I thought I would write a series of blog posts about my experiences as a student of classical singing. This journey has been a constant struggle for me, and I have found no aspect of it intuitive.
One source of this struggle has been trying to decipher the various expressions and adages that voice teachers commonly use. In this post, I will list some of these expressions, and explain how I as student either misinterpreted them, or found them confusing. My goal here is not to disrespect any element of commonly accepted vocal pedagogy, but rather to attempt an exposition of what I have personally wrestled with, in case there are other students out there who have the same problems.
“Singing should feel natural”
What the teacher means: The human voice is designed to operate functionally in a specific way, and fighting against that will always lead to inefficiency in singing.
Why it’s a problem: Sure, but that’s quite different from “feeling natural”. Often, things feel natural because that’s the way we are accustomed to doing them, even if they are inefficient. If singing felt natural, we would all be born opera singers. Learning a skill that does not come intuitively to us requires practicing habits that may be uncomfortable, even if they are functionally efficient.
“Sing in the mask” or “sing forward”
What the teacher means: The singer should feel sympathetic vibration in the sinus area, indicative of squillo and proper brightness in the tone.
Why it’s a problem: This is one of those expressions that may be useful after you already understand what it means, but it really did not help me to discover it in the first place. For a long time, I assumed that “forward” meant I should feel it somewhere in my face, or in my teeth, perhaps. However, I did not make progress in this area until I thought of making the sound more nasal than I originally expected.
“The vibrato should not be consciously created”
What the teacher means: The student should not be manipulating the vibrato with either the airflow or the larynx. Given the right conditions, it should just happen.
Why it’s a problem: While technically true, this advice is potentially devastating, and held me back for a long time. The danger here is that the student will shy away from creating a vibrant tone, as any hint of unsteadiness in the tone will be viewed as a conscious manipulation. For me, the vibrato did not appear until I gave myself permission to intentionally make silly sounds. It can be quite difficult to dis-associate the feeling of straight-tone with added muscular control.
“Sing as you speak”
What the teacher means: I think this expression comes from the Italians (si canta come si parla), and is probably good advice for them.
Why it’s a problem: I really don’t think this works for Americans. Our speaking is so under-energized, our vowels so impure, and our breathing so unnatural, that all of these habits have to be unlearned before progress can be made in singing. Furthermore, our musical culture is really not conducive to good singing.
“Feel like you’re yawning”
What the teacher means: The yawning sensation is useful because it encourages a stable larynx, and achieves proper resonance balancing.
Why it’s a problem: Teachers neglect to mention that they are referring only to the very very beginning of the yawn. Trying to sing while actually yawning can lead to comical results, but for some reason these results are never blamed on the yawn itself. For me, it seems that having a clear image of the vowel I’m trying to sing, as well as opening my mouth a little wider than I’m expecting, does a better job than trying to yawn.
“Support the sound”
What the teacher means: It seems there are two meanings of the word “support”. One definition could be as in the appoggio, where the singer “supports” the exhalation process by engaging the inhalation muscles. The other definition, and the one I think was originally meant by the term, is in reference to the airflow itself, as in a fountain of water supporting a ping-pong ball (where the water is the air, and the ping-pong ball is the tone). If we take the second definition, “more support” could mean not enough air pressure is being used, or it could mean that the ping-pong ball is being supported by more than just the fountain, i.e., there is too much throat tension.
Why it’s a problem: When a teacher says “more support”, it’s not clear what is meant. Either of the above two definitions could be intended, but my concern is that the student may not be thinking along either of those lines. Rather, the student may introduce counter-productive abdominal tension which seems to serve no purpose other than to make the student feel as if some attention is being paid to that region.
“<insert potentially meaningless expression here>”
Here are some examples:
- “Spin the sound”
- “Lift the soft palate”
- “Feel the breath going all the way to your feet”
- “Think lower as you sing higher”
- “Narrow the vowel as you go higher”
I say “potentially” meaningless, because it is probable that these expressions have a great deal of meaning to those who use them. They just don’t work for me. Sensations are always quite subjective things, and if a student does not seem to be responding to one of these vague expressions, it is perhaps the responsibility of the teacher to think of something else that the student does connect with.
