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What do you think about "Speech Level Singing"?

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anjawer

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Am I the only one who thinks that sounds absolutely great? Never heard of SLS before, but it sounds like it's working in this instance. The only tiny bit that caught my ear as slightly off was the pronunciation of "keep on burning" at around 01:57, and that's like really nitpicking.

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Good post... what a group of very smart guys... Makes me proud.

I like Owen's perspective and Phil's towards the end here...

SLS had a big run of success for about 20 years, I think in part because it was the only contemporary game in town. But then other programs began to emerge and the industry kind of entered a new phase, along with the internet which made information distribution instantaneous and global. Not to diverge, but the point is... vocal technique, like most things evolves. New ideas are developed, innovated, tried and tested and great results can be gained if you align yourself with the right contemporary coach. Some, are on this forum... so thats a good start.

Regarding SLS... it has totally been misunderstood by its own practitioners and some of the worst teachers in the world, call themselves "SLS"... too bad for SLS, because it actually has some merit. Its really good for training narrowing of vowels, finding resonance and stopping constriction. In other words, it can give you a foundation that is healthy.

What I believe it lacks is a huge misunderstanding of the intrinsic musculature for singing, what it is, what it can do for you and most importantly how to train it to get really strong for "beefy" belty head voice singing. Learning to really sound huge and belty in the head voice and "pulling" modal voice musculature are skills that have only very recently been figured out and taught by a very small handful of teachers and schools. This more belty configuration is one of several key points that SLS is just not going to help you with in my experience and knowledge of the issue. So many SLS or SS students come to me with good pitch, a little bit of fold closure and a mild ability to bridge into the head voice... but none of it, will hold up under a real heavy song that requires belting or even normal singing most of the time. It can line you out, get you on your feet... but the lack of engagement of intrinsic musculature in the core of the SLS doctrine leaves students underdeveloped.

At best, its a phase one program for beginners and intermediates , but when you get to a certain level of skill and strength, it will not carry you over the goal line.

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What I believe it lacks is a huge misunderstanding of the intrinsic musculature for singing, what it is, what it can do for you and most importantly how to train it to get really strong for "beefy" belty head voice singing.

Isn't the "training of the edge muscles" that Manning advocates exactly training the intrinsic muscles? The exercises focus on actually controlling the vocal folds, controlling the closure, so being able to go from falsetto to full voice (mdv). I've understood that "training the intrinsic musculature" and "intrinsic anchoring" is just activating the muscles that control the voice box specifically. For example, lowering the larynx without engaging extrinsic muscles is really difficult, but doable, right?

I guess what I'm asking is:

Training the intrinsic muscles in practice develops your ability to

- Lower the larynx?

- Increase the closed quotient of the whatnot?

- What?

Because if SLS doesn't do it, and if TVS/Pillars is the pioneer, what is it, in practice, that happens when you "train intrinsic musculature?"

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Khassera, the intrinsic muscles can:

Regulate pitch

Regulate intensity

Change vibratory registers (from your normal voice to your mickey mouse/bee gees voice).

Can you do these? (no need to be super high, on a comfortable pitch)

Yes I can. In fact, I can do all the onsets on Robert's onset video, even the MDV one, which I've understood is supposed to be the hardest to handle. I was just wondering why the pillars is marketed as the first/only school focusing on developing intrinsic muscles to make "vocal athletes." As in is it true that other vocal schools don't achieve it? Is it just a matter of emphasis? As in

School #1 emphasises on singing a bright and open vowel sound to make you better

School #2 emphasises on training the intrinsic muscles to make you better

School #3 emphasises on cord closure without tension to make you better

School #4 emphasises on singing old songs because new songs are vulgar to make you better

School #5 emphasises on wearing red capes and black masks, speaking in tongues and performing ancient danish rituals to make you better

etc.

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Speech Level derived from Keith Davis' teaching in New York in the 60's and 70's. But I think it veered off the path with all the vowel manipulation. Keith's motto and what it said on a sigh on his piano is 'Don't' Do Anything'. Hardly what is taught in modern SLS. I have studied with some of the best SLS teachers in the world and have lectured many times and became very friendly with Seth. He really believes in what he teaches and it shows. I love that guy personally. Not a fan of SLS, it imparts way to much technique on the singer for my taste. You can always hear the 'mix'. Not my cup of tea, to polite. But it has worked for a lot of people and I gotta respect that.

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School #5 emphasises on wearing red capes and black masks, speaking in tongues and performing ancient danish rituals to make you better

etc.

#5 sounds fun but I would have to swap the colors on cape an mask, being a Pisces on the cusp.

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You can always hear the 'mix'.

That's interesting. I think so too, it's kinda narrow sounding. Having trained with SLS it's easy to stay in the mix and sing most songs with it, it feels much easier than actually belting or singing with a bright, wide, beefy tone. The mix is always a bit whiny, although not nasal. It sounds (and feels) "softer" than singing with the bright ping in the voice. It always feels and sounds a bit more covered, but it really is easier to sing with a lower volume in the mix.

I had a friend who thought seeveetee makes all singers sound the same. I dunno about that.

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"It's all the same only the names have changed" also (speech level ss classical extreme cvt voice building) as someone who has studied with many so called maestros and their proteges, the deeper you go down the rabbit hole the more you realize technique is technique. Don't over think this stuff get the basics down and build from there like any other skill. There will always be marketing angles don't worry about that or the bashing of this school of thought or that school. The basics are basics and you will get better and better if you stick to that. The different schools just give you a different list of sensations and different teaching styles.when you find one you gel with stick with it.

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"It's all the same only the names have changed" also

Thanks, Daniel, now, I am going to have that song stuck in my head for a while.

"every day it seems we're wasting away.

Sometimes you tell the day by the bottle that you drink.

Sometimes when you're alone and all you do is think ..."

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as i always say, it depends on how you want to sound........the mind of the singer, their attitude, personality, confidence level, their motivation..etc.

if a singer studied sls and made the most of it, they may end up bigger and beefier than another student who learned ktva or tvs.

there comes a time where you have to just be on your own and figure this all out for yourself.

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