The singing voice is a biological marvel that is capable of creating vibrant colors that sink to the depths and soar to the sky. Many books have been written and many words have been spoken to describe how the singing voice works. With so much information floating around, there can be confusion. Have you ever been confused by the overwhelming variety of vocal terminologies or explanations? If so, then you are not alone. Since understanding how the voice works is important for the singing journey, then here is a brief basic overview that explains vocal function.
Respiration is the act of breathing that involves inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. Breathing is a natural process. When you breathe in, the vocal cords open and oxygen flows into your lungs. Oxygen supplies your body with energy for movement. The vocal cords close for a split second. Oxygen is converted into energy. The vocal cords open and you exhale carbon dioxide which is the waste product from oxygen being converted into energy.
Breathing for singing involves sound creation. When you breathe in, the vocal cords open and oxygen flows into your lungs. The diaphragm descends. The lower ribcage area and the upper abdomen expands. Oxygen supplies energy for your vocal muscles (closers and stretcher) and vocal cords to move and adjust. The vocal muscles adjust the vocal cords for the pitch, volume and vowel to be sung. Air (carbon dioxide) moves through the adjusted vocal cords and sets them in motion creating initial sound waves. The sound waves travel up into the spaces of your neck and head cavities. The initial sound waves are shaped and refined into vocal tones that travel out the mouth and to the ears of listeners. The respiration cycle continues as breathing muscles respond to the needs of the voice for renewed energy and airflow by auto-inhalation.
Breathing is a natural process. However, breathing for singing presents challenges because the natural process must be adapted to allow for sound creation. Singing involves many complex and precise movements of multiple muscle systems that must all work together. When there is malfunction or imbalance, then the singer “runs out of breath” when trying to sing. Often, “running out of breath” is treated as a breathing issue with the singer then attempting to breathe even deeper and control the flow of air by tensing the breathing muscles. However, many breathing problems actually occur due to a malfunction or imbalance within the sound source (the vocal muscles and the vocal cords). If the vocal muscles and the vocal cords are not developed and coordinated properly, then the singer “runs out of breath” for two main reasons:
“Running out of breath” is a common problem experienced by singers. However, there are other breathing issues that also need to be identified and addressed. One such issue concerns shallow constricted breathing. When the singer breathes into the upper chest area with shoulders raised, then the breath inhaled is shallow and the singer experiences tension in the upper body and neck - much like one might feel when stressed out, exhausted, or anxious. This clavicular breathing results in less oxygen for energy and less air for airflow. To correct this situation, the singer can focus on diaphragmatic breathing exercises to encourage a deeper breath, with no excess tension, resulting in more oxygen for energy and more air for airflow. Diaphragmatic Breathing is felt as the diaphragm descends and there is expansion in the lower ribcage area and upper abdomen (without any raising of the shoulders and upper chest area).
Breathing problems also appear when too much air is inhaled - basically the singer stuffs themselves with air. When there is too much air inhaled for the exercise or song phrase to be sung, then not enough air (carbon dioxide) is released when singing. The singer breathes in again - fresh oxygen is piled on top of unreleased carbon dioxide - and the singer will experience a buildup of tension and pressure in the upper chest area that can only be resolved by exhaling all the excess air before the respiration process can reset itself. Oddly, this experience is often interpreted by the singer as “running out of breath” and they might scramble to try to take in even more air thus making the situation worse. In reality, there is too much air left over after singing. Basically, carbon dioxide is not fully expelled - and the body wants to get rid of this carbon dioxide. So, this issue is about the need for adequate exhalation so the body can replenish its oxygen for energy - and then adequate inhalation (neither too little nor too much) so that energy and airflow matches up with the needs of the exercise or phrase to be sung. Before exploring a couple of solutions, let’s identify two final common breathing problems.
Whether inhalation of air is too little or too much, singers often try to hold air back or push air out. When air is held back in an attempt to control the flow, there is unnecessary tension in the breathing muscles with energy being wasted as it is diverted from the sound source, the throat responds by constricting, and the airflow tends to be unsteady because precise calculations of airflow are not consciously known. When air is pushed out in an attempt to get the vocal cords moving or “hit” the notes, then pressed airflow either jams up the vocal cords and inhibits movement (like blowing too hard through a straw) or the pressed airflow blows the vocal cords open with force that leads to hoarseness, breathiness, fatigue, and possible vocal damage.
Okay - how does a singer breathe in just enough air needed for singing as well refrain from either holding or pushing air? Two basic solutions are Rhythmic Breathing and Onset Exercises:
As the singer works on registration (developing and coordinating vocal muscles and vocal cords) plus uses rhythmic breathing and onset exercises, then moving air and moving muscles will sync up. An amazing benefit from working on this balancing process is that the body will also figure out just how much air is needed to get all this done - whether singing an exercise or a long song phrase. The properly adjusted vocal muscles and vocal cords will automatically signal the breathing muscles when energy and airflow is needed to continue singing, and the correct amount of oxygen will be inhaled - neither too little nor too much. Over time, the singer feels in-tune with their body and learns how to participate with the process - a combo of natural physical instinct and educated mental control that encourages free functioning healthy vocal movement that then enables one to make conscious choices for style and artistic expression.
Breathing for singing has often been described using certain terminology. To further understand the role of breathing in singing, here are important definitions to keep in mind as you learn:
Registration is the process of sound creation at the sound source with the vocal muscles working together to rotate between heavy and light sounds and adjust the vocal cords for pitch, volume, and vowel. Muscles that adjust the vocal cords are called - arytenoids and cricothyroid. A simple explanation: The Arytenoids close the vocal cords providing power, relieving throat constriction, and regulating volume. The Cricothyroid stretches the vocal cords providing pitch regulation. The arytenoids and cricothyroid create two different sound textures called Registers:
The Chest Register and the Falsetto Register have an area of overlap from B3-E4 that can be sung in either register. When undeveloped and lacking coordination, the two registers within this area of overlap exhibit a “break” as the singer moves from one extreme to the other. The break is felt by the singer when the voice yodels or cracks. The break is often experienced by male singers when they attempt to move into the upper part of their range. The break is often experienced by female singers when they attempt to move into the middle part of their range. The solution to the “break” is discovered as the singer focuses attention on registration work.
The two registers can be developed and coordinated to create the Full Voice which gives the singer the feel of three areas: chest voice, middle voice, and head voice. An analogy of your voice as a vocal home might be helpful. The chest voice is like the basement. The middle voice is like the first floor. The head voice is like the second floor. The two registers (or muscle systems) also develop and coordinate to adjust the vocal cords to vibrate slower with more thickness for low notes and faster with less thickness for high notes. As the vocal cords adjust accurately for pitch, volume, and vowel, then the singer gets the feel of a pitch “staircase” within the vocal home that moves stepwise through the range, connecting the three areas smoothly. The solution to the “break” then is this process where the registers are developed and coordinated and create micro-adjustments of the vocal cords so that each and every pitch has a specific length, width, and depth of vocal cord vibration. Let us explore the three vocal areas:
As part of the registration process, it is important to develop the falsetto register from a weak breathy sound to a strong vibrant sound that will play a vital role in creating the full voice (chest voice, middle voice, and head voice). When the falsetto is developed to have a steely intensity, it is called Pharyngeal Falsetto - active from F4-D5 in all voices. The pharyngeal falsetto is found within the middle of the vocal range for female voices and the top of the vocal range for male voices. The procedure for development is to sing short scales within the falsetto range (B3-B4) using a reduced volume on [oo] or [ee] vowels with increased energy towards the top. At first, the falsetto might be weak, breathy, and inflexible. Continue exercising the falsetto using [oo] and [ee], progress to [ay] and [oh] and finally to [ah]. The falsetto will become clear and singable with a feel of flexible lightness on the surface (rather than a feel of firm thickness with depth). From that small light clear falsetto feel, gradually sing single pitches on a [1-1-1] scale from F4-D5 on [ae] as in "angry" and [eh] as in "pet" using reduced volume. Next, sing an exercise that employs half steps (F4-F#4-G4-F#4-F4) until you reach the top (D5). You can use [ae] and [eh] or even [yam]. The falsetto will take on a bright "snarly" steely intensity. Explore this sound by being careful to stay light and on the surface. Over time, slowly add tiny amounts of volume and move from [ae] and [eh] to all other vowels while maintaining the bright snarly steel feel. The pharyngeal falsetto will develop and form the strong flexible core of both the female middle voice and the male head voice as chest and falsetto registers coordinate. Pharyngeal falsetto can be integrated into the full voice or used on its own for artistic expression. For example, listen to the Bee Gees singing “Stayin’ Alive” and notice how the pharyngeal falsetto is active.
The larynx should be free to move in many directions. When the larynx is locked into a too high position, then there is throat constriction. When the larynx is locked into a too low position, then there is rigidity. Whether too high or too low, the vocal muscles and vocal cords cannot adjust freely. Laryngeal Suspension can be achieved by working on registrational balance with the two muscles (closers and stretcher) developed and coordinated so that vocal cord adjustments for pitch, volume, and vowel are accurate. The stretcher muscle (falsetto register) is associated with the elevator muscles that pull the larynx up (especially during the act of swallowing). The closer muscles (chest register) are associated with the depressor muscles that lower the larynx. The stretcher muscle must do the job of thinning the cords and regulating pitch, which engages the elevators. At the same time, the closer muscles must brace against the activity of the stretcher muscle, and do the job of closing the cords, which engages the depressors. When this muscular antagonism is balanced, then the larynx becomes “suspended” with the throat being non-constricted and flexible - able to move for registration adjustments and resonance tuning.
Register Rotation (also known as register shifting) refers to the process of the closer muscles and stretcher muscle working together for a shared dynamic muscular balance so that the vocal cords can be accurately adjusted for pitch, volume, and vowel. The feeling as this occurs will be one of a “rotation” movement from heavy to light, big to small, and low to high (or vice versa) with a smooth elastic connection. Of course, this means that work has been done to develop and coordinate the vocal muscles to adjust the vocal cords with the full voice emerging.
A helpful image for understanding: imagine a rubber band being stretched. Hold the front of the rubber band with two fingers acting like the stretcher muscle. Hold the back of the rubber band with two fingers acting like the closer muscles. The rubber band is like the vocal cords. As the rubber band is stretched, then it becomes thin. As you stretch the rubber band from the front, there is a closing and holding action at the back of the rubber band. Now, take your two fingers from the back of the rubber band and move them gradually more and more towards the front while stretching the rubber band. The opening of the rubber band between your front and back fingers is like the opening between the vocal cords with less and less opening as the pitch goes up (due to the activity of the closer muscles) as well as increasing healthy tension as the vocal cords continue to be stretched (due to the activity of the stretcher muscle). The entire process of the rubber band being stretched and the opening gradually being shortened is an image of what happens when you move up the vocal range with a smooth elastic connection from one pitch to another pitch and from one vocal area to another vocal area (chest voice to middle voice to head voice). This analogy illustrates a balanced register rotation for adjustment of the vocal cords. Note: If at any point you were to let go of the back of the rubber band, then this is like the vocal break - a disconnection from the full voice felt as a yodel or crack into falsetto.
A vocal exercise for exploring register rotation and smooth elastic connection is the Vocal Slide. The vocal slide can use humming, lip trills, tongue trills, and various vowels. To get the feel of register rotation, it is helpful to slide over a wider range of pitches - so, one octave or two octave slides are recommended. The vocal slide can start low and slide higher, start high and slide lower, or start low and slide up and back down. One example: slowly slide up the scale from the chest voice area to the middle voice area over the range of one octave and sustain the top note briefly. Maintain connection as you slide up (without accenting individual pitches). Feel the sensation of “rolling” or “rotating” from heavy to light, big to small, and down to up. This feeling of register rotation as you move from chest voice to middle voice with smooth elastic connection indicates that the vocal muscles are learning to balance, and adjust the vocal cords accurately.
As vocal function improves, then you will be more and more free to move in your full voice. You will be able to travel from pitch to pitch and from area to area with coordination and connection.
Passaggio literally means “passage” and refers to the feel of transitions from one vocal area to another - chest voice to middle voice and middle voice to head voice. Of course, this would mean that the initial challenge of the vocal break has been worked out through the principles of registration so that the chest register and the falsetto register are now somewhat developed and coordinating at a more advanced level. Passaggio is often described as a feel of a “lift” or a “lightening up” of the tone at certain notes when moving up in the vocal range - which would indicate that the vocal cords have had to make a bit of an extra adjustment at those transition notes. Since the feeling of the passaggio is related to vocal cord adjustments, then the focus of study should remain on registration work to develop and coordinate the vocal muscles so that adjustments of the vocal cords increase in accuracy. When the vocal cords are adjusted with a specific length, width, and depth vibrating for every pitch, then there is no need to worry about specific transition notes. That said, feelings and sensations do give the singer valuable information as to how the voice is functioning. Vocal function can be improved through vocal exercises using pitch, volume, vowel, and rhythm. There will be new healthier feelings and sensations that emerge as a result. Bottom line: do not stress too much about the passaggio or specific transition notes. Allow sensations to inform you, and then continue the registration work.
Vocal Placement can be confusing, especially for beginners. Trying to “put the sound here” or “place the sound there” tends to focus on controlling specific sensations and neglects the reality of vocal function. While descriptions of feelings or sensations can be helpful, there must first be a focus on vocal function involving airflow, vocal muscles, vocal cords, and vowel clarity. As vocal function improves through prescriptive exercises that reflexively stimulate, develop, and coordinate a variety of muscle systems, then sensations will emerge and be felt by the singer with greater sensitivity over time. The singer gains a Kinesthetic Awareness - like a sixth sense that allows for fluid precise movements and a special kind of control over those movements. As a result, sensations like “down and in front” or “dark and mellow” will be related to the reality of what is actually happening physically. The singer will then truly understand descriptions of feelings and sensations with the ability to move freely - whether “here” or “there” - due to the conscious mind being educated by what the body and subconscious mind have discovered through doing the good functional work. Bottom line: rather than focusing on placement, work on developing and coordinating muscle systems. Over time, your voice will naturally “place” itself where it needs to be - you will learn to participate with your voice and move with freedom.
Singing text requires a combination of accurate pitch adjustments, clear vowels, appropriate volume, and rhythmic motion. With a functional registration, the voice becomes more and more capable of expressing emotion that brings songs to life. The vocal muscles and vocal cords can be developed and coordinated using vocal exercises that stimulate and build up these muscle systems - using pitch, volume, vowel, and rhythm to cause various adjustments so the singer can navigate throughout the range with freedom to create different types of colors and sounds.
PITCH → The stretcher muscle (cricothyroid) regulates pitch by stretching and thinning the vocal cords - with assistance from the closer muscles (arytenoids) to close, brace, and seal up the space between the vocal cords - so that as the pitch rises there is less mass vibrating. When all is functioning freely, then there is a specific length, width, and depth of vocal cords vibrating for every pitch sung. However, oftentimes a singer will need help singing on pitch. Help comes in the form of carefully crafted vocal exercises. Vocal exercises employ a variety of pitches to construct scales to develop and coordinate the vocal muscles so vocal cord adjustments for pitch become more and more accurate. Accurate vocal cord adjustments for pitch allows the singer to sing in tune no matter where they are in their vocal range. Here are a few examples of vocal exercises that use different pitch selections for a variety of purposes:
Of course, there are many more vocal exercises that can assist the singer in the process of learning how to sing on pitch - and this learning is vital because good pitch means good singing.
VOLUME → The closer muscles (arytenoids) regulate volume through closure of the vocal cords. More closure means more volume. More volume emphasizes chest register activity with bigger vocal cords vibrating, heavier tone, and firm power. Less closure means less volume. Less volume emphasizes falsetto register activity with smaller vocal cords vibrating, lighter tone, and flexible agility. Vocal exercises can vary the volume levels to improve vocal function:
To further experience the interaction between volume and vocal function, you can try the well-known advanced vocal exercise called Messa di Voce. Sing this exercise on a single pitch and a vowel that feels comfortable - start soft, slowly increase to loud, gradually decrease back to soft. This exercise helps the closer muscles be more and less active without disturbing the regulation of pitch by the stretcher muscle. Whether you are singing beginning or advanced vocal exercises, varying the volume is an essential tool for register development and coordination, register rotation and balancing, and correction of various registration imbalances.
VOWEL → Vowels are created through registration adjustments (initial vowel formation) and resonance tuning (recognizable vowel shape). Vowels are associated with the registration in two basic ways. First, open vowels have more chest register activity and closed vowels have more falsetto register activity. Second, vocal cord adjustments create the feel of pitch steps on which the vowel stands. Vowels need to be a certain size and shape for each pitch step. Vowels that are too big or too small for the pitch steps negatively affect vocal cord adjustments with either too much heaviness or excessive tension. Now, it is important to understand that in a functioning registration, as one moves up the range, there is register rotation (heavy to light) and vocal cord adjustments (big to small). Registration and resonance sync up as the vowels change from open to closed (helps register rotation) and the vowel is sized down (helps vocal cord adjustments). The process of vowels moving from open to closed and being sized down is called Vowel Modification. Vowel changes often appear automatically in response to the registration adjustments, but vowel modifications can be encouraged through vocal exercises:
Vocal exercises can also be constructed to increase chest register activity anywhere in the range using more open vowels or increase falsetto register activity anywhere in the range using more closed vowels. For example, sing [ah] in the head voice to encourage firmness and sing [oo] in the chest voice to encourage flexibility. In this way, register coordination and balance can be adjusted with the help of different vowels. Vocal exercises use vowels to assist register rotation, vocal cord adjustments, and tweak register coordination and balance as needed.
RHYTHM → Vocal exercises are always sung in a rhythmic motion. A variety of rhythms can be explored to help build muscle mass, release excess tension, and assist with registrational adjustments. Rhythm can utilize steady beats to emphasize connection or syncopated variations to emphasize letting go. Rhythm can be slow for firmness or fast for flexibility. When the singer responds freely to the rhythm of the vocal exercise, incorporating Rhythmic Breathing as well, then the rhythmic motion will encourage spontaneous muscular movements. Spontaneous muscular movements help bypass any problematic mental and physical habit patterns. As less-functional habits are bypassed, then more-functional muscular movements appear. As new muscular movements appear, then there will be new sensations that inform the mind and body. Over time, the mind and body will commit the feel of free and healthy vocal function to memory.
VOCAL WORKOUTS → Vocal exercises do not use elements in isolation but combine pitch, volume, vowel, and rhythm for maximum effect. Combinations of different pitches, different volumes, different vowels, and different rhythmic motions will stimulate interconnected muscle systems for the purposes of development and coordination so that respiration, registration, and resonance learn how to work together as one. Vocal exercises comprise the core of vocal workouts. Vocal workouts focused on vocal freedom and health will reveal your natural voice.
Registrational Setups
Registration can be set up in diverse ways to meet the demands of the singer’s temperament, various musical styles, and artistic expression. The three main types of registrational setup are:
Resonance literally means a “resounding” of the tone. Breath is inhaled which supplies energy and airflow. The vocal muscles adjust the vocal cords for pitch, volume, and vowel. The vocal cords are set in motion using the supplied energy and airflow. Initial sound waves are created. The sound waves travel up into the spaces of the neck and head which further shape and refine the sound waves into recognizable vowels. When these spaces vibrate in tune with the sound waves created at the sound source, then there is a resounding of the tone that appears which is called Resonance. Vowels are shaped - colors are created - vocal tone is reinforced - and there is an amplified projection. Resonance is like an adjustable microphone that plugs into the sound source (registration) which in turn is plugged into the energy source (respiration). All three of these foundational elements work together to create and transform sound waves into singing.
Registration and Resonance are interconnected. Registration work sets up register rotation plus adjustment of the vocal cords for pitch, volume, and vowel. Resonance happens as the spaces of the neck and head shape vowels to vibrate in tune with healthy registrational adjustments.
Resonance and registration work together through vowel selection: open vowels like [ah] engage the chest register whereas closed vowels like [oo] engage the falsetto register. Vowel tuning or shaping can be explored using exercises that move from one vowel to another. For example: an exercise sung on a single pitch moving through all the vowels [ee-ay-ah-oh-oo] can help you feel differences in shapes, the shifting of register activity as you move from closed to open to closed vowels, as well as how the vowels can connect with one another smoothly.
Resonance and registration work together through vocal cord closure and tonal colors: more vocal cord closer creates a bright and piercing tonal color whereas less vocal cord closure creates a dark and mellow tonal color. When you sing a vowel and emphasize the feeling of a bright and piercing tonal color, there is more chest register activity. When you sing a vowel and emphasize the feeling of a dark and mellow tonal color, there is less chest register activity. Basically, the singer feels that they can shift the resonance “forward” for brightness or shift the resonance “back” for darkness - this movement indicates freedom to adjust vocal cord closure.
Resonance also refers to the "resonance adjustment" as you sing a vowel and move from one area to another (chest voice to middle voice to head voice or full voice to falsetto). The question that needs to be asked: Is the throat constricted (inhibiting resonation of vowel tone) or not constricted (allowing resonation of vowel tone)? The healthy procedure is to first set up the conditions for an “open” or non-constricted throat by working on the registration (vocal muscles adjusting vocal cords plus register rotation and balance). Then, the singer can assist the resonance adjustment to be "open-throated" with a recognizable vowel quality over the entire range by doing octave leaps from one area to another. Explore singing [1-8-1] scales. Feel the register rotation and pitch step adjustments (heavier/lighter, bigger/smaller, down/up) as you sing the vowel. Feel the vowel shape change (open/closed) while maintaining its basic structure without distortion. Octave leap exercises help set up an Open-Throated Resonance Adjustment where vowels are shaped without excess tension or throat constriction so that you can navigate throughout your entire vocal range with freedom as your registration and resonance sync up.
Vocal Projection concerns the clarity and carrying power of the voice when singing. Vocal projection naturally happens as a result of healthy vocal function. What is the basic process of healthy vocal function? When you breathe in using diaphragmatic breathing, then your voice is supported through a supply of energy and airflow. Your vocal muscles use energy to adjust the vocal cords for pitch, volume, and vowel. Air flows through the vocal cords and sets them in motion. Breathing muscles automatically brace for a balance between breath pressure (your energy source) and vibrating vocal cords (your sound source that controls the flow of air). Vocal cords create sound waves that travel into the spaces of your neck and head. Sound waves are shaped into vowels - and here is where the “projection” magic happens. As the shaped vowels match up with vocal cord adjustments, then there is an automatic reinforcement of the vocal tone which creates an amplification called vocal projection. When all is working well, your vocal tone becomes naturally louder, more colorful, and clear (free of “noise” or static). You will not need to push or shout or even attempt to “project” your voice - because your voice will “project” itself as vocal muscles and vocal cords get stronger, coordinate, and sync up with various vowel shapes as resonated in the spaces of your neck and head. Vocal exercises can help you by stimulating muscle movement, building muscle mass, and forming muscle memory. You will learn how to participate with your voice as you work on the foundations of singing. As a result, your vocal tone will naturally be amplified and you will experience automatic vocal projection.
One of the more common challenges to healthy resonation of vowels and tonal colors is when the singer is unable to adjust or move around. The resonance feels like it gets frozen or stuck in a particular “place” which indicates that the registration is malfunctioning and out of balance.
Example: if the singer is experiencing excessive nasality when singing - a feeling of being stuck in the nose - then that means the larynx is too high, the throat is constricted, and the soft palate is too low. However, if the registrational adjustments are corrected, then the larynx stabilizes, the throat opens, and the soft palate lifts in response. The singer will feel the resonance become free from excessive nasality. Once the registration issue is addressed, then try this exercise to explore freedom of resonance movement: sing the nasal NG sound and feel the vibrations in your nasal area - then move to [ah] and feel the lift of the soft palate with space for the vowel. The resonance will shift from the nasal area a bit back and up as the vowel is lifted and shaped.
Example: if the singer attempts to maintain a feeling of very forward bright low resonance with overly aggressive chest register activity as the pitch ascends, then that means the registers and vocal cords are not allowed to shift and adjust. The singer will feel stuck in the “basement” of their vocal home and must use excessive volume to push the pitch higher which leads to vocal damage. In a healthier registration balance, changing sensations will be felt as the pitch rises:
As one can see, there are many registration and resonance sensations that can be explored so that the voice is physically free to move and create different sounds useful for artistic expression. Of course, if one gets frozen or stuck in a particular “place” or feel, then free and healthy movement is inhibited which limits the singer’s ability to communicate emotion through a song text. One can get unstuck by working on registration (development and coordination of vocal muscles and vocal cords) and resonance (shaping vowels and emphasizing different tonal colors) so that registration and resonance sync up to energize and give life to your vocal tone.
Resonance for singing has often been described using certain terminology. To further understand the role of resonance, here are important definitions to keep in mind as you learn:
The foundations of singing are Respiration, Registration, and Resonance. All three foundational elements work together to transform sound waves into singing. That said, understanding other elements that are essential to singing can enhance both vocal function and artistic expression:
Are you a beginner looking to explore your voice or are you a seasoned singer looking for a tune-up? Do you sing in a rock band or do you sing in the car? Would you rather belt musical theater tunes or balance your tone with others in a community choir? Whatever your skill level or functional needs or artistic goals, vocal training can help guide you on the singing journey.
A holistic understanding of how the voice works is necessary for freedom and health as you travel on the singing journey. On this journey, understanding begins with mental concepts. Concepts become real for you as you take vocal action. Action leads to a vocal mind-body awareness. Awareness allows you to have a special kind of vocal control with your conscious mind knowing how to participate with your organic vocal instrument to create and transform sound into singing. Of course, this singing journey can be challenging, especially if you are journeying alone. Seek out a voice teacher or a vocal coach to help guide you along the way.
What might you expect from vocal training? Well, there are many forms that vocal training may take - and all are valid as long as you are empowered to experience vocal freedom and health. Here is a general outline of one possible form of functional evidence-based vocal training:
The singing voice is truly a biological marvel capable of transforming energy and airflow into sound waves that are shaped to express the emotional highs and lows of life through song. Understanding basic vocal function focused on the foundations of singing is vital for the journey:
These foundations of singing will give you a roadmap for the singing journey. As you follow the roadmap, then you will experience ups and downs with much learning and fun all along the way. Enjoy your journey towards greater vocal freedom and health. Explore singing the styles of music you love. Celebrate your vocal awakening. Sing with all your mind, heart, body, and soul.
Vocal training can be done through in-person or online voice lessons with guidance from a voice teacher or a vocal coach. The VoiceLessons.com App is a unique online platform that solves the sound delay issue so that online singing lessons are almost identical to in-person lessons. At VoiceLessons.com, you will be empowered to express yourself. So, take the next step on your singing journey, and sign up for either group lessons or individualized instruction.
The information presented in this brief overview covers the basics of vocal function. Descriptions offer a helpful generalized roadmap. Of course, there are individual variations from person to person. Feel free to investigate your unique voice and experience what works for you!
If you are interested in knowing more about Vocal Function and Vocal Technique, then study the following works of Cornelius L. Reid: Essays on the Nature of Singing, Bel Canto: Principles and Practices, The Free Voice: A Guide to Natural Singing, and Voice: Psyche and Soma.