A common myth meant to be helpful is that of “Covering”—a term related to vowel modification and how much to round or darken the vowels as the scale ascends. It is a term that attempts to describe what it means to navigate the top of the voice, often framed as something a singer must consciously “do.” However, this analogy often fails to accurately describe the physical process of navigating the upper register.
The concept of “covering” presents several problems for the developing singer:
It is perhaps more helpful to use the terminology of “turning the top.” Since most muscles involved in singing are involuntary, the whole system must be treated as such. You cannot effectively “do” something to make the voice work; rather, you must be led through a process where the voice is encouraged into spontaneous, healthy activity.
Certain exercises cause vocal muscles to react in a reflex-like action. As these muscles—the closers, stretchers, and the folds themselves—are exercised, they respond with increasing accuracy and strength. They possess an inborn logic; when exercised according to the laws of physics, they begin to do their “jobs,” creating a sensation that the singer can then recognize and remember.
Navigating the top of the voice occurs when the vocal muscles have been trained to find their own balance. This is known as proper registrational adjustment. In this state, the registration actually tells the vowel how much to “modify” so as not to disturb the muscular balance as the scale ascends. This navigation is not an overt action, but an allowed response.
Ultimately, “covering” is about conscious “doing,” while “turning the top” is about “allowing” the subconscious to accomplish commands given by the conscious mind. Once a singer learns to trust the muscles to do their job, the worries about exactly how much to modify a vowel will melt away, replaced by a beautiful, healthy, and reliable sound.