Speech level singing can get a bad rap these days. For me, having my first lesson with a SLS instructor over 10 years ago, was true validation. Two main things happened for me: 1. I finally had a coach who was working my entire range at one time. Two and a half octave scales, going … Read more
So you want to sing with more “belt” in your song? Well first, let’s check…..do you know if you are mixing? Do you know if you are accessing your head voice resonance and tilting your larynx? Belting cannot be done safely (or sound good) without these two conditions first. I suggest that you continually work … Read more
Most singers want to know how their favourite singers get their sound…in other words, how they sing so well. We all want to understand the voices of Steve Perry, Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson, Adam Lambert. The list goes on and on. It’s a complex question with a complex answer, but one thing is true with … Read more
If you are still trying to figure out how to belt correctly, then you need to read Jaime Vendera’s book, Raise Your Voice. This book has it all. Every little byproduct of good singing technique is in this book. His tell-all approach is inspiring and contagious. He doesn’t miss a thing. What I really appreciate … Read more
So why do all your American Idol favorites sing with huge mouths? Answer: Because the big mouth is directly related to the freedom associated with making sounds found in contemporary styles such as rock, pop, gospel, jazz, musical theatre, country, and even opera! The ability to get great cord closure (to sing high notes with … Read more
My last post told you of the set-up in the voice box that is ideal for singing rock music. So what differentiates a good rock singer from being just-OK? The answer is control! Most amateurs are squeezing out their sound in an attempt to sound “big”. When a singer is in control of all the … Read more
Healthy belting requires ultimate breath control to avoid damage to the cords. First, no pushing. Simply allow. It requires a lot of energy and effort to belt safely. This effort and energy is felt in your abdomen, pelvis, ribs and back. You should feel no tension in the throat. The throat is very open and … Read more
Why do we love Adele’s voice so much? Or Whitney Houston, Celine Dion or Christine Aguilera? Sure, it’s because they exude so much drama and passion when they sing, but how do they do that? The ability to portray what you are feeling in a technically correct way is really what we are talking about … Read more
Bottom line…..good belting doesn’t hurt. It has a sweet edge to the sound. The larynx is tilted allowing the cords to close and stretch while remaining thick. On the other hand, bad belting is usually pitchy and lacks “emotion”. A bad belt is simply yelling on pitch. There’s nothing musical about yelling on pitch without … Read more
One of my goals is to share with you the similarities and differences with Speech Level Singing and Estill Voice Technique. They are both great voice methods, and there is something to be learned from both. In its’ simplest form, SLS is one recipe among the many Estill Voice Technique possibilities. I love SLS because … Read more