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So I see a lot of videos on our free and wonderful you tube for the search tem "vocal tone exercises"
But these videos do not coincides with each other and there is no clear illustration of how to "tone up".
Its is almost like one video is completely different to another video.
Is there a proper exercises out there that will help on improving singing tone?

Thanks
2CIADB

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do you refer to vocal timbre? you have a lot to play with :P

can start playing with different modes (neutral, curbing, overdrive or edge "resonances"), on different amounts of thickness on the vocal chords (from quiet to loud), and on different sound colours (making parts of the vocal tract larger or tinier) ***.

all of these 3 factors will change your timbre and all 3 of them can be changed while maintaining the others just the same so they are not dependent with each other, you can mix them as you like. for example, you can have a overdrive resonance (calling resonance) on quiet volume (thin) with a low larynx (dark sound).

 

*** also the different parts of sound colour are "mixable", so you can darken one part of the sound on the vocal tract (for ex low larynx) but brigthen other part (add twang) and it will sound like the low and medium notes from layne staley ;) 

 

this can be more complex of course than what i mentioned above, here is a bit more of detail:

also adding effects (like distortion types) on different degrees can give you even more options to play with your timbre.

also you can vary the amount of compression on the softer sounds, making it more airy, or less airy, but keep it balanced, not airy, with louder volumes so you arent sacrificing healthy technique too much in order to play with a particular sound you are searching for. in this regard is also useful to give it time, experiment and stop if it feels uncomfortable, and study the voice and different vocal techniques/methods over time, learn what's easier and more efficient and what it is not (just to say an example: it is easier to belt a thick -loud- sound while adding more compression (not airy), with an overdrive resonance, and using a bright sound -high larynx, also you can add twang-. you can vary all of this and for example do it dark, it is not the easiest and most efficient way, but this doesnt mean you CANT our shouldnt do it, if you like this sound learn how to do it efficiently and really safe first (bright) and then you can tweak it gradually towards what you like (following the example idea: doing it dark) :P 

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Vocal tone improves as you sing more and more automatically.  I personally prefer singing always to exercises.  Try to copy the original artists inflections, dynamics and weight for starters.  This will not help you develop your identity, but it will give practical insight into how exercises can help you vary your tone.   Tone like anything in music is learned through inspiration, imitation and eventually imagination.. Hope this helps.. 

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On 15/03/2017 at 1:51 AM, geran89 said:

do you refer to vocal timbre? you have a lot to play with :P

can start playing with different modes (neutral, curbing, overdrive or edge "resonances"), on different amounts of thickness on the vocal chords (from quiet to loud), and on different sound colours (making parts of the vocal tract larger or tinier) ***.

So if we are talking about vocal timbre then are there exersises for neutral, curbing, overdrive, edge and for thickness?

 

At first I had you down as a troulbe maker, someone with an axe to grind

But I guess I was wrong:blush:

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14 hours ago, 2 cats in a dust bin said:

So if we are talking about vocal timbre then are there exersises for neutral, curbing, overdrive, edge and for thickness?

 

At first I had you down as a troulbe maker, someone with an axe to grind

But I guess I was wrong:blush:

hahah thanks :P 

 

yes, in my opinion CVT is the method that most focuses on this, but as far as i know they dont teach you the resonance of their 4 modes and the different level of thickness in an isolated way -and i can see why they do it like this, it's easier to learn it this way, more intuitive- what they do instead is to teach you to do the 4 modes with a resonance and an asociated amount of thickness, and they call that a mode, and then after you learn how to alter this (more of this below).

for example and to be more clear, they 1st teach you to do the neutral mode (just imitating the sounds of the audios that come with their book) which really is neutral volume/thin sound/soft, plus neutral resonance -more hollow, round sound-. then on this same way they teach you medium volume with curbing resonance and they call it curbing. then overdrive using loud volume and overdrive -more splatty- resonance, the vowels they teach you are great for finding the resonance of each mode. so at this point you know how to do what they call the "center" of each mode (there are other guidelines for achieving this center of the mode like using the sound color that they suggest for each mode). after you know how to do the 4 modes in a centered way, THEN you learn to go to what they call "gray" areas, which is to use other sound colors that arent centered anymore for each mode (this isnt bad, it is just slightly less efficient and easy to do from the start but it is a personal artistic choice at the end), and ALSO you learn how to use things like overdrive resonance now not on loud volume -the centered way-, but instead on medium (what the call "medium overdrive") and soft volume ("overdrive-like neutral"), and the same with using curbing and edge -resonances- at softer volumes, so the options really are a lot! (remember that you can also make it dark on some parts of the vocal tract, or bright) at this point you can choose what works better for you and what you like the most :) 

 

i think CVT as a method isnt 100% complete as the name says (complete vocal technique) since no technique can be -literally- complete, maybe CVT isnt always -for anyone and any case- the best method for extending range for ex., but they certainly are one of the best methods to shape a vocal timbre on notes that you already have!

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10 hours ago, geran89 said:

yes, in my opinion CVT is the method that most focuses on this,

CVT???

 

10 hours ago, geran89 said:

for example and to be more clear, they 1st teach you to do the neutral mode (just imitating the sounds of the audios that come with their book) which really is neutral volume/thin sound/soft, plus neutral resonance -more hollow, round sound-. then on this same way they teach you medium volume with curbing resonance and they call it curbing. then overdrive using loud volume and overdrive -more splatty- resonance, the vowels they teach you are great for finding the resonance of each mode. so at this point you know how to do what they call the "center" of each mode (there are other guidelines for achieving this center of the mode like using the sound color that they suggest for each mode). after you know how to do the 4 modes in a centered way, THEN you learn to go to what they call "gray" areas, which is to use other sound colors that arent centered anymore for each mode (this isnt bad, it is just slightly less efficient and easy to do from the start but it is a personal artistic choice at the end), and ALSO you learn how to use things like overdrive resonance now not on loud volume -the centered way-, but instead on medium (what the call "medium overdrive") and soft volume ("overdrive-like neutral"), and the same with using curbing and edge -resonances- at softer volumes, so the options really are a lot! (remember that you can also make it dark on some parts of the vocal tract, or bright) at this point you can choose what works better for you and what you like the most :)

Who dose this training and where can I get a copy of it?

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1 hour ago, 2 cats in a dust bin said:

CVT???

 

Who dose this training and where can I get a copy of it?

catherine sadolin is he one that created all of that, CVT stands for "complete vocal technique", and is the name of her book and method :P 

i like this method a lot but im not a purist with methods by any means, i like to mix what has been useful for me from different methods, but this one certainly has been a HUGE influence for me!

you can get a copy of it on the webpage of catherine sadolin's institute, CVI (complete vocal institute).

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38 minutes ago, 2 cats in a dust bin said:

Is this the book you where refering to? https://completevocal.institute/product/complete-vocal-technique/

Have you bough or read it?

But 67,00 would not pay that much for it myself

exactly, thats the book. 

yeah i have it but i havent use it since a couple of years ago, i kinda know every word of the book at this point haha xd

i think it isnt too expensive for the amount of practical information it has :) 

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Well I will let you into a little secret
Someone has gone to a lot of time scanning and uploading that book to the web
A Google search of complete vocal technique PDF will find it for you ;)

Have read a little myself and will keep reading more later
But in the intro she seams to think that this singing bushiness can be mastered in several months then several years if you follow her guidelines and only work on your weakest points.:39:


When you bough the book did you get any CDs with it?
Thanks

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yes, i got a download access to like 400 audio demonstrations for the techniques of the book :P 

i know there is a pirated version in pdf but as far as i remember, thats the most outdated one, the 1st edition of the book (i downloaded it ages ago hahah), but i could be wrong about the one you obtained! -it could be a newer one-

the one that i eventually bought was like 2 editions newer than the pdf one that i found, and currently there is another version already in like 10 languages which is newer than the one that i have (cause i bought mine just months before they released the current one, like 5 years ago).

for me CVT + SS (singing success) is the way to go, since those are the programs/methods that helped me the most (of lots that i tried), by far.

on the other topic ("Why is my voice cracking?") i wont be able to comment on your audio clips cause it seems i have to pay to help you, but as far as i heard on your 1st clip, you have a flageolet split of the voice, this is a CVT term, and it is briefly explained on the CVT book. i also had this problem and it is NOT the same as having breaks into "falsetto" (which is in CVT terms "neutral with air", without the flageolet split), i recommend you to read about this and not try to fix it as it were just falsetto cause it will lead you nowhere and you will get frustrated, and people -teachers- that dont know about the flageolet split will do exactly that, they will keep trying to help you as the problem were breaking into falsetto (cause for most of them flageolet is just a darker shading of a regular falsetto instead of a whole different coordination), dont do this, it will be more ingrained on your muscle memory, avoid repeating a wrong exercise, it wont turn into "right" by repeating it wrongly.

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if you read my post you will see im not, i own the book and im suggesting 2 cats to buy it :) 

but i admit that the first glance that i gave to the CVT book was a used copy, then after that i was pretty sure i wanted to buy the book and thats what i did, and i dont regret, it is one of the best books (of anything) that i have bought.

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Please don't endorse pirating. Complete Vocal Technique is one of the few systems out there where you can learn more than you would learn from a $15 vocal exercises cd from Amazon. It's actually worth the money! Though I think you could do more with it once you get the fundamentals down. Pillars is probably the better thing for you now, if you were to buy a system.

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"Vocal Tone Exercies"... hmm... that is a VERY broad statement that could mean so many different things. It is like saying, "Physical Fitness Excercises" ... can't really put the crosshairs on exactly what context you need. 

But with little time to respond, I'll tell you that "vocal tone" has to include the understanding and practice or singing vowels and the resonance they produce. There is a LOT of elements that go into influencing your vocal tone. You have to learn what they are and pratice/train.

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"The Four Pillars of Singing" is a Vocal Exercise program. Training for strength and coordinations. CVT is an acoustic sound based program. Which "MODES" create which sounds and a guide to make them. I am not sure if they have actual coordination exercises or just examples that of the sounds produced by different modes.

   In CVT the vowels you sing and how loud or intense determine  which "MODE" you would be in.  In any given song you could use any number of different "Modes" and "sound colors".  Even one phrase would switch back and forth between different modes. It gets quite confusing analyzing songs this way.

   They may tell you HOW to sing a full sounding note above your breaking point but not give exercises to give you the strength and coordination for it.

   TVS and "FourPillars of Singing" will give you the same thing with their Acoustic mode concept. Adding, Cry, Sob, Twang, along with vowel modification is the same thing as CVT "Modes", and they give you exercises to strengthen the coordinations.

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On 20/03/2017 at 5:01 PM, MDEW said:

. CVT is an acoustic sound based program. Which "MODES" create which sounds and a guide to make them. I am not sure if they have actual coordination exercises or just examples that of the sounds produced by different modes.

I have only read a little of the book but I would agree with you

It just explains what to do not how to do it!

Its like these modern government people now that think you can learn to drive a car from reading a book written by (so-called) experts

You can not learn to sing by reading a book you have to physically sing something

And this is why I do not think this book has any value to me!!!

Glad I got the pirate version and not the 67 Euro version:P

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"And this is why I do not think this book has any value to me!!!"

that sounds a bit arrogant if you havent studied the book,

of course it has value for you (name one other vocal system/method etc, that acknowledges and fixes the flageolet split problem you have currently), but it's your choice to cut those options you have (i dont win money if CVI or sadolin win money, i just like to discuss vocal technique :P)

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It completely depends on what tone you are going for. Obviously Bruno Mars uses a very different tone compared to Pavarotti who uses a different tone than Bruce Dickinson. The three main actions that determine your tone are:

1. The amount of narrowing in the pharynx (= amount of "metal" or "thickness" in the tone)
2. The amount of narrowing in the epiglottis (= amount of "twang" or "sharpness" in the tone)
3. The position of the larynx (= amount of "darkness" or "brigthness" in the tone)

Number one is also what determines the "mode" you are singing in, from light to heavy or from Neutral to Edge in CVT terms. Number two and three are usually balanced against each other to determine the "color" of your sound. The twang also has an influence on fold closure so it should not go below a certain threshold.

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17 hours ago, 2 cats in a dust bin said:

Glad I got the pirate version and not the 67 Euro version:P

Please see : "The TMV World Guidlines". In particular, rule number 10 !


10). Any discussions about illegal downloading services and pirating protected, intellectual properties of musicians, teachers or anyone will be immediately deleted and those that created the thread will be removed from the TMV World Forum permanently.

 

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i knew that phrase sounded a bit controversial xd

buy the book, with that you give yourself a favor (excellent book, not only with good practical, vocal technique and advice, but also with the best philosophy i have seen about learning in general and learning to sing) and support the people that made it for you :) 

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7 hours ago, benny82 said:

It completely depends on what tone you are going for. Obviously Bruno Mars uses a very different tone compared to Pavarotti who uses a different tone than Bruce Dickinson. The three main actions that determine your tone are:

1. The amount of narrowing in the pharynx (= amount of "metal" or "thickness" in the tone)
2. The amount of narrowing in the epiglottis (= amount of "twang" or "sharpness" in the tone)
3. The position of the larynx (= amount of "darkness" or "brigthness" in the tone)

Number one is also what determines the "mode" you are singing in, from light to heavy or from Neutral to Edge in CVT terms. Number two and three are usually balanced against each other to determine the "color" of your sound. The twang also has an influence on fold closure so it should not go below a certain threshold.

Excellent.

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18 hours ago, 2 cats in a dust bin said:

It just explains what to do not how to do it!

Agreed.

It is not enough to just have a book that says "why" or "this is what it is"... but if you don't provide the how and demonstrations... and content ( files, scales, videos demo, etc...), that teach you how to train, then your not going to get better. 

I don't "get" why CVI and Estill offer good ideas, but then fail so miserably on what to practice and how to practice. There is this strange philosophy around, " we are only going to present information and ideas, .. but we are not going to provide for you content to train with or teach you how to apply the ideas".

I don't get that?!

In my opinion, I believe this is because... it is hard to produce content and demonstrate the techniques. It is a LOT more work and a LOT more risk to put yourself out there with workout demonstrations. To do this means they would have to create a course, and produce a whole new set of audio and video content and someone... would have to stick their neck out and actually prove it their students. That is why the content and demonstrations on how to apply the ideas is not provided. Making only a book, is a lot easier and less risk. Making a book with a course, workouts and demonstrations takes bigger balls. 

 

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robert lunte said:

"I don't "get" why CVI and Estill offer good ideas, but then fail so miserably on what to practice and how to practice. There is this strange philosophy around, " we are only going to present information and ideas, .. but we are not going to provide for you content to train with or teach you how to apply the ideas".

 

just talking about CVI (though i have had lessons with gillyanne kayes and have her book 'singing and the actor' so i would say i also know and like estill :P ), 

for CVI the philosophy is, "the responsability is on the student" they explain you how muscle memory works and how to use this in your favor, and give you the exercises, examples and explanations, and you have the responsability as a student to study, to know your voice (cause no 2 voices are the same or need the same exercises in the same way), to pick which ones of the scales they provide, you like the best and use those, etc... instead of a vocal program you use being a passive student that gives lots of responsability to the teacher, you are invested in finding out and in growing your voice cause you are the responsable of this. i think this type of methodology is better suit for people with lots of critical thinking, if you dont have this, it will be a bit difficult probably (if something goes wrong you are the one that has to figure out and learn why), but aside from this, it's a good method and it is far simpler than what people often say, it's just that you have to take full responsability of your instrument :) 

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