What Physiologically Happens When We Break

[Guest]

Hey guys I just want to know with understandable terms and visualizations what often happens when we break into falsetto (men)?

One last question, based off everyone's own experience is breaking into falsetto significantly important for TRAINING or do we fix the problem in a different range from the (usually) unwanted event of breaking....

Just to explain the 2nd question better because it sounds confusing... Do we fix the problem at G3-G4 area before notable registration event occurs, after the area (meaning higher like C5-C4) OR do we use fix the problem at the actual area of break which can somewhat vary useusally E4-A4 ish for me and repetitively try and smooth it out.

Hope someone can explain their own feelings on this matter. Someone is going to say "all three!!!" but that is okay Based from personal experience, not who is right or wrong.

- JayMC

[Steven Fraser]

JayMC

The 'break' to falsetto results from a sudden release of the TA muscle. Usually this is the result of failing to allow the TA to be stretched by the CT in the upward scale.

We fix it most predictably by making the small adjustments smoothly throughout the vocal range.

I hope this is helpful.

[Owen Korzec]

JayMC

The 'break' to falsetto results from a sudden release of the TA muscle. Usually this is the result of failing to allow the TA to be stretched by the CT in the upward scale.

We fix it most predictably by making the small adjustments smoothly throughout the vocal range.

I hope this is helpful.

Perfect.

Also to add from my own experience struggling with bridging for years and finally getting it, bridging is a lot about following rules about HOW to practice this critical skill. These are the ones that have literally made or broken my progress with bridging. If I don't follow these I'm guaranteed to never improve at bridging, if I do, I'm guaranteed to improve as fast as possible.

Rule #1. When practicing bridging and you flip, stop, try to figure out what you did wrong, fix it, and try again. If you flip three times in a row then you need to refer to rule #2:

Rule #2. Don't practice bridging louder, later, faster, or with more compression than you can without flipping. Lower the volume, relax the compression, bridge earlier, and slow it down until you can successfully bridge without a break. Whenever you are flipping consistently and thus wasting your time, it's simply because you are not following this rule.

Rule #3. Once you have learned to bridge at one intensity you need to VERY GRADUALLY move on to bridging at slightly higher intensities.

In order to access the coordination to bridge at higher intensities you MUST learn the following concepts:

1. breath support

2. "open throat" (relaxation of unnecessary tension in the neck/jaw/tongue/throat)

3. cord closure/glottal compression

4. correct, efficient static embouchure

5. vowel modification

These fundamental concepts will require more and more mastery the louder/later you want to bridge.

Rule #4. Practice ascending AND descending through the bridge and take care to make sure you are not neglecting problems that exist in only one direction but not the other. If there are problems in one direction only you may need to practice that particular direction more to work on those issues and re-balance the voice.

Here it is again explained PERFECTLY.

Now I have to add one last thing. IMO, you are INSANE if you think you can learn all of this without a great coach or VERY CAREFUL following of a great vocal program!!!!

[Felipe Carvalho]

Brakes are basicly a change of larynx registration. There isnt much to work thinking about the brake itself. Unless you want to brake more.

Its a normal reaction of the body when you are doing something that the larynx can not handle, either from excessive tension or instability cause by resonance.

With the correct posture and using the right intention, it just wont happen (assuming good health). However not braking is not enough to keep tonal consistancy with a good dynamic range, and thats what the bulk of the work is about.