True or False: Singers should sing with TENSION. Before you answer - consider what Tension is. Tension is the state of being stretched to tautness. It’s the stress from elongation of an elastic band. It’s the amount of energy needed to create potential. Sound familiar? As we sing, we stretch and tense our vocal folds in opposition to the flow of breath. So, it’s TRUE! We need Tension to sing! Without Tension we couldn’t even breathe! Anytime your lower abdominal muscles contract to expel air, you’re creating helpful Tension in the body. Of course we want to avoid unhelpful Tensions in the neck, larynx, and jaw. But, being a relaxed singer doesn’t mean being a FLACCID singer. Seek after a flexible, buoyant, energetic, and dynamic vocal TENSION!
Can GOOD posture be the enemy of free and easy singing? Well, sometimes yes. Beautiful, tall posture is obviously fantastic for the voice. Yet, sometimes sitting or even slouching can be surprisingly helpful in unlocking new levels of freedom. Our postural muscles help us stand and walk upright. These include the Sternocleidomastoid, trapezius, lumbars, hip adductors, and hip extensors. These muscles are in continuous use to some degree and have a tendency to become too tight. Nobody ever complains that their lower back is too loose, do they? So, when you’re feeling locked vocally, try a different stance. Lean on a doorway, sit down, lay down, or just lean to the left or right. The redistribution in tension could unlock your next vocal breakthrough!
In the female voice, there is a major Passaggio (or transition) that occurs between D5-G5. Males sing these notes less often, but will also notice the same phenomenon with these pitches. At this part of the voice, singers usually benefit from a slight opening of the mouth if they are seeking a stronger sound. This opening aids the strength of First Formant (F1) resonance. Either a slight jaw opening or a small widening of the lips typically helps this resonance to intensify. In general, we don’t want to open up the mouth or spread the lips to sing higher notes. Instead, we should learn to sing them with a neutral mouth first! But afterwards, if you're seeking more power through this particular Passaggio, try letting Acoustics work for you!
When learning to Riff, it’s easy to think that it’s all about fast moving notes. Yet, there are actually many other nuanced changes that occur during Riffs. Changing between VOCAL REGISTERS during a Riff is an example of this. A great way to practice this difficult and subtle vocal skill is to try yodeling exercises! Move back and forth between Chest Voice and Falsetto while singing an “EE” vowel on a 1-6-1-6-1 interval. Master this exercise at a slow tempo and then increase the speed. Soon the yodel skill will become so natural for you that you can easily incorporate it into your Riffs. Being able to change registers while Riffing will add a new ear-catching dimension to your Riffs!
The MIX Voice is not just one Vocal Register, but a variety of blended coordinations. The Mix mostly boils down to the STRENGTH of the ThyroArytenoid Muscle MIXED with the LENGTH created by the CricoThyroid Muscle. This means power without volume. This means Head Resonance without Head Voice. This means high notes that feel just as easy as middle and low notes. To improve your Mix Voice, try carrying some of the strength of Chest Voice up higher in your range - yet without increasing the air, without adding volume, and without opening up the mouth wider. It’s very tempting to cheat with breath, volume, and open embouchures. But, if you stay true to the mechanics, you’ll find your Mix coordinations developing - STRONG and LONG!
GRACE Notes are often what separates good Riffers from GREAT Riffers. A Grace Note is a tiny passing note either just above or just below a sung pitch. It goes by so quickly that it barely counts as a note. It’s quite similar to a pull-off or hammer note on a guitar. The primary note that is played or sung is very dominant. However, there’s also a teeny tiny "graceful" note that leads into the dominant pitch. Beginning Riffers can often achieve the primary notes of a Riff, but fail to hear or perform the Grace Notes. If you can learn to do them, though, your Pop/Rock/R&B Riffing will become more detailed. But, you'll also become the kind of Riffer that causes people to ask: “How do you DO that?!” Just tell them it’s all by GRACE!
Our voices change VOLUME in more ways than we realize! Factors that typically influence Volume include breath flow, vocal fold compression, larynx position, resonance, and mouth shape. For example, open vowels like AH or OH are typically louder than smaller vowels like EE or OO. This is one reason why singers who use microphones pull the mic away from their faces on big notes or pull it close when they’re singing softly. Sound engineers limit this variation on recordings. That’s why you can listen to recorded songs without having to change the Volume on your speakers every time the singer hits a big note or gets quiet. Nevertheless, before you hit the studio or the stage - experiment with the many factors that help you control your own VOLUME!
You’ve probably heard a number of different opinions on LARYNX POSITION during singing. Modern voice teachers often lead away from the idea of a lower larynx, encouraging singers to keep it neutral or reap the stylistic benefits of raising it. On the other hand, traditional teachers are often appalled at the idea of a high larynx and prefer a low larynx at all costs. Who is right? Both! The ability to manipulate your larynx position is among the most important aspects of vocal versatility. Just remember - when lowering the larynx, think of relaxing your throat open, instead of pushing and forcing your larynx down. And when allowing it to sit higher, make sure it's not because you're straining for higher pitches. Rather, make it an intentional choice for style or acoustics. It's your instrument. Why not do it all?
Vocal and musical style can be incredibly specific and nuanced! Think about all the sub-genres and even sub-sub-genres under rock, pop, jazz, blues, etc. What's the difference between Cool Jazz and Smooth Jazz? What about SynthPop and ElectroPop? Or Opera and Oratorio? Some differences are obvious, but many are very subtle. What does this mean to you as a singer? It means you get to TUNE UP your ears and also your imagination! How SPECIFIC can you get within your vocal style? Challenge yourself to find as many nuanced stylistic elements in a song and see if you can PRECISELY mimic the stylistic shades! You'll become a better musician and singer! And you'll finally be able to show your friends the difference between Viking Metal and War Metal!
Should you breathe through your mouth or through your nose when you sing? Great question! The answer is BOTH! Nose breaths are superior, but they're often too slow for quick phrases. Mouth breaths can be drying, but are capable of being taken in more quickly. So, the ideal inhalation will involve both your nose and your mouth simultaneously. We exhale through both our nose and mouth when we sing. So, it makes sense to prepare the inhale breath this way. On occasion, interludes in songs give you the time to take a nice calming breath through the nose. But, typically we don’t have that kind of time. This makes the Nose + Mouth Breath the winning combo!
Use your inhale to SET UP your vowels! Each vowel creates a unique pattern of resonance and a unique airflow pathway. So why not breathe in the shape of the vowel you're about to sing? This saves you time and energy because when you're ready to exhale, your instrument is already in the perfect position. You won't have to use that precious moment between inhaling and exhaling to get your entire vocal apparatus into the right position. Practice this on all different vowels by making the shape of the vowel first, then inhaling, and then singing. When it comes to breathing and resonance - it always helps to be prepared!
Can a singer sound DARK and also NASAL at the same time? Why YES! And, in fact, this skill is transformative for the voice. Normally, when we sing with nasal resonance, the Larynx wants to rise and the sound wants to brighten. However, it is possible to keep a low Larynx while maintaining nasal resonance. To find this coordination, place one hand gently on your Larynx to feel that it’s dropping as you make a deep, dark, and rich sound. Place the other hand gently on your nostrils to feel the vibrations. If you feel both at the same time, then you’ve successfully blended these resonances! Although this blend may sound a bit bizarre to you at first, you are now experiencing your voice's MAXIMUM resonance capabilities! Congratulations!
If you could do only ONE thing to improve your singing posture and alignment, what should it be? Lift your STERNUM! The Sternum is your breastbone located in the center of the chest. Try an experiment - elevate your Sternum. Make sure to not move or tense any other muscles. Just lift the Sternum only. What do you notice? Your shoulders fall gently to the sides. Your neck lengthens. Your forehead moves forward while your jaw moves back. In other words, you achieve ideal singing posture - simply by focusing on ONE thing! So, the next time you're looking for ways for your posture to get good (and fast!), just make the Sternum rise to #1 on your list!
How often do you COMPLIMENT other singers? It’s easy to get wrapped up in competition and trying to make a name for yourself as an artist. But, true Artists appreciate all the beauty around them - even if it’s being made by someone else. As Artists, we should be able to genuinely appreciate the work of others without having to compare it to our own. Even when we’re comparing ourselves to other voices as a learning tool, we still need to be able to step back and simply ENJOY other singers! Valuing and encouraging fellow vocalists will keep you focused on singing as an art instead of a contest. With this approach, every singer truly wins!
Think for a moment about what happens when you blow into a bottle - a pitch is created! Larger bottles resonate lower pitches and smaller bottles resonate higher pitches. Our vocal tract (throat) is like these bottles in terms of resonance. As singers, we can change the size of our vocal tracts for better resonance throughout our range. We can alter vowels to resonate more efficiently in certain ranges where they may not naturally resonate so well. This is the basis for what is known as Vowel Modification. Vowel Modification often gets a bad rap because it's often exaggerated, making vowels sound strange and affected. The key to Vowel Modification is to fine-tune your resonance over time so that a clearer sound is made with less effort, while still maintaining intelligibility with your lyrics. Enjoy this vocal message-in-a-bottle!
Singing, acting, dancing, modeling, performing. In all of these crafts, how you see yourself and how you present yourself are vital. This is why PERFECTIONISM is the greatest enemy of performers. All of us have a desire deep down to look perfect, sound perfect, act perfect, and BE perfect. However, since this is unattainable, it frustrates and even DESTROYS our artistry and individuality. So, the next time you go onstage to perform - think about who YOU really are and how you are going to present yourself. Are you perfect? No. So, should you try to show perfection to your audience? No. What do you show them instead? Show them your self-expression, your work-in-progress craft, your beautiful weaknesses, and your SOUL... in that moment. Perfect.
Will the Music Industry decide your destiny or will YOU decide? Answering this question will likely determine whether you have what it takes to make it as a professional artist. Many performers have a “wait and see” attitude when it comes to their career. They go into the industry hoping someone will notice them, discover them, or “make them” an artist. In contrast, there are artists who already KNOW that they are artists - regardless of whether they ever get the jobs they want. They don’t need the industry’s approval. Their singing and their craft are just “who they are”. Ironically, these artists who do it for the pure LOVE of their craft, without worrying about the results, usually have the greatest success. So, dig deep and consider the artist you really are in your heart and soul. If you know this, you won’t have to find your destiny. Your destiny will find YOU!
16 BARS?! Yep. Often that’s all you get in an audition. Thus, showing who you are and what you can do in a short time can be DAUNTING! One strategy for success is to immediately highlight the dramatic CIRCUMSTANCES in your song. Choose a song that invites you to live freely and truthfully inside the lyric right from the start. Avoid cuts that don’t make sense without the entire context of the song. Also, stay away from cuts that have lyrics that are too general or that begin in confusing places. Your character’s objective, intentions, and opinions should be clear right from the first phrase. While 16-Bar auditions are meant to feature the voice, singers who create a dramatic world in a few seconds are the ones who leave us wanting far more than… 16-BARS!
How do your notes END? The way we finish a phrase is called an OFFSET. Offsets can often affect the rest of the phrase more than we think. Are you holding the note as long as it’s supposed to be held? Are you holding it TOO long? Notice the qualities of your Offset. Does the note get softer and fade out? Maybe you flip registers or your vowels get rounder as you reach the end of your phrase. Alternatively, maybe the notes get cut off sharply with a little kick of breath. All of these qualities are just fine if used in the right contexts. However, if you find yourself struggling with a particular song or phrase, pay attention to how the phrase ends. The problem may be hiding there. As a wise man once said - all’s well that ENDS well!
We all have days when we don’t feel 100%, but we still go to work and get things done. The voice is exactly the same. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, it just doesn’t feel at its best. Does that mean we should hide away and make no sound? Not at all! Professional performers sing through allergies, colds, and plain old bad days all the time. The secret is recognizing the limits of your voice while maintaining healthy technique when something feels a little different. Perhaps that high note just isn’t going to sound as clear as usual. Maybe a long sustained note won’t make it quite as far. That’s okay! A day where you're not at 100% is an opportunity to bring your vocal technique to 200%!
Letting go of TENSION is as easy as INTENTION! The tension that builds up in our bodies throughout the day often translates into vocal tension when we sing. Thankfully, you can work on eliminating vocal tension even when you aren't singing or in a practice session. It just takes intention! Stuck in traffic or in a crowd with a tense neck and shoulders? RELEASE! Do you sit at a desk all day and notice your body slumped forward for hours on end? RELEASE! Are your legs and feet tense from standing and walking around all day? RELEASE! Are you talking or shouting all day long and find your jaw, neck, and tongue are tense? RELEASE! Instead of only addressing vocal tension while singing, start thinking about it throughout the day so that you're already loose for your singing session! You can even start right now as you read this… RELEASE!
When selecting new Repertoire to build your voice, one of the greatest secrets is to find MODERATE challenges. In other words, don’t select a song that’s too easy or a song that’s too difficult. Many singers pick material that is far too challenging thinking “if only I can sing THIS song, then everything else will be easy”. This is actually a big mistake. The voice is built fastest and freest when it grows in small, steady increments. Look for songs that are mostly within your range except for a few difficult passages that stretch you. Consider not just range, but also tessitura, length of notes and phrases, agility, musical difficulty, stylistic details, and emotional depth. In finding songs that are challenging yet still achievable, you'll feel happier about your voice and you’ll also see it grow faster than ever!
Don’t be a Vocal POWER LIFTER! When attempting high notes, vocal tension can be caused by too much “weight”. Vocal “weight” means that short vocal folds are doing the work long vocal folds should be doing. For instance, when you’re in Chest Voice the vocal folds are generally shorter. Shorter folds tend to close with thicker vocal fold mass and musculature. High notes require the vocal folds to vibrate quickly. So, maintaining thick vocal fold contact higher up is a LOT of heavy lifting! Lengthening the vocal folds via Falsetto, Head Voice, and Mix is the way to prevent yourself from weighty strain. A good motto is “Lengthen THEN Strengthen”. If you can hit the notes in a lighter register, then you always have the option of adding the mass back in gradually from there! In fact, this is exactly how to achieve powerful high notes! Don’t be a Vocal POWER LIFTER!
The MIX Voice is not just one Vocal Register, but a variety of blended coordinations. The Mix mostly boils down to the STRENGTH of the ThyroArytenoid Muscle MIXED with the LENGTH created by the CricoThyroid Muscle. This means power without volume. This means Head Resonance without Head Voice. This means high notes that feel just as easy as middle and low notes. To improve your Mix Voice, try carrying some of the strength of Chest Voice up higher in your range - yet without increasing the air, without adding volume, and without opening up the mouth wider. It’s very tempting to cheat with breath, volume, and open embouchures. But, if you stay true to the mechanics, you’ll find your Mix coordinations developing - STRONG and LONG!
Do you desire to RIFF with freedom and ease? Here’s a great Riff strategy! Find a song with one of your favorite Riffs. Break it down so that you know all the notes, rhythms, and details. Then, make it into a Vocal Exercise! Practice it at a variety of tempos and in many different keys! Move it up and down across your entire range and even sing it in different registers of your voice! Repeat this same process with other favorite Riffs. By practicing Riffs as Vocal Exercises, you will be expanding your Riff vocabulary so that these Riffs can be executed at any time you desire, in any key you desire, at any speed you desire, and with any registration you desire!
"Can you sing a HARMONY for this song?" With no sheet music in sight - what is your reaction? Is it an enthusiastic "Yes! Of course!" or an anxious "Ummmm." Being able to create Harmonies in a song is a fantastic skill to have and can actually be far more FUN than scary! The most important part of being able to Harmonize is to truly LISTEN. Listen beyond the melody and focus on the chord progression. Common and simple harmonies include thirds, fourths, fifths, and sixths - but there are countless ways to spice things up within the movement of the chords. Practice singing along to the music of songs with clear melodies to see how different harmonies are created in the accompaniment. Harness the music ACCOMPANYING the melody and before you know it you'll be adding many beautiful Harmonies to your songs!
Think of your larynx like an elevator. How many levels does it stop at? Maybe you feel like it has two stops: up and down. Maybe there are three: up, down, and neutral. What if there were four? Five? Ten? There are no physical limits to how many levels you can imagine this larynx elevator stopping at. Try to visualize as many as are helpful or useful to you in developing new sounds and greater control. If you're struggling with larynx position in a song, experiment with adding a few levels to your elevator or taking a few away. Or, maybe you've been jumping levels - not moving smoothly from one level to the next. Experiment with these visualizations until you arrive at where your voice feels freest! Next stop - vocal control!
High and TIGHT larynx? Think "Lifted and LOOSE" instead! Sometimes a High Larynx Position gets a bad reputation since it can contribute to excessive brightness in the voice. It can cause a feeling of strain, like you’re trapped by a vocal wall that you can’t push through. Yet, the High Larynx Position isn’t totally to blame! Low Larynxes are WIDE larynxes. This means that when your larynx is in a lower position, the vocal cords actually need to work harder to come together. When we lift the larynx we also NARROW it, allowing the vocal folds less effort to make contact. Therefore, with Higher Larynx Positions, you can actually LET GO quite a lot! So, why not try it out, lifted and LOOSE?
To develop your personal singing style, turn to your natural ACCENT! Different languages and dialects vary not just in vocabulary, but also in word stresses, inflections, and speaking attitudes. Southern American accents often linger on long vowels longer than standard American accents. Spanish vowels are brighter and farther forward than Russian vowels. Most Italian consonants have a lighter touch than the throatier sounds in German or Hebrew. Some cultures encourage louder speaking than others, while some regions use faster talking speeds. How do your natural tendencies make certain songs easier or more challenging? How can your accent make your approach to songs unique? Start considering how your ACCENT can inform your vocal style!
Ever try breathing with a "360-Degree Breath"? We usually think about breathing in and out. But what about side-to-side and front-to-back? Try it! Place one of your hands on your side at the base of your ribcage and the other hand on your belly right below the sternum. Inhale and think of breathing downward and outward. Did you feel your ribcage expand? Did you feel your stomach expand? Excellent! If you felt your chest rise – try it again. Expanding 360 Degrees allows our inhalation to be performed with the most efficient musculature. In turn, this sets up our exhalation and our singing for the broadest range of possibilities. All the way ‘round!