closure. The best way to get good cord closure is to do your exercises every day!

Good technique starts where you speak

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Susan McAllister-Bee

Are you aware of your vocal habits? Do you have a breathy speaking voice? Is your voice too loud, too soft? Do you speak with a monotone sound that isn’t very interesting?

Take the time and analyze your speaking voice. This is a great precursor to singing well.

Being self aware of how your voice “feels” can help you achieve ideal changes…..changes that happen one little step at a time.

Taking your speaking voice to the next level means knowing your default and working on the opposite to achieve balance.

If your voice is breathy, try focusing on your consonants with good enunciation. Put your effort into defining your words and using your entire self to articulate. Stand tall and strong. Be confident. Take charge.

If your voice is loud there could be a few reasons. Being reasonably loud is a good thing. Being too loud and breathy can be problem.

Try forming your sentences with a more sing-song like approach. In other words, vary the ups and downs of the pitches you are speaking on. This is a great approach for all voices. Remember to enunciate well and articulate your consonants with precision. Being self aware is the first step to controlling your speaking voice. Don’t let your words simply “fall” out of your mouth. Take the time to control the flow and manage the small pitch changes in your voice. This adds interest to your speaking voice. It’s a great way to draw attention and make people listen.

Take note of how you shout, yell and cheer. Careful here….bad habits can take over. Here is a great time to use a more sing-song like approach to your voice. A slightly higher pitch will possibly stop you from releasing so much air when you yell and speak. Consider if you were in a loud environment and you wanted to tell your friend something funny but you didn’t want anyone else to hear you. Notice your body energy that you are using to keep your voice controlled so no one else can hear you.

A great exercise for all speaking voices is the word “goog”. It’s a bit of a tongue twister for some people, and that’s another reason why it’s such a good exercise. Say it up and down through your entire range. Pretend you are a little baby or a cartoon character, or an annoying bratty child. Replace all the words in your favourite song with the word “goog”. Do you notice the edge, clarity and precision to the sound? If so, then you are doing it correctly. If you can’t determine if you doing it correctly to get the preciseness of the sound, then do it over again a little quieter but with the same intensity (enunciate well and focus on the “g”). But, never whisper! Whispering is not a useful tool for improving the voice. A whispery voice is not a good quiet voice. Instead, use your entire body energy and practise with controlled effort. This will allow you to decrease your volume and maintain your intensity in a healthy.

Have fun and let me know how it goes? Do it consistently every day and you should notice some positive changes in your voice soon!