singing with legato?

[rurokenji]

Hi guys,

I have noticed that whenever i sing the end of every line, i always sing it with a sort of end to it and then starting again and doing the same thing for the next line so the every time i was singing, it sounded like i was singing one line of a verse and ending it and then doing the same for the next line of the verse and so on, rather than each line having a sort of contuinous feel to each line as it leads to the next. I have been told that contuinous flow/feel from each line is called legato. I have tried to sing lines with a contunious flow to lead to the next line but however, it always sounds forced and just ruins the flow of the whole of the song as i end up straying away from the melody of the song. I mean, i have had points where i have managed to get the contuinous flow from line to line a few times but i want it to seem natural.

Anyone got any tips or exercises as to how i can get this continuous flow/legato when i sing from line to line?

Thanks!

[Felipe Carvalho]

If I understood it correctly, try to not let things fall appart as you breath in. If you have to reposition everything from phrase to phrase, its harder to make it continuous.

Dont force it, try thinking of the next phrase when you inhale so that you are not surprised by it.

Besides that, technique study. GL!

[ronws]

Cloud, I think legato works within a phrase or a line of lyrics. Then the next verse starts. Without trying to just sing a line through a legitimate pause in the lyrics, it is better to re-use the onset you had before and this could give a legato feel to the whole thing.

Which may or may not make sense. I am not a teacher of singing.

[rurokenji]

it's just towards the end of the line. Like as i am about to hit the last word of the line, i sing it as if that's the end of the song rather than leaving off that last word with a continuation feel in order to make the lines in the verse sound connected. kinda hard to explain via text.

[ronws]

it's just towards the end of the line. Like as i am about to hit the last word of the line, i sing it as if that's the end of the song rather than leaving off that last word with a continuation feel in order to make the lines in the verse sound connected. kinda hard to explain via text.

I get it, actually. Jonpall helped me with that. He told me I was crashing my notes. A sudden deflection of pitch and drop of breath support. It can be done on purpose, like Bob Seger in "Turn the Page."

Anyway, just him mentioning that helped. I spent the next couple of weeks powerless to stop myself from noticing that I did it in singing and in speaking.

So, in singing, I would imagine the note going on after I stopped. His observation helped me a lot.

[rurokenji]

Imagine the note going on after you stopped? i don't understand, could you explain that a bit more, please? Like do you mean, as your singing the current line, you would imagine that the line is still going on (the current line is about to end but imagaing all the current lines and the others connected together and contuiously driving ahead? Sorry, i am just trying to work out how to tackle this thing with different approaches lol

[rurokenji]

??

[ronws]

Yes, the line continues, even though you have stopped phonating. It is mental, the hardest thing of all.

[rurokenji]

Yes, the line continues, even though you have stopped phonating. It is mental, the hardest thing of all.

IT IS really hard. It definitely is a mental thing. I am still struggling to tell my mind to imagine that the line is still going

[rurokenji]

I obviously, understand that, how long it will take for it to become natural will differ for everyone but how long did it take you for it to become natural? I think i have had a few sucessful attempts earlier today while using your approach of imagining the note still going on

[ronws]

It was strongly in my focus of myself for two weeks but let's call it a month or so of paying attention, if you are paying attention every day in how you speak and sing. I don't mean that you sing like you speak but I noticed that I crashed notes in speaking, as well as singing. And eliminating it from both seemed to help.

So, for a while, don't do high songs. Do songs in the comfortable part of your voice. Concentrate just on continuing the note, regardless of what it does to timing or lyrics. Sometimes, you have to work on one thing at a time. Sometimes, I would narrow it down to just one phrase in a song and wear it out.

[rurokenji]

Yeah, i have been using your approach of imaging the line still going and it has worked so far. One of the things i have noticed, is that i seem to unable to sing lyrics from a sheet while focusing on the line going on as i am singing. Which i assume is because my head is focusing on singing with the line going on and thus finding it hard to sing while imaging the line going on whilst trying to sing the lyrics from the sheet. So what i have noicted as, i am just trying to get into the swing of singing with that continuous feel, is to just sing random songs lyrics that i already know well. As i don't need to concentrate on singing the lyrics off the sheet.

Yeah,one thing at a time, really. I will get there soon. Already slightly noticing a sort of contunious feel when i sing..don't want to sound vain or anything, but my voice sounds much better haha

[ronws]

random songs lyrics that i already know well. As i don't need to concentrate on singing the lyrics off the sheet.

Yes, exactly that. Take the analysis of storytelling and exactly what the words are out of it. Find a line and work with it, even if the lyrics don't make sense together. As long as the melody flows and allows you narrow down to what you are concentrating upon.

[rurokenji]

it's so hard to picture a straight line just going straight while trying to sing llol

[ronws]

it's so hard to picture a straight line just going straight while trying to sing llol

Let me get all differential calculus on you, then. Differential calculus finds the function of a line tangential on a curve in a graph. Basically, the slope of a line at that instant in time. And further derivatives are tangential to that. I have calculated to the 4th derivative, before, just for fun, in math.

Anyway. Do whatever melody you are doing. But on the last note of a phrase, that is your first derivative, mentally, even as you stop phonating.

[rurokenji]

Let me get all differential calculus on you, then. Differential calculus finds the function of a line tangential on a curve in a graph. Basically, the slope of a line at that instant in time. And further derivatives are tangential to that. I have calculated to the 4th derivative, before, just for fun, in math.

Anyway. Do whatever melody you are doing. But on the last note of a phrase, that is your first derivative, mentally, even as you stop phonating.

Sorry, i meant i was trying to imagine a line just going forward whilst i reaching the end of the note, in order to keep the note going. I am actually confusing myself, now lol.

[ronws]

Then do an ending note but don't let go. Just stop the note while imagining it going on. The imagination is more important than the technique because it will cause you to keep breath management engaged.

[rurokenji]

Then do an ending note but don't let go. Just stop the note while imagining it going on. The imagination is more important than the technique because it will cause you to keep breath management engaged.

Oh snap!! i think i just understood by what you meant, that i should stop the note while imaging it is going on. Do you mean, like sing the ending note to it's completion but in my head, tell myself that the note is still going on even though i have actually just finished executing the last note - thus, making me actually finish singing the note with that continuous feel (ready to sing the next line with a continuous feel/ from the previous line)as my head is imagining that the note is still going on..

Sorry, i have a really long winded way of explaining things..But i applied your approach and i really did notice that continuous effect

[rurokenji]

Then do an ending note but don't let go. Just stop the note while imagining it going on. The imagination is more important than the technique because it will cause you to keep breath management engaged.

Also, should i sing the ending note as long as possible before, i switch to imagining that the note is still going on, right after i have sang the ending note?

[rurokenji]

i found this tip in an article .

" Try singing choppy by cutting notes off, then try singing while letting the note ring right up until you sing the next one. Notice the huge difference this makes. " Another approach.

Hope this thread helps others in the future :)

[ronws]

Yes to both of the last questions. yes, it is in the imagination. The reason it works is that singing is mental.