Vocal Health

[Maestro87]

I am currently studying pedagogy and and vocal health and rehabilitation while pursuing my Music Education degree.  I have been reading the boards and have been realizing that there is a lot of misconception about voice types, voice problems, vocal production, control, range, choir and choral singing, and other aspects that I am well acquainted with.  I teach voice over the summer in Arlington, TX and like to help others with topics that I know I am capable of giving sound advice over.  If you have any questions, ask away.

[Ladyn]

Hi maestro87! 
Thank you so much for sharing with us your knowledge!!! I really appreciate your thoughtfulness and willingness to help.

I have had vocal training in HS and college so I have learned a lot, but wish I was able to take a course just on vocal pedagogy. I do have an understanding about how my own voice works, and I learned to sing correctly. 

I am an alto and my range is from G below Middle C to D  one octave away. I hope that makes sense.  My passagio is Bb above middle C.  How do I eliminate (or at least make it not quite so obvious) the lift that occurs there? What exercises do you recommend for that?

 I sing soprano at my church because we don't have  but one whose voice is so low  you can't hear her, and I am feeling a bit strained sometimes due to really being outside of my range.  I also teach the parts to the Praise and Worship team and just convinced them that they need to learn how to warm up and cool down etc.   

I would also like some tips on teaching people to hear and match pitch and maintain their part when someone is not singing the same part next to them.  I have begun using different 3 part harmony techniques I learned in college, but they seem too hard.   Any suggestions will help. 

Also I have one potential member that can't just sing what she hears, she has to see sheet music??? Should I score out everything for her, or teach her to sing by ear from the start? She has a lovely soprano voice btw!!!!


Thank you so much!

Nichole

[Maestro87]

In terms of getting past the lift/break in your voice, You have to feel and not listen for what is occuring in your vocal chords.  Going into that higher voice range will require a relaxed throat and proper voewl placement.  Go through all of your vowel sounds and notice what your mouth is using to make those sounds (tongue or lips).  When doing the "oo" sound make the sound feel like it is buzzing through your lips and make sure that your lips are puckered.  No more than a pinky should fit into the space between your lips.  Whenever you begin to sing, imagine the sound and the air rolling off the roof of your mouth right behind your teeth.  If you are doing it correctly then it will sound bigger to everyone else smaller to you.  When you produce correct voewl placement, you are adjusting your internal acoutsics to reverberate outward and not inward.  The more sound you here inward the less sound is being produced outward.

Singing soprano when you are not a soprano will damage your vocal chords PERMANENTLY.  Stop doing that.  Train your praise and worship team to listen rather than "just sang".  If they listen, they will be able to hear and adjust to the different volumes of the voices.  Also, talk to your media team and do sound checks to adjust the levels of the microphones to your P&W teams' voices.

Teach some old hyms that have simple melodies and harmonies.  Teach them EXTREMELY SLOW.  It will be tedious but well worth it.  Teach them over a few weeks even if they have it down and then begin to rearrange them slowly and whenever they lose their part, stop, correct, and encourage.  It will not be something corrected overnight.  To fully fix the problem, you will have to pick some simpler songs for practice purposes and then progress to higher levels.

With that, you might have to help her seperately.  The techniques listed above should help her as well.  You will probably need to do a little with sheet music but teach the bulk of the song by ear and then begin to ween her off of the sheet music.

Everything with music is a process and it will take time.  Depending on the type of learners you have, it may take longer or shorter than what you hope.

[Holy Roller]

Maestro


what is vocal rehabilitation ? who is it for ? what kind of instruction do you give for V R.

Is it for someone who has stripped thier voice from screaming , or developed noguls?


what do you do with female voices that can't seem to reach any notes due to the change of life, surgeries,etc
I have a number of cases like that. I've moved some of them into the tenor range but even at that they often struggle.
have you heard of this before ?

can you name some of the things that you recommend for vocal health?
I have a handout i give and want to see if there is anything New I can add to it.

what do you do with young voices that are nasally,pitchy, and notes always seem to be slightly off.
I've been working with some of these youth for 2 years and they just don't seem to able to "get it".

thanks I appreaciate any advice you can give

[Holy Roller]

Hi maestro87! 
Thank you so much for sharing with us your knowledge!!! I really appreciate your thoughtfulness and willingness to help.

I have had vocal training in HS and college so I have learned a lot, but wish I was able to take a course just on vocal pedagogy. I do have an understanding about how my own voice works, and I learned to sing correctly. 

I am an alto and my range is from G below Middle C to D  one octave away. I hope that makes sense.  My passagio is Bb above middle C.  How do I eliminate (or at least make it not quite so obvious) the lift that occurs there? What exercises do you recommend for that?

 I sing soprano at my church because we don't have  but one whose voice is so low  you can't hear her, and I am feeling a bit strained sometimes due to really being outside of my range.  I also teach the parts to the Praise and Worship team and just convinced them that they need to learn how to warm up and cool down etc.   

I would also like some tips on teaching people to hear and match pitch and maintain their part when someone is not singing the same part next to them.  I have begun using different 3 part harmony techniques I learned in college, but they seem too hard.   Any suggestions will help. 

Also I have one potential member that can't just sing what she hears, she has to see sheet music??? Should I score out everything for her, or teach her to sing by ear from the start? She has a lovely soprano voice btw!!!!


Thank you so much!

Nichole

ladyn

would you mind sharing those harmonic techniges or let me know where I can get ahold of the literature??
I would REALLY like to know this please thanks

[LyricTenor]

*rubs his hands together in anticipation*

I know that I'm gonna get quite a bit of knowledge from here once you guys start speaking ENGLISH!!   

[Maestro87]

Maestro


what is vocal rehabilitation ? who is it for ? what kind of instruction do you give for V R.

Is it for someone who has stripped thier voice from screaming , or developed noguls?


what do you do with female voices that can't seem to reach any notes due to the change of life, surgeries,etc
I have a number of cases like that. I've moved some of them into the tenor range but even at that they often struggle. have you heard of this before ?

can you name some of the things that you recommend for vocal health?
I have a handout i give and want to see if there is anything New I can add to it.

what do you do with young voices that are nasally,pitchy, and notes always seem to be slightly off.
I've been working with some of these youth for 2 years and they just don't seem to able to "get it".

thanks I appreaciate any advice you can give

Vocal rehabilitation is the study of techniques and factors that cause damage to the voice and how to repare them.

Regarding female voices that have had surgeries and growing older in age, the best way to approach voices with those problems is to take on each of them one at a time.  I would need more information to give you a proper preliminary diagnosis.  Normally, those types of vocal problems are caused by scarring of the throat tissue causing swelling and problems relaxing the larynx.  The best thing to teach them is proper technique and make sure that they do not sing without it.  Normally when we are hoarse or sick we change our way of singing to compensate.  That is the WRONG thing to do.  Teach them to still use their technique and get plenty of rest and fluids and always warm up.

For some basic techniques for good health look up the Singer's Diet.  One think to stay away from before you sing is dairy.  Dairy products produce a lot of mucas and when you sing it loosens the mucas and inhibits the voice from reaching its full potential.  No yelling, screaming, or singing at the top of your lungs for long periods of time.  Proper rest and warming up is VERY IMPORTANT.  I recommend waking up and beginning to lightly warm up at least 2 hours before singing.  There are a lot of basic things that can be done and chances are that you probably already know them but have not employed them.  I am the same way.  Try and stress the importance of the techniques that you use to your students.

Might I ask how old are your younger students currently?

[Maestro87]

Read this article.  This voice teacher is somebody who I have been following her work for most of my studies.  She can provide you with some awesome information in this article.
http://www.voiceteacher.com/mathis.html

[Maestro87]

Here is another article full of awesome information.
http://singtip.blogspot.com/2007/06/vocal-survival-techniques-for-singers.html

[OleJ]

What foods should be avoided prior to singing, and are there any recommended foods or drinks that may help vocal cord health such as hot tea?
And, do you recommend keeping a bottle of water at hand while rehearsing and performing to keep the vocal cords hydrated?

[Maestro87]

Apples, Apples, Apples.  Not apple juice, or apple sauce, just Apples.  They are the best food to eat before singing.  The juice in apples cuts the mucus in the throat.

In regards to having water while you perform and rehearse, that is a yes.  A room temperature bottle of water is always great to have.  When you are singing a lot of air is passing over the throat at a fast pace which causes the throat to dry out.  The best thing to do is to begin drinking water about a half an hour before you sing.  That allows time for the water to move through the body and get to the inside of the throat and not just the outer layer.  If you have a small bladder, make sure you leave yourself a little time to go to the restroom before performing.  A hydrated throat is always a great thing when it comes to singing and water is the best lubricant because it does not have any sugars or artifical addictives in it.

[Holy Roller]

maestro
i'm loving all this great information- soaking it up like a sponge lol !thank you for taking the time.

as soon as my work slows down i will respond and have more Questions 

the young sopranos i am working with are 12-16
they sound like little church mice for jesus 

[Maestro87]

Ages 12 to 16 year olds are in the voice changing phase.  Their voices normally will not have a lot of power or girth behind them.

As for the pitch problem.  Make up some simple listening exercises for them to do.  Get a metronome or have the drummer keep a steady tempo and play a note for 8 counts then wait 8 counts and have them repeat the pitch back to you for 4 counts.  Each time you do that shorten the length of time to wait and then shorten the length of time the sounds before they reproduce it.  When they are comfortable with that add simple melodies and lengthen the time accordingly to how long the melody is to how long you give them to reproduce it back to you effectively.  This drill is more about the precision of the notes rather than the speed.  Keep doing that regularly and begin to make the harmonies a bit harder and a bit longer and then they will begin to hear their part more effectively and maintain it.  If they mess up try it again.  It is tedious but the ending result will be worth it.

For nasal singers, have them hold their noses and sing some nursery rhymes or hymns that are in their comfortable middle-low range and then begins to raise it.  A couple of them probably will not be able to do it.  If they are resonating improperly then they will not be able to sound their pitches without their nose being open.  Another possible problem is the fact that their soft palate is not raised in their mouth.

Take some empty toilet paper rolls and have them:
Inhale through that for 8 counts and "hiss" out for 8 counts then have them
Inhale for 8 counts and hiss for 12 counts
Inhale for 6 counts and hiss for 12 counts
Inhale for 4 counts and hiss for 16 counts

Then explain to them that they need to take that same breathing technique and support their coive with it everytime they sing.  If you see their shoulders rise then they are not inhaling correctly.  Immediately stop and explain that someone was not breathing correctly and have them sing it again.  Always encouraging them to visualize and keep that same open space they had in their throats when they were using the toilet paper rolls.  Using the term "yawn breathing" seems to always help.  With proper breath support, it should help their tone darken for a better, not so piercing sound.

[Ladyn]

In terms of getting past the lift/break in your voice, You have to feel and not listen for what is occuring in your vocal chords.  Going into that higher voice range will require a relaxed throat and proper voewl placement.  Go through all of your vowel sounds and notice what your mouth is using to make those sounds (tongue or lips).  When doing the "oo" sound make the sound feel like it is buzzing through your lips and make sure that your lips are puckered.  No more than a pinky should fit into the space between your lips.  Whenever you begin to sing, imagine the sound and the air rolling off the roof of your mouth right behind your teeth.  If you are doing it correctly then it will sound bigger to everyone else smaller to you.  When you produce correct voewl placement, you are adjusting your internal acoutsics to reverberate outward and not inward.  The more sound you here inward the less sound is being produced outward.

Singing soprano when you are not a soprano will damage your vocal chords PERMANENTLY.  Stop doing that.  Train your praise and worship team to listen rather than "just sang".  If they listen, they will be able to hear and adjust to the different volumes of the voices.  Also, talk to your media team and do sound checks to adjust the levels of the microphones to your P&W teams' voices.

Teach some old hyms that have simple melodies and harmonies.  Teach them EXTREMELY SLOW.  It will be tedious but well worth it.  Teach them over a few weeks even if they have it down and then begin to rearrange them slowly and whenever they lose their part, stop, correct, and encourage.  It will not be something corrected overnight.  To fully fix the problem, you will have to pick some simpler songs for practice purposes and then progress to higher levels.

With that, you might have to help her seperately.  The techniques listed above should help her as well.  You will probably need to do a little with sheet music but teach the bulk of the song by ear and then begin to ween her off of the sheet music.

Everything with music is a process and it will take time.  Depending on the type of learners you have, it may take longer or shorter than what you hope.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond.  I have started helping the soprano that only reads music seperately and that has helped.  I will be telling my MOM that I can not sing soprano anymore.  The reason I have been able to so far is because the piano player can only play in certain keys, and most of our songs are very low in terms of where the melody is.  I am working with them to learn to play in all 12 keys!!

Thanks again for your encouragement. I would also like to add that you should not have caffeine or ice cold beverages  before singing because they constrict the vocal chords.  Room temperature water is best. 

Nichole

[chrissssssss]

Maestro do u have a myspace account

[thatsmeonthemike]

Hi  Maestro87,


I would like to learn how to make my voice hoarse while singing.  Ok, I know the question sounds silly, but I'm having a hard time explaining what I mean.  I guess the best examples would be, Daryl Coley, Benita Washington, John P kee, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, and many other male and female gospel artist.  They usually make their voices sound kinda hoarse or like they are growling and singing at the same time.  This usually happens at the end of the song.  It's hard on a brother singing gospel music, and not being able to "go off" while I'm singing.  I think people expect that when singing Gospel.   I know I do.

I would love to be able to sing with more power and range, like Donnie Mc Clurkin.  I also get light headed when I sing too high in my chest voice, and when I sing loud.  I don't even like warming up, because I get light headed while doing it.

I attend a Baptist church where all lead singers (male and female) are known for their controlled yelling, lol.  You know what I mean.  They can sing at the top of their lungs, growling throughout the whole song and not miss a note.   

I've spoken with a friend of mine who teaches classical voice, and he says it's not good to push the voice like gospel singers do.  So I'm hoping you can actually give me some tips to produce the loud controlled gospel growl, since my boy won't help me.

 

[OleJ]

I don't know much about vocal health, but you may be potentially putting your vocal chords at risk for damage trying to push your voice like that. I once pushed my voice too far in choir rehearsal, my voice was raspy and weird sounding for a few days afterwards. I got worried at one point, but it healed and got back to normal. I'm glad I didn't do damage like James Cleveland did. He pushed his voice too far once when he was a teenager and damaged his vocal chords. As a result, his voice developed its trademark rasp for the rest of his life.

[Maestro87]

Hi  Maestro87,


I would like to learn how to make my voice hoarse while singing.  Ok, I know the question sounds silly, but I'm having a hard time explaining what I mean.  I guess the best examples would be, Daryl Coley, Benita Washington, John P kee, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, and many other male and female gospel artist.  They usually make their voices sound kinda hoarse or like they are growling and singing at the same time.  This usually happens at the end of the song.  It's hard on a brother singing gospel music, and not being able to "go off" while I'm singing.  I think people expect that when singing Gospel.   I know I do.

I would love to be able to sing with more power and range, like Donnie Mc Clurkin.  I also get light headed when I sing too high in my chest voice, and when I sing loud.  I don't even like warming up, because I get light headed while doing it.

I attend a Baptist church where all lead singers (male and female) are known for their controlled yelling, lol.  You know what I mean.  They can sing at the top of their lungs, growling throughout the whole song and not miss a note.   

I've spoken with a friend of mine who teaches classical voice, and he says it's not good to push the voice like gospel singers do.  So I'm hoping you can actually give me some tips to produce the loud controlled gospel growl, since my boy won't help me.

 

Your voice teacher was correct in they said.  The best way to produce that sound without damaging your vocal chords would come from you gaining complete control over your vocal chords and having them completely connected when you sing.  Ask your voice teacher for help with that.  When you gain complete control over your vocal chords you can then begin to experiment with different styles of vocal trills to produce that "growl" sound.  Smokie Norful uses that technique.  It gives a nice full growl sound without the harsh after effects.  Listen to his song "I Need You Now."

[Maestro87]

Maestro do u have a myspace account

Yes I do have a myspace account.  Here it is www.myspace.com/bigdigger87

[crystal62087]

I am currently studying pedagogy and and vocal health and rehabilitation while pursuing my Music Education degree.  I have been reading the boards and have been realizing that there is a lot of misconception about voice types, voice problems, vocal production, control, range, choir and choral singing, and other aspects that I am well acquainted with.  I teach voice over the summer in Arlington, TX and like to help others with topics that I know I am capable of giving sound advice over.  If you have any questions, ask away.

my name is crystal and i wanted to know what i can do to learn how to control my voice and to learn different types of techiniques that  allow me to sound much better when i sing. How do you prospose that i can do that.