That Resonant Zing, Part 1

As you sing, do you ever get the feeling that your sound goes out about three feet and disappears? Have you ever sung (unmiked) in a large space, and someone told you afterward that they couldn’t hear you?

Several factors could be at play, from the reflective (or non-reflective) quality of the room, to how loud you’re singing, to how well you’re getting your consonants Out There, to one of a number of elements in tone production inside your body.

One of those latter elements is often called an “inner smile” or “inner snarl.” It requires pulling to attention those muscles on either side of your face between your eyes and your mouth. They stretch upward and to the side just a bit.

Supermodels use the same technique to make their faces look more alert, more intense, more dynamic than a face that is totally relaxed. Often it helps to locate the muscles above and slightly behind your ears — the same ones you would use to wiggle (or just move) your ears. Again, try to pull them upward a bit and toward the back of your head.

As you sing with both sets of muscles fully engaged, direct your sound forward toward that Inner Smile area. This will help employ the nasal cavities there as additional resonators.

There are times — in a gentle lullaby or lush lovesong, for example — you may not want to use “The Mask,” as it’s also called. But any time you need that extra zing, that brilliant resonance that stands people’s armhairs on end, invite all those facial and scalp muscles to the party!

Stellar examples:  Sam Harris, Liza Minnelli, Josh Groban, Kathleen Battle, Mandy Patinkin.

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