Sustaining notes = good technique?

[PopVlad]

Hey Guys,

Is it fair to say that in order to sustain full voiced tones, say for 10-15 sec and longer one has to have good technique?

In other words, is it possible to sustain a big G4 AND have an incorrect technique?

What I've recently noticed is that the longer I sustain notes the more reliable they become.

It's almost as if my technique "corrects itself" when I need to sustain longer pitches.

I'm getting a lot out of just sustain the notes in the mid range (E4-G4)

An additional benefit is that if I sing a G4 on an "Ah" and manage to increase my sustain time, my other vowels (like "ee") are getting better on their own. Weird!

Cheers,

Vlad

[jonpall]

Sustaining high notes is a great exercise to improve your technique and yes, if you can do it, it does say a lot about how good your vocal technique is. But it's just a PART of what makes up good vocal technique ... and vocal technique is just a part of what makes a good singer. Some singers didn't even have good technique but they could convey a message to the listeners with their songs and that is the most important thing for singers. You want to make the listeners FEEL something.

[ronws]

There are some singers with poor technique who can sing a note that long. But you are not without technique. Anyway, sustain is a great way to fit a song into your voice. Slow the song down and sustain a few seconds on each main sound in a melody. That's a case of where sustain is not only a good training technique but it has "real world" applications in learning a song, even one that you wrote. I mean, it's not just for learning a cover song.

[VideoHere]

Hey Guys,

Is it fair to say that in order to sustain full voiced tones, say for 10-15 sec and longer one has to have good technique?

In other words, is it possible to sustain a big G4 AND have an incorrect technique?

What I've recently noticed is that the longer I sustain notes the more reliable they become.

It's almost as if my technique "corrects itself" when I need to sustain longer pitches.

I'm getting a lot out of just sustain the notes in the mid range (E4-G4)

An additional benefit is that if I sing a G4 on an "Ah" and manage to increase my sustain time, my other vowels (like "ee") are getting better on their own. Weird!

Cheers,

Vlad

vlad, i/m/o/ sustaining a note comes from control and metering the breath.... this means you're not letting the breath out too quickly and you are controlling expiration...sounds like a good thing to me buddy.

[jonpall]

Very true, Bob.

[Mithali]

I just watched an interesting video which "proves" you can sustain notes with bad technique... but I think you can feel when the technique is bad and you are straining... Anyway I am not an expert, but I find this vid very interesting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei5940AUlM8

[VideoHere]

I just watched an interesting video which "proves" you can sustain notes with bad technique... but I think you can feel when the technique is bad and you are straining... Anyway I am not an expert, but I find this vid very interesting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei5940AUlM8

i really don't think everytthing this person says is correct.....just my opinion.

[Mithali]

I cant be a judge of that since I am not that advanced to be able to diagnose voices... but if it is not too many things go on and name them... I would like to know if I can "hear" what you mean :)

[VideoHere]

nothing in particular.. i just happen to think there are two sides to every issue.

[PopVlad]

Thanks guys,

I too believe that one can sing a long note with dodgy technique, yet, it's much easier to abuse your voice when just "hiting" or "touching" the note.

So, those singers who manage to sing powerful long notes must be doing something right irregardles of how good their "general" technique is.