Dear Les and Vocalisters:
You wrote:
"I would love to know how you teach a singer to use their head voice.
Would you care to offer some vocalises, exercises, or other
suggestions?"
I do not favor giving voice lessons on the Web. I think it is too
easy for their use to be badly distorted and dangerous to the singer
because I, or another teacher, is not there to monitor progress. No
exercise can be created that cannot be done improperly without
supervision.
But, in spite of this I will suggest a few that I have found helpful
with male voices.
Onsets. Once skill is established with onsets in the middle range of
the male voice, it is possible for many men to do single onset
exercises in the range just above the beginning point of their
passaggio (first passaggio point) or just above the ending point of
their passaggio (second passaggio point). Tenor are often able to
establish onset higher than this. These onsets are not in falsetto
voice but, instead, resemble a sob or a primitive whine.
Descending Sol to Do scale beginning anywhere within the passaggio or
even above it, depending on the singer, singing "Fo, Fo, Fo, Fo, Fo"
or "Fu, Fu, Fu, Fu, Fu". The /o/ and /u/ vowels in this exercise are
"smiled" forms of the vowels, not strongly puckered forms of the
vowels, with the corners of the lips slightly pulled back as one
would say "OH" as a response to a bit of gossip from a friend but a
bit of gossip you already knew. (So difficult to explain without
showing the student). The "F" consonant should be very percussive
with a strong puff of air and lower lip action as it is released from
its position between the teeth at the beginning of the "F" consonant
preparation.
Octave glides beginning on "Ah", gliding on "ee" and returning to
"Ah" on the octave above with the high note above the passaggio range
or within the passaggio range. Reverse the vowels (beginning on
"ee", gliding on "Ah", returning to "ee" on the octave above) to
discover which vowel arrangement works best. Usually men prefer the
"ee" vowel on the high octave if they are using head voice.
Male head voice will not be strong at its beginning. It will
definitely not feel like singing in the chest voice and may not for a
few years. It will be clear and will have a ring or "ping" in its
quality albeit rather weak. It will not at all resemble the feeling
of singing in falsetto and having the singer do a falsetto well above
the passaggio on "uu-ah" is a good way to make the singer aware of
the difference of feeling between falsetto and the tone achieved with
the descending "Fu, Fu, etc." or Fo, Fo, etc." exercise.
I hope these might help.
--
Lloyd W. Hanson
|
|  |
