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Finding the 'Voice Ball'

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Elizax

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Hi guys, I'm gonna go out on a limb here because I have a problem that really frustrates me. I know some people are probably gonna think 'what the hell is she talking about' but I'm going to explain it as best as I can.

Okay. So, some days I have an easy time finding the 'correct way to sing' and I compare it to singing on a voice ball. The vibrato comes naturally in a sense and I can reach notes much more easier than if I was singing incorrectly.

I really have no other way to put it except when I sing correctly it feels like there's literally a ball in my throat that I'm singing off, and notes slide off. I have little tension in my throat and it feels so light when I'm singing.

However I have a hard time finding it even with vocal warm ups so I'm just wondering if anyone actually understands what I mean, is there a tip/trick/easy exercise to find it.

It's extremely annoying when notes I can hit the day before become impossible. I've had no vocal lessons and couldn't afford it anyway and no videos on YouTube can explain or simplify the problem.

I hope someone understands this lol!

Thankyou.

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http://www.smule.com/p/86614364_14692758

That would be me singing with no constriction and with the 'ball' or 'support'.

http://www.smule.com/p/86614364_13656802

Without the 'ball' or 'support'.

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I know exactly what you mean, and it's really an important thing to learn to have consistency. There are other names for "the ball", like "finding the pocket" for example.

What works for me is playing around with "B-EH" vocalises (also look for the Dampen & Release onset in Robert's stuff). Do what you like on that "B-EH"'s, but here is what you should watch out for:

- Make sure that you are projecting forward, so when singing "B-EH", so imagine the airflow is directed into the distance (use a window and sing outside that or something like that)

- Let the tongue bulge upward and forward while saying the "B-HE" (the middle of the tongue moves towards the nose)

- The tongue builds the upper surface of the "ball" in your mouth

- At the same time drop your jaw loosely and relaxed, the jaw forms the lower surface of the "ball"

- Then sing the "B-EH" in a way that you can imagine the sound slipping over the top surface of the ball and project into the distance

In the beginning it can help to have an exaggerated "dopey" sound when saying the "B-EH"'s (this makes your tongue bulge more and your soft palate goes up). You can drop that once you have found your ball to get a sharper sound if that is what you desire.

As Owen said, the difference in sound is not THAT big. But the difference in feeling and stability can be quite big and has a large impact on endurance and vocal health.

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