The Vocal Coach

The Vocal Coach - May 08

Spring certainly is bringing out the beauty of nature that God has made for us. All the trees, plants and shrubs are starting to bloom. I especially like the beauty of the Dogwood Trees, at this time of year. It seems like a time of new and beautiful beginnings. With this in mind I believe that it is a good time for each of us who minister in music to others to take a fresh look at our mission and abilities to carry out that mission. First, our mission has not changed. It remains to be that we have a goal of Ministry with the musical talent that God has gifted us with. With that in mind, the next question that we ask ourselves is; What do I do to be able to carry out my mission for God in a more efficient, improved, and effective manner. I think that our responsibility to the Lord is to prepare ourselves to be the very best that we can be in every area of our lives. That, of course, means that you “study to show yourself approved unto God”. Never stop improving, never stop learning, never stop trying to make your musical delivery of the highest quality possible. Each month when I write this column, I challenge myself to increase my knowledge of quality singing technique, and my application of that knowledge, to bring my singing to a higher level than before. I would like to encourage each one of you to do the same.

This month I have tried to revue some of the techniques for singing excellent quality tones. There are different techniques for singing quality low tones and quality high tones. There are different placement techniques, with different results for each kind of tone. Tone placements are major roadblocks for some singers. Some tones should be placed in the mask, some in the oral cavity, and some in the chest area. Most all tones should have an element of each of these placements in them, but mainly, each tone, should be placed in the resonating area that best enhances the its quality . This month I want to address two areas: “How to sing low tones” and “How to sing high tones” .

First let’s address how to sing low tones. I must confess that there are some great bass singers in the quartet business that could probably add a lot to what I am about to say. If you sing bass, take these words to heart and then seek out a great bass singer and talk to him about how he does it. There a certain basics of singing that any vocal coach can bring to the table, and this is what I will attempt to do about bass singing or low tones. Each voice whether bass or tenor must address how to sing in their lowest range. Over the years I have learned more about how to sing in my lower range and I will share these things with you. After I talk about this, I will talk about something that I am more acquainted with and that is how to sing high tones. The following list is my effort at learning how to sing my own low tones better:

1. Sing the words and tones forward on the lips, over concentrate on the vowel sounds, do not let the sound production be based on the glottis.

2. Do not attack low tones by trying to reach down for them mentally or physically. Always think of your attack as coming from above.

3. On lower tones you will not need to open your mouth as much as you do on high tones. The more you open your mouth the more resonation you have in your sound, If you use too much resonation, the tone will be breathy and not clear like it should be.

4. Low tones need steady breath support therefore, you should stiffen your diaphragm to resist the push of the stomach mass and give you a good steady flow of air, instead of the bursts of air that higher notes require at times.

5. Sing your low tones softer. They actually need to be sung easier than the higher tones. This is why bass singers almost always have their mikes up louder than everyone else.

6. Use your vocal cords like you would when you are humming. You should feel like your whole vocal cords are being used and not just the very edges of them. You should never feel like you are forcing the vocal cords, but rather they should feel relaxed to their fullest on your lowest note. Don’t ever allow your vocal cords to feel like they are squeezed ,or tight ,when you are singing your lowest notes.

7. Try to make your tones ring , and sound like they have a bright speech like quality to them.

Well I have about run out of space here, so I will address how to sing high tones next month.
I have a lot more to say about that, and I will take the entire column next month to talk about how to sing your high tones, and how you can improve the upper part of your range especially if you are a tenor singer. I will try to address that from an educational standpoint and an experience standpoint.

Until next time remember Psalm 118:6 “The Lord is on my side” Remember that He is on your side. Keep on Keeping on for him.

Your Brother in Christ,
Bill Baize