INSTRUCTOR MANUAL
© 2009 Speech Level Singing International (SLS Inc.) This manual is intended for internal circulation within the pre-certified and certified instructor base only. Each instructor must purchase a manual for personal use. Instructors are advised that this manual, in whole or in part, is not to be copied or distributed to anyone outside the SLS network. However, individual charts included in this manual may be copied for personal use and educational purposes by SLS instructors. Disclaimer: GRAMMY(R) is a registered trademark of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences and we are not affiliated with the GRAMMY Awards or the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Use of the SLS technique does not guarantee a GRAMMY Award. For more information: Speech Level Singing International 137 North Larchmont Ave. #661 Los Angeles, CA 90004 +1 323 936 4873
[email protected] www.speechlevelsinging.com
Table of Contents CHAPTER 1
SETH RIGGS AND THE HISTORY OF SLS The Beginning of the SLS Organization SLS Teacher Training Current Hierarchy Test Your Knowledge of Chapter One
CHAPTER 2
WHAT IS SPEECH LEVEL SINGING? Speech Level Singing Defined Why Do Singers Need This Training? How Is SLS Different From Other Methods? Test Your Knowledge of Chapter Two
CHAPTER 3
HOW IT WORKS - STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION The Larynx SLS and the Larynx The Vocal Cords SLS and the Vocal Cords Why SLS Works Breath and Vocal Cord Function SLS and Breathing SLS and Volume Vibrato Test Your Knowledge of Chapter Three
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CHAPTER 4
SLS PEDAGOGY - REGISTRATION AND BRIDGES Chest Voice, Mix and Head Voice Resonance Incorrect Methods of Vocal Production SLS – The Better Way Chest and Head Registers the SLS Way Bridges, Vowel Narrowing, Mix Resonance Transfer/Split Resonance Three Things Within a Singer's Control Test Your Knowledge of Chapter Four
CHAPTER 5
CORE CONCEPTS - CAUSATIONAL TEACHING Cause and Effect Teaching from Objectives Two Primary Goals Vocal Cord Adduction, Low Larynx Stabilization Release and Connection Test Your Knowledge of Chapter Five
CHAPTER 6
CORE CONCEPTS - DIAGNOSIS AND SOLUTIONS Tends To’s Objectives The Four Questions The Tools Vowels Consonants Scales Voice SLS Toolbox The Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction Tends To’s and Tool Solutions Test Your Knowledge of Chapter Six
CHAPTER 7
BEST PRACTICES AND SLS TEACHING METHODOLOGY Planning, Delivery and Reflection Rapport Teaching the First Lesson Teaching Successive Lessons Using the Six Steps for Planning and Reflection Test Your Knowledge of Chapter Seven
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CHAPTER 8
INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY: THE SLS ROADMAP FOR VOCAL DEVELOPMENT The SLS Roadmap for Vocal Development Lesson Flow Sample Lesson Flow for Each Tends To Transitioning to Songs Tends To’s and The SLS Roadmap for Vocal Development Tools and the SLS Roadmap for Vocal Development Test Your Knowledge of Chapter Eight
CHAPTER 9
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED - TEACHER SURVEY RESULTS Teacher Survey Questions and Answers Test Your Knowledge of Chapter Nine
CHAPTER 10
THE ART OF TEACHING Increasing Motivation and Student Success Test Your Knowledge of Chapter Ten
CHAPTER 11
SETH SPEAKS Interviews with Seth Riggs Test Your Knowledge of Chapter Eleven
CHAPTER 12
CODE OF ETHICS
CHAPTER 13
REFERENCE CHARTS TO COPY SLS Toolbox SLS Basic Scales Vowel Narrowing Chart SLS Roadmap for Vocal Development IMT Feedback Form for Recorded Lessons Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction Tools and the SLS Roadmap for Vocal Development Lesson Planning Template Lesson Planning with the Six Steps Self Evaluation Sheet Four Questions Chart Student Record Chart
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1
Seth Riggs and the History of SLS FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT SETH RIGGS Seth Riggs is considered by many to be the best and most successful voice teacher in the world. He is certainly the busiest. Recording artists, opera singers, musical theater performers, actors, directors, and producers all rely on Seth Riggs for help. Whether he is called to train voices for recordings or tours, supply singers for concerts or movies, troubleshoot in the studio, or fix vocal problems on the set, Seth Riggs is the man to whom the professionals entrust their careers.
Seth Riggs
Who is he? Why do so many music business professionals rely on him? Seth Riggs has dedicated his life to the study of voice. A singer since childhood, Seth’s lifelong dedication to understanding how the voice really works eventually resulted in the unique and innovative approach to voice known today as Speech Level Singing. Seth’s first professional job was as a boy soprano for the prestigious Washington National Cathedral Boys Choir. He was so moved by his experiences there that he found himself returning to the chapel after each performance, silently asking at the main altar, “How can I continue in music?”
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He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Johns Hopkins University with an Opera major from the Peabody Conservatory and a Master’s degree in Opera Theater from the Manhattan School of Music. Additional private study included lessons with John Charles Thomas, Robert Weede, Tito Schipa, and Helge Roswaenge. However, in spite of receiving music degrees from two prestigious music institutions, he still felt that the information he had been given regarding head and chest voice coordination was incomplete. Seth sang with the New York City Opera Company on 55
th
Street for five years and was a
member of the first New York City Opera Company at Lincoln Center. He spent three years in Broadway shows playing leading roles, including Lun Tha in The King and I with Barbara Cook, Starbuck in 110 in the Shade, and the juvenile lead in Do Re Mi with Phil Silvers and Nancy Walker. Beginning in 1949, while performing in New York City, Seth taught voice with a studio of 65 pupils, and in 1967 he moved to Los Angeles, California, where his studio consisted primarily of musical theatre singers. While teaching, Seth began to formulate his approach to the connection between chest and head register and to assemble the intuitive insights about vocal registration that eventually resulted in Speech Level Singing (SLS) technique. Seth was also engaged as a vocal therapist for Dr. Henry Rubin, Dr. Hans Von Leden, and Dr. Edward Kantor, who referred postoperative vocal patients for rehabilitation. Many singers came for lessons and vocal therapy, but one significant patient changed the course of Seth’s career. That student was Stevie Wonder. Stevie came for postoperative care on the advice of Dr. Henry Rubin after undergoing vocal surgery. Producer Quincy Jones was so impressed with the results Stevie experienced that he began sending artists such as Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, and Natalie Cole to Seth in order to help them improve their vocal ability, strength, and style. His reputation expanded to the world of cinema when film director Martin Scorsese called him to work with Liza Minelli. Seth then began to receive more requests for help from film and theater industry actors and directors, including Steven Spielberg, Bob Fosse, and Oliver Stone. Seth Riggs was now a force to be reckoned with – a teacher who was successfully transforming the singing of students in ALL genres.
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Underlying Seth Riggs’ quest for knowledge was the influence of Italian singers Antonio Cotogni and Mattia Battistini, and teachers Riccardo Stracciari, Antonio Scotti, and Giuseppe De Luca, who all sang with great freedom while maintaining seamless melodic movement and no changes in registration.
Seth believes the Speech Level
Singing technique he eventually developed was not a new invention, but the uncovering and re-establishment of the purest approach to singing used by the greatest Italian opera singers of all time during the bel canto period.
Bel canto (Belcanto, bel canto – Italian for “beautiful singing”) is an Italian musical term that refers to the art and science of a vocal technique originating in Italy during the late 16th century, which reached
Speech Level Singing is essentially the restoration of the original form of bel canto (which means “beautiful singing”), th
its pinnacle in the early part of the 19th century.
emanating from the 17 century Italian Schola Contorum. In the bel canto school, the voice is used in a healthy, efficient, and natural manner, with excellent “bridging”, and the same premise underlies SLS vocal production. SLS trains singers to sing with a healthy, efficient, and natural vocal production that easily extends to all genres and styles of music. The term “Speech Level Singing” has become identified with Seth Riggs’ technique because the positioning and usage of the physical mechanics involved in sound production closely resemble that of pure speech. Rather than producing a forced or manipulated vocal quality, SLS singers embody the art of bel canto, or beautiful, natural singing.
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SETH RIGGS’ STUDENTS The following singers are only a small representation of the astounding list of stars that have studied with Seth Riggs. Popular singers include: Ray Charles, Anita Baker, James Ingram, Barbra Streisand, Natalie Cole, Tamia, Michael Jackson, Michael Bolton, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Julio Iglesias, Stevie Wonder, Josh Groban (first album only), Dusty Springfield, and Tina Turner.
Tamia
Natalie Cole
Stevie Wonder
Musical Theatre/Broadway singers include: Carol Burnett, Jeremy Irons, Richard Chamberlain, Nancy Dussault, Bernadette Peters, Leila Florentino, Peter Gallagher, Chita Rivera, Whoopi Goldberg, Douglas Sills, Robert Guillaume, Ben Vereen, and Derin Altay. Classical and opera singers include: Metropolitan Opera singers Rodney Gilfry (lyric baritone), Donald Ray Albert (bass baritone), Angela Maria Blasi (lyric soprano), Eduardo Villa (tenor), and four Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition Winners in New York. His student Philip Webb (spinto tenor) was included with Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, and Luciano Pavarotti on a new recording from Brussels, Belgium, for Reader’s Digest. Seth Riggs truly is the “Teacher to the Stars”, and the man behind “The Technique of Legends”. For a more complete list of Seth Riggs’ students, please visit his website at www.sethriggs.com.
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THE BEGINNING OF THE SLS ORGANIZATION As Seth Riggs’ name and reputation continued to spread favorably among singers and actors of all genres, critics emerged who tried to disprove the validity of the technique. As a result of friction created due to misinterpretations of the processes designed within the new technique, Seth was fired or chose to resign from several university positions and music organizations, including a branch of NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing), California Institute of Performing Arts, and California State University at Fullerton. At that time, there were many people teaching Seth’s method – some were former students, while others were using Seth’s book Singing for the Stars as a guide to their teaching but had never personally studied with him. This became a real concern for Seth as he sought to protect the integrity of the vocal technique he had developed. This concern was shared by another man – Dave Stroud. Dave came to California in 1989 from Utah to devote his life to studying the work of Seth Riggs. He spent years observing Seth’s teaching and analyzing what Seth did intuitively. This resulted in the creation of a unique and logical approach to vocal training especially designed for teachers who had come to believe that the “status quo” in voice teaching was no longer acceptable. Along with Seth’s late wife Kathleen, Dave was determined to protect the purity of Seth’s approach. Together they began to devise a Dave Stroud
certification process to educate teachers. Dave’s vision was to create an organization of voice teachers who were as passionately committed as he was to preserving the integrity of Seth’s teaching.
From 1995–1999, Dave struggled to realize his vision, despite having been told many times that such an organization would never work, that voice teachers could not work together toward a shared vision, and that his ideas would never be successful. However, because of his great persistence, determination, and vision, Dave refused to give up on his goal to create a community of voice teachers with a passion for great teaching. By 2000, the certification process was in place, with seven certified teachers.
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By 2008, over 700 teachers were in the certification process, and the technique continues to rapidly grow and spread throughout the world. Thanks to exceptional leadership and vision, SLS has expanded to include the Summer Vocal Program, the mySLSworld Internet Community, collaboration with American Idol, international product sales, educational outreach, and certification and training of teachers in countries including the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, Austria, Italy, Germany, France, Denmark, Poland, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Singapore, with interest in Speech Level Singing growing daily in many other areas of the world. The branding and positioning of “Seth Riggs” has now become bigger than the man. With a network of certified instructors around the world, Seth’s legacy will continue to impact the lives of singers and teachers in generations to come. The power of Seth Riggs is in the integrity, heart, and passion of the man himself – a passion that has inspired and shaped the voices of millions of singers worldwide.
At the very heart of it all remains his quest for knowledge about how the
voice works and his desire to develop a technique that can be used by all singers in any language, style, or genre of music. Great teachers are perpetual students – they are always learning. Seth Riggs is such a teacher. Dave Stroud’s singular focus to capture and translate all that Seth is and does resulted in an organization built around integrity, education, and continued professional and musical growth. His desire to see Seth’s methods promoted with purity and integrity have given the world something to depend on – voice teachers who can truly make a difference. What started with one man has evolved into a continually growing organization of dedicated teachers who all share a common purpose – to teach a healthy vocal technique that enables singers to unleash their potential and experience the joy of singing well throughout a lifetime.
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SLS TEACHER TRAINING Teachers must undergo a certification process before they are allowed to teach Speech Level Singing technique or to claim any association with the name Seth Riggs or Speech Level Singing. Certification to teach SLS requires regular and ongoing professional development.
Teacher
training is specifically designed to help teachers become not only outstanding instructors but also to remain on the leading edge of vocal science and education. SLS teacher training is delivered by Seth Riggs and a team of Master Teachers, collectively known as the Instructor Management Team (IMT). IMT events are held in numerous major cities around the world for the purpose of educating SLS teachers and bringing Speech Level Singing to the community at large. IMTs hold Masterclasses, give private lessons, and observe teachers while they teach students in order to provide effective feedback. Public Masterclasses may be attended by anyone with an interest in learning more about Speech Level Singing. Every SLS teacher who is committed to their teaching should fully participate in all IMT events in the local area. They should also encourage all of their students to attend SLS Masterclasses during every IMT event. Additionally, teachers should assist in spreading the word about IMT events to their communities - church members, schools, theatre companies - any acquaintances who might benefit from a greater understanding of Speech Level Singing. In addition to participation in local IMT events, teachers are highly encouraged to attend the annual Summer Vocal Program and Teachers’ Conference. All of these educational opportunities are designed to give teachers SLS-specific skills and knowledge that is difficult or impossible to find elsewhere. SLS events also provide an invaluable opportunity to network with other professionals who are dedicated to the art and science of teaching voice.
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WHAT IS A MASTERCLASS?
•
An exceptional opportunity to study from a “Master Teacher” – a person who has a legacy of successful teaching, training, and methodology.
This term commonly
occurs in the “Arts” fields, including music, singing, acting, and dance.
•
The Master Teacher is a world-renowned expert in his/her field, with numerous credits, accolades, and awards for exceptional accomplishments in his or her area of expertise.
•
A Masterclass is given in order to allow local students the opportunity to learn from a teacher who has attained “Master Teacher” status.
•
Students who are not selected to sing during Masterclasses will learn equally by observing other students working with the Master Teacher.
Students benefit
tremendously from the information they receive, as well as from the opportunity to meet a successful industry professional.
•
A Masterclass may focus on pedagogy or application to style, or may be given to introduce SLS to a community.
•
Attendance at Masterclasses allows all SLS teachers and students in a community to get to know one another and become more unified.
•
Advanced students who are ready for a career in music are able to draw upon the connection with the Master Teacher for networking in the industry, and a Master Teacher may refer exceptionally talented students to other professionals who can assist them in the advancement of their careers.
•
Anyone with an interest in Speech Level Singing is encouraged to attend SLS Masterclasses.
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CURRENT SPEECH LEVEL SINGING INTERNATIONAL HIERARCHY !
Seth Riggs, President
!
David Stroud, CEO
!
Chuck Meyer, COO
!
Dean Kaelin, Point IMT-IE
!
John Henny, Point IMT-ID
!
IMT (Instructor Management Team)
!
Group of Instructor Developers – Group of Instructor Evaluators
!
Spencer Welch, Point EAG
!
EAG (Educational Advisory Group)
!
Instructors, Levels 1–5
For more information, please visit: !
Speech Level Singing International www.speechlevelsinging.com
!
Seth Riggs Vocal Studio
www.sethriggs.com
!
mySLSworld
www.myslsworld.com
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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF CHAPTER ONE 1
How is Speech Level Singing similar to “bel canto” vocal production?
2
Describe how the term “Speech Level Singing” has become identified with Seth Riggs’ technique.
3
Why do you think that teaching after having a few lessons with Seth and purchasing the Singing for the Stars book is not sufficient to protect the integrity of Speech Level Singing technique?
4
Why is it important to teach SLS in a “pure” way?
5
How do you think the ongoing education requirements for SLS certification could raise the level of professionalism in the field of voice teaching?
6
How do you think the education requirements for SLS certification could help you in your own teaching?
7
What is a Masterclass?
8
Why should all students of SLS teachers attend Masterclasses?
9
How is attendance at SLS IMT events, Teacher’s Conference, and Summer Program beneficial to SLS teachers?
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2
What is Speech Level Singing? SPEECH LEVEL SINGING DEFINED Speech Level Singing is a revolutionary technique that enables people to sing without inappropriate muscular tension in the same easily produced and effortless way that they speak (assuming the
“I define Speech Level
speaking voice is not constricted, forced, breathy, or pitched
Singing as an absolute
incorrectly). SLS technique enables singers to develop a
refusal to help the pitch
marketable yet healthy voice that is connected through the entire
in any way, or to reach
range, allowing the singer to negotiate the “bridges” of the voice
for low notes or high
and to mix into the upper register easily and without muscular
notes” – Seth Riggs
tension.
SLS singers perform in any style with freedom and
flexibility, their voices remaining healthy throughout a lifetime of singing. The purpose of SLS training is to induce and maintain a healthy, naturally produced, and relaxed vocal production through the use of “Tools” which create:
•
balanced registration and connection between registers
• •
seamless negotiation of the bridges of the voice appropriate vocal cord adduction and compression (not over-compressed or under-compressed), and
•
a relaxed, low and stable larynx.
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… SPEECH LEVEL SINGING DEFINED “Speech Level Singing is the ability to always maintain a speech level production of tone –- one that stays connected from one part of your range to another. You don’t sing like you speak, but you need to keep the same comfortable, easily produced vocal posture you have when you speak so that you don’t reach up for high notes or press down for low ones. This takes time and patience to coordinate. A teacher needs to know how to get each of his students to sing through his or her range in a connected, easy manner, without any “breaks” or sudden changes of tone quality. This is Speech Level Singing.” – Seth Riggs The combination of all these elements makes SLS training unique – there is no other vocal training method that so clearly identifies these important parameters of structure and process. SLS provides specific tools that can be implemented in a methodical and effective training program. For that reason, it is vital that SLS is taught in a pure and unadulterated way, without mixing in other vocal methods. Why do singers need this training? Many singers consciously or unconsciously use excessive muscle (known as “extrinsic muscle”) in order to sing higher, louder, or with more emotion. When incorrect muscles are engaged in an attempt to “help” the sound, the vocal cords are prevented from vibrating freely. In SLS vocal production, the larynx remains relaxed, low and stable (not rising for high notes or pressing down for low notes) and the vocal cords remain appropriately closed (adducted) throughout the entire range so that the singer easily negotiates the bridges of the voice, making smooth transitions through all the vocal registers with uninterrupted connection. As a result, the singer’s words are clearly and effortlessly produced and the sound is natural, rather than manipulated or forced. The SLS-trained singer is able to sing easily through an extended vocal range with an even and connected vocal production and freedom from vocal breaks and strain.
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… SPEECH LEVEL SINGING DEFINED How is SLS different from other vocal methods? Several elements make Speech Level Singing a unique and innovative approach to voice training. SLS offers a unique, yet scientifically based, instructional method which may differ in the following areas from the standard approach to voice teaching: breathing; relaxed vocal production; bridging; vowel narrowing; chest, head and mix registers. Breathing: Many voice teachers overemphasize breathing techniques and give exercises that result in too much air pressure, particularly for high notes. SLS teaches that although breathing may need to be addressed and is part of the process of singing, it is not the most important issue in vocal development and may in some cases be overused; excessive air pressure causes the vocal cords to react by tightening too much. Higher notes actually require less air because the vocal cords gradually reduce in vibrating mass as the scale ascends, so less air is required for efficient vocal cord function. SLS pedagogy emphasizes a balance between “muscle” (resisting ability of the cords) and air, which results in healthy and free vocal production. Breathing is a result of good vocal production rather than the cause. Relaxed vocal production: Consciously exerting too much tension over the muscles that govern airflow is counterproductive; SLS teaches that relaxation is vital for efficient singing. However, relaxation is a result of good vocal production and not a cause. The singer should not feel tension or strain anywhere in the body, should remain sensitive to any buildup of air pressure, and should never push the voice. SLS teachers are also aware that volume is a by-product of good vocal production – as the voice achieves better coordination, balance and registration, volume naturally grows. Bridges: Primary importance is placed on the functioning of the vocal cords and on the student’s ability to mix smoothly into the higher registers without strain by correctly negotiating the bridges of the voice while maintaining a low, stable larynx, adducted (closed) vocal cords, and connection between registers. The bridges or transition areas are also known as passaggio (singular) or passaggi (plural).
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… SPEECH LEVEL SINGING DEFINED Vowel narrowing: Vowel narrowing will counteract the student’s tendency to grip by activating the outer (extrinsic) muscles and remain stuck in the chest voice. When we narrow a vowel, we substitute a more effective vowel (a more narrow vowel) for one that may be causing the singer to pull chest in a song or exercise. The more narrow vowel, by it’s acoustical nature makes it easier to sing without activating the outer (extrinsic) muscles.
For example, the phrase “Somewhere
over the rainbow” becomes “Somew[I]r over the r[i]nbow”. When the vowel is narrowed, the resulting sound will be perceived as correct by the listener because the student has been prevented from “spreading”, and thus altering the vowel. When the vowel is more narrow, the student will experience a feeling of ease while negotiating areas of the voice that were formerly problematic. This process is used both in the bridges of the voice and in the approach notes to the bridges to encourage release. Expansion occurs after every area that has been narrowed, so the entire voice is a series of “figure 8” patterns of narrowing and expanding. Chest, Head and Mix: There are two commonly used but incorrect methods to get through the bridge; either to push the chest voice up too high (which sounds like yelling) or to disconnect into “falsetto” (falsetto is a breathy sound that cannot connect back into the chest voice). Chest belters usually associate pressure with power in singing and tend to use too much muscle. Often the singer’s mouth spreads wide into a smile or grimace, particularly as the singer attempts to sing higher notes. Students who pull chest too high usually widen the vowel and blow too much air, particularly at the first bridge. Belting can result in vocal damage and will limit vocal range and style. Commonly, singers trained in traditional “legit” or classical methods use too much air and not enough cord adduction. The head voice is brought down as far as possible, resulting in incorrect register balance and inaudible vocal production in the lower registers for women. SLS teaches singers to mix. When the mix is used correctly, a connection between the lower and upper registers is maintained as the singer ascends in pitch and there is an even, smooth transition through the bridges (or transition areas) resulting in an easily produced, natural, yet powerful and free vocal sound throughout the entire range.
With SLS technique, singers can
sing in any style while maintaining the health and longevity of their voices. Professional singers in every genre – including Gospel, R&B, Jazz, Pop, Country, Musical Theatre, and Opera – all rely on Speech Level Singing.
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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF CHAPTER TWO 1
Speech Level Singing enables people to sing without inappropriate _________________.
2
The purpose of SLS training is to induce and maintain a _____________ vocal production.
3
SLS training will result in _________ registration and a
_______, ___________ and
_________ larynx. 4
Most singers use too much __________ to sing higher, louder, or with more emotion.
5
What is meant by “appropriate vocal cord adduction”?
6
Describe how SLS may differ from other methods with regard to teaching breathing.
7
What are two incorrect ways an improperly trained singer may attempt to sing high notes?
8
“Legit” or “classical” singers often use too much _________ and not enough _______, particularly on the lower notes of their range.
9
“Chest belters” often associate __________ with __________.
10
SLS singers learn to _______________ instead of pushing, forcing, yelling, or disconnecting on high notes.
11
In correct SLS vocal production, a _____________ is maintained between the upper and lower registers.
12
In correct SLS vocal production, the goal is to achieve a smooth transition through ____________________.
13
True or False: SLS singers should only sing in one style, preferably their teacher’s favorite style.
14
What is “vowel narrowing” and what function does it serve?
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How It Works: Structure and Function
3
It is important that the “Structure and Function” information that follows is not the primary emphasis of the lesson. You may not or may not encounter a student whose learning Tends To’s would require the disclosure of such information. However, it is provided here in order that teachers will have an increased understanding of how the voice works; remember that a good SLS teacher is defined by his/her knowledge of the SLS Tools.
THE LARYNX The larynx, also known as the “voice box”, is located just below where the pharynx (throat) divides into two tracts: the esophagus, which leads to the stomach, and the trachea, which leads to the lungs. It is made up of cartilage, ligaments, muscles, and mucous membrane and houses the vocal cords (also known as the vocal folds), which are attached horizontally from front to back. Vocal sound (phonation) is created by the resistance of the vocal cords to the air pressure which builds up from below. Compressed air molecules released from the vocal cords during the vibrating process create sound waves, which are reinforced in the cavities above the larynx. Besides its role in phonation, the larynx has a role in swallowing (which is its primary function), respiration (breathing), and in a function known as “effort closure”, which refers to the function of the larynx during coughing, lifting, and straining. When the larynx is relaxed and stable (not moving up or down during phonation), the vocal cords vibrate freely and can adjust easily to create pitch as needed.
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… STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION MUSCLES The muscles of the larynx are divided into two groups: intrinsic and extrinsic.
The intrinsic
muscles of the larynx function as abductors (openers) or adductors (closers) of the vocal cords: 1. The cricothyroid muscle lengthens and stretches the vocal cords. 2. The posterior cricoarytenoid muscle abducts the vocal cords. 3. The lateral cricoarytenoid muscle adducts the vocal cords. 4. The thyroarytenoid muscle (also called the vocalis muscle) shortens the vocal cords. 5. The transverse arytenoid muscle adducts the vocal cords.
Figure 1: Intrinsic muscle action The extrinsic muscles, also called the “strap” muscles, move the larynx up or down during swallowing and coughing.
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… STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION CARTILAGE There are nine cartilages that make up the framework of the larynx: 1)
Thyroid
2)
Cricoid
3)
Epiglottic
4)
Arytenoid x 2
5)
Corniculate x 2
6)
Cuneiform x 2
The arytenoid, corniculate, and cuneiform cartilages form a cartilaginous structure referred to as the arytenoids. Under the thyroid cartilage sits the cricoid cartilage, which is the base and support structure for the entire larynx. The agonist-antagonist action of the cricothyroid muscles with the thyroarytenoid muscles creates a complex kind of “rocking” motion between the cricoid and thyroid cartilages that alters the length of the folds. THE HYOID BONE Suspended just above this framework is the hyoid bone, which bridges the tongue and the body of the larynx. During swallowing, the hyoid bone rises up and meets the epiglottis, a leaf-shaped cartilage, which folds down.
This protects the vocal cords, the trachea, and the lungs from
foreign bodies during swallowing.
The hyoid bone is not considered a part of the laryngeal
framework but is important in vocal production.
Figure 2: Larynx viewed from the front
Figure 3: Larynx viewed from the rear
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… STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION LARYNGEAL TRAUMA Symptoms of laryngeal trauma (distress in the larynx) include hoarseness, loss of voice, pain in the throat or ears, and breathing difficulties. Types of trauma:
•
Acute laryngitis is the sudden inflammation and swelling of the larynx and can be caused by the common cold, excessive shouting, extremely loud singing, singing in the high ranges incorrectly, or by overuse of the voice.
•
Chronic laryngitis is caused by smoking, dust, frequent yelling, or prolonged exposure to polluted air, and is a serious condition.
•
Polyps and nodules are growths on the vocal cords caused by prolonged exposure to cigarette smoke, vocal abuse, or overuse of the voice.
•
Two related types of cancer of the larynx – squamous cell carcinoma and verrucous carcinoma – are strongly associated with repeated exposure to cigarette smoke and alcohol.
•
Vocal paralysis, in which one or both vocal cords totally stop functioning, or paresis, in which there is a weakness of one or both vocal cords, may be related to nerve damage.
SLS AND THE LARYNX The term “Speech Level Singing” refers to the functioning of the larynx as it occurs in easy, comfortable speech production: the larynx remains in a relaxed, stable position; it does not rise for high pitches and does not lower to create darker or bigger sounds; the throat, mouth, and soft palate are not manipulated to alter the sound. Speech Level Singing does not necessarily mean “sing like you speak” – many people speak incorrectly, with breathy tones, nasal sounds, or constriction in the throat muscles. The term “Speech Level Singing” simply refers to a natural, unconstrained, and unmanipulated vocal production. The cords are appropriately adducted throughout a large range of pitches while the larynx remains relaxed, low and stable, as it is after a breath or during effortless speech. When the larynx is relaxed, low, and stable (not moving up or down during phonation), the vocal cords vibrate freely and can adjust easily to create pitch as needed.
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… STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION It is common for untrained or badly trained singers to incorrectly involve extrinsic muscles such as the swallowing muscles in an effort to sound louder, more intense, or to attain higher pitches. Engaging extrinsic muscles to control or “help” the voice causes the larynx to rise, which prevents the vocal cords from adducting efficiently and vibrating freely, thereby creating tension in the resonating system. THE VOCAL CORDS The anatomical term for the vocal cords is the vocal folds; these terms are interchangeable. The term “vocal cord” is commonly misspelled as “vocal chord”.
Figure 4: The vocal cords Vocal cords are not actually cords or strings, as is commonly believed, but are skin-like flaps made of mucous membrane and muscle stretched horizontally across the opening of the trachea. The vocal cords form a “V” shape, with the narrow end toward the front of the larynx and the broad end towards the spine. In women, the vocal cords are approximately 0.5–0.7 in. (12.5– 17.5 mm) in length and in men 0.8 –1 in. (17 –25 mm) in length.
Figure 5: Layers of the vocal cords
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… STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION When we breathe, the vocal cords are in a relaxed and open state (abducted). When we talk, cough, or swallow, they adduct. During swallowing, the larynx rises and the epiglottis moves down over the top of the vocal cords to assist them in keeping food and fluid out of the trachea and, ultimately, the lungs. Air building up from the lungs under the vocal cords creates subglottal pressure, causing the vocal cords to oscillate. When the cords are pushed apart by this increased subglottal pressure, the natural resilience of the cords brings them back together. This process is called the “vibratory cycle”.
In order to create pitch, the cords must oscillate at the relevant frequency (Hertz;
abbreviated Hz). For instance, at A4 (middle C = C4), the vocal cords oscillate 440 times per second (440Hz).
Figure 6: The vibratory cycle Vocal cord length and tension is controlled through the thyroid cartilage movement and by the intrinsic muscles within the vocal cords. The lowest frequency produced by any particular instrument is known as the “fundamental frequency”. In the voice, pitch is determined largely by the fundamental frequency of the sound generated by the larynx. The fundamental frequency is influenced by many factors, including the length, size, and tension of the vocal cords.
In an adult male, this fundamental frequency
averages about 125 Hz, adult females around 210 Hz, and children over 300 Hz.
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… STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
Figure 7: Vocal cords during breathing and speech “When we are learning to sing, we cannot see or touch what we are working with, but we need to elicit voluntary and controlled movements in response to thought processes... The unskilled performer invariably increases tension and effort. If the musculature of the larynx has been developed properly through training, this is not necessary”. – (Ingo Titze: Voice Research and Technology)
SLS AND THE VOCAL CORDS Because singing requires a much greater range of pitch, duration, and quality, the demands made on the vocal cords when singing are greater than those made during speech. These demands must be met by the vocal folds using the intrinsic muscles of the larynx, rather than the extrinsic (swallowing) muscles. In correct SLS vocal production, the ideal is that there is no extrinsic muscular interference; as a result the vocal cords are free to function in a natural and efficient manner. As an SLS singer ascends in pitch, there is no straining, pushing, and there are no "breaks" or changes in vocal quality. Instead, as the singer transitions smoothly upward, the vocal cords are allowed to gradually reduce in vibrating mass.
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… STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION Because we now have only the ability to look at the vocal cords from above in order to observe vocal production taking place, we are not able to get the “whole picture”. Ear, nose and throat specialists and other vocal scientists are not in complete agreement regarding vocal cord function. Even with stroboscopic, super-slow motion, or even stop-action photography, there is no way of determining absolutely what is happening at all times during vocal production, particularly at the subglottal level. Additionally, the process of scoping is an invasive one that limits vowel and consonant articulation, so it is impossible to tell exactly what is occurring when various consonants and vowels are being sung. What is known is that as a singer ascends in pitch, there is a gradual reduction or elimination of the vibrating element (vocal cord mass) and a corresponding decrease in the amount of air
“Resist Assisting the Pitch” Seth Riggs
required to provide optimal vocal cord function.
WHY SLS WORKS: The "cause and effect" approach used in Speech Level Singing is a major reason for the success of this technique. The exercises encourage or even "trick" the nervous system and the brain into accepting the transitions that occur naturally when the body is free from tension. In the application of SLS exercises, a new neuromuscular response is created that gives the student an experience of effortlessly moving through the bridges of the voice while continuing to maintain vocal cord closure and a relaxed, low and stable larynx. These neuromuscular responses are reinforced and developed over time as a result of exercises specifically designed to lead the singer into a condition of freedom from muscular interference and on to a healthy vocal production that can be maintained for life. SLS singers can vocalize over a wide vocal range with ease and freedom because the technique enables them to create sound with a relaxed and natural vocal posture that is free of tension and interference from incorrect muscles.
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… STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION BREATH AND VOCAL CORD FUNCTION When air is exhaled from the lungs, it travels up the trachea (windpipe) and through the vocal cords housed in the larynx. During inhalation and exhalation without phonation, the vocal cords remain open. During phonation, the cords approximate (or adduct) and then quickly blow open again to allow compressed air underneath to escape. This process creates a sound wave. A series of sound waves is known as “vibration”. Sound generated in the larynx is altered as it travels through the vocal tract by the position of the tongue, lips, mouth and pharynx.
Figure 8: The respiratory system
SLS: BREATHING AND SUPPORT While other vocal techniques stress breathing and support as primary steps in good singing technique, SLS believes that they are a RESULT of good singing, rather than the CAUSE. Scientific and medical studies show that too much air pressure causes the vocal cords to swell (this is called edema) because they are not designed to withstand an extreme amount of air pressure. To breathe correctly for singing, the singer should simply stand tall with the shoulders slightly back, the chest up and out, the abdominal muscles relaxed, and then easily breathe to the bottom of the lungs, without excessive noise attached to the intake of air. There should be a slight expansion in the abdomen and the ribs. As one sings, the abdomen slowly comes in until the next intake of breath. It is important not to grip the glutes, tighten the abdominal wall, push the stomach out, or do anything else that will result in muscular tension.
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… STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION The abdominal strength a singer has (no matter what kind of shape he or she is in) is already more than sufficient to do the job required for singing, so additional abdominal strengthening is not necessary. Of course, general aerobic fitness is extremely beneficial to good singing and to good health and is highly recommended. “For optimal singing, a sense of muscular stress and the exertion of great force is neither necessary nor desirable.” – (Ingo Titze: Voice Research and Technology) The SLS teacher should always be focused on creating BALANCE in the student’s voice. Oversupporting, pushing the air, and using excessive abdominal muscle all result in an imbalance in vocal production that is highly unhealthy and damaging to the vocal cords. The most important thing an SLS teacher can do is to balance the registers, getting the student into a well-produced mix by creating a balance between airflow and the resisting capability of the vocal cords (sometimes referred to as “muscle”). The student should be prevented from blowing or pushing too much air. However, as the student gains in strength, he or she will be able to resist more, and eventually “press in” (provide greater vocal cord resistance without incorporating incorrect muscle) to the sound. This happens at the vocal cord level; the term “press ” in SLS terminology refers to the ability of the vocal cords to more efficiently resist the air, and does not refer to the extrinsic muscular action of the throat or abdominal muscle.
CORD ADDUCTION – BREATHY PRODUCTION VS. OVER-COMPRESSION A “breathy voice” is created when the vocal cords are positioned in such a way as to allow air “leakage” through the glottis (the space between the vocal cords). In falsetto, a permanent oval orifice is left between the edges of the true cords through which air escapes.
This orifice
increases in size as air pressure is increased. The opposite of a breathy voice is an “over-compressed” sound, in which the vocal cords are pressed together more than is necessary for good vocal production. These are the extremes of a continuum of adduction. In an efficiently produced sound, a small separation of the vocal cords allows for an optimal pattern of vibration to be maintained.
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… STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION If the folds are not properly adducted, the result is an overly breathy sound that diminishes power. Too much adduction (over-compression) also diminishes vocal power and overuse of this effect will eventually damage the vocal cords. “In mature, well-developed voices, tones are produced with a firm (but not tight) vocal fold adduction, with a small glottal opening and an efficient use of the sub-glottal pressure and airflow. There is a tendency for those who use hyperadduction to apply greater sub-glottal pressure.” – (Ingo Titze: Voice Research and Technology)
SLS AND VOLUME Volume is a subject that teachers must monitor very carefully. Many students believe that “louder is better”.
Unfortunately, some teachers teach as if that were true.
As SLS teachers, it is
extremely important that we not allow or encourage our students to employ too much volume in their singing, especially when they are beginning. Would a person beginning a fitness routine go to the gym and bench-press 500 pounds (227 kg) on the first day? They might try, but would not be back the next day! In the same way, we must give the vocal mechanism time to learn to coordinate effectively and eventually work toward building up stamina and strength. In SLS, “volume” is defined as “the result of the proper ratio of vocal cord resistance versus air pressure coordinated in a state of balance”. With too much air pressure, the cords are unable to remain appropriately adducted.
Too little air
pressure and the cords have nothing to resist. In SLS, the priority is to find the optimum balance between air pressure
“Volume is a result of the vocal cords’ ability to resist air pressure.” Seth Riggs
and the resistance capability of the cords. Once that balance is established, the student can gradually “press” more; ultimately, the result will be an increase in volume. Students are often attracted to the larger, fuller sounds of advanced singers. Our responsibility is to initially prevent them from singing as loudly as a fully developed and mature voice. Teachers should aim instead for balance. Volume will, with regular practice and reinforcement of good technique, increase in proportion to the genetic predisposition of the student. This means that
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… STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION some singers, because of the size of their vocal cords and other bodily structures, will ultimately be able to produce bigger sounds. When dealing with younger singers, a good teacher should never attempt to superimpose a professional singer’s sound on an undeveloped voice. “Coordination of the voice at your speech level must be developed before you can begin to build strength. As you do the exercises, don’t feel that you have to do them loudly. That is not important.
If you try to sing too
loudly (using too much air) too soon, your outer muscles will never give up their pulling and tightening reflexes. Have patience.” – Seth Riggs Students often fail to realize that constant forte (loud) dynamic levels soon become boring to the ear and that greater effect can be achieved by using contrasting dynamics such as moderately soft (mezzo piano or mp) with moderately loud (mezzo forte, or mf) sounds. Encourage students to find the freedom and ease of a well-balanced vocal production and they will maintain a much healthier vocal instrument for life. As teachers, our first responsibility is to give our students even, controlled sounds from the bottom to the top of their vocal range. Volume should never be our primary goal; it is a byproduct of good vocal training. The following chart shows some examples of vocal cord injuries resulting from singing with too much pressure on the vocal cords.
Figure 9: Vocal cord injuries
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… STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION VIBRATO Vibrato is a cultured or artistic fluctuation usually introduced purposefully by the singer. The pitch will alter +/- 0–3%, occurring 4.5–6.5 times per second and at a rate of 4.5–6.5 Hz. The rate of vibrato can vary according to such factors as vocal intensity, the age and physical condition of the singer, muscular interference or tension, and the singer’s preconceived notion of how vibrato should sound. Recent research indicates that the cricothyroid and thyroarytenoid muscles are the primary producers of vibrato, and that the movement of the thyroid and cricoid cartilages is the main source of vibrato. Most “natural” vibratos are actually learned by imitation, and vibrato aesthetics (what is considered to be a pleasing sound) vary. For example, in some parts of the world, an extremely fast vibrato coupled with a high larynx is used in indigenous music and is considered highly attractive. As in speech, singers often automatically assimilate the vibrato sounds they hear while growing up (for better or worse).
Therefore, a good instructor should be able to model
appropriately and demonstrate good vibrato in order to provide a better vocal example to a student. Vibrato can also vary in style application. For example, many rock singers use little or no vibrato. Classical singers use vibrato on every note, which is appropriate for operatic and classical styles in music. Jazz singers often use a “delayed vibrato”, which is a straight tone followed by vibrato. The stylistic demands of the song will dictate when, where, and how much vibrato is required. Various vibrato styles are all correct as long as they are produced without throat tension and fall within the acceptable limits of a pulse rate of approximately 4.5-6.5 pulses per second. If the student is pulling, over-compressing, or does not have cord closure, vibrato is likely to be incorrect. Advise the student to practice at medium volume (mf) or even softly (mp) to discourage muscular tension. Remember, balance will encourage vibrato to occur naturally.
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… STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION VIBRATO RATE – TOO SLOW VS. TOO FAST Voices that consistently use too much weight often develop a very slow vibrato, or wobble. Singers who use excessive vocal cord and throat tension often have a fast bleating sound, which is called by the Italian word tremolo.
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EXERCISES TO ENCOURAGE VIBRATO Vibrato adds richness, warmth, stability, and power to the tone. It is an essential element of good singing. Vibrato should be introduced as soon as sustained tones can be sung with good vocal production. Vibrato is often the favorable result of a well-balanced voice; however, sometimes it is necessary to encourage vibrato production. The following methods will give a student the experience of vibrato; ultimately, the neuromuscular system will take over and the vibrato will occur more naturally. Be aware of tension building up in the student’s throat; in creating vibrato, the teacher should not allow extrinsic muscular action to occur. As the voice becomes better balanced, the singer will sometimes
naturally
start
to
use
vibrato,
“A relaxed vibrato should exist whenever you dwell on a note, or sustain. It is a natural function of a
particularly if he or she has had good vibrato
free voice.” Seth Riggs
modeling from the teacher. Therefore, emphasis should be placed on balancing the voice first.
1) A “false” vibrato can often be encouraged by rapidly pulsing on the area just below the sternum as the student sings a sustained [i] vowel in a comfortable range. This allows the student to experience vibrato without having to “make it happen”. Alternate between exercises sung with the teacher providing pulses, and exercises sung without teacher assistance. Then ask the student to place their fingertips in the same area and pulse rapidly when singing a sustained pitch. 2) Ask the student to oscillate the pitch up and back a minor second on an “Edgy mmm”. Then ask the student to do the same on an “[i]” or an “[u]”. The closed vowel will provide release for a student whose Tends To (tendency towards) is “pull chest”. If the student’s Tends To is “no chest” (refer to Chapter 6), you may want to try tool combinations that provide more air resistance and cord closure, such as wide vowels and hard consonants. Your two primary objectives should always be good cord closure and a low, stable larynx.
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… STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION 3) The student will sing a lip trill followed by a straight tone on a closed vowel such as [i] or [u] with the teacher pulsing on the area just below the sternum to facilitate vibrato. The pulse rate should approximate the correct vibrato pulse rate of 4.5-6.5 pulses per second. Next, alternate the “tummy pulse” with the student attempting to initiate the vibrato on their own. 4)
5-tone scales on F[i] or F[u] are effective because they create release due to the narrow vowel. G[i] is also effective because the hard consonant establishes cord closure. Again, use the “tummy pulse” and start this scale in the student’s chest register, sustaining with vibrato on the top note.
5) The “Car Start” exercise is an exaggerated form of good vibrato and may be helpful in getting the student to experience the feeling of vibrato; use the [i] vowel and make the sound of a car trying to start with an almost dead battery: ee-eeee. Start slowly and increase speed. 6) To correct an overly fast “bleating” vibrato (tremolo), or its opposite, the slow “wobble”, have the student sing a straight tone. Once that is accomplished, you can “trick” them into feeling a more correct vibrato by manually pulsing the area below the sternum at the rate of about 5-7 pulses per second. 7) Teacher modeling: demonstration followed by student imitation is effective in teaching vibrato. Students often learn “aurally”, that is, by listening to the sound and imitating it. Start by demonstrating vibrato on a whole note (four counts). Have the student imitate you. Extend to eight counts, and then move on to exercises with sustain, such as the “repeater with sustain” and “octave down 3x” exercise. Sing phrases of music with vibrato and have the student imitate you. (If you cannot model good vibrato, consider working more often with a higherlevel SLS teacher on your own voice). 8) Shaking a fist or both fists in the air creates a temporary pulse as they hold a straight tone. Alternate this with attempting to initiate the vibrato on their own.
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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF CHAPTER THREE 1
The larynx is made up of:
2
Phonation is created when the vocal cords
3
The sound wave is modified by
4
Laryngeal trauma can be a result of
5
What is Titze’s opinion regarding the requirements for optimal vocal production?
6
Speech Level Singing does not necessarily refer to singing exactly as you speak. Why?
7
When we breathe, the cords open or
.
8
When we speak or sing, the vocal cords
.
9
What occurs when the cords are adducted too much?
10
A breathy voice is the result of too little
11
Although we can only see vocal cord function from above, we are reasonably sure that the cords require less functioning with less
12
_______________
__ __ .
_________
_
.
.. _______________
.
. to sing high notes because they are .
Why is it not necessary to focus primarily on breathing techniques with our students? What is a more effective approach?
13
What happens if we blast too much air against the cords?
14
Why is volume not our first priority as teachers? What is more important?
15
What is the definition of volume, as stated in the manual?
16
What is vibrato? Should every singer have it?
17
What does Seth say about vibrato?
18
An overly fast, “bleating” vocal sound is called
19
A vibrato that is too slow is called a
. and may be the result of
too much _________________________ . 20
True or False: Vibrato just happens: some have it, and some never will.
21
Vibrato is often the natural result of a
22
Name three techniques that will encourage vibrato in a student.
23
If you are not able to demonstrate and model good vibrato, you should:
voice.
a. Avoid teaching vibrato and hope they get it on their own. b. Tell the student they should have a natural vibrato if they are talented. c. Study with a higher level SLS teacher than you are, and work daily on your own vocal technique. d. Limit the student’s repertoire to songs with no sustained notes in them.
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SLS Pedagogy Registration and Bridges
4
CHEST VOICE, MIX AND HEAD VOICE In SLS, you will often hear and use terminology such as chest voice or chest register, head voice or head register, mix, bridging, etc. This chapter will define and explain these terms from the SLS perspective. The sensations felt by the singer when they are in “chest” or “head” voice are actually byproducts of vocal resonance. For example, the singer may feel vibrations in the chest when singing low notes. Sound resonating throughout the chest cavity produces the sensation of sound coming from the upper chest because lower-frequency sounds have longer wavelengths, which resonate in the larger cavity of the chest. Because of the resulting sensation of resonance in the chest, the lower end of the vocal range has become known as the chest voice or chest register. As a singer ascends in pitch, he should feel a resonance transfer starting around the first bridge; as he moves higher he will experience a feeling of split resonance, with some of the sound resonating behind the soft palate. In SLS, this area of the voice is known as the “mix”. As the pitch continues to ascend, the highest notes may appear to be vibrating out of the back or top of the head; hence the term “head” voice or register.
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… PEDAGOGY RESONANCE The voice, of course, does not begin in the chest or the head; it begins in the larynx. Pitch and intensity are created at the vocal cord level, and then the sound is modified and amplified before leaving the mouth. The singer experiences physical sensations resulting from resonance activity. Although vocal cord vibration initiates the tone, resonance determines the unique sound of each singer; resonance is affected by the size and shape of the cavities within the skull. The physical sensations experienced by the singer as a result of resonance activity can be used as a guide to help maintain consistently correct use of the voice. Remember that when teaching SLS, we do not talk in terms of sound description, aesthetics, or the expected result. Instead, we use the Tools to create the sound so that the singer can experience it. INCORRECT METHODS OF VOCAL PRODUCTION Resonance activity combined with interfering (extrinsic) muscles can make transitions between areas of the voice very difficult. An incorrectly trained singer’s voice will shift in quality, sound strained, or even disconnect as they attempt to move from chest register to head register. Here are some of the commonly used but incorrect methods of vocal production: CHEST VOICE TOO HIGH In contemporary genres such as Broadway belt, rock, blues, and gospel, singers are often encouraged to sing exclusively in the chest voice. In this process, shouting or yelling (singing at inappropriately high volume levels) while singing is encouraged, and the lower register is pushed as high as it will go to achieve a “belted” or powerful sound.
Use of chest voice to hit
inappropriately high notes indicates that the singer is forcing the voice or “pulling chest”. This practice will result in pitch issues (singers who “belt” often sing flat because they are pulling up too much weight), vocal deterioration, trauma to the cords (e.g. nodules), a more limited vocal range, and usually a shortened career.
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… PEDAGOGY HEAD VOICE TOO LOW Other techniques encourage the exclusive use of the head voice. With this methodology singers are trained to bring the head voice down into the lower register as far as it will go. Classical female singers and choral singers are usually trained in this way. When vocal cord approximation is insufficient the resulting sound is breathy and weak; this may occur throughout the range or just in the lower register. Some classically trained singers may have sufficient cord adduction in the upper register, but the lower register sounds weak because of the avoidance of the chest register. Choral singing may be wonderful for musicianship but it is not always healthy for the voice, especially if the choral director insists on an airy sound with no vibrato in an effort to make blending a priority. This approach wreaks havoc on voices, particularly if rehearsals are long and the tessitura (vocal range) is high. Young choral singers often do not develop vocally because of the emphasis on breathy sounds and avoidance of the chest voice. FALSETTO The weak and breathy upper register sound that is entirely disconnected from the bottom voice or chest register is known as “falsetto”. In falsetto, there is a permanent opening between the vocal cords; since the vocal cords never approximate, air escapes continuously. When a singer is using falsetto, it is difficult or impossible to smoothly enter the chest register because the vocal cords do not adduct. SLS – THE BETTER WAY In SLS training, singers learn to negotiate the bridges of the voice and to mix. We begin by “discovering” and “releasing” both the chest voice and the head voice. We then acquire the ability to transition through the bridges, expanding into extended ranges while maintaining appropriate cord adduction and connection between the registers. When the degree of vocal cord adduction is correct, the sound that is produced in the upper register matches the
“You must first eliminate any
The result is a
outer muscle activity that
unified and balanced vocal production with no abrupt
interferes with your tone.”
changes in sound quality between the registers as the
Seth Riggs
chest register in intensity and volume.
singer moves through his or her entire range.
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… PEDAGOGY SLS-trained singers sing with a pleasing, consistent, and uniform vocal quality over extended ranges with balance and smooth transitioning between upper and lower registers, and no straining or reaching for higher pitches. Ease of vocal production is the hallmark of a singer trained in Speech Level Singing technique. CHEST REGISTER THE SLS WAY The chest register is usually the speaking range for both men and women. As a general rule for men, notes sung below Eb4 (middle C = C4) are designated as chest register. Generally, female voices sing in the chest register up to G4- Ab4, with some lighter and smaller voices bridging as late as Bb4. Appropriate use of the chest register is part of SLS technique; the chest register is not avoided because it is necessary for correct vocal balance and registration. SLS advocates a gradual transitioning out of the chest voice into a mix as the singer approaches and goes through the area known as the first bridge, rather than pushing or forcing the chest voice upward in order to reach higher pitches. Conversely, when singing from a high note to a low note, SLS singers are able to transition back into chest voice smoothly because there is an even sound production, with no abrupt changes in vocal quality between high notes and low notes. HEAD REGISTER THE SLS WAY When the singer is in the head register the vocal cords vibrate with less mass. Consequently, SLS singers learn that using too much air pressure is counterproductive to good vocalization; for optimum function, the vocal cords require less air as the pitch ascends. When too much air is used, trauma can occur, resulting in edema or swelling of the vocal cords. An SLS singer learns to smoothly transition from a position of more vocal cord vibrating mass to a position of less vocal cord vibrating mass while maintaining appropriate cord adduction and connection between registers. This is achieved by learning to correctly negotiate passage areas known in SLS as bridges.
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… PEDAGOGY BRIDGES As a singer ascends in pitch, he or she may encounter areas where the voice breaks, disconnects, or where the singer feels that more muscular effort is needed to force the voice to go higher.
These breaks in the voice are common to every singer and they occur in relatively
predictable places. In SLS, these areas are known as the “bridges” of the voice. In traditional vocal technique, these areas are known as passaggio (singular) or passaggi (plural). The key to Speech Level Singing is an understanding of the bridges. Bridges in the voice can also be defined as areas of “transition” or, in other words, “passages” from one part of the vocal range to another. A singer can feel these “passage areas” as vocal cord adjustments and shifts in resonance. These shifts must take place as the voice ascends or descends in pitch if there is to be a smooth transition between registers. SLS identifies several bridges in the voice, occurring at fairly predictable intervals of about an augmented fourth (tritone) to a perfect fifth apart. In the female voice, the first bridge would occur (generally speaking) somewhere around Ab4-A4 (above middle C); the second bridge would occur at around Eb5; the third would be at around A5, and the fourth would occur at approximately Eb6, and the fifth female bridge would occur at A6. For males, the first bridge is usually somewhere around Eb4 (Eb above middle C); the second would be at A4; and the third would occur at approximately Eb5. These are all approximations since the singer’s experience of the bridge can be affected by several factors, such as the vowel being sung, the musical style, and the health of the vocal cords. Smaller, thinner voices will tend to bridge at a higher pitch than heavier voices; bigger voices will need to start to “merge” toward the bridge at a lower pitch. Successful negotiation of the bridges occurs when singer learns to narrow the vowel and to use less airflow. More technically developed singers require fewer notes to successfully bridge (sometimes as few as one or two notes are sufficient). It is essential for both male and female singers to be able to negotiate smoothly between the upper and lower registers by learning to release through the bridges while maintaining connection between registers.
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… PEDAGOGY BRIDGES OF THE FEMALE VOICE The following chart is an approximate representation of the bridges of the female voice. The notes in the smaller boxes are the “approach” to the next bridge. Middle C on the piano is known as C4. The octave above that is called C5.
CHEST VOICE
A4-B4 F4Ab4
Eb5-Gb5 C5-D5
Bridge1
A5-B5
G5-Ab5
Bridge 2
Eb6-Gb6 C6-D6
Bridge 3
A6-B6 G6-Ab6
Bridge 4
Bridge 5
Middle C =C4
Generally for females, the most challenging area begins at approximately A4 and extends to C#5. This is the first bridge – the area where females are most likely to either pull too much chest, or at the opposite end of the spectrum, to sing with too little cord adduction.
Both males and females should be mixing by the beginning of the first bridge; the approach notes leading to the bridge may require vowel narrowing and a decrease in volume and air pressure in order to facilitate a smooth transition through the bridge.
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… PEDAGOGY BRIDGES OF THE MALE VOICE The following chart is an approximate representation of the bridges of the male voice. The notes in the smaller boxes are the “approach” to the next bridge. Middle C on the piano is known as C4. The octave above that is called C5.
CHEST VOICE
Eb4-Gb4 C#4-D4
Bridge1
A4-C5 G4-Ab4
Bridge 2
Eb5-Gb5 C#5-D5
Bridge 3
Middle C =C4
Males generally begin the first bridge around Eb4, but they may begin to narrow the vowels in the approach to that area (sometimes as low as middle C). The male first bridge is toward the top of the range, while most females experience the first bridge toward the middle of their range. A well developed mix will enable both males and females to dramatically extend vocal range capability.
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… PEDAGOGY THREE STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL BRIDGING In learning to successfully deal with the bridges of the voice, we: 1. Recognize the bridges (know where they are located in the singer’s voice). 2. Negotiate or move smoothly through the bridges without gripping or pulling through the application of SLS Tools that counteract the students Tends To’s.* 3. Strengthen the bridge areas of the voice through the application of SLS Tools.* *(See Chapter Six for a discussion of the Tends To’s and Tools)
When the singer learns to reduce the airflow (amount and velocity of air that is sent to the vocal cords), the muscles inside the larynx are able to work efficiently, with less interference from the extrinsic muscles that engage and create tension whenever too much air is used. Ideal vocal function occurs when there is a balance between air pressure and the resisting capability of the cords (also referred to as a balance between air and muscle). The singer’s first bridge is the most crucial; it is the area where the singer is most likely to use outer muscles in an effort to stretch the vocal cords to meet the demands of a higher pitch. The approach to the bridge can also determine how successful the singer will be at getting through the bridge. It is important to maintain a narrow vowel and not sing with too much force (air blow) in the approach to the bridge; ideally, the singer should feel a release happening in this area.
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… PEDAGOGY VOW EL NARROW ING Vowel narrowing will counteract the student’s tendency to “grip” and remain stuck in the chest voice (“pull chest”). By narrowing a vowel, we substitute a narrower, more effective vowel for a wide vowel that is causing the singer to pull chest in a song or exercise. Using this tool both in the bridge and in the approach to the bridge will facilitate release. When the vowel is narrowed, the sound will be perceived by the listener as correct because the singer is being prevented from spreading (and therefore altering) the vowel. This process results in a pure vowel and ease of vocal production throughout the voice. Narrowing is sometimes accomplished by asking the student to temporarily push out the lips, or by placing the fingers at the sides of the mouth to prevent the lips from spreading wide. Another approach is to ask the student to temporarily sing through “oo lips” [u]– resulting in a pure vowel that does not spread. As the student begins to be able to sing the vowel without spreading they can gradually return to a neutral mouth position; however, the student should never be allowed to “smile” while singing, as this will encourage the vowel to spread. Vowel narrowing in the bridges and in the approach to the bridges will enable the singer to make the transition into the next area of the voice without involving the external muscles.
Vowel
narrowing helps to maintain a pure vowel sound and discourages the tendency to pull chest. The vowel [!] as in the word “book” is a “self-focusing” vowel that encourages mixing and prevents the vowel from spreading.
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… PEDAGOGY Lip Rounding Vowel perception is based on the two lowest formant frequencies of the vocal tract. The length of the vocal tract cannot be altered; however, we can affect the formant frequencies by singing with a low larynx and protruded lips, which results in a “narrowing” of the vowel sound. Lip rounding has the effect of lengthening the vocal tract, which will lower all the resonance frequencies. However, this temporary tool should be discontinued as soon as the student is able to make the sound without spreading the vowel. The Figure 8 Concept The great tenor Luciano Pavarotti shared this concept with us: If you visualize the number 8, you will observe the narrowing in the middle and the expansion below and above. In the same way, narrowing the vowel and decreasing air pressure in the approach to the bridge will allow the student to negotiate the bridge successfully, and the voice blooms easily in the next area. The singer experiences a continuous narrowing and expanding throughout the range as he or she learns to narrow the vowel and decrease air pressure and volume in order to smoothly negotiate the bridges, and to then be able to “lean” or “press” more in order to expand in successive areas of the voice.
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… PEDAGOGY VOWEL NARROWING CHART The following chart will show you how to narrow the vowel in the bridges and in the approach to the bridge. This chart will assist you in making appropriate choices when substituting a more narrow vowel for one that is causing your student to pull chest. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) spelling is included. SLS teachers are expected to have a working knowledge of IPA in order to standardize communication in the global community.
VOWEL NARROWING CHART Problem Vowel
Narrower Vowel Solution
BAT
b[ae]t
BET
b["]t
BAY
b[ei]y
BE
b[i]
BET
b["]t
BIT
b[I]t
BIT
b[I]
BEET
b[i]t
BOAT
b[o!]t
BOOT
b[u]t
BOUGHT
b[!]t
BUT
b["]t
BUCK
b["]k
BOOK
b[!]k
BOOK
b[!]k
BOOT
b[u]t
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… PEDAGOGY MIX SLS defines the “mix” as a blend of chest and head voice. Mixing gives the student the ability to make a transition from the lower register to the upper register without abrupt changes in vocal quality, by “releasing” through the bridge areas of the voice. This release is accomplished physiologically by a transference from one muscle group to another, and a gradual reduction in the vibrating mass of the vocal cords. This means that as the singer ascends in pitch, less and less of the vocal cords are used to produce sound. At the highest pitches, very little cord mass is used; concurrently, less air is required for the cords to function. A correctly produced mix ensures a smooth, uninterrupted quality of sound as the singer ascends in pitch. SLS exercises cause the student to experience this gradual release by creating a new neuromuscular response in the vocal mechanism and brain of the student. The new patterns that are established create a voice that is free from muscular tension and interference from inappropriate muscles. RESONANCE TRANSFER (SPLIT RESONANCE) One of the most important principles to understand as a SLS teacher is the concept of resonance transfer, or “split resonance”. Split resonance is a result, or byproduct of a correctly produced vowel, and is experienced as a sensation or feeling by the student. Most vocal teachers do not understand this concept, so they simply try to help students sound better in the chest voice by teaching “high belt”, (basically pulling chest) or in the head register by teaching what is known as “legit” (usually bringing the head voice down too low). These teachers do not know how to teach their students to move correctly from one register to the other, and the result can be seen in the greatly limited versatility and range of the voices they teach. Avoiding the shift in resonance when transitioning from one register to another creates an uneven sound in the voice as the student “pulls chest”, using muscle to sing higher pitches with a chest coordination or sing in an airy, breathy tone when attempting to sing lower pitches in head voice. When a singer sings a low note, there is vibration along the entire mass of the vocal cord and the resulting sympathetic resonation is felt in the singer’s chest. As the voice ascends in pitch,
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… PEDAGOGY there is a reduction of the vibrating mass of the vocal cord, and the resonation seems to come more from behind the soft palate as the sound waves from the vocal cords activate those resonance spaces. This shift creates a feeling of “split resonance” in which part of the resonance is felt in the mouth and part is felt behind the soft palate. This sensation moves continually more toward the head as the pitch ascends. Unless the shift in resonance is allowed to happen, the sound will be pushed, too chesty, “splatty”, and will resemble yelling. The most important skill a singer can acquire is the ability to move smoothly from the chest to the head register as the pitch ascends. The secret to accomplishing this is to allow the resonation to move behind the soft palate as it ascends into the head register without “reaching” or letting go of the adducted vocal cords which are now vibrating with less mass. This is accomplished by producing the vowels correctly. There are additional SLS Tools (see Chapter Six for a full discussion of the Tools) that can help students feel a resonance transfer as they ascend in pitch: the lip trill and tongue trill help the student to experience this process by creating an even balance of air and cord resistance while vocalizing through the entire range. The consonant combination “ng” (as in sing) is a good way to help a student feel this shift in resonance without letting go of vocal cord closure. Having a student bend over while singing the 1.5 octave scale with the lip trill or tongue trill can also encourage release. In addition, the Squeaky Door tool, and slightly more refined “Edgy mmm” will facilitate consistent cord adduction while resonance transfer occurs on the ascending pitch. As SLS teachers, we don’t tell the student to “put” the sound behind the soft palate; instead, resonance adjustment happens naturally if the vowel production does not change as the pitch ascends. However, the singer may have to be instructed to narrow the vowel in the bridge areas to counteract the tendency to spread the vowel.
When the vowel is correctly produced (by
countering the student’s tendency to spread the vowel if necessary), the resonance-shifting phenomenon occurs naturally and easily. Once the student is comfortable with the new coordination, our job as teachers is to gradually move toward the “normal sounds” – that is, the speech level sounds that are normally used when singing and speaking.
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… PEDAGOGY “Most importantly, we must remember that resonance transfer or split resonance will happen naturally as a byproduct of correct vowel production.“ – Seth Riggs
THREE THINGS WITHIN THE STUDENT’S CONTROL There are three things that are within the student’s ability to affect or control - airflow, cord closure and vowel.
Your communication with the student should be centered
around these three things.
There are three things which are under our control as singers: Airflow
Cord Closure
Vowel
Everything else that happens is a byproduct of these three elements.
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… PEDAGOGY AIRFLOW This is sometimes called “air blow” and refers to the amount and velocity of air production. If the student is blowing too much air, this can be addressed by: 1. Telling the student to sing with less volume or less air blow (You are using your voice to DIRECT the student). 2. Consonant Tools that interrupt the air (hard consonants), or consonants that allow more airflow (aspirate consonants). 3. Voice Tools such as the Tongue Trill and Lip Trill exercises, and the Friendly Compression exercises such as the “Squeaky Door” and more refined “Edgy mmm” tools. It is difficult to over-blow when using these tools. (See Chapter 6 for a complete discussion of the tools). VOWEL 1. Always listen for pure vowel production, making sure the vowel is pronounced correctly, in order for the student to benefit from the characteristics of the vowel. Do not allow vowels to migrate when sustaining pitches. Students often are not aware that they are mispronouncing vowels, until they listen to a recorded lesson. 2. Vowel narrowing is used to counteract a student’s Tends To of pulling chest. Narrower vowels drive toward head; combine these with longer scales to encourage release through the bridges. 3. Use wider vowels combined with shorter scales to counteract a student’s tendency to not get into their chest voice (Tends To: no chest). For example, use the 5-Tone ascending scale combined with the [ae] vowel to enable the student to discover and strengthen the chest voice. 4. Diphthongs such as [ei] are helpful in providing release through the bridge while maintaining connection between registers. The second of the two vowel sounds in a diphthong is more narrow and will therefore facilitate greater release. 5. Temporary “hooty” or “dumb” vowels will counteract a student’s tendency to hike the larynx. 6. Temporary “pharyngeal” vowels allow the student to experience mix by creating a condition where less vibrating mass of the vocal cord is used. 7. Remember to use your Instructor’s Voice tool to DEMONSTRATE correct vowel sounds, and to DIRECT your student with commands.
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… PEDAGOGY CORD CLOSURE (Also known as cord adduction or cord approximation.) 1. Cord closure can be addressed by using consonants. Aspirate consonants will help a student who is over-compressing the cords. For students who do not have enough cord adduction, hard consonants such as “G” provide the greatest interruption of airflow and facilitate cord closure. 2. Cord closure can be addressed by using vowels. Wide vowels such as [ae] as in the word “at” will create better approximation of the vocal cords. 3. Cord closure can be addressed by using the “Friendly Compression” sounds such as the “Squeaky Door” and the more refined “Edgy mmm” sounds. 4. Cord closure can be addressed by using the “cry” or “dog whimper”. 5. Cord closure can be addressed by using a slightly more staccato approach to performing the scale. 6. The vocal cords close at the beginning of “adducted onset vowels” (examples: at, eat, ate, ought, oat, up). 7. Cord closure can be addressed by DIRECTING the student to use less air blow/volume if the cords are blowing apart, or to “press” more if needed. 8. Remember to use your Instructor’s Voice tool to DEMONSTRATE (modeling good vocal production) and DIRECT (give commands to the student). These three elements (airflow, vowel and cord closure) work hand in hand with each other and may overlap in function.
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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF CHAPTER FOUR 1
The feeling of head and chest voice are byproducts of
.
2
Resonance is due to
.
3
Describe an incorrect method of producing the voice in the chest register:
4
Describe an incorrect method of producing the voice in the head register:
5
Why is SLS a “better way” of registrating the voice?
6
What is “mix” and how is it achieved?
7
How do the SLS exercises work to create new responses in students?
8
Bridges in SLS are defined as areas of ___________________which are a result of _____________________________ and ____________________ in _______________.
9
Which bridge is the most critical one, and why?
10
What factors can affect the pitches bridges begin and end on?
11
What are two methods used in SLS to successfully negotiate the bridges?
12
Name the Italian word for bridge (singular)________________ and bridges (plural) _____________________________.
13
Why is it important for the singer to learn to reduce the amount of air he or she uses in singing high notes?
14
Where does the first female bridge generally begin?
15
How does the process of vowel narrowing work?
16
What is the “Figure 8” concept?
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17
Review at least four songs you are currently singing that have challenges in your bridge areas. Provide the problem word, and the narrower vowel substitution.
18
Why is it important to have a basic understanding of IPA?
19
What is “split resonance” or “resonance transfer”?
20
What three things are within our control as singers?
21
How specifically do we control each of these three things? 1. _____________________________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________________________
22
What are two tools that might help the student experience resonance transfer? 1. ____________________________________________________________________ 2. ____________________________________________________________________
23
Why do these tools work?
24
How can the Instructor’s Voice tool be used to help the student experience correct vowel production?
25
How can the Instructor’s Voice be used as a tool to help the student understand cord closure?
26
How can the Instructor’s Voice be used as a tool to help the student understand the concept of airflow?
27
Describe three ways a student can affect airflow.
28
Describe three ways a student can affect cord closure.
29
Describe three ways a student can affect vowels.
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Core Concepts: Causational Teaching
5
CAUSE AND EFFECT The SLS approach to teaching is one of “cause and effect”. Rather than engaging in lengthy explanations, we allow the student to EXPERIENCE the sensation and FEEL the result. As Seth says, “Expect it, don’t direct it”. The Tools create the experience. A student will remember and learn more from one great experience than from many detailed explanations. Set your student up to experience the feeling of success by designing efficient tool combinations. WHY THE TOOLS WORK Applying the Tools correctly creates a neuromuscular response that leads to correct vocal production by aligning the registers and negotiating smooth transitions through the bridges of the voice into the mix. This may be a completely new experience for your student; using the vowel, consonant, and scale tools in the correct combinations will ensure that you create this experience for them. “You don’t control your voice directly by working on or thinking about breath support, vocal cord adjustments, or resonance. These things are all byproducts of speech level singing.” – Seth Riggs It is important that your student experiences the feeling of mix, rather than having to listen to explanations about the physiological functions of the vocal apparatus in the mix. Once they FEEL it, the neuromuscular response is initiated and later strengthened by repetition (i.e. practice) until the new feeling becomes a habit. “The singer must get out of the way, and allow…” – Seth Riggs
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… CAUSE AND EFFECT The brain learns and remembers differently when we are surprised into a response. Therefore, get the student to “feel” it immediately, rather than spending time describing or explaining. As with any type of education, learning is greatly enhanced by constant engagement; the student should be actively engaged rather than passively listening. “Good singing is an absolute refusal on the part of the singer to help the pitch in any way.” – Seth Riggs It is important to keep the student feeling successful. If you have tried a tool three times and he or she is not experiencing success, move on to a new tool. If the student becomes frustrated, it is likely due to a lack of skill on the teacher’s part in creating appropriate tool combinations that are designed to lead them to a new and positive experience. Be constantly aware of your objective when giving an exercise, continually evaluate the success of the tools you have given, and do not be afraid to move on if a tool has not worked. Use the charts and resources in this manual to keep notes, and to review and reflect on lessons so that you can see what changes you need to make in order to become a more successful teacher. It is highly recommended that you consider recording the lessons you teach and using the logic chart included in this manual to review lessons you have taught. Using the logic chart to review your own lessons and lessons you observe the IMT teaching will greatly enhance and improve your teaching by training you to think logically when making tool choices. AVOID IMAGERY We do not teach from the “result”; instead, we create a successful experience for the student through the use of vowel, consonant, and scale combinations and the use of the instructor’s voice. SLS teachers should avoid giving directions such as “put it in the mask”, “get it forward”, “make it brighter”, “place the tone forward, or back”, “imagine an egg in your throat” etc. because these are imprecise and ineffective “result-based” directives. The student never “puts” the sound anywhere; instead, the student experiences the feeling of correct vocal production as a result of applying the tools that the teacher has given him or her. The student never “gives more support”; instead, the student experiences the result in his or her body of being able to “lean in” as a result of having a balanced voice. These are examples of “causational” teaching.
“Expect it, don’t direct it.” – Seth Riggs
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TEACHING FROM OBJECTIVES When giving a voice lesson, it is vital at all times to keep your “objective” in mind rather than floating randomly from one exercise to the next. Without a destination, a traveler will wander aimlessly, but if he is focused on his destination and how he intends to arrive at it, he is more likely to arrive safely and efficiently without undue delays or detours. In the same way, a teacher who always maintains clear objectives will be much more successful at helping a student reach his or her goals more efficiently. You will always have both the end result (which could include several objectives) and an immediate (primary, or first) objective in mind as you teach; focus on one objective at a time rather than trying to solve every issue at once. An objective can be defined as a student-centered goal or successful outcome; a positive end result. For example, if your student pulls chest, your objective is to create a condition in the student’s vocalization that results in him or her being able to release through the first bridge and smoothly negotiate the transition into mix. The “positive end result” or “objective” would be: “I want my student to sing with balanced registration, and to release smoothly through the first bridge into the mix while maintaining appropriately adducted vocal cords and a stable larynx.” You may decide that your first objective would be to find release. Once you have had success with that, you will move to the next objective. If your student tends to sing with no chest, your objective is to create a condition in which the student sings with balanced registration and with a clearly defined chest voice that releases through the first bridge into the mix. The “positive end result” or objective is: “I want my student to sing with an easily produced chest voice that releases through the first bridge into the mix, while maintaining appropriately adducted vocal cords and a low, stable larynx.” You may decide that your first objective is to find good cord adduction in the chest voice. If your student sings from the chest upward and tends to “flip”, your objective is to create a condition in which the student sings with appropriate cord adduction, a low, stable larynx, and connection between the registers as he or she smoothly negotiates the bridge area and releases into the mix. Your “positive end result” or objective would be: “I want my student to sing with appropriately adducted vocal cords, a low, stable larynx, connection between registers, and release.” You may decide that your first objective is to provide release through the first bridge if the student is pulling chest, then flipping, or you may decide he or she needs more “press” through the first bridge if they are not a chest puller.
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… TEACHING FROM OBJECTIVES If your student mixes (imperfectly), your objective would be to strengthen and add vibrato and the ability to sing with dynamics, then move toward singing songs. Your “end result” objective would be: “I want my student to improve his or her skill level by creating a stronger and better balanced mix and to sing songs incorporating vibrato, dynamics and style with increased release, balance and power, while maintaining appropriately adducted vocal cords and a low, stable larynx.” You may decide that your first objective is to strengthen the mix.
Once this has been
accomplished, move on to another objective, using your end result as a guide. Remember to state your objective as the most positive outcome possible for the student, and always keep your objective in mind as you teach the lesson. Make every choice a result of your chosen objective.
*Please note that all of the examples above represent possibilities, but in reality, everything the student does is a moving target. Teachers need to develop the ability to adjust their objectives according to the shifting targets of the students’ “Tends To” (tendencies toward). In order to accomplish that, the teacher needs to be focused and listening for the changing “Tends To’s”.
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… TEACHING FROM OBJECTIVES TWO PRIMARY GOALS The two primary goals in SLS training are: •
Vocal Cord Adduction
•
Low Larynx Stabilization
In teaching, these goals can be addressed at the same time or separately. A result of the two primary goals being effectively addressed will be the student’s ability to release through the bridges while maintaining connection between the registers.
VOCAL CORD ADDUCTION Vocal cord adduction refers to how close the vocal cords are to one another (approximation) and how long they remain together (closed quotient). If the vocal cords are not sufficiently adducted, the resulting sound is breathy and weak. The student may feel that he or she does not have enough breath support or air, but the real problem generally has more to do with the proximity of the vocal cords and the ability of the cords to resist airflow. As the cords become more efficient at remaining appropriately adducted, greater power, stamina and range result. Students may demonstrate any or all three of the incorrect methods of vocal cord adduction listed on the next page. The teacher’s objective is to give exercises that oppose these incorrect methods and to guide the student toward a more correct vocal cord function. In order to get students to reach the objectives, the teacher must DESIGN (Step 3) effective “tool combinations”. (See Chapter Six.)
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… TEACHING FROM OBJECTIVES INCORRECT METHODS OF VOCAL ADDUCTION AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS (See Chapter Six for IPA Vowel Chart) Student will either: 1.
2.
Suggestions:
Not adduct the cords in
Objective: Student will adduct the
Possible Tool:
either chest or head
cords throughout the range and will
•
5-Tone [ae] (like “at”)
“young girl type”
maintain connection from the bottom
•
Edgy mmm Adduction ex.
OR sing with a well-
to the top of the range
•
N[ae] 1.5, Octave Repeaters
developed head voice
•
Cry
but a very breathy and
•
[ae]Tongue Out, (not too far)
weak vocal production
•
Staccato
in the lower register
•
Hard consonants/wide
“soprano” type
vowels
(Tends To: No Chest) 3.
•
Bratty, Pharyngeal
Adduct the cords in
Objective: Student will connect from
Possible Tool:
chest, but disconnect
the bottom of the voice through the
•
at the first bridge
first bridge into mix
(Tends to: Flip)
N[ei] 1.5 scale, Octave Repeater (above first bridge)
•
Hooty G[i] 1.5 scale
•
G[!] with cry 1.5, Octave Repeater above the first bridge
4.
•
Octave Down 3x
•
Edgy mmm Adduction ex.
Over-compress – Slam
Objective: Student will release to a
Possible Tool:
the cords together too
more moderate cord compression
•
Lip Trill, Tongue Trill
hard
while maintaining connection from the
•
Soft consonants, narrow
(Tends to: Pull Chest)
bottom of the voice to the top (Connected Release)
vowels, Octave Down 3x •
N[u] 1.5, Octave Repeater, Octave Down 3x
•
Hooty G[i] 1.5 scale
•
G[!] with cry 1.5, Octave st
Repeater over 1 bridge
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… TEACHING FROM OBJECTIVES The ideal is moderate vocal cord compression with appropriate adduction and release through the first bridge and through successive bridges without abducting (flipping) or muscular interference (gripping). *Pharyngeal exercises used to create cord adduction are to be discontinued when the desired result is achieved. Move toward “normal” speech level production as soon as possible.
LOW LARYNX STABILIZATION The second primary goal is to stabilize the larynx so that it remains in a relaxed, stable position regardless of high or low pitch. The larynx should not press down to reach for low notes or be allowed to rise as the pitch becomes higher. A result of a low, stable larynx is the student’s ability to release through the bridges. Untrained or improperly trained singers will tend to use the swallowing muscles and the muscles of the throat (extrinsic muscles) to attempt to “help” vocal production. Additionally, the failure to smoothly transition from one group of muscles to another group of muscles within the larynx while attempting to ascend in pitch results in a “lateral stretch” of the vocal cords and a high larynx. Teachers should monitor laryngeal position visually (by watching) and aurally (by listening); a “high larynx” vocal sound will be “splatty” and the vowel will be too wide.
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… TEACHING FROM OBJECTIVES INCORRECT LARYNX POSITION AND POSSIBLE TOOL SOLUTIONS: Student will either: 1.
Lift the larynx continuously
Suggestion: Objective: Student will sing
Possible Tool:
with a relaxed, low and stable
•
Lip Trill, Tongue Trill
larynx
•
N[u], Y[u]
•
*Dumb, *Hooty sounds
•
D[!]m, g[!]g , “woof”, with cry 1.5 scale and Octave Repeater
•
M[u]m 1.5, Octave Repeater, Octave Down 3x
•
G[u] 1.5, Octave Repeater, Octave Down 3x
2.
Begin with a relatively relaxed
Objective: Student will
Possible Tool:
larynx, then lift it when singing
maintain a relaxed, low and
•
ascending pitches due to
stable larynx throughout the
muscular activity in the throat,
register, regardless of pitch,
•
Y[u], W[i] Octave Down
neck, and tongue (the extrinsic
volume, or vowel challenges
•
Octave Down 3x “Hooty”,
Lip Trill, Tongue Trill 1.5 scale
muscles)
start above first bridge •
Lip Trill, Tongue Trill
•
N[u], Y[u]
•
*Dumb, *Hooty sounds
•
D[!]m, g[!]g , “woof”, B[!]b with cry 1.5 scale and Octave Repeater
•
M[u]m 1.5, Octave Repeater, Octave Down 3x
•
G[u] 1.5, Octave Repeater, Octave Down 3x
3.
Push the larynx down in an
Objective: Student will sing
Possible Tool:
attempt to sound bigger or more
with a relaxed, stable larynx
•
resonant
and no muscular pressing
Speak the vowel Pharyngeal exercises
•
N[ei]
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… TEACHING FROM OBJECTIVES
The ideal is a low, relaxed larynx that maintains a “speech level” position, i.e. the position of the larynx after a relaxed breath or during easy, relaxed speech. “Low” does not mean that you push your larynx down or impose it. Just notice where your larynx is after you have taken an easy relaxed breath. To achieve the ideal, we use “temporary exercises” such as the “dumb” sounds, which may momentarily induce a lower larynx position in order to counteract the “Tends To” of the student to hike the larynx. These exercises are to be discontinued when the desired result is achieved.
RELEASE The student should be able to release through the first bridge into mix while maintaining appropriate vocal cord adduction and connection between the registers. Release is evidenced by a shift in resonance and a corresponding decrease in the vibrating mass of the vocal cords. Release may be considered a result of the primary goals of a low, stable larynx and appropriately adducted vocal cords, and should be one of the things you are listening for as you DIAGNOSE your student (Step One) or ASSESS how well a tool has worked (Step Five). (See Chapter Six for the Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction.)
A result of the two primary goals of appropriately adducted vocal cords and a low, stable larynx is the student’s ability to release through the bridges while maintaining connection between the registers. Remember the three things that are within the singer’s ability to control are: airflow, vowel and cord closure. The final objective is to sing with a relaxed “speech level” production.
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… TEACHING FROM OBJECTIVES CONNECTION BETWEEN REGISTERS-CONNECTED RELEASE The trained SLS singer is able to maintain an even connection from the bottom of the voice into the top of the voice with no abrupt changes in quality as he or she ascends or descends in pitch. This is accomplished by maintaining vocal cord adduction as the pitch ascends or descends and releasing through the bridge and into the mix without disconnecting into falsetto. There should be a smooth transition and the feeling of “resonance transfer”, along with a decrease in vibrating vocal cord mass, which allows the mix to occur. This is called “connected release”. With connected release, we “release without letting go”, similar to the idea of flying a kite without letting go of the string. We allow a feeling of release to occur as the pitch ascends, without allowing the vocal cords to completely lose adduction. Another analogy is that of driving a stickshift car and smoothly shifting the gears as the speed is increased. The final objective is to sing with a relaxed “speech level” production, a stable larynx, appropriately adducted vocal cords and connection between registers. Connection between registers may be considered a result of the primary goals of a low, stable larynx and appropriately adducted vocal cords, and should be one of the things you are listening for as you diagnose your student (Step One) or assess how well a tool has worked (Step Five). (See Chapter Six for the Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction.)
* The term “connection” refers to the connection between registers, and the terms “adduction” and “approximation” refer to vocal cord function and proximity.
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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF CHAPTER FIVE 1
What is “cause and effect” teaching?
2
Why is this method effective in teaching?
3
What does Seth say about “cause and effect” with regard to Speech Level Singing?
4
What should you do if you have given the student an exercise several times and he or she still does not “get it”?
5
Why is it important to refrain from using imagery such as “put it in the mask” in teaching?
6
Define the meaning of a teaching “objective”.
7
Why is it important to have an objective as you are teaching your student?
8
How should an objective be stated?
9
Define vocal cord adduction:
10
How do you know if the student’s cords are appropriately adducted?
11
What are three incorrect methods of vocal production with regard to the vocal cords? a) b) c)
12
What objectives would you use to address each incorrect vocal habit? a) b) c)
13
What tools might you use to achieve correct vocal cord function if the cords do not adduct?
14
What tools might you use to achieve correct vocal cord function if the cords overcompress?
15
What are three incorrect vocal habits, or Tends To’s, with regard to the larynx? a) b) c)
16
What tools might you use if the larynx rises continuously throughout the range?
17
What tools might you use if the larynx rises as the voice ascends in pitch?
18
How can you tell if the student’s larynx is rising?
19
What tools might you use if the larynx is pressed or forced downward?
20
How can you tell if the student is forcing the larynx downward?
21
What tool might you use if the student forces the tongue (mylohyoid muscle) down (Gomer Pile sound)?
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22
What is the “ideal” in SLS with regard to the larynx?
23
What does “low, stable larynx” refer to?
24
Describe the difference between “adduction” and “connection” in SLS terminology?
25
What are the two primary goals in SLS training?
26
Give examples of “temporary sounds”. When should they be discontinued?
27
Define “release”.
28
How is release achieved?
29
Define “connection”.
30
How is connection achieved?
31
Define adduction.
32
How is adduction achieved?
33
Define “approximation”.
34
How is approximation achieved?
35
What are two possible results of the two primary goals?
36
Define “connected release”.
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6
Core Concepts: Diagnosis & Solutions TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS
Every student will fall into a “Tends To” category, all of which are based on vocal habits and patterns. Tends To’s are constantly changing and must be addressed with each new exercise, song, and skill level achieved by the student. The teacher must always be listening for the student’s current Tends To. You will need to continuously reevaluate your objectives when dealing with the constantly changing “moving target” of the student’s Tends To’s.
The 5-Tone “AH” [a] will reveal the students Tends To. The student will either: Pull Chest
No Chest
Flip
Mix
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… TENDS TO’S DEFINED PULL CHEST: The student who tends to “pull chest” will have difficulty releasing from the chest voice through the first bridge. As the pitch ascends, the student’s larynx rises, the vowel widens, and usually there is a tendency to push too much air in an attempt to force the chest voice above the first bridge. As the student continues to use a chest coordination to sing higher pitches (rather than releasing), there is a feeling of reaching and straining for the notes. There is a corresponding muscular grip as the student engages extrinsic muscles (swallowing muscles, tongue muscles, etc.) to force the vocal cords to maintain the vibrational mass of the chest register. This creates a “lateral stretch” resulting from an inability to coordinate a transfer of control from one set of muscles to the other. As a result, the student may experience the feeling that the resonance of the chest voice (against the hard palate) is not allowed to transfer behind the soft palate as the pitch ascends.
NO CHEST: There are two types of “no chest” singers. The first is the “soprano” and includes singers who are classically or chorally trained, with a developed head register but a history of avoidance of the chest register. The second type is the “young girl” sound – airy and breathy throughout the entire vocal range. For the student who sings with “no chest”, the vocal cord posture of the head voice (less vibrating mass) is used to function on the lower pitches and the vocal cords are not appropriately adducted; this will result in breathy, airy sounds in the bottom of the vocal range. The student may experience the feeling that the resonance remains behind the soft palate rather than against the hard palate, as it is felt in chest voice.
FLIP: A flip can be either a momentary interruption in sound where the vocal cords abduct and immediately return to an adducted position, or they may remain abducted (falsetto). In falsetto, the sound is weak, airy, and breathy, and it is impossible to connect to the chest register. This will occur at the first bridge if the student is pulling chest, and will also occur at successive bridges if resonance and vocal cord adjustments are not correct. A student who “flips” because he or she is pulling chest is not able to maintain appropriate connection between the registers because the vocal cords do not adjust smoothly from a position of greater vibrating mass to a position of less vibrating mass; consequently, the vocal cords do not remain appropriately adducted. It is also possible to flip if the student is not pulling chest, but is still unable to maintain appropriate vocal cord adduction (and “press”) through the bridges. In both cases the student may be blowing too much air and creating too much subglottal pressure for the current strength of the vocal cords.
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… TENDS TO’S DEFINED THE TWO TYPES OF FLIPPERS There are two types of flippers: Type A: Flipping because they pull chest too high. This student will flip around C5 (female) or G4 (male). He or she will widen the vowel and blow too much air, creating too much cord compression, until they flip because they cannot pull the chest voice any higher. The prescription on the bottom of the range is similar to the chest puller:
Narrow the vowel, lessen cord
compression on the bottom, release through the first bridge, but “press” after the first bridge. The student will need to learn to use less airflow because the cords are blowing apart at the first bridge; reducing subglottal pressure allows the student to maintain appropriate cord adduction. TOOLS: 1. Narrow the vowel/sing a pure vowel 2. Less air blow (to reduce subglottal pressure) 3. Start scales higher to make sure the student is over the first bridge 4. Increase cord adduction, and “press” above the first bridge Type B: Flipping without pulling chest - the larynx is not necessarily hiking. This student will flip at G-Ab, or A (female) and (Eb-E) male. The vowel is not necessarily wide, but the cords need more "press", particularly in the first bridge. Design tools that will reduce subglottal pressure by stopping or reducing the airflow to the point the cords can begin to resist, and will increase vocal cord adduction. TOOLS: 1. Wider vowels for more cord closure 2. Increase cord adduction and press through the first bridge 3. Start scales lower to give them a chance to anchor in chest and “press” below the first bridge and up to the first bridge 4. Less airflow (to reduce subglottal pressure)
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… TENDS TO’S DEFINED MIX: The student who mixes perfectly will smoothly negotiate through bridge areas with resonance transfer, appropriate cord adduction and connection between registers, creating a vocal sound that is even, balanced, and free from muscular tension. When singing ascending pitches, the singer’s vocal cords make a transition from a position of greater vibrating mass to a position of less vibrating mass while maintaining appropriate adduction. As a result, the student experiences a feeling of “resonance transfer” from the hard palate in chest register to a split between hard palate and behind the soft palate as the pitch ascends. For our purposes, a student who mixes imperfectly (with room for improvement in any of the above categories) will still be in the Tends To: Mix category. The remedy for each Tends To is to be found in a correct and skillful application of vowels, consonants, scales, and voice. These are known in SLS as the “Tools”. The Tools are designed to counteract, or apply an “equal and opposite action”, to the student’s Tends To’s (vocal habits or tendencies). Maintaining adducted cords, connection from chest into head register with release, and a low and stable larynx are the results of a skillful application of the correct tools. The following chart provides some examples of possible Tends To’s and the objectives you should use to address them. After the Tends To and the objective have been established, you will need to apply the Tools to counteract the Tends To of the student.
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… TENDS TO’S DEFINED
POSSIBLE TENDS TO’S AND OBJECTIVES Student Sings With
Tends To
Your Objective
1.
No chest “young girl” type
Appropriate cord adduction
No chest “soprano” type
Appropriate cord adduction
An airy vocal production throughout the range
2.
Adducted cords in the head voice and a disconnected production in
Connection between
the chest voice 3.
Disconnected vocal production at
registers Flip
or after the first bridge
Appropriate cord adduction through first bridge resulting in connection between registers
4.
A raised larynx
Pull chest – sings off the level – nasally vowels
Low, stable larynx Release through first bridge
5.
A “splatty” (broad) vowel
Pull chest
Low, stable larynx Release through first bridge
6.
“Yodels” (could occur anywhere in
Flip
the student’s range).
Appropriate cord adduction through first bridge resulting in connection between registers
7.
Connection from bottom to top
Mix (imperfect mix)
Strengthen
8.
Too much cord compression
Pull chest or imperfect mix
Maintain moderate cord
resulting in a pressed sound
adduction while connecting from the bottom to the top of the voice
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… TENDS TO’S DEFINED Remember to continually diagnose the Tends To’s exhibited by your student, and keep your objective in mind as you design a tool combination that will counteract his Tends To’s. The Tend’s To’s are a “moving target”; that is, they change constantly with each new vowel, pitch, dynamic, etc. Keep listening, and be constantly aware of what you are hearing in your student’s voice. Always be moving toward mix and balance in everything you do.
THE FOUR QUESTIONS Instead of randomly giving exercises, hoping that one will work, listen with focused attention while asking yourself the following questions: (These questions represent the first three steps of the Six Steps to Successful SLS Instruction discussed later in this chapter: Diagnose, Determine Objective, and Design Tool Combination).
FOUR QUESTIONS 1)
What am I hearing? (Diagnose)
2)
What Tends To does this indicate? (Diagnose)
3)
What is my objective? (Determine Objective)
4)
What tool combination will counteract the Tends To of the student? (Design Tool Combination)
After the student performs the scale, ask yourself the following questions: (These questions represent Step 5 of the Six Steps to Successful SLS Instruction, ASSESS).
FOUR MORE QUESTIONS 1)
Was the result better? (Assess)
2)
Was the result the same? (Assess)
3)
Was the result worse? (Assess)
4)
What do I need to address? (Assess) Air blow, cord closure or vowel? Larynx? Release? Connection?
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS THE TOOLS The remedy for each Tends To is to be found in a correct and skillful application of vowels, consonants, scales, and voice. These are known in SLS as the Tools. The teacher designs a tool combination (vowel, consonant, scale, and/or voice) to counteract the Tends To of the student (Pull chest, No chest, Flip, or Mix).
The SLS teacher uses the following tools: Vowels
Consonants
Scales
Voice
VOWELS Vowels have specific Tends To functions and are used in conjunction with the consonant and scale tools to address the Tends To of the student. In SLS terminology vowels are referred to as either narrow or wide. The narrower a vowel is, the more it will tend to encourage a “heady” production. The wider a vowel is, the more it will tend to encourage a more “chesty” production. We encourage you to become familiar with the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet). Since SLS is now known throughout the world, it is important that vowel and consonant references sound the same in every language. The IPA is a standardized way of describing each vowel and consonant in every language in the world. IPA is represented in brackets like this: [a].
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS This chart lists the vowels in order from the narrowest at the top to the widest at the bottom.
VOWELS TOOL WITH IPA Vowels Tool Pure
Diphthongs
German
French Nasal
[u] =boot [i] =tree
[u] + [i] = [y] (Glück)
[I] =hit
[œ] =un
[o!] =go
[!] =book [!] =hut
[e] + [o] = [Ø] (schön)
[!i] =boy
[õ] =son
["]=bet
[ei] =say
[ae] =bad
[a!] =now
[ãe] =main
[ai] =die
[ã ] =dans
[!] =hot [a] =awe
Vowels are listed here in order from narrow to wide. Narrow vowels will drive more toward head, and wider vowels drive more toward chest.
Some German vowels are a combination of two vowel sounds. In the first example, [y] combines [i] with a rounded lip position [u] and encourages a more “heady” production. The [e] + [o] combination (schön) is less heady. The [!] vowel is a “self-focuser”- a vowel that will tend to blend head and chest and result in a better mix. French Nasal vowels often encourage an easier transition through the bridges.
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS Diphthongs are a progression of two sequential vowel sounds with the second sound more closed than the first. For example, the vowel sound in the word “why” is shown in IPA as [a] [i]. When singing, emphasis should be placed on the first vowel sound.
When vocalizing and singing
scales, diphthongs are helpful in providing release because the second vowel sound is narrower. Although in SLS we do not refer to vowels in terms of “front, central or back” because of their association with assumed feelings, the following chart is helpful in understanding the progression from narrow to wide. Note that the widest vowel is the [a] sound (AH).
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS CONSONANTS In SLS pedagogy, consonants are referred to in terms of interruption of airflow. Hard consonants greatly reduce or stop the airflow; softer consonants create less reduction of airflow, and aspirated consonants allow more airflow. In other words, consonants 1) stop airflow, 2) reduce airflow, or 3) allow more airflow.
CONSONANTS TOOL Hard (most cord adduction and greatest interruption of airflow) G, B, D Hard/Plosive (hard consonant, air explodes on hard palate or lips) K, T, P [t"] = cheek [d# ] = judge Phonated (sound continues during the consonant/ moderate interruption of airflow) N, M [!] = sing [#] or [ñ] = onion ["] = thee Z, V [#] = rouge Glide (less interruption of airflow) W, Y Aspirate (no phonation/least airflow interruption/allows more airflow) " = think, [" ] = she, S, F, [hw] (why), H *Consonants are listed here from hardest (most cord adduction) to softest (least cord adduction)
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS
IPA CHART This chart indicates the correct IPA for both consonants and vowels.
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS SCALES Scales should be learned on the piano in every key. They are usually played in ascending or descending half-step increments from the chosen starting pitch. A reference sheet is given in Chapter 13; you may wish to copy it and keep it on your piano for reference. You will also want to copy the Toolbox, which has the SLS scales along with vowels and consonants for tool combinations. The starting pitches given in the exercise examples are only approximate. Listen closely to your students for evidence of reaching for notes that are too high or low, and adapt the starting pitches to the needs of the individual. For example, basses will generally start exercises lower than tenors. The starting pitch may vary based on the student’s age and level of achievement. Don’t force the student to start on a pitch that is so low or so high that he or she is “reaching” for the pitch. The student’s Tends To’s and your objectives will also affect starting pitch. For example, if the student tends to pull chest and your objective is to trick them into finding release through the first bridge, you would start the scale on a pitch that will ensure that the highest note is above the first bridge. However, for students whose Tends To is no chest you may want start the scale lower in order to build and reinforce the areas the student is weakest in. The Five-Tone [a] Scale is used to diagnose a student’s Tends To’s. The 5-Tone [ae] Scale builds strength in the chest voice. Octave Down scales are used to provide “connected release” for students who tend to pull chest. The Long Scale is used to trick the student into releasing through the bridge, and to build connection between the registers. Octave Repeater Scales are used to increase comfort and skill and to build strength. The Broken Arpeggio Scale should only be used when the student is mixing (imperfectly) to build tone, flexibility and balance. Starting pitches are also affected by whether your objective is to “trick” the student into experiencing a new coordination, or whether your objective is to “reinforce” and strengthen the new behavior. The same tool combination might be used for both objectives, but the starting pitch might vary based on your chosen objective.
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS Teachers are not required to be highly trained pianists; however, they are expected to play every scale in all keys with enough facility to allow complete attention to be placed on the student. The instructor who struggles with playing the scales or who cannot successfully demonstrate the vocal exercises will not be effective. Consult a good piano teacher if you need help with the SLS scales. You are expected to be able to play the scales without looking at the keyboard and without errors, while focusing full attention on the student.
Teachers who cannot play well enough to place complete attention on the student while playing the scales in all keys will not pass Level 1 Certification.
Middle C on the piano is known as C4, the C one octave below that is C3, and the C one octave above is C5, etc.
“Students should practice at mezzo forte (medium loud) at the most. However, you must never forget WHY you practice exercises; you do so to set up the correct balance between your exhaled air and your vocal cords, allowing you to sing at a speech level, and to then have your neuromuscular system live with that balance.
You should only sing as
loudly as you are able to maintain your balance with a steady, normal vibrato. The intensity or loudness of that tone will come once the muscular coordination to produce pitches freely is established.” – Seth Riggs
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SPEECH LEVEL SINGING BASIC SCALES
Objective: Reveal student’s Tends To’s (used with the [a] vowel) Objective: Discover and strengthen chest voice (used with the [ae] vowel) Starting pitch: Female G3- A3, Male C3- D3
Objective: Connect, release, strengthen, balance Starting pitch: Female G3-A3, Male C3
Objective: Vocal cord adduction, connect, balance Starting pitch: Female G3-A3, Male C3 The first measure is a spoken, edgy “mmm” with a rising inflection. May be sung: All staccato; Gallop (as shown); or Triplets
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS
Objective: Connect, strengthen, balance Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male F#3 if student’s Tends To is pulling chest. For a student whose Tends To is no chest, start lower to build and reinforce where they are weak.
Objective: Connect, strengthen, balance Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male F#3 if student’s Tends To is pulling chest For a student whose Tends To is no chest, start lower to build and reinforce where they are weak.
Objective: Connect, strengthen, balance Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male F#3 if student’s Tends To is pulling chest For a student whose Tends To is no chest, start lower to build and reinforce where they are weak.
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS
Objective: Release and balance Starting pitch: Female C#5, Male F#4
Objective: Release, balance and strengthens Starting pitch: Female C#5, Male F#4
Objective: Connect, strengthen, balance, flexibility, tone building Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male G3 (tricking) or Female G3 (reinforcing) This scale is used for students who are primarily mixing
Objective: Connect, strengthen, balance Starting pitch: Female D5, Male G4 This scale is used to strengthen the first bridge
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS VOICE TOOLS The final set of SLS Tools is comprised of Voice Tools. These tools include both the instructor’s voice, and tools such as the Lip Trill, Tongue Trill, etc., that do not fit into the three previous categories (Vowels, Consonants, and Scales), but are used to address student’s Tends To’s. The instructor’s voice may be used to: 1. Describe (give information). Use this tool appropriately; remember it is more effective to give the student the experience of good vocal production. 2. Demonstrate (model good vocal production by example). 3. Direct (give an action command). Since the instructor uses his or her voice to demonstrate, he or she therefore is expected to be consistently studying and practicing. Testing for level advancement will include an evaluation of the teacher’s vocal technique.
The vocal study requirements for certification purposes are a minimum only.
Every
instructor should be studying consistently with a Level 2 or higher SLS teacher in addition to the IMT lessons required to maintain certification.
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS Additional Voice Tools include:
• • • • • •
Lip Trill, Tongue Trill Squeaky door, Edgy mmm Pharyngeal Sounds Imposed Larynx Sounds (Hooty, Woofy, Dumb, Scooby Doo) Cry Press
These are all considered to be temporary tools which assist in tricking the student into experiencing the desired result.
These tools may be discontinued as soon as the desired result
is achieved.
Lip Trill / Tongue Trill The Lip Trill and Tongue Trill tools balance the airflow with exactly the right amount of resistance, creating the optimum condition to allow the singer to progress through the bridges of the voice with ease. Students who perform the Lip Trill and Tongue Trill with little effort are unlikely to grip with the outer muscles. It is difficult to do Lip or Tongue Trills when there is muscular tension in the throat, or when the lips are too tense. When Lip and Tongue Trills are done correctly, the singer is using the appropriate amount of air and resistance. It is important that the student pushes the fingertips in toward the teeth and that the weight of the skin is picked up around the lips, so that the muscles remain relaxed. The “bubble” sound should be loose and relaxed. The face, neck and lips should be very relaxed, and the vibrational speed of the lips should be slow. This exercise teaches the student to relax while negotiating through the bridges and into the upper register and to maintain a connected tone from the bottom of the voice to the top of the voice. As the pitch ascends, the singer should feel a sense of the resonance transferring to the area behind the soft palate; the sound in the lower notes will feel like it is going directly out of the mouth. For a “triple resister”, close the lips over a Tongue Trill.
The “UH” vowel in combination with these
exercises will help to maintain a low, stable larynx.
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS
Friendly Compression Tools Edgy mmm, Squeaky Door These tools create “friendly compression” in the vocal cords, enabling them to moderately adduct without the necessity of vowel and consonant formation. The Edgy mmm is a more refined version of the squeaky door, with less of the “vocal fry” effect. This sound is effective when combined with the Cord Adduction exercises to encourage appropriate vocal cord adduction. Not a traditional “hum”, which begins with an aspirated “H” sound, the SLS “Edgy mmm” tends to create an easy cord adduction and smooth transition through the bridges. The squeaky door requires slightly more cord compression than the Edgy mmm with slightly more “vocal fry”. Put your index finger or your thumb under your chin and press it up into the mylohyoid muscle (underneath the chin) to become aware of any downward pressure from the tongue.
Temporary Pharyngeal Sounds The pharyngeal sounds are unfinished sounds and are sometimes described as “nasty”, “bratty”, or “witchy” extreme sounds. These sounds are discontinued when they are no longer necessary, as your student progresses toward a speech level production. They will thin out the vocal cords and help them stay adducted without muscular strain through the bridges, but they also raise the larynx, so the student should be moved toward “normal” or Speech Level vocal production as soon as possible. If the student begins to “fall out”, you can then return to the temporary exercise. Examples: N[ae], N[ei] “bratty”, “witchy”
Temporary Imposed Larynx Sounds These unfinished sounds are sometimes described as “hooty” or “dumb” exercises. They create a low and relaxed larynx by using the muscles below the larynx to pull it down, resulting in a sound which is somewhat imposed.
This is a temporary measure and should be discontinued when the need to
counteract a raised larynx is no longer present. Move the student toward Speech Level vocal production as soon as possible and only return to these exercises if he or she is not able to maintain cord closure and a low, stable larynx. Examples: w[!]f, m[!]m, g[!]g, g[!]d, g[i], w[i] performed Hooty or Dumb (like Skooby-Doo)
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS
Cry When using the cry (the feeling of crying into the sound) the body is engaged and the vocal cords approximate. This can also be compared to the “whimper” sound a puppy makes. The cry can be used with all sounds, including the temporary imposed larynx sounds to discourage outer-muscle activation. It can be used with the other sounds to encourage the vocal cords to adduct appropriately.
Press Press refers to the ability of the vocal cords to resist air pressure from below. As the student advances, he will gain more ability to lean or press. This does not refer to pressing the abdomen or body – it refers only to the resisting capability of the vocal cords. The resisting capability of the cords depends on their horizontal closure ability over a vertical rising pressure of air while maintaining a consistent tone, pure vowel, correct pitch, even vibrato, ease of vocal production, and release through the bridges. Students will want to press in order to have a variety of dynamics, to demonstrate various vocal styles, and to create greater intensity. Generally, a student should have a good balance in the voice before attempting to press (sometimes called “lean”). However, a student who is too careful or hesitant and is not singing with enough energy to create stability will need to be more aggressive and press more in order to get the resistance required for stability. If the student begins to squeeze, stop the press and regain vocal balance before attempting it again.
* Rather than describing these sounds, the instructor should demonstrate using his own voice.
On the following page you will find the SLS Toolbox. Copy the toolbox to put on your piano. Please limit scales to those included in the toolbox, and use vowel and consonant tool combinations logically based on the Tends To’s of the student.
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SLS TOOLBOX 5-Tone [a] Diagnostic Evaluator: Reveals Tends To’s, bridges 5-Tone [ae]: Discovers and strengthens the chest
Consonants
VOWELS
Hardest
Narrowest Diphthongs
G, B, D Hard/Plosive T, P, K
1.5 Octave Long Scale: Balances registration, encourages release and coordination through bridges.
[u]=boot [i] =tree [I] = hit
[y] =Glück
[!] =book
[Ø] =schön [œ] =un
[!] =hut
Cord Adduction: Measure 1, spoken edgy “mmm” with rising inflection. Sung: All staccato; Gallop (as shown); or Triplets. Creates appropriate vocal cord adduction
Phonated N, M [!] =sing [#] =onion [!] =thee
French, German
[o!] =go
[õ] =son
[!i] =boy ["]=bet
[e i] =say [a i] =die
Octave Repeater: Builds strength in the mix
Z, V [# ] =rouge Glide
Octave Repeater with Sustain: Increases coordination and strength
Octave Up with Sustain and Vowel Change: Connects, strengthens, balances
Octave Down/Octave Down 3x: Releases and balances
Octave Down with Sustain: Releases, balances, strengthens
5-Tone Descending: Connects, strengthens, balances
Broken Arpeggio: Flexibility, registration balance and tone building
W, Y Aspirate ["] =she S, F # =think WH =why H
Softest
Voice (Other) Tools: Edgy “mmm”, Lip Trill “Dumb Dog” “Hooty” Speak the word, Tongue Out, Squeaky Door, Cry, Bend Over Thumb under chin, fingers in cheeks
[ae] =bad
[a!] =now
[ãe] =main
[ã] =dans
[!] =hot [a] =awe Widest Problem Vowel
Narrower Substitute
BAT [ae} BAY [ei] BET["] BIT [I]
BET ["] BEE [i] BIT [I] BEET [i]
BOAT [o!]
BOOT [u]
BOUGHT [!]
BUT ["]
BUCK ["] BOOK [!]
BOOK [!] BOOT [u]
Vowels are narrowed in the bridge and in the approach to the bridge
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THE SIX STEPS OF SUCCESSFUL SLS INSTRUCTION The Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction have been designed to provide teachers with a plan for creating effective instruction, for reflecting on the efficacy of their instruction, and for adapting instruction as needed to meet students’ needs. The steps are followed sequentially and are repeated cyclically throughout the lesson. Seth Riggs and teachers who have been teaching SLS for many years cycle through these steps instantaneously and automatically; many teachers with less experience may have the same general concept, but might, for example, tend to forget Step 2 - they often apply tool combinations without a clear objective in mind, or neglect Step 5, which involves an assessment of how well the tool combination has worked to remedy the Tends To of the student. Awareness of this logical thought process and reflection regarding how well the process is followed in the lesson will quickly increase the teacher’s skill levels. You should make a copy of the Six Steps chart to keep on your piano for quick reference; however, this information is meant primarily for use before the lesson (for planning) and after the lesson (for reflection).
Your attention should be on the student during the lesson.
Record
lessons you have taught for later reflection to see how well you were able to follow the Six Steps. Being cognizant of logical lesson flow as presented in the Six Steps to Successful SLS Instruction and then reflecting on the choices made during the lesson by reviewing a recorded lesson, will increase teacher focus and will result in greater student success. Self-assessment is a vital step to increasing the instructor’s skill level. In reviewing a recorded lesson, consider the following: What logic did you use to make each choice? Would another choice have been a better one? Why? Reflection is essential to improvement – habits and less than effective methods can only be changed if the instructor becomes conscious of them. Look objectively at the lessons you are teaching and see if you can improve on the tool choices you are using. In addition to The Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction charts included here, you should use the logic charts included in this manual for greater improvement in your logical thinking and tool choices. To prepare for testing and to increase your skill level as a teacher, practice writing lesson plans (found in Chapter 13) using your favorite tools to address each of the four Tends To’s.
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… THE SIX STEPS OF SUCCESSFUL SLS INSTRUCTION When testing for level advancement, be prepared to discuss the student’s Tends To’s, the logic behind your tool choices, and your objectives with the examiner. The flow of a testing lesson, and of every lesson, should be determined by logic. To prepare for level testing, copy the following charts and use them to design appropriate lesson plans.
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THE SIX STEPS OF SUCCESSFUL SLS INSTRUCTION
Step 1
DIAGNOSE
Use 5-Tone [a] Student’s Tends To is:
Reveals Tends To's Pull chest, No chest, Flip, Mix
Step 2
DETERMINE Objective (end result)
Objective: “I want my student to:”
Positive Student Centered Outcome Student sings with low, stable larynx and adducted vocal cords.
Step 3
DESIGN Tool Combination Scales, Vowels, Consonants, Voice (Other) To address the Tends To
Tool Combination: Scale: Vowel: Consonant: Voice (Other)
Step 4
APPLY Tool Combination
Teacher: Play scale, demonstrate, prepare student to sing Student: Sing vowel, consonant, scale combination
Step 5
ASSESS Outcome
Result: Better? Worse? The Same? What needs to be addressed? Air blow, cord closure, vowel? Is the larynx low and stable? Is student releasing through the bridge?
Was the result better, worse, or the same? Address: Air Blow, Cord Closure, Vowel, Larynx, Release?
Step 6
ADAPT
Create new Tool Combination if necessary. Repeat process throughout lesson with increased student skill level...
New Tool Combination: Scale: Vowel: Consonant: Voice (Other)
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HOW TO USE THE SIX STEPS OF SUCCESSFUL SLS INSTRUCTION STEP 01
DIAGNOSE Tends To’s
In this first step, diagnose the student’s Tends To’s by giving a 5-Tone [a] Diagnostic Evaluator. The 5-Tone Evaluator is a diagnostic tool that exposes the student’s four main Tends To’s: !
Pull Chest
!
No Chest
!
Flip
!
Mix
Students will be one of four main voice types, resulting from vocal habits, or “Tends To’s’:
Pull Chest
No Chest
Flip
Mix
Starting pitch: Female G3-A3, Tenor C3, Bass A2
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… HOW TO USE THE SIX STEPS THE 5-TONE [a] DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATOR FLOW CHART The Five-Tone [a] Diagnostic Evaluator Tool will expose the student’s Tends To’s. (This is the first step of the Six Steps to Successful SLS Instruction - DIAGNOSE). Your next step is to DETERMINE OBJECTIVES that will counteract the student’s Tends To’s.
5-TONE [a] DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATOR
Exposes Tends To's
Pull Chest
No Chest
Flip
Mix
Tool Objectives:
Tool Objectives:
Tool Objectives:
Tool Objectives:
Release through bridges Moderate Compression Low, Stable Larynx
Appropriate Cord Adduction Low, Stable Larynx, Connection
Appropriate Cord Adduction Moderate Compression Low, Stable Larynx, Connection
Strengthen, Build Vibrato, Dynamics
Sing Songs with Speech Level Production
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… HOW TO USE THE SIX STEPS STEP 02
DETERMINE THE OBJECTIVE
Based on the student’s Tends To revealed in Step 1 (Diagnose), determine the objective. The objective is a clearly stated positive student outcome, such as “The student will sing with release through the first bridge”. With this clearly stated objective in mind, you can design a tool combination (Step 3), which will address the Tends To of the student. When determining your objective, always keep in mind the two primary goals: adducted vocal cords and a low, stable larynx. Remember there are three things within the student’s control: airflow, (also referred to as air blow), cord closure, (also referred to as cord adduction or approximation) and vowel. A result of effective instruction will be the student’s ability to release through the bridges and maintain connection between the registers. Focus on one or two objectives at a time. What do you need to address first? Cord adduction? Airflow? Vowel? Larynx? Connected Release? You have to decide what you think is the most important thing to focus on, given the Tends To’s of the student. My student tends to_____________________________________________________________. “I would like my student to_______________________________________________________.” Focus on one objective at a time (rather than trying to fix everything at the same time), with the ultimate goal of: •
appropriate cord adduction
•
a low, stable larynx
•
release through the bridges, and
•
connection between registers.
STEP 03
DESIGN YOUR TOOL COMBINATION
Combine the four SLS tools to design a tool combination that will meet your objective and address the Tends To revealed in Step 1 and the objective determined in Step 2. The Four SLS Tools are: 1. Vowels 2. Consonants 3. Scales 4. Voice Tools such as the squeaky door, Lip and Tongue Trill and the Instructor’s Voice, which is used to DESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE, AND DIRECT.
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… HOW TO USE THE SIX STEPS STEP 04
APPLY THE TOOL COMBINATION
Demonstrate the exercise, then play the exercise as your student sings it. Use good vocal modeling. Students will imitate what you are modeling, so be aware of your own Tends To’s and model other good behaviors such as posture when you are demonstrating.
STEP 05
ASSESS THE OUTCOME
Assess the degree to which the tool combination guided the student to experience the objective stated in Step 2. Did the student 1. Improve? 2. Stay the same? 3. Get worse? If the student stayed the same, or got worse, what needs to be addressed – airflow, cord closure, or vowel? Is the larynx low and stable? Is the student releasing through the bridge? Are the cords appropriately adducted?
THREE QUESTIONS DID THE STUDENT GET BETTER? (ASSESS) DID THE STUDENT STAY THE SAME? (ASSESS) DID THE STUDENT GET WORSE? (ASSESS)
WHAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED? LARYNX STABILITY CORD CLOSURE * a result of appropriate cord closure and larynx stability is the student’s ability to release through the bridges while maintaining connection between the registers
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… HOW TO USE THE SIX STEPS WHAT CAN THE STUDENT CONTROL? AIRFLOW CORD CLOSURE VOWEL
STEP 06
ADAPT INSTRUCTION TO MEET STUDENT NEEDS
Based upon your assessment results, adapt by creating a new tool combination to better address the student’s Tends To, addressing one of the three factors of airflow, cord closure, or vowel. The result of the two primary objectives (appropriately adducted vocal cords, and a low, stable larynx) being met will be the student’s ability to release through the bridges while maintaining connection between the registers. If the answer to your assessment question in step five (Was the result that the student improved, got worse, or stayed the same?) was “The student stayed the same” or “The student got worse”, ask yourself: “What is the cause? Which of the factors in the students control should be addressed - airflow, vowel, or cord closure? Is the student releasing through the bridges? Is the student maintaining a connection between the registers? Is the larynx low and stable?” Choose a new combination by substituting a new vowel, consonant, or scale but do not change all three at the same time or you will not be able to assess the effectiveness of your choice. If the answer was “The student improved”, stay close to home, and progress toward speech level production by substituting one vowel, consonant, or scale choice at a time. If you continue to use logic without good results, consider the possibility that the Tends To was misdiagnosed. Rediagnose the Tends To, set a new objective, and change the tool combination. Use logic!
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… HOW TO USE THE SIX STEPS TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS
The remainder of the chapter will be focused on giving you some possible solutions for student Tends To’s. These are by no means the only solutions, but they should help to give you some basic concepts. Remember your student’s Tends To’s are a moving target and not static. Train yourself to be continually listening for new Tends To’s and adapting instruction as necessary (Step 6).
The following charts are designed to give you a basic understanding of possible tool combinations to use for each Tends To. Progress logically, changing only one element at a time, and assess the effectiveness of each change of vowel, consonant, scale, or voice tools. Focus on one or two objectives at a time rather than trying to fix everything at once. Be sure to ASSESS (Step 5) and ADAPT (Step 6) after each tool combination.
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TENDS TO: PULL CHEST Objectives: Low, stable larynx and appropriate cord adduction (not over-compressed) resulting in release through the bridge. When a student is pulling chest, the objective is to encourage a low, stable larynx, and a moderate degree of cord adduction (not over-compressed). The student who pulls chest is usually widening the vowel, over-compressing the cords, and blowing too much air. Diagnose how severe the Tends To is and select tools that provide an equal and opposite effect: For a student whose tendency to pull chest is extreme, select consonants that provide the least amount of cord closure (aspirate) and combine them with vowels that drive to head (narrow). Progress logically downward through the columns, changing one element at a time. Scales that work from the top down are effective for counteracting the student’s tendency to pull up too much weight from the bottom. Make sure the student maintains a “connected release”. TENDS TO PULL CHEST LOGICAL PROGRESSION CHART CONSONANTS
VOWELS [u] =boot
Aspirate
[i] =tree
H
[u]+[i] = [y] (Glück)
SCALES
VOICE Instructor’s voice-
Octave Down
DESCRIBE,
Octave Down 3x
DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
Aspirate
Lip Trill S, F
[ I ] =hit
[" ] =she
Octave Down 3x with sustain
Tongue Trill Bend Over
[!] =book Glide
Phonated
W, Y
N, M [!] =sing
[!] =hut
[o!] =go (diphthong)
1.5 Scale
*Hooty, Dumb Dog
(top note higher than first bridge) Octave Repeater (top
Cry
note higher than the first
Edgy mmm
bridge)
[ #] or [ñ] =onion
Octave Repeater with [#] rouge
Z
[ei] = nay
sustain, Octave Up with Sustain and Vowel Change
Hard/Plosive
K, T, P
Hard
G, B, D
*Start at the top of each column
* to be discontinued as
and work your way down if the
soon as possible- move
Tends To is severe. Make
toward speech level
choices from the middle for those
production
whose tendency to pull chest is less severe
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS: PULL CHEST Start with tools that will “trick” them into experiencing a new coordination and work toward tools that “reinforce” the new coordination. Communication: Talk to the student about the three things they can control – vowel, airflow and cord closure. If the student is pulling chest, they are probably widening the vowel, over-compressing the cords and blowing too much air, so we provide an equal and opposite reaction - we narrow the vowel, provide tools that will facilitate less compression on cords and we create less air blow by DIRECTING them to sing with less volume. Pulled chest tools: 1.
Narrow vowel/sing pure vowel
2.
Less airflow to reduce subglottal pressure
3.
*Possible sequence •
Tricking Lip Trill 1.5, Octave Down 3x Hooty 1.5 W[i] Hooty 1.5 G[i], Hooty Octave Down 3x G[i] 1.5 G[u] Octave Down 3x G[u] N[ei] 1.5 (bratty)
•
Reinforcing M[!]m Octave Repeater to reinforce C#-C# and work down
Now re-diagnose. Are they mixing? (New Tends To)
*This sequence is provided to give you some basic ideas for structuring lesson plans. The teacher should constantly be listening for new student Tends To’s that may require a departure from the sequence suggested above.
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (PULL CHEST)
Starting pitch: Female C#5, Male G4 Objectives: Low, stable larynx; consistent, moderate cord adduction resulting in connected release through first bridge.
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Low, stable larynx
Least interruption of air
Encourage head
Friendly
Consistent, moderate
Aspirate
Narrow
compression
cord adduction
H, S, F
[u] boot
sounds:
resulting in release
[" ] = she
[i] tree
Lip Trill, Tongue
Glide W, Y
[u] + [i] = [y]
Trill with [!] (UH) Lips Forward
Moderate interruption of air Phonated
N, M [!] sing[ #] or [ñ] onion Most interruption of air Hard/Plosive K, T, P Hard G, B, D
Temporary Less Narrow [ I ] =hit [!] =book [!] =hut [o!] =go (diphthong) [ei] = nay
imposed larynx sounds: Hooty, Dumb, Cry
Move toward Speech Level sounds as soon as possible Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (PULL CHEST)
Starting Pitch: Female C#5, Male F#4
Objectives: Low, stable larynx; connection; consistent, moderate cord adduction (not over compressing) resulting in release through the first bridge.
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Low, stable larynx
Least interruption of air
Encourage head
Friendly
Consistent, moderate
Aspirate
Narrow
compression
cord adduction
H, S, F
[u] boot
sounds:
[" ] = she
[i] tree
Lip Trill, Tongue
Glide W, Y
[u] + [i] = [y]
Trill
Glück (Ger)
with [!] (UH)
resulting in release
Lips Forward Moderate interruption of air Phonated
N, M [!] sing[ #] or [ñ] onion Most interruption of air Hard/Plosive K, T, P
Temporary Less Narrow [ I ] =hit [!] =book [!] =hut [o!] =go (diphthong) [ei] = nay
imposed larynx sounds: Hooty, Dumb, Cry Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
Hard G, B, D
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (PULL CHEST)
Starting pitch: Female C#5, Male G4 Objectives: Low, stable larynx; Connection; Consistent, moderate cord adduction (not overcompressing) resulting in release through the first bridge.
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Low, stable larynx
Least interruption of air
Encourage head
Friendly
Consistent, moderate
Aspirate
Narrow
compression
cord adduction
H, S, F
[u] boot
sounds:
resulting in release
[" ] = she
[i] tree
Lip Trill, Tongue
Glide W, Y
[u] + [i] = [y]
Trill with [!] (UH) Lips Forward
Moderate interruption of air Phonated
N, M [!] sing[ #] or [ñ] onion Most interruption of air Hard/Plosive K, T, P
Temporary Less Narrow [ I ] =hit [!] =book [!] =hut [o!] =go (diphthong) [ei] = nay
imposed larynx sounds: Hooty, Dumb, Cry Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
Hard G, B, D
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (PULL CHEST)
Starting pitch: Female G3-A3, Male C3
Objectives: Low, stable larynx; Connection; Consistent, moderate cord adduction (not overcompressing) resulting in release through first bridge.
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Low, stable larynx
Least interruption of air
Encourage head
Friendly
Consistent, moderate
Aspirate
Narrow
compression
cord adduction
H, S, F
[u] boot
sounds:
resulting in release
[" ] = she
[i] tree
Lip Trill, Tongue
Glide W, Y
[u] + [i] = [y]
Trill with [!] Lips Forward
Moderate interruption of air Phonated
N, M [!] sing[ #] or [ñ] onion Most interruption of air Hard/Plosive K, T, P Hard G, B, D
Temporary imposed larynx Less Narrow [ I ] =hit [!] =book [!] =hut [o!] =go (diphthong) [ei] = nay
sounds: Hooty, Dumb, Cry
Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS: PULL CHEST
Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male F#3 To trick the student into a new coordination, start on C# and go up To reinforce the new coordination, start on C# (female) and work down Objectives: Low, stable larynx; connection; consistent, moderate cord adduction (not over-compressing) resulting in release through first bridge.
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Low, stable larynx
Least interruption of air
Encourage head
Friendly
Consistent, moderate
Aspirate
Narrow
compression
cord adduction
H, S, F
[u] boot
sounds:
resulting in release
[" ] = she
[i] tree
Lip Trill, Tongue
Glide W, Y
[u] + [i] = [y]
Trill with [!] Lips Forward
Moderate interruption of air
Temporary imposed larynx
Phonated
N, M [!] sing[ #] or [ñ] onion Most interruption of air Hard/Plosive K, T, P Hard G, B, D
Less Narrow [ I ] =hit [!] =book [!] =hut [o!] =go (diphthong) [ei] = nay
sounds: Hooty, Dumb, Cry
Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS: PULL CHEST
Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male F#3 To trick the student into a new coordination, start on C#4 and go up To reinforce the new coordination, start on C#4 (female) and work down Objectives: Low, stable larynx; Connection; Consistent, moderate cord adduction (not over-compressing) resulting in release through first bridge.
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Low, stable larynx
Least interruption of air
Encourage head
Friendly
Consistent moderate
Aspirate
Narrow
compression
cord adduction
H, S, F
[u] boot
sounds:
resulting in release
[" ] = she
[i] tree
Lip Trill, Tongue
Glide W, Y
[u] + [i] = [y]
Trill with [!] Lips Forward
Moderate interruption of air Phonated
N, M [!] sing[ #] or [ñ] onion Most interruption of air Hard/Plosive K, T, P
Temporary Less Narrow [ I ] =hit [!] =book [!] =hut [o!] =go (diphthong) [ei] = nay
imposed larynx sounds: Hooty, Dumb, Cry Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
Hard G, B, D
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS: PULL CHEST
Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male F#3 To trick the student into a new coordination, start on C#4 and work up To reinforce the new coordination, start on C#4 (female) and work down
Objectives: Low, stable larynx; Connection; Consistent, moderate cord adduction (not over-compressing) resulting in release through first bridge.
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Low, stable larynx
Least interruption of air
Encourage head
Friendly
Consistent, moderate
Aspirate
Narrow
compression
cord adduction
H, S, F
[u] boot
sounds:
resulting in release
[" ] = she
[i] tree
Lip Trill, Tongue
Glide W, Y
[u] + [i] = [y]
Trill with [!] Lips Forward
Moderate interruption of air Phonated
N, M [!] sing[ #] or [ñ] onion Most interruption of air Hard/Plosive K, T, P
Temporary Less Narrow [ I ] =hit [!] =book [!] =hut [o!] =go (diphthong) [ei] = nay
imposed larynx sounds: Hooty, Dumb, Cry Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
Hard G, B, D
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS: NO CHEST TENDS TO: NO CHEST There are two categories of students whose Tends To’s are “no chest”.
The tools used to
address the chest voice may be the same but the scales may start on differing pitches, depending on whether the student falls into the “soprano” category or the “young girl” category. The first category, known as the “soprano” is made up of singers with (usually) classically trained voices who have been taught to ignore the chest register. A singer in this category may have a fully developed head voice, but will try to sing lower notes using the head voice coordination, resulting in breathy, weak vocal production. The second category is the “young girl” voice that is airy and weak throughout the entire voice. The first category could be considered to be using “too much head”; she is bringing the head voice down too far. The second category could be considered to be using “not enough chest”. Both of these categories may also apply to males. With both types, begin by “discovering” the chest voice and creating cord adduction in chest. Objective: Discover chest voice (adducted vocal cords) When a student is singing with no chest, the first objective is to discover the chest voice and create cord adduction in the chest. First, you could use the Edgy mmm tool to encourage cord adduction. Then if the Tends To is extreme, select consonants that provide the most cord closure (hard) and combine them with vowels that drive to chest (wide). Start with short scales such as the 5-Tone [ae], then extend to longer scales such as the Octave Repeaters (below the first bridge) and then progress to the 1.5 Long Scale. Progress logically, changing only one element at a time, and assess the effectiveness of each change of vowel, consonant, scale or voice tools. Progress logically toward less extreme sounds as the student’s skill level increases. Change one element at a time so you can ASSESS (Step 6) how well each tool is working. Begin with tools that “trick” the student into a new coordination and work toward tools that will “reinforce” the new coordination. Remember the three factors the student can control are vowel, cord closure, and airflow. Communicate with the student about these three things.
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS: NO CHEST The student’s tendencies may be: little cord adduction throughout the entire range, or fair-togood cord adduction on the top and little adduction on the bottom, depending upon the student’s history. As with the previous charts, you will base your tool choices on the severity of the student’s Tends To and apply an equal and opposite tool choice. In the case of a student with little cord adduction in the chest, start with the 5-Tone [ae] and Edgy mmm to get the cords closed. Beginning with wide vowels and hard consonants, work your way down the chart in logical sequence as the student experiences success.
TENDS TO NO CHEST LOGICAL PROGRESSION CHART CONSONANTS
Hard consonant
VOWELS
Widest
G, B, D
SCALES
VOICE
5-Tone [ae]
Edgy mmm
Cord Adduction exercise
Cry
Hard/Plosive
[ae ] =bad
1.5 Octave Long Scale
Tongue out (partially, just
K, T, P
[a!] =now
Octave Repeater
resting on lower lip)
[a] =awe
Start G3;
Pharyngeal Sounds
Phonated
[!] =hot
Octave Repeater with
N, M
[ai] =why
Sustain
Instructor’s voice-
[!] = sing
[ei] =say
Octave Up with Sustain
DESCRIBE,
[ #] or [ñ] = onion
[ã ] =dans
and Vowel Change Start
DEMONSTRATE,
["] =bet
G3
DIRECT
[!] =hut [œ] =un [œ] =un [o!] =go [!i] =boy [I} =bit, [i]=be [u]= do Narrowest
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS: NO CHEST There are two types of “no chest” singers. Type A "soprano": This student usually has a developed top register, but he/she brings the head voice too low and will need to stay connected through first bridge and get more "press" coming down from the top. Communication: Talk to the student about the three things they can control - vowel, airflow and cord closure. Tools: 1. Use tools that create cord adduction on bottom 2. Wider vowel 3. Press and stay connected through bridge 4. Don’t over blow on top 5. *Possible sequence
•
Tricking 5-Tone [ae] Cord Adduction (Edgy mmm) 1.5 mmm Stacatto reestablishes cord adduction on each note Octave Repeater N[ae] start at G3 and work up 1.5 Long Scale N [ae] with cry Hard Consonant "G["]g" Octave Repeater, start G3 and work up
•
Reinforcing Octave Repeater M["]m, start at G3, work up, and then back down
Now re-diagnose – are they mixing yet? (New Tends To) * This sequence is provided to give you some basic ideas for structuring lesson plans. The teacher should constantly be listening for new student Tends To’s that may require a departure from the sequence suggested above.
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…TENDS TO’s AND TOOL SOLUTIONS: NO CHEST Type B "young girl": This student will present little to no cord adduction throughout, but will probably start to pull chest once you get the cords together on the bottom. Communication: Talk to the student about the three things they can control - vowel, airflow and cord closure. Tools: 1. Use tools that create cord adduction 2. Wider vowels on bottom to encourage chest. If they then start to pull chest, design tools that encourage release through the bridge (use [ae] to [ei] 3. Air blow commensurate with cords’ ability to resist 4. *Possible sequence
•
Tricking 5-Tone [ae] Cord Adduction (Edgy mmm) 1.5 mmm, stacatto reestablishes cord adduction on each note 1.5 N[ae] to N[ei] establish chest on bottom, release through bridge 1.5 N[ei] with cry Octave Repeater N[ei] C#-C# (female) go down Hard Consonant G["]g 1.5, Octave Repeater C# down (female)
•
Reinforcing Octave Repeater M["]m C#-C# and work down
Now re- diagnose: Are they mixing yet? (New Tends To) * This sequence is provided to give you some basic ideas for structuring lesson plans. The teacher should constantly be listening for new student Tends To’s that may require a departure from the sequence suggested above.
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS: NO CHEST
FIVE-TONE [ae] as in “at” (sometimes used with the tongue partially out) is used to “discover” chest. You can also use the following vowel, consonant and voice tools to reinforce and build the chest.
Starting pitch: Female A3, Male C3 Objectives: Discover chest; consistent, moderate cord adduction
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Cord adduction
None
[ae]
Friendly compression
Connection through
sounds:
bridges
Squeaky Door, Cry, Edgy mmm Tongue out slightly (Place on lower lip.) Move toward Speech Level sounds as soon as possible Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS: NO CHEST
Starting pitch: Female G3-A3 The first measure is a spoken, edgy “mmm” with a rising inflection. Sung: All staccato; Gallop (as shown); or Triplets. Objectives: Consistent, moderate cord adduction; connection through bridges OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Cord adduction
Moderate interruption of
None
Friendly compression
Connection through
air
sounds:
bridges
mmm
Squeaky Door, Cry, Edgy mmm Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
Move toward Speech Level sounds as soon as possible
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (NO CHEST)
Starting pitch: Female G3- A3, Male C3 Objectives: Connect, release, strengthen, balance OBJECTIVE Cord adduction Connection through bridges
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Hard
Wide
Temporary high
Most interruption of air
[ae] =at
larynx pharyngeal
["] =met
sounds:
G, B, D
(Diphthongs)
Hard/Plosive
[a!] =now
K, T, P
[ei] =day [ai] =why
Witchy, Bratty, Nasty, Tongue out, Staccato
French nasal vowels [ã ] =dans
Move toward Speech
[ãe] =main
Level sounds as soon as possible
Phonated
Less Wide
Friendly compression
Moderate interruption of
[!] =Gug
sounds:
air
[!] Book
Squeaky Door, Cry,
N, M
[o!] Go
Edgy mmm
[i] =Gee
Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
•
Try 1.5 N[ae] to N[ei] for students who start pulling chest once you get the cords together, to establish the chest on the bottom and then find release through the first bridge.
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS: NO CHEST
Starting pitch: Female G3-A3 to trick into chest, and work up To reinforce, start on C#4 (female) and work down Objectives: Consistent, moderate cord adduction, connection through bridges
OBJECTIVE Cord adduction Connection through bridges
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Hard
Wide
Temporary high
Most interruption of air
[ae] =at
larynx pharyngeal
["] =met
sounds:
G, B, D Hard/Plosive K, T, P
(Diphthongs) [a!] =now [ei] =day [ai] =why
Witchy, Bratty, Nasty, Tongue out, Staccato
French nasal vowels [ã ] =dans [ãe] =main
Move toward Speech Level sounds as soon as possible
Phonated
Less Wide
Friendly compression
Moderate interruption of
[!] =Gug
sounds:
air
[!] Book
Squeaky Door, Cry,
N, M
[o!] Go
Edgy mmm
[i] =Gee
Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS: NO CHEST
Starting pitch: Female G3-A3 to trick into chest, and work up To reinforce, start on C#4 (female) and work down Objectives: Consistent, moderate cord adduction, connection through bridges
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Cord adduction
Hard
Wide
Temporary high
Connection through
Most interruption of air
[ae] =at
larynx pharyngeal
["] =met
sounds:
bridges
G, B, D Hard/Plosive K, T, P
(Diphthongs) [a!] =now [ei] =day [ai] =why
Witchy, Bratty, Nasty, Tongue out, Staccato
French nasal vowels [ãe] =main
Move toward Speech Level sounds as soon as possible
Phonated
Less Wide
Friendly compression
Moderate interruption of
[!] =Gug
sounds:
air
[!] Book
Squeaky Door, Cry,
N, M
[o!] Go
Edgy “mmm”
[i] =Gee
Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS: NO CHEST
Starting pitch: Female G3-A3 to trick into chest, and work up To reinforce, start on C#4 (female) and work down Objectives: Consistent, moderate cord adduction, connection through bridges
OBJECTIVE Cord adduction Connection through bridges
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Hard
Wide
Temporary high
Most interruption of air
[ae] =at
larynx pharyngeal
["] =met
sounds:
G, B, D
(Diphthongs)
Hard/Plosive
[a!] =now
K, T, P
[ei] =day [ai] =why
Witchy, Bratty, Nasty, Tongue out, Staccato
French nasal vowels [ãe] =main
Move toward Speech Level sounds as soon as possible
Phonated
Less Wide
Friendly compression
Moderate interruption of
[!] =Gug
sounds:
air
[!] Book
Squeaky Door, Cry,
N, M
[o!] Go
Edgy “mmm”
[i] =Gee
Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (FLIP) Objectives: appropriate cord adduction, connected release through bridges, connection between registers Students who tend to flip must learn to negotiate the bridges without abducting by increasing their ability to “press in” at the bridges. There are two types of “flippers”. The first type will sing with a high larynx and will pull chest as high as possible before letting go. Chest-pullers will eventually flip when they cannot pull any higher; however, a student who flips does not always pull chest. For those students who pull chest and then flip, whose “Tends To’s” include a high larynx and the tendency to widen the vowel and blow too much air, the tool set would include exercises that will get the larynx down, reduce the airflow, and encourage an earlier transition into mix by reducing weight sooner. If the student is flipping because he or she is pulling too much weight, give exercises that will lighten the chest and increase cord adduction over the first bridge. The French nasal vowels will contain the tendency to flip; the “ng” is also good for this. M[!]m, Octave Repeater ending above the first bridge will be helpful. Remember the three things in the student’s control: airflow, vowel and cord closure. The student may be blowing too much air, the vowel may be too wide, and the student may be over-compressing on the bottom, and then disconnecting after the first bridge. You might start with top down exercises that will get them to feel some cord closure on top while taking weight off the bottom (G[u] is good for this), then progress toward the Octave Repeater, (above the first bridge for chest pullers), then 1.5 Octave Long Scale, and consonants that provide a moderate amount of cord closure such as “m”, “n”, or “ng”. Use sounds that will get the larynx down, while maintaining cord closure, such as hard to moderate consonants with narrow vowels. Hooty exercises, top down exercises starting above the bridge and Octave Repeaters starting at C#4 (female) and F#3 (male) may be effective, followed by the Long Scale N[ei]. (Using N[ae] for this type of student would be ineffective because it would encourage them to lift the larynx.) Exercises should be started on higher pitches that will get the student over the first bridge. The second type of “flipper” is the student who is not pulling chest, but has not developed the mix sufficiently and is not maintaining good cord adduction in and beyond the first bridge. There may be an airy, breathy sound throughout the voice. This student may not be hiking the larynx, but will still
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (FLIP) abduct when transitioning through the registers. The objective here is to develop better cord adduction (closure) throughout the entire voice, and a greater ability to “press in” at the bridge. The temporary sounds (tongue partially out, bratty, squeaky door, Edgy mmm) will help to keep the cords adducted. With the tongue-out exercises, do not put the tongue too far forward; simply rest it on the lower lip. Wide vowels and hard consonants will provide cord closure. The French nasal vowels will contain the tendency to flip; the “ng” is also good for this. Starting pitches for this type of Tends To will be lower than for the type previously discussed (pull chest, then flip). This student needs to “anchor in chest”. Octave Repeaters on N[ei], G[i] and M[!]m are helpful for this type of voice. If the student flips because they are pulling chest, start with the narrow vowels at the bottom of the following chart and work upward. If the student is flipping, but does not pull chest, start at the top of the vowel chart below and work downward. The charts that follow on pages 122 to 127 refer to the student who is pulling chest then flipping.
TENDS TO FLIP LOGICAL PROGRESSION CHART CONSONANTS Hard G, B, D Hard/Plosive K, T, P
VOWELS Wide [ae] =at [a] =ow ["] =bet [I} =bit
SCALES Cord Adduction 1.5 Octave Long Scale Octave Down Octave Down 3x
VOICE Friendly Compression Edgy mmm Cry Tongue Out (partiallyplace on lower lip) Temporary high larynx
[ai] =why
pharyngeal sounds:*
[ei] =day
Witchy, Bratty, Nasty, Tongue out
Phonated N, M [!] =sing
[o!] =go
*(use these only if student
[!i] =boy
does not pull chest, then
[!] =nut
flip)
[œ] =un (French Nasal)
Octave Repeater
Temporary imposed larynx
[!] =book, woof
Octave Repeater w/
sounds
Sustain
Hooty, Dumb Dog, Woof
[ #] or [ñ]
[u] boot
Octave Up with Sustain and
Scooby Doo
=onion
[i] tree
Vowel change and Vibrato
Instructor’s voice
Glide: W,Y (for chest pullers)
Narrow
DESCRIBE,DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (FLIP) Type A: Flipping because they pull chest too high. As mentioned previously, this student will pull chest and then flip at C5 (female) and G4 (male). They widen the vowel and blow too much air, create too much cord compression, and pull chest until they have to flip. The prescription for these singers on the lower register is similar to the chest puller: Narrow the vowel, less cord compression on the bottom, less air blow because the cords are blowing apart at the first bridge. Design tools that will reduce subglottal pressure and enable the student to maintain cord adduction. Direct the student to sing with less volume and less air blow. Communication: Talk to the student about the three things they can control – vowel, airflow and cord closure. Tools: 1. Narrow the vowel/sing pure vowel 2. Less air blow (to reduce subglottal pressure) 3. *Possible sequence
•
Tricking Lip Trill 1.5, Octave Down 3x Hooty Woof with cry 1.5 gets larynx down, (cry decreases subglottal pressure) Hooty 1.5 W[i] Hooty 1.5 G[i], 1.5 G[u] G[u] 3x down G[i] 1.5 G[i] Repeater C#-C# 1.5 N[ei]-N[ae]-N[ei]
•
Reinforcing M[!]m Octave Repeater to reinforce C#-C# and work down
Re-diagnose: Are they mixing yet? (New Tends To) * This sequence is provided to give you some basic ideas for structuring lesson plans. The teacher should constantly be listening for new student Tends To’s which may require a departure from the sequence suggested above.
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…TENDS TO AND TOOL SOLUTIONS: FLIP Type B: Flipping without pulling chest, larynx not necessarily hiking. As mentioned previously, this student will flip at Ab4-A4 (female) and (Eb4-E4) male. The vowel is not necessarily wide, but the cords need more "press", particularly in first bridge. Design tools that will reduce subglottal pressure by stopping or reducing the airflow to the point the cords can resist, and will increase the cord adduction and the student’s ability to “press”. Communication: Talk to the student about the three things they can control – vowel, airflow and cord closure. Tools: 1. Cord adduction exercises 2. Wider vowels 3. Less air blow 4. Possible sequence
•
Tricking Cord Adduction (Edgy mmm) 1.5 mmm Stacatto reestablishes cord adduction on each note 1.5 N[ae]- N[ei]- N[ae] with cry reinforces chest on bottom, release through the bridge 1.5 N[ei] with cry Octave Repeater N[ei] C#-C# (female), go down Hard Consonant G[!]g 1.5, Octave Repeater C# down female
•
Reinforcing Octave Repeater M[!] m C#-C# and work down
Now re-diagnose – are they mixing yet? (New Tends To) * This sequence is provided to give you some basic ideas for structuring lesson plans. The teacher should constantly be listening for new student Tends Tos which may require a departure from the sequence suggested above.
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… TENDS TO AND TOOL SOLUTIONS: FLIP
Starting pitch: G3-A3 (female) C3 (male) The first measure is a spoken “mmm” with a rising inflection. Sung: All staccato; Gallop (as shown); or Triplets. Objectives: Consistent, moderate cord adduction; low, stable larynx which will result in connection between registers; release through the bridges; and balance
OBJECTIVE Consistent, moderate cord adduction
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
M
None
Friendly Compression Sounds Edgy mmm Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
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…TENDS TO AND TOOL SOLUTIONS: FLIP
Starting pitch: Female G3-A3, Male C3 Objectives: Consistent, moderate cord adduction and low, stable larynx which will result in connection between registers with release through the bridges; balance
OBJECTIVE Consistent, moderate cord adduction
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Hard
Narrow vowels
Friendly compression
Most interruption of air
[u] boot
sounds:
[i] tree
Lip Trill, Tongue Trill
[I]= mit
Squeaky Door, Cry,
[!] =Gug, bum, dum
Edgy mmm
[!] =Book, woof
Temporary imposed larynx
[o!] =Go
sounds:
G, B, D Hard/Plosive K, T, P
Hooty, Dumb, Cry
Low, stable larynx
Phonated
["] =met
Temporary high larynx
Moderate interruption
Diphthongs
pharyngeal sounds:*
of air
[ei] =day
Witchy, Bratty, Nasty,
N, M [!] =sung #] or [ñ] =onion [#] =rouge Glide: W,Y (for chest pullers)
[ai] =why French nasal vowels [ã ] =dans [ãe] =main [ae] =at [a] =not Wide vowels * *(use these only if
Tongue out Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE,DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
Move toward speech level sounds as soon as possible
student does not pull chest, then flip)
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (FLIP)
Starting pitch: Female C#5, Male F#4 Objectives: Consistent, moderate cord adduction and low, stable larynx which will result in connection between registers with release through the bridges; balance
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Consistent, moderate
Hard G, B, D
Narrow vowels
Friendly compression
[u] boot
sounds:
Hard/Plosive K, T, P
[i] tree
Lip Trill, Tongue Trill
Phonated N, M
[I]= mit
Squeaky Door, Cry,
[!] =Gug, bum, dum
Edgy mmm
[!] =sing
[!] =Book, woof
Temporary imposed larynx
[ #] or [ñ] =onion
[o!] =Go
sounds:
cord adduction
Hooty, Dumb, Cry
Low, stable larynx
Glide: W,Y (for chest pullers)
["] =met
Temporary high larynx
Diphthongs
pharyngeal sounds:*
[ei] =day
Witchy, Bratty, Nasty,
[ai] =why French nasal vowels [ã ] =dans [ãe] =main [ae] =at
Tongue out Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE,DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
[a] =not Wide vowels * *(use these only if student does not pull chest, then flip)
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (FLIP)
Starting pitch: Female D4, Male G3 for chest puller Type A Starting pitch for Type B (needs more “press”) would be lower; G3 (female) To trick, start at C#4 (female) and work up To reinforce, start at C#5 (female) and work down Objectives: Consistent, moderate cord adduction and low, stable larynx which will result in connection between registers with release through the bridges; balance
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Consistent,
Hard G, B, D
Narrow vowels
Friendly compression
[u] boot
sounds:
Hard/Plosive K, T, P
[i] tree
Lip Trill, Tongue Trill
Phonated N, M
[I]= mit
Squeaky Door, Cry,
[!] =Gug, bum, dum
Edgy mmm
[!] =sing
[!] =Book, woof
Temporary imposed larynx
[ #] or [ñ]
[o!] =Go
sounds:
["] =met
Hooty, Dumb, Cry
Diphthongs
Temporary high larynx
[ei] =day
pharyngeal sounds:*
moderate cord adduction, Low, stable larynx
=onion
[ai] =why French nasal vowels [ã ] =dans [ãe] =main
Witchy, Bratty, Nasty, Tongue out
[ae] =at [a] =not move toward speech level Wide vowels *
sounds as soon as possilble
*(use these only if student does not pull chest, then flip)
W,Y (for chest
Instructor’s voice-
Pullers)
DESCRIBE,DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (FLIP)
Starting pitch: Female D4, Male G3 for chest puller Type A Starting Pitch for Type B (needs more “press”) would be lower; G3 (female) To trick, start at C#4 female) and work up To reinforce, start at C#5 (female) and work down Objectives: Consistent, moderate cord adduction and low, stable larynx which will result in connection between registers with release through the bridges; balance
OBJECTIVE Consistent, moderate Cord Low, stable larynx adduction
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Hard G, B, D
Narrow vowels
Friendly compression sounds:
[u] boot
Lip Trill, Tongue Trill
Hard/Plosive K, T, P
[i] tree [I]= mit
Squeaky Door, Cry, Edgy mmm
Phonated N, M
[!] =Gug, bum, dum
[!] =sing
[!] =Book, woof
sounds:
[ #] or [ñ]
["] =met
Hooty, Dumb, Cry
=onion
Diphthongs [ei] =day [ai] =why French nasal vowels [ã ] =dans [ãe] =main [ae] =at
Glide: W,Y (for chest pullers)
[a] =not
Temporary imposed larynx
Temporary high larynx pharyngeal sounds:* Witchy, Bratty, Nasty, Tongue out move toward speech level sounds as soon as possible
Wide vowels * *(use these only if student does not pull chest, then flip)
Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE,DEMONSTRATE,DIRECT
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (FLIP)
Starting pitch: Female D4, Male G3 for chest puller Type A Starting pitch for Type B (needs more “press”) would be lower; G3 (female) To reinforce, start at C#5 (female) and work down Objectives: Consistent, moderate cord adduction and low, stable larynx which will result in connection between registers with release through the bridges; balance
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Consistent,
Hard G, B, D
Narrow vowels
Friendly compression sounds:
[u] boot
Lip Trill, Tongue Trill
Hard/Plosive K, T, P
[i] tree
moderate cord adduction
[I]= mit [!] =Gug, bum, dum [!] =Book, woof
Squeaky Door, Cry, Edgy mmm Temporary imposed larynx sounds: Hooty, Dumb, Cry
[o!] =Go
Low, stable larynx
Phonated N, M [!] =sing [ #] or [ñ] =onion Glide: W,Y (for chest pullers)
["] =met
Temporary high larynx pharyngeal sounds:*
Diphthongs
Witchy, Bratty, Nasty,
[ei] =day [ai] =why French nasal vowels [ã ] =dans [ãe] =main
Tongue out Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE,DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
[ae] =at [a] =not Wide vowels *
move toward speech level sounds as soon as possible
*(use these only if student does not pull chest, then flip)
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…TENDS TO AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (MIX) Objectives: increased skill level: register balance, press, vibrato, and dynamics while maintaining speech level production The student who is mixing (even imperfectly) will continue to work to improve his or her skill level, with the added dimension of greater dynamic variety, style, and more “press”. Extreme sounds should be eliminated at this stage; the goal is to sing with a “speech level” production of sound. Work toward elimination of consonants and use more connected, legato exercises. A wider range of dynamics is appropriate at this stage, as well as an increased emphasis on style and vibrato. Always continue to prioritize balance between registers over volume, style, etc.
•
It is now appropriate to begin using the Broken Arpeggio scale. This scale builds tone, flexibility and balance.
•
The 5-Tone Descending scale can now be used starting over the first bridge to increase release (with aspirate consonants and narrow vowels) or to increase the ability to “press” (with wider vowels and harder consonants).
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…TENDS TO AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (MIX) TENDS TO MIX LOGICAL PROGRESSION CHART CONSONANTS Phonated N, M [!] =sing [#] or [ñ] =onion
VOWELS [u]= moo [i]= mee
SCALES 1.5 Octave Long Scale Octave Repeater
[I} =mit [ai] =my
Octave Repeater with Sustain
VOICE (OTHER Instructor’s voiceDESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
[ei] =nay [o!] =now [!i] =boy
Octave Up with Sustain and Vowel Change and Vibrato
[!] =nut [!] =nook, woof ["] =thee Z, V
["] =met
[#] =rouge
[a]= not
[ae]= mad
Glide W, Y
Octave Down/Octave Down 3x
Discontinue extreme sounds
Octave Down with Sustain
Broken Arpeggio
Legato, No Consonant
5-Tone Descending *use “normal” speech
*start with consonants that moderately interrupt airflow, and work toward no consonants
level sounds, all vowels
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (MIX)
Starting pitch: Female G3-A3, Male C3 Objectives: Increased skill levels - balance, press, vibrato, dynamics while maintaining speech level production.
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Maintain and increase
*start with
*use “normal” speech
Instructor’s voice-
connection, register balance
consonants that
level sounds, all vowels
DESCRIBE, DEMONSTRATE,
moderately interrupt
DIRECT
airflow, and work toward no consonants Increase ability to lean, use
Phonated
Narrow
Speech level production
dynamics, vibrato, while
N, M
[u]= moo
Vibrato
maintaining speech level
[!] =sing
[i]= mee
Songs
production
[#] or [ñ] =onion
[I} =mit
Style
[ai] =my [ei] =nay [o!] =now [!i] =boy [!] =nut [!] =nook, woof Songs and styling while
["] =met
maintaining speech level
[ae]= mad
production
[a]= not Wide
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… TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (MIX)
Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male G3 or G3 (female) to build Objectives: Increased skill levels: balance, press, vibrato, and dynamics while maintaining speech level production.
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Maintain and increase
*start with consonants
*use “normal” speech
Instructor’s voice-
connection; register
that moderately interrupt
level sounds, all vowels
DESCRIBE,
balance
airflow, and work toward
DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
no consonants Increase ability to lean,
Phonated
Narrow
Speech level production
use dynamics, vibrato
N, M
[u]= moo
Vibrato
while maintaining
[!] = sing
[i]= mee
Songs
speech level production
[#] or [ñ] =onion
[I} =mit
Style
[ai] =my [ei] =nay [o!] =now [!i] =boy [!] =nut [!] =nook, woof Songs and styling while
["] =met
maintaining speech level
[ae]= mad
production
[a]= not Wide
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (MIX)
Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male G3 or G3 (female) to build Objectives: Increased skill levels: balance, press, vibrato, and dynamics while maintaining speech level production. This scale increases coordination and strength.
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Maintain and increase
*start with consonants
*use “normal” speech
Instructor’s voice-
connection,
that moderately interrupt
level sounds, all vowels
DESCRIBE,
register balance
airflow, and work toward
DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
no consonants Increase ability to lean,
Phonated
Narrow
Speech level production
use dynamics, vibrato,
N, M
[u]= moo
Vibrato
while maintaining
[!] =sing
[i]= mee
Songs
speech level production
[#] or [ñ] =onion
[I} =mit
Style
[ai] =my [ei] =nay [o!] =now [!i] =boy [!] =nut [!] =nook, woof Songs and styling while
["] =met
maintaining speech level
[ae]= mad
production
[a]= not Wide
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (MIX)
Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male G3 or G3 (female) to build Objectives: Increased skill levels: balance, press, vibrato, and dynamics while maintaining speech level production
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Maintain and increase
*start with consonants
*use “normal” speech
Instructor’s voice-
connection,
that moderately interrupt
level sounds, all vowels
DESCRIBE,
register balance
airflow, and work toward
DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
no consonants Increase ability to lean,
Phonated
Narrow
Speech level production
use dynamics, vibrato,
N, M
[u]= moo
Vibrato
while maintaining
[!] =sing
[i]= mee
Songs
[#] or [ñ] =onion
[I} =mit
Style
speech level production
[ai] =my [ei] =nay [o!] =now [!i] =boy [!] =nut [!] =nook, woof Songs and styling while
["] =met
maintaining speech level
[ae]= mad
production
[a]= not Wide
.
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (MIX)
Starting Pitch: Female C#5 Male G4 Objectives: Increased skill levels: register balance, lean, vibrato and dynamics while maintaining speech level production
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Maintain and increase
*start with consonants
*use “normal” speech
Instructor’s voice-
connection,
that moderately interrupt
level sounds, all vowels
DESCRIBE,
Register balance
airflow, and work toward
DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
no consonants Increase ability to lean,
Phonated
Narrow
Speech level production
use dynamics, vibrato,
N, M
[u]= moo
Vibrato
while maintaining
[!] =sing
[i]= mee
Songs
[#] or [ñ] = onion
[I} =mit
Style
speech level production
[ai] =my [ei] =nay [o!] =now [!i] =boy [!] =nut [!] =nook, woof Songs and styling while
["] =met
maintaining speech level
[ae]= mad
production
[a]= not Wide
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (MIX)
Starting pitch: Female C#5, Male G4 Objectives: Increased skill levels: balance, press, vibrato, and dynamics while maintaining speech level production
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Maintain and increase
*start with consonants
*use “normal” speech
Instructor’s voice- DESCRIBE,
connection,
that moderately interrupt
level sounds, all vowels
DEMONSTRATE,
Register balance
airflow, and work toward
DIRECT
no consonants Increase ability to lean,
Phonated
Narrow
Speech level production
use dynamics, vibrato,
N, M
[u]= moo
Vibrato
while maintaining
[!] =sing
[i]= mee
Songs
speech level production
[#] or [ñ] = onion
[I} =mit
Style
[ai] =my [ei] =nay [o!] =now [!i] =boy [!] =nut [!] =nook, woof Songs and styling while
["] =met
maintaining speech level
[ae]= mad
production
[a]= not Wide
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (MIX)
Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male G3 or G3 (female) to build Objectives: Increased skill levels: flexibility, balance, press, vibrato, and dynamics while maintaining speech level production.
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Maintain and increase
*start with consonants
*use “normal” speech
Instructor’s voice-
connection,
that moderately interrupt
level sounds, all
DESCRIBE,
Register balance
airflow, and work toward
vowels
DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
no consonants Increase ability to lean,
Phonated
Narrow
Speech level production
use dynamics, vibrato,
N, M
[u]= moo
Vibrato
while maintaining
[!] =sing
[i]= mee
Songs
speech level production
[#] or [ñ] =onion
[I} =mit
Style
[ai] =my [ei] =nay [o!] =now [!i] =boy [!] =nut [!] =nook, woof Songs and styling while
["] =met
maintaining speech level
[ae]= mad
production
[a]= not Wide
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…TENDS TO’S AND TOOL SOLUTIONS (MIX)
Starting pitch: Female C#5, Male G4 Objective: Connect, strengthen and balance. This scale is used for students who are mixing, to strengthen the first bridge. Add vibrato as student skill increases.
OBJECTIVE
CONSONANT
VOWEL
VOICE
Maintain and increase
*start with consonants
*use “normal” speech
Instructor’s voice-
connection,
that moderately interrupt
level sounds, all vowels
DESCRIBE,
Register balance
airflow, and work toward
DEMONSTRATE, DIRECT
no consonants Increase ability to lean,
Phonated
Narrow
Speech level production
use dynamics, vibrato,
N, M
[u]= moo
Vibrato
while maintaining
[!] =sing
[i]= mee
Songs
speech level production
[#] or [ñ] =onion
[I} =mit
Style
[ai] =my [ei] =nay [o!] =now [!i] =boy [!] =nut [!] =nook, woof ["] =met [ae]= mad [a]= not Wide
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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF CHAPTER SIX 1
What are “Tends To’s”?
2
What are they based on?
3
Name the four Tends To’s and give a definition of each: a) b) c) d)
4
What are the four tool sets?
5
What are they designed to do?
6
What do narrow vowels tend to do?
7
What do wide vowels tend to do?
8
Why is it important to have a basic understanding of IPA?
9
Name two of the most narrow vowels and words that use these vowels.
10
What is a diphthong?
11
What is the widest vowel?
12
What is the function of a consonant in SLS?
13
Hard consonants provide the greatest ___________________________.
14
What is a “plosive” consonant?
15
What is an “aspirate” consonant? How could they be used in working with a voice that is “muscled”?
16
Scales should usually ascend or descend by _______________________.
17
How do we know what pitch to start an exercise on?
18
How loudly should we have our students sing at first?
19
What is meant by “voice tools”? Name three of these tools and what they are for.
20
What does the “squeaky door” exercise do?
21
What does the “cry” do?
22
What are “hooty” sounds for?
23
What is Step 1 of the Six Steps? How do you do this step?
24
What is an “objective”? Why is it important to focus on your objective for your student?
25
In Step 3, you DESIGN a Tool combination to address the student’s ____________.
26
Step 5 says we ASSESS. What does this mean?
27
What three questions should we ask ourselves in Step 5?
28
Why do you think Step 6 is known as ADAPT?
29
What method do we use in SLS to DIAGNOSE the student’s Tends To’s?
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30
After we have diagnosed, what do we do next?
31
If a student “pulls chest”, what is the first objective?
32
Why would changing only one element at a time in your tool combination sometimes be a good choice?
33
Design a lesson plan to address a student who tends to “pull chest”. Justify your tool choices logically.
34
Why is it important to design scale tools that take a student who pulls chest above the first bridge?
35
For which Tends To would you not need to design scales to take the student above the first bridge? Why?
36
Now, design a completely different lesson plan for another student who tends to pull chest. Justify your tool choices logically.
37
Design a lesson plan to address a student who tends to sing with “no chest”. Justify your tool choices logically.
38
Design a lesson plan to address a student who “flips”. Justify your tool choices logically.
39
Write logic charts out for each of the above lesson plans. (See Logic Chart section in this Manual).
40
Make four copies of The SLS Roadmap for Vocal Development chart in Chapter 13. Create a lesson plan for each Tends To with your choice of exercises for each step.
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Best Practices and SLS Teaching Methodology
7
“Best Practices” are identified and used as a way of standardizing instruction and common practice and of ensuring the highest quality training and optimum results from such training for professionals in every field. In SLS, Best Practices have been established for lesson planning, lesson sequencing, and lesson content to help teachers understand the fundamentals of SLS teaching methodology.
With
thoughtful practice and time, individuals will begin to expand upon this foundation, and the concepts will become second nature to their teaching. Teachers who have been teaching SLS for many years will probably use these tools automatically; for beginning teachers and teachers wishing to improve their skill level, these tools provide focus and feedback that will enhance personal and professional growth. A lesson plan incorporating Best Practices is an effective tool for teachers. Professional educators around the world understand the benefit of planning and creating lessons that follow a logical sequence. Excellent lessons involve a three-step process of planning, delivery, and
reflection. It is important to place equal importance on all three of these elements.
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… BEST PRACTICES PLANNING When planning for an SLS lesson, the following points need to be considered: Review SLS materials !
Create your own lesson plans with the templates provided
!
Review the Teacher Training Manual
!
Visit mySLSworld often for new education, networking, and information
Equipment (suggested) !
Make sure your equipment/technology is ready for your lesson. Provide a good recording device. The iPod is a great way to record the student’s lessons with CD quality sound. (iPOD mics can be purchased at the Apple Store and online). Mini DVR Cameras record DVDs of the lesson that can be played on any DVD player, and are a great tool for visual feedback. Invest in a Karaoke machine so your student can bring in “tracks” to sing to.
!
The Tascam DR-1 records with exceptionally high quality sound, and it can change the tempo or the pitch of the songs without changing the speed of the recording. This is a good piece of equipment to customize music for your students’ needs. The students only have to provide an SD card if you have the DR-1 in your studio.
Teacher Materials !
Copy and use the Teacher Reference charts: The Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction, The SLS Roadmap for Vocal Development, the SLS Toolbox, and the Tools and SLS Roadmap Chart (copy from Chapter 13)
!
Use the Self Evaluation Sheet (found in chapter 13) to review your teaching and reflect on improvement objectives
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… BEST PRACTICES DELIVERY: RAPPORT It is important to begin the lesson by making a connection with your student. Always greet your student by name, and as a general rule, set aside the first few minutes of the lesson for connecting with them on a personal level. Some ideas for student connection are: First Lesson !
Ask your student why he or she is taking voice lessons and what kind of music they like best
!
Discuss the student’s singing and music history
!
Discuss his or her goals
!
Discuss how SLS will help the student to achieve these goals
!
At the end of the lesson “recap”, i.e. give a short review of concepts covered, what was done well, and what should be focused on in the coming week.
Successive Lessons Beginning !
Ask about their week
!
Review what the student learned or accomplished in the last lesson
!
Point out how the previous or current accomplishments are helping the student to move towards his or her goals
!
Ask your student about any upcoming performances or anything else he or she is working toward, and about any vocal challenges they have encountered during the week
End * !
“Recap” End on a “high note” of encouragement and praise.
Good teachers keep written records. On the following page you will find a student record template that can be copied and used for the first lesson and for successive lessons.
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STUDENT RECORD CHART Student’s Name
Known Tends To’s (if any)
Age
Contact Information
Singing Experience
Musical Background
Goals
Interests
Other Diagnose: Student Tends To:
EVERY SIX MONTHS: Goals
Interests
Other Diagnose: Student Tends To:
Goals
Interests
Other Diagnose: Student Tends To:
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… BEST PRACTICES INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY: TEACHING THE FIRST LESSON First, connect with the student and establish rapport. Do this by greeting the student by name. Inquire about the student’s day, how their week went etc. Inquire about the student’s singing history, goals, style preferences, and what the student would like to improve about his or her voice. Then: (Steps 1-4 should be covered as rapidly as possible, and with some students may not be necessary; it is important to get the student vocalizing and experiencing results quickly) 1. Help the student locate the larynx.
Explain that the larynx houses the vocal
cords. 2. Help the student experience what it feels and sounds like to sing with open vocal cords.
Have the student say “hhhhh” (without phonating). Help the student
experience what it feels and sounds like to sing with closed vocal cords. Have the student say “MMM” to experience the buzzing sensation from the larynx during vocalization. Explain that SLS will enable them to sing with a clear sound because they will learn to appropriately adduct the vocal cords. 3. Ask the student to swallow while placing his or her fingers on the “Adam’s Apple” to experience the feeling of the larynx rising. Then ask them to take a relaxed breath, and notice how the larynx drops a little. Explain that SLS will enable them to sing with a low, relaxed larynx throughout their entire range. 4. Explain that SLS technique will be addressing register balancing by the development of a strong mix, and that the goal of SLS Instruction will be speech level vocal production – singing with freedom from vocal strain in a healthy way that can be used for any style. (The preceding 4 steps should take less than 4 minutes.) 5. Introduce and demonstrate the 5-tone [a] Diagnostic Evaluator Tool. Explain that this scale should be sung along with the piano without interruption. This will reveal the student’s Tends To’s. 6. Deliver the lesson: Diagnose, Determine, Design, Apply, Assess, Adapt. 7. Make sure the lesson is “interactive”, that the student is engaged and that you are aware of feedback cues from the student such as body language. Encourage the student to become aware of the new sensations he or she is experiencing during the lesson. This is part of the “causational teaching” of SLS.
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… BEST PRACTICES 8.
At the conclusion of the lesson, include a short “recap” of important elements of the lesson to encourage student focus. You should end the lesson with positive encouragement regarding improvement evidenced during the lesson, along with a guideline for what to focus on in the coming week of practice. Your “recap” segment might sound like this:
“Today we were focusing on _______________________ and you made great progress when you _____________________________.
In the coming week, I
would like you to focus on _______________________________________________ when you practice. Great job today!” This way, the student leaves with a sense of accomplishment, and specific feedback regarding elements to improve on.
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… BEST PRACTICES INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY: TEACHING SUCCESSIVE LESSONS First, connect with the student and establish a rapport. Greet the student by name and inquire about his or her week, etc. Inquire about vocal issues, questions regarding the previous week’s lesson, how much they were able to practice, upcoming auditions, and current vocal goals, etc. Then: 1. Deliver the lesson: Diagnose, Determine, Design, Apply, Assess, Adapt. 2. Make sure the lesson is “interactive”, that the student is engaged and that you are aware of feedback cues from the student such as body language. Encourage the student to become aware of the new sensations he or she is experiencing during the lesson. This is part of the “causational teaching” of SLS. 3. At the conclusion of the lesson, include a short “recap” of important elements of the lesson to encourage student focus. You might end the lesson with positive encouragement regarding improvement in certain areas, along with a guideline for what to focus on in the coming week of practice. Your “recap” segment might sound like this: “Today we were focusing on _______________________ and you made great progress when you _____________________________. In the coming week, I would like to focus on ________________________________ when you practice. Great job today!” This way, the student leaves with a sense of accomplishment, and specific feedback regarding elements to improve on.
* These are a series of suggested ideas. Be aware that the degree of success you have with these tools depends on the student’s learning Tends To’s.
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USING THE SIX STEPS OF SUCCESSFUL SLS INSTRUCTION
STEP 01
DIAGNOSE TENDS TO’S
In this step, you will diagnose the student’s Tends To’s by using a 5-Tone Diagnostic Evaluator or another tool combination. The 5-Tone [a] Diagnostic Evaluator is a tool that exposes the Tends To’s of the student. The student will: 1. Tend to pull chest 2. Tend to sing with no chest 3. Tend to flip 4. Tend to mix – or demonstrate some degree of mix, though it may be imperfect
STEP 02
DETERMINE THE OBJECTIVE
Based on the student’s Tends To revealed in Step 1, your next step is to determine the “objective”. The objective is a clearly stated positive student outcome, such as: “The student will sing with release through the first bridge”. With this clearly stated objective in mind, you can design a tool combination (Step 3), which will address the Tends To’s of the student. When determining the objective, always refer to the two primary goals: appropriately adducted vocal cords and a low, stable larynx.
STEP 03
DESIGN A TOOL COMBINATION
Combine the four SLS tools to design a tool combination that addresses the Tends To revealed in Step 1 and the objective determined in Step 2. The Four SLS tools are: 1. Vowels 2. Consonants 3. Scales 4. 4.
Voice: This includes the instructor’s voice which is used to describe, demonstrate or
direct and various voice tools such as the Lip Trill, Edgy mmm, Cry, etc.
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… USING THE SIX STEPS
STEP 04
APPLY THE TOOL COMBINATION
Give the exercise designed in Step 3. (Teacher plays, student sings)
STEP 05
ASSESS THE OUTCOME
Assess the degree to which the tool combination guided the student to experience the objective stated in Step 2.
Part of the assessment process includes verbal and nonverbal student
feedback, including body language. Assess the degree to which the tool combination met the two primary goals of appropriately adducted vocal cords and low, stable larynx.
STEP 06
ADAPT INSTRUCTION TO MEET STUDENT NEEDS
Based upon your assessment results, adapt by creating a new tool combination to better address student Tends To’s, or if the previous tool set was effective, stay close to “home base”. Repeat: After making the necessary adaptations, return to Step 1 and diagnose the new student Tends To revealed in Step 6. Repeat Steps 1–6 as many times as necessary throughout the lesson. With practice and time, this process will become automatic and seamless. Until it does, SLS instructors are encouraged to use the Lesson Plan Templates and other resources found in chapter 13 to design effective lessons for each Tends To. Refer to the chart on the following page for guidance in using the Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction for your lesson planning.
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… USING THE SIX STEPS
USING THE SIX STEPS OF SUCCESSFUL SLS INSTRUCTION Diagnose Tends To
Determine objective
5-Tone Evaluator. Successive exercises will reveal other Tends To’s. Diagnose the student’s Tends To’s each time a tool combination is given. •
Pull chest
•
No chest
•
Flip
•
Mix (or demonstrate some degree of imperfect mix)
Objectives are based on the Tends To of the student, which were revealed in “Diagnose”. Always keep the two primary goals in mind: vocal cord adduction and low larynx stabilization. Examples of objectives that will counteract the student’s Tends To’s are:
Design tool combination
•
Adduct cords (if the Tends To is no chest- “young girl” type)
•
Connect Top to Bottom (if the Tends To is flip)
•
Connect Bottom to Top (if the Tends To is no chest-“soprano” type)
•
Release into mix (if the Tends To is pull chest)
•
Strengthen (if the Tends To is mix)
•
Release through bridge while maintaining connection from the bottom to top of the voice (if the Tends To is pull chest)
Combine the tools as needed. •
Vowel
•
Consonant
•
Scale
•
Voice
Apply tool combination
Model as needed using your voice; student then performs the exercise.
Assess the effectiveness of the tool combination
If the tool combination was successful, stay near the “home base” that you have established. Design the next tool combination by choosing vowels or consonants that are close to the one you have just given.
Adapt
Make adaptations as necessary to address student Tends To’s. Use the Teacher Tool Box and SLS Tends To’s and Solutions Charts and Lesson Planning Sheets in Chapter 13 for guidance. These charts can be copied.
If it was not successful, ASSESS. Why was it not successful? Cord closure, vowel, airflow, release, or connection?
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… USING THE SIX STEPS
REFLECTION – HOW WE IMPROVE In order to ensure professional growth, teachers should reflect regularly on their teaching. Reflection should include reviewing recorded and videotaped lessons they have taught, while filling out the Logic Chart to see whether the choices made were based on logic and were reflective of the chosen objectives. Make copies of the Self Evaluation Sheet in Chapter 13, and make a habit of filling it out several days in each week to improve teaching skills. You may also choose to do “practice testing” via iChat with an IMT for additional feedback. During reflection you will identify:
• • • • • • •
What works and which skills need to be refined or built upon Knowledge of SLS Logic and SLS materials/resources Ability to effectively use the SLS Resources Lesson preparation/ knowledge of SLS Tools Connecting with students Delivering a lesson: Diagnose, Determine, Design, Apply, Assess, Adapt Student needs: How can your teaching be more aware of and responsive to the student’s needs as demonstrated by verbal and nonverbal feedback?
•
Cause and Effect method of delivery: How can your delivery methods align more closely with the SLS ideal of causational teaching
•
Logic and objectives: How can successive lessons align more closely with logic flow and objectives?
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… BEST PRACTICES Feeling confident with SLS logic and knowing how to structure a lesson is the most effective way to increase your efficiency and the student’s success. Enhance lessons by using the SLS Lesson Plan templates in conjunction with SLS resources such as the SLS Tool Box and the Tools and SLS Roadmap for Vocal Development found in Chapter 13. Time spent reviewing and becoming proficient with these resources will dramatically increase your skill level. Copy and review these resources (see Chapter 13: Reference Charts):
• •
Lesson Reference Sheet: copy and use this during your lessons for reference Lesson Plan Template: copy and fill in this sheet as indicated in the explanation in order to guide you through your lessons
• • • • • • •
First lesson with a new student: copy and use this with a new student Logic Flow Charts (See Logic Chart section in this manual) Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction Chart SLS Roadmap to Vocal Development Chart Tools and SLS Roadmap to Vocal Development Chart The Four Questions Chart The Self Evaluation Sheet
Meeting Student Needs During the lesson process, the single most important indicator of successful teaching is the ability to accurately assess and meet the needs of the student. This process is a complex one and requires the ability to identify and address many different variables. One of the most important variables is student ‘learning tendencies’ or learning Tends To’s. Student Needs Identifying the student’s needs requires the teacher to focus on the needs of the student and not the teacher’s own agenda. This can be done in many ways. The most effective way is to simply ask the student direct questions to reveal essential goals. An effective teacher understands the importance of meeting those needs and will be continually aware of body language feedback from the student during the lesson. Lessons should be interactive, with the teacher constantly monitoring feedback from the student through verbal and nonverbal cues. Encourage students to be aware of and describe the new sensations and feelings that result from the exercises. This is the “effect” part of “cause and effect” teaching.
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… BEST PRACTICES Learning Tendencies (Tends To’s) In order to accurately and efficiently meet the needs of your students, it is important to assess how they learn. There are three basic learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. If you can identify your student’s learning style, you can then address his or her needs by providing instruction that accommodates that style of learning. Many students are aware of their particular learning tendencies and will be glad to share that information if asked. The teacher can also observe the student’s body language to obtain information on whether the teaching method is useful to them. Visual learners may require pictures, graphs, or hand gestures to help them understand. Auditory learners are best served by explanations supported by aural examples. Kinesthetic learners require physical experiences. If you are teaching a kinesthetic learner, avoid lengthy explanations; instead, get him or her to experience the sensations as quickly as possible. Additionally, allow kinesthetic learners to move during their lessons rather than instructing them to stand still. Knowing how your student learns is of paramount importance; a good teacher will identify and address the student’s learning style as early as possible. As a general rule, most voice students are auditory/kinesthetic learners, so they learn best by an experiential process – that is, they need to feel it and experience it. Since SLS technique causes the student to immediately feel and experience the correct functioning of the vocal apparatus, it is the most effective teaching method for auditory/kinesthetic learners; once the student has felt and experienced the correct sensations, the brain will remember this information far more rapidly and completely than when information is given in a lecture or explanatory format. Very few students require explanations or are interested in the science of vocal pedagogy; however you may sometimes encounter a student who likes to ask questions, and enjoys learning. Just be sure the student is also actively engaged in experiencing results by vocalizing. Whether your student is a visual, auditory, kinesthetic learner, or some combination of these, you must be aware of the learning Tends To’s of your student and adapt instruction to meet the needs of the student.
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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF CHAPTER SEVEN 1
What is the first thing you should do with a new or returning student? Why?
2
In the first lesson, what is the first scale and vowel tool you should use?
3
Why is it important to monitor your student’s body language?
4
What should you do at the end of each lesson?
5
How often should you diagnose a student’s Tends To’s?
6
What is an objective? Why is it important?
7
After you have determined your objective, what do you do?
8
After a lesson, it is a good idea to spend time in “reflection”. Why?
9
Why do you think it is important to be sensitive to the needs of the student, and not just your own agenda?
10
How do students let you know what they need?
11
What is a “learning tendency” or “learning style”?
12
What are “Best Practices” in teaching?
13
Why is it important to practice lesson planning?
14
What are the three elements of successful teaching?
15
What should you do for Step 1: Planning?
16
In delivering the lesson, why is it important to establish a rapport with the student first?
17
What is a “recap” and why is it important in teaching a successful lesson?
18
Give an example of how you have recently wrapped up a lesson with a “recap”:
19
What is an “interactive” lesson? How do you ensure that your teaching is “interactive”?
20
Why is it important to end on a “high/positive note”?
21
What are the Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction?
22
Copy the Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction Chart from Chapter 13 (make 20 copies). In your reflection period after teaching, fill out five of these for each of the four Tends To’s, fill in the tool choices, and record your assessment of how well each tool choice worked. Keep this record to remind you what has worked and what has not worked for each of your student’s Tends To’s.
23
Copy Lesson Planning with the Six Steps, Chapter 13 (make four copies). Fill out a lesson plan for each of the four Tends To’s. Repeat this exercise often.
24
Copy the Lesson Plan Template, Chapter 13 (make four copies). Design tool combinations to address each of the four Tends To’s using this chart.
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Instructional Delivery: The SLS Roadmap for Vocal Development
8
THE SLS ROADMAP FOR VOCAL DEVELOPMENT In Chapter 6 we discussed the six steps that should be followed in every lesson (The Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction). Teachers also need an overall “strategy” or plan so they can mentally prepare their instruction for the long term. That strategy is The SLS Roadmap for Vocal Development. Following the SLS Roadmap for Vocal Development gives the SLS teacher a guide for long term effective planning. All of the steps are continuously revisited in an upward spiral of skill building as the student gains in ability and confidence.
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… THE SLS ROADMAP
THE SLS ROADMAP FOR VOCAL DEVELOPMENT This roadmap is designed to give you an overview of the arc of a singer’s development over time. Notice that Connect, Stabilize and Build are on the same level. This indicates that they may be addressed interchangeably depending on the student’s Tends To’s.
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… THE SLS ROADMAP
THE SLS ROADMAP FOR VOCAL DEVELOPMENT This is an overall roadmap for the arc of a singer’s development over time and is not intended to be a lesson plan for a single lesson. You may copy this chart and insert your favorite exercises for each step. Make additional copies of this chart so you can update your notes with each IMT visit.
DISCOVER and RELEASE Discover chest voice; Discover head voice, Release Keeps student's Tends To and your objective to address Tends To in mind Student will vocalise through current range with release at first bridge (imperfectly)
ADDUCT and CONNECT Appropriate vocal cord adduction Connection of registers (top and bottom) May use temporary extreme sounds
1._______________________________ 2._______________________________ 3._______________________________ 4._______________________________ 5._______________________________
1._______________________________ 2._______________________________ 3._______________________________ 4._______________________________ 5._______________________________
STABILIZE LARYNX Relaxed position Does not raise for high notes or press down for low notes May use temporary extreme sounds
1._______________________________ 2._______________________________ 3._______________________________ 4._______________________________ 5._______________________________
BALANCE and BUILD Maintain and improve balance of air and cord resistance Build strength, sustain, vibrato, volume commensurate with balance Move toward "normal" sounds
1._______________________________ 2._______________________________ 3._______________________________ 4._______________________________ 5._______________________________
SPEECH LEVEL PRODUCTION Temporary and extreme sounds eliminated Balance between air pressure and cord resistance Sings through bridges with release, connection between registers, and vocal cord adduction
SONGS and STYLE Substitute vowel, scale and consonant Tools for difficult phrases Narrow the vowel on words that tend to "splat" and hike the larynx Volume commensurate with balance
1._______________________________ 2._______________________________ 3._______________________________ 4._______________________________ 5._______________________________
1._______________________________ 2._______________________________ 3._______________________________ 4._______________________________ 5._______________________________
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… THE SLS ROADMAP
01
DISCOVER AND RELEASE Objective: To enable the student to discover and release the upper and lower registers of the voice. Chest voice is established through the adduction of the vocal cords on the bottom part of the voice. A separate top voice is established which may be head voice, mix, or falsetto.
02
ADDUCT/CONNECT, STABILIZE, BUILD STRENGTH Objective: To connect, stabilize, or build strength in the voice. Purpose of Adduct/Connect: To aid the student in singing throughout his or her entire range with adducted vocal cords and connection between the registers. At this stage, the temporary/extreme/unfinished pharyngeal sounds may be used to help encourage mix.
The student becomes familiar and comfortable with the
feeling of connected vocal cords, and with using less of the vibrating element. Purpose of Stabilization: To aid the student in singing with a stable larynx that does not pull up or press down. Temporary/extreme/unfinished sounds such as the hooty, dumb, or “dumb dog” sounds are used to counteract the tendency of the larynx to rise. Purpose of Building Strength: To aid the student in building strength into the voice by “leaning” or “pressing” into the sound while maintaining cord connection and a relaxed, stable larynx.
Balancing air and muscle is imperative in the
strength-building stage.
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… THE SLS ROADMAP
03 SPEECH LEVEL EXERCISES Objective: To aid the student in maintaining speech level vocal production. Temporary/extreme/unfinished sounds that were used to counteract the student’s Tends To’s are discontinued when the student demonstrates appropriate vocal cord adduction and low larynx stabilization, has acquired the ability to release through the bridges while maintaining connection between registers, and when he or she has acquired ample strength. At this point, extreme exercises are replaced with speech level exercises. Old habits that reappear may be addressed by returning to Step 2. This is a fluid back-andforth process in order to achieve the goal of habitual speech level vocal production.
04
SONG APPLICATION AND STYLE
Objective: To aid the student in transferring speech level vocal production from exercises into song. Falling “off the level” or deviating from speech level production is addressed by substituting words with a tool combination. As the student becomes more proficient with the technique, teachers can proceed with vocal styling.
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LESSON FLOW Our job as Speech Level Singing teachers is to help students develop a correctly produced and natural vocal tone throughout an extended vocal range, and then to maintain vocal balance when singing a song incorporating vocal styling. This is accomplished by: 1. Helping students understand what and where their bridges are 2. Showing students how to navigate the bridges by using the Tools to create: !
correct vowel production (pure, narrow, vertical vowels)
!
connection and connected release between registers
!
appropriate cord adduction
!
low, stable larynx (avoiding tension and pressure)
To accomplish these goals, SLS teachers must begin by using vocal exercises (Tools) designed to help students experience the sensations they should feel during good vocal production. Once students have experienced the feeling of being in the proper place as a result of skillful application of the Tools, they can begin to move toward song application. As an example, here is a possible lesson flow for a student who tends to pull chest: * 1) Start with longer exercises (1.5 Long Scale) using narrow vowels, moving to broader vowels (Objective: release, connect, balance) 2) Shorter exercises, moving from narrow to broader vowels. Octave Down 3x, Octave Repeater (Objective: build comfort in new coordination) 3) More sustained exercises, again moving from narrow to broader vowels. Octave Repeater with Sustain, then add a vowel change (Objective: strengthen, move toward speech level production and songs) 4) At some point in the course of these exercises, the student will “fall out”, “crack”, or change in other undesirable ways while moving through the bridges of the voice. If this occurs, the student has just demonstrated a new Tends To that must be addressed. At this point, the teacher would address the new Tends To. * These are a series of suggested ideas. Be aware that the degree of success you have with these tools depends on the student’s Tends To’s.
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… LESSON FLOW More often than not vocal problems are caused by one of two things: !
The vocal cords are not making the appropriate adjustment to attain a higher pitch. The singer may be trying to carry up too much weight up (“pulling chest”), or the vocal cords may abduct into falsetto.
!
The larynx is rising, usually due to muscle tension, excessive air pressure, or from a “psychological” fear of singing through the bridges, especially when moving from lower to higher notes.
Temporary/extreme/unfinished sounds are used to allow the body to relax and move into the proper balance so that movement through the bridges is possible. For example, if the student is “flipping” but not pulling chest, using a pharyngeal or “nasty” sound might be recommended. These sounds reduce the vibrating mass of the vocal cord and encourage mix. Examples of these sounds are n[ei], n[ae], n[i], “pharyngeal“ sounds (bratty, witchy). If the student’s larynx is rising, using a “hooty”, “dumb” or low larynx position during the exercises will help the larynx stabilize, or stay down, as the pitch ascends. Once the student can do the exercise with the “temporary, unfinished” sound (i.e. the Tends To has been addressed), move toward a speech level production with normal sounds, and then toward singing the song. When another Tends To occurs, you will address that with another appropriate tool combination. For tool combinations (vowels, consonants, scales, and voice) to address specific Tends To’s, refer to the Tends To’s and Tools section of Chapter 6. Only use the temporary/extreme/unfinished sounds if there is a problem that needs fixing. If the student is singing through the bridges evenly without strain and without abrupt changes in tone quality, it is not necessary to use the “nasty” or “hooty” sounds. Discontinue the temporary/extreme/unfinished sounds and move toward speech level production as soon as the student is able to maintain the new coordination without “falling out”.
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… LESSON FLOW *The Sample Lesson given below is just a guide. You must listen for the Tends To of your student and make appropriate decisions about the tool combination to use in addressing the Tends To.
SAMPLE LESSON FLOW Below is a sample of what a typical SLS lesson might look like. Always base your lesson objectives on the Tends To’s of the student: (Pull Chest, No Chest, Flip, or Mix), and refer to the SLS Basic Scales (found in Chapter 13) for starting pitches for each exercise. The 5-Tone [a] “diagnostic” exercise reveals that the student’s first Tends To is: Pulls Chest. Objectives: You want the student to sing with a low, stable larynx and appropriately adducted cords (not over-compressed) with release through the first bridge and connection between the registers. You choose one objective to begin with: a low, stable larynx. 1. Decrease airflow by DIRECTING the student to sing with less volume/ air blow 2. Follow with a Lip Trill or Tongue Trill 3. Then go to a temporarily imposed larynx sound such as the “hooty” sounds, which will get the larynx down. Narrow the vowel in the bridges and approach to the bridges 4. Find release through the bridges with the narrow vowel substitution 5. Build connection between the registers with a hard consonant such as “G” 6. Move toward a speech level production by having the student sing N[ei] Second Tends To: Now your student begins to Flip. (Type A: pulls chest and hikes the larynx) Objectives: You want the student to release through the bridge and then maintain consistent, appropriate vocal cord adduction and connection between the registers. Your first objective now is connection between the registers. 1. DIRECT the student to blow less air/sing with less volume (instructor’s voice tool) 2. Go back to the “hooty” exercise to stabilize larynx and provide release through the bridge (Remember this is a temporary exercise.) 3. Once the student gets the feel of connecting the registers with an imposed larynx, move quickly to a speech level exercise, perhaps N[ƚ] or M[ƚ] at a speech level production. Your student is now connecting between the registers and is no longer flipping. Third, Fourth and Fifth Tends To: The student is now mixing, although imperfectly, so the objective are to, increase comfort, strengthen, build flexibility, encourage vibrato, dynamics, and more ”press” and then move toward speech level production and songs.
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… LESSON FLOW
First Tends To: TENDS TO PULL CHEST
1) Diagnose Tends To: The student starts the lesson by pulling chest. Determine your overall objectives:; low, stable larynx, adducted cords, connection between registers, release. You decide your first objective is a low, stable larynx.
Starting pitch: Female G3- A3, Tenor C3, Bass G2
STUDENT TENDS TO:
PULL CHEST
OBJECTIVE
Low, stable larynx
TOOLS: SCALE
1.5 Octave Long Scale
VOICE
Lip Trill, Tongue Trill with [ƚ] hooty, dumb, DIRECT
VOWELS
[u] [i] with [u] lips, [!] (book), oh with [u] lips Woof, hung [ei]
CONSONANTS
W, M, N, G
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… LESSON FLOW
2) Diagnose Tends To: Student now tends to flip (Type A, pulls chest and then flips). Determine your overall objectives: a low, stable larynx, adducted cords, connection between registers, release. You decide your first objective is connection between the registers.
Starting pitch: Female: C#4, Male G3. Move up to “trick” the student into new coordination and move down to reinforce new coordination.
STUDENT TENDS TO:
FLIP
OBJECTIVE
Connection between the registers
TOOLS: SCALE VOICE VOWELS/CONSONANTS
Octave Repeater Hooty, Instructors voice- DIRECT student (less volume, blow less air) G[i], G[u], G[!]g, N[!]h, M[!]m
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… LESSON FLOW
3) Diagnose Tends To: Now the student is mixing (imperfectly). Determine your objectives: Balance, strengthen and move toward speech level production. You decide your first objective is to increase comfort in the mix.
Starting pitch: Female: C#4, Male G3. Move up to “trick” the student into new coordination and move down to reinforce new coordination.
STUDENT TENDS TO:
MIX (IMPERFECTLY)
OBJECTIVE
Increase comfort in mix
TOOLS: SCALES VOWELS/CONSONANTS
Octave Repeater with Sustain, All scales with more “press” Discontinue extreme sounds M[!],M, N[o"] N[ei]
VOICE
Vibrato, DIRECT student to sing with appropriate volume, DEMONSTRATE appropriate volume
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… LESSON FLOW
4) Diagnose Tends To: The student remains in the mix. Determine your objectives: connection, balance, building strength, mix. You decide your first objective is to continue to increase comfort and to build strength in the mix.
Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male G3, or start at Female G3 to reinforce.
STUDENT TENDS TO:
MIX (IMPERFECTLY)
OBJECTIVE
Increase comfort, build strength in the mix
TOOLS: SCALES
Octave Repeater with Sustain, add Vowel Change,
VOWELS/CONSONANTS
Speech level sounds M[!],M, N[o"] N[ei] Ultimately discontinue consonants
VOICE
Instructor DIRECTS student to sing with appropriate Volume, and DEMONSTRATES appropriate volume
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… LESSON FLOW
5) Diagnose Tends To: Student is mixing. Determine your objectives; Connection, balance, building strength and tone, flexibility, move toward Speech Level with sustained pitches and vibrato. You decide that your first objective is to increase flexibility.
Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male F#3, or start at Female G3 to reinforce
STUDENT TENDS TO:
MIX (IMPERFECTLY)
OBJECTIVE
Increase flexibility
TOOLS: SCALES:
Broken Arpeggio
VOWELS/CONSONANTS
M[!],M, N[o"] N[ei] Instructor’s Voice DEMONSTRATE and model good
VOICE
vocal production. DIRECT student to maintain appropriate volume. All vowels at Speech Level
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… LESSON FLOW TRANSITIONING TO SONGS “You do not change your tone production when you sing in different styles. Instead, the differences are built into the music itself – the sequence of notes and conventions of singing that are popular during a particular place and time in history. When you adjust your voice to accomplish certain tonal “ideals”, you run the risk of interfering with your speech level tone production, which is very dangerous to your vocal health. Your voice can, however, be colored by your mind. If you are thinking about what you are singing, there will be slight differences in your delivery, not in your basic production.
Singers should always use resonance sensation to govern
their tone production so they can be consistent in their ability to sing in any situation.” Seth Riggs Once the student can successfully sing all the exercises in a natural and relaxed manner, it is time to move into song. In a perfect world, we would wait until this point to move into songs, but sometimes it is necessary to move into songs before the student’s voice is really ready. For example, this is often the case when the student has an audition, or when he or she is a working singer with contractual obligations. When working on songs, be sure to put the song into keys that will include notes in the mix so that the student is not left “stuck” in one area of resonance.
This helps the voice to stay
balanced. If you do not know how to transpose music, you could hire the services of a good accompanist who can rewrite the music in a different key. Other options are to purchase software such as the “Amazing Slow Downer for Mac” which transposes audio files, or to use online resources such as Musicnotes.com which enables you to transpose and print sheet music for a nominal fee. Singing a song is often more complicated than performing the exercises. The SLS exercises provide a “controlled environment”, but the combination of certain consonants, vowels, and musical requirements in a song will inevitably disrupt good vocal production. The most important responsibility the teacher has is to keep the student’s speech level production intact during the song application process. This is accomplished by assessing the Tends To of the student while he or she sings the song in the same way you do in the technical exercises. Substitute vowel and consonant tool combinations in the areas of the song that are being sung incorrectly.
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… LESSON FLOW TRANSITIONING TO SONGS - A CASE STUDY Here is a case study of a student who encounters difficulty when transitioning to a song. At the point in her vocal development when your student is mixing pretty well, singing with sustain and vibrato, she is ready to sing a song. She chooses “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. The chart she has brought in for you to play is in the key of G, which means her first two notes are G3–G4, on the word “Somewhere”. In spite of the fact that she was mixing on the last exercise, once she sings the song, old habits resurface and she pulls chest on the G’s and cracks. What do you do? It is the same process, using the Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction as a guide:
1) DIAGNOSE the Tends To (she is pulling chest) 2) DETERMINE your objective to counteracts th e student’s Tends To 3) DESIGN a tool com bination 4) APPLY the tool com bination 5) ASSESS how well it worked 6) ADAPT instruction
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… LESSON FLOW TRANSITIONING INTO SONGS STUDENT TENDS TO: PULL CHEST ON SONG OBJECTIVE: “I want my student to sing the phrase ‘Over the Rainbow’ with release through the first bridge”. OPTIONS TO TRY 1) Raise the key so the high notes are in mix
2) DIRECT the student to do the phrase on a Lip Trill or Tongue Trill
3) Substitute the phrase with narrow vowels and
4) DIRECT the student to bend forward on the high
soft consonants such as W[i], Sh[i], Y[u], etc.
note
Use a “hooty” sound 5) Go back to the words, but now narrow the vowel
6) DIRECT the student to sing the phrase through
in the bridge and approach to the bridge. The
[u] lips
phrase becomes: Some w[I]r over the r[i]n bow 7) DIRECT the student to keep it “hooty”, back off
8) DIRECT the student to be a little less “hooty”.
the volume and don’t sing louder on the high note
Use less air on the higher note
9) Less “hooty” still, keep even volume throughout
10) DIRECT the student to now try it “normal” –
DEMONSTRATE for the student
speech level production
11) ASSESS THE RESULT: If the cords are adducted, the larynx low and stable, the student
12) Move to the next phrase
does not pull chest or disconnect into head, then … If not, then…
13) Diagnose, Determine, Design, Apply and Assess again!
Stay logical in your approach: Always listen for the Tends To’s, and follow the Six Steps when working on songs, just as you do when working on exercises
Use the chart on the following page to record ideas for tools that may work for each of the Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction for Songs.
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SIX STEPS OF SUCCESSFUL SLS INSTRUCTION FOR SONGS
Step 1
DIAGNOSE
Student Tends To:
TENDS TO'S when singing a song Pull chest, No chest, Flip, Mix
Step 2
DETERMINE Objective (end result)
Objective: I want my student to:
Positively stated outcome "I want my student to be able to"
Step 3
DESIGN Tool Combination Scales, Vowels, Consonants, Voice (Other) To replace difficult phrases in song
Tool combination: Vowel Consonant Scale Voice (Other)
Step 4
APPLY Tool Combination Substitute Tool Combination for difficult phrase in song
Step 5
ASSESS Outcome Was the result better, worse, or the same? Why? Cord closure, vowel, air blow?
Step 6
ADAPT Based on the results of Step 5, go back to Step 1 and go through Steps 1-6 Repeat this process throughout the lesson as student skill level increases.
How well did the Tool work? W as the result… Better The same W orse W hy? Cord closure, airflow, vowel, larynx stability, release, connection between registers?
New Tends To: New objective: New tool combination:
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…LESSON FLOW: SIX STEPS OF SUCCESSFUL SLS INSTRUCTION FOR SONGS Have the student sing the song, or a phrase of the song, and then follow these steps:
STEP 01
Diagnose Tends To’s
In this step, diagnose the student’s Tends To’s. As the student sings the song or a phrase of the song, he or she will: 1. Tend to pull chest 2. Tend to have no chest 3. Tend to flip- temporarily, or permanently (falsetto) 4. Tend to mix – or demonstrate some degree of mix, though it may be imperfect.
STEP 02
Determine the Objective
Based on the student’s Tends To revealed in Step 1, determine the objective. The objective is a clearly stated positive student outcome, such as: “The student will sing the song ‘Over the Rainbow’ with release through the first bridge.” With this clearly stated objective in mind, you can design a tool combination (Step 3) that will address the Tends To’s of the student. When determining your objective, always keep in mind the two Primary Goals: adducted vocal cords and a low, stable larynx. As the student sings the song or a phrase of the song, continue to ask yourself these Four Questions:
THE FOUR QUESTIONS What am I hearing? (DIAGNOSE) What Tends To does this indicate? (DIAGNOSE) What is my objective? (DETERMINE) What tool combination will counteract the Tends To of the student? (DESIGN)
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…LESSON FLOW: SIX STEPS OF SUCCESSFUL SLS INSTRUCTION FOR SONGS
Determine the objective (Desired student outcome) that will address the Tends To of the student, remembering the two PRIMARY GOALS: !
Adducted vocal cords
!
Low, stable larynx
For example: “I want my student to sing the phrase ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ with a low, stable larynx and release through the first bridge into mix”.
STEP 03
Design a Tool Combination
Design a tool combination that will remedy the Tends To’s of the student (by providing an equal and opposite reaction to the Tends To) and substitute the incorrect phrase with the tool combination. For example, you might choose to have your student substitute W[i] for each note of the phrase “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, which will allow them to release the grip. Refer to the Tends To’s and Tool Solutions Charts (Tends To: pull chest) in chapter Six. You will also want to use the vowel narrowing tool, substituting a narrower vowel for one that causes the student to pull chest. A vowel narrowing chart is included again on the next page for easy reference. Consider having the student use a more rounded lip position temporarily, until they get used to singing with a mix. You can also use the “cry” feeling to discourage outer muscle activation, and to remind the neuromuscular system that assistance from the outer muscles is unnecessary. If the high notes are difficult, substitute the Lip and Tongue Trill, or have the student bend forward as the high note is approached.
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…LESSON FLOW: SIX STEPS OF SUCCESSFUL SLS INSTRUCTION FOR SONGS
VOWEL NARROWING CHART Problem Vowel
STEP 04
Narrower Vowel Substitution
BAT
b[ae]t
BET
b[ũ]t
BAY
b[ei]y
BEET
b[i]t
BET
b[ũ]t
BIT
b[I]t
BIT
b[I]t
BEET
b[i]t
BOAT
b[oƘ]t
BOOT
b[u]t
BOUGHT
b[Ţ]t
BUT
b[ƚ]t
BUCK
b[ƚ]k
BOOK
b[Ƙ]k
BOOK
b[Ƙ]k
BOOT
b[u]t
Apply by directing the student to sing with the substituted tools you have designed,
then singing the song phrase again using the lyrics.
STEP 05
Assess how well the tool substitution worked
STEP 06
Adapt instruction as necessary
Another resource: Use the Singer’s Advantage Home Study Program, which includes a CD with Seth discussing technique application to songs.
The following charts are designed to help you plan the overall arc of a student’s development and are not meant to be a lesson plan for a single lesson. Ideas have been provided in the boxes to the right to give you possible tool choices, but you must design your tool combinations based on your student’s Tends To’s. Note: The tools at the top are designed to “trick” the student into a new experience. Toward the bottom, the tools will be used to reinforce the new behaviors.
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TENDS TO’S AND THE SLS ROADMAP FOR VOCAL DEVELOPMENT TENDS TO: PULL CHEST
DISCOVER and RELEASE Discover chest voice; Discover head voice; Release Keeps student's Tends To and your objective to address Tends To in mind Student will vocalise through current range with release at first bridge (imperfectly)
ADDUCT and CONNECT Appropriate vocal cord adduction Connection of registers (top and bottom) May use temporary extreme sounds
STABILIZE LARYNX Relaxed position Does not raise for high notes or press down for low notes May use temporary extreme sounds
BALANCE and BUILD Maintain and improve balance of air and cord resistance Build strength, sustain, vibrato, volume commensurate with balance Move toward "normal" sounds
SPEECH LEVEL PRODUCTION Temporary and extreme sounds eliminated Balance between air pressure and cord resistance Sings through bridges with release, connection between registers, and vocal cord adduction
SONGS and STYLE Substitute vowel, scale and consonant Tools for difficult phrases Narrow the vowel on words that tend to "splat" and hike the larynx Volume commensurate with balance
Lip Trill 1.5, Octave Down (start over first bridge) 1.5 W[i], F[i] Hooty sounds Octave Down 3x with aspirate, narrow vowel
1.5 Hooty woof, W[i] , F[i] Don’t get louder at the top Lighter in chest, but stay anchored Octave Repeaters over the first bridge N[u], G[u] N[ei] 1.5 and 3x down
Hung 1.5 Edgy mmm 1.5 G[u]g, G[!]g 1.5 Woof, G[!]g, G[i] Hooty 1.5 G [u] Octave Down 3x M[u]m, Woof
G[i] Octave Repeater with Sustain, vibrato W[i] Octave Down 3x, add vibrato Octave Repeater with Sustain M[!]m (over the first bridge)
1.5 M[!]m, N[!]h G[!]g normal N[u] – N[o!] Octave Repeater sustain, sustain with vowel change octave repeaters Stay light in chest
Stay light but anchored in chest Watch air blow Substitute tools for difficult phrases Easy, even volume Keep vowel narrow in bridges
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TENDS TO’S AND THE SLS ROADMAP FOR VOCAL DEVELOPMENT
TENDS TO: NO CHEST
DISCOVER and RELEASE Discover chest voice. Discover head voice. Keeps student's Tends To and your objective to address Tends To in mind Student will vocalise through current range with release at first bridge (imperfectly)
ADDUCT and CONNECT Appropriate vocal cord adduction Connection of registers (top and bottom) May use temporary extreme sounds
STABILIZE LARYNX Relaxed position Does not hike for high notes or press down for low notes May use temporary extreme sounds
5-tone [ae], Edgy mmm with staccato creaky door, tongue out (not too far, rest it on the lower lip) shorter scales and wider vowels b [ae] Octave repeater below bridge n [ae] Octave repeater below first bridge
1.5 Edgy mmm Gallop 1.5 Cord adduction exercise, staccato,, wider vowels, N[ae] repeater, “aggressive” 1.5 Long Scale, “N[ei] bratty, squeaky door, aggressive N[ae] into N[ei] back to N[ae] 1.5 with cry. bratty
G[!]g Cry, 1.5 Long Scale, “B[!]m”, “D[!]m”, 1.5 “M[!]m”, “N[!]” Octave Repeater “B[ai] B[ai]” 1.5 Long Scale Octave Repeater
BALANCE and BUILD Maintain and improve balance of air and cord resistance Build strength, sustain, vibrato, volume commensurate with balance Move toward "normal" sounds
“N[ei]” Octave Repeater, Start G3-A3 “N[ei]” Octave Repeater with Sustain, vibrato. Start G3-A3 “N[ei] Octave Repeater, vowel change, vibrato, Start G3-A3 “G[!]g “M[!]m Octave Repeater, 1.5
SPEECH LEVEL PRODUCTION Temporary and extreme sounds eliminated Balance between air pressure and cord resistance Sings through bridges with release, connection between registers, and vocal cord adduction
“G[u]g “N[o!]” “M[!]m” 1.5 Long Scale, Octave Repeater “N[ei] 1.5 Long Scale, Octave Repeater, sustain, vibrato
SONGS and STYLE Substitute vowel, scale and consonant Tools for difficult phrases Narrow the vowel on words that tend to "splat" and hike the larynx Volume commensurate with balance
Substitute “N[ae]” or “N[ei]” for difficult phrases Speak the phrase, and then sing it Sing the phrase with a “creaky door” Sing the phrase with a “cry”
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TENDS TO’S AND THE SLS ROADMAP FOR VOCAL DEVELOPMENT TENDS TO: FLIP (Your tool choices will be determined by whether or not the student is pulling chest, then flipping)
DISCOVER and RELEASE Discover chest voice. Discover head voice. Keeps student's Tends To and your objective to address Tends To in mind Student will vocalise through current range with release at first bridge (imperfectly)
ADDUCT and CONNECT Appropriate vocal cord adduction Connection of registers (top and bottom) May use temporary extreme sounds
STABILIZE LARYNX Relaxed position Does not hike for high notes or press down for low notes May use temporary extreme sounds
BALANCE and BUILD Maintain and improve balance of air and cord resistance Build strength, sustain, vibrato, volume commensurate with balance Move toward "normal" sounds
SPEECH LEVEL PRODUCTION Temporary and extreme sounds eliminated Balance between air pressure and cord resistance Sings through bridges with release, connection between registers, and vocal cord adduction
SONGS and STYLE Substitute vowel, scale and consonant Tools for difficult phrases Narrow the vowel on words that tend to "splat" and hike the larynx Volume commensurate with balance
Octave Down, Octave Down 3x, G[i] to discover head 5-Tone [ae], Edgy mmm to discover chest 1.5 Lip Trill, G[u] for release 1.5 W[i] for release
“N[ei] 1.5 Long Scale with cry, bratty “N[ei]” Octave Repeater with cry, bratty “G[i] 1.5 Long Scale with cry Edgy mmm Gallop Tongue out, partially on lip Mum 1.5 Long Scale, Staccato Octave Down G[i] N[ei], G[u] Hooty G[i] G[!]g, M[!]m
“H[!]ng”, “W[!] f” 1.5 Long Scale “G[!]g” 1.5 Long Scale, “Bye” 1.5 Long Scale “D[!]m”, “B[!]m” 1.5 Long Scale, Octave Repeater “M[!]m 1.5 Long Scale, “G[u]g 1.5 Long Scale “W[i]”, “ “N[ei] Repeater, vowel change, sustain “B[ai] Octave Repeater, sustain, vowel change “N[ei] 1.5 Long Scale NOT PHARYNGEAL “N[!] Repeater, vowel change, vibrato Repeater with sustain for vibrato
“N[!]” 1.5 Long Scale Octave Repeater “N[ei] (no cry) Octave Repeater “N[!] Repeater with vowel change and sustain “M["] N["] No pharyngeal or hooty sounds No consonant
“N[ei]” with cry instead of lyrics, then move to “N[!]” if cords are holding Use open vowels and “[!]” to anchor in chest
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TENDS TO’S AND THE SLS ROADMAP FOR VOCAL DEVELOPMENT TENDS TO: MIX (IMPERFECTLY) Design exercises that build strength and improve on the connection between the registers, work on maintaining and improving the low, stable larynx, and move toward a speech level production in songs.
BUILD CONNECTION Appropriate vocal cord adduction Connection of registers (top and bottom) Work toward Speech Level production
MAINTAIN LOW, STABLE LARYNX Relaxed position Does not hike for high notes or press down for low note Work toward Speech Level production
BALANCE AND BUILD Maintain and Improve balance of air and cord resistance Build strength, sustain, vibrato, volume commensurate with balance Work toward Speech Level production
SPEECH LEVEL PRODUCTION Temporary and Extreme Sounds Eliminated Balance between air pressure and cord resistance Sings through bridges with release, connection between registers, and vocal cord adduction
SONGS and STYLE Substitute vowel, scale and consonant tools for difficult phrases ................................ Narrow the vowel on words that tend to "splat" and hike the larynx................................. Volume commensurate with balance
N[ei] 1.5 Long Scale “B[ai] 1.5 Long Scale, Octave Repeater “G[i] 1.5 Long Scale, Octave Repeater, Add Broken Arpeggio Scale “G[!]g”, “M[!]m”, “H[!]ng”,
“H[!]ng”, 1.5 Long Scale for release “G[!]g” 1.5 Long Scale, “B[ai]” 1.5 Long Scale” “D[!]m”, “B[!]m” 1.5 Long Scale, Octave Repeater “M[!]m 1.5 Long Scale, “G[u]g,” 1.5 Long Scale “ All Scales
“N[ei] Repeater, vowel change, sustain “B[ai] Octave Repeater, sustain, vowel change “M[!] ” 1.5 Long Scale “N[!] Repeater, vowel change, vibrato, Repeater with sustain for vibrato, lean in, more dynamics
All Scales, All Sounds Legato Press Dynamics, Vibrato
Licks and runs Replace difficult phrases with Speech Level exercises Stay aware of balance, volume, air flow, vowel, bridges
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TOOLS AND SLS ROADMAP FOR VOCAL DEVELOPMENT
Hard Speech Level Singing and Goals Pure Stop Logic Tools Drive G, B. D
Air
To head
Hard/ Plosive
Vowels Tool Diphthong
[u] =boot [i] =tree
[u] + [i] = [y] (Glück)
K, T, P [t"] [d#]
Tends To
[I] =hit
[!] = sing [#] or [ñ] ["] = thee Z, V [#] = rouge
[o!] =go [!] =book [!] =hut
["]=bet
W, Y
Drive To Chest
Aspirate S, F, H
[Ø] (schön)
Reduce Air
Glide
" = think, [" ] = she,
[œ] =un [e] + [o] =
Phonated N, M
French Nasal
German
Allow Air
ROADMAP 1) DISCOVER/RELEASE (Head/chest) 2) ADDUCT/CONNECT (Adduct cords, connect registers)
[ae] =bad
[#i] =boy
[õ] =son
[ei] =say [a!] =now
[ãe] =main
[ai] =die
[ã ] =dans
[#] =hot [a] =awe
SCALE TOOLS 5-Tone- exposes weaknesses [a] or discovers chest [ae] 1.5 Long Scale- tends to be easier, helps student experience release through bridges Cord Adduction- for vocal cord adduction
3) STABILIZE LARYNX (Low, stable larynx)
Octave Up, Octave Up Repeater- tend to build comfort, strength
4) BALANCE/BUILD (Strength, sustain, vibrato)
Octave Down- tends to reduce weight
5) SPEECH LEVEL PRODUCTION (Temporary sounds eliminated) 6) APPLICATION TO SONGS AND STYLE
Octave Up, Sustain- tends to build coordination, strength, and tone Broken Arpeggio- tends to build flexibility And tone Descending 5-Tone- tends to develop strength in bridge area
* steps 2, 3, and 4 are interchangeable
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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF CHAPTER EIGHT (Note: All charts referenced below will be found in Chapter 13, except for the Logic Charts located in the Logic Charts Section in this manual.)
1
Why is it important to have a “strategy” or roadmap in teaching?
2
What tools assist us in getting the student to experience connection?
3
How do we know if the larynx is stable? What exercises help us achieve this?
4
What are “extreme” or “temporary” exercises?
5
What does “Speech Level production” mean?
6
Design an appropriate series of exercises for a student who tends to pull chest.
7
Make a logic chart of this lesson plan.
8
Design an appropriate series of exercises for a student who tends to sing with no chest.
9
Make a logic chart of this lesson plan.
10
Design an appropriate series of exercises for a student who tends to flip.
11
Make a logic chart of this lesson plan.
12
Design an appropriate series of exercises for a student who tends to mix.
13
Make a logic chart of this lesson plan.
14
When is it a good time to start giving the student songs?
15
What if the student pulls chest on a high note in the song? Name three tools to try.
16
What if the student flips on a high note in the song? Name three tools to try.
17
What tool works if the student is raising the larynx?
18
What if the student sings the song with a breathy quality?
19
Why is SLS a “cause and effect” method of teaching?
20
What is “SLS Roadmap for Vocal Development”?
21
What is the objective of Step 1 “Discover and Release”?
22
Why is “Discover and Release” the First Step?
23
What is the purpose of connection?
24
What is the purpose of stabilization?
25
What exercises might be used to facilitate stabilization?
26
What is imperative in the strength-building stage?
27
Why is “Song Application and Style” the last step? What does this tell you about how to structure your approach to training singers?
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28
Design a lesson plan using the example lesson in Chapter 8 for the student who tends to pull chest. Use a logical approach, making small incremental changes. a) Long scale, narrow vowel b) Long scale, less narrow vowel c) Long scale, even less narrow vowel d) Long scale, wide vowel e) Long scale, widest vowel f)
Repeat the five step process above with shorter exercises, and then sustained exercises. Your lesson plan will have a total of fifteen exercises that progress in a logical manner.
29
What are “temporary unfinished” sounds?
30
What temporary unfinished sound is good if the student is flipping?
31
What temporary unfinished sound is good if the larynx is rising?
32
How long should you use the temporary sounds? How do you know when to stop using them?
33
Make several copies of the SLS Roadmap chart. On each copy, next to each step in the boxes, write in the tool combinations you think would be appropriate for that step, for each of the Tends To’s.
34
Make copies of the Six Steps chart. Design a Lesson Plan for each of the four Tends To’s using the chart.
35
What does Seth say about changing your tone production to sing in different styles?
36
Why is singing a song more likely to get your student away from Speech Level vocal production?
37
How does changing the key affect the student’s ability to stay in mix?
38
Your student is pulling chest on a song. What ten steps might you try, in logical sequence?
39
How do you assess the result, or the effectiveness, of the tools you have tried?
40
Do a Logic Charts on lessons you have taught and reflect on the choices you made during the lesson.
41
What are the Four Questions?
42
What exercises help achieve a stable larynx?
43
Your student is airy and breathy on the low notes of a song. Name three tools you could try.
44
Your student is pulling chest in the first bridge on the word “bat”. What do you do?
45
Your student is pulling chest on the word “bet” in the first bridge. What do you do?
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Your Questions Answered: Teacher Survey Results
9
Survey Results: Your Questions Answered by Dave Stroud The following questions were gathered from a survey taken by Speech Level Singing instructors in the spring of 2007. Although we did not address every question (99 teachers completed the survey), we chose to include the most often asked questions here.
1) What is mix? Mix is simply the ability to blend the registers in a smooth manner so that there is no unnecessary interference and no unnecessary muscular activity as we make the transition from chest voice up to the head voice or descend from head voice to the chest voice. 2) Is the entire voice mixed, or is it just a certain area of the voice? It can all be called a mix, but technically, there is a certain section of the voice that is mixed. For both males and females, when you leave the chest register and you are through the first bridge, you are in mix as long as the vocal cords remain appropriately adducted and the larynx stays low and stable. The first bridge ties us to the mix; at the beginning of the first bridge you are already adding a little mix in. 3) How do we describe the feeling of mix to our students? Trying to explain the feeling of mix before you trick them into experiencing it is a waste of breath. It doesn’t really mean anything until they have actually experienced it firsthand.
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4) What is the best way to get them to experience mix? You have to look at their TendsTo’s and then do the opposite – that is, design a tool combination that will address the Tends To by applying a vowel, consonant, and scale combination that will make them go in the opposite direction from where they were. 5) Where is the first bridge? For females, generally speaking, and I mean very generally speaking, A or Ab above middle C (C4). Some female voices start to bridge as low as a G or F#, and rarely you find a lyric type of voice that starts to bridge at Bb. For men, bridges start typically at Eb or E, sometimes as low as D, and up to F above middle C (C4). However, the more developed a voice is, the smaller the range of notes in the bridge. 6) What is the difference between mix and bridge? Imagine the areas as islands, with a bridge that ties each of those islands together. The more developed the voice is, the smaller the bridge is – that is, the fewer notes would be in that bridge, and therefore more of the voice is actually chest, mix, head, or superhead. Another way to define bridges is “negotiation notes”. 7) What notes does chest voice include? For men, the chest would be anything below Eb – the bridge begins at Eb4 and goes to F4. 8) And for women? For women, chest voice is anything below F#4 or G4. The first bridge starts at the G, Ab, or A (rarely as low as F# or as high as Bb) and extends to Bb4. The second bridge is Eb, E, F above high C (C5). Bridges generally occur at tritone (augmented fourth) intervals. 9) What exactly is “chest voice” and “head voice”? These are terms that refer to sympathetic vibrations that occur.
In chest voice,
because the frequencies are lower, those vibrations are felt in the chest. But the chest voice does not actually happen in the chest, it happens in the larynx.
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10) How high should we vocalize our students? It is absolutely necessary to vocalize students high enough that they have what we call “head room”. That term refers to the idea that you need a few viable notes higher than the highest note you have to sing, in order to keep your voice healthy. If you have to sing a high C (C6), you had better have at least an Eb above that note in order to maintain the health of the voice. 11) I have seen Seth push a student’s larynx down in order to get them through the fourth bridge. Is it OK for teachers to do this? Seth does not push the larynx down. He simply places his thumbs on the larynx so that when the muscles try to activate and pull the larynx, they are prevented from doing so. Most teachers should not be doing this, unless they really understand how it is done correctly. 12) What is “pressing down”, “leaning in”, “pressing in”? These terms refer to the horizontal closing of the cords over a vertical column of air, which feels like pressing down for a number of reasons. First of all, you have air pressure going up, and since you are resisting that, it feels like you’re pressing down. When you close the cords on the horizontal, the thicker the cord is vibrating, the more sound wave velocity you get. That velocity coming up through the bottom of the vocal tract right above the larynx creates an intense amount of frequency because of how small the tube is, which creates a sense of energy going down on the cords. So the more you get that horizontal closure, the more you feel a downward press as a result. People often get confused, and when we say “press down”, they tighten their abdomen, like it’s some kind of support process and that is not what it is. When we say “press”, we are talking literally – about the closing of the cords horizontally against a vertical column of air, combined with the intense amount of energy coming downward from the velocity of the frequencies created by the cords.
When the
student gets it right because you have tricked him or her into the feeling with the proper tool combination, the experience the student has can be called “pressing down”. Again, it has nothing to do with abdominal pressing, in any way. Seth always says “expect, don’t direct”, and that is what this is – the students are tricked into
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experiencing a feeling, so they expect the result, but they are not making the results happen.
Your brain works very, very differently with this approach – instead of
consciously trying to make something happen as a result of someone telling you what to do, you experience the feeling without making it happen. 13) How can we tell the difference between a strong mix and pulling in a student? The vowel is the #1 criterion. You have to widen the vowel to pull chest. If you sing on an [u] vowel (OO) or an [i] vowel (EE), you cannot pull chest. You might squeeze, the larynx might come up, but you cannot pull chest. 14) What is our primary objective as teachers? Our primary objective is to create conditions in which the student is vocalizing with a low, stable larynx and closed or adducted vocal cords with a closed quotient somewhere between 50–80%. Closed quotient is the percentage of total time that the vocal cords are actually adducting (closed) between periods of opening. Falsetto is 10% or less closed quotient. When you are in a strong mix, the larynx is not rising, and the cords have a closed quotient of 50% or more. If you get to 100%, there is no sound because the cords are together 100% of the time. 0% means they are never closed, as in a silent sigh. We speak with around 50% closed quotient. A very developed dramatic tenor has a closed quotient of closer to 70% or 80%. 15) What is the difference between mix and belt? Belt is not necessarily incorrect. You can belt in a correctly produced mix, and that is fine. If you belt in chest, that means the vowel is broad, and the vocal cords have not been allowed to go through the process of the gradual reduction of the vibrating mass. So there is a lateral stretch on the cords, the larynx will lift and tilt, and the mouth is really wide.
When you see a singer whose mouth is really wide, they are
probably belting chest. Remember if the vowel is correct, you will drive toward mix. 16) What happens physiologically in the mix? There is a gradual elimination or reduction in the vibrating mass, as E. Herbert Caesari says. Seth calls it “damping”. We know that as we ascend in pitch, less and less of the cord is being used.
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17) What is “split resonance”? “Split resonance” is a by-product.
The singer feels the vowel shift as a new
resonance frequency is accentuated. So if the vowel is correct, you will feel a shift into your head, so it feels like a split between the mouth and the area behind the soft palate. It’s not something you DO; instead, your job as a singer is to modify the vowel and narrow the vowel through the bridges. As a result, like in a figure of 8, you expand in between the bridges and narrow going through the bridges. If, instead of narrowing the vowel in the bridges, you widen it, the voice gets “stuck”. When you hear someone “singing from the throat”, the resonance frequencies are sympathetic to the first formant, which is the throat. So the only way to get higher pitches at that point is to lift the larynx and shrink the tube. Split resonance is a by-product of good vowel production. 18) What are we in control of as singers? You only have control of three things as a singer: you’re in control of how much you close the cords, how much air you blow, and how you shape your vowel. Everything else that other techniques talk about (putting the sound forward, feeling it in the mask, etc) is a by-product. Singing in the mix is a by-product of keeping the cords closed and shaping the vowel correctly. The split resonance is a result of good vowel production while the cords are staying closed. 19) What do you do with a voice that has no sound above the chest voice? Sometimes it is best with voices like that to let them flip so they can experience falsetto, even if it is breathy. W[i] W[i]’s are good for that purpose. If they have no sound at all on top, they need to go get checked out by an ENT, because the only reason someone would not have anything up there is if they have swollen cords. If that is the case, there is probably something wrong. If the doctor says the cords are OK, then you are dealing with someone who needs to be tricked a lot, because the muscular behaviors are causing the cords not to be able to make the transition. 20) Is there a difference between tenor and baritone bridges? Rarely, usually they are about the same place (D, Eb, E4). Most baritones bridge where tenors do, but they have a much more dramatic, heavy sound. Some heavy bass voices will bridge as much as a fourth lower, but it depends on the weight of the voice.
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21) How many bridges does a male voice have? Males have three bridges that we always have to deal with; some males have a fourth bridge as well.
If the male sounds effeminate on the higher notes, it is
because they have abducted at the second bridge. 22) Is it okay to work on the second bridge if the student is having trouble with the first? Yes. Depending on the Tends To’s of the student, you may find that working the second bridge allows the student to release a little at the first bridge. 23) On the Lip Trills, how do you get a student to use the chest voice if they are disconnecting when descending? Give them the edgy “mmm’” so they understand what it feels like to have the cords together, then go back to the Lip Trill with the “mmm” behind it. 24) How high is it safe to belt? You know you are singing incorrectly if the larynx starts to rise and/ or the cords come apart. If that happens, you are not using the vowel correctly in the approach to the bridge. If the vowel is correct, the larynx is stabilized, and the cords closed, you can press through with more of a belt sound, but only when the student is physically ready to do so. It is never appropriate to sing with more air pressure than the vocal cords are prepared to resist. 25) How do I help a student find chest voice? Refer to the Tends To’s and Tool Solutions section of Chapter 6 for the appropriate tool combination. There are numerous suggestions throughout Chapter 6 for dealing with each of the Tends To’s, including “no chest”. 26) Can a student be pulling chest if the sound is airy and breathy? Yes. Again, the key is in the vowel. If the vowel is narrow, they cannot pull chest. 27) How do I know when to leave chest and blend into mix? You don’t have to know, it will just happen as a result of correct vowel and cord closure, and a low, stable larynx. You do not have to define the bridge for your students. The bridge defines itself when you approach it correctly.
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28) How can we tell if a student is singing in a really strong mix, or pulling chest? The larynx will rise if the student is pulling chest. If the vowel is wide, it’s chest. More than anything, listen for the vowel. If the student has to hit it with more air in order to get through there, it’s probably chest. If the vowel is wide and the larynx is going up, it’s probably pulled chest. 29) How do you get the intensity of the belted sound without harming your voice? You can get a very intense sound without harming your voice – it requires appropriate air, a good vowel, and good horizontal closure of the cords. 30) What exactly is falsetto? Falsetto is where the cords are bowed, and separate, so the resonation is occurring not because of the cord adduction, but because of a rippling effect across the cords and the false cords that takes place in the mucosal layer, the outer layer of the cords. The difference between falsetto and head is that you will hear a buzzing sound as the cords adduct in the head. The “Edgy mmm” is great for teaching the cord adduction. 31) How do you know if a voice has reached its upper limit and you should not vocalize it any higher? If the larynx is rising and the voice is pushing to try to get to a higher note, you need to trick it into that place. As long as the larynx is stable and the cords are closed, the voice will just keep going up and up. 32) What about the soft palate? The soft palate raises or lowers depending on the vowel you sing; you don’t have to raise it or lower it consciously. Again, that is a by-product of the correct vowel. 33) What if the student sings nasally? Work on the [ƚ] vowel, use hooty, and apply the opposite tool set of what they are doing. 34) Why do we use the leaning forward? Singing is a psychosomatic process. When you lean forward, you think differently about the high note :you allow the high note to happen rather than making it happen.
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35) What does the “Edgy mmm” do? It allows singers to experience cord closure by eliminating the extrinsic sounds of vowel production and consonant production, thereby allowing the singer to start from the fundamental place of good cord closure. 36) What do the witchy and bratty sounds do physiologically? Those are what we call “pharyngeal” sounds, and they help thin out the cords and adduct the cords so that students can get into the mix. However, they are temporary sounds, which should be discontinued after they have achieved their purpose because they do tend to raise the larynx. Once the student is mixing, get them moving toward a more Speech Level or normal production as soon as you can. Also, be aware that “witchy” or “bratty” may mean one thing to you and something else entirely to the student, so describing the sound does nothing unless you can trick them into that coordination. 37) What is the “fraction” concept? You have two vowel sounds working together: the higher up you go, the more it moves towards one vowel, and the more you go down, the more it moves towards the other vowel. So if your fraction is [a]/[ƚ], the higher up you go, the more you will sing [ƚ] and the lower you go, the more you will sing [a]. This is the vowel process of narrowing and expanding. 38) What exactly is meant by “hooty”? Hooty is just a way to shape the vowel while helping the larynx to be low and stabilized. 39) How do you know when to stop using the temporary sounds, the witchy, bratty, or hooty sounds? You observe the Tends To’s and you want to get the student to a Speech Level posture as soon as possible. That is the “art” of teaching voice!
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40) How do you teach vibrato? Vibrato is a very important process; we want anyone who is singing with sustain to have a vibrato. You may need to trick the body into feeling what that is like. I particularly like poking the student about an inch or two below the sternum while they sing a straight note. This way, their experience is not one of making it happen, but experiencing what it feels like when it happens. Essentially, that is what vibrato is – you don’t make it happen, it just happens. 41) How do you deal with a really fast vibrato, tremolo, or bleat? Have them hold the note straight first. Once they can hold a straight tone without tremolo, you can start to poke them. This also works for a vibrato that is too slow (a wobble). Usually a vibrato is not working well when we get in the way, so we have to solve the Tends To of the student first, and that will predispose a natural vibrato to happen. If the student’s jaw is moving during vibrato, then that is a sign of tension in that area. Don’t let your students imitate popular singers who shake their jaw to create vibrato! 42) When do you introduce the vibrato? It depends on the student’s Tends To, but I like to get to it in the first lesson if possible. 43) How do we encourage a “natural vibrato”? The only reason we don’t all have a natural vibrato is that we get in the way of ourselves. You need to eliminate the influencing factor that prevents vibrato, whether it is changing the vowel, or ease up on air pressure or volume. You need to balance the voice in order to enable vibrato. 44) What about the “jaw shake” you see singers do these days? That is definitely incorrect, and a result of excessive tension and lack of balance.
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45) What about style in songs? How can we sound stylistically authentic and still sing correctly? Most styles will require that you bend the rules at least a little, some styles more than others. So the question is, how much can the singer “bend the rules” and have that be a temporary condition, rather than having it become a habit. If they are bending the rules because they don’t know any better, or they don’t know enough to get out of that condition, then they get stuck there. It’s important that what we do for singers is help them to keep a “home base” and not let them get so caught up in style that they lose that home base, Our job as teachers is to balance them and keep home base as our number one priority, but as SLS instructors we are not producers, directors, record labels, or music directors. We are there to make sure that the foundation is good. 46) How is the SLS approach applied to Opera and Classical differently than the traditional approach? Good classical singing IS Speech Level Singing. Bel canto vocal training is very similar to SLS training. You will see this if you go back and read the literature. They had a lot of the same ideas about registration and so forth that SLS has. Unfortunately, in most university and conservatory programs, the original Bel canto training has been so diluted that it doesn’t mean anything. So, these teachers get so caught up in “support”, “put it in the masque”, “lift the soft palate” and all that, which are really counterproductive. Many of the people teaching in these situations were born with exceptional gifts and may have had something of a career, but they end up teaching, so they don’t know how to develop voices or are trying to teach someone else how to do what they did naturally. Therefore, they try to explain and describe by saying things like “more support” when they are trying to tell you to experience singing like they do. But singing is so subjective – you may do exactly what they tell you to do and get a completely different result.
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47) Can any style be sung in the SLS way or are there some styles that are totally unhealthy? Bottom-line, if someone is singing in a death metal band, their job is to beat the hell out of their voice because that’s what the style is. So our job is to find a way to preserve the voice and give them a “home base”. Some of the singers I have worked with, if they sung with perfect Speech Level production they would not be selling any records. Our job is to give people like that something to do before and after a show so they don’t lose their voice on the road – a counterbalance to what they are doing during the shows. 48) So does this approach apply to all our students? It depends on what career level they are at when they come to you. If they are “superstars”, they sell records based on the sound they already have. We don’t want to change that, so we try to keep them as healthy as possible. That’s different from a 15-year-old coming in, who wants to develop style. In that case, we keep them on the straight and narrow as much as possible. 49) How do we know when the singer has vocal damage? Any time there is hoarseness, which indicates a swelling of the cords. If the singer cannot do “mmm” (sliding up the octave into head) there is probably some damage there. 50) At what stage in the student’s vocal development should we let them sing songs? As soon as possible – as soon as they can sing the exercises with sustain. If there is not a pressing need as far as the career, and the student “falls out” every time they sing a song, you have to be firm and tell them to stay away from songs for a while. Some songs don’t even require sustain. 51) Is mix different for different styles of singing? All that is different is how much you “lean” with the vocal cords. But the vocal cord function and the harmonics are the same – it’s all mix. However, you may need to lean in more on certain styles.
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52) How do we know when to discontinue the “nasty” sounds? As soon as possible! But if you move away from that tool and they “fall out” (the cords come apart), you have to go back to it. 53) Can we as teachers use exercises other than the typical SLS exercises? For a beginning teacher, we want you to understand the basic scale patterns and vowel/consonant combinations. These are the tools. If you start adding to that but you don’t understand WHY you are doing what you are doing, that is not good. You have to have a really good understanding of the tools that you already have in front of you before you are ready to augment those. The basic scales, vowel, and consonant combinations will take care of about 95% of the issues you see. Seth mainly uses those tools, day after day, year after year, with little variation, because they work!!!!! Those exercises were taken directly from watching Seth teach in the studio for the last 10 years. He works with everybody from beginners to superstars and he uses those tools and is extremely effective with them. 54) What do you do with a student who cannot do Lip Trills or Tongue Trills? Find something they CAN be successful at, based on their Tends To’s. Get them to experience success at something else. 55) What about students with bad breathing technique? If the student isn’t mixing, great breathing technique is not going to help them. Get them in the mix, and then, if the breathing is a problem, get them breathing low, but don’t overstress breathing in the place of what is really important. A low breath that is consistent in its airflow on expulsion is very important. 56) What is the purpose of the Logic Flow Chart, and how are we supposed to be using it? The Logic Flow Charts are a tool for the teacher to understand where they are experiencing information gaps. Teachers should be recording their own teaching, and coming back later and charting the lessons to see if there is a strong enough logic flow there. All teachers are expected to be doing this on a consistent basis. It’s not over-complicated. If you understand the purpose and the benefit to you as a teacher, you will be willing to put out the energy and effort to use this as a tool to improve your logical thinking process.
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57) I have a student who can only do one SLS exercise correctly. What do I do with them for an entire half hour? If that is the case, you need to grow as a teacher; it is not an issue with the student! If a teacher can only get one sound to work, it’s a problem with the teacher, not the student. 58) What is medial compression? The muscular tension required to adduct the vocal cords at a point approximately halfway between the thyroid and arytenoid cartilages. 59) Is it OK to lower the larynx for a deep sound, like Anita Baker? No, you don’t want to impose the larynx either. Once you get it to stay down at a Speech Level, by using the hooty sounds, you don’t stay hooty. 60) Does “stable larynx” mean that it truly does not move at all? Yes. 61) What does “too much weight” mean? The student is pressing into the cords before they are ready, so they are not making the transition in the first bridge correctly. It might also relate to the vowel going wide, which causes the student to “get stuck” in chest. 62) Which do you address first – the closure of the vocal cords or the stabilization of the larynx? That depends on the student’s Tends To. Refer to Chapter 6 for a discussion of Tends To’s and Tools Solutions. 63) Suppose the cords are open and the larynx is high. Which would you address first? Sometimes when you get the larynx down, the cords close, too. Sometimes you get the cords to close and the larynx will stabilize. They are interchangeable. Refer to Chapter 6 for a discussion of Tends To’s and Tools Solutions.
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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF CHAPTER NINE 1
What is mix?
2
How do we get our students to experience mix?
3
Where is the first bridge for females? For males?
4
What is a bridge?
5
What notes are in the chest voice for men?
6
What notes are in the chest voice for women, generally?
7
Where did the terms “chest voice” and “head voice” come from?
8
How high should we vocalize students?
9
What does “pressing in” or “leaning in” mean?
10
How can we tell if a student is pulling?
11
What is closed quotient?
12
What is our primary objective as teachers?
13
What is “belt”? Is it always incorrect to belt?
14
What is happening physiologically in the mix?
15
What is “split resonance”?
16
What three things are we in control of as singers?
17
How do you know if your student is belting too high?
18
Is it possible to pull chest if the sound is airy and breathy?
19
What is the difference between strong mix and pulling chest?
20
How do you get more intensity out of your voice without hurting your voice?
21
What if my student sings very nasally?
22
What is the “leaning forward” exercise for?
23
What does the Edgy “mmm” do?
24
What does the “bratty” or “witchy” sound do?
25
What does “hooty” mean?
26
What is the “fraction” concept?
27
When do you stop using the temporary (such as the “nasty”) sounds?
28
Should every singer have a vibrato?
29
What do you do with a singer who has a “tremolo” or bleating sound?
30
How do we encourage vibrato?
31
How do we know when a singer has vocal damage?
32
Should we as SLS teachers incorporate other methods into our teaching? Why?
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10 The Art of Teaching Increasing Motivation and Student Success Motivation can be defined as “a focusing of energy caused by a desire or need”. Often students begin vocal study full of enthusiasm based on a desire to sing or a desire for success, recognition, or fame. Sometimes, however, as reality sets in, the enthusiasm wanes; students seldom realize that voice lessons will require numerous repetitions of exercises and consistent ongoing practice in order to see results. As voice teachers, we know the value of the training we provide. We know that our students are getting the most important vocal information they will ever receive, and that we are giving them skills that they would not find for any price anywhere else. Yet sometimes we may sense some frustration in our students with regard to the learning process, and we might well ask ourselves, “How can I motivate my student? What can I do to help them stay with this process until they are vocally prepared to embark upon a career in music?” The following strategies are designed to sustain your students’ motivation at a high level. Many teachers intuitively incorporate these strategies as part of their nurturing and supportive approach to teaching and we can see the results – students who remain loyal to their teacher throughout an entire career in music.
Motivational strategies should be based on creating relationships that are built on respect, trust, high expectations, challenging standards, and a commitment to the needs of the student.
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Needs Basic student needs include: !
Enjoyment
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Challenge
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Belonging
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Autonomy
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Safety
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Purpose
Enjoyment vs. Challenge: The more you can structure your approach to balance these basic emotional needs of your student, the more successful you will be as a teacher. The lesson should, on some level, be enjoyable; each student is different, so the need for enjoyment will vary for each student. Some students truly love a tough vocal workout with no breaks and no chatting, while others need frequent stops, lots of socializing, and a song in order to leave the lesson feeling a sense of enjoyment.
Our challenge is to find a balance between enjoyment and
challenge. Young students are usually not as focused as professionals and may need more emphasis on the enjoyable aspects in order to stay motivated.
Belonging, Safety, and Autonomy: You will also be more successful if you can balance the basic needs of your student for belonging, safety, and autonomy. Students need to feel accepted and valued at all times; they need to feel safe in the studio environment, and to know that they can make mistakes without feeling embarrassed or humiliated.
They also need a sense of
autonomy – that they have at least some independence and that their input is valuable. The relationship works better if the student perceives it as one of collaboration (working together) rather than a dictatorship with the teacher at the helm.
Purpose: Students also need to know that what they are doing has a purpose. You don’t need to go into great pedagogical detail about the reasons for every exercise you use, but you can briefly explain how your choices will benefit them. When people have a purpose or goal, they are more highly motivated to stay with the process. Don’t assume that simply because you know what the purpose is, your student will buy in to your purpose. Convince your students by showing them how the exercise or strategy is beneficial to THEIR goals.
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Success: We have all heard the phrase “nothing succeeds like success”. The more successful human beings feel at any given endeavor, the more likely they are to want to continue. Few students will want to persevere if they are not experiencing some success. The good news for us as teachers is that success is essentially built into our approach.
Skillful use of the vowel,
consonant, and scale tools in appropriate combinations will ensure success for the student. The term “skillful use” implies thoughtful structuring of lessons that adapt to the learning styles and skill level of the student, rather than teaching from your own agenda.
Relationships: The most important commitment you can make is one to the relationship between you and your student. As SLS teachers, we must be willing to be sensitive to the needs, wants, and desires of the student while remaining consistently committed to the truth and principles we know to be right in our SLS teaching pedagogy. Students who are paying for voice lessons have an intrinsic motivation to learn, but sometimes those who have their lessons paid for by a parent (manager, record company, etc.) may not feel the same sense of commitment to what we have to offer them. It’s our job to provide not only the highest quality vocal instruction, but to make our students see the value of what they are being given, while validating them and preserving their dignity. Human beings are motivated by feelings of success, and they tend to become unmotivated when they are not feeling successful. Most people resent being managed but will gladly follow an excellent leader. An excellent leader, says Stephen Covey in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, will “operate from understanding”. As teachers operating from understanding, we will try to have a sense of who our students really are, what their needs are, how they think, and what is important to them.
Dignity: Students’ motivation can begin to fade if they feel their dignity is not respected. Students’ questions should be respectfully answered and not deflected, even when the question does not seem to fall in with what you are trying to achieve that day. There are no bad questions. As teachers, we should protect the dignity of the student by validating any question asked by a student. Try to find out what prompted the student’s thinking, and validate his or her point of view. Then build upon the relationship you have just established with the student to correct his or her perceptions, if necessary.
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Relevance: Students will be motivated to learn if they perceive the relevance in what you are giving them. If the student’s love is heavy metal or rap, you need to find a way to show the student that singing “g[!]g g[!]g g[!]g” is going to enable him or her to make progress toward achieving that goal. Our goals may not be the same as the student’s goals. Students must be able to see that the technique is relevant to their goals, not that we are trying to impose our particular musical preferences or styles on them.
Positive Energy: Enthusiasm is contagious!
Do what it takes to be full of energy and
excitement for each lesson and each student you interact with. We all know how enthusiastic and committed we are to our wonderful SLS technique. People feel better and work harder when they are around others who are excited and enthusiastic. Don’t be afraid to show how excited and enthusiastic you are about SLS!
Find Something to Appreciate: Most people can sense when you don’t like them, or when you disagree with something about which they feel strongly. When a student senses dislike or disagreement from the teacher, there is a strong chance that the student’s motivation to continue vocal study will decrease. Although it may happen from time to time that we will encounter a student who, for whatever reason, we may feel some sense of dislike for (based on our own issues – after all, we aren’t perfect!), we can deal with this feeling by looking for one thing we really can appreciate about that student that day. It might be as simple as the color of their outfit. Whatever it is, find something to praise and appreciate about that student. This will help you overcome your own feeling, and will make a connection with that student. Find some little thing to appreciate and praise about each student, and make sure you communicate that to him or her!
The Five Essential Feelings: It is important to monitor students’ feelings and modify your instructional strategies to ensure students’ emotional needs are met. Students need to feel: !
Safe (physically and emotionally)
!
Autonomous (free and independent)
!
Successful (competent, creative, skilled, knowledgeable)
!
Valued and cared for (a sense of love and understanding)
!
Enjoyment
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Balance Novelty and Ritual: Students need a mixture of novelty and ritual to maintain high levels of motivation. Novelty (for example, learning new songs) is used to bring students to peak attention, make learning fun, and create a positive emotional response. However, too much novelty can become exhausting if it is not balanced with ritual. Too much ritual (known and predictable exercises, for example) can become boring.
Again, remaining aware of your
students’ reactions by reading their body language can better enable you to structure your approach to meet their needs for balancing novelty and ritual. Vary your instructional approaches and strategies to build excitement and a sense of fun.
Start on Time: The one thing we all have in short supply is time. Respect the time challenges of your students, and require them to honor your time as well. Students will rise to the level of your expectations of them. Professionalism is enhanced by adherence to a policy of starting and ending on time. Make sure all your materials are in place and that you are ready to go when your student enters. Respect students’ time by spending the lesson focused entirely on the student, and avoid answering the phone during your student’s lesson time. Make them feel that they are the most important things in your life during their lesson time!
Safe and Caring Relationships: Students tend to work harder and take more learning risks with people with whom they feel a strong, positive relationship. This can begin with the way they are greeted as they enter the studio – greet the students in such a way that they know they are welcome, and that you care about them. Make eye contact, greet them by name, and let them know you are interested in them. Students will take more risks when they feel emotionally safe – that is, when they are not afraid of being embarrassed. Embarrassment results from a feeling of being exposed or viewed as having a lack of knowledge or skills. Each person has a very individual threshold for emotional safety, which is based on psychological background.
It is
important to periodically ensure that the student perceives the way you are delivering your instruction as safe and nurturing. A good place to start is to make sure that you don’t use sarcasm as humor, which could easily be misinterpreted. Remember how vulnerable a person is who is just starting to learn a new skill. You can create empathy for what your students are going through by learning an entirely new skill yourself. For instance, consider learning to play the guitar or learning a foreign language. You will soon remember what it is like to not know anything!
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Praise, Question, and Adapt: Praise your student often for small successes. Ask them questions to make sure they understand the material, and that they feel good about the process. Refine and adapt your approach if necessary to meet the student’s needs (Step 6 of the Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction).
Effective Feedback: Feedback can be very important to sustained motivation, if given in a way that encourages rather than demoralizes students. Feedback should show evidence of student success, progress, or mastery. In other words, emphasize the positive and comment on what they are doing right, instead of pointing out what they are doing wrong, at least most of the time. Feedback should be regular, specific, and non-judgmental, and should include strategies for remediation (improvement). Help students to recall, correct, and practice. Remember to praise them for doing something well.
Valued Audiences: Students tend to work harder and with more attention to quality when they have a goal. Recitals, showcases, and so on will give students a performance opportunity, and help them to focus during practice sessions. Although our priority as SLS teachers is to provide vocal technique rather than performance opportunities, students will be more likely to remain excited about vocal training if they can apply their new skills along the way. Consider aligning your studio with a professional who is interested in creating performance opportunities in your area if your time is limited.
Empowerment: Who would you rather work with: a teacher who makes you feel that you aren’t doing anything right, that they have all the answers, and that you must be dependent upon them, OR a teacher who believes in you, who empowers you to become independent and to achieve more than you ever thought you could? Most humans operate on the “pleasure principle” – that is, we are drawn to experiences we find pleasurable and are more likely to want to repeat such experiences. We all need someone in our lives who is a “cheerleader”, who believes in us and encourages us. Very often, a teacher is that “someone”, and may even be the only positive influence that person has. The difference from the students’ point of view between a good teacher who knows a lot and a great teacher who they are highly motivated to work with is that the great teacher inspires them with a sense of their own potential.
As SLS teachers, we have the world’s greatest vocal technique to impart to our
students, but your students will not appreciate great vocal technique unless it is delivered with a caring and empowering approach.
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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF CHAPTER TEN 1
What is the definition of motivation?
2
Name three reasons why you think students might lose motivation over the course of vocal study.
3
How does “cause and effect” SLS instruction create a feeling of success in students and thus inspire them?
4
Why does developing a positive and nurturing relationship with your students result in greater success?
5
What does Steven Covey say about great leadership?
6
How can we, as teachers, operate from a sense of understanding of our students?
7
What should we do if the student asks us questions that we feel are not valid?
8
How would you validate a student’s point of view?
9
How do you make vocal technique and training relevant to each student?
10
How do you think enthusiasm and positive energy can make you a better teacher? What do you think you could do to get a more positive energy going if you are having a “down” day yourself?
11
What can you do to create a better relationship with a student that you don’t particularly like?
12
What are the Five Essential Feelings?
13
For each feeling, discuss a way you could modify your instructional strategy to ensure your student’s needs are met: a) b) c) d) e)
14
What is novelty?
15
How can you balance novelty with the ritual of voice exercises to keep the lessons fun for your student?
16
How can you make sure that both you and your student are respectful of each other’s time?
17
What causes embarrassment in humans?
18
Why is it important to make students feel safe?
19
How can you create a greater feeling of safety in your studio?
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20
How can you create a greater feeling of empathy for your students?
21
Why should you praise your student often for small successes instead of waiting for bigger steps forward?
22
What is the purpose of asking students questions?
23
What is Step 6 of the Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction? How can you use this step in your teaching?
24
How should feedback be given to students?
25
What four elements should feedback include? a) b) c) d)
26
Why are goals important to student motivation?
27
What is the “pleasure principle” and how does it work in teaching voice?
28
What is the difference between a good teacher, who may know a lot, and a great teacher?
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11 Seth Speaks The following are answers from Seth Riggs to some common questions. More information can be found in his book Singing for the Stars. QUESTIONS FOR SETH: WHAT IS…. THE KEY TO SINGING WELL: The ability to always maintain a Speech Level production of tone – one that stays connected from one part of your range to another. You don’t sing like you speak, but you need to keep the same comfortable, easily produced vocal posture you have when you speak so you don’t reach up for high notes or press down for low ones. This takes time and patience to coordinate. A SINGER’S POTENTIAL VOCAL RANGE: On average Bass: E2–G4 Baritone: G2–B4 Tenor: C3–E5 Alto: C3–C6 Mezzo Soprano: G3–Eb6 Soprano: G3–F6 and some beyond
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…QUESTIONS FOR SETH: WHAT IS…. All voices should maintain a connected speech level production of tone throughout the entire range, with the larynx resting in a relaxed, stable speech level position, allowing the vocal cords to adjust freely with the breath flow. If you vocalize students up to these pitches, they will always have a reserve of notes beyond the usual range requirements of any song they sing. THE DEFINITION OF A GOOD TONE: The singer’s own individual voice should determine his or her tone anatomy and not a predetermined idea held by a teacher – or the student, for that matter! It should be a blend of the top, middle, and bottom resonance qualities that results when the singer’s larynx remains in a relaxed, stable position. BREATHING: Breathing does play an important role in singing, but voice teachers have overemphasized it for too long. Correct breathing is a by-product of good technique, just like one’s resonance quality is a by-product. You should never work directly at developing your breathing. You indirectly develop the proper breath support for your tone as you condition your larynx not to move and your outer muscles to relax. When you use a speech level approach to singing, everything – including how much air you use to move your cords – happens automatically. VOCAL IMAGERY: Vocal imagery doesn’t always work.
Imagery that evokes a positive
muscular response in one individual’s voice may evoke a negative response in another. I prefer to use exercises that have a definite cause-and-effect relationship, producing a desired result rather than relying on the nebulous descriptions of someone else’s personal experience. THE SLS HUM: The SLS “Edgy mmm” is a form of humming that is beneficial. When done correctly, it can discourage many of the tone-manufacturing devices that singers think they need to make sound. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROJECTION AND SHOUTING: Projection is the acoustical phenomenon that occurs when you produce your tone with an efficient balance of air and muscle. Shouting implies the usage of air “blast”, which causes your voice to “jam up”. THE EFFECT OF AMPLIFICATION: Electronic amplification and alteration of your voice have an important place in the communication and entertainment media, but they must not be thought to replace healthy and efficient vocal production.
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…QUESTIONS FOR SETH: WHAT IS…. VOCAL STYLE: You do not change your tone production when you sing in different styles. Instead, the differences are built into the music itself – the sequence of notes and conventions of singing that are popular during a particular place and time in history. When you adjust your voice to accomplish certain tonal “ideals”, you run the risk of interfering with your Speech Level tone production, which is very dangerous to your vocal health. Your voice can, however, be colored by your mind. If you are thinking about what you are singing, there will be slight differences in your delivery, not in your basic production. Singers should always use resonance sensation to govern their tone production so that they can be consistent in their ability to sing in any situation. SCIENTIFIC METHOD OF VOICE TEACHING: Your voice works, as does everything else, according to scientific principles. However, these principles can be abused by those who are unable to apply them.
For years, prominent voice “scientists” have attempted to translate
scientific findings into a useable vocal technique. They have made some remarkable observations as to what happens to voices during the process of singing, but that’s all they are – observations. Science is not only knowledge derived from observation, but the skill resulting from that knowledge.
In singing, that skill can only be developed through special exercises that
balance your vocal coordination so that Speech Level tone production is possible. There are many variations of the “scientific method”, all of which have in common the manipulation of the muscles in and around the larynx produced by telling students to “open your throat”, and “lower your tongue”, etc. Some even go so far as to manually force the larynx into position, which is extremely dangerous because permanent physical damage can result. OPEN THROAT, LOWERED TONGUE: This type of vocal posture is a result of good technique, not the cause of it. Imposing any kind of posture on a voice creates tension that can hinder the freedom of cord vibration, disrupt the balance of tone, and make spoken words sound unnatural.
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…QUESTIONS FOR SETH: WHAT IS…. THE WAY TO BECOME THE TEACHER OF A SUCCESSFUL SINGER: It’s hard to know whether or not a singer already had a natural affinity for good vocal technique before his or her study with a teacher. Many voice teachers build their reputations around the successful singing of one or two students. Other people then go to that teacher because of the way those students sound without knowing that those students would have sounded good without that teacher. Many educational institutions have the mistaken notion that “star” performers have a wonderful ability to teach vocal technique. More often than not, however, a star’s teaching method consists of a description of his or her own vocal ability. This is vocal death to a singer of lesser vocal ability and almost as bad for even a superior voice. Vocal stars can be excellent at teaching repertoire and stage techniques, but unless their own voices are balanced and they know how to get the same balance in the voices of their students, they should be avoided. It doesn’t matter how many degrees a teacher has, or how successful he/she has been as a performer. Teachers need to know how to get each of their students to sing through their range in a connected, easy manner, without any “breaks” or sudden changes of tone quality – again, Speech Level Singing. YOUR OPINION ON CHORAL SINGING: You should always use the same vocal technique whether you sing solo or in a group. However, choral directors sometimes want you to modify your tone (change the way you sing) in order to blend with the other singers in the group. This may be okay for singers who have developed a solid vocal technique but dangerous for the majority who have not. You may blend – but at a cost. A singer should never compromise correct speech level production. Aside from musicianship, there is very little you can transfer from choral singing into solo singing unless the director knows what he or she is doing in terms of vocal technique.
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…QUESTIONS FOR SETH: WHAT IS…. YOUR OPINION ON TEACHING: Voice teachers should not substitute the peripheral aspects of style interpretation for basic vocal technique. It’s a totally different thing. Most pop singers have one thing in common – they sing on a conversational level. Opera and other forms of traditional styles are not always that way, but you must still be able to go into your head voice without leaving your speech level. Most students and teachers who sing opera base their modern idea of operatic tone on a concept of a “woofy”, overproduced sound, which is dangerous to the health and longevity of the voice. What is interesting is that the best opera singers of yesterday and today sing in a clear, speech level manner that lets you understand their words all the way through their ranges. This is the same ideal that people listen for in any type of good singing. APPROPRIATE SONG MATERIAL: Beginning singers should avoid material that puts a great demand on the voice from a dynamics standpoint. Instead, select songs that are more melodic, not those that need “punch” or require a “dramatic” dynamic level. Singing songs is not the same as vocal technique. Just because a teacher encourages you to “sing out” or gives you hints on how to interpret what you sing does not mean you are learning vocal technique. Style and interpretation are no substitute for vocal technique. Without good vocal technique, style and interpretation are greatly restricted. HIGH NOTES: Singers should expect to be able to sing high notes immediately in the vocaltraining process, since in our approach there is no strain involved in the production of tone anywhere in one’s range. You must move them quickly into the extreme ranges to ensure that they don’t get locked into any one part of the range. VIBRATO: A relaxed vibrato should exist whenever you dwell on a note, or sustain. It is a natural function of a free voice. PRACTICE: Students should practice at mezzo forte (medium loud) at the most. However, you must never forget WHY you practice exercises; you do so to set up the correct balance between your exhaled air and your vocal cords, allowing you to sing at a speech level, and to then have your neuromuscular system live with that balance. You should only sing as loudly as you are able to maintain your balance with a steady, normal vibrato. The intensity or loudness of that tone will come once the muscular coordination to produce pitches freely is established.
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…QUESTIONS FOR SETH: WHAT IS…. SLS EXERCISES: If scales were all it took to establish a balanced voice, you wouldn’t need a voice teacher. You could just sing scales all day long. The important thing is not what you sing, but HOW you sing it. An exercise should help you to connect your voice throughout your range – to negotiate the passage areas. Exercises that require you to sing “pure vowels” before you have developed the coordination to sing them correctly do absolutely nothing to condition your larynx to function independently from your outer muscles. As soon as you sense you are going to have trouble singing a note, your neuromuscular system activates those muscles to try to make that note beautiful or to somehow fix it. You may be able to “muscle” the tone, but all you are doing is reinforcing the same bad habits that got your voice into the strained condition it was in previously. You will have done nothing to train your voice, or you will just grip and squeeze with your outer muscles as you sing higher. Exercises should not be done quickly until you are able to sing each note clearly at a moderate speed, at your speech level. You should practice as much as you perform, even more. Regular vocal practice keeps your voice aligned for efficient coordination so that any temporary diversion from good technique can be easily recognized and quickly corrected. You should not practice when you are indisposed with such things as a head cold, fatigue, etc, that could interfere with the physical sensations you use to judge your vocal coordination. THE TRAINING PROCESS: Training your voice means learning to coordinate and strengthen the muscles in your larynx so you can sing with speech level posture over a wide pitch and dynamic range. Doing special exercises is the best way to easily develop coordination and strength. You don’t control your voice directly by working on or thinking about breath support, vocal cord adjustments, or resonance. These things are all by-products of Speech Level Singing. They happen automatically when you condition your larynx not to move by relaxing your outer muscles and by allowing your vocal cords to thin for higher notes to ensure that your outer muscles stay relaxed. Coordination of your voice at your speech level must be developed before you can begin to build strength in your voice. As you do the exercises, don’t feel that you have to do them loudly. That is not important. If you try to sing too loudly (using too much air) too soon, your outer muscles will never give up their pulling and tightening reflexes. Have patience.
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…QUESTIONS FOR SETH: WHAT IS…. You must first eliminate any outer muscle activity that interferes with your tone. This will free your tone and consequently free your ability to produce words easily and clearly.
Your body’s
neuromuscular system has been programmed by years of poor singing habits to activate every muscle it can to help you control your voice. It will attempt to resist any changes in muscular coordination you try to make… once you have reprogrammed your neuromuscular system to accept your voice’s functioning at your speech level, these tensions will disappear. You will then be able to sing with release – a condition in which your voice works without your having to think about it or do anything about it. IMITATION OF OTHER SINGERS: Often singers try to imitate the voice or singing style of a famous entertainer or other person they admire. A sound that is appropriate for one person’s voice, however, is not necessarily good for another’s. When you try to adopt vocal qualities that your own vocal equipment is not designed to handle, you only abuse your voice. LOUD ENVIRONMENT: When you can’t hear yourself sing or talk, there is a tendency to overcompensate by using more muscle to control your larynx, which in turn requires that you use more air to move your cords. A muscular battle soon begins to take place between your vocal muscles in your larynx and your outer muscles to resist the escalating air pressure. This leads to hoarseness and added tensions that cause the muscles in and around your larynx to become sore and painful.
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The following questions and answers have been transcribed from various publications where Seth has responded to questions about voice, vocal technique, and his views on other topics.
Dear Seth, I'm a classical-voice teacher, and I want to start teaching contemporary pop music as well. (I already have a few students who are pop singers.) My question is about the application of technique: shouldn't I be able to apply the same technique to pop music that I do to classical? Also, can you recommend a number of pop songs that would help develop pop style? – Name and address withheld If you're teaching classical music, the tendency is to try to mix the middle bridge – the one between the chest and the head voice – around an E or an F below middle C for women, and that's much too early, because in pop, R&B, or musical theater, you'll start that mix at A, B-flat, B natural, and middle C. (For men, the middle bridge is around E and F above middle C.) So no matter what you do with style, you'll have a hard time making a transition into pop if the mix is not very strong. You really need to have exercises in your teaching system that are strong and that will build a powerful mix. You can't do it by belting pure chest, and you can't do it by flipping into a strong head voice, because where most pop takes place is in the mix. Now if you can teach a very strong mix, then I would get any of the recordings by Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Regina Bell, Stevie Wonder, or James Ingram. But remember, what you have to do to develop a pop style is to have a mix that will sustain it. You can't suddenly smudge up, because it will get 'mucky' in the middle as you make the transition. You have to be able to sing in different ways: when you're singing classical you can sing lighter through the middle, but when you're singing pop, you have to be able to lean against it and have it hold without yelling chest.
It will be difficult for you to make the transition from teaching
classical to teaching pop unless you can develop a strong middle in your students that will hold.
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…
Dear Seth
I'm a freshman at UCLA, and I am going into music. Can you give me some advice as to how I should structure my degree? I am a first soprano and am planning to major in voice. – Fara Wener, Westwood, CA In most schools – UCLA, USC, really no matter where you go to school – they are going to teach you opera when they start working vocal technique with you. When they start working on songs, you'll be doing 16th- or 17th-century Italian arias. You may do some Brahms or Schubert. If I were you, I would just go into theater. I'd go into a bachelor's program that includes acting and dance, and I'd find a good voice teacher outside of school. In school, they're sure to have you singing opera, and then, when you start to sing musical theater or pop (where the big money is), you're not going to be able to do it, because the only way that you can sing classically in musical theater is to do something like Phantom of the Opera, which is classical in nature. But most other productions aren't as classical. You're obviously a young woman and you're not going to be able to play something like Anna in The King and I because even she has to sing in bottom and middle. I strongly suggest you structure the degree in something like theater arts and find the best voice teacher you can outside of school. If you don't, if you stay in a voice program at school, you're going to learn opera, and it won't be applicable to musical theater and pop, no matter what the vocal teacher says.
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…
Dear Seth
Dear Seth, I am a pop singer and have been performing for years. I don't have much formal training and really haven't seen the need for it. Recently, someone made a comment about my vibrato, or lack of it. I don't use much vibrato, but when I first started singing, most pop and folk singers didn't either. Now I'm confused about the proper use of vibrato as well as what vibrato is. – Pat Davie, New York, NY It's okay to perform without formal training if you're doing things like folk, since you don't necessarily have to sing on pitch (just listen to Bob Dylan). You can just meander around the tonality and, as long as you make the bar lines, you're okay. Folk music doesn’t really require much voice. But you have some fine performers, like Joan Baez, who can really sing. But if you aren't using vibrato, then you limit yourself to having to do something that's very folk. If you're going to try to extend the quality of your voice, especially as you go into pop, you'll have to use some vibrato. Straight, flat sounds can mean that you're holding your cords so tightly that they don't have an opportunity to vibrate. And straight, flat sounds do sound flat. Whenever you're relaxing on a note as you're singing, there should be a natural vibrato that comes in. Vibrato is the alternation between two pressures: that's what makes that little shake. You have a horizontal pressure in the vocal cord adduction – that is when you phonate and bring the cords together – and then you have a vertical air pressure coming up from the diaphragm, which is pressing against the adducted cords.
When the vertical pressure overcomes the
horizontal pressure, the cords burst open. Because you're holding them together, they'll pull back together until overcome again by the vertical pressure – and they alternate between this opening and closing. This opening and closing is the rippling effect that we hear as vibrato. It sends sound waves up, and it sends sound waves down. You get a sympathetic feeling of the vibrato down in the pit of your stomach, and that's why some people think that it's made down there, but it's not. It's within the cord structure.
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Dear Seth
Dear Seth, Have you ever failed with a student? No matter what you did, you just couldn't seem to get it together? – Melesa Yarsalona, Berlin, MD Only about twice in 35 years have I failed abysmally. The first was with a very famous star from the MGM musical days. I could not get her to release her tongue, so she always had a rather throaty sound, and we just couldn't seem to get the mix together. Finally, she just gave up and belted, yelled everything in chest, which was very sad for what used to be a gorgeous lyric soprano. The second, who was within the last 2 years (the first was about 20 years ago), was with a wellknown actor from a sitcom. She had been studying with a very bad opera teacher and had a terrible wobble. I showed her how to narrow the vowel on her approach to the mix. This helped her enormously, but she began to lose confidence, not so much in what was being done but in how much work she had to do. She fell back into the tendency to pull more chest than she should.
Dear Seth, I understand that you charge $200 an hour. Why would anyone ever pay that much for voice lessons? How do you justify charging such an exorbitant fee? – Kelley Ames, Denver, CO In Los Angeles, which is similar in a sense to New York City, there are an enormously large salaries. Everybody makes more money in the “center” – the center of the recording industry, the movie industry, or whatever. Rents are more expensive, houses are more expensive, and the cost of living overall is more expensive. I would say that my fees are a little more than the average. The most expensive fees here in L.A. have run about $6,000 for 6 lessons. Then you go down to about $300 an hour, and then where I am at $200 an hour, and then $150 an hour, and $120, $100, $75, $50. What I have done is to have trained a great many teachers who do what I do but charge considerably less. And I do that on purpose because my intent is to help the general condition of vocal technique and the general conditioning of singers, rather than put them in the poorhouse because they can't afford extravagant lessons.
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…Dear Seth When you speak of how expensive fees are, you have to ask yourself, what is it worth to get through the mix? I have people who come to me who have spent 5, 10, 15, even 20 years trying to do it, but who still cannot get into their head voice without some kind of a break. When I think of how much money they have spent over those years, even if it's a lot less per lesson, you will find that it's a lot more when you consider that my technique should bring about the blends in the mixes within the first 5 or 10 minutes of a lesson. When you understand this method, you can become your own teacher. I think my fees and the fees of those who teach this technique are cheap because they cut out years of going down the wrong vocal avenues. *Seth’s current rate is $500 an hour.
Dear Seth, What is your working definition of Speech Level Singing? Please describe the feeling in the mouth during this process. Is this the "head feeling" (or resonation) in the front of the nose and forehead area, which seems to occur concurrently, or is this totally separate? – Andalin Nosanchuk, Salt Lake City, Utah I define Speech Level Singing as a "no need" technique, a refusal to reach physically or mentally to make high or low pitches. You'll feel the lower pitches resonate in the mouth, and as the pitches ascend, there is a split-resonance activation over the soft palate and the sound rises into the upper pharyngeal cavities behind the nose and eyes. As the pitch descends, all of this "blending" reverses, depending on both the particular vowel sung and the loudness of the pitch.
Dear Seth, What should I do when I'm sick? Should I sing through it or take time off? – Nicole Sapronetti, Santa Barbara, California If your cords are swollen, you should take time off. If you only have a head cold and it hasn't reached the chest and cordal area fully, you may sing if necessary.
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Dear Seth
Dear Seth, Why are there so many different vocal techniques? Are most of them good? Or will they hurt you if you don't find the right one? Are any lessons better than none, or is no lesson better than the wrong one? – Steve Wilkin, Salt Lake City, Utah Each teacher has his or her own idea of teaching vocal technique because most teachers make a system of teaching (pedagogy) by describing what they do with their own voices and how it feels to them.
If you can find a teacher who deals in a cause-and-effect or means-to-a-result
technique, you will stand a better chance of success if he or she knows where the bridges are and how to balance them.
Dear Seth, What makes a great voice? Is it style, technique, or a combination of the two? – Sherry Kettley, Newport Beach, California A great voice is one with a wonderfully free and flowing quality of power and overtone, and the range is complete for the voice's particular classification. Style can be developed, even as the voice can be improved by proper training.
Dear Seth, At what age should someone begin serious vocal training? – Ashley Abbott, Henderson, Kentucky If you can find an excellent teacher, almost any age. My youngest student is six years old and my oldest is 86. They both sing beautifully.
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…Dear Seth Dear Seth, How do you feel about the concept of the "singer's smile" or the idea of "smiling" into high notes? This idea is very common among voice teachers, but seems to go against your idea of rounding or narrowing the vowels, particularly with regard to high notes. – Jason Hughes, Nashville, Tennessee "Smiling" is usually taught by teachers who hear a "brighter", more nasal sound, but it is dangerous because it contributes to a high larynx.
The sound gets brighter because the
clearances are reduced by the rising larynx, but it produces a noisy overtone because of the constriction in the throat.
Dear Seth, Do you have any tips on overcoming stage fright or recording-studio fright? People tell me I sound great live, but I tend to freeze up in the studio. I know many people have this same problem in front of an audience. – Bonnie Harris, Salt Lake City, Utah If you can accomplish the act of singing live, you are well ahead of singing before an electrical enhancement.
An intimate knowledge of vocal registration (the blending of head and chest
voices) will free you from a great deal of fear, because as you gain confidence, you'll be able to involve yourself with the text of your song instead of worrying about how you're getting the notes out.
“ I define Speech Level Singing as an absolute refusal to help the pitch in any way, or to reach for low notes or high notes.” – Seth Riggs
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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF CHAPTER ELEVEN 1
Why is it important to vocalize students throughout the entire range?
2
What is the definition of a good tone?
3
What does Seth say about breathing?
4
Why does Seth prefer not to use vocal imagery? What is more effective?
5
What does the SLS “Edgy mmm” do for singers?
6
What is the difference between correct vocal projection and shouting?
7
Should singers alter their vocal production to fit into a certain style of singing?
8
What is the “scientific method” of vocal teaching, and why is it not effective?
9
Why should we not tell a singer to “lower your tongue” or “open your throat”?
10
Why is choral singing sometimes unhealthy for singers?
11
What is the best song material to choose for beginning singers?
12
When should a vibrato occur in singing?
13
How loudly should students practice? Why?
14
What are SLS exercises for?
15
Should exercises be fast with beginning students? Why?
16
How much should you or your students practice?
17
When should you or your students not practice?
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18
What is the purpose of the training process of SLS technique?
19
Why do we not dwell on breath support and resonance?
20
When should strength development start to be more of a priority in your teaching?
21
Why should exercises not be done too loudly at first?
22
How do you get your student or yourself to the point of singing with release at all times?
23
Why is it not necessarily a great thing to imitate other singers?
24
Why is it best for singers to avoid talking and singing in overly loud environments?
25
What is the difference between teaching or singing classical and pop or R&B?
26
What causes a tone with no vibrato?
27
Describe the “ripple effect” of vibrato.
28
Why does Seth call SLS a “no need” technique?
29
Where should the lower pitches be felt?
30
What happens to the resonance as the pitch ascends?
31
What is pedagogy?
32
What Is the best kind of teaching, according to Seth?
33
At what age should students begin vocal training?
34
Why is the “singer’s smile” a dangerous concept?
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12 Code of Ethics CODE OF ETHICS FOR SLS INSTUCTORS The Code of Ethics is designed to define professional behavior for instructors, and to serve as a guide to ethical conduct. The code of ethics protects the health, safety, and welfare of students and instructors, ensures accountability, and defines unethical conduct, which might justify disciplinary sanction. 1) Criminal Acts: An SLS instructor should abide by federal, state, and local laws and statutes.
Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to: the conviction or
commission of a felony or misdemeanor of moral turpitude, excluding minor traffic violations. As used herein, conviction includes a finding or verdict of guilty or a plea of nolo contender, regardless of whether an appeal of the conviction has been sought; a situation where first offender treatment without adjudication of guilt or sentence was otherwise withheld or not entered on the charge or the charge was otherwise disposed of in a similar manner in any jurisdiction. 2) Abuse of Students: An SLS instructor should always maintain a professional relationship with all students, both in and outside the studio. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to: a. Committing any act of child abuse, including physical and emotional abuse b. Committing any act of cruelty to children or any act of child endangerment c.
Committing or soliciting any unlawful sexual act
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3) Alcohol or Drugs: An SLS instructor should refrain from the use of alcohol or illegal or unauthorized drugs during the course of professional practice. 4) Misrepresentation or Falsification: An SLS Instructor should exemplify honesty and integrity in the course of professional practice. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to: a. Falsifying, misrepresenting, omitting or erroneously reporting professional qualifications, criminal history, college degrees, academic awards, and teaching history. b. Falsifying, misrepresenting, omitting, or erroneously reporting information regarding compliance reports submitted to federal, state, and other governmental agencies. 5) Improper Remunerative Conduct: An SLS instructor should maintain integrity with students, colleagues, parents, patrons, or businesses when accepting gifts, gratuities, favors, and additional compensation. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to: a. Soliciting students or parents of students to purchase equipment, supplies, or services from the instructor in a private remunerative capacity. b. Accepting gifts from vendors or potential vendors for personal use of gain where there may be the appearance of a conflict of interest. 6) Professional Conduct: An SLS instructor should demonstrate conduct that follows generally recognized professional standards. Unethical conduct may include, but is not limited to, the following: Harassment of colleagues, uncontrolled anger, a pattern of behavior or conduct that is detrimental to the health, welfare, or morals of students such as inappropriate language, physical altercations, inappropriate discipline, etc. 7) Reporting: Instructors are required to report a breach of one or more of the above by following the chain of command for reporting unethical conduct. Complaints filed with SLS must be in writing and must be signed.
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8) Disciplinary Action: SLS is authorized to suspend, revoke, or deny certification, to issue a reprimand or warning, or to monitor conduct and performance after a complaint has been issued and reviewed. Failure to comply with any of the items listed above shall be considered grounds for disciplinary action.
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13 Reference Charts The following charts were created as reference charts for you to copy, place on your piano for reference, and use in your teaching. Make multiple copies of Lesson Planning Charts and IMT Feedback Charts.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
SLS Tool Box SLS Basic Scales Vowel Narrowing Chart SLS Roadmap for Vocal Development IMT Feedback Form for Recorded Lessons Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction Chart Tools and SLS Roadmap for Vocal Development Chart Lesson Planning Template Lesson Planning with the Six Steps of Successful SLS Instruction Self Evaluation Sheet Four Questions Chart Student Record Chart
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SLS TOOLBOX 5-Tone [a] Diagnostic Evaluator: Reveals Tends To’s, bridges 5-Tone [ae]: Discovers and strengthens the chest
VOWELS
Consonants Hardest
Narrowest
G, K, B, D
Diphthongs
French, German
Hard/Plosive 1.5 Octave Long Scale: Balances registration, encourages release and coordination through bridges.
Cord Adduction: Measure 1, spoken edgy “mmm” with rising inflection. Sung: All staccato; Gallop (as shown); or Triplets. Creates appropriate vocal cord adduction
T, P, K
Phonated N, M [!] =sing [#] =onion
[u] =boot [ i ] =tree [ I ] =hit [!] =book
Z, V [# ] =rouge
Octave Repeater with Sustain: Increases coordination and strength
[Ø] =schön [œ] =un
[!] =hut [o!] =go
[!] =thee
Octave Repeater: Builds strength in the mix
[y] =Glück
[õ] =son
[!i] =boy ["]=bet
[e i] =say [a i] =die
Glide W, Y
Octave Up with Sustain and Vowel Change: Connects, strengthens, balances
Octave Down/Octave Down 3x: Releases, balances
Octave Down with Sustain: Releases, balances, strengthens
5-Tone Descending: Connects, strengthens, balances
Broken Arpeggio: Flexibility, registration balance and tone building
Aspirate ["] =she S, F
[ae] =bad
# =think WH =why H
[!] =hot
[ãe] =main
[ã] =dans
[a] =awe
Softest
Voice (Other) Tools: Edgy “mmm”, Lip Trill “Dumb Dog” “Hooty” Speak the word, Tongue Out, Squeaky Door, Cry, Bend Over Thumb under chin, fingers in cheeks
[a!] =now
Widest Problem Vowel
Narrower Substitute
BAT [ae}
BOAT [o!]
BET ["] BEE [i] BIT [I] BEET [i] BOOT [u]
BOUGHT [!]
BUT ["]
BUCK ["] BOOK [!]
BOOK [!]
BAY [ei] BET["] BIT [I]
BOOT [u]
Vowels are narrowed in the bridge and in the approach to the bridge
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SPEECH LEVEL SINGING BASIC SCALES
Objective: Reveal student’s Tends To’s (used with the [a] vowel) Objective: Discover and strengthen chest voice (used with the [ae] vowel) Starting pitch: Female G3- A3, Male C3- D3
Objective: Connect, release, strengthen, balance Starting pitch: Female G3-A3, Male C3
Objective: Vocal cord adduction, connect, balance Starting pitch: Female G3-A3, Male C3 The first measure is a spoken, edgy “mmm” with a rising inflection. Sung: All staccato; Gallop (as shown); or Triplets.
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…SPEECH LEVEL SINGING BASIC SCALES
Objective: Connect, strengthen, balance Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male F#3 if student’s Tends To is pulling chest. For a student whose Tends To is no chest, start lower to build and reinforce where they are weak.
Objective: Connect, strengthen, balance Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male F#3 if student’s Tends To is pulling chest For a student whose Tends To is no chest, start lower to build and reinforce where they are weak.
Objective: Connect, strengthen, balance, strengthen Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male F#3 if student’s Tends To is pulling chest For a student whose Tends To is no chest, start lower to build and reinforce where they are weak.
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…SPEECH LEVEL SINGING BASIC SCALES
Objective: Release and balance Starting pitch: Female C#5, Male F#4
Objective: Release, balance and strengthen Starting pitch: Female C#5, Male F#4
Objective: Connect, strengthen, balance, flexibility, tone building Starting pitch: Female C#4, Male G3 (tricking) or Female G3 (reinforcing) This scale is used for students who are primarily mixing
Objective: Connect, strengthen, balance Starting pitch: Female D5, Male G4 This scale is used to strengthen the first bridge
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VOWEL NARROWING CHART Problem Vowel
Narrower Vowel Solution
BAT
b[ae]t
BET
b["]t
BAY
b[ei]y
BE
b[i]
BET
b["]t
BIT
b[I]t
BIT
b[I]
BEET
b[i]t
BOAT
b[o!]t
BOOT
b[u]t
BOUGHT
b[!]t
BUT
b["]t
BUCK
b["]k
BOOK
b[!]k
BOOK
b[!]k
BOOT
b[u]t
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THE SLS ROADMAP FOR VOCAL DEVELOPMENT This roadmap is designed to give you an overview of the arc of a singer’s development over time. Notice that Connect, Stabilize and Build are on the same level. This indicates that they may be addressed interchangeably depending on the student’s Tends To’s.
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THE SLS ROADMAP FOR VOCAL DEVELOPMENT CHART This is an overall roadmap for the arc of a singer’s development over time and is not intended to be a lesson plan for a single lesson. You may copy this chart and insert your favorite exercises in the boxes in the right for each step. Make several copies of this chart so you can update your notes with each IMT visit.
DISCOVER and RELEASE Locate chest voice. Locate head voice Keep students Tends To and your objective to address Tends To in mind Student will vocalise through current range with release at first bridge (imperfectly)
ADDUCT and CONNECT Appropriate vocal cord adduction Connection of registers (top and bottom) May use temporary, extreme sounds
STABILIZE LARYNX Relaxed position Does not raise for high notes or press down for low notes May use temporary, extreme sounds
BALANCE and BUILD Maintain and improve balance of air and cord resistance Build strength, sustain, vibrato, appropriate volume Move toward "normal" sounds
SPEECH LEVEL PRODUCTION Temporary and extreme sounds eliminated Balance between air pressure and cord resistance Sings through bridges with release, connection between registers, and cord closure
SONGS and STYLE Substitute vowel,scale and consonant Tools for diffficult phrases Narrow the vowel on words that tend to "splat" and raise the larynx Volume proportionate with balance
1._______________________________ 2._______________________________ 3._______________________________ 4._______________________________ 5._______________________________
1._______________________________ 2.______________________________ 3.______________________________ 4._______________________________ 1._______________________________ 2._______________________________ 3._______________________________ 4._______________________________ 5._______________________________
1._______________________________ 2._______________________________ 3._______________________________ 4._______________________________ 5._______________________________
1._______________________________ 2._______________________________ 3._______________________________ 4._______________________________ 5._______________________________
1._______________________________ 2._______________________________ 3._______________________________ 4._______________________________ 5._______________________________
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IMT TEACHING OBSERVATION FEEDBACK FORM Teachers may choose to submit a recorded DVD or video of a lesson taught for IMT feedback in order to improve teaching skills. The teacher fills out his or her portion of the observation form and mails it with the lesson to the IMT. The IMT makes comments (indicating what tool might have been a better choice and why) and sends it back to the teacher. Make several copies for each lesson.
IMT FEEDBACK FORM FOR RECORDED LESSONS Tool used by teacher
IMT would use instead
Why?
Other Comments
Tool used by teacher
IMT would use instead
Why?
Other Comments
Tool used by teacher
IMT would use instead
Why?
Other Comments
Tool used by teacher
IMT would use instead
Why?
Other Comments
Tool used by teacher
IMT would use instead
Why?
Other Comments
Tool used by teacher
IMT would use instead
Why?
Other Comments
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THE SIX STEPS OF SUCCESSFUL SLS INSTRUCTION
Step 1
DIAGNOSE
Use 5-Tone [a] Student’s Tends To is:
Reveals Tends To's Pull chest, No chest, Flip, Mix
Step 2
DETERMINE Objective (end result)
Objective: “I want my student to:”
Positive Student Centered Outcome Student sings with low, stable larynx and adducted vocal cords.
Step 3
DESIGN Tool Combination Scales, Vowels, Consonants, Voice (Other) To address the Tends To
Tool Combination: Scale: Vowel: Consonant: Voice (Other)
Step 4
APPLY Tool Combination
Teacher: Play scale, demonstrate, prepare student to sing Student: Sing vowel, consonant, scale combination
Step 5
ASSESS Outcome
Result: Better? Worse? The Same? What needs to be addressed? Air blow, cord closure, vowel? Is the larynx low and stable? Is student releasing through the bridge?
Was the result better, worse, or the same? Address: Air Blow, Cord Closure, Vowel, Larynx, Release?
Step 6
ADAPT
Create new Tool Combination if necessary. Repeat process throughout lesson with increased student skill level...
New Tool Combination: Scale: Vowel: Consonant: Voice (Other)
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TOOLS AND SLS ROADMAP FOR VOCAL DEVELOPMENT
Hard Speech Level Singing and Goals Pure Stop Logic Tools Drive G, B. D
Air
To head
Hard/
Vowels Tool Diphthong
[u] =boot [i] =tree
Plosive
[u] + [i] = [y] (Glück)
K, T, P [t"] [d#]
Tends To
[I] =hit
[!] = sing [#] or [ñ] ["] = thee Z, V [#] = rouge
[œ] =un [e] + [o] =
Phonated N,M
French Nasal
German
[o!] =go
(schön)
Reduce Air
[!] =book [!] =hut
["]=bet
Glide W,Y
Drive To Chest
Aspirate " = think, [" ] = she,
S,F,H
[Ø]
Allow Air
ROADMAP 1) DISCOVER/RELEASE (Head/chest) 2) ADDUCT/CONNECT (Adduct cords, connect registers)
[ae] =bad
[!i] =boy
[õ] =son
[ei] =say [ai] =die
[ãe] =main
[a!] =now
[ã ] =dans
[!] =hot [a] =awe
SCALE TOOLS 5-Tone- exposes weaknesses [a] or discovers chest [ae] 1.5 Octave Long Scale- tends to help the student more easily experience release through bridges Cord Adduction – for vocal cord adduction
3) STABILIZE LARYNX (Low, stable larynx)
Octave Up, Octave Up Repeater- tends to build comfort, strength
4) BALANCE/BUILD (Strength, sustain, vibrato)
Octave Up, Sustain- tends to build coordination, strength, and tone
5) SPEECH LEVEL PRODUCTION (Temporary sounds eliminated)
Octave Down- tends to reduce weight, releases
6) APPLICATION TO SONGS AND STYLE
Broken Arpeggio- tends to build flexibility and tone Descending 5-Tone- tends to develop strength in bridge area
* steps 2, 3, and 4 are interchangeable
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LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE STUDENT: ____________________________________________________ DIAGNOSE
DETERMINE
DESIGN
ASSESS
ADAPT
Tends To
Objective
Tool
Result-
By designing a new
I want my
combination
How well did it
combination
work?
Change one element at
student to…..
a time
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LESSON PLANNING WITH THE SIX STEPS 1) Diagnose with the 5-Tone [a] Scale Exercise Starting Pitch
Diagnose the Tends To (circle one) Diagnose
•
Tends to Pull Chest
•
Tends to Sing with No Chest
•
Tends to Flip
•
Tends to Mix (or demonstrate some degree of imperfect mix)
2) Determine the Objective (Desired Student Outcome) The objective counteracts the Tends To’s of the student, and provides an equal and opposite reaction. (Objective) ___________________________________________________________ Primary Goal (check one or both) ! Vocal Cord Adduction
! Larynx Stabilization
3) Design a Tool Combination (Refer to the SLS Tends To’s and Tools Sheet to help you choose an appropriate scale, exercise, and starting pitch to address the student Tends To’s and the determined objective.) No Chest
Pull Chest
Flip
Mix
Chest Discover and
Give exercises involving
Give exercises to allow for
Use tools to build
Release Exercise
narrow consonants. Make
release through first bridge
coordination and strength,
sure the exercise is
and adduction in mix.
vibrato, dynamics
Broad Vowels
structured so the top note is above the bridge.
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4) Apply Apply the tool combination that you designed. (Give the exercise.) Tool #
Scale
Exercise
Starting Pitch
1 2 3 4 5 6
5) Assess Assess the effectiveness of the tool combination and starting/finishing pitches used to address the Tends To.
6) Adapt Choose new exercise and scale based on your assessment. Tool #
Scale
Exercise
Starting Pitch
1 2 3 4 5 6
Repeat until student experiences a healthy, balanced mix. Proceed to songs when ready. Decide what things you will change and what things you will continue to do in your next lesson. Change
Keep
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MY SELF-EVALUATION SHEET *Use this sheet to reflect on your own teaching, and give yourself a grade… “TO BE GREAT, YOU MUST REFLECT AND CHANGE” Date
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
Student
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Rapport: Greeted student by name and was glad to see them. Gave them at least one compliment during lesson. Communication: Asked about their history, goals, week’s vocal challenges, what they want to accomplish. Stay aware of body language and feedback from the student so you are meeting them at their level. USE ONLY SLS TERMINOLOGY. Diagnosed Students Tends To, Determined my Objective, and Assessed how well each tool worked each time a tool set is given, quickly, without losing lesson flow. Communication: Addressed the three things within students control; vowel, cord closure and airflow. Long Term Goals based on Roadmap 1) Discover and Release chest and head, 2) Adduct cords, Connect registers, 3) Stabilize larynx, 4) Balance and Build, 5) Speech Level (elimination of extreme sounds) 6) Songs. Used only SLS Tools to meet my objectives (causational teaching). Addressed balance before volume. Started each scale on appropriate note. Communication: Reinforced positive behavior, tell them what they are doing right. Communication: Reinforced what I would like them to focus on. Asked them what they learned, and how it felt. Focused on 1-3 things in each lesson, rather than trying to fix everything. Kept my expectation level of the student reasonable. Didn’t expect more than that voice is currently capable of. Incremental Development- made changes in exercises incrementally to ensure success. Communication: Student felt successful, inspired and validated. Communication (throughout lesson): “I am hearing _______________ in your voice, and I would like to address that by using ____________________________ to allow you to experience the feeling of ___________________________________.” Communication (end of lesson): Recap “Today we focused on _______________ and you made great progress when you _________________. This week I would like you to focus on ____________________when you practice. Great job today!”
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My Grade
THE FOUR QUESTIONS (AND FOUR MORE) CHART FOUR QUESTIONS 5) What am I hearing? (Diagnose) 6) What Tends To does this indicate? (Diagnose) 7) What is my objective? (Determine Objective) 8) What tool combination will counteract the Tends To of the student? (Design Tool Combination) After the student performs the scale, ask yourself the following questions: (These questions represent Step 5 of the Six Steps to Successful SLS Instruction, ASSESS.)
FOUR MORE QUESTIONS 1) Was the result better? (Assess)
2) Was the result the same? (Assess)
3) Was the result worse? (Assess) 4) What do I need to address? (Assess) Air blow, cord closure, or vowel? Larynx ? Release? Connection?
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STUDENT RECORD CHART Student’s Name
Known Tends To’s (if any)
Age
Contact Information
Singing Experience
Musical Background
Goals
Interests
Other Diagnose: Student Tends To:
EVERY SIX MONTHS: Goals
Interests
Other Diagnose: Student Tends To:
Goals
Interests
Other Diagnose: Student Tends To:
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Glossary Adam’s apple: Medical name – prominentia laryngea. An anatomic feature in the front of the neck that is due to the forward protrusion of the thyroid cartilage, commonly more prominent in men than women. Air blast: Excessive airflow that either overpowers the vocal cords or causes them to over-tighten in resistance. Airflow: The amount of air sent to the vocal cords; the correct amount of air needed to coordinate with the proper vocal cord tension. Excessive airflow is called “air blast”. Alto: Low female voice. Abduction quotient: The ratio of the glottal half-width at the vocal processes to the amplitude of vibration of the vocal fold. Acoustic power: The physical measure of the amount of energy produced and radiated into the air per second (measured in watts). Aspiration: The sound made by turbulent airflow preceding or following vocal fold vibration, as in [ha] or [ah].
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Balance: Occurs when airflow and cord tension produce tone with the least amount of effort from Speech Level production, allowing the singer to sing in an easy, connected manner from the chest voice through to the head voice. Baritone: Male voice located between bass and tenor in range and tone quality. Bass: Low male voice. Belting (Chest): Using excessive airflow (air blast) and vocal cord tension in an attempt to sing louder. Break: A sudden shift in tone caused when excessive airflow overcomes cord tension, which causes the singer to lose the continuity and connection of tone production, as the vocal cords abduct (lose adduction). This can be avoided if the cords are allowed to gradually thin and decrease in mass with a corresponding gradual decrease in airflow so excessive air pressure or muscle tension never gets a chance to build up. Breath support: The amount of air the vocal cords need to vibrate efficiently. Breath should never be controlled directly, but should be a by-product of Speech Level Singing. Bernoulli's principle: States that if the speed of a moving fluid (liquid or gas) increases, the pressure within the fluid decreases. In voice production, the vocal cords vibrate when they are closed to obstruct the airflow through the glottis, the space between the folds. They are forced open by increased air pressure in the lungs, and closed again as the air rushes past the folds, lowering the pressure. Bleat: The result of nervousness or excessive physical tension, manifested by a sound that is similar to the sound of the bleating of a sheep. Also referred to as “tremolo”. Breathy voice: The result of a widened glottis with excessive airflow that produces air turbulence. Cause-and-effect exercises: Exercises done in such a manner that the desired vocal coordination is directly achieved as a result. Chest register: The lowest part of the range where resonance vibration may be felt in the chest. Vocal sounds are created using the entire vibrating mass of the vocal cords.
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Compression (Air): A result of air pressure building up against the adducted or nearly adducted vocal cords. Compression blows the vocal cords open to create sound waves. When too much compression is allowed to build up because of too much cord tension or not enough airflow, the singer feels a pressure build-up in the throat and soft palate areas.
When air pressure is
balanced with proper cord tension, no pressure is felt. Connected tone: Tone that is produced evenly from chest through to head voice so there is consistency of production with no breaks or sudden changes in tone production or quality. Consonant: A speech sound such as B, F, T, or M that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the upper vocal tract, which in turn partially or completely interrupts the airflow. Not a vowel. Creaky voice: The perceptual result of sub-harmonic or chaotic patterns in the glottal waveform; if a sub-harmonic is below about 70 Hz, creaky voice may be perceived as pulse register. Cricoid cartilage: A solid ring of cartilage that completely surrounds the laryngeal airway, located directly below the thyroid cartilage. Cricothyroid muscle: An intrinsic laryngeal muscle (paired) that is used primarily to control pitch. Cysts: Benign, saclike lesions containing a liquid, gaseous, or semisolid substance. Diaphragm: Large, dome-shaped muscle that separates the chest and stomach cavities. The main function is to initiate inhalation by contracting (flattening), thus enlarging the chest cavity so the lungs can fill with air. Direct control: The attempt to control the breathing and/or vocal muscles by consciously tensing those muscles or any muscles that may affect them - an incorrect way to sing. Dehydration: A condition in which the body is deprived of fluids, possibly affecting the viscous and elastic properties of the vocal cords. Edge sound: An unfinished sound that involves the vibration of just the inner edges of the vocal cords, so the full bulk of the cords is not activated.
Used as a device for rebalancing an
incorrectly produced voice to Speech Level production of tone.
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Epiglottis: The leaf-like cartilage that folds down over the vocal cords during swallowing to close off the trachea and prevent foreign matter entering the lungs. Excessive muscular effort: The primary cause of all vocal trouble. Occurs when a singer tries to control the voice with the incorrect muscles. See “direct control”. Exercise: Singing a note or sequence of notes in order to condition and/or strengthen the vocal muscles and develop proper airflow. Edema: Excessive accumulation of fluid in tissues, causing a "puffing up" or "bloating" effect. Although edema does not necessarily impede vocal fold vibration, it may add a crackly, noisy component to the voice. Electroglottogram (EGG): Provides a measure of laryngeal conductance from which the vocal fold contact area can be concluded. Falsetto: Abducted vocal cords. A type of vocal production that, like the head voice, lets the singer experience singing in the higher part of the range without strain. But, unlike the head voice, falsetto cannot blend (connect) with the chest voice. This, and the fact that it is impossible to increase sound intensity past a certain point, makes falsetto production limited to vocal styling and effects. Flexible tone: The result of a balanced vocal coordination, which allows you to move easily from the pitch and intensity of one tone to the pitch and intensity of another tone. Forced larynx: A condition in which the extrinsic laryngeal muscles used for swallowing and chewing pull the larynx up or down when creating tone. An incorrect method of vocal production. Free tone: Tone that is produced as a result of Speech Level Singing, where the vocal cords work with the airflow to produce tone without interference from the extrinsic muscles. Full tone: The loudest volume a person can sing without creating an imbalance between airflow and vocal cord resistance. Also refers to a tone that has a balanced resonance quality.
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Fach (German): Literal meaning – job specialty. In singing, it is a method of classifying singers, primarily opera singers, by the range, weight, and color of their voices, e.g. coloratura soprano, mezzo soprano, tenor, or baritone. Flutter: Modulation in the 10–12 Hz range. Formant: Any of several prominent bands of frequency that determine the phonetic quality of a vowel. Formants are the characteristic partials that identify vowels to the listener and can be visualized on a spectrogram. See also “Singer’s formant”. Fricatives: Speech sounds produced by turbulence in a constriction of the vocal tract, such as an "s" produced with the teeth. Fundamental frequency (Fo): The lowest frequency produced by any particular instrument including the voice; also called the first harmonic frequency. Glottal resistance: The pressure across the glottis divided by the flow (of air) through the glottis. Glottis: The space between the vocal folds. Harmonic: Equally spaced in frequency; a component whose frequency is an integer multiple of the fundamental. Hemorrhage (of the vocal fold): Rupture of one or more blood vessels in vocal cord tissues. Hyoid bone: A horseshoe-shaped bone that "floats" above the larynx and serves as a connecting post to the tongue, velum, etc. High larynx: A condition in which the muscles above the larynx pull it upward in an attempt to tighten (stretch) the cords by force. Indirect control: The type of control developed after conditioning the voice to work properly. Intonation: Accuracy of pitch in playing or singing – not sharp (too high) or flat (too low). A singer with good intonation sings “in tune”.
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Infrahyoid muscle group: One of the two extrinsic muscle groups that includes the stern hyoid, the sternothyroid, the omohyoid, and the thyrohyoid muscles. Intensity: A measure of power per unit area. Interarytenoid muscle: An intrinsic laryngeal muscle that connects the two arytenoid cartilages. Larynx: The organ at the top of the trachea (windpipe), made up of cartilages, ligaments, muscles, and mucosal lining. Inside, attached from front to back, are the vocal cords. Functions best when in a relaxed Speech Level position. Low larynx: A term often used interchangeably with “relaxed” or “stable” larynx. A by-product of Speech Level Singing. Low imposed larynx: A condition in which the muscles below the larynx are used to pull the larynx downward in an attempt to increase resonance space. This should be avoided, except when done as an exercise to counteract a high larynx condition. Singers should always sing with a Speech Level coordination and accept what they get as being the true tone quality of their voice. Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle: An intrinsic laryngeal muscle that brings together the vocal processes by rotation and forward rocking of the arytenoids on the cricoarytenoid joint (paired). Lombard effect: The adjustment of vocal loudness according to the level of auditory stimulation, particularly in noisy environments. Manipulation: When a singer consciously or unconsciously uses the outer laryngeal muscles to control the tension of the vocal cords in the larynx and/or the shape of the resonance areas instead of allowing the larynx to function freely. Also refers to the techniques used by some teachers to “free the voice”. Pulling down on the larynx by hand and grabbing the tongue is dangerous and it doesn’t work. See “direct control”. Middle register: The blended area between the chest voice and the head voice. Medial (or mesial): Toward the center (midline or midplane). Messa di voce (Italian): Placing of the voice; singing a crescendo–decrescendo with a well-placed voice.
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Middle (or mixed) voice: The mixture between the chest voice and falsetto; another term for "head" voice in singing. Muscular tension dysphonia: Excessive longitudinal tensions or pre-phonatory positioning that impedes vibration of the vocal cords. Nodule: A growth on the surface of the vocal cord believed to be caused by repeated and prolonged collision between the tissue of opposing vocal folds. Papillomas: Small, benign epithelial tumors that may appear randomly or in clusters on the vocal folds, larynx, and trachea. Passaggio (pl. passaggi) (Italian): In the voice, passaggio describes the shift in resonance between one part of the voice and the next, e.g. between chest and head voice. Plosive: Denoting a consonant that is produced by stopping the airflow using the lips, teeth, or palate, followed by a sudden release of air, i.e. B, D, G, K, P, and T. Polyp: An endemic growth, brought about by irritation of the epithelium. Specific types of polyps are: sessile, pedunculated, and polypocorditis. Posterior cricoarytenoid muscle: An intrinsic laryngeal muscle that is the primary abductor of the vocal cords (paired). Pressed voice: The result of a constricted glottis with insufficient airflow. Primo passaggio (Italian): "The first passage"; the first register change perceived in a voice. In SLS terminology this is referred to as the first bridge. Pulmonary system: The interrelated group of body structures that includes the lungs and the respiratory airways. Passage area: The area of the voice where muscular adjustment and/or resonance activity make it especially difficult to negotiate a balance between airflow and vocal cord adjustment. Men have about three such areas in their range and women can have as many as five or six.
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Range: (mus. tessitura) The extremes of pitches both upper and lower that a singer can sing. The “practice” range is generally greater than the performance range.
Notes sung in
performance range should always be balanced and feel very comfortable. See “release”. Release: A condition in which the voice functions freely without excessive thought. Resonance: The reinforcement of initial cord tone in the cavities above the larynx; a secondary vibration factor. A by-product of correct Speech Level Singing. Resonance areas: The cavities above the larynx that reinforce the tone originally produced by the vocal cords. Registers: Perceptually distinct regions of vocal quality as pitch or loudness is changed, e.g. chest or head. Secondo passaggio (Italian): "The second passage"; the second register change perceived in a voice. In SLS terminology this is referred to as the second bridge. Singer’s formant: Particularly in male singers, a formant around 3000 Hz (between 2800 and 3400 Hz), absent in speech or in the spectra of untrained singers, is actively developed through vocal training to allow the singer to be heard and understood over an orchestra. Spasmodic dysphonia: A poorly understood disorder characterized by intermittent phonation with a strained, strangled production; may be of the adductor or abductor type. Subglottal: Below the glottis. Supraglottal: Above the glottis. Sound wave: A wave of compressed air molecules released from the vocal cords during the vibrating process. Speech Level Singing: When a person speaks in a quiet, comfortable manner, the outer muscles do not interfere with the functioning of the larynx; the larynx is allowed to rest in a relatively stable speech level position. This is also the ideal vocal condition or posture with which to sing.
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“Support the tone”: A phrase used by many voice teachers and choir directors, along with similar phrases like “give it more support”, and “sing from the diaphragm”. Such direction asks the singer to do things that are extremely dangerous to the voice; and results in direct, effortful control or excessive airflow. True breath support only exists when there is a balance of airflow with cord tension. A singer can have a tremendous supply of air and still not sing well. To produce sound waves, the cords merely need to resist the airflow until just enough air pressure builds up underneath to blow then apart. When too much air is used, the cords increase tension, which is certain to enlist the help of the muscles outside the larynx – the outer, interfering muscles. If those muscles are engaged, the result are strained cords, a forced tone, limited range, and a “break” in the vibrating pattern of the cords. Tessitura (Italian): Texture; the average pitch level of a song or part of a song in relation to the overall range of the instrument. Testosterone: The hormone responsible for development of male sexual characteristics, which includes major growth in the larynx. Thorax: The part of the body between the neck and abdomen. Thyroarytenoid muscle: An intrinsic laryngeal muscle that comprises the bulk of the vocal fold (paired). Thyroid cartilage: The largest cartilage of the larynx; it is comprised of two plates joined anteriorly at the midline. Its anterior prominence is called the "Adam's apple". Technique: The way in which one produces vocal sound. Tenor: Highest type of male voice.
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Thinning: Decrease/reduction in vibrating mass of the cord; occurs when the vocal cords are stretched. The only safe way for this to happen is to allow the muscles of the larynx to do the work without assistance from any other muscles. This way, the larynx can remain in a relaxed and stable (speech level) position. The result is a lighter, yet balanced sound that allows singers to sing higher with ease.
The self-contained stretching activity in the larynx also frees the
muscles that control the tongue, jaw, etc that otherwise pull on the larynx from the outside to stretch the cords to form vowels and consonants. Correct vocal production. Timbre: The quality of the sound of the voice or musical instrument resulting from the resonance reinforcement of the tone. The “timbre” of a brass instrument, for example on any given note, will be completely different from the “timbre” of a piano or a wind instrument on the same note, due to differences in the structure of the instrument. Tone: General term used to describe pitch, intensity, and resonance quality (see timbre) of the vocal sound. Training: Acquiring a skill through a course of study. In singing, the skill to be acquired is Speech Level Singing technique. Unilateral vocal fold paralysis: Paralysis of the thyroarytenoid muscle of one vocal fold. Ventricular folds: The "false folds", situated just above the vocal folds. Ventricular phonation: An abnormal muscle pattern dysphonia associated with hyperactivity in the false fold region. Vibrato (Italian): An ornament in singing; typically, a 4-6 Hz undulation of pitch and intensity. Vibrato, by definition, is “a cultured or artistic fluctuation usually introduced purposefully by the singer, involving changed in pitch of +/- 0–3%, occurring 4.5–6.5 times per second, at a rate of 4.5–6.5 Hz. Vibrato rate can vary with such factors as vocal intensity, age, and condition of the singer, muscular interference and tension, and imitation of vocal sounds heard throughout life. Recent research indicates that the cricothyroid and thyroarytenoid muscles are the primary producers of vibrato, and that the movement of the thyroid and cricoid cartilages is the main source of vibrato. Vibrato adds richness, warmth, stability, and power to the tone and is an essential element of good vocal teaching. Vibrato should be introduced in the instruction process as soon as sustained tones can be sung with good vocal production.
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Viscera: The midsection of the body containing the stomach and the intestines. Vocal fold stiffness: The ratio of the effective restoring force (in the medial-lateral direction) to the displacement (in the same direction). Vocal folds: A paired system of tissue layers in the larynx that can vibrate to produce sound. Vocal fry: A register with perceived temporal gaps; also known as pulse register. Vocal tract: The airway between the glottis and the mouth; also called the upper respiratory tract. Vocal tract resonance: Constructive interference (reinforcement) of waves experiencing multiple reflections in the vocal tract. Voice range profile: A visual display of vocal intensity range versus fundamental frequency. Volume: "Amount of sound", best measured in terms of acoustic power or intensity. Whisper: Sound created by turbulent glottal airflow in the absence of vocal fold vibration. Whistle register: The highest of all registers (in pitch).
It occurs most often in females and
extends the pitch range beyond F6. Wobble: A slow vibrato resulting from too much vocal weight, poor technique, aging, or fatigue.
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