Author Archives: Susan McAllister-Bee

Why not give it a “cry”

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This amazing little coordination can do wonders for your voice. You will notice that if your habit is to sing too loud, it will automatically take you back to a volume where you can manage this sensation. What sensation you say? The sensation of a cry…..or a moan…..or a sob……or all three!

First, the “cry” is doing something very helpful to the vocal folds by “thinning” and “stretching” them. It is helpful to be able to control your air through this vocal cord set up because you helps you sing higher pitches without flipping into falcetto. You can also get this sensation by doing a high pitch puppy dog whimper.

Second, add the  “moan” or “groan” sensation with the “cry” and you get the added benefit of keeping a neutral larynx. Sometimes the “cry” sound makes you raise your larynx too much, which can block the sound and create tension and tightness in the throat. This is not ideal. Instead, try an even balance of the “cry” with a “moan” or “sob” feeling. This is a great way to learn how to sing higher in your mix. Don’t push it. Feel the balance and practise at a volume that you can manage through your entire range.

Questions? Why not drop me a line!

Who Says That “Mix” Is Dead?

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I’ve heard it said that “mix” is dead.

I beg to differ. In my world mix is alive and well.

The term “mix” stems from the speech level singing technique. It’s not some new-found idea for learning how to sing, it’s simply a way of describing balance of resonance when you sing.

Singing in the mix simply means you have the ability to allow the shift of resonance from your “chest voice” to your “head voice” while ascending (and descending) through your entire range.

You can think of mixing as simply allowing the voice to freely move throughout each register….and especially being free in the “middle voice”. This is where register changes (gear shifts) can sometimes cause havoc to a singer. Learning how to control these register shifts simply means you can “sing in your mix”.

Questions? Are you finding your mix?

Easier way to access your mix

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With speech level singing, one of the main directives is to sing in your mix. Your mixed voice is simply the ability to sing from the bottom of your range to the top of your range without flipping, without raising your larynx, without shouting, and without laryngeal constriction.

There are some sounds that set you up nicely for finding your mix. Try this.  Make a puppy dog whimpering sound, or a small child whining sound. This will stretch the vocal cords by tilting the thyroid cartilage forward. Move this sound up slowly into higher pitches. It may feel as though you are still in your chest voice because the cords are not necessarily thinning (although they may thin as well), but they are stretching. This is a necessary set up to get “in the mix”. If you have trouble doing this (because you feel your throat tighten up), then add the feeling of a moan or a groan. Think and say to yourself “oh, poor me”  in a whiny higher pitched voice 🙁

Don’t do this loud. Don’t sing it…it’s simply a sound. This coordination will help tilt the cartilage which helps you achieve higher notes. This is the mix. This is stretching the vocal cords.

There is the risk of false cord constriction when making these whining sounds. That’s why you need to practise at a medium volume that matches the volume of your speaking voice. If you find yourself getting louder as you get higher, then stay in the range where the volume is maintained.

You need to visit these sounds everyday! The laryngeal muscles will learn new movements but you need to take it one baby step at a time. If you force the sounds then you are using different muscles, and that isn’t achieving a good mix!

Try it! Questions? Let me know how it goes!

Good technique starts where you speak

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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!

 

Changing your sound

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There are many variations in sound quality you can make simply by altering the shape of your vocal “tube” or tract.

Your tube is the length and area where your breath passes as it blows through your vocal cords. Moving the “house” or “voice box” gives you many options. Knowing how to move it up or down will instantly change the sound of your voice. When your voice box (larynx) is lower in your throat, you have lengthened your tube creating a darker, more robust sound. Move your larynx up, and you have shortened your tube to create a thinner more piercing sound. The entire voice box can tilt as well.

The tongue, soft palate, and shape of the mouth will give you many vocal colors to play with. When the soft palate is low for instance, the breath may escape through the nose changing the sound. If the tongue is high there is added resistance to the breath creating a pressure change which is essential for the “belt” sound.

These are just a few options that can add texture and interest to your voice.

 

Mystery of the mixed voice

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Mixed voice simply means middle voice. The overlap of the chest resonance and the head resonance.

A great exercise for finding your mix is the cat’s meow sound…….or change it to neow to make it a little easier.

Pay attention to the feel. The “e” should feel near your nose…or your front teeth. The “ow” will follow through with more sound coming out the mouth.

If you feel strain in the throat you can either lower the pitch, or decrease the volume.

Find the spot in your voice where you feel comfortable making this “neow” sound and take the sound higher. Notice I say it is a sound……you are not singing.

Try gliding from a comfortable “neow” into a higher pitch. You should be in a mix if you can do this.

Ladies, aim for G above middle C to the B flat or high C. Men aim for a D above middle C and glide up into the G.

How did it go? Can you do it?

Position of the larynx

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Speech Level Singing has been given a bit of a bad rap when it comes to the position of the larynx. Let’s review.

First of all, our larynx has a default position when we speak. Everyone is different. My larynx rises ever-so-slightly when I speak. I just happen to have a slightly “twangy” speaking voice.  I can speak (and sing) with my larynx lower, but that is not my “default” position or my most-natural position.

Some people incorrectly think that Speech Level Singing demands a “low” larynx. This is not the case. SLS simply achieves a larynx that is “neutral” when singing….in other words not too high, and not too low.

I think this is a great way to train the voice. Good singing starts with balance. Balance is the ability to sing your entire range with a relatively neutral larynx.

Then comes style and your signature sound. And, yes, your larynx will rise a little when you belt.

 

 

 

 

How should I train my voice?

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So I’ve been jogging lately to get in better shape and stay healthy.

The first time around in my neighorhood is my warm-up. I start out walking at a medium pace and by the end of the round I’m ready to step it up.

The second round I’m jogging. I set a pace that has me breathing in a rhythmic pattern that I know I can endure to the next round.

By round three I’m feeling tired. I’ve reached my peak and my technique is starting to fail. I go back to walking the rest of the way home.

Why am I telling you this? Because this is a good way to train your voice.

First round is your warm-up. Second round is your work-out. Third round is your warm-down.

How long each round is can vary, and what you do each round can vary. For me, lip rolls and sirens through my entire range is both my warm-up and warm-down. My work-out is my longest round, but that’s because I’m in good shape (vocally that is, certainly not jogging!)  You may find you spend most of your time in the warm-up, and your round two of working intensely is for only a short time. That’s OK. Being a vocal athelete takes time, commitment and training….regular training, every day.

The benefits of amplified acoutics on your voice

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Have you ever noticed how nice your voice sounds in the shower? Do you not agree the shower is the absolute best place to listen to yourself sing!

There are a few good reasons for this. First, the steam from a hot shower is a healthy treat for your voice box. Second, you are usually showering alone (notice I said usually), and nothing helps you relax more than when you’re singing and no one is listening!

Third is the benefit of a reflective acoustical space created by the hard surfaces present in most bathrooms (mirrors, tile floors, and no carpet!) The reverbant sound of your voice feeds your mind with a lush, velvety smooth sense of one’s own voice.  Now if only you could amplify that! (And yes, you can!)

My experience has always been that when I’m singing with amplification and some reverb added, I am really able to enjoy listening to myself. It fills me with a sense of being in a much bigger place with a much bigger voice……and who doesn’t want a bigger voice?!

This scenerio is likely to lessen the urge to sing too loud and push too much air through your vocal cords. Listening to yourself in an enjoyable way helps you relax and “feel” your instrument. Ultimately that is what good singing is…..the ability to feel how good you can sound! What do you think? Do you sound good in the shower?

Sounds that make a difference

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There are many sounds you can practise that will help your singing improve.

One great sound is “neighing” like a horse. You want to make the sound a bit witchy or nasty. The problem is, if you force the sound, you are actually causing constriction, which is not going to help at all. This is a sound you can practise everyday that should feel relaxed. It is not a loud sound. You want to practise this at a speech-level volume with thin folds (your head voice).

Some singers will be able to do this easily, others will not. If you have trouble singing in your high voice, then this may be difficult so go slowly. Simply do it everyday, as often as you can, and it will gradually start to become brighter, louder, edgier, and less breathy. This can’t be forced…it must be “experienced” regularly. This is a fabulous head voice workout.

If you are doing it correctly then you will be working the aryepiglottic sphincter muscles in your larynx. When the AES is narrowed, the voice becomes more intense and more resonant at certain frequencies. AES narrowing is also called twang.

Check me out here at www.soundcloud.com for an example.