About whistle notes.

[Dustpan]

I’m a male and I’m 17 (it is relevant but not really) and I was singing in the fifth octave, I can hit about an F#5 but after that I have to really try to hit the notes. At one point I thought I wonder how high I can go  so I just started ascending until my notes were basically inaudible at G5. Until out of nowhere I hit a C6. Then later I managed to go up to G6. What the heck happened. Should I try to go lower/higher? Or this just a freak anomaly?

[MDEW]

Nordic.....If you are doing pointless exercises....then they are pointless. Most exercises, although mundane and repetitive are not pointless. The benefit comes from knowing what the point is to the exercise.

[MDEW]

They are lip trills. The point is to use just enough air and air pressure to keep the sound going. A balance between air flow, air pressure and cord closure.  Too much or too little and the trill will not continue or you will lose vocal fold closure and slip into falsetto. If your teacher could not tell you that, then yes it is time for a new teacher because he/she does not know the point either.

[MDEW]

Some teachers may not tell you why they have you do an exercise. There are people who do not want to know or feel that knowing why things work the way they do  will mess up the "Artistry" in singing.

 Some of the exercises are just to build MUSCLE MEMORY. You hear a pitch and instinctively can hit it because you "Sang" it so many times the voice knows what to do. I personally think that you get more out of an exercise when you know what you are working and why you are working it.  There is no point in exercising your biceps when training for a leg race.......except that overall fitness helps and your arms will look better when you are raising your hands in victory.

[MDEW]

31 minutes ago, Nordic Being said:

Hello MDEW

I have spent many many hours over days over weeks over months doing sirens on lip trials and despite what I have been told in person by old teachers; I still can not work out the point of lip trials!

The question I would ask to you is..." are you able to maintain a steady trill with a consistent air flow and tone while you are doing a siren? And when you are doing a siren without the trill are you able to maintain a steady air flow and consistent sound that does not break or change to falsetto?

[MDEW]

2 minutes ago, Nordic Being said:

But this dose not work when we change modes from say  breathy-whimppy-winy- call-sound

Lip trills are not supposed to be wimpy winy sounds. That is another POINT that is not usually spoken of when someone suggests the lip trill exercise. The voice produces a solid UH sound with the lips buzzing. The Solid UH from the voice is to be maintained throughout the exercise.  The changes in pressure and  position or movement of the voice box that need to happen to keep the solid uh and the buzzing going is what is to be learned from the lip trill. The same changes in pressure and position of the voice box need to happen without the lip trill.  The changes are easier to make and to track with the lip trills because the Buzzing of the lips cannot happen when things are not working right.

[MDEW]

33 minutes ago, Nordic Being said:

But this dose not work when we change modes from say  breathy-whimppy-winy- call-sound

It also does not work because people get the impression that when you do the lip trill exercise things are just going to happen for the better on their own. This is not the case. You are to learn HOW to make the right things happen by doing the lip trills.

[MDEW]

38 minutes ago, Nordic Being said:

I am sorry I do not know what U.H stands for!

The sound UH as in Duh. or Uh-Oh......Some people also call the lip trill.....lip Bubbles. Buh Buh Buh Buh the UH is continuous. The lips vibrating  makes the B sound.  

With sirening on a lip trill you are actually sirening on an "UH" sound while holding a B position with the lips and allowing the air flow to move the lips.

[MDEW]

I am using this file from Seth Riggs because he explains lip bubbles and how to perform them better than I can and better than I have seen from other teachers.  I am not promoting Seth Riggs over any other teacher. I believe the material in "The Four Pillars" is among the best out there and I do suggest that as the best investment for training a singing voice.