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To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
From: Peter Louis van Dijk
Subject: Scratchy cords
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At present I am teaching two tenors who have the same habit of really
"pushing" when they sing.I am getting them to sing phrases on "nnn" and
then go back to the text once they feel the resonance. This approach is
proving to be quite successful and one can really hear the difference in
the sound and a lot less "effort" is being used.
In both cases, the pupils are aware of how much easier the sound is to
produce, but are also experiencing a slight scratchiness or tickle in the
vocal cords.They can still sing, but it is obviously a bit uncomfortable
until everything has settled.
Could anyone explain what is happening here? Could it be that the cords are
adjuncting in a healthier way, but are not used to having that area of
surface touching, hence the tickle?
Many thanks.

Regards
Susi
C T RSA