Exercises for lower register not sounding so flat?

[JoshJ25]

Hi. When I sing notes in my lower register or just go aah in my lower register it sounds flat and really bad. Its weak and I need to beef up those lower notes and give them better sound or tone. Please offer exercises tips whatever you got...Thanks pals!

[joshual]

i'm not a pro but blowing more air helps.

[James Lugo]

The lower register is where a lot of people struggle with pitch, less compression can cause inconsistencies in the pitch. For me the key is steady air and not to hard or fast, nice and easy and it will stabilize the pitch. The last thing you want to do to a loose vocal cord is hit it with to much air. As far as losing intensity in your lower register that can be a component of your range, most people decrease in volume and intensity as they go deeper, especially tenors. My bottom end is pretty solid and for me it's just been experience and strength. Also I'm not a big proponent of mic technique but moving the mic in on the low notes helps to increase volume and also causes a proximity effect and adds some low end. As far as exercises, long tones below middle C everyday without exception helps.

As always this is just my opinion and experience YMMV.

[JoshJ25]

Thanks James that sounds right. I know my problem is far from an isolated one. What vowel sounds would you reccomend? You are saying take a sound and just go with it until I'm out of air like saying aaaaaaaaah?

[James Lugo]

Thanks James that sounds right. I know my problem is far from an isolated one. What vowel sounds would you reccomend? You are saying take a sound and just go with it until I'm out of air like saying aaaaaaaaah?

Go through all the sounds and vowels, lay on your back and just hold the note and don't let the pitch drop as you start to run out of air. If you have a little keyboard you can lay on the floor next to you and just hold a note and sing and the go up or down in half steps and really feel the pitch lock in. Shut the lights of and shut the ringer off, really get in the zone.

James

[Robert Lunte]

Just because you sing a low pitch, it doesnt mean you stop singing with "top down phonation"... through the resonators, in the mask. Low notes should resonate more orally, more "mouthy" and not throaty. You will get better overtones and eliminate vocal fatique in the lower notes. Allowing low notes to slip into a "bottom up phonated" whoofyness, throaty, weighty sound and feeling, will result in notes seemingly being a bit flat, less refined overtones for sure and inefficient vocal fold closure for singing resulting in a bad sound and ultimately vocal health problems.

Hope this helps.

[JoshJ25]

Just because you sing a low pitch, it doesnt mean you stop singing with "top down phonation"... through the resonators, in the mask. Low notes should resonate more orally, more "mouthy" and not throaty. You will get better overtones and eliminate vocal fatique in the lower notes. Allowing low notes to slip into a "bottom up phonated" whoofyness, throaty, weighty sound and feeling, will result in notes seemingly being a bit flat, less refined overtones for sure and inefficient vocal fold closure for singing resulting in a bad sound and ultimately vocal health problems.

Hope this helps.

I appreciate your reply but I have no clue what it means. Can you break it down in laymans terms? James gave me a practical exercise to do. Are you saying that won't help? Do you have an alternative one?

[Matt]

He means roughly speaking that if you for example do a siren from head to chest, i.e. a siren for example from A4 down to A3 you'll generally land in a certain timbre at A3 that is slightly lighter and less woofy than if you just start on the A3, which may be more throaty, woofier and less stable.

[JoshJ25]

Thanks. I still don't see how that helps me. The fact is my lower notes are shaky pitchy and sound flat. I need to add richness. I'm pretty sure that requires exercises to strengthen that part of my voice.

He means roughly speaking that if you for example do a siren from head to chest, i.e. a siren for example from A4 down to A3 you'll generally land in a certain timbre at A3 that is slightly lighter and less woofy than if you just start on the A3, which may be more throaty, woofier and less stable.

[Matt]

Well, stupid of me trying to answer for Robert, but I think he means that richness or resonance starts with removing woofiness/ weak cord closure/typical of "bottom up" configuration. Personally, I'd probably recommend practicing cord closure in the low notes but Robert and James know endlessly more about this than I

[markgrubb@gmail.com]

Thanks. I still don't see how that helps me. The fact is my lower notes are shaky pitchy and sound flat. I need to add richness. I'm pretty sure that requires exercises to strengthen that part of my voice.

Pitch can be off from not listening carefully, sliding through pitches and only nailing some of which you deem 'the event' (TVS). This sloppiness is corrected through more carefully listening to the reference pitch (piano or instrument) you are vocalizing with.

Pitch can be off when the pitch sang is 'out of the comfortable range' of the singer (the singer currently lacks the strength and coordination to phonate at the given pitch without engaging extrinsic musculature)

"sound flat"...are you flat? If the production is not flat; yet, lacks beauty or is monotone then learning to add overtones will address the issue. Perhaps you are referring to a few pitches that are at the top of Chest register and the bottom of Head register, then if it is shaky here (you are not alone) this is the Passaggio. Bridging the Passaggios with a seamless production to produce the illusion of one voice is probably one of the most difficult challenges of any singer.

Robert is telling you simply to be aware that a "Top Down Phonation" is healthy and required in all registers. It is very common for singers to use a "Bottom Up Phonation" in their chest register. If you are using Bottom Up and not Top Down then your placement of resonance is inefficient and more choked than if you use Top Down Phonation.

Both James Lugo and Robert Lunte offer vocal training systems that will help (include vocalizes, audio and video). I am very happy with my purchase of both (long ago).

If you are looking for specific exercises to strengthen your voice then basically sing open vowels over scales - chromatic, major, minor, apeggios. When the pitches are out of your range then drop and octave and continue singing. That is oversimplifying it as a voice teacher can address your posture, open throat, formant, covering, onset / attack, and many other issues. Many teachers like James and Robert offer lessons via Skype over broadband. I hope there is some information that is useful to you in this long post.

concerning pitch check out fellow TMV member's audiobook: http://www.nottonedeaf.com/3.html

I find Paul's work to be insightful.

[gno]

Hi. When I sing notes in my lower register or just go aah in my lower register it sounds flat and really bad. Its weak and I need to beef up those lower notes and give them better sound or tone. Please offer exercises tips whatever you got...Thanks pals!

I know exactly what you mean. I'm going through the same thing myself. I'm training with Ken Tamplin's DVD now. Currently doing basic one octave scales and triads on different vowels starting on a low A or G, and up a half step until my highest note is Tenor high C. Then halfstep down all the way to a low A or G. When I started a couple weeks ago, anything below a D was shaky and breaking up like my chords weren't closing. In his DVD Ken stresses cutting back on the breath when going low. after two weeks I'm finally able to vocalize down there. However, my brightness cuts out below C and I'm really light. I am making progress though. I imagine my low end will gradually continue to strenthen over time.

[markgrubb@gmail.com]

I know exactly what you mean. I'm going through the same thing myself. I'm training with Ken Tamplin's DVD now. Currently doing basic one octave scales and triads on different vowels starting on a low A or G, and up a half step until my highest note is Tenor high C. Then halfstep down all the way to a low A or G. When I started a couple weeks ago, anything below a D was shaky and breaking up like my chords weren't closing. In his DVD Ken stresses cutting back on the breath when going low. after two weeks I'm finally able to vocalize down there. However, my brightness cuts out below C and I'm really light. I am making progress though. I imagine my low end will gradually continue to strenthen over time.

This is really interesting. It would be really cool if each of you posted an audio sample.

[keoladonaghy]

I had one Skype lesson with Robert last week, and his emphasis on "Top Down Phonation" was a revelation, although I didn't realize how significant it was until afterward as I began to internalize everything. Though I had a lot of head resonance happening, I didn't realize how "bottom up" it still was. What a difference. I've been using Singing Success for about six months and making good progress, but as far as tone and resonance I think Robert helped me get to another level. So far I have not found much if anything in SS and TVS that contradict each other pedagogically (I'm sure I'll find something eventually), but Robert and Jesse Nemitz emphasize different things, and it's now pretty clear to me that getting informed feedback from multiple sources with different perspectives is a very good thing.

[Matt]

Theres one diff between SS and TVS though, TVS doesnt mind a raised larynx, SS does.

[keoladonaghy]

Theres one diff between SS and TVS though, TVS doesnt mind a raised larynx, SS does.

Forgot that one, but haven't gotten there yet. :cool: