an excerpt from a great book

[VideoHere]

Bob, after watching this video the other day and reading Dante's excellent post on support and releasing the throat in an open position, keeping it unrestricted the whole time... it sort of clicked for me how important it was to really stay aware of the openness of the throat always. if it is shutting down and constricting unnecessarily just a little bit... that is your CLUE.

Figure out what you need to do to keep it flowing consistent and opened properly.

It is amazing little things like that can make such a difference!

yes!

and sometimes you don't really get it (i sure as hell didn't) when somebody used to say "open, you have to really open" i used to think the mouth, open the mouth, but that's not it...it's opening the back of the throat...big difference....you can be somewhat closed at the mouth, but be really open in the back of the throat.

what i had to learn is just because you opened your mouth, dosen't mean you've opened your throat.

that's why i like the yawn mouth/jaw formation. it sets me up for that to occur. and this "formation" is not a natural thing just like speaking..no, it's an intentional formation that gets to be a habit.

[jonpall]

Great post, Bob.

[VideoHere]

Great post, Bob.

thanks man. i wanted to get that distinction across.

[Quincy]

and sometimes you don't really get it (i sure as hell didn't) when somebody used to say "open, you have to really open" i used to think the mouth, open the mouth, but that's not it...it's opening the back of the throat...big difference....you can be somewhat closed at the mouth, but be really open in the back of the throat.

what i had to learn is just because you open your mouth is open, dosen't mean your throat is.

that's why i like the yawn mouth/jaw formation. it sets me up for that to occur. and this "formation" is not a natural thing just like speaking..no, it's an intentional formation that gets to be a habit.

That’s exactly the way I was in the beginning. Even when I would hear to open up the throat, I just didn’t really know just how open they were talking about. Coming from just regular speech to singing there is a huge difference I just wasn’t used to.

I know you have preached about it for quite a while and can really appreciate your “C” clamp configuration better now.

I seem to be able to twang a lot easier also… in subtle ways, not going overboard.

When I get that good body connection support pressurizing the air, it can feel really powerful going into that big open throat setup. I’ve been practicing some songs and adding a little bit of “Bob” intensity to it lately. I can see how you could get addicted!

Fun stuff!

[ronws]

I read it through once. Then through the exercises, again. And now, reading through the whole book, again. I tend to do that with material I really like.

I even mentioned, in a private conversation, that if I lived in the New York City area, I would study with Frisell, in person. That may put me at odds with others. Oh well, feces occurs.

[anonimuzz]

Frisell seems to have a very interesting approach. I read his blog almost entirely, and I may opt to buy his book, but as much as he seems to know what he's talking about, I still can't imagine with clarity how a voice can sound after developing the head voice almost exclusively for how long it's necessary to erase all the bad habits of the chest voice. It seems like we really have to trust his word on that, because before the results appear, the voice starts changing in weird ways. I've tried some of his basic exercises only for the last two weeks or so, without doing anything else, and I already feel differences in my chest voice when I try to sing. For example, if I try to sing a song out of my comfort range a while after exercising, the notes that were difficult before feel even harder to hit. It's like my voice is forcing me not to push it anymore (well, that's actually a good thing - less straining for me). At the same time, in notes where I was already free, I feel even freer and lighter. Judging by what I've read, things like this are normal. But can I actually trust that after all this weirdness (that I guess is gonna stay for a long time, if I keep following his method), my voice will actually blossom? And while working with his book, can I still have lessons with teachers that have different ways of training the voice or Frisell's method demands exclusivity?

[anonimuzz]

Yes, he talks about his experiences with those two. Sàndor kept working with him for about 8 years. But both of them had a long experience before coming to him, while my voice is nowhere near as functional as theirs were before meeting Frisell. I want to know the experience from the perspective of someone that still has a long way to go, if it's the best approach or not =O

[VideoHere]

Frisell seems to have a very interesting approach. I read his blog almost entirely, and I may opt to buy his book, but as much as he seems to know what he's talking about, I still can't imagine with clarity how a voice can sound after developing the head voice almost exclusively for how long it's necessary to erase all the bad habits of the chest voice. It seems like we really have to trust his word on that, because before the results appear, the voice starts changing in weird ways. I've tried some of his basic exercises only for the last two weeks or so, without doing anything else, and I already feel differences in my chest voice when I try to sing. For example, if I try to sing a song out of my comfort range a while after exercising, the notes that were difficult before feel even harder to hit. It's like my voice is forcing me not to push it anymore (well, that's actually a good thing - less straining for me). At the same time, in notes where I was already free, I feel even freer and lighter. Judging by what I've read, things like this are normal. But can I actually trust that after all this weirdness (that I guess is gonna stay for a long time, if I keep following his method), my voice will actually blossom? And while working with his book, can I still have lessons with teachers that have different ways of training the voice or Frisell's method demands exclusivity?

it's funny, i've just added those two descending falsetto exercises to my routine. they're easy to do and i'm investing in them to see if i can get a little more of a "running start" to my messa di voce exercise. but i gotta say, i really (thank god) never felt any exercise or routine being bad or knocking me off course...they (the exercises) all seem to be beneficial in one way or the other.

but here's a new thing i'm starting to feel now when i go to sing a song....it's weird....i feel like my resonance cavities have gotten bigger and deeper!!!

i like the sound, but to describe it...i have no idea....lol!!!!

[ronws]

"The task, for all male singers, is to first strengthen their underdeveloped upper register tones, above the register's break, and transport these upper tones' muscular CONTROL downward in the range, until they APPEAR to have adopted the resonant, vibrant quality of the lower register, but without losing their initial beauty and the inherent muscular CONTROLS of the upper register." (capitalized emphasis is mine.)

Kindle location 448-58

Ergo, start in head and descend.

To mix the the registers;

"The mixed voice allows the singer to press together (by applying an intensified stream of breath pressure) a combination of both reigsters' muscular actions."

Kindle location 550-62.

Essentially, the mix is providing enough breath pressure, with head voice phonation, to drive the note into the resonant spaces it needs, rather than constricting or shaping the throat for a tone. That is, the mix, or bringing head voice down, is still head voice, but with the volume and ring of "chest."

[anonimuzz]

Ok. So, the mix is head voice with the qualities of chest voice. But shouldn't the chest voice get some kind of work to favor that transition? Does he cover that in the book?

[ronws]

Anonimuzz, he does cover the topic of chest voice in the book, extensively. And has much to say that has not been quoted here, as it would be unpopular. Spoil alert: this will be a bone of contention, no doubt.

I am paraphrasing, as quoting the first half of the book would be weighty, indeed. I don't make money saying this so it might not be copyright infringement.

For the tenor voice, most chest voice exercises and bottom-up programs are detrimental. Yet, at the same time, the tenor voice will need the cooperation of chest voice coordination (what he calls muscular control) to have the upper range sound connected and whole. But, and this is an important distinction, it is the head voice and it's muscular controls that should have dominance, with chest control subordinate to it. And, in fact, he has beginners start out in falsetto, even if it sounds disconnected at first. He points out that most systems are failing the tenor singer because the rush is on to produce a "polished" sound when, in reality, you will make ugly tones at first until you have learned your new coordination. The polishing and pro sound comes later, as you refine technique.

Anyway, develope first, the falsetto. And then messa di voce and sirens are going to teach you what to do with breath.

He also specfically address the passaggio and this is where the blending of head and chest most come in and the trick is to, as Steven Fraser puts it, let the big dog out to play, just a little bit. Much work is then done to have the onset of head voice and slowly let the volume and ring increase until it "appears" to have the volume and ring of a chest note.

And, that below passaggio, vowels are inverted and so is the weight of the note. That the low end should sound lighter and softer than the high. And that there is an increase in volume as one goes up the range.

Frisell also points out that the tenor voice should have primarily head tones with little to no actual chest voice tones. This will also place him at odds with other systems which start out in chest and give prominence to chest tones and trying to take the chest tones higher. Frisell's view is to start in head tone and let in the chest just enough to have the volume and ring to carry the note across. And therein lies the bone of contention, methinks.

[anonimuzz]

Thanks, ronws. His method is unusual, but it seems logical. If operatic tenors could get away with it, it's certain that the head voice, when fully developed, can carry enormous power (volume & resonance). I want to give it a shot, but I have to force myself to get my mind off of all the other contrasting ideas about vocal development that I've always considered as ideal. I'm sure they're great anyway, but I feel this could work better for me, personally. The "bringing chest voice up" approach has never worked particularly well for me. On the other hand, my head voice is naturally efficient and I believe I would progress faster if I took advantage of that and used the reverse method, that Frisell advocates. I'll order his book soon (it'll probably take an entire month to arrive to Portugal, bah).

[ronws]

Anonimuzz, you and I are in the same boat, as it were. The chest voice up thing has not worked for me, either.

And yes, the hardest part of any of this, harder than any actual physical work, harder than breathing exercises, is changing your mind. People may sometimes think I say that just to be contrary or that I am lazy. Nothing could be further from the truth. Anyway, good luck to you.

[anonimuzz]

Thanks, ronws. What you said is true. I'll be patient and see if this is the right way for me. I do want voice lessons anyway.