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.
Singing Diction Tidbits #1
Have you ever noticed? Of all the special events and holidays of the year, more singing surrounds Christmas than any other. As a result, we’ve been really busy in the non-cyber world and are still speeding along piu presto (superfast).
Nevertheless, we want to stay in touch with you and reassure our followers of our commitment to maintain an ongoing dialogue about singing. So until we start answering the questions you asked us about, here’s a tiny trick about some word-ending consonants.
The letter D is what’s called a voiced plosive. Plosives have limited duration and require a miniature burst — or explosion — of air to create them; they include: B, D, G, K, P, and T. (Others like J and Q sort of count, but there are reasons they aren’t included. That’s another topic.)
Unvoiced plosives don’t involve vocal cord vibrations at all. There’s no pitch or tone to a K, P, or T. The rest of the group — B, D, and G — are voiced plosives. Add vocal cord activity to P, and you get B. Get the idea?
One of the worst things to do when you’re singing is to force extra air through a plosive to make sure it’s heard. It will explode … literally … out of the texture of the message, and in most cases it will be a huge distraction. If you’re using a microphone, it can sound like the start of World War III.
The professional secret lies in the shape of the vowel — voiced or unvoiced — inside your mouth as you finish the plosive. You need the smaller, narrower space of an “ih” instead of the more cavernous “uh.” Then you can spend less time and air getting the job done, and yet your ending plosives will be heard more clearly, without anyone having a clue why.
Here’s to passionately sung, beautifully and economically enunciated music. May you and yours find new inspiration and joy from the holidays you hold dear!
May we recommend: Andrea Bocelli, Sting, Tori Amos, Dave Koz (not vocal, but noteworthy), Jessye Norman.
Your Turn: Post Your Questions about Singing
Thanks for coming back! As promised last week, we’re rewarding you with Open Mike Week!
What’s on your mind about singing? What are your most immediate questions about technique, psyche, presentation, repertoire, or anything else relating to the art, science, or philosophy of singing?
Post your questions by clicking the Comment link (at the end of the blue Tag words). We’ll be answering them in the weeks to come.
Here are new releases of well known singers who may help trigger your inquiring mind: Michael Jackson, Danielle De Niese, Susan Boyle, Andrea Bocelli, Paul McCartney.
Quest away, friends! We look forward to your questions and comments.
The Ins and Outs of Breathing for Singers, Part 2b
Okay, you know now how to use the external sets of breathing muscles to hold the torso open, so the air doesn’t escape in chaotic collapse. That technique represents maybe two thirds of the solution for effective outward breathing as a singer.
The other significant contribution comes from muscles at the base of the neck. When these function properly, they pull downward over the collarbones and down the breastbone, anchoring your control of airflow up through the windpipe.
This means you can keep your throat open to resonance and relaxation, rather than trying to squeeze the throat nearly closed in an effort to finish a long phrase before you run out of air.
Throat constriction is a common reaction. But even if it does work slightly, the throat is one of the resonating areas of your sound. Tensing up and pinching off the air will be heard. It’s not pretty. People won’t hear your message, they’ll hear your panic.
Remember from Part 2a the feeling of suspension in holding the torso open? A brilliant oboe teacher suggested thinking of the full lungs as a beachball, and the air passing through the mouthpiece as a tiny stream of focused air. This image works equally well for singing. Try it to help locate those anchoring muscles at the base of the neck.
Too much air is no good, and too little is just as bad. But you don’t worry about how much air to take in when you read aloud. You don’t hoard air when you talk. So be economical but not miserly when you sing.
Athletes involved with ball sports learn how much muscle coordination and strength are needed to accomplish various distance goals. The same is true with singing extended phrases. The more you sing, the more you’ll know how much air you need to complete phrases of any length, at any dynamic, in any part of your range.
Don’t overbreathe for shorter phrases. For longer ones, be realistic about what you can do in your current stage of development. Plan quick supplemental breaths where they make sense in both the sentence and the music line. Then stick to the plan until every breath is artistically rendered, logical, and effortless.
Practice makes practical!
More excellent breath technicians: Natalie Dessay, Renee Fleming (2-disk bonus set!).
Wecome to Sing Well, Sing Better!
We’ve all been making sounds since our first “Yes, I’m alive,” cry on the day of our birth. Some of us were given vocal instruments of natural beauty and skill. Some of us were given instruments that, like diamonds, need polishing before their full beauty is known. Many of us singers have picked up bad habits along the way that actually make it harder to sing with ease.
Over the generations, the science of the voice has amassed techniques to care for the instrument and to develop it without stress or risk of damage. This information makes up the toolbox of voice teachers and good choir directors. Much of it can be used by individuals as well.
Whether you have a passion for singing or are merely curious, you’ll find a wealth of information in this blog to help you sing well, and, with continued practice, to sing even better. Keep coming back!
