benny82 Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 I often have the problem when singing that I approach the high notes with too much mass. This seems to be because I have quite a big tendency to "add body" to the sound. Especially on "emotional" parts of songs I tend to add body because that is what I would naturally do from an emotional perspective like "going all out". I often go up to the volume of opera style when doing that which totally impairs my ability to bridge to the light-mass heady phonations on the upper part of my range. I also still have problems doing the "intrinsic anchoring" thing because appoggio seems so much more comfortable and natural with the larger involvement of the whole body. When trying to make my sound "small" or "light-mass" I often end up constricting everywhere. Do you have any strategies to put some limit on the body involvement? I often get a quite nice start during a song with a smaller sound, but once the intensity kicks in during chorus or such thing I often get "too big" in terms of mass involvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gno Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 I had the same problem where the only way I could sing high was to sing very loud. I still work on this every day using the CVT neutral exercises and the KTVA chest to head connection exercises which are with very light mass. And I work on an aria that has some high notes that transition from loud to very soft. There are still some days that I have trouble: 1) difficulty transitioning from chest to head in a light mass - or 2) not a good job in the aria transitioning from loud to soft on that high Bb. But I can do it more times than not if I take my time warming up correctly. I've been working on it for at least a year and a half and have made significant improvement, so I know it is possible. The CVT neutral exercises are a real help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronws Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 messa di voce. And Anthony Frisell notes that there will ultimately be some more volume in the upper end. But here's the other thing. Use messa di voce to work the meaty middle and don't worry about the extreme ends, so much. Though it is okay to work on those, now and then, to ensure they are still in a good place, so to speak. That being said, some of my highest notes are also extremely loud. I just let fly and watch the paint peel off the wall. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 I struggle with this also but something that helped was... sing WITHOUT using the diaphragm. Ofcourse you are always using your diaphragm but the point is that nothing should move. The air being used is so little that you don't feel you are using air at all.... yet the sound should be of beautiful quality. Try starting on a lower note and keep it tension free, then gradually work your way up there. There's no sense in straining for the highnote all the time because you don't want that in your muscle-memory. What helps me "up there" is trying to do soft-connect onsets... if you can consistently do soft-connected onsets in for your highnotes then you should have very little problem singing quietly up high. Imo from what I have experienced so far the only way you will get the control you want is if you actually live there... you need to know the musculature, the amount and speed of air used and the sound it produces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mivke Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 What I seem to need to do is increase my support to be able to sing high tones with more of the same volume as my lower range. I find what works for me is trying to keep the intensity of much volume but without the volume. Maybe makes sense,maybe not :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felipe Carvalho Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 The effort to produce a note on lower volume without letting the emission fall appart is considerably higher than just releasing it at the normal dynamic level. And it requires just the same, if not more pressure, or else you will oppose and simply kill the air flow. Support effort goes way high. Vocal effort and quality remains the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benny82 Posted January 26, 2013 Author Share Posted January 26, 2013 Yes. support is probably key. What sometimes helps me is that feeling of "lifting something heavy" which is described in CVT as a way to induce curbing. But that way I often start to sound a little "whiny" on my higher belts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronws Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 The diaphragm is always in the picture, forever, and amen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronws Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 "But these dials all go to eleven ...." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felipe Carvalho Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Benny this reference of lifting something works if refined. It has a very problematic side effect that will lead to what you describe, which may match the descrption of curbing, but I really dont see the point of using. Can be done without any compromises unless you are trying something bizarre and extreme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronws Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Rep point. Gracias, Amigo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VideoHere Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 it's all relative too... light mass and particularly the sound of it can vary from singer to singer. some voice's light mass is another's medium volume. what's light mass to lou gramm vs. steve perry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronws Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 it's all relative too... light mass and particularly the sound of it can vary from singer to singer. some voice's light mass is another's medium volume. what's light mass to lou gramm vs. steve perry? Thank goodness you said that, Bob. If I said it, people would just chalk it up to ronws being ronws. Jay, motion in the abs, note in the head, nothing throat, ever, amen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VideoHere Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 brother ron, to quote ike and tina turner.... "we neva do anything nice and easy, we always do everything nice and rough."...lol!!!! but seriously, light is relative...that's why it's tough to compare a lyric voice with a dramatic voice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronws Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 brother ron, to quote ike and tina turner.... "we neva do anything nice and easy, we always do everything nice and rough."...lol!!!! but seriously, light is relative...that's why it's tough to compare a lyric voice with a dramatic voice. Wisdom emanating from your head, again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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