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Post by mrholmes on Sept 1, 2020 4:38:19 GMT -6
I really want to beat this thing but on the way I get frustrated.
I practice every day for about 30-40 minutes.... my coach told me not to give up....
The right notes are there but suddenly I am hitting high notes better than low ones but my vocal cords are more in the low range. Now my cords drift into the low notes - Jesus why is this?
I never had this problem when I sung out of my gut instinct, no vocal teacher, just in the lows never touching any range that felt uncomfortable. Focussing on the feeling...
I was asked who is singing there and I said that it's me and friends said it's good.
Now I am back with a vocal coach since about the beginning of the year and my whole system seems to go crazy.
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Post by keymod on Sept 1, 2020 4:54:35 GMT -6
Vincent Ricciardi
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Post by popmann on Sept 1, 2020 11:41:14 GMT -6
Thats normal. Ive never heard you, so keep in mind im spitballing generically to say your voice isnt as low as you thought it was. If you were “controlling” it by baring down on you main vocal folds by “strength”, even controlling airflow with your throat....you'll seemingly “get worse” before you get better. Much of vocal “training” is finding a blend that gives you the greatest dynamic control and range. Baring down on chest will make everyone’s voice sound lower than it is. #jimMorrisonSyndrome. Mask resonance is the way you traverse your range sounding like the same singer. More and more the lower the note....less as you go up....thus creating the most similar sound top to bottom.
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Post by Vincent R. on Sept 1, 2020 21:39:24 GMT -6
The truth about singing is so much simpler than people make it out to be. There are two basic fundamentals that can be applied to any style of singing and that is support and placement. Breathing is something I find very few teachers teach well or at all. Frankly it’s hard work and takes a little while to get your bearings on it. Placement can vary from style to style and philosophy to philosophy. The easiest is the broadened pallet on the Italian “ah” vowel. Are you working on any support exercises? How about placement exercises? What kind of music are you working on? What kind of a sound are you going for?
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Post by Ward on Sept 2, 2020 6:38:56 GMT -6
Very good advice @vincentr !
Environmental factors are an important consideration this time of year. You may not have allergies, but other things in the air can irritate your vocal cords, and some airborne pollutants can affect the edges of your vocal cords leading to a mushy or airy sound. And, with exercise, as you are building up the muscles that support your larynx, some may be stronger than others which may lead to more support for tighter cords for higher notes.
The vocal folds are very complex!
I've been through the ringer with my own. Multiple nodes, polyps, strain and fatigue and a combination of allergies and asthma haven't helped. Thankfully, I stopped smoking 6 years ago which has helped me. But some damage can't be undone. (personal reference is not to make this about me in any way, but to show understanding and empathy)
Just my 2¢
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Post by donr on Sept 2, 2020 7:46:16 GMT -6
Vincent is right. The best thing you can do to control your voice when you sing is a lung full of air and support for your vocal cords before you open your mouth. Don't try to push air over your vocal cords to sing. Meet the start of a vocal note with a full column of air.
Imagine a bag piper starting a phrase with a bag half full of air. Wouldn't sound good. This is general advice, as taught to me.
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Post by mrholmes on Sept 2, 2020 8:59:39 GMT -6
The truth about singing is so much simpler than people make it out to be. There are two basic fundamentals that can be applied to any style of singing and that is support and placement. Breathing is something I find very few teachers teach well or at all. Frankly it’s hard work and takes a little while to get your bearings on it. Placement can vary from style to style and philosophy to philosophy. The easiest is the broadened pallet on the Italian “ah” vowel. Are you working on any support exercises? How about placement exercises? What kind of music are you working on? What kind of a sound are you going for?
Thanks for this hint Vincent.
What's going on here my vocal teacher can't tell me what's going wrong and one YT search brings a video up that makes singing feel much more comfortable. I did the practice in the video for about 20 minutes and it freed up the whole system a lot.
It brings up the feeling I had with my first vocal teacher 15 years ago, that she wanted to make money as long as possible. Should not a teacher hear what is going wrong? I pay her 80 bucks an hour....that's a lot of money for me at the moment... She was an opera singer here in Berlin....
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Post by Vincent R. on Sept 2, 2020 9:35:45 GMT -6
Here are a couple of videos from my favorite YouTube singing teacher Michael Trimble on breathing. He had a heck of a voice and a wonderful career as an operatic tenor in his youth and now predominantly teaches. He focuses on back breathing, which is a little different than I do. I focus on full chest cavity breathing; breathing deep into your back, but using the diaphragm at the bottom of your rib cage as a control. He and I have had some really great conversations about technique. He also has some great videos on placement, which is exactly how I place my sound using the Italian "ah" and the horizontal oval mouth as opposed to the vertical oval (big debate among opera schools about this one). The horizontal oval is really great to apply to non operatic singing as well as this is how we speak. Some teachers will refer to this as biting the apple or smiling into the sound or singing into the masque. It creates a brighter more forward sound. It also makes both low and high notes easier. We can talk about larynx position later. If you're not singing classically a lowered larynx is more of a color than a requirement.
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Post by howie on Sept 2, 2020 12:51:46 GMT -6
Hey, That video seems useful. Simple. clear. Gotta try it.
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Post by mrholmes on Sept 2, 2020 14:18:15 GMT -6
Here are a couple of videos from my favorite YouTube singing teacher Michael Trimble on breathing. He had a heck of a voice and a wonderful career as an operatic tenor in his youth and now predominantly teaches. He focuses on back breathing, which is a little different than I do. I focus on full chest cavity breathing; breathing deep into your back, but using the diaphragm at the bottom of your rib cage as a control. He and I have had some really great conversations about technique. He also has some great videos on placement, which is exactly how I place my sound using the Italian "ah" and the horizontal oval mouth as opposed to the vertical oval (big debate among opera schools about this one). The horizontal oval is really great to apply to non operatic singing as well as this is how we speak. Some teachers will refer to this as biting the apple or smiling into the sound or singing into the masque. It creates a brighter more forward sound. It also makes both low and high notes easier. We can talk about larynx position later. If you're not singing classically a lowered larynx is more of a color than a requirement.
THX Vince. I appreciate your opinion.
That's deepens my impression that she holds back important information back. I don't want to sing Opera I am also too old and should have started 30 years ago...
Just those little pieces of YouTube information gives me something to deal with.
I can experiment with to get a better feeling for the whole topic breathing.
She is not talking about it at all...except that I should breathe in, but I see I use the wrong technique to breath relaxed in any way.
I think I will stop working with her and I search for someone new.
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