Tip of the Month 9

Preparing singers for careers in music

Patricia Feltmann,

Singing instructor

Tip of the month

This summer I was privileged to go to Winchester, Virginia where I studied Somatic Voicework© at Shenandoah University with Jeanette LoVetri. It was a wonderful, but very long and intense seminar. I received 3 graduate level credits in just 9 days. I thought I would share some of the information I received.

While much teaching singing is auditory and visual, there are a few things I can relate to you in print.

One of the main points that Ms. LoVetri emphasizes is that using a mixed voice, a voice between the lean or chest voice and the head or classical voice, is the most versatile voice for contemporary applications. That was very affirming to me to hear, since I have been working on that very thing to help students increase their range in all styles, except classical music. New to me was the idea of doing the same for male voices and using a mix between the head voice and the falsetto.

She had some very concrete ideas for how to achieve the mixed voice. With most singers start first by establishing the difference between the pure head voice and the pure lean voice in all singers, and the falsetto in men. Then, working from the lean voice in the female and a focused, talk-y head voice in men, work through a gradual change into the mix voice by singing ascending phrases. Understanding what the mix voice sounds like is impossible in an article such as this, but if you focus on gradually changing and being very relaxed, it’s something you can experiment with on your own.

Relaxation is key to all singing, and this includes learning the mix voice. The areas of relaxation that seem to be the most important in finding the mix voice are the relaxation of the jaw and the tongue, especially the base of the tongue. Sticking the tongue out a little so that it is touching the lower lip can help with tongue relaxation.

If you are suddenly jumping to another register instead of gradually changing, try tipping your head up a little as though you were taking a drink from a glass, or say the words to your song. This will refocus your voice into the lean voice which is more similar to talking.

If your voice is getting stuck and won’t go higher, or is tense, or flat as you try to go higher, try some things that will engage your head voice or falsetto, such as singing a high “oo”, or speaking in a high, cartoon character voice.

Sometimes using too loud a volume can cause a singer to push the voice into the pitch. While you may be able to get the note that way, it will often be tense and not as pleasant sounding as it should be. Find your sound at a moderate or moderately quiet volume first, then work on being able to sing that sound louder without adding tension.

The goal is to find a voice that has a wider range than the full lean voice, but still has the characteristic, contemporary sound of the lean voice. Remember, freedom and relaxation are key to being able to achieve a mixed voice sound as well as key to having a beautiful sound.

Happy Singing!

Date: 11/17/07