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
Hi Jeff, Thanks for writing. Yes, a mixed voice definitely resonates in the throat. If you put your finger on your larynx, you will feel it vibrate. However, the chest voice alone resonates in the throat as well….and this is not mixing….so beware. The true test for mixing is having ability to ascend and descend … Read more
If you haven’t heard about the Institute for Vocal Advancement, then check out their website here http://www.vocaladvancement.com/ This organization is run by a group of fine teachers, mostly of whom are previous master teachers from the Speech Level Singing organization run by Seth Riggs. I believe this organization has much to offer both students and teachers. … Read more
If you have been following my singing blog, you will know I have trained in a few different methods of singing over the past years. Each one has been slightly different, yet the same, if that makes any sense. In my early years, I trained in Bel Canto with various teachers and later went on … Read more
When I think back to the voice training I have had (6 different teachers in the past 20 years), speech level singing was the eye-opening experience for me. That is not to say that the classical training I had wasn’t useful….because it was….in many ways….but in other ways, it was detrimental. It wasn’t until I … Read more
There is a lot of information out there about the ideal position of the larynx for singing. This post is to help shed some light on the “variables” associated with your larynx. SLS (speech level singing) teaches you that the larynx should remain “stable” or “neutral”. I’m not a big fan of this description, although … Read more
What I’ve always loved about “speech-level” singing is the impact it has on the singer’s chest voice, especially for the ladies. When we sing low notes, it’s relatively easy to use thick folds, and in general we “thin out” as we ascend higher in pitch. The ability to control the thickness of the cords at … Read more
So, you are mixing. You have control of your larynx (not too high, not too low), and you are accessing the edges of your cords everyday through exercise, and getting good closure throughout your range. What’s next? Build up of the voice to the next level is not effortless. In fact, the next level happens … Read more
Singing rock music is extreme. If you are going to do it, you had better do it well. This means you need to be fully aware of what is going on inside your throat and body. If your goal is to sound a certain way, or to sound like somebody else, then you may very … Read more
This is a match made in heaven. If you have twang in your speaking voice, hooray for you! Check for this: Can you imitate cartoon or comedy characters in your high/mixed voice? (This cannot be breathy). It should be loud and whiney with a brassy, bright sound. Can you make a nasty, witchy sound, or … Read more