Check out Dave Brooks

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Susan McAllister-Bee

I highly recommend Dave Brooks from Nashville for singing tips. Check him out here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_yUawJdBU&feature=relmfu

Notice his emphasis on the “sob” and the “whine” to get cord closure. This can’t be stressed enough for commercial “contemporary” style music like country, rock, gospel, pop, and even opera…….yes opera. This coordination will get the cords closed on the attack and keep the larynx “neutral”.

I love his sound at 2:0e minutes. Because he has started with a mid to low larynx, he is achieving a beautiful mix with reasonably thick folds at his 2nd break (A above middle C). This is a coordination used by great country singers as well as opera singers! Note: If he started with a slightly higher larynx, he could still bridge into his 2nd break with a more pop-like or rock sound….. a little thinner with some bite…..again, another fabulous coordination used by singers.

The mixed voice

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Susan McAllister-Bee

I’ve talked about the “mixed voice” and how to find your “mixed voice” before. This is a term created by Maestro Seth Riggs in his Speech Level Singing method years ago. It is also used by Brett Manning, Roger Love, Dave Brooks, and countless other top-quality singing coaches from around the world.

There is a lot of controversy surrounding this term in the singing community. Some singing teachers from around the world cringe when they hear the term “mixed voice”. I believe this stems from the fact that we physically do not actually have a “mixed voice,” and the fact that many singers do not actually know what it is, what it should feel like, or how to get it.

However, I believe all singing teachers will agree that we do have a chest register (or chest voice as referred to by SLS), and a head register (head voice as referred to by SLS). These are two terms that have been around for hundreds of years, and are commonplace in a singer’s vocabulary.

I tell my students that a mixed voice is simply the ability of a singer to ascend or descend in pitch between their chest register and their head register without constriction, and with the appropriate balance of both registers. Every singer knows about those whacky areas of their voice where singing gets a little tricker. This area, called the bridge or passagio, is where the larnyx and the body need to make careful adjustments in order to sing higher without constriction. In SLS, coaches do this with carefully selected scale combinations of vowel (resonance), consonant (cord closure), and volume (air flow).

I, frankly, like the term mixed voice for myself and for my students. For myself, it is a balanced sensation (or state) that I exercise daily with scales to keep my voice healthy, strong, and flexible. I don’t use the same blend of mixed voice when I perform because I prefer to sing harder at my gigs. That is a choice I make. I am self aware of my vocal limitations, and trust me, we all have them!

Do you have questions or comments. Please leave them below! Thanks.

VocalizeU

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Susan McAllister-Bee

I vocalized with my new app today driving into church. Have you tried the VocalizeU app yet!? It’s fabulous and FREE!

Singers, you may be thinking…wow, that’s all I need, the VocalizeU app, and I’ll get all the exercises I need to learn how to sing better! Right?

No, that’s wrong. Here lies the problem. Singers, you must realize this. It’s not the exercises in themselves that lead to a better singing voice; it’s HOW YOU DO the exercises!

You see, we all have unique bodies, unique vocal cords, an unique larynx, etc. (do I need to go on?) Therefore, every single voice has it’s own “issues” or “habits” that need to be addressed (including mine!) Therefore, without seeing a professional vocal coach who can assess what is actually going on with your voice, how can you, as a singer, possibly know if you are exercising properly in order to get the desired results? For all you know, you are merely reinforcing the issue that you actually want to change!

Don’t get me wrong. I am a huge fan of this app for singers! I’m also a fan of many vocal coaching sites that give free tips and exercises, such as Brett Manning’s Singing Success TV, Dave Brooks Vocal Coaching (great for country singers), and Eric Arseneaux’s Approach (great for R&B and pop). These are just to name a few.

Singers, soak it all up. There is a lot of information out there. You just need to learn how to sort through it. But first, get to know your voice by seeing a voice professional. Find out what your teacher thinks about these sites. Ask questions and try to figure out if you are on the “same page.” Without a coach’s input, you may simply be going through the motions, and not actually taking the correct steps to a better singing voice.

I’d be please to answer any questions, or recommend a good coach in your area. Leave me a comment!