There are many approaches to teaching singing and all have their place and are valuable in the right context as long as their use is thought through and justified.
Imagery is one and can be a valuable tool for stimulating the imagination and discovering different vocal colours. This is fine as long as there are no real vocal problems and, generally, if enough ideas are thrown out, one of them might induce the right response. This is more useful in a one-to-one situation as it is difficult to monitor all of the responses in a group situation - each individual of which is likely to be different.
Another is to work entirely technically, concentrating on the 'nuts and bolts' of the voice - this is very useful and some people respond to the clinical approach, but it must be well understood and there are still some areas that are frequently misunderstood.
Singing is an emotional and physical activity and so it makes sense to take all of these areas into consideration, but above all it is important that the basic mechanics are understood by the teacher.
The three areas that need to be considered are phonation or creating the sound, the breathing mechanism and articulation of the voice - shaping the sound into recognisable words.
The act of creating a sound or phonation centres in the larynx.
The larynx sits on top of the trachea / windpipe and serves as a source of sound vibration and passageway for respiration. It can move up and down - clearing the throat and swallowing causes the larynx to rise, yawning causes it to lower. (Try this with your fingers gently placed there)
A raised larynx (as in pop singers or young singers straining to get a note lift up the larynx unconciously) can be injurous to the folds and restricts the pharynx, diminishing quality and quantity.
A depressed larynx causes a throaty sound and blurs the diction. The human vocal folds, which lie within the larynx, are small in size when compared to the rest of the body, yet are capable of producing a tremendous amount of sound.
These 'sound generators' are facinating organs but still not
completely understood. As they alternately close and open from breath pressure they generate
energy in the form of complex sound waves. The effect can be seen when blowing between two pieces
of paper hung vertically in parallel
They are pyramidal in cross section and are capable of rapid changes of thickness, length and tension.
When they are brought together for phonation, the pressure of the air forces the folds apart;
almost immediately the mechanical properties of the folds and the air passing between them draws
the folds together. The opening between the folds when at rest for quiet breathing is the glottis. Bringing the
folds together at the beginning of phonation is called the 'stroke of the glottis' while locking
the folds together before producing a sound with a force of air is called 'shock of the glottis'
(Glottal stop) which is not a desirable technique. (experiment with caution)
It should be understood that singing is actually a psychomotor skill which requires much
coordination, not something that everyone does naturally. For some this combination of complex
coordination of muscles, cartilages, tissue, breath, perception and memory to mention but a few,
align without much conscious effort, but any break-down in one of these areas results in the
so-called 'tone-deaf' student. With patience and perseverence it is possible to learn this at
any stage.
breath coordination - the flow of a pressurised column of air
Pitch perception - recognition of pitches initially same/different and matching on an
instrument and language development of high low.
Good speaking habits can be a first step and were once emphasised in schools through
choral speech and poetry. The lack of emphasis has all but destroyed links to singing and the
quality and projection of the voice and use of amplification has made it almost obsolete.
A clear, supported speaking voice is the basis for good singing - breathy or husky voices have
problems creating a clear tone and speaking too low (macho image) inhibits the development of
the singing voice, particularly the upper registers.
Before pupils can be taught to manage the breath for singing, they must be taught the
proper motion of breathing (inhalation-exhalation). At a very early age, children tend to
invert the breathing motion - inhaling by lifting the upper chest with a corresponding lowering
of the chest on exhalation. This clavicular breathing is too shallow for singing purposes, but
often used by an athlete who has to replenish the breath very quickly. When students are
directed to take a big breath their natural tendency is to lift the shoulders (clavicles) and
inhale. For this reason the term breathe in (which can also be perceived as pulling in to
get into a pair of tight jeans) or take a big breath should be replaced by 'allow yourself to
fill with breath' or 'let the breath in'.
Familiar misleading phrases such as "support from the diaphragm", "sing from the diaphragm",
"control the breath by holding the diaphragm firmly in one position", "pull in on the diaphragm
to give 'support' for the high notes", "push out on the abdominal wall in order to keep the
diaphragm low","push down on the diaphragm for high notes and push it up for low notes",
"drop the chest to avoid high breathing", "hold the breath on long phrases in order to save it",
"squeeze the buttocks for high notes " do not have any basis in physical fact.
It is the intake of breath that is crucial to breath management. It must be silent, signifying
no tension in the vocal folds and the lungs must not be crowded, causing tension in the upper
torso or abdominal muscles and the student should not be aware of expelling high levels of breath, attempting
to "use the diaphragm as a driving piston for the larynx". There are no magic buttons,
only the setting up and reinforcing of good habits.
Inhalation: The diaphragm descends (contracts) and the lower ribs expand outward with a
corresponding enlargement of the body around the waistline.
Exhalation: The diaphragm ascends (relaxes) and the lower ribs contract inward, with a
corresponding contraction of the body around the waistline.
This is purely a matter of acoustics. Each vowel has its own complicated combination
of formant frequencies and overtones which are determined by the length of the
vocal tract (larynx and lip position), and the positions of the jaw, tongue,and
soft palate and the expansion and contraction of the pharynx. This sounds more
complicated than it is as we have all learnt from a very young age how to coordinate
all these aspects in speech. It is, however necessary to have a positive awareness
of what we do naturally in speech, as there is a tendency to over-modify these
aspects and over-articulate in singing.
feed food Equivalent to French closed vowel in été forge head hot had father
One of the worst things about singing in English is Diphthongs these are combinations of
vowels - au (house) oi (toy) ai (light) ei (late)
Consonants are produced using the tongue, lips and teeth in various combinations.
Many are very closely related and can be clasified by the position of the tongue.
The jaw must be kept loose and should not take part in forming the consonants.
Consonants are either voiced or unvoiced - several come in pairs, such as p-b t-d c-g s-z f-v
and combinations ch-j th-thz sh-zh. Then there are the nasals n, m, ng.
These are just a few examples and it is useful to experiment with the action of the tongue
and lips on the consonants if any other languages are to be sung. Some knowledge of phonetics and the
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) can also be valuable.
Introduction, Technical Aspects,
Practical Ideas, Vocal Ranges,
The Healthy Voice, Bibliography,
Front Page. ©Anita Morrison Updated May 2006
When the inner portions of the folds vibrate, the upper voice (or head voice) is produced.
As the pitch is lowered and the folds shorten, they become thicker and
the vibrations are made by a greater mass of the fold.
When the full thickness of the vocal folds is set into vibration, the
lower voice Vocal coordination can be broken down into two areas,
phonatory adjustment - the vibration of the vocal folds. These respond involuntarily to
the mental perception of pitch.
It is necessary to discover or learn how to balance the tension of the vocal folds with
the flow of energised air column. This is the most basic requirement for singing.
Breathing
The lungs are the primary organs of respiration and depend on the surrounding muscles for
their expansion and contraction during the breathing cycle.
The rib cage protects the lungs from puncture. They are attached to the spine,
the lower end of which is fused to the pelvis. They extend from the spine in a semicircular
shape. Upper ribs connected to the breastbone or sternum. (Feel from back to front)
The diaphragm is the major muscle of inhalation. It has a double dome shape (the right being
slightly higher than the left) and serves to separate the thoracic cavity from the abdominal
cavity. It is attached to the lumbar vertibrae and the costal (rib) margin and the lower end
of the sternum.
The diaphragm is below the level of proprioperceptive responses and can be neither
felt nor locally controlled. This is one of the main misconceptions of many trainers of
choirs and even some singing teachers.
What actually happens during the breath cycle?
Vowel production
Tongue position with neutral lips
Tongue position with rounded lips
Always sing mainly on first half and tuck the second half at the end.
Consonant production
Labial - p / b /m (formed on the lips)
Dental - voiced & unvoiced th (formed by the tongue between the teeth)
Alveolar - n / l / r / z / s / d / t (formed by the tongue's position on the top ridge between the teeth and gum)
Palatal - (nasal) - onion / y
Labiodental - v / f (lips and teeth)
Velar - k / g / ng (centre of the tongue lifting to touch the roof of the mouth)
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