Questions about vocal placement mainly

[Musickiks]

I know they say "placing the voice" might be BS, but it seems to be the way I feel I need to sing, since I'm such an analytical individual/perfectionist.

I primarily sing rock, alternative type stuff, my main influences are Lennon, McCartney, Thom Yorke, Damon Albarn

I've been studying for about 6 years now, and have had pro lessons multiple times, to little results.

I also seem to have either actual nodules or at least "kissing nodules", and my voice becomes swollen very easily after just an hour of singing or less even, I haven't given it adequate rest... but when I do it still can't take much exertion.

But I'd like some confirmation on some of the things I feel I've figured out over time...and there's also a thing or two I'm still questioning...

Things I feel are correct and but am asking if they are:

- You want to focus your voice basically where it stays forward but concentrated along the soft palette, sort of a little more than halfway back above your tongue. In that it DOESN"T feel like you're singing on or towards the hard palette (behind the front teeth) but it sort of "goes" forward, yet still feels like it's vibrating mainly at the soft pallete, or back top of the mouth (not back of throat). OR do you want to be focusing your voice in the center of the roof of your mouth? When you hum, it seems your voice naturally hits your soft palette.

- You neutralize nasality by focusing your "voice" in the mouth, but not so forward in the mouth that it sounds gloopy, boxy, dull, and uncontrolled.

- You want to be in between breathy cord closure, and hard cord closure, most of the time.

- Throat "open" with column of air that you feel in your diaphragm/chest area, and try to maintain the smoothest effortless function while keeping the voice and coordinations as "small" and clear as possible

Questions I still have:

- Do you focus on your voice ORIGINATING from your chest/diaphragm area ALL THE TIME (even though it obviously originates from your adam's apple)? Or do you focus on your voice originating in your throat, like your glottal area, or even the very very back top of the mouth (pharyngeal area), or just only focus on the soft palette the whole time, while making sure you still have a "column of air" from the chest?

- I feel I have trouble not sounding my age. I'm 24 and I weigh about 120lbs, I'm 5'10. But my voice consistently sounds like I'm about 17 or 18. Not like a man. Even with Paul McCartney's boyish like sound, he still sounds his age, and this drives me positively NUTS. Am I not focusing enough on pharyngeal resonance giving weight to the voice? or do I simply need to focus the voice originating from the chest more?

- Are cold or hot drinks better for a swollen voice if you are NOT planning on singing or talking. Since cold reduces swelling, wouldn't that be better than hot tea?

Here are some examples of my singing

My band playing a song last week:

My John Lennon imitation covering Rain:

https://soundcloud.com/mb-vocal-covers/rain-mb-beatles-vocal-cover

Just a few confirmations and questions, hope you can help :cool:

Also I realized I put my singing there for an example of my voice, if need be, please move this into Critique My Vocals...

[VideoHere]

i'll tell you one thing..you should enter yourself into an "i sound just like john lennon" contest.

that was so close.....it's hard to believe that was you.

[ronws]

I don't think you can tell someone's age by the sound of his voice.

I agree with Bob about the Lennon sound-alike thing.

Go ahead and "place" your voice. Place is just a mnemomic for resonating properly.

If you think you have nodules, go to a doctor that specializes in singers and then to a vocal rehab specialist who specializes in singers. I bet the rehab doc will tell you to "place" the voice.

My voice originates in my head. From the lowest note I can make to the highest. "Chest" is just a sympathetic vibration to some and I have to believe some feel it there, though I do not. Every note I make resounds in my head. So, who is right and who is wrong? Singing that can last an hour or so is right. Singing that cannot last past one song may have a problem.