Members Crispy boi Posted January 16, 2020 Author Members Share Posted January 16, 2020 I'm still struggling a bit with nasal congestion issues and I will give an update when I'm feeling better. Today's practise session felt like a step backwards it felt like I forgot everything I've learned so far. Ok so I've been trying this vowel exercise Davie recommended. https://voca.ro/mnwtPZGCpyX Pure vowels https://voca.ro/8yee0BjQakc Onsets/ Addressing breathiness https://voca.ro/hW7FXh7Jk8e Simple major triads https://voca.ro/9aF60ZmWpH0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators davie Posted January 17, 2020 Moderators Share Posted January 17, 2020 The correct order of the vowel sequence is actually AH-AY-Ee-Oh-Oo Perform the exercise with minimal jaw movement. Keep about a finger-width space between top and bottom teeth. At the same time using a rounded mouth shape. Try your best to not involve the jaw. The jaw needs to stay isolated from making the vowels. The only thing that really moves is the tip of the tongue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted January 19, 2020 Author Members Share Posted January 19, 2020 My singing has become breathy https://voca.ro/hpU0ScIJ4Ew Trying to reduce breathiness as the key ascends. https://voca.ro/38yctfMux0a Am i swallowing my tongue? https://voca.ro/g1bHbZSO6Lk Assuming i am i try to address https://voca.ro/1g4iqjaT5TX My process for practising looks as follows. Step 1: General warm up: lip trills, humming, drinking room temp water, arpeggios, scales whatever feels good. Step 2: Identify important fundamentals and practise those for a few minutes. For me right now that's Larynx control Breath support, glottal onsets, resonance and pitch. Step 3: listen to recordings of myself practising. Identify issues for next time and if I can't, seek help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators davie Posted January 20, 2020 Moderators Share Posted January 20, 2020 On 1/19/2020 at 1:03 AM, Crispy boi said: My singing has become breathy https://voca.ro/hpU0ScIJ4Ew You're starting to sound a lot better here. I can hear some resonance beginning to come in. There is still some breathiness in the sound, but I believe it will subside as you continue to work on this. Breathiness in the sound is simply the result of the vocal cords not coming together cleanly. Working on some staccato exercises might also help with that. Also another thing I noticed, your inhalation breath needs to be more relaxed, it sounds a bit tense throughout your recordings. Work on taking a slow and relaxed breath through the nose. When the breath is relaxed it should feel like the breath is going low in the body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted January 20, 2020 Author Members Share Posted January 20, 2020 2 hours ago, davie said: You're starting to sound a lot better here. I can hear some resonance beginning to come in. Thanks Davie it's extremely difficult to notice how one's own voice changes with training especially if one factors in things like illness, having bad days and having good days et cetera. I'm trying to relax my inhale here. I don't rate i was extremely successful but I will continue working on it. https://voca.ro/8kjoOeETy9i I'm going to start working on hallelujah now. I will still continue to work on Amazing grace but I want to expand my musical and technical repertoire a little more. So from now on from time to time I will have sessions where I just sing songs i have memorised but the vast majority of my practise sessions will be mostly technical exercises and current repertoire. Hallelujah first few bars https://voca.ro/4krJYfQrcu1 And I think you can hear me asking a question about rhythm in this recording I'm just trying to figure out the phrasing I like for this song. https://voca.ro/kU8cUxxhk4v Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted January 23, 2020 Author Members Share Posted January 23, 2020 Trying to maintain Clarity and brightness through a "H" sound. I'm trying not break down into a dull breathy sound as I sing the "H" consonant https://voca.ro/2dETiiVPz4I I've noticed my breath was tense I will continue to work on that. Staccato exercises https://voca.ro/49RJiBGkgDQ Pushing endurance a little bit https://voca.ro/brivQzgp3qG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators davie Posted January 28, 2020 Moderators Share Posted January 28, 2020 The singing voice can fluctuate a lot from one day to the next. But once you build a solid foundation in the voice then everyday becomes more consistent and the voice remains balance fairly easily. From I've heard so far, I think could benefit by working on some sustained hiss exercises to smooth out your breath flow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted January 28, 2020 Author Members Share Posted January 28, 2020 Thanks Davie I will be sure to introduce more hissing sustains into my training I appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted January 31, 2020 Author Members Share Posted January 31, 2020 Prettys much completely over my flu and congestion issues Ok so we know now the short term goal is to address my breathing issues. Tense inhalation and unsteady excessive exhalation leading to a breathy tone. I can currently sustain a pure hiss for maximum 32secs. I can sustain a lip bubble for around 11 seconds Lets aim to get the former up to 40 secs and the latter up to 20 secs. However here's a phonated hiss "ziss" where i empty my lungs every time. I'm thinking slow and steady on the exhale and don't force so much air out in a rush. Of course it's not easy at all for me but any thoughts would be appreciated. https://voca.ro/4CO2Q7yhXff I'm noticing the air comes out in choppy bursts that I need to smooth out. Now I'm singing hallelujah. I hear something I've never heard in my voice before. the way I sing "The fifth" has a new sound/ expression in it that I've never heard before. Can you please tell me what you think? https://voca.ro/7hRPmKmo4S9 Thanks a lot and happy singing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted February 2, 2020 Author Members Share Posted February 2, 2020 So I have a question about breathing. I think my breathing problems are caused excessively forceful and pressurised exhalation. However I've been consideringthe idea of using the muscles and posture of inhalation during exhalation or phonation. My question is this a good idea? I've also noticed from Around mid C and Up will have a choice to make depending on the vowel that I can either sing it with a brighter more nasal resonant spund or with a darker "Head voice" sound. Any thoughts on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kickingtone Posted February 2, 2020 Members Share Posted February 2, 2020 Some techniques rely more heavily than others on vocal fold closure. You can hear quite a lot of "breathiness" from the a cappella group in the 'Amazing Grace' video, you posted earlier (I've included a link at the bottom of this post). They sound good. Breathy singing is not a problem at all. In fact it can give a sense of relaxation/peace/emphasis(secrecy) etc. When combined with good projection, it creates a great dynamic, especially relative to the call register. "Breathiness" doesn't cause any technical problems when the airflow is controlled adequately at the diaphragm. Also, with this technique, normal or light vocal fold closure is fine/desirable, but it must come with good "placement" -- a way to get the sound to resonate well in the vocal tract. For techniques that rely more on vocal fold closure to control airflow, breathiness WILL cause technical problems. These techniques need your vocal folds not only to come fully together as they vibrate, but to stay together closed for longer on each cycle, to slow the airflow. You cannot do that and allow breathiness at the same time. Longer fold closure also creates more rattle (edge/metal) to the tone. To my ears, "rattle" has a markedly different quality to the resonant "ring"" created by placement. Breathiness is not a technical or style issue, unless you are using a technique that does not allow it, or a genre that does not want it -- like heavy rock, metal etc. So, in choosing between such techniques, you are actually choosing style and tone, not universal singing basics. Confusion can often be caused when people tell you that your vocal folds are not fully closing. Your vocal folds can be fully closing, while not staying closed for as long as THEIR chosen technique requires. So, it is wise to understand the implications, and to avoid having a genre imposed on you. Unfortunately, that is how some people push their own preferences. https://www.harmonycentral.com/forums/topic/1943938-would-greatly-appreciate-advice-on-my-tone/?do=findComment&comment=31080242 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted February 3, 2020 Author Members Share Posted February 3, 2020 12 hours ago, kickingtone said: when the airflow is controlled adequately at the diaphragm. This. I'm trying to control the airflow at the diaphragm in order to reduce excessive, uncontrolled, muffled breathiness in my singing. I understand that breathiness can be done on purpose for stylistic effect. However my issue is that I was doing it by accident. Also, Where can I find an example of rattle in the voice? Have i done it accidentally on any of my forum posts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kickingtone Posted February 3, 2020 Members Share Posted February 3, 2020 9 hours ago, Crispy boi said: This. I'm trying to control the airflow at the diaphragm in order to reduce excessive, uncontrolled, muffled breathiness in my singing. I think that a muffled sound would usually be more of a placement issue. Singers can sound twice as breathy as you are, while sounding clear as a bell. They are still able to access the higher harmonics that lead to a more defined tone, while sounding as breathy as they want. But everything is interconnected, and it is possible that placement problems can result from airflow problems. Some techniques do not allow you to access higher harmonics with a breathy tone. For such techniques, the route you would take is to reduce the breathiness, using more vocal fold compression. But then you may have to start imagining a different tone from the a cappella singers in the Amazing Grace video. They are not using an edgy tone. Psychologically it is a problem if you have a target tone and a technique that doesn't match. Some tutors suggest that you can start with the vocal fold compression technique, and add breathiness in as some kind of advanced feature. I am very suspicious of this advice, myself. I have not heard any of those tutors themselves demonstrate a breathy tone competently. The genres they tend to sing in are incompatible with breathy tones. I think that the "advanced feature" is control at the diaphragm, which is what should be taught from the start. 9 hours ago, Crispy boi said: Where can I find an example of rattle in the voice? Have i done it accidentally on any of my forum posts? Not that I recall. If you want more rattle/edge to your tone, then increased vocal fold compression is essential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted February 3, 2020 Author Members Share Posted February 3, 2020 13 hours ago, kickingtone said: when the airflow is controlled adequately at the diaphragm. This. I'm trying to control the airflow at the diaphragm in order to reduce excessive, uncontrolled, muffled breathiness in my singing. Where can I find an example of rattle in the voice? Have i done it accidentally on any of my forum posts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted February 3, 2020 Author Members Share Posted February 3, 2020 Okay I will aim for more vocal fold compression. Roger that on the Placement being more important for clarity that breathiness. Onward and upward Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kickingtone Posted February 3, 2020 Members Share Posted February 3, 2020 45 minutes ago, Crispy boi said: Okay I will aim for more vocal fold compression. I have a very UNedgy tone, myself, so I can't say too much about this technique, except to say that techniques don't always mix and match. Advice for one technique may not apply, or even be detrimental, to another technique. You have to organize and remember what belongs to which technique. I've been listening to your clips, as I have been curious about how you are getting on with the exercises davie gave you. Whatever method/exercise you use, you have to give it time (months! lol!) Short term goal = months! Although I don't use much edge and don't have much experience to share on it, I would have thought that picking a song with plenty of edge in it would help, because you must have the sound you are aiming for in your head in order to succeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted February 3, 2020 Author Members Share Posted February 3, 2020 The exercises Davie gave me consitute my warm ups. I only upload a fraction of the noises I make lol.. sometimes I feel buzzing in my hard palate and nose and sometimes I feel like I'm doing the exercises wrong. It's mostly five tone scales focusing on the pharyngeal resonance that I got from davie with recently hissing and other breathing exercises thrown in. As far as patience being the sauce that seasons the voice I'm right with you I very often feel like I'm wasting my time doing repetitive exercises until I can very very slowly Hear myself adding those sounds into my singing. It takes a lot of work and it takes a lot of composure when I'm singing to remember the techniques I've been taught. However I really need to talk about today's practise session. For the first time I was able to sing an ahh vowel and open my mouth really wide without feeling like it's go back into my speaking voice. I was much more expressive and actually had fun singing. I actually enjoyed listening to myself singing messa di voce. Here's what that sounded like. As always sternly critical advice is dearly appreciated. https://voca.ro/72C59A6Hcaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted February 4, 2020 Author Members Share Posted February 4, 2020 A bountiful practise session indeed. Singing lower notes (Bb2-F3) https://voca.ro/agHJGMf1NXz Five tone scales on vowels https://voca.ro/ag34bEK2c7c Practising Hallelujah. I really feel like I'm making progress in my tone here and I'm having fun with this new sound. But please, Let me know what you think. https://voca.ro/dtVz0FmfTB7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators davie Posted February 4, 2020 Moderators Share Posted February 4, 2020 This is probably the best I've heard you so far. Sounding a lot better. Keep it up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted February 4, 2020 Author Members Share Posted February 4, 2020 Thanks Davie I really needed to hear that. I'm just trying to stay consistent and I know I will get there. Peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted February 5, 2020 Author Members Share Posted February 5, 2020 Yeah It feels like I'm going backwards in my singing. I understand that new co ordinations take time to cement but here's what today's practise session sounded like. Vowelshttps://voca.ro/4jsqBs8l99f Arpeggioshttps://voca.ro/4HD6myRQlO5 If i channel more chest voice into the sound I start singing sharphttps://voca.ro/nJzPZCHvsHj Pitch work/tuning arpeggioshttps://voca.ro/iGffs8zQNnU Phonated hissing focused on breath controlhttps://voca.ro/93zujlvcjZF Trying to build resonance in the mid rangehttps://voca.ro/ojvW9DeLPWV Trying to fix resonance issues https://voca.ro/dS0u6JF6e4O This is what i sound like when I'm tired of singing in case it's of any helphttps://voca.ro/LUlfyBPv8xt I think next time I'm going to explore the idea of higher notes needing more space in the mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted February 13, 2020 Author Members Share Posted February 13, 2020 Howdy all. I had to take the last two weeks off because I started a business and My new schedule is a bit haywire. Anyway I'm baaaack im happy to be back indeed. I've been putting pressure on myself to get better at sight-reading. That's what all the pausing is about in the recordings of hallelujah. Anyway here's what I sound like. I would love some advice on tone and negotiating the vocal break Vocal break at E4 (After 10mins of tone work) https://voca.ro/aEo2sVAzSNd Hallelujah verse 2 https://voca.ro/aLpyKir6izR How can I add strength to these high notes? https://voca.ro/l1LFxRwBeEI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted February 14, 2020 Author Members Share Posted February 14, 2020 Another practise session wrapped up today Consistency really is Key. Working on my diction until I somehow forgot how to play an Eb major scale properly. https://voca.ro/3PnfktEmEch Practising Eb major scales https://voca.ro/adqHsqX7yeI Wow that was nasal 😞 https://voca.ro/cg87A8SDLeM Hallelujah practise. Looking back i would say My voice was too soft In the recording but the mic was also too far from my mouth. I think the last two minutes are the best though. Any advice and critiques would be stellar as always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted February 16, 2020 Author Members Share Posted February 16, 2020 Diction practise. https://voca.ro/5N9di4FiE7J Trying not to reach/ strain for high notes. Still concerned about diction too. https://voca.ro/jT8gpBPnG4Q Hallelujah practise. https://voca.ro/55m7RsmlkWr https://voca.ro/khkDHTSvq1k https://voca.ro/leCSD4ah6EZ Thanks as always for the generous support and advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crispy boi Posted February 17, 2020 Author Members Share Posted February 17, 2020 Soft palate elevation, Pitch and Pharyngeal resonance Practise Session. Howdy Songbirds 🙂 Please let me know what you think, This is today's Vocals practise session Warm ups started off very slow. Trying to keep an inside smile/high soft palate. https://voca.ro/6cQucjHfwSW https://voca.ro/e3sFIayGfnJ Hallelujah practise that turned a capella near the end. I'm rushing the tempo way too much Listening back. https://voca.ro/1DEyLv3H7Zv practising High notes https://voca.ro/a48RD0SMlYx Mid range https://voca.ro/oBSpxEes2Ae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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