Exercises to develop softer singing

[Steven Fraser]

ModernVocalists: I wrote up this article for another use, and thought I'd post it here for you all. The context is a question about how to develop more secure _soft_ singing, and the general use of semi-occluded consonants to help with that. The original pitch references were for male singers. Female singers can transpose them up 1 octave from there.

For purposes of this discussion, let's differerentiate bit between the sensation of air passing the front of the mouth (past the tongue/teeth combination for the consonant ), and breathiness audible in the tone.

While there is a small amount of air passing the teeth/tongue narrowing for these, the tone should not be breathy. If it is breathy, then the breath energy being supplied is too much.

For the singer whose sound is too breathy, I suggest the use of the consonant Z. Before using it, there is great benefit to start with the unvoiced version, the SSSS sound of a hiss. To do that, take in about 1/4 to 1/2 breath, and sustain the softest unvoiced SSSS you can. Sustain for 10 seconds, breathe in the same amount again, and repeat 2 or 3 times. Then, sustain the SS for 15 seconds a few times.

Repeat the exercise on SSS with a 3/4 breath, and sustain the sound for 20 seconds. Remember, this is to be done as softly as you are able. The desire to do this softly and slowly engages breath management automatically.

Now, returning to the 1/4 to 1/2 breath, voice the S to make it a Z on the C below middle C, and experiment to find the absolute softest you can make this consonant and still have it be clear. Once you have found it, do the exercise and sustain the Z for 10 seconds, and then increase the inhale a little and sustain for 15 and then 20 seconds.

When you have gotten to the point that you can sustain the Z for 20 seconds, you may start doing slow octave slides (sirens), beginning with the Bb the 9th below middle C, and as soft as you can do the Z Go slow enough so that the entire up/down slide (up the octave and back down) takes the full 20 seconds. You will notice that in some places the tone may get shaky or break to SSS. That is because the very soft Z is quite sensitive to the breath energy level at this dynamic. The soft slide requires fairly fine coordination of breath energy, adduction strength, and registration... each making subtle, cooperative adjustments as the slide progresses. Particularly, any tendency to oversupply the breath will show up obviously.

When the slide can be done up and down taking the full 20 seconds, and the Z tone is even and clear, without breaks or any blips, you have reached the point where you may now transpose the exercise upward. From each starting note, do the slide the same way, very soft, clear Z, 20 seconds for the full up/down cycle. Don't move on to the next starting note until you have achieved the smoothness where you are.

For best benefit, the exercise should be repeated every day for about 15 minutes. It makes an excellent warm-up for the first singing session of a day.

How high can this go? I am a baritone, and I usually take this exercise on Z up to the C above Mid C, and a voiced TH to the G above that.

[VideoHere]

ModernVocalists: I wrote up this article for another use, and thought I'd post it here for you all. The context is a question about how to develop more secure _soft_ singing, and the general use of semi-occluded consonants to help with that. The original pitch references were for male singers. Female singers can transpose them up 1 octave from there.

For purposes of this discussion, let's differerentiate bit between the sensation of air passing the front of the mouth (past the tongue/teeth combination for the consonant ), and breathiness audible in the tone.

While there is a small amount of air passing the teeth/tongue narrowing for these, the tone should not be breathy. If it is breathy, then the breath energy being supplied is too much.

For the singer whose sound is too breathy, I suggest the use of the consonant Z. Before using it, there is great benefit to start with the unvoiced version, the SSSS sound of a hiss. To do that, take in about 1/4 to 1/2 breath, and sustain the softest unvoiced SSSS you can. Sustain for 10 seconds, breathe in the same amount again, and repeat 2 or 3 times. Then, sustain the SS for 15 seconds a few times.

Repeat the exercise on SSS with a 3/4 breath, and sustain the sound for 20 seconds. Remember, this is to be done as softly as you are able. The desire to do this softly and slowly engages breath management automatically.

Now, returning to the 1/4 to 1/2 breath, voice the S to make it a Z on the C below middle C, and experiment to find the absolute softest you can make this consonant and still have it be clear. Once you have found it, do the exercise and sustain the Z for 10 seconds, and then increase the inhale a little and sustain for 15 and then 20 seconds.

When you have gotten to the point that you can sustain the Z for 20 seconds, you may start doing slow octave slides (sirens), beginning with the Bb the 9th below middle C, and as soft as you can do the Z Go slow enough so that the entire up/down slide (up the octave and back down) takes the full 20 seconds. You will notice that in some places the tone may get shaky or break to SSS. That is because the very soft Z is quite sensitive to the breath energy level at this dynamic. The soft slide requires fairly fine coordination of breath energy, adduction strength, and registration... each making subtle, cooperative adjustments as the slide progresses. Particularly, any tendency to oversupply the breath will show up obviously.

When the slide can be done up and down taking the full 20 seconds, and the Z tone is even and clear, without breaks or any blips, you have reached the point where you may now transpose the exercise upward. From each starting note, do the slide the same way, very soft, clear Z, 20 seconds for the full up/down cycle. Don't move on to the next starting note until you have achieved the smoothness where you are.

For best benefit, the exercise should be repeated every day for about 15 minutes. It makes an excellent warm-up for the first singing session of a day.

How high can this go? I am a baritone, and I usually take this exercise on Z up to the C above Mid C, and a voiced TH to the G above that.

thanks steve...apprecaited bob videohere