I've lost support

[jonpall]

Was watching this video a few times over.

He hits some high notes that I have problems with, can't really pick out certain times in the timeline so click to around 4:40. (Please watch to the end)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kt2KT-JfZE&feature=related

Only real thing I see is near the end around you see his muscle under his armpits tighten, but there's no lower core movement at all.

So what type of support does Chris Brown use? He hits some pretty damn high notes in other songs.

In other news, I'm glad that the amount of sex to sell songs and concert tickets has reduced in the music industry.

[D.Starr]

Any ideas of the form of support?

[Sun]

I strongly think you are over-thinking here. Support is just holding back the air. Try singing with a candle two or three inches from your mouth, make it flicker as little as possible and voila you're supporting.

Or maybe try blowing some air and reduce the air flow while still blowing, you're adding support. Lack of support is so commonly prescribed for every problem but if you can sing a strong note without blowing out the candle your support is probably fine.

I don't think support is your issue, I've heard you sing, sounds fine. Accessing high notes for me has been all about setup and feeling in the throat. Everyone has a different problem, f.ex. member Geno stresses vowel mods, which probably was his "key". Mine was not support even though I thought so, probably like you are now. You could be doing a million things wrong, how are you so sure it's support?

[D.Starr]

Your probably right, I think I'm over thinking it all.

I feel strain on G4s and above. Just feel like I'm overly pushing and bringing in a lot of tension in the neck rather than thinning out the sound. But when I go to thin out the sound it instantly becomes falsetto. Other than that, I feel I'm shouting the note.

[Sun]

I had the same problem but my problem was not support. If I were you I would try taking an A4, first lip bubble up to it in neutral/falsetto then enter curbing by using an I vowel and adding cry. For me I had to really force my voice to do this and it was really strenous and unnatural but after I made it I've been able to reduce the strain. I really believe it's just a setup you need to find but it will be super unnatural and weird at first.

[VideoHere]

d, as raphaels is saying, if you are a heavy voiced singer you will likely need to work extra hard on some aspects of your voice...particulary the notes from d4 to b.

one of the best exercises i have used to strenghten the voice is may, may, may, (as in "hey") taken all the up in the natural voice..no breaking into falsetto.

g3, d3, b3, g4 (four times) and back down, transpose up 1/2 step. keep it all in the natural voice. hit this in a pretty loud volume but start loud and stay loud. keep the volume consistent.

as you ascend try to aim the sound behind the nose. go as high as you can go without pushing or straining. do this exercise early after you warmup.

try it and see. or send a sample over.

[VideoHere]

correction:

start at

g2

[Consumingfire39]

In other news, I'm glad that the amount of sex to sell songs and concert tickets has reduced in the music industry.

That was just awful.

On a random side note, I actually play basketball pretty often with Chris Brown at the Fitness center here in Richmond. The first time I was playing with him, I did not even know who he was until a bunch of people started coming in and videotaping the game.

[Felipe Carvalho]

Support is complex, if it was easy and simple as just regulating or holding back exhaling it would not matter so much.

Think of it as a way to add a servo mechanism to supply power to the folds. In such a way that the air flow and pressure remains constant no matter what happens to the larynx or resonants.

[VideoHere]

that's a cool way of looking at it.

[Felipe Carvalho]

Tnx, lets hope no one asks wth is a servo mechanism :P

[ronws]

A servo is usually small motor, usually an electric motor that operates a lever or cantilever to achieve some mechanical function. A garage door opener is kind of a "stupid" servo motor, not directed by a computer. However, on a swimming pool with a computer control, there servos called "valve acuators" that open and close plumbing valves that either cut off or direct water to the spa. The customer simply presses "spa" on his wireless or remote or a wired indoor controller or presses spa at the power center and the computer directs these 24 volt servos to open the valves, directing water to overpressure the spa and provide increased water flow.

Stuff we do everyday at the company for which I work.

[Felipe Carvalho]

yes, thats a kind of servo, but not really what I had in mind

I was thinking more on negative feedback and the damping factor that the system consisting of an exhaling pressure held back by the resistance of the dyaphragm would have when supplying a load with a fraction of that air resistance, ( the larynx). If we take a look into electronics, something like a transistor current source instead of direct voltage supply.

[Alexander8100]

A majority of instructors and singers suggest Cardio exercise type exercise for singers. Just like walking, diving, running and aerobics classes.

[chamcham]

Maybe you need a breathing workout routine so that lower breathing eventually becomes second nature.

If you're looking for breathing exercises, you can get "The Ultimate Breathing Workout" by Jaime Vendera.

It has 9 main exercises and 3 bonus exercises. Each exercise has a different purpose and works on different

aspects of low breathing.

Here's a clip of the author singing a note for over 30 seconds:

http://picosong.com/nzkr

From your pic, you look like a fit person.

So, if you're lifting weights or do any other exercise, use lower breathing while you're exercising.

For how to tell if you're doing low breathing, go to 3:45 in this video:

[Guest]

Try operating at 10% breath capacity. MENTALLY trick yourself into thinking that your "full" of air.

And focus only on the sound. Seems to help me a lot.

Imo when breath reserves are low then support will become more obvious. If you can sing a part of your favorite song perfectly with 10% breath capacity or less then you are doing something right lol.

[D.Starr]

Hey thanks guys.

This thread is actually nearly a year old lol. I was monitoring my breathing the other day and found my belly naturally inflates now, even if it's just slightly when I'm "idle".

My obliques naturally engage as well.