| To: <vocalist> Subject: Re: teachers: your technique, in a nutshell Date sent: Tue, 8 Feb 2000 15:55:02 -0800 Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Alright, here it is, in a nutshell:
The usual steps in Speech Level Singing are:
1. Release: introduce the student to all the registers and sensations of the voice (speaking, singing in chest, mix, head, breathy voice, strained voice, and anything you can think of), and explain in simple terms what is happening inside the throat in each of those cases. Correct vs. incorrect. 2. Connect: apply scales to help full vocal cord closure, relaxed larynx, and enable the smooth transitions of each passaggi. Treat breathy voices with a little "cry" or slightly raised larynx in order to get the cords to close, and strained voices with a little "hootyness" or slightly lowered larynx in order to keep the larynx from rising and allowing the vocal cords to make the necessary adjustments at each passaggio. Let go of cry or hootyness as soon as bridges start holding. Make sure the student is singing correctly in the appropriated register at all times, and make student aware of all the associated sensations. 3. Strengthen: scales which target the bridge notes, first staccato and then sustained, train the mix areas. Focus on getting the larynx to stay relaxed and the vocal cords closed through the passaggi. Train on vowels, first closed ones and then how to transform a closed one into the closest open vowel to achieve correct placement. Find vibrato on sustained notes (usually it comes all by itself if the student is singing correctly). Train student on actual songs to watch his/her vowel pronunciation in order to keep all the transitions between registers smooth. This is where the student learns how to apply the knowledge he/she gained by singing scales to actual songs. Make aware of sensations. 4. Tone: Fine-tuning the mix, increase the volume of the voice slowly, making sure that the student's voice well-balanced throughout, not too light and not too heavy. Find the "home base" sound. Keep working on songs. Still the sensations... 5. Style: adjusting the quality of the mix to the style of music the student wants to sing. Modern styles usually come with a harder mix, classical styles or similar with a softer mix, but never out of balance. By now the student should know well how his/her voice works and be able to self-diagnose and self-correct mistakes to a certain extent. Then it's time for coaching style, phrasing, repertoire, acting, etc., which can be continued with the same teacher if the teacher is specialized in the style the student wants, or with someone else with a similar technical background but a different area of specialization.
Absolute beginners usually reach step five after more or less a year of continuous study, depending on the abilities and dedication of the student, but that's just an observation, not a rule.
Of course each student comes in with a different level of ability and with different goals. The steps are adjusted, or skipped, or lenghtened as needed, each student needs a different approach, but we try to stay away from blurry imagery and prefer to use customized scales and sounds which target the problem areas. Personally I'll ask a lot more from a professional vocalist (or someone who wants to become professional) than from a student who simply wants to sing for friends and family. The students set the desired pace (I'll always give my opinion).
Nutshell enough? The "big" shell is in the Vocalist archives (SLS: Definitions and Differences).
Best!! ;o)
Rocio Guitard Speech Level Singing Instructor
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