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Tao Jones
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11/17/2009 5:52:26 PM
To Sound More Comfortable, I Have to Be Less Comfortable
I have been learning so many hard lessons in my attempt to record several songs from my solo acoustic show, record them as single takes, no dubs. It's funny how long I will try the same thing without success before I finally begin to reform what I do. Sometimes it takes weeks of attempts before the changes begin: change in arrangement, change in key, change in melody, change in technique...lots of things, but I have found that with persistence they DO get better.
Well, last night I came upon a technique I've stumbled on before, but it really was proved last night. That is about how much air is in the lungs while singing, and here is my theory:
I am always, always better with more air in the lungs than less. Always. There is nothing I can do with less air that I couldn't do better with more.
So what does it mean in practice? It means grabbing in air at every chance the lyric allows. Honestly, this is not all that comfortable to do. It is not natural breathing, and it requires effort on my part to constantly think to do it. But I listen back to the recordings when doing this, and they are all clearly better sung than when I don't. There is no doubt that I hit the notes better, with more control, can go soft or hard as I wish, can hold them longer, any of the things I want to try to get out of the singing I get much better with my lungs packed with air.
And then I sing like it is easier, like I'm comfortable....but in fact, it's not comfortable, really. Not at this point anyway...maybe if I practice the technique it'll become more comfortable.
It's weird. Like a magic trick to get what you always wanted out of your voice: just one catch, now it's not so fun to sing anymore, but you sound better, and sing the way you wanted to.
Just every open space I suck in more air to fill up the lungs whenever I can, and each take's vocal was better for this....but it's work.
Do top notch pro singers already know this? Are they trained to this? Or is this just something necessary for people with strange voices like mine?
Still I was very glad to make the discovery. It's like a power I can now have if I want to develop it. It's a power toward something I always want and have worked at for decades: sing better...
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Tom O'Brien
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11/17/2009 8:55:05 PM
Lesson 1 in my opera workshop in college. You have learned this very important and simple lesson. Your voice is powered by air! Think of yourself as a balloon and expand on all sides - top, bottom, back, front. The better you control your source of power the better you control the thing that makes the tones - your vocal cords and the shape of your mouth/skull/nasal passages. It's good that you're a runner. You probably don't even use your full lung capacity when you're doing your normal singing. Just don't sacrifice your tone. I mean, Pavoratti could sing your songs with the most beautiful tone, but it wouldn't be right. But you've probably stumbled onto something which is going to transform your already awesome singing. It'll get more comfortable as your diaphragm gets in shape. It's just a muscle you haven't worked that much. You sing with all your muscles - your whole body sings, not just your throat.
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never never band
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11/17/2009 8:57:03 PM
I rehearse breath,
When I practice for gig I have to really get it, especially if the guitar parts are involved, I'll get lost in my playing and not have the air I need.
I actually rehearse where I'm going to breathe as part of rehearsing a tune so that when it comes time to play it's second nature.
I especially have trouble when it's covers or tunes I didn't write, I have to practice catching my beath just as surely as practicing chord changes or any other part of playing.
you're right, the more you practice it the more natural and relaxed you'll sound. Also if you practice where your going to beathe and do it the same way every time you'll get better, smoother breath instead of gulping a big breath in anticipation (which tends to make you sing sharp)
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Tao Jones
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11/20/2009 4:50:30 PM
Yeah, the only problem is that what happens is I so easily return to my old habits.
However, I think it is one of those things where it is slowly changing in a more permanent way. Maybe not gasping in so much breath, but being more apt to get in a bit more...
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LyinDan
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11/20/2009 7:50:14 PM
Selectively gasping adds flavor and humanity. It's what we all do.
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Tony Vani and Debbie Hoskin
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11/21/2009 8:12:49 AM
For decades, I did breathing excersizes everyday; and extra on a day/night of performance. Not only to expand my lungs but to strengthen my diaphragm. The diaphragm, a muscle, can get really tired fast from pumping. It works better when you build it up.
I sang in a screaming rock band for many years and never got laryngitis because of using my lungs properly. Plus it gives you more power; more overall control over your voice.
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Monkey68
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11/21/2009 2:19:48 PM
Tao - yup, I've been playing with my breathing patterns for the past couple of years, building habits - Before lines and either side of songs, I breathe deep to my diaphragm/centre (learnt from some meditation techniques I'd built) to make sure my body doesn't pass out and then grab the top-ups whenever a chance presents itself to power the vox. One song I really have to do this on is when we cover Californication - or I can't get to the end of some lines. On my own songs, the end of the chorus of MILF and Fundamental Flaw really, REALLY benefit from topping up.
One of the unfortunate side-effects, though, is burping - does anyone else get this?
Vince
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Tony Vani and Debbie Hoskin
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11/21/2009 10:08:23 PM
Burping? You are swallowing the air?? Or.......Somehow the air is leaking into your digestive track.................You might need medical attention..........
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Jilly
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11/21/2009 11:00:49 PM
---- Updated 11/22/2009 1:35:39 AM
sorry, wrong thread
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