The value of slow singing?

[jonpall]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if you think there is much value in "slow singing", i.e. singing some of your favorite songs very slowly, with a microphone, and without a backing track? I'm mostly talking about high pitch stuff.

I've beeing trying out a few times lately and I seem to like it. The thing is, with single vowels on scales, arpeggios and sirens, I seem to be fairly well connected, usually, but when it comes to actual words, with vowels and consonants, it gets tricky, as everyone knows, and my voice starts to wobble. When I sing the songs very slowly, I sing each vowel for a few seconds (maybe 3-10 seconds even) and what seems to happen is that during the onset (beginning) of the vowel, I might not hit the vowel perfectly spot on, but then I try to modify it to some neighbor vowel that seems to take the strain off my voice. When you're singing the songs at normal speed, it's difficult to hit each vowel spot on.

[Matt]

I tried actually writing down the lyrics of a song minus all the consonants, "ah, eh, I, oh" ("and when I go") and then practicing (legato) on that song. I liked that too. I come up with loads of gimmicks that I like, but unfortunately, they're probably tailored to my particular weaknesses and not all that helpful to others, Ive concluded (or to myself perhaps).

[jonpall]

I know that Brett Manning has his students alternate between singing the same melody with "mum, mum, mum" or "bwe, bwe bwe" sounds and the actual words. Supposedly, your voice will then figure out the placement for each word in the scentence, because "mum's" are easier to do than the real words. That seems to be his way of moving from scales to actual songs.

[VideoHere]

can you send a sample?

[jonpall]

Possibly. Actually, I was practising yesterday and came up with the following thought:

Can it be that if your larynx is too high, the chances of your voice breaking/jodeling increases?

I'm asking because maybe my larynx has been far too high lately (I don't know) and when I tried to simply keep it lower, the breaks disappeared alltogether! Note that I didn't practise with a mic, so I won't know for sure until later today.

[jonpall]

Hmmm, interesting. Now I just tried it with a mic - using U2's song "Pride (in the name of love)" and focused on keeping my larynx down (at least lower than I used to keep it for that song) and like magic, the breaks/jodles were much, much fewer and the sound fuller. Any thoughts on this?

[Matt]

Perhaps youre just keeping the throat more open and getting easier resonance through the passagio that way?

[jonpall]

Yeah, I think it could be something like that.

[VideoHere]

still as sample always helps (and teaches).

[Steven Fraser]

Hmmm, interesting. Now I just tried it with a mic - using U2's song "Pride (in the name of love)" and focused on keeping my larynx down (at least lower than I used to keep it for that song) and like magic, the breaks/yodels were much, much fewer and the sound fuller. Any thoughts on this?

jonpall: Makes sense to me. Letting the larynx be lower shifts the vocal tract resonances to lower frequencies, and also heightens the effect of epilaryngeal resonances.

[joshual]

it also have to deal with who sing the original song, Bono do it that way, i hear a lowered laryng with wide open throat.

It's easier for us to sing the songs in the 'original artist modes', because with already have the tone in our ears.

[VideoHere]

it also have to deal with who sing the original song, Bono do it that way, i hear a lowered laryng with wide open throat.

It's easier for us to sing the songs in the 'original artist modes', because with already have the tone in our ears.

respectfully, i wouldn't say that. it depends on the vocalist.

[jonpall]

I must say that singing difficult songs slowly, with a mic, and with a fairly neutral larynx height (or perhaps slightly lower), has been working extremely well for me this week! It seems to be taking my vocal skills to the next level. I have to see if this keeps up for the next few weeks...

[kalapoka]

Wow...this could be a good idea for me too...i will try this tonight...and also the 'mum' on actual songs...thanks!

Fahim

[jonpall]

I was wondering if practising singing songs slowly is a common practise in styles like opera, musical theater, rock, pop, ... etc.?

When sing slowly, using a mic and an electric guitar, I can start each high note from a low volume base, with a very relaxed throat, and then swell into a more twangy, stronger sound, and then put vibrato onto it, so I'm relaxed in my throat the whole time. I strum chords on my guitar, slowly, as the song progresses, the whole time, to get used to playing the guitar and singing at the same time - with a loud volume.

It seems to be exactly what I need to get from the level of being able to do vocal exercises decently to singing actual songs in the tenor range!

Am I the only one that does this or what? :)

[Matt]

I think we find exercises that are suited to our particular weaknesses if we're interested in the matter.