Questions about Twang and Mask

[Black Dog]

I have a few assorted questions:

 

1. How can I tell the difference between twang and regular glottal compression in the sound? That is, I know twang is used because it improves compression, but what is the difference in sound (or specifically in sound color) and sensation between the two?

2.Is twang the same as pharyngeal voice? If not what is the difference?(I have a feeling James Lugo will nail this one)

3.When I try to twang on higher notes my larynx jams up and my sound ends up muffled and with extremely poor ressonance. Any way/exercise to fix this? I'm trying to dampen the larynx as in The Four Pillars, but it still goes up a lot and sound really muffled. Could this be realted to opening up my throat too much to block nose airflow?

4.To use mask properly must air come out of the nose or is the correct technique not having any air come out?

5.Does twang have any relation to mask?

6.If I open my throat a lot, so that no air comes out of my nose and "aim the sound"(don't know how to put this better) at the hard palate, up and forward, does that have a name? Gives a metal ping to my voice, but I don't know why or how. So far I'm not using it.

[Khassera]

I have a few assorted questions:

1. How can I tell the difference between twang and regular glottal compression in the sound? That is, I know twang is used because it improves compression, but what is the difference in sound (or specifically in sound color) and sensation between the two?

2.Is twang the same as pharyngeal voice? If not what is the difference?(I have a feeling James Lugo will nail this one)

3.When I try to twang on higher notes my larynx jams up and my sound ends up muffled and with extremely poor ressonance. Any way/exercise to fix this? I'm trying to dampen the laryng as in The Four Pillars, but it still goes up a lot and sound really muffled.

I'm sure someone will say it: post a sample and it'll be easier to figure out what's going on.

4.To use mask properly must air come out of the nose or is the correct technique not having any air come out?

I've understood that perfect twang should totally eliminate nasality. I think "mask" means to just hold back the air. I might be wrong.

5.Does twang have any relation to mask?

Twang increases the vibrating frequency, mask increases projection (louder with less/same amount of air)

6.If I open my throat a lot, so that no air comes out of my nose and "aim the sound"(don't know how to put this better) at the hard palate, up and forward, does that have a name? Gives a metal ping to my voice, but I don't know why or how. So far I'm not using it.

Sounds like edging.

[Gneetapp]

I always thought that "singing in the mask" meant a forward placement, vibrating in the lips and front teeth. So, as Khassera said, singing in the mask will help with the projection of the sound.

[Black Dog]

Oh yes, and one bonus question, how do I know I'm drying up my vocal folds?

[Khassera]

If your voice starts to sound airy even though you're doing everything like before, or you get hoarse (speaking voive is hoarse), or your throat feels dry/raspy. It's quite intuitive. Nothing during or after singing is supposed to hurt or feel uncomfortable.

[VideoHere]

Can someone tell me how to isolate quotes like in post #2 above?.

[Black Dog]

Can someone tell me

 

Text

 

how to isolate quotes

 Text

like in post #2 above?.

 

Like this?

 

Just click quote on the post you're quoting and copy and paste everything and then edit the various windows, that's what I do. You can also do like I did in examples 2 and 3 above, type {quote="Username"} Quote here{/quote}, as in quote 2 or {quote}Quote here.{/quote}, as quote 3.

Just replace the {} by [].

[Robert Lunte]

Bob, I just sent you a PM... but its the little white "quote" icon on the 2nd row... next to the Pay Pal button... which BTW... regarding the Pay Pal button... that is a very cool little feature... you can embed a pay pal button into the post... so if you wanted to sell a microphone or something, you can just put the "buy now" button right into the post... pretty cool... 

[VideoHere]

 

 

I've understood that perfect twang should totally eliminate nasality. I think "mask" means to just hold back the air. I might be wrong.

 

Twang and Holding back air are two totally different skillsets. Twang narrows your epiglottic funnel to amplify frequency, using less effort.

 

Twang is something that can get tricky because some singers always employ it, others depending on the sound they're going for.

 

 

 

 

[VideoHere]

Ah, I see. You have to click on "More reply options" or you don't get the icons bar.

 

Thanks folks.

[Robert Lunte]

 

I have a few assorted questions:

 

1. How can I tell the difference between twang and regular glottal compression in the sound? That is, I know twang is used because it improves compression, but what is the difference in sound (or specifically in sound color) and sensation between the two?

2.Is twang the same as pharyngeal voice? If not what is the difference?(I have a feeling James Lugo will nail this one)

3.When I try to twang on higher notes my larynx jams up and my sound ends up muffled and with extremely poor ressonance. Any way/exercise to fix this? I'm trying to dampen the larynx as in The Four Pillars, but it still goes up a lot and sound really muffled. Could this be realted to opening up my throat too much to block nose airflow?

4.To use mask properly must air come out of the nose or is the correct technique not having any air come out?

5.Does twang have any relation to mask?

6.If I open my throat a lot, so that no air comes out of my nose and "aim the sound"(don't know how to put this better) at the hard palate, up and forward, does that have a name? Gives a metal ping to my voice, but I don't know why or how. So far I'm not using it.

 

I just saw this... been buried. 

 

Do you have "The Four Pillars of Singing'? If so, what version do you have?

 

To answer your question: 

 

 

 

1. How can I tell the difference between twang and regular glottal compression in the sound? That is, I know twang is used because it improves compression, but what is the difference in sound (or specifically in sound color) and sensation between the two?

 

You can't, because glottal compression is a physical action that happens in your larynx... it describes the result of a muscular contraction.. namely, the Aryepiglottic Sphincter and his buddies... Twang is an arbitrary, "picture word"... its a metaphor to describe a physical configuration of the larynx... You can't hear a picture word or an idea... so cutting to the chase, you don't really hear twang, what you are hearing is the sound of the vocal folds compressing and resonating in your vocal tract... so they aren't the same thing at all.  Also, one is the cause, the other is the response. When we engage twang, the vocal folds compress.

 

 

 

2.Is twang the same as pharyngeal voice? If not what is the difference?(I have a feeling James Lugo will nail this one)

 

Not exactly, but they are related. When you sing "pharyngeal" you are using vocal twang mode to help you do it. It is a term that has never been real clear to me either, but from what I gather, when James uses that term, I believe he is referring to twanging pretty hard inside of M2... but he can correct me if Im not tracking his talk-track properly here.

 

 

 

3.When I try to twang on higher notes my larynx jams up and my sound ends up muffled and with extremely poor ressonance. Any way/exercise to fix this? I'm trying to dampen the larynx as in The Four Pillars, but it still goes up a lot and sound really muffled. Could this be realted to opening up my throat too much to block nose airflow?

 

As Khassera points out... please give us an audio file we can STREAM to listen to... Please don't make us download a file.  There is no way anyone could give you an exercise to "fix this" on a forum comment box, with no audio sample. But... if you voice is getting "jammed" up, then your constricting most likely and that constriction is coming from another source... not your effort to twang, but something else, such as your embouchure is totally collapsed... Chances are you are near the passaggio when that starts to happen and what you need to do is work top-down onsets and decent into that position and just release the constriction first, or do bottom-up sirens with lift up / pull back movements... you have to release your constriction 1st before anything else... 

 

If you have "4Pillars", at that point it would be wise to start working the resistance training onsets; A&R, D&R, Q&R and C&R. in particular, D&R with sirens that pull the CT through the passaggio... the basic issue is likely... that your larynx has no anchoring or positioning, which is essentially what your reporting as well...

 

 

 

4.To use mask properly must air come out of the nose or is the correct technique not having any air come out?

 

Air comes out of your nose, whether you want it to or not, whether your singing or not. But no, in singing, when don't make any significant exhalations out the nose... not efficient and you could get a booger whistle in the mic... we do sometimes inhale through the nose, but then again, its not as efficient as through the mouth and I refer you to the booger whistle problem again.

 

 

 

5.Does twang have any relation to mask?

 

Yes, the sound energy that resonates in the "mask"... (which BTW is just another picture word... we don't really wear real masks when we sing... well, maybe if your singing Phantom of the Opera or sing for Skip Knot, but...).  I will say this, the "mask" will amplify if you engage isolated vocal twang compressions into forward resonant vowels or "edging" vowels in TVS terminology...  twang is an amplifier to the mask.

 

 

 

"aim the sound"(don't know how to put this better) at the hard palate, up and forward, does that have a name? Gives a metal ping to my voice, but I don't know why or how. So far I'm not using it.

 

What your describing there is a decent explanation for Edging vowels. I refer you to the TVS acoustic modes... understand how to amplify your edging vowels and you are winning a big part of the challenge to become a better singer... as for your "nose breathing" issue, it doesn't make much sense and is just confused notions that don't really mean anything.

 

These are a lot of questions... if you are my student, I would advise that you get in front of me and take a Skype lesson so we can do this properly... at least upload a file we can hear. 

[Black Dog]

Thanks a lot Robert! I'll upload a file when possible.