Cathrine Sadolin CVT 2012 Распознанный Текст

C A T H R I N E S A D O L I N
CATHRINE SADOLIN COMPLETE VOCAL TECHNIQUE
COMPLETE
VOCAL
TECHNIQUE
Download included with purchase:

CVT SOUND LIBRARY
416 female & 417 male sound
publishing ApS
examples and exercises (mp3)
Cathrine Sadolin
Complete Vocal Technique
2012 Cathrine Sadolin

CVI Publications Kultorvet Hausergade 3, 5th floor DK-1128 Copenhagen K Denmark
Reproducing the contents of this book in any form is illegal and forbidden by the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988
About this book Complete Vocal Technique on the Internet
Complete Vocal Technique www.completevocaltechnique.com
English version, 3rd edition, issue 1 cg 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com
Design and layout by Henrik Kjelin, copyright all illustrations. Online discussion forum about singing technique
www.completevocalinstitute.com/forum
Dedicated to my collegues at Complete Vocal Institute.
Thanks to Vera Rozsa and Bonna S0ndberg.

Other publications by Cathrine Sadolin
Special thanks to Julian McGlashan, Eddy B0gh Brixen, Finn Agerkvist,
Camilla Bogulski and Kim Chandler.
Videos
Double video 'Roug h, Ready and Able' technique and practice tape.
Educational video in singing techniques . Danish version . Danish
Also thanks to the singers performing the sound examples: Claes
Artist Union 1992.
Wegener, Christina Kurstein Lecocq, Hera Bj0rk Thorhallsdottir, Gisli
Double video 'Rough, Ready and Able' English version . IMP,
Magnason, Julie Lindell, Louise Bruel Flagstad, Marianne Christensen,
International Music Publications Limited 1996
Thierry Boisdon, Elsebeth Nols0e Lund.
Double video 'Rough, Ready and Able' Swedish version . Warner/
Chappell Music Scandinaia AB 1996
Reproducing the contents of this book in any form is illegal and
forbidden by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Books
Book+ CD 'Rough, Ready and Able' Vol. 1, Danish version . IMP,
The methods and information provided in this book have been
Warner bros. publications 1996
carefully considered, tried, and tested . The author believes that
Book+ CD 'Rough, Ready and Able' Vol. 1, English version. IMP,
adhering to the guidance will not cause any harm, although there
Warner bros. publications 1996
can be no guarantee. The author and the publisher cannot undertake
Book+ CD 'Rough, Ready and Able' Vol. 2, Danish version . 1997
responsibility for compensation .
Book + CD 'Rough, Ready and Able' Vol. 2, English version . 1997
Book + Sound library 'Komplet Sangteknik' Danish version, Shout
Publish ing 1998*, 2000*, 2003*, 2006*, 2012
ISBN 978-87-992436-7-9
Book + Sound library 'Complete Vocal technique' English version,
Shout Publishing 2000*, 2008, 2012
Printed in Denmark by Zeuner Grafisk.
Book+ Sound library 'Complete Zangtechniek' Dutch version.
Shout Publishing 2003*, 2006*, 2008, 2009
Book+ Sound library 'Komplett Sangteknik' Swedish version . Shout
Publication and distribution
Publishing 2006*, 2009
CVI Publications ApS
Book+ Sound library 'Komplette Gesangstechnik' German version.
Hausergade 3, 5th floor
Shout Publishing 2009, 2010
1128 Copenhagen K Denmark
Book+ Sound library 'Kokonaisvaltaisen Aanenkayton Tekniikka'
Tel +45 3332 7724
Finish version. Shout Publishing 2009, 2011
Email: cvi @shout.dk
Book + Sound library "Techn ique Vocale Complete" French version .
www.completevocaltechnique.com
Shout Publishing 2010
* CD instead of CVT Sound Library
Music
Classical LP' Recital vol. 4'. Point 1987
New Age CD 'Airdance'. Ph0nix Music 1989
New Age CD 'Songs on Magic'. Musicolour Records 1991
Heavy rock CD 'Ancient Fire'. Musicolour Records 1995
Folk 'n' Funk CD 'Today'. Shout Records 2000
2 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin w w w .completevocalinstitute.com

The informal CVT approach more formal or technical language. Nevertheless, this book
is translated in the uncomplicated, direct and informal lan-
and language guage in which it was originally written .
A main issue in 'Complete Vocal Technique' is to make sing- The decision to keep the language informal and direct is
ers take responsibility for their own development. Sentences therefore a conscious choice which has been carefully con-
like "Trust yourself" and "Respect your own sensations" are sidered and is the consequence of the overall message in the
repeated throughout the book. book. I sincerely hope that this choice will not offend any-
In this respect I think of a teacher being a servant of the sing- body or make the book appear less serious.
er, or an assisting technician, who can assist singers in solving
difficult tasks of a technical or musical nature
To keep this line of the general philosophy behind 'Complete

Vocal Technique' I have decided to keep the language infor-
mal and direct.
Among the many other reasons to use non-complicated, di-

rect and everyday language is to break down possible barri-
ers and minimise the distance between the singer and the
teacher, in order to achieve free communication.
Singing is often emotional and consequently does not re -

quire special academic education. It is important to be un-
derstood by everybody as it is my firm belief that EVERYBODY
can sing. The voice is not a complicated instrument. Singing
technique should be presented in a simple and everyday
manner where possible. This will also leave singers to put all
the effort in understanding the technique instead of strug-
gling with understanding the language.
The fact that the book and the teaching at Compete Vocal
Institute are natural extensions of each other, they conse-
quently have to match in style. On all our courses we aim
to use easy and direct language, (as often used in teaching
sports), to avoid distraction and to make the instruction most
efficient.
In Danish it is common to use informal language in many

kinds of texts and in spoken language as the Danes are of-
ten informal people. I too see myself as an informal person
who likes to address the singers I assist in an informal man-
ner. I realise that the degree of informality varies from cul-
ture to culture, and in some cultures it is common to adopt a
Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com 3

Contents
Volumes and the modes . . . . . . . . . 141
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Vocal Modes Loud volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Updates in relation to previous Introducing the Vocal Modes . . . . . . 81
Medium loud and medium quiet
editions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The metallic sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Using this book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Vocal modes ..... . .. . . . ..... 81
Quiet volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
How to Practise .... ..... . .... . 12 Trouble shooting ..... .. .... .. 83
Advanced exercises in volume ... 146
'Complete Vocal Technique' in four Neutral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Combinations of volume ... . ... 147
pages . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Neutral with air . ....... ... .. 88
Vowels and the modes . . . . . . . . . . 149
Neutral without air . ... . . . .... 88
Choice of vowel in relation to mode 151
Pitch in Neutral. . ... . .... .... 90
The Overall Principles Vowels in Neutral . .. .. .. . . 90
Speech techniques . . . . . . . . . . . 152
The Three Overall Principles . . . . . . . 20 Volumes in Neutral . . .... . ... . 90
Speaking in different modes ..... 152
Breathing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Sound Colours in Neutral . .... .. 90
About speaking in general ...... 155
Inhalation ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Metal-like Neutral .. .. .. . . .... 92
Posture .. ..... ... ...... ... 26 Exercises in Neutral . ... .. ......93
Support . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Curbing .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Sound Colour
Supporting muscles . . ....... .. 28 Finding Curbing .... .. . . . .....97 Introduction to Sound Colour .... 158
Inner support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Pitch in Curbing ... .. . .. ..... 99 Vocal tract .... . . .... . ... ... 158
Feeling support . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Vowels in Curbing ....... . .... 100 The 'Epiglottic Funnel' . . . . . . . . . . 159
Support training .. ... ..... ... .38 Volumes in Curbing ... ...... .. 101 Necessary twang . . . . . . . . . ... 159
Energy ..... . .... . . . . . . . . . .39 Sound Colours in Curbing ....... 101 Distinct twang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Using support . .. .. .. . ... ... 40 Exercises in Curbing . ..... .... 103 Twanging with a lowered larynx .. 160
The Vocal Cords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Overdrive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Exercising distinct twang and
The Throat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. 48 Finding Overdrive . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 necessarytwang ... . ... .. ... 161
Twang . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Pitch in Overdrive . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 The Larynx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Pronunciation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Vowels in Overdrive . .. . .. . . ... 110 Lowering the larynx ... ..... . . 162
Opening the Mouth . . . . . . . . .... 58 Volumes in Overdrive . ....... . 111 Raising the larynx ... ...... ... 163
Completing a Note . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Sound Colours in Overdrive ..... 111 Exercises in raising and lowering
Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .... 61 Exercises in Overdrive . . . . . . . . . 113 The larynx ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. 64 Edge (formerly 'Belting') . . . . . . . . 116 The Tongue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Pitch (Registers) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Finding Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Compressed tongue ...... . ... 166
Flageolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Pitch in Edge . . ..... . .... . . . 121 Broad tongue . .. .. .. . ....... 166
Training the extreme parts of the Vowels in Edge ...... . . . .. . . . 121 Exercises in broadening and
voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Volumes in Edge . ...... . ... .. 122 compressing the tongue ....... 167
Range and Types of Voices ...... .70 Sound Colours in Edge ........ . 123 The shape of the Mouth opening ... 168
Fine-Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Exercises in Edge . ........ . .. 125 Relaxing the corners of the mouth 168
Tone-deafness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Summarising the modes . . . . . . . . 128 Smiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 168
Trouble-Shooting . .. ..... .... .. 76 Using the modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Exercising different shapes of the
Solving unintentional vocal breaks .76 Transitions between modes ..... 131 mouth ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Solving split in the voice ....... .. 79 Pitch and the modes . . . . . . . . . . . 134 The Palate .. .. .. .. ... . .. ... 169
Additional Trouble-Shooting . . . . . 80 Sound colours and the modes ..... 139 Raising the palate .. . ..... .... 169
The modes in classical singing . .. . 140 Lowering the palate ......... . 169
Exercises in raising and lowering
The palate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 169
4 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com

The Nasal Passage. . . . . . . .. . .. . 171 Air added to the voice . . . . . . . . . . 206
Closing the nasal passage ... .. . 171 Finding air added to the voice .... 206
Lists
List of Sound Examples (the 'CVT
Opening the nasal passage . . . . . . 171 Exercises for adding air to the voice 207
Sound Library') . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Exercises in opening and closing Vibrato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Glossary .... . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 253
the nasal passage . . . . . . . . . . .. 172 Hammer vibrato . . . .. ... . .... 209
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
List of sound colours . . .. ..... 173 Laryngeal vibrato . . . . . ... . ... 209
Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Exercising sound colours ... .. .. 174 Using vibrato . ... ..... .. . ... 211
Find a CVT Teacher . . . . . . . ... .. 268
Exercises in vibrato . .. . .... .. . 211
Microphone Technique . . . . . . . . . 175 Too much vibrato ... . .. . ..... 211
Pronunciation and the microphone 175 Techniques for Ornamentation

Microphone spheres ... ..... . . 175 (rapid run of notes) . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Complete Vocal Institute
Info about CVI . ... . .. . ... ... 269
The hammer vibrato method .... 213
'Complete Vocal Technique' research 271
The laryngeal vibrato method .. . . 213
Effects Ecercises in ornamentation
Introduction to Effects ... ... . ... 177
technique ........ . ... . ... . 214
Distortion ... .. . . . . . . . . . .... 179
Creating intentional distortion . ... 179
Finding noise . . .... . . . . . . . .. 181 Vocal problems
Noise added to a mode ....... 183 Hoarseness ... . . ... . ... . .. . 216
Full distortion .... . .. . . . . ... 185 Nodules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 218
Exercises in distortion ..... . ... 185 Too much mucous . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Creak and creaking . . . . . . . . . . .. 187 Prevention and Emergency Aid ... 220
Finding creak .... . .... .... . 188 Programme for Emergency Aid .. . 225
Finding creaking . . . . .. ... ... 188 Warming up . . . . . . . . . . .... ... 228
Exercises in creak .. ... .. ... . . 189
Exercises in creaking ....... ... 189
Rattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 Additional techniques
Exercises in rattle . . . . . ... . ... 191 Hearing your own voice . . . . . . . . . 229
Growl . .... .. ..... .. . ..... 192 Inner hearing . . . . . . . . . . . .... 229
Finding growl . . . . . ... . ..... 192 Outer hearing . . . . . . ... . . . .. 230
Growl added to a mode ...... .. 193 Studio and live techniques . . . . . . 231
Exercises in growl .. . . ........ 194 Acoustic singing .. .. .... ..... 231
Grunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ... 196 Singing in a recording studio ..... 231
Finding grunt . . .... .. . ..... 196 Singing live with amplification . . . 232
Exercises in grunt .. ........ . . 198 Improvisation and phrasing . . . . . . 234

Screams . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ... .. 199 Method for beginning
Finding screams in Neutral . .. . . . 199 improvisation .. .. . .. ....... 234
Finding screams in Curbing ..... 199 Method for advanced

Finding screams in Edge .... . .. . 200 improvisation .. . . ..... . .... 236
Finding screams in several modes .200 Interpretation and Performance .. . 239

Finding screams with effects . ... . 200 Method for working with
Intentional vocal breaks .. . . . .. . 202 expression ... . ...... . .. . ... 240

Finding vocal breaks . . . ...... . 202 Performance . . ........ . . . . . 243
Exercises in vocal breaks ... .. . . 203 Physical exercise . ..... . ..... 245

Introduction
Singing is not difficult meant that many new sounds of the voice could be used and
The voice is not as complicated to use as many people think. that new ideals emerged for what constituted a 'good' sound.
It is an instrument that everybody has and uses every day. Of
course it requires practice to sing professionally, but when Many of the 'new' ways of singing turned out to be just as
you know how the voice works and how to use its natural strenuous and difficult as the 'taught' ways. New style sing-
functions and develop them further, you will be able to learn ers, who became known as singers of 'popular music', had to
most of what is required . learn how to sing healthily by themselves because teaching
in the new singing styles was not available. They could not
The voice usually works perfectly until we hinder it during get help from classical singing techniques as these resulted
childhood with uncontrolled constriction. Singing tech- in a classical sound which they were not interested in. As a
niques are mostly about removing uncontrolled constriction result of this lack of tuition some new singers damaged their
to allow the voice to work freely. This means everyone can voices and their singing styles were labelled as dangerous
sing if they do not hinder their voice production. Therefore and unhealthy - even though many classical singers also had
there is no reason to work with the technical aspects of sing- vocal problems.
ing unless you think you have a specific technical singing
problem . In the 'popular music' camp some singers made a virtue of
necessity and declared that 'true' singers of popular music
should be self-taught, claiming that tuition would remove a
Technique and expression singer's special touch . Both camps nurtured their prejudices
Th is book however is mainly about technique - this is not against each other. A gulf between the classical and the pop-
because I believe technique is the most important aspect ular camps developed which, unfortunately, still exists today
of singing. On the contrary, technique is only the MEANS by to some degree. This gulf is more about taste than of the use
which we express ourselves. I think the most important as- of techniques.
pect is EXPRESSION - to convey a message. What to convey
and how to convey it are artistic choices that every singer has Amongst the 'popular music' singers who lost their voices
to make for her/ himself. This book is about the techniques were those who fell by the wayside in practice rooms and you
required to accomplish the artistic choices you would like to never heard of them. Some lost their voices at the beginning
make. when they started touring or later on in their careers due to
the strain and increased demands on their voice. But there
WERE 'popular' singers whose voices 'lasted ' throughout
The history of singing their careers regardless of how strained they sounded.
In the old days you could not amplify the voice electronically
so singers had to find a way to be heard from a considerable It is therefore from both the techniques from the 'classical'
distance. This led to the development of certain vocal tech- school and the experience of these 'popular' singers that I
niques that gradually became the only right vocal sound to base many of the new singing techniques on today.
be produced. In the Western world this taught sound became
known as the 'classical sound '.
Mythsabout singers
With the invention of the microphone it became possible to There are many myths about performers before the days of
amplify all sounds including those that were previously too recording: 'This was a voice like none other, never to be heard
quiet to be heard from a distance. This brought new 'un- again' and so on. I don't believe th is is true. It is probable that
taught' sounds to the same volume as 'taught' sounds. This it was not the performer's voice that was so special but her/

his technique in producing the voice. We can all accomplish a artistic choices that determine the sound rather than con-
good technique by knowing what and how to practise. vention. I do not wish to judge which sounds should be con-
sidered 'right' and essential to learn. All sounds are equally
Unfortunately, we can only accept the myths about past per- valuable; therefore this book includes tools to perform all the
formers because we have no recordings to prove or disap - sounds in the voice I have ever encountered.
prove them as, of course, their voices died with them. I believe
that all singers can accomplish all sounds. Since recordings
began there has not been a sound that cannot be taught. My own story
I never had a natural talent for singing. In fact, I even had
problems breathing. My first singing lessons were an at-
Myths about singing techniques tempt to overcome breathing problems due to asthma. One
Being able to see what you are doing is an invaluable tool in way or another I had to develop techniques to get the sounds
learning. Unfortunately, singing tuition cannot rely on sight I wanted. The first step was to understand the anatomy and
and that lead to myths about how sound is produced. Thank- physiology of the voice and this enabled me to distinguish
fully, science now provides new knowledge so we know much between myths and truths about the voice. I then experi-
more about the working of the vocal cords today. We are now mented with achieving the sounds in ways other than the
able to watch the vocal cords work and we know more about traditional methods. The only natural talent I had was a love
the anatomy and physiology of voice production. This has for music coupled with the belief that everything is possible
helped to eliminate many of the previous misconceptions and the energy to keep going. That is why I can truly say that
and myths that were based largely on guesswork, many of if I was able to learn and achieve the sounds I wanted then
which contributed to ruined voices and careers. anybody can.
With a better understanding of voice production months of While I was working on my technical problems through the
wasted and harmful training can now be avoided. When teach- years I had always listened to all kinds of music. That was
ers can be specific in their instructions, singers no longer have probably why many singers of popular music began asking
to go through years of training based on vague directions. me to help them achieve certain sounds and overcome vocal
When you can work on a problem directly, it is easier to deter- problems, even though I was trained as and eventually per-
mine whether you are on the right track or not. A technique formed as a classical singer. It seemed to me that they wanted
must have the intended effect immediately otherwise it is not the healthy aspect of the classical technique but without the
being done correctly. Experience also shows us that singers classical sound . I thought that it must be possible to benefit
who perfect these new techniques are able to last on strenu- from the technique without being constrained by the nar-
ous tours which is one of the reasons why the techniques to- row ideals of sound . To do this however, I had to find out how
day have the backing of doctors and speech therapists. sound was produced, and this encouraged me to study many
styles of singing, speech and hearing science, acoustics and
spectral ear training.
My research Singing techniques were always presented with attached

ideals, i.e. regarding sound colours. If you wanted to use the
It is my firm belief that ALL the sounds a singer wishes to technique you had to accept these ideals. I did not want to
make are equally important and must be taken seriously and accept that. I wanted to separate taste and technique in order
be included for research . By removing the restrictive 'ideals to isolate the technique so that singers could combine the
of sounds' from musical styles and by dividing and isolating endless elements to create any sound they were looking for,
all the elements of sound, it becomes the artist's personal without the interference of the specific taste of a particular
technique or teacher.

The birth of Complete Vocal
Methodology
According to traditional Western perception, blues, rock, gos- Technique
pel and also many ethnic singers, for instance in Arabic clas-
sical music, do not sound as a 'healthy singer' should sound. The work developed to such an extend that all sounds the
And yet many of these singers sing more frequently and for human voice can produce could be categorised and organ-
longer than many classical singers in top technical form . In ised into a clear system. In effect, a whole new concept in
addition many hard or heavy rock singers have been predict- singing technique was formed which, contrary to previous
ed as having short-lived careers and have proven their critics techniques and beliefs, could be applied to all styles of music.
wrong. In fact, many of these singers often sing better and
better throughout the years, regardless of how 'damaging' I then experimented with the sounds used in classical sing-
their singing sounds. ing and found that the classical sounds are also produced
by non-metallic, half-metallic and full -metallic modes. This
I have based my research on a wide range of experience of confirmed to me that the vocal modes are the foundation of
singers singing live and in the studio with many different the very structure of the voice and therefore encompass all
sounds other than the classical western style without damag- sounds, all singing techniques, and all musical styles.
ing the voice. I know these singers must have excellent tech-
niques for them to sing for so long and still sound so great. I Further work with the vocal modes made it possible to iden-
started looking for common factors in their singing to search tify their advantages and limitations. When singers appreci-
for an underlying structure to the various sounds. ate the advantages and respect the limitations of the vocal
modes they will gain a better overview of the possibilities of
It became apparent to me that there IS an underlying struc- the voice and will be able to choose freely between the vari-
ture to the various sounds. I tried to understand this by de- ous sounds in addition to avoiding damaging the voice.
constructing as many different sounds as possible from many
different types of music, taking into account the sound, the
vowel, the pitch, and the volume, to see if there was a pat- Ongoing research
tern. Gradually this pattern became more and more evident Music styles progress rapidly partly because of the influence
and I concluded that the sounds could be divided into two of the many and diverse cultures throughout the world and
overall categories. One was harder, rougher and more direct their corresponding singing styles. At the same time, sing-
- I named this 'metallic' sound. I named the other category ing techniques have also undergone major developments, a
'non-metallic'. trend that is unlikely to end in the foreseeable future. The re-
jection of rigid, out-of-date ideals of sound has necessitated
It became apparent that the sounds could be further catego- the development of a more all embracing way of viewing the
rised depending on how 'metallic' the sounds were i.e. 'full- voice. More research into these new singing techniques can
metallic' or 'half-metallic'. In addition there appeared to be be found in this book.
two distinct types of full-metallic voice. This meant that there
were four main categories or vocal 'modes' in total: one non- Generally scientific research is based on pre-existing knowl-
metallic voice quality I called 'Neutral', one half-metallic voice edge and singing technique is no exception. There is no rea-
quality I called 'Curbing', and two full-metallic voice qualities son to reject useful knowledge that has been gleaned over
I called 'Overdrive' and 'Edge' (formerly 'Belting'). Detecting the years, for example from the old Italian masters of classical
the four vocal modes was, however, only half of the process singing, but it has become apparent that additional knowl-
of discovery. The next stage of my research was to demon- edge is necessary to meet new demands.
strate that I and a small group of accomplished singers could
perform all these distinct vocal modes. That said, it must be added that some of the research is so
new that many aspects have yet to be studied. For instance,

certain sections of this book have been revised since the first Educational tools are options - not demands
edition as a result of more experience and new research. Even It is ironic that the growing demand for teaching and the new
if all the techniques have not yet been fully investigated, I possibilities of satisfying this demand runs the risk of demand-
have found that they DO work. The desired sounds can be ing even more from the singers. I do not want to contribute to
obtained without vocal discomfort or the singer becoming the increasing technical pressures on singers. I would there-
hoarse and this is surely a step in the right direction. fore urge singers to regard these new singing techniques as
TOOLS for expressing yourself, not as demands. This book is
intended as a reference text and a guide to techniques which
Theory and practice make it possible to produce various sounds and overcome
Singing tuition has undergone great development since the vocal limitations. Singing technique should not be the main
time when singers were told that 'placing the voice' would issue, nor should any singer believe that ALL the possibilities
take eight years. of the voice have to be perfected to pursue a professional
singing career.
New research has revealed new facts about the instrument,
but we must be wary that this new knowledge does not shift Remember it is the choices of what to do, as well as the choic-
the focus away from practical use and onto theory only. Theo- es of what not to do, that characterises an artist.
ry can be valuable and is needed, but the development must
not stop there. A singer's objective is seldom to be scientifi-
cally educated but to get practical, tangible instructions on Techniques must work instantly
how to solve her/his vocal problems. A specific problem re- With these new techniques singers can get immediate help
quires a specific solution, not a theoretical lecture. Only when in solving technical problems rather than be told to prac-
theory is put into practice can artistic expression be made. tise for years, not knowing if they are on the right track. The
techniques must work instantly otherwise they are not being
done correctly. So it should not be necessary to start all over
Easy to use again every time you seek new teaching or knowledge. I see
The techniques in this book have been developed and tested no point in discarding previous teaching or training in order
in recording studios and on tours. The main purpose of this to obtain new knowledge. Singing is not so difficult; the tech-
material, therefore, is that it must be clear and easily acces- niques work instantly when you are on the right track. There-
sible, and most of all, fast and easy to use. fore, by using these techniques, you only have to correct
the parts of your singing that you wish to improve and you
should still be able to keep the parts you are content with .
Increasing demands
The demands on singers have increased over time. In the Re- Today it is possible to give 'Emergency Aid' to singers. A sin-
naissance (15th century) the range of most songs was about gle hour's work is often enough to enable singers to com-
1.5 octaves. In Mozart's time (18th century) this had increased plete concerts and studio recordings that would otherwise
to twice that amount in extreme cases such as "The Queen of have had to be cancelled due to vocal problems. The fact that
the Night" aria in "The Magic Flute" which required around 3 a large part of our work at CVI consists of giving this Emer-
octaves. Today you often hear singers with even larger rang - gency Aid supports the concept that the techniques work
es. This, together with increasing commercial exploitation of at once. Theory has been transformed into useful, practical
music, means the demands on professional singers are enor- techniques that work instantly in emergency situations.
mous. For record companies to work wholeheartedly with a
singer they must be convinced that s/ he is able to fulfil the I believe it is possible to produce ALL sounds in a healthy
increasing demands and be able to last concert after concert manner.
on strenuous tours.

Updates in relation to the previous editions
The pitch notation system has been changed from Helm- Miscellaneous
holz to scientific pitch notation. That means that Middle C Constriction that impairs the voice has been replaced with
(formerly called Cl) is now called C4 etc. uncontrolled constriction .
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) have been add- The names for the various 'attacks' are replaced with the
ed to the vowels. names of the vocal modes.
It is not possible to feel a vocal mode, but you can hear it.
Neutral is obtainable for women only above High C (C6).
New chapters The volume charts have been divided into 4 main volumes:
An extra section on "Diphthongs" has been added . loud, medium loud, medium quiet, quiet.
An extra chapter on "Flageolet" with a new illustration has In the low, middle and high part of the voice, medium vol-
been added. ume is obtainable in Neutral, Curbing, Overdrive and Edge.
An extra chapter on "Metal-like Neutral " has been added. In the very high part of the voice, medium volume is ob-
tainable for men in Curbing and Edge.
In Curbing you can only use the vowels 'I ' (as in 'sit'), 'O' (as
Expanded Chapters since the last edition in 'woman') and 'UH' (as in 'hungry'). In Overdrive you can
The chapter on "Inner support" has been expanded . only use the vowels 'EH' (as in 'stay') and 'OH' (as in 'so'). In
The section "Use the precise vowels" has been expanded. Edge you can only use the vowels 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'EH ' (as in
The section on "Main vowels and satellite vowels" has been 'stay'), 'A' (as in 'and ') and 'OE' (as in 'herb'). It might seem
expanded. like all vowels can be used in the metallic modes in the low
The chapter on "Volume and modes" has been expanded. part of the voice because the vocal modes resemble each
The Chapter "The Epiglottic Funnel " has been expanded other here, but if you want to obtain the centre of the me-
with more tips on how to find distinct twang . tallic vocal modes you need to use the correct vowels .
The Chapter "Larynx" has been expanded with more tips The section "Speaking in Curbing" has been clarified .
on how to lower and raise the larynx. Tremolo is replaced with 'involuntary vibrato'.
The Chapter "Tongue" has been expanded with more tips
on how to compress and broaden the tongue.
The Chapter "The shape of the Mouth opening" has been
expanded with more tips on how to rela x the corners of the
mouth and smile.
The Chapter "Palate" has been expanded with more tips on
how to raise and lower the palate.
The Chapter "The Nasal Passage" has been expanded with
more tips on how to close the nasal passage.
The section "Various levels of the vocal tract" has been ex-
panded with Levels 4, 5 and 6 added.
All the effect chapters have been expanded with a descrip-
tion of vocal tract levels where the effect is produced.
The chapter "Creaks and Creaking" has been expanded.
The chapter "Rattle" has been clarified and divided into 4
different types of rattles.
10 Compl et e Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin ww w.compl etevocalinstitute.com

Using this book
Different learning angles distinguish between good and bad advice, and myths about
Everyone learns differently. Some singers have to understand 'correct' technique. I urge everybody to study the anatomy
the theoretical explanation of a problem in order to solve it, and physiology of the voice and with common sense find the
some physically feel their way through, while others work by technique that feels the best.
means of sound, for example by hearing, recognising, and
copying the sound . Some learn by looking at graphic illustra-
tions, and others find the solution to their problems through Locate the main problem
inner images and sensations. When you are learning it is often difficult to decide what is
the most important thing to concentrate on and what is less
To cater for all these learning methods each chapter of this important. To assist you in this I have outlined the techniques
book will contain: presented in this book in the chapter "Complete Vocal Tech -
nique in four pages" (on page 15). This provides you with an
Anatomical and physiological explanations overview before you go into detail.
Physical instructions
Sound examples ('4>) 5 =sound example 5) Even though each topic is thoroughly described in this book,
1 llustrations this does not mean that every subject is equally important
Examples of inner images and sensations for all singers. Singers are different so certain passages will be
relevant to some but not to others.
No one method is more important or preferable to another. As in all teaching the most important thing is to focus on the
The anatomical and physiological explanations are included main problem instead of being distracted by all the minor
because some singers will find them valuable. Others, how- details you meet on the way. If you can identify and solve the
ever, may find it of little use and potentially distracting. The main problem many other problems will be resolved at the
techniques in this book do not necessarily require that you same time. It is easier, and more efficient, to concentrate on
have to understand and sense your anatomy or physiology. one problem at a time instead of many. I suggest that once
It is important not to be overwhelmed by these explanations. you have an overview of the techniques in this book, you
The different methods are presented as a range of possibili- should work your way through the relevant sections, para-
ties. It is up to each individual to choose the method they find graph by paragraph, in the search of your main problem.
most accessible and from which they can achieve the best
results. It might, however, be practical to read all the differ-
ent types of explanations, partly because it may help to see Take responsibility for yourself
things from a different perspective, and partly because one It is important that singers themselves take responsibility
explanation often complements another. for their own development instead of being dependent on a
teacher. Even the best teacher in the world cannot teach you
anything unless you yourself pick up the teaching and work
Know the anatomy of the body with it. In the end it is you who has to decide which parts of
I recommend that singers should be as aware as possible of the teaching you can use, which parts you cannot make work
what is happening in the body during singing. Therefore I try and what you do not care about.
to use the correct anatomical terminology throughout this
book. Once you know the anatomy and physiology of the It is not difficult to work out if you are on the right track when
voice and are aware of how to use it the technique is easier you practise. A correct technique should result in continuous
to understand and consequently it is easier to do something improvements in your singing. There is no reason to take les-
about your vocal problems. For instance, it will help you to sons for years if you do not think the instructions are making
singing any easier or are bringing you closer to your goals.
Complete Vocal Techniqu e 2012 Cathrine Sadol in www.completevocalinstitute.com 11

How to practise
Trust your taste, powers of judgment and senses . Experi-
menting brings renewal; individuality is also important. Feel, Ahealthy voice
listen, and choose. Test the technique and practise until you The first thing a singer must learn is not to lose the voice.
have learned what you want to be able to do. Determine Once you lose your voice you have to stop working until it
whether you are getting the sound you want. If not, what is returns. Furthermore, it is difficult to experiment if you are
missing? Try to find it through your own intuition and taste. hoarse as the voice does not respond as it normally would. It
Why should you use a sound you do not like? Nobody but takes a skilled singer to avoid compensating once the voice
you can create YOUR career, and maybe your career is based is strained. As long as the voice is in good condition, you can
on being different and sounding like no one else. Always be practise and experiment your way until you achieve your
your own judge and decide whether you are getting closer goals.
to your goals.
In my opinion the taste of the teacher is unimportant. To me Muscle memory

the teacher's task is purely to help singers achieve her/his de- If you sing something over and over again your brain will re-
sired way of singing in a healthy manner, for example by hear- member the action. This is called building up your 'muscle
ing possible uncontrolled constriction and making sugges- memory'. This means that the muscles get used to respond-
tions about how the singer can remove it. The teacher could ing in a certain way and will learn to function automatically
also make suggestions about alternative sound possibilities, in the future. It is important, therefore, to establish healthy
but it is the singer who should make the artistic choices. routines as this will really help your 'muscle memory'.
When you practise, it is important to concentrate and avoid

Change of pitch notation system making too many errors. It is generally better to do easy exer-
We have changed the pitch notation system from Helmholz cises without mistakes than difficult exercises with mistakes.
to scientific pitch notation; partly to orientate us towards the If you fail with the same exercise three times in a row, it is too
world outside Europe where scientific pitch notation is used difficult and you are in danger of creating uncontrolled con-
to a much larger degree than Helmholz, and partly to keep up striction if you continue. Uncontrolled constriction happens
with the times because scientific pitch notation is used in all when some of the muscles in the throat work too hard or
major computer programmes . tighten up at the wrong time. It stops the voice from working
well, freely and easily. You must make the exercise easier in
Scientific pitch notation names notes by combining a letter order to accomplish the vocal task. Become familiar with the
name and a number identifying the pitch's octave. The defini- correct 'feeling' and work healthy routines into your 'muscle
tion of scientific pitch notation is where CO is around the low- memory'. Eventually the voice will know only these healthy
est possible audible frequency (at 16 Hz). The octave number routines and you will not have to spend much time on techni-
increases by 1 upon the ascension from B to C. "A4" refers to cal difficulties.
the first A above Middle C, namely 440 Hz. That means that
Middle C, formerly called Cl, is now called C4.
Trust yourself
An important rule that cannot be stressed enough is that
singing must never hurt or feel uncomfortable. If something
does not sound right, if something feels wrong, or if it feels
uncomfortable, your voice is telling you that you are doing
something wrong. Always trust your feelings - they are better
and more direct than even the best teacher's ear.

Singing must always feel comfortable tackle the problems in a song and its real problems. Every
The technique must have the intended effect immediately time you come across a technical problem return to a simple
otherwise the training is not being done correctly. exercise and concentrate on solving this technical problem .
If an exercise hurts or feels uncomfortable or wrong, then it Once you have figured out HOW to solve the problem trans-
IS wrong. You are the only one who knows how it feels, so fer the technique to the song.
trust your judgement.
Always practise as close to a real-life situation as possible. If you at a later point get tired of practising the major scales
For instance, musicians who sit when they sing should also and you want inspiration to develop your phrasings or im-
practise while sitting. provisations, you can practise other scales such as the minor
scales, pentatonic scales or blues scale (see 'Improvisation
and phrasing' on page 234).
Exercises must be simple
Many singers ask for specific exercises to solve specific prob-
lems. I do not think that exercises alone are important, but Changing the key of the exercises
THE WAY you work with them is. All your concentration When you have perfected the exercises in one key then prac-
must be focused on exactly HOW you work with the voice tise them in other keys in order for you to perfect the same
during the exercise. The final result should be that you are exercise at all pitches. This is called 'transposing' the exercise
able to sing all combinations of notes and intervals without and will give you a good idea of the factors you should take
hindrance. into account when singing in different keys.
As all your attention must be placed on achieving the correct

singing technique, I suggest that the exercises should be as Personalised training programme
simple as possible. That way you can concentrate on the work Put together your own training programme to practise those
of the body. I think it takes too much concentration to man- techniques that you think you need to work on. You can con-
age a complicated exercise while, at the same time, trying tinuously vary your training programme according to your
to solve technical problems. That is why the exercises in this technical problems, what you need, and how much time you
book are simple, each one of them dealing with one technical have.
problem at a time.
The exercises in this book can be replaced by other exercises How long should I practise
as the melodic sequences in themselves are of little impor- There are many myths about how long a singer should prac-
tance. The WAY in which you work with the exercises, how- tise. As with all things in singing it depends on the individual.
ever, is important. So if you wish to use other exercises, please A singer must judge how long s/he can concentrate and on
feel free to do so. how long s/he has the energy and the strength to practise. It
is important to be familiar with your own limits and not prac-
tise more than you can manage. Training without concentra-
Songs instead of complicated exercises tion or strength can do more harm than good. In such cases
When you are able to perform simple exercises with the cor- you may train using the wrong techniques which could then
rect technique, you will have a solid foundation with which take a long time to undo. In other words it is better not to
to approach the problems in songs. I see no point in work- practise than continue with a poorly performed exercise.
ing through difficult and complicated rhythmic and melodic
sequences in order to train your voice. Instead, you should

Practise with other singers The vowels (capital letters) used in this book are as
Practise with other singers for mutual support and encour- follows:
agement. It is more fun and several ears often hear better
than yours alone. It is usually easier to hear the mistakes of 'EE' is pronounced as in 'see' '4>) 8 [i]
other singers than your own. So practise together, help each
other and have fun . Again, always trust yourself and do not 'I' is pronounced as in 'sit' '4>) 9 [r]
confuse taste with technique. Only you can make your artistic
choices and decide what sound you wish to create. 'EH' is pronounced as in 'stay' '4>) 10 []
'A' is pronounced as in 'and' '4>) 11 [al]

Use exact vowels
It is very important to make sure that the pronunciation of '00' is pronounced as in 'you' '4>) 12 [u]
the vowels sounds is done 100% correctly. Being able to rec-
ognise the exact vowel sound is equally important in order 'O' is pronounced as in 'woman' '4>) 13 [o]
for the technique to work in the right way as these exact
vowel sounds are often a necessary condition for obtaining 'OH' is pronounced as in beginning of 'so' '4>) 14 [ou]
certain vocal modes.
'AH' is pronounced as in 'far' '4>) 15 [a:]
If you make the wrong vowel sound you might risk not being
able to perform certain modes, pitches and sound colours. 'OE' is pronounced as in 'herb' '4>) 16 [3r]
Therefore, it is very important that you take time to under-
stand exactly which vowel sound is called for before you start 'UH ' is pronounced as in 'hungry' '4>) 17 [o]
the exercise.
Different languages and dialects can trick you into using a 'OR' is pronounced as in 'order' '4>) 18 [:::i:]
different vowel sound than the one that must be used. This
is why, in the beginning, you must spend time familiarising The signs in square brackets after the vowels are a stand-
yourself with the exact vowel sounds by listening and imitat- ardised way of writing down the pronunciation called 'The
ing the examples on the CVT Sound Library. International Phonetic Alphabet' or 'IPA'. It is an alphabetical
system of phonetic notation and a standardised representa-
Also see the chart on the Overview of the modes page 265. tion of the sounds of spoken language.
Train each vowel individually. Listen to the exact vowel sound

in the CVT Sound Library. Do not mind if the vowels in the
CVT Sound Library doesn't sound exactly as the vowels in
your language or dialect. The vowels in the CVT sound library
is made for all languages, taking its starting point in English,
so the CVT sound library might have other vowels or slightly
different vowels compared to the vowels in your language or
dialect. If there is difference between the vowel sound in your
language and the vowel sound in the CVT Sound Library, use
the vowel sound from the CVT Sound Library.

Complete Vocal Technique in four pages
Singing is not that difficult and everybody can learn to sing. I The muscles in the loin try to pull the pelvis backwards, while
have divided the singing techniques into four main subjects the muscles in the abdomen try to pull the pelvis up under
as listed below. By combining elements of these four subjects your body. This battle created between the abdominal mus-
you can produce precisely the sounds you want. You will also cles and the muscles in the loin is a valuable and important
be able to pinpoint your specific problems and mistakes, and part of support. However, the support must happen in a sus-
you can focus on which techniques you wish to work on. tained and continuous manner as though working against a
resistance for as long as a sound is being produced. When
Here I have condensed 'Complete Vocal Technique' into four the muscle contractions stop being sustained and continu-
pages. You can return to these pages at any time to give your- ous, for instance if you cannot pull the abdomen around the
self an overview of the contents of this book. navel inwards any further or push the muscles of the waist
or solar plexus outwards any further, then there is usually no
more support. It is important to conserve your support ener-
gy so you do not waste it or use
The four main subjects are: it at the wrong point in time.
The three overall principles - to ensure healthy sound Do not use support before it is
production. necessary. Save it for when the
The four vocal modes - to choose the 'gear' you want to singing gets difficult, such as
sing in. on high notes or at the end of a
Sound colours - to make the sound lighter or darker. phrase. Support is hard physical
Effects - to achieve specific sound effects. work so you should be in good
physical condition.
The three overall principles 2. Necessary Twang

The area above the vocal cords forms a funnel, this is called
The three overall principles are the most fundamental and the 'epiglottic funnel '. When twanging, the opening of the
important to perfect. They make it possible to reach all the epiglottic funnel is made smaller by bringing the arytenoid
high and low notes within the range of the individual singer, cartilages closer to the lower part of epiglottis (the petiole).
to sing long phrases, to have a clear and powerful voice and As a result the sound gets clearer and non-breathy, and you
to avoid hoarseness. can increase your volume. You always need to use neces-
sary twang in order to have correct technique and achieve
The three overall principles must be obeyed regardless of easy and unhindered use of the voice regardless of the mode,
mode, sound colour, and effect. They are:
1. Support
This means working against the natural urge of the dia-
phragm to release the air that has been inhaled. This is
achieved by resisting its movement. During singing, the waist
muscles and solar plexus are pushed outwards whilst the ab-
domen around the navel is gradually pulled in in a constant
and sustained manner and the back muscles are tightened .

sound colour and effect used . Necessary twang makes it easi- use their advantages and to respect their limitations. It is also
er to sing in all ways. For many this necessary twang does not important to be able to change freely between the modes in
sound twanged at all . order to make the most of their advantages. You can change
smoothly or make abrupt changes to achieve vocal breaks.
Each of the four vocal modes should be trained individually
3. Avoid protruding the jaw and tightening the lips and in different ways. Remember to obey the three overall
Avoid protruding the jaw and tightening the lips as it often principles regardless of the mode.
produces uncontrolled constriction around the vocal cords.
Achieve a loose jaw by bending your head back and placing
a finger between the upper and lower jaw. Keep this position
of the jaw as you sing. The lower jaw should be pulled back- Neutral 8
wards relative to the upper jaw. Be sure to open the mouth Neutral is the only non-metallic mode. There is no 'metal ' in
wider on high and low notes than on notes in the middle part the sound . The character is often soft, like singing a lullaby.
of the voice. Neutral is the only mode where you can sing using a breathy
quality voice without causing damage. The two extremes of
Whilst avoiding t ightening the lips, it is also important to Neutral are called 'Neutral with air' ~>) 55 and 'Neutral with-
form vowels with the tongue without altering the shape of out air ' ~>) 56. For the sake of clarity, both extremes are some-
the mouth too much. Consonants on the other hand are usu- times shown individually. Neutral is found by establishing a
ally produced by narrowing the vocal tract and by tension in loose jaw.
the lips, but as you do not stay on them for very long in sing-
ing they do not impair singing . It is important to be able to In popular music Neutral with air is used for quiet passages
release the tension immediately going from consonants to when a breathy sound is wanted . In classical music Neutral
vowels. with air is only used as a rare effect. In everyday life Neutral
with air is used when you speak in a breathy voice or whisper.
Neutral without air is often used in popular music when you

want a sound without metal and yet be clear and non-breathy.
In classical music Neutral without air is used by both men and
women when singing quietly, i.e. in pianissimo and 'thinning'
(the volume of the note is gradually decreased without the
note losing its quality). Women use Neutral without air in
classical music when they sing in the high part of their voice,
regardless of volume. In everyday life Neutral without air is
used when you speak quietly with no breathiness.
Four vocal modes
All parts of the voice, all vowels and all sound colours can be
The use of the voice can be divided into four vocal modes: used in Neutral by both men and women . Generally, Neutral
Neutral, Curbing, Overdrive and Edge (formerly 'Belting'). The is a mode with a quiet volume from very quiet (pp) to medium
modes differ by having different amounts of metallic char- loud (mf). Very powerful volumes (ff) can only be obtained in
acter. Most singing problems occur because of incorrect use Neutral without air in the high part of the voice. In the West,
of the modes. Each mode has a certain character, as well as Neutral is the most commonly taught mode in singing tuition
advantages and limitations. To avoid mistakes and technical (for women), and is often used in church and school choirs
problems it is important to know and control the modes, to (see 'Neutral' on page 87).

Curbing ~
~>) 72. Curbing is the only half-metallic mode. There is a slight Overdrive is the most limited mode in terms of pitch, espe-
'metal' on the notes. Curbing is the mildest of the metallic cially for women . The upper limit for women is DS/EbS and
modes. It sounds slightly plaintive or restrained, like when for men is CS. There is no lower limit. All vowels can be used in
you moan because of a stomach ache. Curbing can be found the low part of the voice, but in the high part of the voice you
by establishing a 'hold'. can only use 'EH' (as in 'stay') and 'OH' (as in 'so'). The sound
colour can, however, be altered to some extent. Although the
Curbing is used in popular music when the volume is around volume in Overdrive is mostly loud, relatively quiet volumes
medium and when a certain amount of metal is wanted on can be obtained in the lower part of the voice. The higher
the notes such as in soft soul or R 'n B. Curbing is used in clas- the notes, the more distinct the loud, shouting character be-
sical music by men when singing medium volume (mf) in comes (see 'Overdrive' on page 106).
their entire range and when women singing loud (f) in the
middle part of the voice and sometimes in the low part of the
voice. Curbing is used in everyday life when you wail, moan,
or whine. Edge o_
~>) 120. Edge (formerly 'Belting') is the other full-metallic
Men and women use Curbing through all the various parts mode. There is a great amount of metal in the notes. The
of the voice. The sound colour can be altered quite a lot. All character of Edge is light, aggressive, sharp, and screaming,
vowels can be used. However, in the high part of the voice, like when you imitate a diving airplane. Edge can be found
the vowels have to be directed towards 'O' (as in 'woman'), by twanging the epiglottic funnel (e.g. sounding like a duck).
'UH' (as in 'hungry'), and 'I' (as in 'sit') to stay in the mode. The
volume in Curbing stays more or less in medium compared Edge is used in popular music in some styles, and mostly in
to the other modes, ranging from medium quiet (mp) to me- the high part of the voice when the volume needs to be very
dium loud (mf). It is not possible to sing very quietly and very loud and with a great amount of metal on the notes, such
loudly in this mode (see 'Curbing' on page 96). as in heavy rock and gospel music. Edge is used in classical
music when men sing very loudly (ff) often in the high part
of the voice such as the high C of a tenor. Women do not use
Edge in classical music. Edge is used in everyday life when
Overdrive cxJ you scream.
~>) 97. Overdrive is one of two full-metallic modes. There is
a great amount of metal in the notes. The character of Over- Both men and women can use Edge in all parts of the voice.
drive is often direct and loud, like when you shout 'hey' at Only twanged vowels can be used as the twanged epiglottic
somebody in the street. Overdrive can be found in the begin- funnel is a condition of Edge. This means that in the high part
ning by establishing a 'bite'. It is usually used when speaking of the voice you can only use 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'A' (as in 'and'), 'EH'
or singing loudly in the low part and middle part of the voice. (as in 'stay'), and 'OE' (as in 'herb'). The sound colour can only
be altered a little. In the high part of the voice you must not
Overdrive is used in popular music when the volume is loud alter the light and sharp sound colour. The volume in Edge
and when a great amount of metal is wanted on the notes, stays mostly loud. The higher the notes, the more distinct the
such as in rock music. In classical music it is used by men screaming character becomes (see 'Edge' on page 116).
when they sing medium loud to very loud (f-ff), and women
use Overdrive in classical singing only in the low part of the
voice if at all. Overdrive is used in everyday life, for example
when shouting.

Sound colour Effects
All modes can be lightened or darkened, though some more These are sounds which are not connected to melody or
than others. The sound colour is created in the vocal tract, text but are sounds that underline the expression or style
which is the space above the vocal cords extending to the lips of a singer. Many effects are produced in the vocal tract. All
and including the nasal passages. The form and size of the vo- singers are different. Consequently, every effect must be spe-
cal tract is of great importance to the sound colour. All sing- cifically designed to each singer, taking into account their
ers have different vocal tracts so all singers have their own anatomy, physiology, fitness, energy level, and temperament.
personal sound colou r. If the vocal tract is large, the sound
colour will be darker with more 'body' to it. If it is small, the Before you start working with effects it is important that you
sound will be lighter and thinner. The shape of the vocal tract can control the three overall principles, the chosen mode,
can be altered in many directions so there are many ways of and the sound colour.
changing the sound colour of your voice.
Effects might be:
Remember to obey the three overall principles and to be in Distortion '4>) 222
control of the chosen mode before changing sound colour. Creak '4>) 234 and creaking '4>) 240
Rattle '4>) 245
Growl '4>) 252
Soft palate
Grunt '4>) 270
Screams '4>) 276 '4>) 277 '4>) 278
Nasal passage
Intentional vocal breaks '4>) 284
Air added to the voice ~>) 67
Lips Vocal tract (red)
Vibrato '4>) 295 '4>) 296
Ornamentation technique (rapid runs of notes) '4>) 316
Trust yourself
Some of the main rules that cannot be repeated too often
You can change the shape of the vocal tract by changing are:
the: Singing must always feel comfortable.
shape of the epiglottic funnel '4>) 163 '4>) 164 The technique must have the intended effect right away
position of the larynx '4>) 165 '4>) 166 otherwise you are not working with it correctly.
shape of the tongue '4>) 167 '4>) 168 If an exercise hurts, feels uncomfortable or feels wrong, it
shape of the mouth '4>) 169 '4>) 170 IS wrong. Only you know how it feels so trust your feelings.
position of the soft palate '4>) 171 '4>) 172
opening or closing of the nasal passages '4>) 173 '4>) 174
Each of these factors can and should be trained individually

in order to get to know each factor's influence on the sound
colour. Once you can control each factor individually they
can be combined in different ways to achieve different sound
colours.
18 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocal institute.com

support
necessary twang
Avoid protruding the jaw
and tightening the lips
~
CHOOSE VOCAL MODE
e
NEUTRAL
~
CURBING
o:::J
OVERDRIVE
a.
EDGE
~
CHOOSE SOUND COLOUR
'.
',
):,-.
LIGHT
~.
. ltl
~
perhaps CHOOSE EFFECT
distortion screams
creak and creaking vocal breaks
rattle air added to the voice
growl vibrato
grunt techniques for ornamentation
Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevoca linstitute.com 19

The Three Overall Principles
To ensure healthy voice production always remember the Advantages
three overall principles: There are many advantages in following these three overall
Support principles including:
Necessary twang Longer notes
Avoid protruding the jaw and tightening the lips Even production of sound
Larger range of voice
Support No hoarseness or wear and tear
'Support' means working against the natural urge of the dia- Greater volume
phragm to release the air. This is achieved through an interac- Control of vibrato
tion of three muscle groups: the abdomen, the loin, and the Control of intonation
back.
Feel that the bulge at the solar plexus is expanded, the abdo- In the following chapters I will go through all aspects of the
men around the navel is pulled in and the muscles of the back three overall principles.
are contracted . A battle takes place between the loin mus-
cles that try to curve the back and the abdominal muscles
that try to straighten the back. The interplay between these And remember
three muscle groups should happen in a sustained, gradual, Singing must always feel comfortable.
continuous movement as though working against resistance The technique must have the intended effect right away,
for as long as the sound is produced . otherwise you are working incorrectly.
If an exercise hurts, is uncomfortable or feels wrong then it
IS wrong. Only you know how it feels so trust your feelings .
Necessary Twang
When twanging, the opening of the epiglottic funnel is made
smaller by bringing the arytenoid cartilages closer to the
lower part of epiglottis (the petiole) whereby the sound gets
clearer and non-breathy, and you can increase the volume.
You always need necessary twang on the notes in order to
achieve easy and unhindered use of the voice, regardless of
the mode, sound colour and effect used. Necessary twang
makes it easier to sing in all ways. For many this necessary
twang does not sound twanged at all.
Avoid protruding the jaw and tightening the lips

Protruding the jaw and tightening the lips often cause un-
controlled constriction around the vocal cords. Keep the low-
er jaw inwards in relation to the upper jaw. Avoid tightening
the lips on high notes.
You must distinguish between activity and tension. Avoid

tension, not activity.

Breathing
The techniques in this chapter apply to both singers and Anatomy
wind instrument players. The lungs are situated in the chest (thorax) and below the
lungs is the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a large muscle
We take about twelve breaths per minute and, for most peo- shaped like an open parachute at the bottom of the chest.
ple, the process is unconscious. However, a singer has to be The diaphragm is attached to the breast bone, the lower six
aware of how the breathing works. To understand the pro- ribs and the lower spine. It separates the upper part of the
cess of breathing (respiration) you have to know the anatomy body into a kind of upper and lower 'floor' where the upper
of the parts of the body involved. floor is the chest containing the lungs and the lower floor is
the abdominal cavity containing the digestive organs . The
diaphragm is penetrated by the gullet (oesophagus) which is
the 'pipe' that carries food and drink from the mouth to the
stomach.
The lung on the left is shown in cross section so

you can see the bronchia l tubes . The diaphragm
(red) is positioned below the lungs. The larynx is
positioned on top of the windpipe .
Larynx
Bronchial tubes
Lung

When the diaphragm is lowered a partial vacuum is created in the lungs
and air is sucked in .
The very first breath Conscious vs. unconscious process

An unborn baby does not breathe but still needs oxygen. Following the first breath the diaphragm contracts again,
When the mother breathes oxygen is delivered into her sucking in air and so on. Breathing (respiration) has begun
blood via her lungs and is transferred to the baby through and will work, hopefully without problems, for the rest of our
the umbilical cord . At birth, the baby must breathe on her/ lives. The diaphragm works like a piston, managing our inha-
his own. Before birth the baby's diaphragm is usually in a relation and exhalation without our being aware of it. It works
laxed state, like an open parachute. The principle of any mus- at its own rhythm . A singer however, has to intervene in this
cle is that when it acts it shortens in length (i.e. a contraction unconscious process, which is often difficult because breath-
of the muscle). So when the child takes the first breath the ing has been minding its own business for so many years.
diaphragm tightens, changing from the relaxed, 'open par-
achute' position into a more flattened position . In effect, it
lowers itself and the chest cavity increases in size. Diaphragm, ribs and abdomen
The outer edge of the diaphragm is attached all the way
Because the lungs are attached to the diaphragm, it stretches around to the lower part of the rib cage. At the front it attach-
and opens up the lungs when the diaphragm is tightening es to the breastbone (sternum) and around the sides to the
and lowering, thereby creating a negative pressure (partial lower ribs, and at the back it attaches downwards via power-
vacuum) within the chest cavity which causes the child to in- ful muscle fibres to the lower lumbar spine. The middle of the
hale. The air is then sucked in through the mouth, through diaphragm consists of a tendon plate to which muscle fibres
the larynx, passing the vocal cords, down the windpipe (tra- are attached. These muscle fibres have an inward direction so
chea) through the branches of the delicate bronchial tubes, when the muscles contract, the diaphragm lowers and moves
and then continues all the way into the tissue of the lungs like a piston downwards and a bit forwards.
allowing the blood to be oxygenated. Once the diaphragm
has been tightened for a certain amount of time the muscle There is also contraction of some small muscles between the
relaxes again and returns to its initial, 'parachute' position in ribs (the external intercostal muscles) which effectively move
the chest cavity. This way the breath of air is released from the the ribs outwards increasing the circumference of the rib
body and this completes the first breath. cage and causing the chest to expand. In the front, the lowest

ribs consist of cartilage and they are attached to each other in Inhalation
a sort of spring system, allowing the chest to expand . At the
back however, the ribs are made of bone and attach directly It is important to practise as quick and efficient an inhalation
onto the rigid spine. The net effect is that the expansion of as possible. When you sing there is rarely time to breathe
the diaphragm is greatest at the front and sides and minimal through your nose so there is no point in practising it. There
at the back. The diaphragm moves a couple of centimetres is also no point in adding sound to inhalation as it usually
during normal breathing and about 10 - 12 centimetres dur- should be as quiet as possible. You must breathe calmly and
ing heavy breathing. When the diaphragm contracts it also unhindered through your mouth without pouting the lips.
pushes down on the contents of the abdomen and the diges-
tive organs. This forces the abdomen to bulge a little, often
making singers believe they breathe with the abdomen.
When the chest raises
Some people raise the upper part of the chest during inhala-
tion. The inhaled air fills the upper part (apex) of the lungs.
Unlike the lower ribs, the upper ribs are smaller and cannot
move very much and hence the lungs have very little room to
Ribs Breastbone
expand. This type of inhalation is unpleasant for most people
as it feels tight. It is often difficult to maintain and can create
uncontrolled constriction in the throat, making the voice feel
tight. However, there are some singers who do not experi-
Cartilage ence discomfort with this type of inhalation.
Spine
The diaphragm is attached to the spine , the lowest set of ribs, and the
breastbone.
Finding the best breathing

During singing or speaking you should hold back the air so
all of it does not escape at once. If all the air were to leave the
lungs at once it would interfere with the work of the vocal
cords. It is essential that the retaining of air is as comfortable
as possible. There are numerous ways of sensing your breath-
ing and many opinions on which sensation is the best and
how 'correct breathing' should feel. I suggest you investigate
which feels most comfortable for you and which one controls Exha lation Inhalation that raises the upper
the air the easiest. part of the chest. This might feel
unpleasant and tight.

Place your hand on your upper chest. Exhale and inhale, letting only the abdo-
Take in as much air as possible, filling the men around the navel expand. Neither
top of the lungs and feel how your hand the upper ribs in the chest nor the lower
is lifted. Hold your breath and note the ribs at the sides move outwards. Hold
sensation of inhaling as the chest rises. your breath and notice the sensation of
inhaling causing the abdomen to bulge.
When the abdomen bulges

Many people talk about 'breathing with your abdomen' but Expansion around the diaphragm
this cannot be as there are no lungs in the abdomen . It might For most people it feels more natural to expand around the
look that way, when the abdomen bulges out during inhala- diaphragm area during inhalation. The diaphragm is con-
tion, but what we actually see is the diaphragm pushing the tracted and the lowest ribs move outwards causing a bulge
abdominal contents down and outwards, creating the bulge. at the solar plexus. The abdomen around the navel also ex-
The abdomen expands quite a lot while the chest and ribs pands slightly. After inhalation the diaphragm relaxes and
move very little. The diaphragm expands mostly downwards, releases the air. The lowest ribs return to their initial posi-
putting pressure on the digestive organs. There is no point in tion, the bulge at solar plexus disappears, and the abdomen
overdoing this pressure as it does not improve breathing and around the navel flattens again.
it does not make you sing any better. It is usually strenuous
and uncomfortable to keep the diaphragm in this position Place one hand on the ribs at the side
and requires a lot of energy to keep the abdomen expanded at the lower end of the chest and the
in this way. This kind of pressure often triggers uncontrolled other hand on the solar plexus. Breathe
constriction around the vocal cords and it is not a particularly calmly and unhindered through your
pretty sight either. mouth and do not pout etc. The lowest
ribs expand and a bulge emerges at the
solar plexus. This bulge is a sign that the
diaphragm has tightened. You can also
feel how the abdomen automatically ex-
pands slightly. Let the abdomen around
the navel work by itself, it must neither be helped nor hin-
dered. The upper part of the chest must not be raised . Hold
your breath and notice the sensation . Relax and exhale and
feel how the bulge at the solar plexus disappears at the same
time as the air escapes. This type of inhalation should feel
comfortable, is usually easy to do, and makes it easy to hold
back your breath.
Exercise for expanding the diaphragm

Place your hands on the sides of the ribs at the lower end of
Exhalation
the chest. Exhale for a long time, heavily and unhindered, and
Inhalation that causes the abdomen
to bulge . The diaphragm pushes at the same time PUSH the ribs in with your hands. Release the
down on the intestines creating a pressure on the ribs while taking in air so that the lowest ribs
bulge.

Solar Plexus
Inhalation that expands around the
The diaphragm is tightened , pushing out the lowest ribs to expand the lower chest and cause a bulge at the front at the solar plexus
and the bulge at the solar plexus expand as much as possible tension and feel the expansion at the ribs and the abdomen.
WITHOUT raising the upper part of the chest. The inhalation When th is ha s become a natural reflex you no longer have to
must be calm . Let the ribs push your hands outwards and feel concentrate on the abdomen during inhalation.
how the bulge at the solar plexus is pushed outwards as well.
Practise this expansion until it becomes natural.
Do not take in too much air
Even though you are expanding around the diaphragm dur-
Avoid keeping the abdomen tight ing inhalation you may harm a good inhalation by continuing
If a singer tends to tighten her/ his abdominal muscles on in- an inhalation too long until it raises the chest. If too much air
haling, an exercise in making the abdomen expand can be is inhaled by filling the lungs to capacity, unwanted tension
useful. Some singers obstruct their breathing by holding the w ill be created when you raise the chest (see page 23). Avoid
abdomen in so tightly that no room is left for the diaphragm this by practising expanding the lower ribs and solar plexus
to push the digestive organs out of the way and therefore as much as possible without raising the chest.
the only possible expansion will be upwards into the chest.
By placing a hand on the abdomen, around the navel, and All singers are different. Some are happy
feeling the abdomen expand when you inhale, you can avoid with larger breaths of air, some with less
lifting the chest. Note that the lower ribs expand at the sides. air. Practise inhalation until you know
If your muscles around the abdomen are very tight, concen- how much air is comfortable to inhale
trate on expanding the abdomen while inhaling. It is all right and hold back. Practise this sensation
to overdo it to begin with, later try to expand the ribs. Avoid until it becomes natural.
breathing into the upper part of the chest. Let go of any
Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin ww w.completevocalinstitute.com 25

Posture All singers are different. Always adopt a posture in harmony
with your body. Make sure that your posture feels natural,
In my opinion many singers use disproportionately much otherwise it would require too much concentration, leaving
time on correcting the posture. I very seldom find that sing- too little energy for singing.
ing problems are caused by incorrect posture but are more
often due to incorrect technique. My experience tells me that
you achieve much faster results by working directly with the Summary:
technical aspects than correcting the posture. During an inhalation the diaphragm tightens and lowers as the
lower ribs move outwards; a bulge emerges at the solar plexus,
In addition it is not an advantage for singers to be able to and the abdomen around the navel bulges slightly.
perform only when the posture is 'perfect'. Very few singers During an exhalation the diaphragm relaxes, the ribs come back
can get away visually with standing perfectly and 'correctly' in, the bulge at the solar plexus disappears, and the abdomen
during a whole concert or show. The demands on the singer's around the navel flattens.
physical endurance are constantly challenged . Furthermore, Singers are different. Some like to take in larger breaths of air
it is becoming increasingly common within the classical and others smaller.
world to see very demanding performances which challenge Practise breathing until you know the limit of how much air you
the singer's physical ability. If in these cases you have made can comfortably inhale and hold back so it becomes familiar and
yourself dependent on a specific posture, you are very often natural.
not chosen for the professional part. You get quicker results by working directly with the singing
technique rather than correcting your posture. Always adopt a
Of course, some cases do exist where a particular posture posture in harmony with your body and make sure that it does
is so troublesome that it is worthwhile working on it. If the not feel unnatural.
diaphragm does not have enough room to expand its move-
ments will become smaller. Therefore singers often inhale so
the chest rises and thereby the natural movement of the dia-
phragm gets even smaller. A muscle that is under-used will
work less well. This is why you should generally be aware of
breathing in a way that strengthens the diaphragm.
If you think you have a problem with your posture, try to

'grow' a few centimetres as if you are hanging from a string
fastened to the top of your head. Straighten the curve of the
back by pulling the lumbar region up under the body in order
for the abdominal muscles to do their job better. You must
be aware of not over-stretching your knees, not because it is
harmful for singing, but because it places a strain on the knee
joints in general.
The support exercise against the wall is also an excellent way

of practising your posture if you think this is needed (see
'Support training' on page 38).

Support
The techniques in this chapter apply to both singers and Forcing
wind instrument players. Attempting to produce powerful notes during a large out-
flow of air is referred to as 'forcing ', 'pushing ' or 'blowing'. This
is very strenuous and usually extremely wearing on the voice.
Advantages of an efficient support You can recognise 'forced' notes by hearing that your voice
Support is one of the overall elements in all types of singing, is breathy, even though the tone is rather powerful. Usually,
regardless of musical style. To develop your singing tech- you can also feel the air on your hand if you put it up in front
nique you often need a thorough understanding of support. of your mouth when singing . If a singer 'forces', s/he usually
cannot sing for very long without getting a 'tired ' voice or
There are many advantages of efficient support. It can help without it becoming painful.
promote:
longer notes Avoid 'forcing ' by singing whilst holding back your breath.
even tone production You will feel that the outflow of air decreases on your hand in
larger vocal range front of your mouth. Try to imagine 'singing inwards' or that
no hoarseness or strain you are 'drinking while you sing'. In the beginning the tones
greater volume will often be less powerful but this is a natural step. Continue
control of vibrato the training and soon you will be able to sing more power-
control of pitch fully without a noticeable outflow of air.
The support for speaking and sing ing is, in fact, an extension
Delaying exhalation of the natural 'support' you use in everyday life, for exam-
Many singers think singing is all about expelling air. But if ple when you are about to cough or scold someone. Notice
you release the air too quickly your singing will not last long. how you hold back your breath as if to gather extra energy
Whenever you speak or sing you have to delay the exhalation. just before everything breaks loose. In other words, singing
For most people exhalation is an unconscious process being and speaking are more about holding back your breath than
controlled by the diaphragm which just relaxes and releases exhaling.
the air quickly. A singer must, however, take a conscious, ac-
tive part in controlling exhalation; a process known as sup -
port. Support requires physical strength as well as control. Feel the power of the diaphragm
Feel the opposition of the diaphragm that you as a singer
are fighting when it wants to release air. Breathe in, hold
Feel the outflow of air your breath for a long time, and fee l the enormous power
Place the back of your hand close to your mouth and exhale. that accumulates as the diaphragm tries to release the air. In
Feel the outflow of air on your hand. Now add a note while the end the diaphragm is 'stronger' than your will and, even
exhaling just as before. Listen to how weak and breathy the though you don't want it to, it will release the air. You can only
note is. Now sing a more powerful, sonorous tone and you partly control the diaphragm and obviously cannot hold your
will feel that less air is expelled against the back of your hand. breath until you die. So, it is difficult to hold back your breath,
So, in order to make sonorous, powerful notes you must hold but easy to release the air.
the air back instead of letting it all out at once.

Exercise with a candle Supporting muscles
Early Italian singing teachers were conscious of the impor-
tance of support. They put a lit candle in front of a singer's
mouth to check whether the support was correct. The test Diaphragm, ribs and their assisting muscles
was not to let the flame flicker while the singer sang; that is To control exhalation you must control the diaphragm. When
how little air should be released . This is how perfectly singers the diaphragm is contracted and thereby lowered, the lungs
must control their breathing. The less air released, the better are filled with air. When the diaphragm relaxes and arches,
the singing will be. (This also applies to singing with air added the lungs are emptied. The aim is to keep the diaphragm low-
to the voice - see 'Air added to the voice' on page 206). ered in order to keep the air in.
Natural support develops gradually until adulthood. With The diaphragm is attached to the lower ribs. During Inhala-
small children the diaphragm dictates when a breath should tion, it contracts and lowers, and in addition the ribs move
be taken in. When children begin to speak they are not very outwards. If you are able to hold the ribs outwards for as
good at holding their breath and therefore sound short of long as possible during EXhalation you have a better chance
breath while speaking and breaking words in odd places . of preventing the diaphragm from relaxing and thereby let-
ting out all the air. In order to find the right muscles that help
keep the ribs spread outwards and help you hold on to your
Do not take in too much air breath, you have to know the anatomy of the body.
The diaphragm works hard to release air, especially if you
have inhaled too much. You must, of course, inhale enough
airfor it to last for a long note or a phrase, but if you inhale too Abdominal muscles
much you will not benefit from the extra air as the pressure Hold your breath and notice that when you move the abdo-
from the diaphragm increases accordingly. Although inhal- men outwards you can feel that the ribs move inwards. Con-
ing a lot of air makes it easier to reach higher volumes you versely, when you move the abdomen inwards you can feel
must be physically very strong to control the pressure of the the ribs move outwards. Thus the abdomen has to move in-
diaphragm. Only certain Wagnerian singers benefit from fill- wards in order to keep the ribs outward. When you pull in the
ing their lungs with so much air because they wish to achieve abdomen you use four abdominal muscles (see figure on the
maximum volume and they have the necessary strength to next page).
hold back the air. You must be aware of how much air you
need and how much physical strength you have to hold the The 'rectus abdominis' muscles are the outermost of these
air back. You may notice different songs need different de- muscles. They connect the lower ribs with the pubic bone.
grees of support. Practise breathing with the amount of air Three fibrous bands stretch horizontally across these muscles
that is comfortable for you until it becomes natural. which, if you are slim and well trained, makes the abdominal
rectus muscles look like quadrangular areas -the so called 'six
If a singer has problems with her/his breathing it could be pack' (see figure on the next page).
because the air in the lungs is not used up before more is
inhaled. This often causes uncontrolled constriction due to Behind the abdominal rectus muscles there are two sets of
increased pressure from the diaphragm because you have diagonal (oblique) muscles on both sides of the body. These
too much 'old ' air in your lungs. Sing some phrases of a song are known as the 'external oblique' muscles and are the out-
and when you feel the need to inhale, exhale instead. Note if ermost of these muscles which connect the ribs with the
there was an extra amount of air that you did not use. hipbone. The 'internal oblique' muscles lie underneath and
they connect the edge of the ribs with the pubic bone. The

deepest of all is the 'transversus abdominis' muscle which
forms the innermost layer (see figure).
Muscles of the back

The large muscles on either sides of the back stretch from un-
der the arms into tendonous tissue which attach to the hip
bone and spine are called the 'latissimus dorsi' (see figure on
oblique muscles
the next page). These muscles help keep the ribs expanded
at the back. When contracted, they create the 'wings' you see
on body builders.
Muscles of the loin

Sets of muscles known as 'quadratus lumborum' are found
in the loin (see figure on the next page). They join the pelvis
to the lowest rib preventing them from rising and allowing
The internal the diaphragm to work more effectively. When these muscles
oblique muscles
tighten they tilt the pelvis forwards so that the back curves.
The transversus This is only possible when the abdominal muscles are re-
laxed. When the abdominal muscles are contracted at the
same time, a battle starts between the quadratus lumborum
muscles, which want to tilt the pelvis forward so your back
curves, and the abdominal muscles which are trying to pull
the pelvis up under your body so the back straightens. This
battle is an important part of the support work, and is the
main ingredient in inner support (see 'Inner support' on page
31). You can locate them by tilting your pelvis forwards so
the back curves and then tightening the abdominal muscles
and pull the pelvis up under your body so the back straight-
ens. Feel how the muscles of the loin as well as how the ab-
dominal muscles work. Make sure both groups of muscles are
equally active, but do not push your pelvis forwards so the
back curves.
The muscles of the front of the abdomen (outer to inner layers): in the outer
oblique middle sits the rectus abdominus muscles with three tendons across. Next
muscles muscles layer: the external oblique muscles on both sides. Next layer: the internal
oblique muscles on both sides . Inner: the transversus abdom inus muscles.
Note that in the large diagram the lower two layers are hidden . The smal ler
diagrams show each set of muscles in iso lation. The large diagram shows
how they are put together.

Latissimus Dorsi Quad ratus Lumborum
The interaction of the three and knows the exact muscles to be tightened . Later s/ he can
groups of muscles concentrate on avoiding using 'assisting' muscles.
When we use these three groups of
muscles (abdominal, back, and loin) to-
gether, the ribs are extended and the Muscle awareness
diaphragm lowered. The interaction of Some singers are told to sense their muscles by concentrat-
these three groups of muscles is what ing on specific places in the body. Awareness of one's mus-
we call 'support'. cles varies from singer to singer, so instead of concentrating
on a specific place in the body, it is often more useful to know
which muscle should be used and how to locate this mus-
'Assisting' muscles cle. You may then be able to find another place in the mus-
At the beginning of new and difficult training, singers often cle where it is easier for you to feel it. It makes no difference
tighten muscles other than those that are necessary. It is not where in the muscle you concentrate on as long as you are
uncommon to see lifted shoulders, curled toes, tightened working on the right ones. In general it is harder for tall sing-
buttocks, or clenched fists. They tighten these 'assisting' ers to feel muscles far from the attachment points than it is
muscles in the hope of activating the correct ones - "If it is for less tall singers. If a singer has difficulty feeling a certain
difficult to isolate a specific muscle, I'll tighten everything" muscle contraction, I suggest thats/he concentrates 'higher
seems to be the common thought. This compares to when a up' in the muscle, closer to its upper attachment point.
weak person arm-wrestles a strong person. S/ he will tighten
as many muscles as possible, whereas the stronger person
does not waste energy by tightening muscles that are not
useful. In singing, it is often helpful to tighten these 'assist-
ing' muscles until the singer has become more experienced

Summary The su pport should be in motion at all times; when the support
Support means holding back your breath. This is done by: is locked, the constrictors become active.
keeping the diaphragm down
keeping the ribs extended
the interaction of th ree muscle groups:
1) Pulling in the abdomen by the navel which pulls the pel- Inner support
vis up under your body so the back straightens (using the
abdominal muscles: rectus abdominus, internal/external
oblique, transversus abdominus). The continuous and sustained contraction of the
2) Contracting the muscles of the back which keep the ribs support, resistance in the movement
extended at the back (using the latissimus dorsi). To support a note, the support needs to be a continuous and
3) Activate the muscles in the loin which will attempt to tilt dynamic movement, and this should be done in a sustained
the pelvis forwards trying to curve the back (using the way 'as though the work is against a resistance'. Inner support
quadratus lumborum muscles). is the best way to economize the support. To illustrate this re-
Abattle takes place between the loin muscles which try to curve sistance, raise an arm away from the body without any resist-
the back and the abdominal muscles which try to straighten the ance and feel the work of the muscles in the arm. This is not
back. particularly hard. Now do the same thing, but this time, press
The interplay between these three muscle groups should hap- against the movement of your arm with the other arm. You will
pen in a sustained, gradual, continuous movement as though now feel the muscles work harder. Now raise your arm in ex-
working against resistance. actly the same way but without pushing against it, this time
HOLDING BACK
SUPPORT is
THE BREATH
is done by
HOLDING THE DIAPHRAGM DOWN

is done by
KEEPING THE RIBS EXTENDED
l is done by
PULLING IN THE TIGHTENING ATTEMPT

ABDOMEN THE MUSCLES TO CURVE
AROUND THE NAVEL OF THE BACK THE BACK
A CONTINUO US MOVEMEN T
as though working against a resistance

creating the resistance in the arm itself so that the movement with let's say a force of 20 out of 100. It is now the task for the
looks and feels as though it is pushing against a resistance. By other singer, the one with the outer pair of hands, to maintain
doing this the movement becomes smooth and sustained and the distance between the inner pair of hands. To do this, if the
the cost in energy terms is relatively high. Feel the muscles 'inner' presses outwards with a force of 20, the 'outer' must
work. It is this 'as though working against a resistance' that is press inwards with a force of 20. If the 'inner' applies an out-
so important. This resistance and sustained muscle contrac- going force of 40, then the 'outer' must answer with a force
tion should be worked into your support. You can experience of 40. If the 'inner' releases the force, the 'outer' must release
this sensation when you gently blow up balloons. accordingly in order to maintain the exact same distance.
This exercise can be transferred to support if you imagine that

Finding inner support the inner pair of hands is placed inside the waist. Press your
Place your hands on your waist, cough, hands into your waist as much as possible without feeling
and as you do so feel the muscles of the uncomfortable. Notice the distance between the hands. This
waist pushing your hands outwards. distance must be maintained. Cough, and feel how the mus-
Now press your hands inwards as much cles are pushing your hands outwards. Imagine that these
as possible but without feeling uncom - muscles correspond to the pair of hands that in the earlier ex-
fortable. Make a tiny contraction of the ercise pressed outwards. If the muscles press outwards with a
muscles you found by coughing and force of 20, you must press inwards with a force of 20. Practise
make them work as though against a re - by holding the muscles in check with forces or perhaps more
sistance. Feel this tiny contraction in your easily thought of as 'support energies' from 1 to 100.
waist; this is 'inner support'. Enlarge this
support by contracting the muscles a little bit more. Even- When you control this, sing a note and feel how the muscles
tually the muscles will push outwards against your hands. immediately press outwards to a certain degree. This corre-
When this happens you have surpassed inner support. sponds to how much support this note demands. If the note
demands a support energy of 20, you must hold it at check
Start again and feel the contraction in the muscles again, but with an equivalent amount of energy ('counter energy'). Sing
make sure it does NOT move your hands outwards. It might a little scale up and down and feel how each note demands
feel like the muscles are just meeting the hands, but do not its own degree of support. Keep the outgoing energy in
push them outwards. The instant you feel your hands being check by applying an appropriate amount of counter energy;
pushed outwards there is little support left and you will not the abdomen should not harden as with incorrect support.
be able to contract the muscles any more and therefore you Go back to the start frequently. Press your hands into your
will run out of support. This inner support is very economi- waist as much as possible without it being uncomfortable.
cal and you can achieve much strength in singing with this Notice the distance between your hands. This is the distance
support. In addition you will have the rest of the movement to maintain when you sing . Highly trained singers can main-
(when the hands are pushed outwards) in reserve when tain an almost constant small distance between their hands.
needed. Be careful that the abdomen doesn't harden so you It is hard work to keep the distance and not allowing the
don't risk creating incorrect support or hidden incorrect sup- waiste to move outwards.
port (see page 36).
Notice that when you miss a note, the inner energy (which
goes in an outwards direction) has become greater than the
An Exercise counter energy (going inwards). Try again and apply more
Two singers stand in front of each other with their hands in energy in maintaining the distance between your hands. Be
front of their bodies as if they were going to clap. One singer constantly aware of using enough support, the necessary
places her/ his hands on the back of the partner's hands. No- twang, and avoid protruding the jaw and tightening the lips
tice the distance between the inner pair of hands. The singer even though you are working hard. Take care not to provoke
with the inner pair of hands presses her/ his hands outwards incorrect support or hidden incorrect support.

Inner support through images and sensations When you have achieved this you can always return to this
A helpful way of imagining the inner support could be to chapter and refine your support by working on inner support.
imagine sucking your stomach inwards, without the pe-
rimeter changing noticeably. In other words you suck the
stomach inwards on the inside while it does not move
much on the outside. Feeling support
You can also imagine that you are ready for a 100 m sprint.
You can think of inner support as the perfect balance be- It is important to realise that the feelings of support may vary
tween abdomen muscles and muscles of the loin. from singer to singer. I will, however, go over a number of
It might feel like the inwards movement of the abdomen ways of feeling support that have been most efficient in my
could go on forever work with singers .
N.B: These images and sensations are only meant as an aid.

If you do not respond to them immediately, forget them . Do Natural vs. active support
not confuse them with what is actually happening! In order to find the correct support for certain notes, a singer
has to consider her/ his natural support. During inhalation, the
diaphragm is contracted and lowered and will naturally stay
Support = Movement there for a short period of time while the initial amount of air
Even if you try to maintain the same distance between your is used. This is known as 'natural support'. At this point the
hands, it is essential to understand support as being a MOVE- singer does not have to use physical strength to support the
MENT, even though it is a small one. As long as the movement voice because the diaphragm is already naturally contracted .
is continuous, as though working against a resistance, there But as soon as the initial amount of air has been released, the
will be support for the voice. The more support you need, the diaphragm will want to relax and release the rest of the air.
more resistance is needed in the movement. It is this resist- This is where a singer should gradually apply 'active support'
ance and the strength it requires that makes it possible to to hold onto the air as long as possible. Eventually, when al-
prolong this movement throughout singing. Take care not to most all the air has been released, the active support will be
confuse inner support with 'locked' support. In locked sup- at its maximum. At this point, support can no longer control
port the movement stops the tension hardens and you will exhalation and air escapes irregularly. This often happens in
quickly run out of support. A locked support may actually small jerks and the tone becomes irregular and weak.
require as much strength as correct support (i.e. the support
that works against a resistance), but you do not profit from it So, ONLY use active support when necessary. Conserve sup-
because the muscles are locked. port at the beginning of the note or the phrase. Do not apply
active support until your natural support begins to fade. You
will gradually have to work harder and harder, and eventually
Inner support you will only be using active support.
It is an important part of a singer's job to keep support strong
and flexible, and to find out how to make the most of the en-
Natural versus Active support
ergy. This can be practiced by discovering and using inner
support. This inner support is so subtle and yet gives so much
energy to the voice that it alone can provide all the energy
needed. However, it often takes an experienced singer to find
Tota l support t
and use it. Natural support Active support Minus side
If you find it difficult to locate inner support at once do not

worry. If this chapter does not appeal to you, just go ahead
and work with the support described further on in this book.

The 'zero point' of support Feeling support at the solar plexus
It is very useful to be able to economise your support. This Place one hand on the solar plexus and the other on your ab-
can be practised in the following way. The illustration below domen around the navel. When you exhale, the areas under-
shows sensations during support. Begin by releasing a very neath your hands normally flatten.
small amount of air by making an 'sss' sound or a note, small-
er than the diaphragm would want to release. At first it feels When you inhale, the areas underneath both your hands nor-
like holding your breath, like holding back the air. This is the mally expand.
plus side. It does not require a lot of physical strength, but
feels like holding the diaphragm in check. At a certain point, When you use support the upper bulge at the solar plexus
whilst supporting and making the 'sss' sound or the note, the must COME OUT, while the lower bulge at the abdomen
pressure from the diaphragm increases and the sensation around the navel must GO IN.
changes. This is the zero point of support. As you continue
to make the 'sss' sound or the note the pressure from the dia- In the beginning, it may be difficult to make the two areas
phragm increases considerably, and from this point on it gets work opposite each other but practise slowly. If it seems dif-
harder to resist its movement. This is the negative side. The ficult, start by making the bulge at the solar plexus expand
singer usually feels as if the air needs to be pushed out. This as much as possible and let the abdomen around the navel
feeling often lingers until the next inhalation. follow and come out too. When the bulge at the solar plexus
is as big as possible, keep it there. If necessary increase the
pressure from inside to keep it distended. Now carefully pull
Sensations during support
in the abdomen around the navel without letting the bulge
at the solar plexus disappear. The pulling in of the abdomen
does not have to be particularly strong, just feel it draw in a
little without allowing the solar plexus to flatten. Hold onto
Plus-side Minus-side this feeling. When you become familiar with it you will no-
tice an interaction between the solar plexus and the abdo-
So, the longer the exhalation, the more difficult and harder men. The more the abdomen around the navel is pulled in
it becomes to hold back the air. How long you can fight the (to a certain degree) the more the bulge at the solar plexus
pressure of the diaphragm depends on your technique, your
physical strength and stamina.
In general, the longer you are able to extend the feeling of
holding back your breath, in other words the longer you
maintain the plus side, the better. When the feeling changes
and you feel as though you are fighting to expel the air, you
are getting close to wanting to take a new breath.
-
1: Place your hands .
2: When you exhale , the areas underneath your hands flatten .
3: When you inhale, the areas underneath your hands expand.
4: During support, the upper bulge at the solar plexus must COME OUT,
while the lower bulge at the abdomen around the navel must GO IN .

will protrude. Familiarise yourself with this interaction and the lower ribs of the back pushing your
remember to maintain the sensation as though working hands outwards . Contract these muscles
against a resistance as this continuous sustained movement without coughing . Gently pull in the ab-
is in fact support. domen around the navel. When this feel-
ing becomes familiar, notice that when
You can now practise support slowly by moving the two the abdomen around the navel comes
hands back and forth, opposing each other, using only mus- inwards, the muscles at the lower ribs of
cles and without inhaling or exhaling . the back go outwards.
These five feelings of support (at the solar plexus, the ab-
Feeling support in the abdomen domen, the waist, the ribs, and the back) are different, but
Feel the abdomen pulling inwards in one they come down to the same physical process and are simply
continuous movement as though work- different ways of FEELING support. Note that regardless of
ing against a resistance. Be careful not to which feeling of support you use, you have to apply energy.
lock at any time (see 'incorrect support'). Choose the feeling that seems to be the most efficient for
you, or change between them.
Feeling support at the waist
Placing your hands on your waist, cough,
and feel the muscles of the waist push- Support as images and sensations
ing your hands outwards. Contract these Become familiar with the feeling of support and try to relate
muscles without coughing, feel how the this feeling to an image in your mind that you will always be
solar plexus also tightens and then pull able to recognise. Your personal images and sensations will
in the abdomen around the navel gently. always be best and the most efficient way of re-establishing
When this feeling becomes familiar, no- the feeling of support.
tice that when the abdomen around the
navel comes inwards, the muscles of the You may be inspired by images and sensations that other
waist and solar plexus go outwards. singers or singing teachers have used, but remember that
these images, as well as your own, are based on subjective
feelings and do not have any connection with the anatomy
Feeling support at the ribs of the body. Therefore, ONLY regard these images as educa-
Place your hands on your lower ribs, tional tools.
cough, and feel lower ribs pushing your
hands outwards. Expand the lower ribs The following images and sensations are of help to some
without coughing. Keep the ribs ex- singers but confusing to others. Use them if they appeal to
panded for as long as possible during you, but if you do not respond to them immediately, forget
singing . Here you feel whether the sup- them . Again, do not confuse these images and sensations
port is kept or not. with what is actually happening. Such images and sensations
of support include:
getting ready for a 20 meter sprint
Feeling support at the back blowing up a balloon
Placing your hands on your back by the two muscles working against each other and meeting in
lower ribs, cough, and feel the muscles at the middle

pushing something heavy away from you Place one hand on the solar plexus and the other on the ab-
pulling your shoulders down in a slow, continuous domen around the navel. Exhale and feel how the areas flat-
movement ten under both hands while the air is exhaled. Inhale and feel
being reserved, feel a resistance, an aversion that both solar plexus and abdomen expand. This is natural
separating two pieces of very strong tape in a slow con- during inhaling but should be avoided during exhaling, sing-
tinuous movement ing and supporting. With incorrect support, the pressure
'pulling up' the uterus outwards is maintained on BOTH the solar plexus AND the
'pulling up' through the rectum (mostly for men) abdomen around the navel. Feel the pressure on the lower
a flap attached at the navel tips down when supporting abdomen, and feel how it triggers uncontrolled constriction.
singing from a lower place in your body
singing on a line inside, without leaving this line
Incorrect support
You must be careful not to use support incorrectly. This can
be called the 'lavatory support', meaning that while the bulge
at the solar plexus is distended the abdomen is ALSO pressed
outwards, as if you are going to the lavatory. If this happens
there will be a strong pressure on the bowels and this can trig-
ger uncontrolled constriction in the throat (try to imitate going
to the lavatory and feel the uncontrolled constriction when Incorrect support Correct support
you push out your abdomen). If this happens while you are
singing it could obstruct your You must change incorrect support into correct support by
voice. In general, you must pulling in the abdomen around the navel in a continuous and
avoid pressing down on the sustained way while the bulge at the solar plexus remains.
WC
lower abdomen for any length
of time. In women, prolonged
increases in abdominal pres- Feeling the difference between incorrect and
sure can lead to a prolapsed correct support at the waist
uterus. Many wind instrument NB: Pregnant singers or singers with abdominal problems
players have developed her- should avoid this exercise.
nias by pressing the abdomen Place your hands on each side of the waist. Feel how when
outwards whilst trying to use you cough the muscles of the waist push your hands out-
support. In general, no pres- Support must not feel like
wards. In incorrect support BOTH the muscles at the waist
sure should be present in the going to the lavatory. AND the abdomen around the navel are pressed outwards.
abdominal cavity. Feel the pressure on the lower abdomen and feel how it trig-
gers uncontrolled constriction .
You must change incorrect support to correct support by
Feeling the difference between incorrect and gently pulling IN the abdomen around the navel while the
correct support at solar plexus and at the abdomen muscles at the waist remain extended.
around the navel
NB: Pregnant singers or singers with abdominal problems
should avoid this exercise.

Hidden incorrect support in. Even though the abdomen around the navel is pulled
Even though it may seem as though you are supporting cor- in, it is hard and tense as if it is still being pressed outwards.
rectly, by pulling in the abdomen around the navel, you still To demonstrate this, make the abdomen around the navel
run the risk of producing incorrect support. Another form of hard without pushing it outwards. It can be difficult to de-
incorrect support is when you are pulling in the abdomen too tect that this is incorrect support as the abdomen is pulled
vigorously and making it too firm. It is known as hidden incor- in.
rect support and is more difficult to detect than incorrect sup- With correct support the solar plexus remains extended,
port. Usually it is detected when a singer contracts the support while the abdomen around the navel is gently pulled in. It
muscles vigorously without producing any positive results in is a pull inwards, not a pushing outwards.
the voice. In hidden incorrect support you can usually hear that
it triggers uncontrolled constriction, and the singer often feels
a strong pressure in the solar plexus and abdomen. How to release hidden incorrect support
It is important that you know how to release the tension and
Currently many singers believe that it really takes this much replace hidden incorrect support with correct support at any
strength to create support. Even though they tighten their time. Harden the abdomen around the navel. Then relax the
abdominal muscles the sound produced is not as they wish it. outward pressure and note how it is possible to gently pull in
In an attempt to support even more the singer continues to the abdomen even further. You should become familiar with
increase the pressure. Finally they conclude that the problem this feeling of releasing incorrect support. Almost all singers
could be due to overdoing the support. need to do this at one time or another while they are working
Neither of these two conclusions is correct. There is no sup- on support. If you have not economised your strength sensi-
port at all. In fact, what the singer believes to be support has bly, you easily run the risk of leaving your abdominal muscles
become muscular tension and, however much it is intensi- tense and locked, i.e. incorrect support or hidden incorrect
fied, it will not improve the support or sound . The body has support.
lost its control of the diaphragm which will have released
most of the air, and the work of the abdominal muscles is in
vain . Hidden incorrect support is experienced as a feeling of Summary
hardness in the abdomen around the navel, as with incorrect Postpone using active support in your singing for as long as you
support. The only difference between hidden incorrect sup- possibly can, as natural, 'free' support comes after an inhalation.
port and incorrect support is that in hidden incorrect support The longer the support feels like holding back your breath (i.e.
the abdomen around the navel is pulled in. the 'plus' side) rather than pressing the air out {i.e. the 'minus'
side), the better the result.
Support can be felt by keeping the ribs extended for as long as
Feeling the difference between incorrect, hidden possible during singing.
incorrect, and correct support You can feel the work of the support muscles by feeling solar
Place one hand on the solar plexus and the other on the ab- plexus moving outwards, whilst the abdomen around the navel
domen around the navel. Exhale and feel both hands move moves inwards.
inwards as the air is released from the lungs. Then inhale and You can feel the work of the support muscles by feeling the
feel how both the solar plexus and the abdomen around the waist moving outwards, whilst the abdomen around the navel
navel expand . moves inwards.
With incorrect support, the solar plexus and the abdomen You can feel the work of the support muscles by feeling the mus-
around the navel are both pushed outwards. cles at the lower ribs at the back are moving outwards, while
With hidden incorrect support, the solar plexus remains the abdomen around the navel moves inwards.
extended while the abdomen around the navel is pulled

You can feel the work of the support muscles by feeling the ab- how the bulge at the solar plexus gradu-
domen pulling inwards in one continuous movement as though ally comes out more and more while
working against a resistance. you sustain the 'sss' sound . The bulge
Inner support is the best way to economize the support. must not diminish, and must be kept
Avoid incorrect support, which occurs when the abdomen expanded. Remember to keep the ribs
around the navel is pushed outwards. expanded all the way around and gradu-
Avoid hidden incorrect support which occurs when the abdo- ally pull in the abdomen around the na-
men around the navel becomes hard although pulled in. vel, straighten the curve of the back, and
Support requires energy and strength. keep the muscles of the back contracted.
Sustain the feeling of holding back your
breath while the air is gradually released.
You should continue practising until the
Support training 'sss' sound lasts for one minute. ~>) 336
Try to tighten the diaphragm without Place your hands on your lower ribs,
breathing . Expand the ribs at the sides inhale and feel that the lower ribs are
and back, pull in the abdomen around pushing your hands outwards. While ex-
the navel, contract the muscles of the haling make a quiet 'sss' sound or sing.
back (the 'wings'), and push the pel- Follow the instructions for the 'sss' exer-
vis backwards so the curve of the back cise. Keep the lower ribs expanded for as
is straightened. Practise this until you long as possible during the 'sss' sound or
become familiar with how each muscle the singing. ~>) 336
works, and how all the movements can
be combined into one sensation. Stand with your back against a wall, so that your lumbar re-
gion, shoulder blades, and the back of your head all touch the
Rock the support, while holding your breath. Place one hand wall at the same time. You may bend your legs and place your
on the solar plexus and the other on the abdomen around feet a short distance from the wall to ease the work of the
the navel. Pull in the abdomen while maintaining the bulge muscles in your abdomen . If your head is protruded forwards
at solar plexus. Rock the solar plexus and the abdomen back or the upper part of your back is too rounded, place a small
and forth alternately. pillow behind your neck for support. Now try to get your feet
as close to the wall as the abdominal muscles will allow while
making sure that the lumbar region stays in contact with the
To work in good support

'Rock ' the su pport
let the head, shoulders
and lumbar region have
contact with the wall.
Exhale and then inhale. While exhaling make a quiet 'sss' Gradually move your
sound with your tongue. The 'sss' sound must be even and feet closer to the wall.
last as long as possible, so hold back the exhalation. Feel

wall. It is important to be able to stay in this position without
too much effort. Make the 'sss' sound and feel your support-
ing muscles work as in the previous exercise. By focusing on
the areas where the body is in contact with the wall while
singing you will obtain a good overview of your support. This
is also an excellent way of practising your posture if you think
it is needed.
You can also control your support by holding a piece of tissue

paper in front of your mouth. Exhale, inhale and make a slow points of support: the bulge at the solar plexus is extended,
and even exhalation. The tissue paper should not move dur- the abdomen around the navel is pulled in, the back muscles
ing the exhalation; this is how perfectly you should be able are contracted, and the lumbar region is pulled in. Follow the
to control the outflow of air. Follow the instructions for the instructions for the 'sss' exercise.
previous 'sss' exercise.
Physically strong singers can practise support by lifting

something heavy and holding it at a distance from their body Energy
while sustaining the 'sss' sound. Be careful not to curve the
back, keep the abdomen around the navel pulled in, and the The techniques in this chapter apply to both singers and
bulge at the solar plexus extended. You can begin by stand- wind instrument players.
ing against a wall, pressing head, shoulders, and loin flat
against it. When you can achieve this posture, move away
from the wall and repeat the exercise. Follow the instructions Singing requires energy
for the 'sss' exercise. It is important to realise that whatever the mode (See vocal
modes on page 81) or style of music, it requires energy to sing
in a healthy way. The myth that EVERYTHING in your body
must be relaxed and loose when you sing has caused much
harm. In my experience, more voice problems have arisen
from using too LITTLE physical energy than from using too
much .
When beginners have problems reaching high notes it is

often because they are afraid of using physical strength or
simply because they lack it. They falsely believe that singing
must be a relaxed process because that is what they have
been told . Once they learn to use more strength and to sweat
during singing, many problems disappear.
Two singers practising together can pull each other while It is a fallacy to believe that singing is a relaxed process with
sustaining the 'sss' sound . Stand in front of each other and no need for physical strength! To sing in a rough, raw, or pow-
hold hands. Put one foot in front of the other and bend your erful manner requires even more physical strength.
knees slightly while you pull each other EVENLY. Do not make
sudden jerks but pull steadily as though in a tug-of-war. The
pull becomes harder, the longer you withstand it. Feel the
Complete Vocal Techn ique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com 39

Acase story Using support
Alarge, muscularly toned rock singer had a bad inflammation
of the throat about six months ago. Although the specialist The techniques in this chapter apply to both singers and wind
doctor had declared him well, after about two months he still instrument players.
had not regained his voice. He had consulted singing teachers
and speech therapists who advised him to be careful with his
voice, giving him gentle, cautious exercises. These had not Developing a connection between support and
helped and he still could not sing as he used to. sound
When he sang for me he produced the faintest note, which Place your hands on the sides of the ribs at the lower end
seemed absurd in comparison to how he looked. I asked him of the chest and feel how the ribs almost always remain ex-
to try with more energy, as singing requires strength and hard tended throughout support if done correctly. At the same
work to be done healthily. After half an hour of supporting cor- time, push the muscles at the solar plexus and the waist in a
rectly and working on singing loudly, his voice was back again. gradual, physical movement outwards for as long as you are
During all those months he had simply suppressed his voice out producing a note. The production of sound must automati-
of caution. cally be linked to the sustained continuous, OUTWARD move-
ment at the solar plexus or the waist. This should help you
to develop a connection between support and sound . When
you have become familiar with this feeling of supporting in a
The dilemma between looks and physical strength sustained continuous movement, as though working against
To satisfy commercial demands of being attractive, female a resistance, you can use this feeling to test whether you are
singers are often expected to be unnaturally thin . Many fe- supporting efficiently.
male singers spend their lives close to starvation which con-
flicts with the demands of being in good physical shape for
singing. Male singers do not usually experience such prob- Economising support
lems, as it is fashionable for them to be in good physical An important part of supporting is being able to economise
shape. On several occasions I have been called out to assist on it. It is important to economise on energy so that you have
a singer on a difficult vocal assignment only to conclude that enough support to give the last words and notes in a phrase
it was impossible until the singer was physical stronger. This a good sound.
applies to both sexes. Try to use 100% support. Feel, for instance in the waist, the
physical sensation from 0 to 100%. The hands move about
Another problem is that many female singers do not use their 3-4 cm on each side. Then try to support in steps, first 10
physical strength because they feel they have to appear cute. %, then 20%, then 30%, and so on . Be sure not to reach the
When you ask them not to conform to only the cute part of maximum possible movement before you need 100% sup-
the feminine role, a different and more direct sound emerges. port. During this exercise most singers realise how easy it is
to waste support before it is actually needed .
And remember
Singing must ALWAYS feel comfortable. Support value
The technique must have the intended effect right away, The concept of a 'support value' is a measure you can use
otherwise you are not working correctly to recognise how much energy is needed to support a par-
If an exercise hurts, feels uncomfortable, or wrong, then it ticular note. It is not a physical measure but a relative scale
IS wrong . Only you know how it feels so trust your feelings. that can help you quantify the amount of support you need
for different vocal tasks. A support value depends on many

different facto rs including pitch, volume, vowel, sound col- require more energy than the middle part and are the refore
our, time (since the last inhalation) and vocal mode (see 'Vo- often considered as more difficult to sing. Give each energy a
cal Modes' on page 81). specific support value. Singers must be familiar with the mini-
mum support they require for each note.
Singers differ in th eir physique, strength, energy, stamina,
and vocal control. That is why the support value needed fo r
a given note varies from singer to singer. Each singer's work Exercise for support values of high notes
with support consists of becoming familiar with her/ his indi - Sing a scale from the middle part of your voice up and down an
vidual support values and always being able to produce the octave regardl ess of the mode (see 'Vocal Modes' on page 81 ).
right amount of support energy required for each note or All the notes should have a similar volume, but allow the metal-
phrase. lic modes to get louder as you sing higher. Make sure that you
do not trigger uncontrolled constriction . Feel how supporting
It is important that a singer knows her/ his energy in order to the higher notes require more strength. Give the effort a spe-
produce the exact support value for each note in all contexts. cific support value, e.g. 1, 2, 4, 8 etc, and become familiar with
In this way, s/ he can always control the sing ing, just like all your own support values. Transpose the exercise upwards (re-
other musicians have to know their instruments. Find out peat the exercise beginning half a note higher each time). '4>) 1
how much energy you have. Give it a value. When you use
no energy at all, the value is 0. When you use all the energy Sing up and down
an octave
you have, the value is 100. Now practise being aware of the
gradations between 0 and 100. Start by dividing the energy
(f start F3 ' JJ wJwJr rrJwJwJJ 1
into ten equally sized parts. Practise finding an exact energy.

Later you can be even more precise in the gradations. This
work will give you a great awareness of your body and en-
ergy. When you become aware of the exact support value for Exercise for support values of low notes
a note, it becomes much easier to reach .
Sing an scale from the middle part of you r voice down five
notes, regardless of the mode. Be sure that all the notes have
a similar volume. Feel how supporting the lower notes re -
Pitch quires more strength. Give the effort a specific support value
If you have difficulties producing high notes it is often be-
and become familiar with your own support values. Trans-
cause you are not using the right amount of support energy. pose the exercise downwards. '4>) 2
It is important to practise and develop a conscious awa reness
of the particular energy required for different notes.
If notes do not get their required support value it triggers un- Sing down five
controlled constriction and it is difficult to produce the notes

notes
(f start Bb3
J J ~J
as required. The high and low parts of your voice usually
16 Be familiar with the support values required for each note 16

Exceptions
~--4---------~
Support values vary from singer to singer. Very 'light' sopra-
nos, for example, often find it difficult to sing in the middle
part of their voice and therefore need extra support energy
here, which is the opposite to a lot of other singers who find
low pitch high
this part of the voice very easy and therefore do not need to
Complete Vocal Technique 201 2 Cathrine Sadolin www. completevocalinstitute.com 41

support in his area. You must become familiar with where you and this value should be sustained all the way through the
need to support and what your individual support values are. descending scale. Transpose the exercise higher. ~>) 4
Time factor Exercise for support values as regards to volume

The time elapsed since the last inhalation is also a factor Support is NOT equal to volume, but singing at a higher vol-
when working out support values. The more time since the ume often requires more support. This becomes more pro-
last inhalation, the more the diaphragm will try to release nounced the higher or lower you sing . Up to a certain point,
air. In other words, the longer you sustain a phrase or note, if you choose a powerful volume rather than a weak one the
the more support energy is required to keep the diaphragm support value for any note usually increases. Give the volume
down. It is important to economise on your energy so as not a value between 1 and 10, where 1 represents very quiet
to use too much at the beginning of a note or phrase. ('pp' or 'pianissimo') and 10 represents very loud ('ff' or 'for-
tissimo'). The support values needed for the notes must be
multiplied by the values of the volume. In other words, if you
Exercise for support values of long notes choose volume 10 instead of volume 5, the support values of
Sing a note, regardless of vocal mode, and sustain it for a long the notes need to be five times greater. Therefore, if a note at
time. Feel how much support energy is required to avoid un- volume 5 requires 8 support values, it will require 40 at vol-
controlled constriction at the beginning of the note. Give this ume 10. Remember to be aware of the volumes of the modes
energy a support value, for example 5. Feel how, little by lit- (see the chapters on 'Neutral' on page 87, 'Curbing ' on page
tle as the note continues, the support value of 5 is no longer 96, 'Overdrive' on page 106, and 'Edge' on page 116). Trans-
sufficient. Now you must add in the time factor and the total pose the exercise higher and lower. ~>) 5
support value must rise (5 to 6 to 7, etc) to avoid uncontrolled
constriction in the throat. Consequently, the longer a note is
80
sustained, a higher support value is needed . ~>) 3 80 - - - - -
Support values at vo lu me 10
Exercise for support values as regards to pitch and

time factor
Sing an even , legato scale from the middle part of your voice
up and down through an octave in any vocal mode. Be sure
that all the notes have the same volume and that you do not
trigger uncontrolled constriction. Remember to allow the me-
tallic modes to become louder as you sing higher. Feel how,
the higher the notes, the more physical strength the support
requires. Gradually the time factor intervenes, so descending
on the scale requires higher support values. In general, the
support value reaches a peak on the highest note of the scale,
~ JJ wJJJrrrJJJwJJ
An octave scale
(f sta rt C3 1
It requires a great deal of strength for singers to support a
note which is both high and which has a powerful volume.

This is where the physical condition and stamina of the singer or the muscles of the waist outwards, as though working
becomes important. The work of a singer is not only about against a resistance, as the notes become higher. Many sing-
body consciousness and control, it also includes physical ers find it difficult to hum because even the slightest tension
training to improve strength and stamina. Strong singers in might trigger uncontrolled constriction that makes the notes
good shape are therefore able to sing higher and more pow- disappear, but humming is a useful exercise; you can discover
erfully than weaker ones. uncontrolled constriction instantly. If a note fails, try again
with a bit more support or with greater emphasis on conserv-
Note, that it is technically very difficult to sing in very quiet ing energy for the higher notes. Transpose the exercise up-
volume (pp) and requires a disproportionately large amount wards. ~ >) 6
of support energy (see 'Pianissimo and thinning' on page 64).
Know your exact support values

An octave sca le
cf start C3
$JJ JJJJfr f JJJJJJ I
A skilled singer must get to know her/his support values for

every single note with regard to pitch, time factor, volume,
vowel and so on. You must practise support values until your
body, by means of muscle memory, (see 'Muscle memory' on Exercise in support values: humming through two
page 12), figures out which support value is required for a octaves
given note in a given circumstance. This is the main objective Once you have perfected humming through one octave you
of singing exercises. Once the correct support is worked into can extend the exercise by humming through two octaves.
muscle memory you usually only need to concentrate on it if Hum a scale up and down through two octaves. Make sure
something doesn't work. that all the notes keep more or less the same volume and
that you do not trigger uncontrolled constriction . Notice how
important it is to economise on the support. Transpose the
Connection between note and support exercise upwards. ~ >) 7
Learn to feel the connection between the note and the sup-
port. Notice how to avoid uncontrolled constriction. The
bulge at the solar plexus or muscles of the waist have to move Summary
outwards, as though working against a resistance, as you The more difficult it is for you to produce the note, the more
reach and hold higher and more powerful notes. You will find strength will be required in your support.
that when you fail to support, when the muscles at the solar The higher the note, the more strength is required to support
plexus or waist relax, the notes become weak or restricted . the note.
The lower the note, the more strength is required to support the
note.
Humming exercise for support values The more time elapsed since last inhalation, the more strength
You can practise support values by humming up and down is required to support the note.
through an octave scale. Remember to save energy for the Practise the support values for any given note.
highest note and the descending scale. Make sure that you Learn to economise on energy to make certain you have enough
have enough strength to move the bulge at the solar plexus support for the whole phrase.
Two octaves
cf start C3

The Vocal Cords
The larynx
The vocal cords are positioned inside the larynx, also known
Mirror
as the voice box. This is where sound is produced. The vo-
cal cords are positioned above and across the windpipe (tra-
chea) . When we inhale and exhale without sound the cords
are open and air passes between them in and out of the
lungs. We can choose to bring the vocal cords together as we
exhale and this makes their mucous membranes vibrate to
Vocal cords
produce sound.
Anatomy of the larynx

The larynx consists of numerous parts. The thyroid cartilage,
Larynx (Voice box)
positioned around the front of the vocal cords, serves to pro-
tect them and creates the pointed structure you can feel in
the front of your neck (the 'Adam's apple'). Inside this pointed
structure, the vocal cords are attached together at the front.
They are positioned above and across the windpipe. At the
back, the two vocal cords are each attached to an arytenoid When the vocal cords are stretched and lengthened the pitch
cartilage. The arytenoid cartilages sit on the rim of the cri- is raised .
coid cartilage which is the top of the windpipe. It is, in fact,
the arytenoid cartilages that move from side to side, open- Above the vocal cords are the false folds (ventricular folds).
ing the vocal cords when we breathe, or closing them when They consist of ligaments, muscles and glands. Outside this
we speak or sing. The arytenoid cartilages are also able to tilt is a cover of mucous membrane like the rest of the inside of
up or down, thereby altering the length of the vocal cords. the body. This mucous membrane is not as flexible as that
Looking down the throat with a mirror as shown in the diagram above.
-"'
u
"'
..0
Aryepiglottisfold
Ventricular folds
(false folds)
Vocal cords
Epiglottis
Inhale/exhale Prod ucing sound
44 Complete Vocal Techn ique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevo calinstitute.com

Front
Directio~
Back
inhale/exhale Producing sound
The bones and cartilages of the larynx as seen from the back of the neck. The left arytenoid cartilage is transparent (red) to enable you to see the vocal
cords attached together at the front at the thyroid cartilage
of the true vocal folds. The epiglottis is attached to the front Vibrations of the vocal cords and volume
of the upper rim of the thyroid cartilage. When we swallow, The vocal cords are two ligaments controlled by muscles and
food slides down over the tongue and the epiglottis tilts arytenoid cartilages, and which are lined by a moveable mu-
backwards. This helps prevent food passing into the trachea cous membrane. This membrane creates sound through its
(windpipe) which would cause us to choke (see 'Swallowing' movements, by pushing the air and making vibrations. The
on page 48). Once the food has passed through, the epi- larger the vibrations of the air, the more powerful the volume.
glottis returns to its original position, standing up from the
thyroid cartilage. The hyoid bone is positioned at the very
top, attached to the thyroid cartilage (the hyoid bone is not Cross section of the vocal cords
shown on the figure above).

Moveable mucous membrane
Sound
Sound is vibration or pulsation of air. The faster these pulsa-
tions are, the higher the pitch. Pitch is defined by the num-
ber of pulsations per second, also known as Hertz (Hz). It is
Muscles
the vocal cords and their mucous membranes that create the
pulsations with which we speak or sing. The note A4 is equal Flow of air
to 440 Hz, so to sing A4 the mucous membranes of the vocal

cords must vibrate 440 times every second you sing this note!

The vocal cords form a narrow- cords together by uncontrolled constriction. Now the singer
ing of the air passage (a). When gets into problems. The uncontrolled constriction limits the
the air stream passes through this movement of the cords which thereby limits the volume. This
narrowing, a partial vacuum is cre- is what is called 'forcing' the voice and causes much damage.
ated, thus bringing together the
membranes of the vocal cords (b- Consequently there is a limit to how fast the air should be let
e). (The same effect occurs when a out while singing. Above this limit the voice does not work
bus passes you at great speed, you efficiently. Even at very powerful volumes the speed of the air
can get sucked in behind it). The stream should not be so fast that it no longer feels like you are
movement where the membranes holding back the air. This is why correct singing and speaking
close is called the 'closed phase' (f- always has the sensation of holding back the air. This control
j). The closed phase begins with a of the exhalation is achieved by using support.
suction movement at the bottom
~ edge of the vocal cords and moves To keep the speed of the air within the range where the vo-
f.::: ~
upwards in a rolling motion. In the cal cords can move freely is a balancing act and requires sup-
d port energy. This is even more applicable when you reach
closed phase the flow of exhaled
air is momentarily stopped which the extreme ranges of voice and volume. On very powerful
creates an increase in pressure be- tones the danger of 'forcing' is great. On very quiet tones it
neath the vocal cords. The upwards is often more difficult to avoid uncontrolled constriction, and
rolling motion ends with the vocal here even a minor change in the speed of the air may inter-
cords separating when the pres- rupt the small vibrations. So the work of supporting powerful
sure is released (k). Now the cords and quiet tones is both physically and technically demand-
~I
have completed one pulsation/ vi- ing. It is not enough for the singer to be technically skilled, s/
bration and are ready for the next he should also be in excellent physical shape and have great
one. This repeated interruption stamina.
of the air stream by the mucous
/.J,\, membranes coming together cre-

ates a series of pulsations known as
a 'sound wave'.
Uncontrolled constriction
The work of the vocal cords is a very relined process and it
does not take much to spoil these delicate, rapid movements.
For the note A4 the mucous mem- The aim for singers is to give their vocal cords the best pos-
brane vibrates at 440 pulsations sible working conditions, by controlling the outflow of air and
per second, and this requires a preventing uncontrolled constriction in the throat.
very stable speed of the airflow. A solid support technique is vital otherwise the membranes
By increasing the airflow, the of the vocal cords grow weary from the constant pressure of
7!F;.
vacuum strengthens and the mu- out-flowing air. A consequence of this might be tired, swollen
cous membranes go into bigger vocal cords vibrating irregularly. It is very strenuous for the
.. movements - this creates big-

ger volume. At a certain point the
muscles of the vocal cords to keep them together while there
is constant pressure from out-flowing air. This could lead to
air is exhaled so strongly that it is uncontrolled constriction around the vocal cords. This un-
forcing the membranes apart. This controlled constriction might lead to straining or incorrect
impairs the relined vibration, so to use of the vocal modes which eventually causes hoarseness
obtain a note you have to bring the and an inability to reach a desired pitch.
One pulsation/vibration

Cross section of the larynx
Epiglottis
Arytenoid cartilage
Vocal cord
Thyroid carti lage
Cricoid cartilage
Relaxed vocal cord low pitch Stretched vocal cord high pitch
front - - - direction - - - back
Regulation of the pitch you want, it is essential NOT to fix the position of the larynx
When we produce high and low notes the vocal cords are but to let it reach the right position for the pitch (see 'The
tightened and relaxed by the thyroid and the cricoid ap- Larynx' on page 162). Then later you can raise or lower the
proaching each other, and the movements of the arytenoid larynx a little within the right position for the pitch, in order
cartilages and a number of muscles. When the vocal cords to colour the sound lighter or darker (see 'Sound Colour' on
are stretched they vibrate more rapidly and produce a higher page 158).
note. On low notes the vocal cords are relaxed, become short,
and vibrate more slowly. This is how pitch is regulated.
Summary
The vocal cords are positioned inside the larynx above the
Movements of the larynx windpipe.
The position of the larynx varies depending on whether you When we inhale the cords separate, but when we sing or speak
are producing high or low notes. If you want free and unhin- they are pulled together.
dered notes you MUST allow the larynx to rise on the high Sound is vibration of the air. It is the vocal cords and their mu-
notes and to lower on the low notes. cous membranes which make these vibrations; the faster the
vibrations, the higher the note. For example at the note A4 our
THE LARYNX SHOULD ALWAYS BE RAISED ON HIGH NOTES vocal cords and their mucous membranes are vibrating 440
AND LOWERED ON LOW NOTES. times every second!
The vocal cords stretch on high notes and relax on low notes.
If a singer maintains the larynx in a much too low position, The larynx rises on high notes and lowers on low notes.
high notes become unreachable. In order to reach the notes
Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevoca lin stitute.com 47

The Throat The constrictor muscles
The area between the soft palate and the nasal cavity (nasal
fossae) is called the 'nasopharynx'. The area between the soft
palate and the hyoid bone is called the 'oropharynx'. The area
between the hyoid bone and the vocal cords is called the 'lar-
yngopharynx'. Subsequent references to the throat include in Superior constrictor
particular the laryngopharynx.

Middle constrictor
Constriction Infe rior constrictor
It is not difficult for the vocal cords to stretch or slacken, but

it becomes difficult if the movement is obstructed. An ob-
struction is any uncontrolled constriction that prevents the
vocal cords from stretching, thereby making it difficult to
reach higher notes. A singer will try even harder to reach the Once the food has been swallowed the lower constrictor
note, often worsening the uncontrolled constriction . Even- muscle closes off the top of the gullet so that food cannot be
tually the vocal cords will not stretch at all. The singer may regurgitated back into the mouth.
conclude, 'I have a low voice, I am unable to reach the high If you speak and eat at the same time food can easily go down
notes' but this is not the case! The reason why the high notes the wrong way. When you speak the epiglottis stands up and
fail is not a lack of vocal ability to reach high notes but un- the windpipe is open so it does not take much for food to
controlled constriction around the vocal cords, robbing them enter the windpipe.
of the space required for them to work, which is to stretch in
order to reach the high notes. The constrictor muscles of the
throat contribute to this uncontrolled constriction. Strain or emotion
The constrictor muscles are very useful. We use them to form
the vocal tract so we can obtain all the various modes and
sound colours. The constrictor muscles also protect the vocal
cords if a singer is exposed to great strain. The throat con-
stricts if, for example, we lift something heavy or become
Low pitch emotional or frightened . Constriction of the throat is quite
practical when we lift something heavy, because it prevents a
The vocal cords stretch on high notes and relax on low notes strain on the vocal cords, but it is very impractical to constrict
uncontrolled around the voice when we sing as the vocal
cords must have room to stretch . Thus, we talk about uncon-
Swallowing trolled constriction of the throat being the singer's main en-
The task of the constrictor muscles is to constrict the vocal emy, not constriction or the constrictor muscles themselves.
cords and windpipe (trachea) during swallowing which stops
food from entering the windpipe or 'going down the wrong
way'. As we swallow, the upper constrictor muscle creates a Avoiding uncontrolled constriction
ledge at the back of the throat to stop the food going up the Singing requires physical strength but this can also cause un-
nose. As the food slides down the back of the mouth the lar- controlled constriction of the throat. We must therefore, by
ynx and the attached epiglottis rises a little under the back correct technique, trick the constrictor muscles in the throat
of the tongue. The epiglottis acts as a lid over the vocal cords into not constricting uncontrolledly even when we sing
preventing food going into the windpipe and helping direct technically difficult and physically demanding material. This
it into the gullet (oesophagus).
48 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin ww w.completevocalinstitute.com

is often called keeping an 'open throat'. To be precise, it is towards the ears as if sobbing. Press downwards on the
not possible to 'open' the throat, it is only possible to avoid uvula from the back above
constricting it. When the uncontrolled constriction is gone imagine a small, low-ceilinged room, as wide as possible,
the stretching of the vocal cords is unhindered, the pitch is above the uvula. The room stretches from ear to ear, and
secure, and wear or fatigue of the vocal cords is avoided. Ba- if you press down on the uvula you may provoke a yawn
sically, singing techniques are about avoiding uncontrolled feel where you contract near the ears when you imagine
constriction, and this is obtained by using support, amongst biting into a lemon
other things. With efficient, solid support we can use lots of feel the position of the uvula as if gurgling. The back of the
physical strength without uncontrolled constriction in the tongue is lowered and this may provoke a yawn
throat. A skilled singer knows the feeling of uncontrolled con- imagine a throat having a square gap
striction and is able to avoid it in all situations.
Some singers like the image of 'an open throat'. To use this
image it might be helpful to feel that the uvula moves up- Imagine a square throat
wards (like when you gurgle) and the very back of the tongue
lowers itself a little. This might produce a yawn. Try to locate lift the corners of the mouth slightly, as if you were making
this feeling and practise holding onto it while you sing. This is a small, 'secret' smile. Tighten the area around the molars in
done by using support correctly, using necessary twang and the upper part of the mouth and raise the palate
by singing in the centre of the mode (see page 83). The feel- imagine there is air above the back molars in the upper
ing of a yawn is only meant as a guide to finding the image of part of the mouth.
'the open throat' (which often is in reality necessary twang).
The feeling of a yawn is NOT the same as singing without un-
controlled constriction however. The open throat is an image Watch out for 'triggers' of uncontrolled constriction
only and therefore does feel differently for different singers. Even if you support and use necessary twang there are still a
few things to be careful of. If you tighten the lips or protrude
the jaw this will often trigger uncontrolled constriction which
The open throat is an image or sensation hinders the voice.
Remember that images and sensations are only meant as You must be careful not to tighten the jaw whilst singing,
a guide. If you do not respond to them immediately, forget especially when you sing high notes. This may produce un-
them. Again, do not confuse these images and sensations controlled constriction that will prevent the vocal cords from
with what is really happening! stretching. If you are not sure if you are opening your mouth
enough when you sing high notes, try placing one or two fin-
You can work in sensations of the image 'an open throat' gers between the upper and the lower teeth while you sing.
when you: Biting on these fingers on vowels is a sign of muscular tension.
inhale for a yawn or a sneeze
sob
laugh silently
are surprised
get a good idea but cannot make yourself heard
imagine that you swallow something big
leave the palate in the same position on all vowels
feel how the uvula moves up and forward, almost touch-
ing itself to make more room . Then 'stretch out' the palate Biting your fingers on high notes may indicate muscular tension

Practise singing without biting your fingers (see 'Opening the constriction. Notice at which points in a song you protrude
Mouth' on page 58). the lower jaw and for what reasons. Practise removing this
uncontrolled constriction. You may also feel the position of
the lower jaw by placing your hands on your cheeks. Lean the
The position of the lower jaw head backwards and feel the position of the jaw. Raise your
When you sing you must also head, and make sure your jaw is kept in this position whilst
be careful about the posi- singing.
tion of the lower jaw. If it is
protruded it might produce
uncontrolled constriction
around the vocal cords. The
natural opening of the jaw is The lower jaw should be pulled
in a BACKWARD and down- inwards compared to the upper jaw
ward, not a forward, motion.

The lower jaw is attached to
the upper jaw by a joint that Avoid tightening the lips
naturally turns the lower jaw Tightening the lips may also produce uncontrolled constric-
downwards and backwards tion around the vocal cords. It is acceptable for the lips to
in relation to the upper jaw tighten on consonants as they only last a very short time.
when the mouth is opened . However, when a note is sustained, it almost always happens
You must always make sure on a vowel, thus it is important to keep the lips relaxed .
that the lower jaw never pro- Maybe practise in front of a mirror and notice at which point
trudes when you sing. the lips tighten. It is all right for the lips to tighten in the low-
er part of your voice, but avoid this in the higher part. You
When the mouth opens the lower jaw
moves downwards and inwards should practise making distinct vowels without tightening
your lips (see 'Pronunciation' on page 53 and 'Opening the
Mouth' on page 58).
Finding the correct position of the jaw
You can locate the correct position of the jaw by pretending
to fall asleep on a bus with your head tilted backwards. No- Summary
tice how the lower jaw is pulled backwards compared to the It is not difficult for the vocal cords to stretch or slacken to reach
upper jaw, leaving room for a finger to fit between the back high or low notes, unless they are hindered by uncontrolled
of the upper teeth and the front of the lower teeth . Keep the constriction.
finger between your teeth, raise your head, and familiarise The task of the constrictor muscles is to constrict the vocal cords
yourself with this position of the jaw. Feel how the lower jaw and windpipe (trachea) during swallowing which stops food
gradually moves away from the finger as the mouth opens from entering the windpipe.
more widely. The constrictors become active when we lift something heavy
Sing with the finger between or become frightened.
your jaws. If the lower teeth you avoid uncontrolled constriction by using proper support, us-
press against the finger there is ing necessary twang and by singing in the centre of the mode.
a risk of creating uncontrolled Avoid protruding the jaw and tightening the lips as this might
trigger uncontrolled constriction.
Find the correct position of the lower
The lower jaw must be opened inwards and downwards during
jaw singing.

Twang
Epiglottic funnel seen from the side Epiglottic funnel seen from above.
Epig lottis
The edges of the Arytenoid cartilages

epiglottic funnel
or aryepiglottic folds
The edges of the
epiglottic funnel or
aryepiglottic folds
Vocal cords
Aryteno id cartilages
Epiglottis
Vocal cords
Q
The more the arytenoid cartilages get closer to the lower part of ep iglottis ,
front - - - - d i r e c t i o n - - - - back the more twanged the sound wi ll become .
The 'Epiglottic Funnel' regardless of the mode, sound colour and effect used. Neces-
Above the vocal cords are two quadrangular membranes sary twang makes it easier to sing in all ways . For many this
known as the 'quadrate membranes'. Together with the epi- necessary twang does not sound twanged at all, but a trained
glottis at the front and the arytenoid cartilages at the back,
they form a funnel like a horn. The sides of this funnel are
called the 'aryepiglottic folds'. The whole funnel is called the
'epiglottic funnel'. You can see the rim of this funnel, or this
horn, when you look down the throat with a mirror or a fibre-
scope. This funnel/horn can be shaped in many ways which
affects the voice and its sound colour.
Necessary twang
When twanging, the opening of the ep iglottic funnel is
made smaller by bringing the arytenoid cartilages closer to
the lower part of epiglottis (the petiole) whereby the sound
gets clearer and non-breathy and you can increase your vol-
ume by 10 - 15 db. You always need some twang, which is
called 'necessary twang', on the notes in order to have correct Twang has great infiuence on the voice. When you twang the voice
technique and to achieve easy, unhindered use of the voice, becomes clearer and more focused . Twang is used in all singing styles .

ear is able to hear that a certain amount of twang is involved. imitate the sound of a very loud ambulance siren '4>) 28
'4>) 164 say 'Meow' (without the o-sound) like a cat or the Russian
word "Niet" '4>) 29
If you add even more twang than this you can achieve a Imitate Andrea in the puppet show 'Kaj & Andrea' '4>) 30
sharper and more penetrating, snarling character, like a
cackle. This is called 'distinct twang'. The more twang (i.e. the Distinct twang is used, for example, in the stereotypical
more the funnel is squeezed), the sharper the sound . American way of speaking (the Southern accent) and often in
country music. It is often mistaken for nasality but has noth-
Thus, we are distinguishing between 'necessary twang' to ing to do with it. In twang, the sound may come through the
obtain clear, unhindered notes with correct technique and mouth and/or through the nose (see 'Nasal Passage' on page
'distinct twang' to obtain a sharper character and lighter 171).
sound colour.
As a singer it is important to practise your twang, both the Distinct twang and vowels
necessary and the distinct one, partly in order to obtain clear, Distinct twang works best with the vowels 'EE' (as in 'see'), 'I'
free notes and partly to be able to alter the sound colour. (as in 'sit'), 'EH' (as in 'stay'), 'OE' (as in 'herb'), and 'A' (as in 'and')
because the tongue in these cases is positioned against the
molars in the upper part of the mouth which helps in twang-
Finding twang ing the epiglottic funnel. 'OH' (as in 'so'), 'O' (as in 'woman'),
In the beginning it is easiest to make twang as distinct as pos- '00' (as in 'you'), and 'AH' (as in 'far') are problematic because
sible in order to train how to produce it. Later, when you can in these vowels the back of the tongue is lowered causing you
control distinct twang, you can practise making it less. In this to lose the twang of the epiglottic funnel. In distinct twang
way, you achieve necessary twang, which to many people 'OH', 'O', '00' is changed into sounding more like an 'OE' (as
does not sound like twang . It is an important tool for singers in 'herb'). 'OH' (as in 'so') is changed into 'OEH'. 'O' is changed
to be able to control their twang. into 'OE'. '00' is changed into 'OOE'. 'AH' is changed into 'A'.
Practise each vowel separately. Listen for the exact vowel

Distinct Twang sounds in the CVT Sound Library.
When the opening of the funnel is made EVEN smaller by
bringing the epiglottis closer to the arytenoid cartilages, the The vowel 'EE' (as in 'see') with distinct twang '4>) 31
sound assumes a much sharper and more penetrating, snarl- The vowel 'I' (as in 'sit') with distinct twang '4>) 32
ing character, like a cackle. This is known as 'distinct twang'. The vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay') with distinct twang '4>) 33
The more squeezed the funnel, the more snarling the sound. The vowel 'A' (as in 'and') with distinct twang '4>) 34
'4>) 163 The vowel '00' (as in 'you') with distinct twang '4>) 35
The vowel 'O' (as in 'woman') with distinct twang '4>) 36
It is easiest to find distinct twang by practising the following The vowel 'OH' (as in 'so') with distinct twang '4>) 37
sounds: The vowel 'AH' (as in 'far') with distinct twang '4>) 38
imitate an infant crying '4>) 22 The vowel 'OE' (as in 'herb') with distinct twang '4>) 39
imitate a duck quacking '4>) 23 The vowel 'UH' (as in 'hungry') with distinct twang '4>) 40
make your voice grating and witch-like '4>) 24
speak like someone who has an evil plan '4>) 25
imitate a diving aeroplane '4>) 26
make the sound of driving a toy car '4>) 27
52 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin w ww. completevocalinstitute.com

Pronunciation
The tensions of language We only work with a satellite vowel when it differs from the
Most singers have individual tensions, but they also have lan- main vowel. For instance the vowel 'AH ' (as in 'far') is a satel-
guage tensions which are inherent to their spoken language. lite vowel to the main vowel 'A' (as in 'and'), but we mention
Every language has characteristic tensions and most sing- 'AH' because it technically works differently than the main
ers unconsciously work these into their voice through many vowel 'A' and therefore often causes problems.
years of usage in speech. Language tensions should not be
confused with accent. If these tensions obstruct singing, it As each vowel is treated technically differently, it is important
is important that they are released as they can lead to vocal to notice which main vowel a certain satellite vowel belongs
misuse. Language tensions come from the language, so it de- to in order to treat it correctly. It may be difficult to choose
pends on the singer's mother tongue as to which technical which main vowel a satellite vowel belongs to so often you
trouble they may encounter in their singing. That is why you must judge at your own discretion and on which vocal mode
can often recognise the nationality of a singer by her/his ten- you want to achieve.
sions, regardless of the language in which they are singing.
You can find a variation of vowel in one language which an-
To avoid most of these tensions you can practise specific other language would state as a completely other vowel.
placements of the tongue on each vowel, thus mainly using What might be a main vowel in one language can very well
the tongue to form the vowel sound and reducing the work be a satelite vowel in another language and vice versa .
of the jaw and lips. By doing this you can avoid the protruded
jaw and the tightening of the lips which often trigger un- The way one treats the vowels in singing and in speaking
controlled constriction and obstruct singing. In this chapter is quite different. In singing you usually sustain the vowels
I will go through how to place the tongue to produce vowel longer than in speaking . When singing, you do not distin-
sounds in order to avoid uncontrolled constriction. guish between long vowels, short vowels or stressed vowels .
In order to avoid uncontrolled constriction during singing,
you usually treat all vowels as long vowels. Besides this, it is
Main vowels and satellite vowels the rhythm in the music that decides the length of the vowels.
In different languages you have different vowels, and in many
languages the various vowels are pronounced differently. For
instance the same vowel sound can be pronounced as a short Focus on the position of the tongue
vowel, a long vowel or as a stressed vowel. Each language has It is important not to destroy the distinctiveness of a language
main vowels and satellite vowels. The main vowels in sing- when you alter the characteristic tensions of a language. You
ing are the ones that are necesssary for obtaining the vocal have to alter how the vowels are produced, by focusing on
modes (for example, the vowels in the chart on page 55). the positioning of the tongue rather than on the muscular
tensions from the language, a protruded jaw and/ or tighten-
So, many languages contain many more vowels than are de- ing the lips. Of course, the vowels should sound as they usu-
scribed in this book. However, we do not have to concentrate ally do. Only the way in which they are produced is different.
on all the different vowels as it is only the main vowels we Note the exact adjustment of the tongue for each vowel. The
have to focus on . The other vowels (the 'satellite vowels') are tongue is a large muscle and it is NOT supposed to be completely
used the same way as the main vowels. relaxed when forming vowels as this would sound odd. '4>) 351
In singing technique we normally only concentrate on the

main vowels because the rules that work for the main vowels Tension in the back of the tongue
also work for the satelite vowels. For instance the vowel 'OE' Because of the fact that the tongue is used during singing,
(as in 'herb') is a satelite vowel to the vowel 'I' (as in 'sit'). many teachers focus excessively on possible tension in the back
of the tongue. In my experience half of all technical problems
Complete Voca l Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin w ww.completevocalinstitute.com 53

in singing blamed on the tension of the back of the tongue are When singing the high notes you do not need to keep the
actually caused by a protruded jaw and tightening of the lips. tongue rigidly in place forthe vowels. Here the tongue can leave
the placements for the vowels and you can open your mouth
However, some singers do push the very back of the tongue more widely as this makes it easier to reach the high notes.
down into the throat which might result in a sound a little
like Kermit from "The Muppet Show". This pressure can stop
the larynx from rising and can make it difficult to reach high The difference between vowels
notes. You can find out whether you have tension in the back Some vowels have a greater tendency to cause uncontrolled
of the tongue by stretching it out of the mouth and holding constriction than others. The mode you choose is very im-
it with your fingers; you can also hold onto it with a handker- portant as each mode has its own set of rules for vowels (see
chief. Sing high and low notes and notice whether the tongue 'Neutral' on page 87, 'Curbing' on page 96, 'Overdrive' on
pulls in. Do not worry if it sounds a little strange. Whilst hold- page 106, and 'Edge' on page 116).
ing the tongue, practise singing scales and songs, regardless Even in the Neutral mode difficult vowels differ from singer
of the mode, without allowing the tongue to be pulled in. Use to singer. Learn how to avoid a protruded jaw and tightening
more support when the tongue tries to pull in. Do not hold the lips, and practise the positioning of the tongue until it feels
on too tightly on the tongue as it may hurt, but practise re- natural. Remember to adjust the vowels so they sound exactly
sisting the urge to pull in. Keep this control when you let go as you want them. There is no reason to accept slurred vowels.
of the tongue and sing normally. The correct position of the tongue on vowels is easily prac-
tised in Neutral. These positions are almost the same in all the
You can also avoid tension in the back of the tongue by modes, so once you have found the correct position for a cer-
means of images and sensations. Imagine: tain vowel in Neutral, you only need a few adjustments when
you have cotton swabs (as used by dentists) under the back you change mode. However, be aware that certain modes in
of the tongue. certain pitches exclude the use of certain vowels.
that the sides of the tongue rise when you sing.
Use the precise vowels

Find the position of the tongue It is very important to make sure that the pronunciation of
To locate the position of the tongue when forming vowels it the vowels is done 100% correctly. Being able to recognise
may be helpful to do the opposite of what you do when you the exact vowel nuance mentioned is equally important in
speak. order for the technique to work in the right way. Therefore,
With 'EE' (as in 'see'), 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'EH' (as in 'stay'), and 'A' (as in it is very important that you take your time to understand
'and') you usually pull the corners of the mouth to the sides. the exact vowel as used in the sound examples from the CVT
Instead, try to form these vowels while relaxing the corners Sound Library (see page 249). As this book is used by sing-
of the mouth. Notice how the tongue places itself in order to ers with various languages and dialects, I would recommend
form the vowel, namely by positioning itself on the molars in everyone to carefully study the sound examples and to learn
the upper part of the mouth. the exact vowel nuance in each case in order to avoid confu-
With 'OH' (as in 'so'), 'O' (as in 'woman'), '00' (as in 'you'), and sion in the difference between the written and the spoken
'AH' (as in 'far') you usually pucker the lips. Now try to smile as vowel.
you say OH, 0, 00 and AH and feel how the tip of the tongue
moves into the lower part of the mouth to form the vowels.
Vowels EE, I, EH, Aand OE
These vowels are grouped together: Try to form these vowels
Exceptions while relaxing the jaw and the corners of your mouth. Notice
In the lower part of the voice you can tighten the lips slightly that you place the sides of the tongue on the molars in the
as the vocal cords are not stretched here. Just remember to upper part of the mouth.
avoid tightening the lips on the high notes.

Placement of the tongue at the various vowe ls
~ (_
~\
EE
Seen from the side
Seen from above

~\ 00
The tongue is not shown from above on

the vowels '00 ', 'O', 'OH ', and 'AH ' as the
tongue hardly touches the upper teeth .
~\ '------= \
~
I
~\
~\ ~ \
The vowel 'EE' (as in 'see') is produced by 0
placing the sides of the tongue close to the
front molars in the upper part of the mouth.
Pull the tip of your tongue 'into itself' and
adjust the vowel so that the vowel sounds
t] ~\
~~\ ~\
exactly as you want. If you think it sounds
too 'woolly' it is because you have pulled
EH OH
the tongue back too far on the molars. In-
~
stead, try to make the sides of the tongue
touch the molars closer to the front teeth
and relax your jaw and lips. '4 >) 8
\\\ ~ \
A ~\ AH ~\
The vowel 'I' (as in 'sit') is produced further
back on the molars in the upper part of the
mouth. '4 >) 9
~/\
The vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay') is produced
even further back on the molars in the up-
per part of the mouth. '4 >) 10
~ \\ ~\
The vowel 'A' (as in 'and') is produced even further back again With the vowel '00' (as in 'you') the tip of the tongue is below
on the molars in the upper part of the mouth. '4>) 11 the front teeth in the lower part of the mouth. '4 >) 12
The vowel 'OE' (as in 'herb') is produced by placing the sides With the vowel 'O' (as in 'woman') the tip of the tongue is po-
of the tongue on the upper molar like on the vowel 'I' (as in sitioned further backward in the lower part of the mouth. '4 >)
'sit') and with slightly rounded lips. '4>) 16 13
With the vowel 'OH' (as in 'so') the tip of the tongue is posi-
Vowels 00, 0, OH and AH tioned all the way back in the lower part of the mouth touch-
The next group of vowels is '00' (as in 'you'), 'O' (as in 'wom- ing the frenum, the small structure that goes from the un-
an'), 'OH' (as in 'so'), and 'AH' (as in 'far'). Make sure the lips are derside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth which can be
not tightened nor rounded . Try to smile as you say '00', 'O', seen in a mirror when lifting the tongue. '4>) 14
'OH' and 'AH' and feel how the tip of the tongue places itself
in the lower mouth to produce the vowels. Notice the exact With the vowel 'AH' (as in 'far') you can place the tip of the
place of the tip of the tongue when you smile and say '00', tongue as you did with 'OH'. Try this and say 'far'. '4>) 15
'O', 'OH ' and 'AH '. The tip of the tongue moves slowly back-
wards vowel by vowel.
Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.comp letevocali nstitute.com 55

Change of vowels up through the voice lead to two different vocal modes. For instance, in 'sane' the
Vowels change as you sing up through the voice. In the low- first part of the diphthong (the EH [])will usually be in Over-
er part of the voice, the sung vowels sound like the spoken drive, whereas the second part of the diphthong (the EE [i])
ones. The higher up you sing, the more they become merged, will usually be in Neutral. If the singer is not aware of this, s/
sounding like each other. '4>) 352 '4>) 353 '4>) 354 Therefore, in he will often experience a break when singing the diphthong
the higher part of the voice it is often difficult to distinguish because the voice might break between the two modes.
between them. You should not prevent the vowels from
merging into one another in the high part of the voice as To avoid this it can be useful only to sing one of the vowels
this may trigger uncontrolled constriction. If you rigidly try sounds in the diphthongs and avoiding the other. For in-
to hold onto the sound of the vowel as it sounds in the lower stance as done in classical singing, singing the first part of the
part of the voice it will be difficult to reach higher notes. diphthong and avoiding the second . Which one you prefer
to prolong and which one you prefer to avoid is of course a
Merged sound
matter of style and taste.
i i i i i i i i i
i i
e e e e e e e e
Sometimes a diphthong triggers uncontrolled constrictions
so it is important to decide which mode you want to sing in
and treat the two vowel sounds in the diphthong accordingly.
You can of course also chose to pronounce both the vowels
sounds in the diphthong or have a break between the vowels
sounds. Again the choice is a matter of style and taste.
Low pitch High pitch
The sound of the vowels in the high part of the voice is referred Consonants
to as 'merged sound'. Merged sound gets more distinct the Unlike vowel production, where the idea is to avoid tighten-
darker the sound you use, i.e. the more classical the singing. ing the lips and protruding the jaw, consonants are produced
The vowels' merged sound is one of the reasons why often the with the help of certain muscular tensions, for example in the
words of songs become harder to understand the higher the lips. These tensions do not hinder singing because in sing-
notes become. The sound of this merged sound is often ining you do not stay on the consonants for any length of time.
terpreted in different ways. Some think that the vowels in the Consonants only make the necessarily short sounds which
merged sound sound like an '00', others like an 'EE' and so on . make the text understandable. If a singer has problems with
As many classical teachers deliberately direct all vowels towards making the words sound clear, it is normally due to indistinct
this merged sound, you often hear the teacher say: "Think 'EE' consonants. Some singers feel that the consonants require
(as in 'see')" when 'EH' (as in 'stay') is sung on a high note. more support than the vowels, as if the consonants 'pull' the
support. Be sure to apply this extra amount of support.
Even though vowels are merged, it should still be possible to un-
derstand the words. Practise with someone else until you have
become accustomed to the sound of vowel changes (or merged Avoid tightening on vowels
sound) as you go up through the various parts of the voice. A singer may tighten the lips on consonants, but it is essential
NOT to remain tightened on the vowel. You must relax the jaw
and lips on the vowel that follows immediately after a conso-
Diphthongs nant otherwise the singing sounds gets impaired. With higher
Some vowels form a union of two vowel sounds pronounced notes, the mouth needs to be wider open. In other words the
in one syllable, e.g. 'ou' in 'out' or 'oi' in 'noise'. You start the 'chewing' motions of the mouth, between tensed consonants
vowel sound in the articulatory position for the first vowel and relaxed vowels, will increase as you sing the words in the
and move towards the position for the second . These are higher parts of the voice. Many singers of popular music have
called diphthongs. Often they are spelled with only one vow- problems with impaired vowels because they forget to release
el but still they need to be pronounced as two, for example the tension of the consonant for the subsequent vowel. '4 >) 355
'sign' [sa!_n] or 'sane' [se1nJ. Diphthongs often cause prob-
lems for singers as the two vowel sounds in the diphthong

Avoid 'relaxing' on consonants of consonants and vowels, and practise the combinations
On the other hand if a singer relaxes TOO much on the con- you think are difficult. Transpose the exercise upwards. ~>) 20
sonants, the text becomes slurred and blurs into the adjacent
vowel sound. This is often a problem for classical singers who Practise octave leaps. Allow the sound of the vowels to
completely avoid tightening on the consonant for fear of de- change a little on the higher notes (merged sound), but make
stroying the large and beautiful sound of the vowel. Again, sure the highest note is just as powerful and sonorous as the
remember to use the necessary 'chewing' motions of the lowest one. Change between the vowels . Transpose the ex-
mouth between consonants and vowels. ~>) 356 ercise upwards . ~>) 21
' jGI J
Developing correct vowels and consonants An octave leap r)
Sing an even, legato scale from the middle part of your voice
<:!start F3
up through an octave and down again. Sing on 'EE' (as in
'see') or whichever vowel you think is easiest and focus on
the position of the tongue. Familiarise yourself with the sup- Train the tongue to make precise words. If you have difficul-
port values needed for your chosen vowel. Remember to pull ties with certain combinations of words, then practise them
the lower jaw back in relationship to the upper jaw. Make sure separately. Combine various words into exercises and prac-
that all notes have the same volume and that you do not trig- tise them until the problems are solved.
ger uncontrolled constriction . ~>) 8
An octave scale
~ JJwJwJr rrJwJwJJ 1
Summary
Each language has its own characteristic tensions.
<:!start F3
Only focus on the main vowels as the other vowels {the satellite
vowels) are used the same way as the main vowels.
Practise the same thing with the vowels 'I' ~>) 9 (as in 'sit'), 'EH' In singing, all vowels are treated like long vowels.
~>) 1O (as in 'stay') and 'A' ~>) 11 (as in 'and') and remember to The vowel sounds should be produced by focusing on the place-
place the sides of the tongue against the molars in the upper ment of the tongue instead of protruding the jaw and tighten-
part of the mouth and avoid protruding the jaw and tightening the lips.
ing the lips. It is very important to make sure that the pronunciation of the
vowels is done 100% correctly.
Practise the vowels '00' ~>) 12 (as in 'you'), 'O' ~>) 13 (as in The vowels 'EE', 'I', 'EH' and 'A' are produced by placing the sides
'woman'), 'OH' ~>) 14 (as in 'so') and 'AH' ~>) 15 (as in 'far'). of the tongue on the molars in the upper part of the mouth.
Avoid pouting the lips and notice the position of the tongue. The vowels 'OH', 'O', '00' and 'AH' are produced by placing the tip
of the tongue in the lower part of the mouth.
Sustain a long note and change between the vowels 'EE - I The vowels start sounding like each other the higher you sing;
- EH - A - 00 - 0 - OH - AH' only by changing the position this is referred to as 'merged sound'.
of the tongue. The jaw and lips should not move from vowel Decide which mode you want to sing in and treat the two vowel
to vowel. Make sure that all vowels are equally sonorous and sounds in a diphthong accordingly.
feel how the support energy needs to increase during the During singing you must tighten the consonants and relax the
note because of the time factor. Finish the note beautifully, vowels.
keeping the necessary twang . ~>) 19
Add consonants and vowels to the scales. The consonants

'tighten' but the vowels must be relaxed. Sing "TEE TEE" and so
on. Later sing "FEE FEE" and so on. Sing various combinations

Opening the Mouth
very low low
Opening of the mouth in different parts of the voice

optional
lower/middle middle/high
high/very high

The opening of the mouth in the lower/middle part you have to open the mouth sideways,
of the voice as though to widen it into a smile, whilst
In the low range and the lower section of the middle part of dropping the jaw.
the voice (i.e. between C4 - A4 for women and between C3
- A3 for men) you can afford to tighten the lips to produce
distinct vowels. This is because the vocal cords do not need The opening of the mouth in the low part of the
much space as they are not stretched. voice
Between G3 - C4 for women and be-
tween G2 - C3 for men you should drop
The opening of the mouth in the middle/high part the jaw to open your mouth as in the
of the voice middle/ high part of the voice.
In the upper section of the middle part of the voice and the
lower section of the high part of the voice (i.e. between A4
- ES for women and between A3 - E4 for men) you have The opening of the mouth in the very low part of
to drop your jaw to open your mouth. If the mouth is not the voice

opened wide enough the sound of the notes will gradually Below G3 for women and below G2 for
become impaired. The aim is to open the men you should drop the jaw and open
mouth gradually and concurrently with the mouth sideways as in a smile as in
the pitch. The higher the pitch, the more the high/very high part of the voice.
you need to open the mouth.
Follow the pitch

The opening of the mouth in the high/very high On smooth scales opening of the mouth must be smooth.
part of the voice During interval jumps the mouth must jump in similar fash-
In the high and very high part of the voice (i .e. above ES ion. Eventually you will learn the exact opening of the mouth
for women and above E4 for men) it is no longer sufficient
to open the mouth by dropping the lower jaw. At this pitch

required for each vowel at each pitch. Often, if you do not
hinder the natural, instinctive opening of the mouth, it will
find the correct position itself. Get to know the movements
of the mouth. Once this becomes a habit you no longer have
to pay attention to the opening of the mouth.
Opening too wide

Some singers open their mouths too wide. This can result in
uncontrolled constriction which makes the notes breathy and
dull. If you think you may be opening your mouth too much
on vowels, try biting on one or two fingers when you sing in
the lower part of your voice and two or three fingers in the
higher parts. The mouth is not supposed to open more than
this when you sing. Now feel how the support is activated
and uncontrolled constriction is avoided once the mouth has
found the correct opening for the pitch. ~>) 357
Don't open your mouth too much during singing.
Summary
In the low range and the lower section of the middle part of the
voice you can afford to tighten the lips as this does not obstruct
the vocal cord vibration
In the upper section of the middle part of the voice, the lower
section of the high part of the voice and in the low part of the
voice you have to drop your jaw to open your mouth
In the high/very high part of the voice and in the very low part
of the voice you have to drop the lower jaw AND open the mouth
sideways, as in a smile
During interval jumps the mouth must jump in similar fashion.

Completion of the note
Avoid completing notes badly
Many singers have problems finishing notes, e.g. the last part
sounds choked, it ends too abruptly, or jarring sounds appear.
This is because there is uncontrolled constriction around the
vocal cords either due to too little support, missing necessary
twang, having a protruded jaw or tightened lips. '4>) 41
Supporting the completion of a note

It is common and understandable that many singers slacken
their support just before finishing a note in order to 'round it
off'. If you wish to round off the note you actually have to add
extra support, as if thinning the note (see 'Volume' on page
64). Just as support must be progressively intensified during
long notes, it must also be sustained to the very end to secure
its quality.
To many singers it seems natural to trigger uncontrolled

constriction when completing a note because they 'run out'
of support. You can prevent this by working in the habit of
maintaining (or even feel you are exaggerating) the twang till
the end of the note. For instance, imagine you are swallowing
something large at the end of the note. When this becomes
familiar you will have secured yourself a good technique for
completing notes and you have also become used to saving a
fair amount of support for the end of a phrase. This 'saved up'
support could also be used to extend the note a bit further
or for doing something artistic, such as finishing the phrase
loudly or thinning the note. '4>) 42
Necessary twang
A necessary amount of twang is needed in order to obtain a
correct technique and to maintain easy, free use of the voice
no matter which vocal mode, sound colour or effect is be-
ing used. This twang makes it easier to sing in all ways (see
'Twang ' on page 51). If the last part of a note sound choked,
jarred or the note ends too abruptly, it can be helpful to
use more twang in order to complete the notes in a better
way. As this is difficult, you should also practise complet-
ing a high note very loudly without triggering uncontrolled
constriction.
60 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadol in www.completevocalinstitute.com

Attacks
The beginning of a vocal sound is called an attack. There are use more twang before the attack. The Overdrive and Edge
various ways of attacking which contribute to the distinctive- attacks is of course useful in practising Overdrive and Edge
ness of a language. (see 'Overdrive' on page 106 and 'Edge' on page 116).
Curbing attack (Half-metallic attack)

Another view on attack (Also known as a 'simultaneous attack')
As attacks are just the start of a sound it might seem strange A Curbing attack is actually just the beginning of a note in
that they have a specific name. At this point I would like to Curbing. ~>) 45
introduce the names of the vocal modes which seem more
logical to me to use instead of the old traditional names for In a Curbing attack the sound is started smoothly. In English,
attacks which are often loaded with prejudices and myths. this attack is often used in words such as 'oil', 'air', 'easy', and
'ear', but can be trained on all words.
In all kinds of singing it is important to respect the rules for
each vocal mode. See the various chapters for each vocal A Curbing attack can be used to practise a gentle, smooth
mode. beginning of the note without a preliminary grated sound or
involuntary release of air. Of course, the Curbing attack is also
useful in practising Curbing (see 'Curbing' on page 96).
Overdrive attack and Edge attack (Full-metallic
attack)
(Also known as a 'glottal attack') Neutral without air attack (Non-metallic attack)
Overdrive and Edge attacks are actually just the beginning of (This attack is also known as a 'simultaneous attack')
a note in either Overdrive ~>) 46 or Edge ~>) 47. A Neutral without air attack is actually just the beginning of a
note in Neutral without air. ~>) 44
In Overdrive and Edge attacks the sound starts abruptly. It
might sound quite dramatic, but there is nothing harmful in In a Neutral without air attack the sound is started smoothly,
performing this sound . On the contrary, it is a small, natural just as in Curbing attack. In English, Neutral without air attack
movement for the vocal cords. In English, this attack is nor- is often used in words such as 'oil', 'air', 'easy', and 'ear', but can
mally used in words such as 'every', 'altitude', 'envelope', and be trained on all words .
'interesting', but can be trained on all words.
Traditional singing tuition does not distinguish between a
If your voice is healthy there is no reason to be anxious about Neutral without air attack and a Curbing attack. They are con-
using Overdrive and Edge. Previously the Overdrive and Edge sidered same.
attacks were often mistaken for uncontrolled constriction
simply because of the loud sound. The Overdrive and Edge A Neutral without air attack can be used when you want the
attacks have nothing to do with uncontrolled constriction. same sound as a the Curbing attack but without the metallic
These days it is known that uncontrolled constriction causes character. This can be difficult to perform but will be easier
voice strain, whereas Overdrive and Edge do not. to find if you use more twang before the attack. This type of
attack is also perfect for practising pianissimo (pp) and thin-
The Overdrive and Edge attacks can be useful for practising a ning (see 'Volume' on page 64). Of course, the Neutral with-
non-breathy attack without a preliminary grated sound or air. out air attack is also useful in practising Neutral without air
It may be easier to find the Overdrive and Edge attacks if you (see 'Neutral' on page 87).

For many years Curbing attack and Neutral without air attack It is equally important to be aware of how much support en-
were the only ones 'allowed' in singing tuition because they ergy is required for a given vocal mode, and to arrive at this
were considered the healthiest type. This is because singing level before the note is sung. If you begin the note before you
tuition was dominated by a classical ideal where a gentle and have sufficient support energy, it will result in a bad attack,
controlled attack was considered the most beautiful type as and the throat will probably constrict. Therefore you must
it produced the desired sound colour. Consequently this at- achieve the required support value BEFORE you sing the note.
tack was considered to be the healthiest one. Nowadays we
know that all attacks are equally healthy if performed cor- Make sure to twang sufficiently in order to obtain a clear and
rectly. Likewise we know that all attacks are equally damag- precise attack. If you experience preliminary grated sounds
ing if performed incorrectly. or imprecise attacks, you can correct these by twanging more
(see 'Twang' on page 51).
Neutral with air attack (Non-metallic attack)

(also known as a 'breathy attack') Exercise for attack
A Neutral with air attack is actually just the beginning of a Practise each of the attacks by singing up through five notes,
note in Neutral with air. ~>) 43 repeating the highest note three times, then singing down
through the five notes and repeating the lowest note three
In the Neutral with air attack you release a certain amount of times.
air before the vocal cords come together for sound produc- The idea of the ascending scale is to feel the gradual increase
tion. In English, this air is clearly heard as an 'H' sound prior in support energy needed. You must be aware of the support
to the note. This attack is used in words such as 'house', 'hun- value needed for the highest note. Breathe and recreate the
dred', 'horse', and 'hey', but can be trained on all words. exact same support value. Delay singing until you think you
have the correct support value. Sing the note and listen to
This type of attack is, of course, perfect for practising Neutral whether your support value is correct. If it is incorrect the
and for learning how to add air to your voice. This is useful if attack will not be as intended. Adjust the support value to
you want a softer or quieter sound, or if you want to add air make a good attack and remember this value for the follow-
to your sound (see 'Neutral' on page 87). ing notes. When you find the exact support value for a given
note, memorise it. Sing down through the five notes and find
the exact support value for the lowest note. Remember this
Attacks are just the beginning value, find and use the exact same support value for the fol-
Attacks only tell you something about the beginning of the lowing notes. Make sure all the attacks are perfect and then
note. Starting the note in one vocal mode doesn't mean that transpose the exercise beginning half a note higher each
you have to go on singing in that vocal mode. For instance, it time.
is possible to choose an Overdrive attack on a Neutral note
etc.
d' start F3
Support and twang ensure healthy attacks

All attacks are a natural part of the language and are not
harmful in themselves. Uncontrolled constriction, on the con- Practise Edge attacks ~>) 47 Overdrive attacks ~>) 46 Curbing
trary, is harmful so therefore it is essential to maintain sup- attacks ~>) 45 and Neutral without air attacks ~>) 44 Neutral
port and keep the twang on an attack. with air attacks ~>) 43 in this way.

Summary
An attack is just the beginning of a note
The Overdrive attack is the beginning of a note in Overdrive, also
called 'full -metallic attack' or 'glottal attack'.
The Edge attack is the beginning of a note in Edge, also called
'full -metallic attack' or 'glottal attack'.
The Curbing attack is the beginning of a note in Curbing, also
called 'half-metallic attack' or 'simultaneous attack'.
The Neutral without air attack is the beginning of a note in Neu-
tral without air, also called 'non-metallic attack' or 'simultane-
ous attack'.
The Neutral with air attack is the beginning of a note in Neutral
with air, also called 'non-metallic attack' or 'breathy attack'.
All attacks are equally healthy when performed correctly and
equally unhealthy when performed incorrectly.
Using support and twang ensures healthy attacks
Starting a note in an attack in one vocal mode doesn't mean
that you have to continue singing in this vocal mode.

Volume
Get to know your volume energy to maintain intensity and avoid breathiness. They also
It is important that a singer knows the range of volume of need extra support energy to keep the small air stream even
her/his voice. Start by finding out how loud and how quiet in order to avoid uncontrolled constriction . Pianissimo and
you are able to sing. Fix the values of these volumes, the qui- thinning are usually signs of a good vocal technique.
etest being 1 and the loudest being 10. Now practise the gra- Thinning is when a note is made gradually quieter until it
dations between 1 and 10. Practise finding an exact volume finishes in pianissimo. You can call thinning a refined decre-
and be aware of the connection between volume and sup- scendo. Thinning requires yet more support energy in order
port energy. to ensure the quality of the note; this is also due to the inter-
vening time factor (see 'Support' on page 27).
Once you are aware of the exact volume and support value
needed for a certain note in a certain vocal mode, you can al- Pianissimo and thinning must be performed in Neutral. They
ways find this note by applying exactly this volume and sup- are difficult to do and they are usually the last part of a sing-
port value. Such volume and support value awareness will er's technique to be perfected. However, pianissimo and thin-
give you great bodily awareness which is an invaluable tool ning exercises are very useful for improving your technique.
in controlling your singing. For instance, practising thinning is a good way to exercise
maintaining necessary twang. '4>) 48
Getting to know the volumes of the vocal modes Be sure to twang sufficiently in order to obtain perfect thin-
Often you have to change between the vocal modes in order ning. If during thinning you experience unintentional distor-
to obtain the desired volume. In general, Neutral should be tion or the note stops too early or the note loses its sound,
sung in volumes 1 to 4, Curbing in volumes 4 to 7, and Over- then it is probably because you have lost your necessary
drive and Edge in volumes 7 to 10. Never sing louder than you twang . In these instances is it helpful if you use a more dis-
have the support for in any of the chosen vocal modes. tinct twang and even increase the twang during the thinning
process (see 'Twang ' on page 51) .
Be aware that every volume needs a different level of sup-
port energy in a different vocal mode. Remember that at the Be aware to not use the flageolet below high C (women C6,
extremes of a vocal mode, i.e. at the loudest and quietest men CS, see the illustration page 66) as a substitute for pia-
volumes within the vocal mode, more support is required . nissimo, as the usual principles of singing technique will not
Furthermore, notice that certain volumes are not possible in work, and you risk practising a split in your voice (see page 79).
certain vocal modes. See 'Volumes and Modes' on pages 141
- 148 for further study.
Exercise for pianissimo and thinning
Sing a note in Neutral at an easy volume, make sure the note
Metallic modes is non-breathy and comfortable. Sing the note one octave
More powerful volumes can be obtained by using metall ic higher, making sure that the upper note is as sonorous and
modes. (See 'Curbing' on page 96, 'Overdrive' on page 106 powerful as the first one. '4>) 48
and 'Edge' on page 116).
An octave leap
Pianissimo and thinning
cf start F3
Pianissimo (pp) or 'mezza voce' are terms for a very low vol-
ume. Pianissimo tones require large amounts of support

If the attack fails or has an unintentional distortion you can Make a decrescendo on a sustained note. Start the note loud-
practise the attack with more twang. Take care to provide ly ('f' or 'forte') and gradually decrease the volume. Feel how
enough support for this difficult attack. Now thin the note, the support value and the twang have to be increased even
keep the twang the whole time, and feel how it gradually re- though the volume is being lowered. This is partly because
quires more support the longer you sing. Be sure to avoid un- singing quietly requires a large amount of support and twang
controlled constriction all the way through thinning. It is of- to avoid uncontrolled constricting the throat, and partly be-
ten helpful to gradually open your mouth more and more, but cause of the intervening time factor. Save enough support
be careful not to lose the twang as the sound then becomes energy to be able to complete the note in pianissimo. '4>) 50
breathy. Breathy sounds are caused by the mouth being too
Decreasing
open, or the twang or the support being lost. Now gradually the volume ,
reduce the volume of the note and at the same time increase decrescendo
0 0
the twang to ensure the quality of the note. If the note sud-
cf start C4
denly disappears you should apply a little more twang and
support for it to return. The point at which the note disap-
pears is called the 'minimum limit'. Become familiar with your Now make a crescendo and a decrescendo on the same note.
own minimum limits for pianissimo and thinning. They vary Start a note in Neutral with a quiet volume and slowly increase
from singer to singer and with training can be refined. the volume to loud, change mode if necessary, then decrease
the volume again until the note finishes in pianissimo. Also
practise scales with crescendo and decrescendo. Remember
Changing the volume to use the increased amount of support energy and twang
Increasing the volume is called 'crescendo'. Decreasing the required for both crescendo and decrescendo. '4>) 51
volume is called 'decrescendo'. When you want to make a
Increasing and
crescendo or a decrescendo it is important to have sufficient decreasing the
support. This is secured by supporting as though working volume , crescendo

and decrescendo 0 0
against a resistance (see 'Inner Support' on page 31). Many
cf start C4
singers have a tendency to slacken the support energy and
the twang on a decrescendo and this triggers uncontrolled
constriction, impairing the sound. Remember the three over-
all principles: using support, necessary twang and avoid pro- Summary
truding the jaw and tightening the lips when making a cre- Learn to recognise the volumes in your voice from 1to10.
scendo or a decrescendo. In general, Neutral should be sung in volumes 1 to 4, Curbing in
volumes 4 to 7, and Overdrive and Edge in volumes 7 to 10.
Make a crescendo on a sustained note. Start in Neutral with A more powerful volume can be obtained by using metallic
a quiet volume ('p' or 'piano') and gradually increase the vol- modes; the more metallic the mode, the more powerful the
ume. Feel the increased support value required to maintain volume.
the sound . Keep the twang. Save enough support energy to Pianissimo and thinning require large amounts of support en-
finish the note beautifully. '4>) 49 ergy and twang.
Both crescendo (increasing the volume) and decrescendo (de-
Increasing the
volume , creasing the volume) require more support energy and twang.
crescendo
0 0
cf start C4

Pitch (Registers)
A register is a specific range of notes. A register is a man-made So registers are NOT names of sound . The various pitches do
name for a pitch area and has nothing to do with volume or not have a specific sound. For example, the note AO may be
sound of the voice or the way you sing. I have seen so many sung in various vocal modes and with many different sound
singers get confused by the term 'register', because the same colours, but it is still positioned in the low part of the voice for
term is used with many different meanings. Some speak of women and in the middle part of the voice for men, whatever
pitch when they speak of register, some speak of sound col- the sound. Only the pitch can tell you which part of the voice
our and some speak of volume. In order to prevent confusion (register) you are in, NOT the sound.
I therefore avoid using the term 'register'. If I mean pitch I use
'pitch', if I mean volume I use 'volume' and if I mean sound The range of the human voice is most commonly divided into
colour I use 'sound colour'. live parts of the voice (registers) . Some divide the range into
2, 3, 4, or 7 parts. Each part of the voice has a name of its own.
The vocal cords work like rubber bands. The more they stretch
the higher notes you can reach. As there are no transitions or In order to avoid the confusion that has troubled singers for
breaks on a rubber band, there are no transitions or breaks far too long, from now on I will avoid using the word 'regis-
in the voice. The various breaks and transitions that singers ter' and I will only refer to the actual meaning of the word,
might experience are due to changes in vocal modes - not namely 'pitch':
changes in registers. But it takes time to wipe out the old Instead of 'sub-register' I will use the term 'the very low
myth that the unwanted breaks are due to a change in regis- part of the voice'
ter. Therefore many singers use a disproportionate amount of Instead of 'chest voice' I will use the term 'the low part of
time concentrating on equalising imaginary register chang- the voice'
es . This is a waste of time. The division of registers is just a Instead of 'mixed register' I will use the term 'the middle
name for a man-made division of pitch and this has nothing part of the voice'
to do with the use of the voice (see 'Solving unintentional vo- Instead of 'head voice' or 'falsetto' I will use the term 'the
cal breaks' on page 76 for a more thorough explanation of high part of the voice'
unwanted breaks).
J_ ~.
Fl/ G( G# I A
--
A# I B> C2
- -- -- - - - - - - ' - - - -
C3
- - _
I
i,.::-
_
C4
_ _ __ ___,
I C5 C6
-1-...__ _...__
C7
- - -
9 very low low midd le high very high
_sf__ v_e r_y_lo_w_ __ __lo_w middle high very high

Instead of 'flute register' or 'high falsetto' I will use the term the chest resonance decreases up through this part of the
'the very high part of the voice'. voice. This part of the voice is also known by the French term
'voix mixte'. Here the vocal cords stretch and become thinner
and no longer vibrate with a full width in the closed phase.
The very low part of the voice
(also known as 'sub-register' or 'pulse-register'): is for women
below C3, and for men below C2. ~>) 358* The high part of the voice
(also known as 'head register' for women or 'falsetto' for
The very low part of the voice is below the low part of the men): is for women CS to C6, and for men above C4. ~>) 361 *
voice. In this part of the voice the vocal cords vibrate slowly
and possibly only produces very little sound every other vi- In this part of the voice the vocal cords are even more
bration, making the note sound an octave lower. This part of stretched. In the high part of the voice the chest resonance
the voice is heard in a small island off the coast of Bahrain is completely replaced by a resonance in the head. You can-
where the pearl fishers on long pearling raids sing notes in not feel resonance in the head as clearly as in the chest, but
the very low part of the voice, while professional singers are in certain cases it may feel as if the head 'rings along'. Many
hired to sing a melody above. This part of the voice can be singing teachers call it singing singing 'between the eyes' etc.
trained like all the other parts of the voice. The vocal cords are stretched and therefore become thinner.
The low part of the voice The very high part of the voice and the flageolet
(also known as the 'chest register'): is for women below C4, (also known as 'flute register' for women or '(high) falsetto'
and for men below C3. ~>) 359* for men): is for women above C6, and for men above CS.
~>) 362 *
The vocal cords do not need to be

stretched much in order to reach the
notes in this part of the voice. In the low
part of the voice there is resonance in the Flageolet
breastbone (sternum). You can feel the
chest resonance as a buzzing by plac- Very high notes (above the high C) are created by increased
ing one hand on the breastbone when muscular tensions preventing parts of the vocal cords from
you sing. The vocal cords are short, thick, vibrating. This is called the 'vocal flageolet' or just 'flageolet'.
relaxed, and vibrate with a 'full width' in Here usually only the front part of the vocal cords are vibrat-
the closed phase. ing. In the flageolet the cords do not vibrate in their entire
length but within a shorter area at the front that can be in-
creased or decreased. The effect is quicker vibrations and
The middle part of the voice therefore higher notes.
(also known as 'mixed register'): is for women C4 to CS, and This is like what guitarists do when they touch a string ex-
for men C3 to C4. ~>) 360* actly in its middle after plucking it; the string becomes half
its length and vibrates at twice the frequency. The sound be-
In this part of the voice the vocal cords stretch to reach high- comes an octave higher. This is called a 'flageolet'.
er notes, and the resonance gradually leaves the breastbone
and is replaced by resonance in the head (see section on the To sing above a high C you have to use the flageolet. Without
high part of the voice). You may feel in the breastbone how the flageolet these notes cannot be reached. However, most

singers do not feel the usage of the tlageolet in the very high sing in flageo let below High C but it can cause potential trou-
part of the voice. If you use the correct technique the voice ble (see 'Using flageolet below High C' on page 78 or 'Solving
will automatically use the tlageolet in the very high part of the split of the voice' on page 79).
the voice.
Summary
Aregister is just the name for a specific range of notes; it has
nothing to do with the sound of the voice or the way you sing.
The various breaks and transitions that singers might experi-
ence are due to changes in vocal modes, not changes in registers.
The very low part of the voice (also known as 'sub-register')
The low part of the voice (also known as 'chest register')
The middle part of the voice (also known as 'mixed register')
The high part of the voice (also known as 'head register' for
On the illustration the first 3 drawings illustrate the length women and 'falsetto' for men)
stretchening of the vocal cords. As the note gets higher the The very high part of the voice (also known as 'flute register' for
vocal cords get longer, at the high C the cords cease to vibrate women and '(high) falsetto' for men).
in their entire length allowing usually only the frontal part to To reach notes above a High C(C6) you have to use the flageolet.
vibrate. This creates quicker vibrations and therefore higher Using the flageolet below High Ccan cause potential trouble or
notes. The higher the note from here the shorter the vibrat- confusion.
ing area at the front becomes.
*) ~ >) 358 - 362: To avoid confusing register and sound of
Below the high C it is possible to sing in either full length vi - voice, the piano sound is predominant in these sound exam-
bration or in tlageolet. It is not dangerous for the vocal cords ples. The voice in the background is only added to make it
to sing in tlageolet below the high C but it can cause poten - easier to locate the pitch.
tial trouble or confusion.
All men have flageolet but it is possible that not all women
have this part of the voice. If at some point in her adult life a
woman has reached notes above C6 she has this part of the
voice. This part of the voice may be trained like all other parts.
Fo r men this part of the voice is called either 'falsetto' or the
'high falsetto'. For women this part is also called the 'flute reg-
ister', 'pipe register' or the 'flageolet register'.
Using the flageolet

Above a High C (C6) you will have to use the tlageolet. How
to t rain it is described in 'Training the very high part of the
voice' (next page).
Below a high Cit is possible to sing in either full length vibra-

tion or in flageolet. It is not dangerous for the vocal cords to
68 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevoc alinstitute.com

Training the extreme parts of the voice
Training the very low part of the voice as if you are speaking while sucking in rather strongly. Try to
The very low part of the voice is best trained by means of imagine a high note 'sung inwards' on the vowel '00'. (Nb:
twang and Edge (see 'Twang' on page Sl and 'Edge' on pages this is just a sensation; do not sing while you inhale). Feel this
116 - 127). Twang the notes as much as possible and try to sensation and now try to sing a note above C6 for women and
maintain the full-metallic sound as much as possible, while above CS for men with this sensation. The higher the note,
you gradually sing lower in pitch. At a certain time you will the more you must increase this sensation. Feel how much
most likely lose the full metal (Edge), but continue practicing support and twang the individual notes need, and practise
with as much distinct twang as possible and use a lot of sup- the required values of support and twang until you automati-
port. You will experience the low notes gradually becoming cally apply this amount.
stronger and at a certain time you can obtain them in Edge.
This means that you are using the distinct twang as like a
drill for drilling your way downwards in pitch, and when the
notes are practised sufficiently with the twang they can be
obtained in the full-metallic sound (Edge). Practise singing as
much in the centre of the mode as possible (see 'Centre of the
mode' on page 83). Be patient, it requires a lot of accuracy to
work on the very low notes. Be sure that the notes never hurt
or feel uncomfortable at any time. '4>) 52
Training the very high part of the voice/ using the

flageolet
Practise notes above the high C as you would practise any
other notes.Start practising the notes in a comfortable pitch
and make sure each note is in the centre of the mode and
then work your way up with clear, resonant, well-supported
notes. Be sure to raise the larynx and twang more the higher
the pitch. When you reach C6 for women and CS for men just
continue this way. This way you gradually get into the very
high part of the voice without breaks or changes. Practise
these high notes just like other notes. Sing scales and inter-
vals until you have worked in the exact support values re-
quired to achieve free and unhindered notes and to prevent
uncontrolled constriction. '4>) 53
Above a high C the flageolet is used in order to reach the

notes. You do not have to do anything specific to obtain
the flageolet; it appears automatically when you sing notes
above a high C. Only make sure that you use correct singing
technique and a great deal of twang when singing in the very
high part of the voice. Some singers experience the flageolet
as a new way of producing notes. The flageolet might feel

Range and Types of Voices
Children's voices boyish pitch (which is often in Neutral) and the low, manly
At birth babies' vocal cords are about 3 mm long. A year later pitch (which is often in Overdrive). Eventually, the cords have
they have almost doubled in length to about 5.5 mm. Over grown so long that the voice are able to settle in the lower
the next 12-14 years the cords grow slowly but steadily to octave.
reach a length of about 9.5 mm before puberty. Young boys
and girls have similar voices, high and light, because their vo- When their voices break, many boys become a laughing stock
cal cords are equally small and short. This is why the range and can develop a negative attitude towards their voice. They
of children's voices is limited and the pitch somewhat higher begin to doubt their instrument as it might 'fail ' them . They
than those of adult voices. Adults must take this into account often feel as if the voice is beyond their control, and at this
if they want to sing with children . Often adults set a key that is point many boys lose interest in the voice as an instrument,
too low for children to follow, and if the notes are too high or thinking it too unreliable.
too low children often go up or down an octave in the middle
of a song without thinking about it. I would like to encourage everyone who deals with pubes-
cent boys to be aware of this problem. It is essential that boys
It is essential NOT to make demands on children to sing in are not humiliated! Although they cannot help their voices
tune too early in life. Often the result is that the child devel- breaking, they still feel betrayed when it happens. Do not
ops an inhibited attitude to singing. Give them time to ad- let them develop a problem that they will have to fight later
just to the notes. It is also essential not to interfere with their on in life. The fact that many men have had bad experiences
breathing. Young children are not able to co-ordinate or con- with singing from puberty might explain why fewer men
sciously control their breathing. To them it is an unconscious than women sing as amateurs.
process that you will disrupt if you make them focus on it.
Avoid correcting their breathing and their support until they
have been in puberty for a couple of years. During puberty, Girls' voices at puberty
young people become more conscious of their bodies and Girls' voices also change during puberty, but girls' sex hor-
consequently they are able to adjust things without ruining mones do not affect the voice as much as boys' hormones do.
the natural processes. During puberty, girls' vocal cords grow more evenly, on aver-
age 4 mm, and the pitch lowers by only about 2-3 notes. The
I suggest that when working with children and young peo- transition is more gradual without great audible differences.
ple you avoid technical issues. Instead, work from a musical After puberty, the cords of grown women measure about 12
point of view, concentrating on songs, expression, phrasing, -17mm.
rhythm, and so on .
Voices of men and women

Boys' voices at puberty When boys' voices have finished 'breaking', the larynx and
During male puberty, the larynx and the vocal cords grow in cords are about twice their original size. The vocal cords vi-
response to male sex hormones. The vocal cords grow thicker brate more slowly and now men speak and sing a fifth or a
and longer by an average of 10 mm. After puberty, as adults, sixth lower than women. In most men the larynx is visible
the cords are about 17-24 mm in length. These changes usu- (e.g. the Adam's apple) which is rarely seen in women or in
ally happen so fast that boys cannot keep up with controlling children. The vocal cords of women are smaller, lighter and
their voices. When their vocal cords grow, the voice gradu- can vibrate faster which enables them to reach higher notes.
ally becomes darker and the pitch lowers by about an oc- The sound colour of the voice is determined by the size and
tave. During this time the voice 'breaks' between the high, form of the vocal tract (see 'Sound Colour' on page 158).
70 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalin stitute.com

Voices of the elderly a greater degree. In fact, popular material is often sung by a
When singers begin to lose their physical shape and strength completely different type of voice from the one it was origi-
it is initially detectable in the vibrato. What is known as an nally written for in a conscious attempt to renew the song.
'old person's voice' or an 'old person's vibrato' is usually a sign
that the singer is not applying enough support. The voice be- Outside the classical world the terms 'soprano', 'alto', 'tenor',
comes unstable and frail and the vibrato grows larger. and 'bass' are generally used for 'top voice' (soprano), 'middle
voice' (alto and tenor), and 'low voice' (bass) respectively in
Some people think the range of a voice changes with age so choir work, regardless of which sound colour the voices have.
that higher notes actually disappear, but usually it is the phys-
ical strength that becomes insufficient. So it is very important
for elderly singers to keep their strength, be in good physical Summary
shape and have a good technique. Before puberty boys and girls have similar small vocal cords,
about 9.5 mm.
As the years go by the singer will often feel that more support During puberty boys' vocal cords grow about 10 mm, and there-
energy is required for the notes. If this energy is not provided, by the pitch lowers by about an octave. During puberty girls' vo-
the vibrato increases and will be heard more clearly. If you cal cords grow on average around 4 mm, and the pitch lowers by
keep in physical shape, however, there is nothing to prevent only about 2-3 notes.
you from singing until you grow tired of it. The cords of grown women measure about 12 -17 mm and the
cords of grown men measure about 17-24 mm, therefore men
sing and speak a fifth or a sixth lower than women.
Types of voices It is important for elderly singers to be in good physical shape,
In classical music and choral singing, voice types are often keep their strength and have a good technique if they want to
classified according to the following denominations: sing until they grow tired of it
'Soprano' is the light female voice Types of voices (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) are used in the pro-
'Mezzo-soprano' or its abbreviation 'Mezzo' is the broader, fessional classical world for the various sound colours singers
darker female voice have. In the choir world and in the non-professional classical
'Alto' is the darkest female voice world they are used for how high and low in pitch the singer
'Tenor' is the light male voice can sing.
'Baritone' is the broader, darker male voice
'Bass' is the darkest male voice
Different use of the denominations

In professional choir work it is important to group types of
voices separately, as choral works are often composed with a
strong emphasis on the composition of sound colours.
Knowledge of one's voice type is also essential for the classi-
cal soloist as convention often demands a particular type of
voice for a given piece of music.
These denominations are not important to popular soloists.

Types of voices are not classified categorically in popular mu-
sic. In this music the individuality of singers is appreciated to
Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin w ww.completevocalinstitute.com 71

Fine-Tuning
The voice will find the right pitch Everybody can miss a note
The human voice usually works perfectly when you make your Everybody, including even the most skilled professional sing-
first scream . A newborn baby rarely becomes hoarse, in spite of ers, misses a note from time to time. The voice requires very
the powerful volume, because the interaction between breath- fine tuning and everybody tunes a bit incorrectly sometimes.
ing, support and voice is correct. As you grow and develop you Perhaps there was insufficient support, or the energy level
can acquire bad habits in the form of uncontrolled constriction was a bit lower than usual, or the voice required a bit MORE
that prevents the voice from working perfectly. Singers, there- energy on this day than usual, or you did not inhale prop-
fore, have to intervene in certain unconscious processes, but erly before the note, or the monitoring conditions were not
not everything has to be controlled and corrected. adequate. There may be a number of reasons why a note is
not exactly where you want it to be. As a singer you must,
The ability of the vocal cords to stretch to the required length of course, be aware of all these circumstances and adjust to
in order to reach a certain pitch is actually beyond our con- them when something is wrong . But well-intentioned com-
scious control. It is acquired over the years by refining pitch ments from others which simply focus on whether the note is
with our hearing, assisted by muscle memory (see 'Muscle in tune or not can do more harm than good.
memory' on page 12) and by practising hitting the centre of
the mode. If a singer had no idea how to sing a note and the
voice was unable to act on its own, singing teachers would 'Unworthy' of being out of tune?
be entirely powerless. In short, the task of a singing teacher It is often very stressful for a singer to be told thats/he is sing-
is to hear how a singer, through uncontrolled constriction, ing out of tune. A lot of guilt is felt from singing out of tune.
prevents a natural pitch adjustment from taking place, and to It implies it is the singer's fault, thats/he has 'bad hearing' or
help the singer remove the uncontrolled constriction so the 'is unmusical! ' The singer is immediately reduced to feeling
voice can find the note without hindrance. second rate, with the threat that this will never change un-
less the problem is solved instantly. What else are you likely
Being able to find the right pitch within a note is known as to do on receiving such a verdict but start creating further
'correct intonation'. Every note has a defined pitch (i.e. num- constriction?! This relentless focusing on being in tune can for
ber of pulsation per second). Around that pitch the note can instance make studio sessions very stressful. It requires con-
be slightly higher or lower without becoming the next note. siderable self-confidence to maintain your self-esteem when
You judge a note as being 'out of tune' when it is either higher sound engineers and producers are silently pronouncing
or lower than the defined pitch, but still within the environs death sentences on your career every five minutes. I have seen
of the target note. excellent, professional singers badly shaken by somebody
mentioning they were out of tune. The problem worsens as
you apparently cannot correct the mistake immediately. It of-
Poor pitching is caused by uncontrolled constriction ten feels, in fact, as if being in tune is beyond your control.
I believe the voice finds the most appropriate way of working
all by itself, if you do not interfere. Therefore, I do not believe
poor pitching is due to 'bad hearing'. It is caused by uncon- Practice better pitch by avoiding uncontrolled
trolled constriction preventing the vocal cords from stretching, constriction
making the notes unreachable. At this point it is useless for the I prefer to tackle this problem in another way. I do not im-
singer to focus on being out of tune as it usually just makes the mediately point out that a note is out of tune as this often
problem worse. The singer gets the feeling that s/ he actively embarrasses a singer. I record the out-of-tune note and use
has to make an effort for the note to stay in tune, but increased it to look for uncontrolled constriction. I allow the singer to
activity usually just worsens the uncontrolled constriction . If continue singing out of tune until I have located the uncon-
the singer does not know how to release the uncontrolled controlled constriction and then I make the singer focus on that
striction, it will only make it worse to focus on the problem. instead. This way we can go directly onto solving the problem

without spoiling the work with disturbing and discouraging Practise tuning the note higher than the defined pitch but
emotions. without changing up to the next note. '4 >) 318
In my experience when uncontrolled constriction is avoided Then sing a note and practise singing it lower than the de-
the note becomes in tune as a natural extension of healthy fined pitch. Feel that if you are TOO low you go down to the
singing technique. In other words, being in tune is a benefit next note. '4>) 31 9
of correct and healthy singing technique.
Practise tuning the note lower than the defined pitch but
without changing down to the next note. '4>) 320
Refining the pitch
Singing higher or lower than the defined pitch is an artistic Practise getting precise control over your intonation so you
choice. If a listener judges you to be 'out of tune' it may be are able to change from higher intonation into the defined
because, without realising it, s/he has another taste or pitch pitch. '4 >) 321
habit which is different to yours.
You can prepare for this by, in safe surroundings, learning the Practise getting precise control over your intonation so you
difference between high or low intonation (singing higher or are able to change from lower intonation into the defined
lower than the defined pitch) and being able to control both. pitch. '4 >) 322
It is better to practise this at home in 'safe' surroundings than
on stage! From then on, if a listener judges a note to be 'out
of tune', you can ask her/him to specify whether s/he wants Summary
it higher or lower than the defined pitch . Then it is up to the Poor pitching is caused by uncontrolled constriction preventing
singer to make the artistic choice as to whether the intona- the vocal cords from working perfectly.
tion should be changed or not. Poor pitching is not due to 'bad hearing'.
Focusing on being out of tune just makes the problem worse as
it causes uncontrolled constriction
When uncontrolled constriction is released the note is in tune.
Exercise for fine-tuning Being in tune is a benefit of correct and healthy singing
Sing a note and practise singing it higher than the defined technique.
pitch. Feel that if you are TOO high you go up to the next It is a part of an artistic choice to sing higher or lower than the
note. '4>) 317 defined pitch.
Around the defined pitch the note can be slightly higher or lower witho ut becom ing 'out of tune'
A> A Al
pitch ing low
~
in tune pitc hing high pitch ing low in tune pitching high pitching low
r ............,............ ........................ .............,............

+N
+ N
+
, in tune
N
pitch ing high
I I I
<D
[;-;
defined pitch~~ ""'

Tone-deafness
'Tone-deafness' does not exist who wish to tackle their problem in spite of everything, have
I have met many so-called 'tone-deaf' people who have had my deepest respect.
difficulty singing in tune. All these people have been able

to work on their problem . By correcting their singing tech-
niques and releasing uncontrolled constriction they have Working with 'tone-deaf' people
learnt to distinguish between the notes and gained the abil- I start by working on breathing, as it is difficult for anybody
ity to sing in tune. to control singing without having a solid technique. These
breathing exercises do not involve the singing of notes so it is
possible to work without emotions getting in the way. Then
'Tone-deafness' is caused by uncontrolled we practise support and by this many of the uncontrolled
constriction constrictions are detected.
Singers who are called 'tone-deaf' often have severe uncon-
trolled constriction around their vocal cords. Usually they When you begin to link support and the voice the notes are
have had this uncontrolled constriction for such a long time unimportant, as we can simply concentrate on the sound col-
that they no longer feel it. One often finds psychological rea - our and the sensation of singing. It can be quite a relief to
sons for this uncontrolled constriction . Often it's because sing without having to think about pitch. I ask a singer which
the singer has been thoroughly deprived of her/ his self- vocal modes and sound colours s/he wants, and we work un-
confidence regarding the voice at an early age. You can lose til s/he is satisfied with her/his choices. At this point the singer
your self-confidence for many reasons: being singled out in is deeply involved in the work, which has been neglected for
the school choir as the one spoiling the sound, being called many years . I accompany the exercises, but the actual notes
a 'foghorn', being excused from singing in music lessons be- are sti ll unimportant, the singer sings as well ass/ he can. The
cause 'it does not sound good', being picked on when your more free the voice becomes whilst working with sound col-
voice was breaking, being rejected by a singing teacher, be- ours, the more the pitch starts to correspond to what I am
ing the laughing stock of your family when singing Christmas playing . Little by little, the singer sings the notes I play with-
and birthday songs and so on. When so-called 'tone-deaf' out thinking about it.
people experience enough discouragement they lose confi-
dence in the connection between their voice and their hear- This is where 'hearing' is brought in. I ask the singer to lis-
ing. The singer no longer trusts her/his voice or hearing. Their ten to what s/he sings and to hear if it is in tune. Now the
hearing becomes 'disconnected' and these singers cease to singer practises singing wrong notes consciously adjusting
correct what they hear. From this point on things can rapidly them with her/ his 'ear' until they are in tune. Sometimes the
go downhill. To avoid hurtful defeats and to prevent further worked -in techniques fall apart and the singer sings out of
humiliation the singer becomes the first to put her/ himself tune again, but it does not matter. This is often a necessary
down and declare that s/ he cannot sing . stage on the way to conscious and correct techniques, and
which should be experienced in the practice room rather
than in public. If a singer has previously been able to sing in
It is hard work tune by means of avoiding uncontrolled constriction and us-
It is truly admirable when a so-called 'tone-deaf' person has ing correct techniques s/ he can do it again . When the tech-
the courage to work on her/ his problem because it is often niques have been perfected, the singer sings consciously in
a very difficult and time-consuming process. It can be very tune.
hard for the singer to confront all the painful defeats thats/ he
has experienced in being labelled 'tone-deaf'. Such people,

Summary
'Tone-deafness' does not exist.
So called 'tone-deafness', like unwanted intonation, is caused
by uncontrolled constriction preventing the vocal cords from
working perfectly.
Usually the so called 'tone-deaf' singers have had uncontrolled
constriction for such a long time that it no longer feels like un-
controlled constriction.
Usually so called 'tone-deafness' is due to the singer being thor-
oughly deprived of their self-confidence regarding the voice at
an early age.
It is admirable when a so called 'tone-deaf' singer has the cour-
age to work on her/his problem. It is often a difficult and time-
consuming process.
When the uncontrolled constriction is released the singer be-
comes in tune. Being in tune is a benefit of correct and healthy
singing technique. Everybody can learn to sing in tune.

Trouble-Shooting
shouting character. This is Overdrive and it is often the pre-
Solving unintentional vocal ferred mode in the low part of the voice. When singing in the
higher parts of the voice the support requires more physical
breaks strength, especially if the singer wishes to continue singing in
Overdrive. This may become difficult. If the voice chooses the
A vocal break is an abrupt change in sound . Vocal breaks can Neutral mode instead of Overdrive in the higher parts of the
be a means of expression and are used in many styles of sing- voice, the support only requires half the energy. This quickly
ing (see 'Vocal Break' on page 202). This chapter will cover un- becomes apparent to the body and thus Neutral becomes
intentional vocal breaks which prevent evenness in singing. the preferred mode in the high part of the voice. The change
between the two modes is heard as a change of sound colour
or as a 'break' that some mistakenly refer to as a change of
Avocal break can happen for 2 reasons: register. In fact, it has nothing to do with a change of register,
but is a change of vocal mode (see 'Pitch' page 66). ~>) 345
1) You change vocal mode
often because the vowel, the volume, and the pitch " lures" It is more appropriate for the singer to know when s/ he is
you to another vocal mode or because there is insufficient close to the limit of the ability of the vocal mode, and there-
support. ~>) 345 fore voluntarily chooses to change the vocal mode into a
more suitable one, instead of letting the voice chose which
2) You use flageolet below a high C and try to increase the eventually breaks .
volume
(See 'Solving split in the voice' on page 79). Each vocal mode has special characteristics, advantages and
limitations with regard to volume, use of vowels, pitch and
sound colour. It is important to choose the most appropriate
vocal mode for what you wish to sing (see 'Vocal Modes' on
Changing vocal mode pages 81 - 157).
Unwanted breaks or changes in the voice are usually a result
of an unconscious change between a non-metallic mode
(Neutral) and a metallic mode (Curbing, Overdrive, and Edge). Misleading terminology
If a singer does not deliberately choose her/ his vocal mode, Vocal breaks have nothing to do with a change of register.
the voice will often choose it for her/ him with the result being This is illustrated by the fact that the voice of a given singer
that the singing has a different sound to the one intended. may break on many different notes. It is not logical to name
Then the singer starts uncontrolled constricting to avoid this these breaks as a 'change of register'. A register is a certain
which can result in the voice becoming strained . part of the voice, pitch-wise, which has a fi xed position and
does not move from note to note. These different parts of the
If the singer obeys the rules of the vocal modes instead, it voice have no characteristic sound colour or volume, so it is
is possible to achieve the sound s/he wishes and unwanted misleading and often harmful to talk about 'pulling up the
breaks are avoided. chest voice' when you want a powerful volume and resonant
sound on high notes.
An example of a break To talk about 'a chest voice sound ' and 'a head voice sound '
Most singers have no difficulty in getting power in the lower is completely wrong. At best, these expressions are illogical;
part of the voice, and many have cultivated a powerful, dark, at worst they cause considerable vocal problems by luring
76 Complete Vocal Techniqu e 2012 Cathrine Sadolin w w w.completevocalin stitute.com

a singer into believing that s/he can maintain the vibration pitch and volume must be multiplied. If a singer has to sing
(buzzing) in the chest on high notes. This often introduces an ascending scale at volume 5, the support values for each
uncontrolled constriction which prevents you from reaching individual note will be for example: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and so on . If
high notes and is liable to strain the voice. It can be quite a the singer instead chooses volume 10, the support values will
task to get rid of such uncontrolled constriction. be 5 times higher: 5, 10, 20, 40, 80 and so on.
So you must remember the three overall principles and re- In the lower part of the middle of the voice, where you are
spect the rules of the vocal modes. Practice singing scales up speaking, support values are not so high and multiplying
and down in each vocal mode in order to avoid changes and these low values by 5 seldom presents a problem. When
breaks. you sing in the higher part of the voice (or the low part of
the voice), the support values quickly become enormously
high when multiplied by 5, and it becomes difficult to apply
Failing to support enough support. Somewhere on this scale a singer might
Another frequent reason for an unintentional change of vo- suddenly run out of support energy and the voice will change
cal mode and the consequent break or change of voice is in- to a vocal mode that requires less support energy in that area
sufficient support. As before, a vocal break might occur on of the voice. As a result the voice makes a break from one vo-
different notes, depending on where the singer loses her/ cal mode to another and the volume changes abruptly, for
his support and thereby changes vocal mode. If you start by example from volume 10 to volume 2.
singing with so much power that you do not have sufficient
support energy to continue the volume it is called 'failing to These breaks are also often mistaken for 'changes of regis-
support'. "4>) 345 ter' that are hard to avoid . As before, this is a change of vocal
mode.
Volume 5 and volume 10 A failure to support is heard more clearly in the higher part
Higher notes require higher support energy. A higher volume of the voice. For example, in the high part of a man's voice,
also requires a higher support value. The support values for the volume has a great influence on the character of sound. If
there is insufficient support for a given note, the character of
the note changes to a thin, squeaking sound. So you have to
80
80 - - - - - - - be careful to maintain the volume up through the high part
Support values at volume 10
of the voice if you want a consistent sound . To maintain the
volume in the high part of the voice requires, as in other parts
of the voice, more and more physical strength the higher you
go.
If it is impossible to avoid a break or a change in sound, per-

haps you do not have the necessary physical strength the
support value or vocal mode demands in order to reach the
pitch in the specific mode. Therefore if you do not have the
physical strength to complete a song in volume 9, lower the
volume and maybe change the vocal mode until you can
manage it.
Complete Vocal Technique :J 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com 77

Support is necessary
Learn how to economise your strength. Start, for example, at
Arpeggios
$J J JFJ JJ I
<:f start F3
volume 1 and when you are able to complete the song with
a good sound, increase the volume to 2, thereby making the
exercise harder and physically more demanding. Then con-
$1JWrFrWJ1 I
tinue increasing the volume to 3, 4 and so on . Remember that
you have to change mode accord ing to the volume. In gener-
al Neutral has to be sung within volumes 1-4, Curbing within
$ 1 wwrrrrrww 1 1
volumes 4-7, and Overdrive and Edge within volumes 7-10.

Never sing louder that you have enough support for, which
means that the song can be completed without changing
volume or sound . Train your strength and stamina. Train the
haJrrrfcrrJa 1
support muscles so you build up the necessary strength . If
there were two identical singers, the physica lly stronger one Remember: if the same exercise fails three times in a row, it
would be able to sing higher and more powerfully than the is too difficult and you will only work in uncontrolled con-
weaker one. striction by continuing . Make the exercise easier in order to
succeed and work these healthy routines into your mu scle
memory.
Exercises for avoiding unwanted vocal breaks
If the voice breaks, start by practising the notes around the
break sepa rately and slowly in order to memori se th e nec- Summary
essary support values. When you are able to sing each note If you wish to avoid vocal breaks, you must:
without changing vocal mode (which means without break- be aware of exactly which vocal mode you are singing in
ing) put the notes together into small melod ic sequences . be aware of the vowel, volume or pitch luring you to another
Use the memorised support values and gradually make the vocal mode
exercises more difficult until you have solved the problem of avoid failing to support
the break (also see 'Transitions between modes' on page 131). avoid using the flageolet below a high Cwhile increasing the
~>)347 volume.
Avoid breaks on descending melody lines. The voice will

often want to jump down into a heavier character (e.g. the
Overdrive mode) if you do not 'hold it back' by using more Using vocal flageolet below a high C
support. It requires a lot of support to sing in Neutral and
Curbing in the lower part of the voice. Be familiar with the ar- Too small a sound or a break
eas of your voice that are prone to breaks and give more sup- If you sing with a flageolet below a high C it is a very quiet
port in these places to st ay in the chosen vocal mode . ~>) 346 and thin sound ~>) 348. Some singers wrongly think that they
are practising pianissimo but instead they are using this fla-
Train the flexibility of your voice by practising healthy rou - geolet below a high C. This may lead to many singing tech-
tines all the way through your vocal range. Practise at all vol- nique problems. Therefore it is essential not to confuse the
umes and with all pitches, sound colours, tempi and vowels notes of the supported pianissimo with the flageolet. Singers
until you are able to avoid breaks. ~>) 54 should avoid singing with a flageolet below a high C as the
usual principles of singing technique are not working here,
and they risk working in a split in the voice. Splitting is actu-
ally an unintentional creaking .
78 Complete Vo cal Technique 201 2 Cathrine Sadolin w ww.compl et evoca linstitu te.com
The small sound of the tlageolet cannot be intensified or experienced and conscious of your singing technique in or-
made more powerful unless you force the volume. This will der to gradually work your way down into such quiet volume
make the vocal cords release the flageolet and a break or split and use it as an effect without causing more harm than good.
appears ~>) 349 before the sound becomes more powerful. If
you get used to singing with this split or break, getting rid of
it can be very complicated and time-consuming .
Acase story
So, the tlageolet is likely to cause problems below a high C: Apop singer with a great and powerful voice was annoyed that
If you sing with a tlageolet below a high C you will get a she always sang so loud. She contacted a singing teacher who
small thin sound that normally cannot be made louder. ~>) told her she should practise singing as quiet as possible - with
348 the tiniest, frail sounds as possible. But after practising this for
If you try to make it louder, a break or split in the voice some time her voice started to break every time she sang with
could appear. ~l) 349 more volume. The reason why she sang so loudly was because
she only sang in Overdrive and Edge, which cannot be sung
quietly. To sing quietly she should instead have practised in the
Neutral mode, but instead of practising Neutral she had prac-
Solving split in the voice tised in the flageolet which had caused the problem.
We immediately started working in Neutral in order to obtain

Asplit in the voice progressively quieter volumes without the risk of a break. To
Some singers get a split in their voice from using the tlageo- avoid the frail and thin sound (the flageolet) we trained with
let BELOW a high C. (See 'Flageolet' page 68 and Training greater volumes. To avoid the metallic modes when the vol-
the extreme parts of the voice' on page 69). The voice will ume got louder, we at first practised exclusively on the vowels
sound uneven and breathy, and may sound as if two sepa- '00' (as in 'you') and 'EE' (as in 'see') taking care to keep her jaw
rate sounds are produced at the same time, as if the note is relaxed; these precautions would ensure she stayed in Neutral.
divided into two. #349 lfyou continue singing with this split- When she was able to sing in Neutral on '00' and EE we pro-
ting - maybe even purposely - it can worsen. In the end it ceeded to the other vowels. In the following weeks it was im-
might be worked in to such a degree that you are only able to portant that she stayed in Neutral and did not sing so quietly
sing without splitting in the lowest part of your voice. If you that she ended up in the flageolet. After a month she was able
have developed a split in your voice you should immediately to control the Neutral mode and was even able to sing quietly
practise until it disappears. It can be very hard to get rid of a without breaking and without her ending up in the flageolet.
split. The longer the split is allowed Any time she wanted greater volume she could easily return to
to remain, the more distinct it will become and the harder it the metallic vocal modes.
will be to remove.
So, it is not recommended to practise very quiet volumes

such as thinning and pianissimo (pp) with the flageolet be- Exercise for removing a split in your voice
cause it is difficult to the thinning gradual and breaks might Sing at such a powerful volume that the vocal cords simply
appear from Neutral to the tlageolet (see 'Volume' on page CANNOT perform the flageolet. Try to maintain a feeling of
64, 'Pianissimo and Thinning' on page 64, and 'Neutral' on singing without the flageolet in the various parts of your
page 87). However, you can use the tlageolet to make a pia- voice. If the split appears, increase your volume. Feel how you
nissimo even more delicate, provided you already know how need to use higher support values than you normally would
to thin sounds and produce pianissimo. You must be very to avoid the split. When you are able to sing at a powerful

volume without splitting, gradually decrease the volume
while maintaining the feeling of singing without the flageo- Additional Trouble-Shooting
let. Practise until you are able to sing quietly without a split.
~>)350 Avoid completing notes badly 60
Uncontrolled constriction 46
Obviously it is not a good idea to practise the flageolet be- Exercise while resting the voice 219
low a high C. However, the flageolet is necessary to reach the Hidden incorrect support 37
notes above a high C. Inappropriate muscle tension 216
Incorrect support 36
Nodules 218
Opening too wide 59
Acase story Prevention and Emergency Aid 220
Ayoung rock singer had, by singing very quietly, found a split Programme for Emergency Aid 225
in her voice which she thought sounded good. She started The reason for vocal problems 221
practising and using it a lot. After a while she found she could Too much mucous 219
not get rid of it. It turned out that she had been singing in the Too much vibrato 211
flageolet below a high C. But when she tried to sing at a louder Trouble-Shooting 83
volume the splitting sound appeared. Because she had used Unintentional distortion in Curbing 105
the split so much it had became more or less permanent. Unintentional distortion in Neutral 95
Unintentional distortions in Edge 127
We started working on support and singing so loudly that she Unintentional distortions in Overdrive 114
was not able to use the flageolet. In the beginning she had to Warnings in Curbing 104
sing pretty loud to avoid the split. As her support improved Warnings in Edge 126
and as she got used to the feeling of singing without the fla- Warnings in Neutral 95
geolet she was able to decrease the volume and still avoid the Warnings in Overdrive 114
flageolet.
After three weeks of practising with a clear voice and avoiding
the splitting, she was again able to sing without the split.
Summary
If you sing with a flageolet below a high C, you will usually only
be able to obtain a small thin sound that is difficult to make
louder. And here the principles for correct vocal techniques do
not work.
If you try to sing more powerfully with the flageolet below a
high C, a break or split may appear in the voice.
If you have developed a split in your voice you should immedi-
ately practise until it disappears.
You can train to get rid of the split by singing with such powerful
volume that the split dissapears. Then gradually decrease the
volume. If the split reappears, increase the volume again.
80 Compl ete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin w w w.completevocalinstitute.com

An introduction to the 4 Vocal Modes
What do the opera singer and the pygmy singer have in com- show us the way, wherever we want to go, and which can re-
mon, and what are the differences in the way they use the veal the pitfalls so we can avoid any risk of straining the voice.
voice? No matter how far apart their singing technique, musi- We have discovered the paths in the voice, and with a map
cal style and sound colour might be from one another, the or an overview we are now able to navigate. When singers
instrument is still the same. For this reason, I have always be- respect the set of rules for the four vocal modes, as well as
lieved that there must be an operational vocal principle to their individual advantages and disadvantages, they are able
which all singing is subject. And by exploring this principle to achieve all sounds and move technically and freely in and
it must also be possible to uncover a general structure which out of every musical style whilst avoiding vocal problems at
encompasses all the sounds that the voice can produce. the same time.
After many years of resea rch I have succeeded in finding this

general structure! Today this structure has been developed
into a simple and clear system that makes it possible to ob- The metallic sound
tain any vocal sound . All sounds I have heard, whatever the
musical style, can be categorized and organised in the very To understand the concept of dividing the sound of the voice
same, clear system. into four vocal modes, you must isolate the amount of'metal'
in the tone. Some sounds have a more metallic sound than
An important step was to isolate and uncover each individual others. All singers, singing all musical styles, sing with metal
factor separately, such as vowel, pitch, volume and character. in the tone although they sound different. A pop/rock singer,
Along the way it also became necessary to re-define certain for example, uses a more distinct metallic sound than a clas-
terms and to leave out others because they were too limit- sical singer does. A DISTINCT metallic tone could be called
ing style-wise or simply useless or confusing when working a harder, more raw or direct sound. In pop/rock music, dis-
practically. As a replacement we have introduced new terms tinct metallic sounds are used frequently, whilst the metallic
that work across all musical tastes and styles; for example the sounds in classical singing are more difficult to recognise be-
amount of 'metal' that determined 'the four vocal modes'. cause they are "covered" or disguised in the classical sound. A
metallic tone's sound may vary but the volume is often rela-
Fundamental to this system are the four vocal modes (deter- tively powerful.
mined by the amount of 'metal'). These vocal modes are used There are different amounts of metal; the metal can be omit-
by all singers in all musical styles all over the world and at all ted or made more or less distinct. Hence, we distinguish be-
times, at least as far back as the earliest sound recordings. The tween non-metallic, half-metallic and full -metallic sounds.
fact that the production of any sound, any singing technique
and any singing style is covered by the four vocal modes and
is subjected to the same rules is confirmation to me that the
vocal modes constitute the basis of the operational principle Vocal modes
of the voice.
I have classified these non-metallic, half-metallic and full-me-
By knowing each vocal mode's advantages and disadvan- tallic sounds into different 'gears' or techniques called 'vocal
tages we have an overview of all the possibilities of the voice, modes'. Thus, all sounds can be divided into these four fun-
something we have been missing till now. We have found a damental modes:
manual for the voice. It is the secret treasure map that can

e 'Neutral' '4>) 55 '4>) 56 Each mode has different characteristics, advantages and lim-
itations that relate to volume, the use of vowels, pitch and
~ 'Curbing' '4 >) 72 sound colours. Each of these modes must be chosen and
used with care because some modes will make a specific
cxJ 'Overdrive' '4>) 97 sound easier whilst others will make it more difficult. In other
words, it is easier to achieve a goal when you have a good
Q_ 'Edge' '4>) 120 grasp of the rules that the voice is subject to.
The modes and their amount of metal can be described as:

Everybody uses metallic sounds
Non-metallic Neutral There is no reason to fear metallic sounds; they are as natural
Half-metallic Curbing to the voice as non-metallic sounds. The metallic modes are,
Full-metallic Overdrive in fact, used far more often in everyday life than the non-me-
Full-metallic Edge tallic mode. Even the first screams of a new-born baby are in a
metallic mode. To a baby, being heard is a matter of survival,
Whilst non-metallic is equivalent to Neutral and half-metallic which makes the metallic modes very suitable for this pur-
to Curbing, full-metallic is further sub-divided into Overdrive pose as they always signal a strong desire to be heard.
and Edge. From now on, I will often refer to the names of the
vocal modes rather than describe their amount of metal. Metallic modes are most easily heard when the vo lume is
above normal speaking level. For example:
a class of school chi ldren during a break (Overdrive and
Tuition in metallic modes Edge)
Most singers in the Western world have no problems finding angry shouts (Overdrive)
soft, non-metallic sounds as they are an important part of somebody moaning, e.g. from a stomach ache (Curbing)
Western music and therefore Western music education. Non- shrill screams (Edge)
metallic sounds are taught in school and through normal, ac- people shouting (Overdrive)
cessible tuition . market sellers attracting customers (Overdrive)
Many singers are afraid of distinctly metallic sounds because somebody scolding (Overdrive and Edge)
they have been mistakenly warned against this kind of sound . the cry of a child, especially if hysterical (Curbing and Edge)
Previously, many thought that the distinct metallic sounds
were dangerous and caused an increased risk of vocal dam- Distinct metallic sounds are part of almost all folk music such
age. This theory has been rejected outright many years ago as:
as the metallic sounds are used by all kinds of singing styles Bulgarian female choral singing (mostly Curbing and Edge)
and at all times. It is simply that not everyone is aware of the Flamenco singing (mostly Overdrive)
element of metal in voices. Metallic sounds are no more dan- A lot of traditional tribal singing from the African continent
gerous or unhealthy than non-metallic sounds. (mostly Overdrive)
A lot of traditional Arabic singing (mostly Overdrive and
Today, tuition in metallic sounds and the four modes is avail- Edge)
able to everybody (e.g. via this book) and not just for profes- A lot of traditional and ceremonial singing from China
sional singers. Teaching in the vocal modes must cover the (mostly Curbing and Edge)
advantages and limitations of the various modes and the
general precautions that should be taken . Even Western classical music, which tries to avoid distinct
metallic sounds uses the metallic modes. However, they are
82 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.comp letevocalinstitute.com

harder to recognise as they are "covered " in the classical solve your technical vocal problems and to avoid technical
sound, e.g. in: limitations.
The powerful high notes of the dramatic tenor (Edge)
Female classical /opera singers' powerful notes in the mid-
dle part of the voice (Curbing) The centre of the mode is the healthiest
Female classical/ opera singers' low notes sung powerfully Each mode has a basic position in which it works the best.
(Overdrive, Curbing) This is what I refer to as the 'centre of the mode'. By the
The powerful notes of male classical/opera singers (Curb- centre of the mode I mean to find the exact position of the
ing and Overdrive) mode, by which the mode's advantages and limitations are
being respected and observed . When the limits of a mode
are reached, uncontrolled constriction will occur which risk
Changing between modes straining the voice. This is avoided by singing in the centre
It is normal to change between modes and therefore degrees of the mode. When singing in the centre of the mode, the
of metal whilst singing and speaking . These changes can technique is absolutely correct and uncontrolled constriction
occur rapidly, either audibly or inaudibly, within short musi- is avoided. If the constrictors are already activated, singing in
cal phrases or even within a single word. Conscious control the centre of the mode will release the constrictors in such a
of mode changes enables singers to obtain just about all way that the voice will work freely again (see 'Emergency Aid '
the sound facets s/ he could wish for. Unconscious changes, on page 225).
on the contrary, result in involuntary vocal breaks and are
often partly responsible for vocal problems and technical Around the centre of the mode there is a 'marginal area'.
limitations. When you are singing in the marginal area, the various posi-
tions are altered slightly, perhaps to achieve certain changes
in cha racter, vowel or volume; however, it is still within the
limits of the mode (see diagram). The size of the 'marginal
Trouble shooting
The more you sing in the centre of the modes, the more you will guard
In my experience, 95% of all technical problems arise from against misusing the voice
incorrect use of the modes. Such problems can be avoided by

knowing, understanding and complying with the advantages
and limitations of the modes. Not only does this avoid most
mistakes, but it al so optimises the use of the modes; where
they work the best and give the best sound (for an exa mple,
see 'Solving unintentional vocal breaks' on page 76).
Any choice of mode should be the artist's deliberate decision

rather than the result of a lack of technical expertise or an
unconscious habit to change between the modes. Having a
good overview of the modes should enable you to rapidly
r
choose the right modes for what you wish to sing . Having
detailed knowledge of the modes and their advantages and Centre of the mode /
limitations should enable you to vary your expression, to

'Marginal area' of the mode
Outside the 'marginal area ' there is danger of damaging the voice .
Complete Vocal Techniqu e 201 2 Cathrine Sadolin www.compl etevocalinstitute.com 83

area' and the possibilities within it vary from mode to mode. Respect the limitations of the modes
For example, in Neutral the 'marginal area' is large with many To change freely between the modes you must be famil iar
possibilities of variation . In Edge, however, the area is small with the edge of each 'marginal area', i.e. how much you are
with very few possibilities of variation. Singing outside the able to change the vowels, sound colours and volumes. Fur-
'marginal area' involves a serious risk of wearing the voice. thermore, you have to be able to control the gradual transi-
The more you sing exactly in the centre of a mode, the more t ion from one mode to another. Such a transition may involve
you will guard against misuse of the voice. The further you changing via a third mode (see 'Assisting mode' on page 133).
move out in the 'marginal area', the more support energy is A singer must be able to replace a mode with another before
needed, and the greater the risk. Furthermore, the higher the reach ing the first mode's limits. Sometimes it is necessary to
notes you sing, the smaller the marginal areas become, leav- change mode simply to be able to continue singing the same
ing less and less possibilities. sound as you go higher in pitch.
Thus, a healthy and correct technique is characterised by the

fact that the majority of the singing is done within the limits Recognise the modes
of the mode's 'marginal area' and as much as possible in the A singer who has correctly learnt how to change modes will
centre of the mode. make it sound as though there are no rules for, or limitations
of, the modes but there are! The singer gives that impression
simply because s/ he is constantly conscious of each mode's
Adjustment of the modes through images and rules and limitations and avoids these, enabling her/ him to
sensations travel freely between them without causing uncontrolled
You can think of the modes as four gears of a car. Only when constriction .
the car is correctly in gea r will it move effortlessly. Similarly, It is important that singers and vocal teachers are able to rec-
only when you are in the centre of the mode w ill you be able ognise the modes so that they know which rules and limits
to sing without hindering the voice. Each 'gear' (or mode) has to respect. Some of the things you have to do in one mode
its respective degree of metal: non-metallic (Neutral), half- to ensure good voice production might well cause strain in
metallic (Curbing) or full-metallic (Overdrive and Edge). another mode. The following case story demonstrates how
As you progress through the 'gears', the sound becomes using the wrong rules in a particular mode can be detrimen-
more metallic and you will be able to achieve more volume; tal to the voice.
the lower the gear, the quieter the volume. For example, you
can only add air to the voice in the lowest gear (Neutral). DO
NOT add air in any other gear (Curbing, Overdrive or Edge).
Even ATTEMPTING it may result in severe uncontrolled Acase story
constriction . A self-taught and very talented country singer with many
years of experience, including a vast number of concerts, had
not been singing for several years because she one day had de-
Metal 1/1 Overdrive I Edge
cided to take lessons in order to sing 'properly' and have some
minor technical mistakes 'corrected'. She consulted a classical
~
singing teacher who taught her that in order to take care of the
1/2 Curb ing
voice she should not use the muscles in her throat but should
sing in a more relaxed manner. Slowly her technique fell apart,
~
and after a while, she did not think she could sing anymore.
Neutra l
She consulted other teachers and received other suggestions
on how to relax her voice, but her singing got worse and worse
and she eventually gave up singing.

I must admit I got worried when I heard her sing. It was diffi- Singing requires energy
cult to hear that she had ever sung professionally and sung this If you do not apply sufficient energy, the centre of the mode
vast number of concerts. We started working on establishing cannot be obtained and there is great danger of straining the
correct support, partly because support is essential, but also to voice. However, when you do obtain the centre of a mode, it
prevent her from focusing on the trauma of singing. Her voice is the most efficient way to sing and allows you to gain the
kept splitting which made the singing sound more problematic full benefit of the energy used. Hitting the centres of the
than it actually was. This splitting told me the voice was trying modes will therefore make singing easier, but it is also impor-
to produce a metallic sound but in an incorrect manner. This tant to be in good physical shape in order to be able to carry
was why the notes failed. out these great physical demands. Physical strength alone
is of no use to a singer without solid technique. In addition,
I asked if I could hear a recording of her singing before she had physical strength must not cause muscular tension or rigidity.
problems and it confirmed my belief that she had previously Strength must be present, but it is equally important to be
sung in the Curbing mode. We then worked on re-establishing able to relax the muscles when they have been tensed.
and perfecting the 'hold' (see 'Curbing' on page 96) that she
had tried to get rid of during the last couple of years, believing
it to be a damaging uncontrolled constriction. The singer now
recognised the 'hold' as the thing she used to refer to as a'pres- Acase story
sure on the voice'. When she stopped fearing the 'hold' and A delicately built semi-professional singer was very shy and
started using it again and adjusting it to what she was singing, hardly dared to sing. When she finally did, it was with a small,
her voice returned. Instead of relaxing and being cautious she frail sound. It seemed incomprehensible to me because her
actually needed to work physically harder and use plenty of skull structure and large mouth cavity indicated that she ought
energy and support to maintain the 'hold'. to be able to make much more sound. We started working with
the Overdrive mode as it is impossible to sing in a restrained
or quiet way in this mode. Suddenly the most amazing notes
came out of her. As it turned out, she had one of the largest
Use sufficient support voices I have ever heard and a marvellous, dark sound colour.
Each mode demands its own amount of physical energy and But she was simply embarrassed by her large voice and had
this may vary from singer to singer. In general you can say sung quietly so as not to seem intrusive.
that the more difficult a mode seems to be, the more support
and energy is required. In addition, some pitches impede cer- We continued for about half an hour practising only Overdrive
tain modes. This means that within a particular pitch certain and then went on to practise Edge until she had become accus-
modes will be easy to maintain while others are more diffi- tomed to aforceful volume. Afterthe powerful volume of these
cult. In effect, the pitch tends to 'pull ' you towards an easier two full-metallic modes, even Curbing seemed moderate and
mode. Therefore, extra strength and continuous support is non-intrusive to her. Finally we introduced the Neutral mode.
required to maintain a mode not favoured by the pitch. After this she was able to choose between modes and to shape
However, it is important to understand that support energy is songs according to the sound and expression she wanted.
NOT equivalent to volume. As an example, it requires a large Whenever a problem arose we practised the modes which
amount of continuous support to sustain a very quiet ('pp' or made the particular sound she wanted. While working on
'pianissimo') note. Even if you support very strongly to pre- the songs it became evident that aside from an extraordinary
vent a change of mode, the tone does not necessarily have voice, she also had an outstanding rhythmic sense. Within six
to become louder. months shewas singing professionally.

Filling out the modes Navigating in the chapters of the modes
Some of the modes have a very powerful volume, especial- The chapters of the modes look at where the modes work
ly when you find the centre of the mode. Many singers are best, making it possible to gain the most out of energy spent,
afraid of making too much sound which makes it complicat- whilst simultaneously protecting the voice from uncontrolled
ed for them to learn the modes. Besides knowing the modes, constriction.
you must be able to 'fill them out' with your personality. Con-
sequently, it is often necessary to work on breaking down First, I will go through each mode with advice on how to find
psychological barriers against singing with certain volumes the centre of the mode. Then I will look at each mode's func-
and sound colours. This is best done by practising in safe situ- tion with regard to pitch, vowels, volumes and sound colours
ations in which 'mistakes' are regarded as nothing more than as well as the possibilities within the marginal areas.
steps towards gaining control over the modes. It may take
some time, and you have to be prepared to do this work. In order to make the chapters easier to navigate, they have
the same general structure:
A graphical overview of the mode
An overview with general information
Acase story Examples of singers who use/used the mode
An accomplished professional pop/rock singer lacked power in Conditions for the mode
her voice. We worked on the various metallic modes, but al- Finding the mode
though she learned quickly she kept forgetting and returned Finding the mode through images and sensations
to singing in Neutral like she was used to doing. Finding the mode through sound
As she seemed afraid of making too much sound I suggested Pitch and the mode
that she sang exclusively in Edge and Overdrive for a week. Af- Vowels and the mode
ter this time she had become so accustomed to the powerful Volume and the mode
volume that she no longer attempted to sing quietly in the full- Sound colours and the mode
metallic modes. After working with the full-metallic modes it The mode in classical singing
was a relief for her to sing more quietly, so the next week she Exercises in the mode
exclusively practised Curbing. After these two weeks she knew Warnings
the difference between the modes and their volumes. Now Unintentional distortions
it was no longer difficult for her to distinguish between the There are slight variations within this structure depending on
modes and she could make use of them, knowing where they the demands of the mode.
worked best for her.
After this I explain how to choose a particular mode based on
different criteria depending on what is important. Choosing a
Exercising the modes mode is influenced by pitch, vowel, volume, sound colour or
Most singers prefer specific modes and exercise these more a combination of these. In this way, you will be able to iden-
often, but it is important to re -examine all the modes regular- tify the best mode for what you wish to sing.
ly, even the ones you control the best, in order to keep them
healthy. To avoid mistakes it is important to keep the singing Finally, I shall discuss how to change between the modes
in the centre of the mode and not mix in elements from other smoothly, healthily and inaudibly.
modes. It may also be sensible to learn modes that you do not
immediately need, partly to widen your options and partly to
get a better overview of the modes.

Neutral
Mode e
NON METALLIC
Air With air I without air
Method
Vowels in the
high part of
Loose jaw
~
All
the voice
Pitch All
Quiet
Volume Can be loud in
the high part of the voice
Character Soft
An overview without air' ~>) 56. For clarity, the two extremes of Neutral are
Neutral is the non-metallic mode. It is a very extensive mode sometimes shown separately as they have different demands
that contains many different sounds and sound colours. The and possibilities.
sounds are softer and milder than the metallic modes. When
starting out, Neutral can be found by establishing a loose jaw. All parts of the voice, all vowels, and all sound colours can be
used in Neutral by both men and women.
The Neutral mode has through time also been called classical,
but this is misleading as classical singing just as often uses the Neutral is limited by volume. In general it is a quiet mode,
metallic modes. Neutral is also used when singing popular but there are exceptions. It is possible to obtain greater vol-
music. Therefore I have chosen the name Neutral to describe umes in Neutral without air than in Neutral with air. Very loud
the mode because I felt the mode needed a more unbiased, volumes ('ff' or 'fortissimo'), however, can only be obtained
'neutral' term. in Neutral without air and only in the high part of the voice
(from CS upwards for women and C4 upwards for men). Other
The Neutral mode extends from notes that are soft and than this, the volume is generally quieter.
breathy to notes without air added . The two extremes with-
in Neutral are called 'Neutral with air' ~>) 55 and 'Neutral
Comp lete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin ww w. comp letevocalinstitute.com 87

In the western world, Neutral is normally the mode you start Sinead O'Connor, Sade, Dusty Springfield, Sarah Vaughan,
getting tuition in for women . This is because many people and Suzanne Vega.
have been brought up believing that the character of Neutral
is the best suited to school choirs and church choirs etc. Finding Neutral with air
Start by practising a Neutral with air attack. With a Neutral
with air attack air is clearly heard as an 'H' prior to the actual
Condition for Neutral tone. In English you use this attack in such words as 'house',
No metal 'hundred ', 'horse' and 'hey' (see 'Attacks' on page 61 ).
The Neutral with air attack is well suited to acquiring air in the
voice (see 'Air added to voice' on page 206). Be careful to fol-
Loose jaw low the three overall principles: using support, using neces-
Make sure the jaw is loose at all times so that you avoid un - sary twang and avoiding protruding the jaw and tightening
controlled constriction and possible 'bite' which may lure of the lips. '4>) 43
you into a metallic sound (for a comparison with the 'bite' see
'Finding the 'bite' on page 107). Make sure the lower jaw is If you twang more in Neutral with air, the sound of the air on
kept behind the upper jaw making enough room for a finger the voice often becomes more distinct.
between the upper and lower jaw (see "Find the correct posi-
tion of the jaw" on page SO).
Neutral without air

In Neutral without air the sound is non-breathy, clearer and usu-
ally more powerful than in Neutral with air. Neutral without air
Loose jaw is used when the sound is non-breathy in quiet as well as pow-
erful volumes. Neutral without air lacks the metallic character.
Neutral without air is often used in popular music of all styles

when the notes should be non-breathy. In classical singing
Neutral with air women use Neutral without air when they sing in the high
part of their voice, regardless of the volume. Neutral without
In general, the character in Neutral with air is weaker and air is used in classical music for both men and women when
more breathy than in Neutral without air. Medium quiet ('mp' singing quietly. For example with pianissimo and thinning
or 'mezzo piano') is the most powerful volume obtainable in (see 'Volume' on page 64). It is used in everyday life when you
Neutral with air. speak rather quietly without adding air.
Neutral with air is often used in popular music for quiet pas-
sages and when air is wanted in the voice, often with a mi- Singers who often sing or sang in Neutral without air
crophone held closely. Neutral with air is not used in classical Julie Andrews, Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind and Fire), Beach Boys,
music except as a rare effect. Neutral with air is used in every- Boy George, Blondie, Kate Bush, Nat King Cole, Richard Davies
day life when you whisper or speak in a breathy voice. (Supertramp), Ella Fitzgerald, Gilberto Gil, David Gilmour
(Pink Floyd), Godley & Creme (lOCC), Roger Hodgson (Super-
tramp), Milton Nascimento, Aaron Neville, the Pet Shop Boys,
Singers who often sing or sang in Neutral with air Carly Simon, Swingle Singers, and Roger Waters (Pink Floyd).
Harry Belafonte, Maire (Moya) Brennan (Clannad), Bing Cros-
by, Enya, Cesaria Evora, Brian Ferry, Art Garfunkel, Astrud Gil- Neutral without air is also used by classical singers when they
berto ("The Girl From lpanema"), Eartha Kitt, Marilyn Monroe, sing quietly (both men and women), and classical female

singers use Neutral without air when singing in the high part Raise the palate while sucking inwards
of their voice. Imagine the throat as a tube that you are squeezing into a
long, thin shape
Particularly in the high part of the voice, Neutral without air Imagine air surrounds the tall, narrow tube
is also used by Joan Armatrading, Joan Baez, Chrissie Hynde, Imagine the note is running inside the tube without touch-
John Lennon, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young. ing the sides
Finding Neutral without air

Some voices are by nature or through development less
breathy, but if you want a less breathy sound you can train An image
it. Practise making the sound the least breathy as possible.

When you start the notes it is important to support correctly Place a thumb behind the upper front teeth. Notice the
and to use necessary twang . It is equally important to be sensation in the throat when your front teeth are being
conscious of how much support energy and twang a note pulled forward
requires, and to have arrived at this energy BEFORE the note Imagine a hard 'G' (as in 'good') before the note, tighten the
is sung. If you start singing before the energy and the twang muscles of the palate and close the nasal passage
are sufficient, the attack will be bad and it will probably trig- Imagine that above the uvula there is a small, low-ceilinged
ger uncontrolled constriction due to a lack of support. ~>) 44 space as wide as possible that stretches from ear to ear (if
you press the uvula down you can often make yourself
Try also to make small clicking sounds with the vocal cords. yawn). Now feel how that area contracts when you eat or
Be sure there is no air or tone on the clicking sounds. Feel drink something sour. Try to maintain this sensation and
the vocal cords come together while you hold your breath sing in Neutral without air
just before the clicking sound. Try to memorise this feeling of Sing with a non-breathy sound and a highly raised palate
the vocal cords coming together and recall it when you want Suck inwards and then sing and notice the non-breathy
Neutral without air. ~>) 385 sound as in a vocal flageolet. Sing with this feeling
Imagine you sing while you are sucking inwards with the
vocal cords together
Less breathy by using twang Sing whilst contracting the sides of the back of the tongue
Twang will assist removing the air in the voice. You have to Sing whilst you imagine gently pull the back of the tongue
have a certain amount of twang on the notes to obtain a into the throat
correct technique and achieve easy, unhindered singing re- Start with a Curbing attack and continue singing with the
gardless of the vocal mode, sound colour and effect used. same intensity
Twang makes it easier to sing in every way. The more twang Sing a note in Neutral with an Overdrive attack or an Edge
(i .e. the more the epiglottic funnel is squeezed), the sharper attack
the sound (see 'Twang' on page 51). It is easiest to find the Sing with a very large mouth opening. Press the area just
twang by imitating the sound of an infant crying ~>) 22, a beneath the lower lip towards the chin. Maintain this pres-
duck quacking ~>) 23, or a diving aeroplane ~>) 26. sure on the chin on all vowels and sing, for example, 'wait'
or'me'
Achieving Neutral without air through images and

sensations
Remember that images and sensations are only meant as an
aid. If you do not respond to them immediately, forget them.
Press the area just beneath the
Do not confuse them with what is actually happening! lower lip towards the chin
Imagine making the epiglottis more erect

Sometimes it is easier to practise Neutral without air through
the metallic modes. Therefore it can be an advantage to prac- Volumes in Neutral
tise the metallic modes first and then return to these exercises.
Start as if you were going to sing opera, pretend you are The volumes in Neutral are generally in the quiet region, from
establishing the 'hold ' (see 'Curbing' on page 96) but sing very quiet ('pp' or 'pianissimo') to medium loud ('mf' or 'mez-
a quiet 'O' (as in 'woman') in Neutral. Maintain this position zo forte') and loud in the high part of the voice.
on other vowels
Start in Curbing and sing an opera-like vowel, for example In Neutral without air the volume can be more powerful than
an 'O' (as in 'woman') with a raised palate. Let go of the in Neutral with air. When you use Neutral without air, the vol-
'hold' but keep the position of the vocal tract ume can extend from very quiet (pp) to very loud (ff). The
Find a sound in Curbing that has a classical ring in the higher very powerful volume is only obtainable by singing in the
part of the voice, let go of the 'hold ' and keep the position. high part of the voice (from CS upwards for women and C4
Sing 'sit' in Curbing (see 'Curbing' on page 96), lower the upwards for men). The volume in Neutral without air is usu-
larynx and shape the mouth as if you were singing an 'O' (as ally not as powerful as in the metallic modes.There are no
in 'woman') and let go of the 'hold' but keep the position. limitations when it comes to singing quietly in Neutral. Just
how powerfully and quietly a singer can sing in Neutral de-
pends, among other things, on the size of the voice and the
Finding Neutral without air through sound technique. In general, the better the technique, the quieter or
Try to sound like a man imitating a woman (e.g. as in Monty louder you can sing .
Python's "Flying Circus"). Keep this sensation and sing non-
breathy notes in Neutral. ~ >) 363 If you want to be louder and richer in Neutral you can use
Sing in Neutral without air while IMAGINING that you are a darker sound colour by enlarging the vocal tract, e.g. by
singing quietly in Edge or holding back Edge (see 'Edge' on opening the mouth wider with loosened corners, raising the
page 116). Take care not to actually sing in Edge. Remember palate, lowering the larynx and perhaps compressing the
it is not possible to sing quietly in Edge . ~>) 364 tongue. Be aware that the compressed tongue usually gives
Imagine that you are calling to somebody far away butthat the an operatic sound to the vowels (see 'Sound Colours in Neu-
call must not be heard in your immediate surroundings. This tral' below). You can also make Neutral sharper and more
will make it sound like Edge but the volume should be quiet. powerful by choosing a light and very twangy sound which
This is why the mode must be Neutral without air. ~ >) 365 may be quite shrill and piercing.
If you want to experiment with how loud you can sing in Neu-
tral, you must control the overall principles of singing so well
Pitch in Neutral that you are immediately aware of when you have exceeded
the limits of the voice, and furthermore be able to control the
Neutral may be used by both men and women in all pitches. mode without problems. All singers are different; some are
able to sing more softly or powerfully than others. Practise
until you know your own limits of how quiet and powerfully
you can sing in Neutral.
Vowels in Neutral
In Neutral 'EE' (as in 'see'), 00' (as in 'you') and 'AH' (as in 'far')
is usually the easiest vowel, but all vowel sounds can be used. Sound Colours in Neutral
However, notice the merged sound of the vowels in the high
part of the voice (see 'Change of vowels up through the voice' When you wish to change the sound colour of a mode you
on page 56). have to change the setting of the 'vocal tract'. The 'vocal
90 Compl ete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalin stitute.com

tract' represents all the structures between the vocal cords Lightest sound colour
and the lips/nostrils (see diagram below). In Neutral with air ~>) 61 and without air ~>) 63
Distinctly twanged epiglottic funnel
The form of the vocal tract (the position and form of the epi- Raised larynx
glottic funnel, larynx, tongue, mouth, palate, and nasal pas- Broad tongue
sage) can be moved in many ways, so there are many ways Smiling
to change the sound colour of the voice. If the vocal tract is Lowered palate
large, the sound will be darker and richer. If the vocal tract is Open nasal passage
small, the sound will be lighter and 'flatter' (see 'Sound Col-
our' on page 158).
Neutral in classical singing

In classical singing men and women use Neutral when the
volume is medium quiet ('mp' or 'mezzo piano') or quieter, for
example, in connection with thinning and singing in pianis-
simo. Women also use Neutral in the high and the very high
part of the voice in all volumes.
You can obtain a classical sound colour in Neutral by using

Neutral without air and by choosing a dark sound colour (see
'Sound Colours in Neutral' above) while at the same time
twanging the epiglottic funnel. Practise doing this and no-
tice the more you are twanging the epiglottic funnel (though
only to a certain extent) and lower the larynx, the larger you
In Neutral there are infinite possibilities in adjusting the vocal make the vocal tract and the darker, richer and more classi-
tract and therefore infinite possible sound colours. cal the sound becomes. Be careful not to lower the larynx so
much that you obstruct the pitch (see 'Larynx' on page 162).
Practise producing different combinations of sound colours
and find those that suit you as an artist, your voice and your If you want a classical sound you can use twang and simulta-
style of music. One method might be to test the lightest and neously use a dark sound colour. This means you are lower-
the darkest sound colour you are able to obtain. ing the larynx slightly whilst you are maintaining the twang.
The sound gets darker and 'rounder' but is still able to carry
because of the twang. When the larynx is a bit lowered while
Darkest sound colour twanging, the epiglottis is often seen standing upright.
In Neutral with air ~>) 62 and without air ~>) 64 Twang combined with a lowered larynx is one of the most im-
Necessarily twanged epiglottic funnel portant technical ingredients in classical singing. In classical
Lowered larynx singing the twang is often referred to as 'the voice carries' or
Compressed tongue 'focusing the voice' ~>) 69. You can find the twanged epiglot-
Relaxed corners of the mouth tic funnel and the lowered larynx by noticing the sensation in
Raised palate the throat when you shiver.
Closed nasal passage
Each individual singer must decide how much twang and
how lowered a larynx s/he wants to have. Classical singers
usually prefer a darker sound compared to popular singers as
the darker sound is an important part of the classical sound
ideal. Popular singers also use dark sound colours, but you

have to be aware that a powerful, twanged, non-metallic tone (effectively?) 'lend' the rules of a metallic mode even though
has an overtone structure that can create problems when us- you are in Neutral. But it is even more important that you
ing a microphone. These high frequencies of the overtones respect the limitations in the mode you are singing in. For
gradually decrease in volume over distance more than the instance, if you are in Curbing-like Neutral, you can use the
lower frequencies do. Therefore a powerful, twanged, non- vowels, the pitch, the character and the tricks from Curbing,
metallic tone may sound great acoustically but will usually but since you are actually singing in Neutral it is extremely
sound shrill and distorted through a microphone. important that you do not sing too loudly as this might cause
discomfort. This means it is important to be aware of the mode
you want to approach in order to lend these rules, but it is even
more important to know which mode you are singing in to
Metal-like Neutral know which rules you MUST obey.
Metal-like Neutral is a variant of Neutral without air. It may

sound as if there is almost metal in the sound, even though it Achieving metal-like Neutral
is Neutral. You can divide metal-like Neutral into 3 more spe- Some find it easier to find Meta Ii-like Neutral from the Neutral
cific settings: Curbing-like Neutral, Overdrive-like Neutral and side. Start in a light Neutral without air. Twang the epiglot-
Edge-like Neutral. tic funnel and broaden the tongue until the sound acquires a
All 3 settings are made in Neutral without air usually with sharper and snarling character as if it were metallic. The more
a twanged epiglottic funnel and fairly light sound colours . twanged the epiglottic funnel, the more snarling the sound.
Metal-like Neutral is used when you want the sound from a Maintain the non-breathy, clear note. Often is is easier to start
metallic mode but with less volume. Metal-like Neutral gen- the note with an Overdrive attack or an Edge attack. '4>) 366
erally requires less energy than the metallic modes. It is often
used in R & B, pop music and Musical Theatre. Some singers find it easier to achieve a non-breathy sound on
a high note, for example on AS for women and F4 for men on
Metal-like Neutral may be difficult to find for some, while it the vowel 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'A' (as in 'and') or 'AH' (as in 'far'). The
is far too easy for others, i.e. they unintentionally end up in sound can be a little like howling. Maintain the non-breathy
Metal-like Neutral when they try to sing in a metallic mode. sound and practise singing lower. '4>) 367
Metal-like Neutral can, like the metallic modes, be efficient
for practising getting rid of the air.
Usually it is easier to practise Metal-like Neutral through the Finding Curbing-like Neutral
metallic modes. Therefore, it may be an advantage first to It is easiest to find Curbing-like Neutral by establishing a 'hold '
practise the metallic modes and then return to these exer- and change the vowels to 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'O' (as in 'woman')
cises. (See 'Curbing' on page 96, 'Overdrive' on page 106 and and 'UH ' (as in 'hungry') as you do in Curbing. You can use all
'Edge' on page 116). pitches as this is possible to use in both Neutral and Curbing .
The sound should aim at being slightly restained . Remem-
ber the sound must be clear and free, not cramped and half
Singers who often sing in metal-like Neutral smothered. of course it must not hurt or feel uncomfortable.
The Bee Gees, Peabo Bryson, Mariah Carey, Ian Gillan, Tra- The volume must be between medium quiet ('mezzo-piano'
maine Hawkins, Mick Hucknall (Simply Red), Michael Jackson, or 'mp') and very quiet ('pianissimo' or 'pp').
Bobby Kimball (Toto), Ozzy Osborne, Prince, Michael McDon-
ald, Aaron Neville, and David Lee Roth. If you can control Curbing, start in Curbing (see 'Curbing'
on page 96) by keeping the position of the vocal tract and
twang and then gradually diminishing the 'hold'. It may feel
Important rules to respect as though you are raising the palate even though the larynx
When you want to sing in Metal-like Neutral it is important is raised #369. Perform the transition in a controlled fashion
to be aware of which mode you want to approach as it is the and with care whilst keeping the same amount of twang. If
rules of this mode that you have to use. This means that you

it is done too abruptly the voice may break audibly into the
Neutral mode. Make sure it does not feel uncomfortable. Exercises in Neutral
Sing a note in Curbing, now gradually and in a controlled way
let go of the 'hold ' and change to Neutral without losing pitch Pitch
or twang and try to maintain the 'sound' from Curbing . In the Practise single notes in Neutral ~>) 57 and scales up and
beginning the change of mode is audible, but practise the down through five notes on different vowels ~>) 58. Make
change until it becomes inaudible. sure you widen the mouth as the pitch becomes higher. Do
Make sure the change does not hurt or feel uncomfortable. not attempt to sing TOO powerfully. Women can start on C4
Practise the transition back and forth between Curbing and and men on F3 . From there, continue to repeat the exercise
Neutral so that the note in Neutral sounds like the note in beginning half a tone higher each time and later beg inning
Curbing . When you can make the note in Neutral sound like half a tone lower each time. Practise octave scales ~>) 59 and
the note in Curbing, you have found Curbing-like Neutral. Prac- arpeggios ~>) 60 in the same way.
tise finding this exact position and sound every time. Practise
this sound in a quieter volume, because it is at this volume in
A five-note scale
particular that Curbing-like Neutral is useful. ~>) 370
<:!start F3
Finding Overdrive-like Neutral

~ JJ JJJJfr f JJJJJJ
An octave sca le
It is easiest to find Overdrive-like Neutral by establishing a
<:!start F3 I
bite and change the vowels to 'EH ' (as in 'stay') and 'OH' (as
in 'so') as you do in Overdrive. Be aware that you cannot sing
pitches above 05-EbS for women and CS for men as notes
~J J J rJJJ
An octave scale
above these pitches are not possible in Overdrive. The sound
<:!start F3 I
should aim at being direct, aggressive and have a shouting
character even though the volume is lower. The volume must
be between medium quiet, i.e. mezzo piano (mp) and very
quiet, i.e. pianissimo (pp).
Finding Edge-like Neutral

It is easiest to find Edge-like Neutral by twanging a lot and
change the vowels to 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'EH' (as in 'stay'), 'A' (as in
$13 arr rfr rra31
'and ') and 'OE' (as in 'herb') as you do in Edge. You can use all
pitches as this is possible to use in both Neutral and Edge. The
sound should be light and snarling. Remember the volume Volume
must be between medium quiet ('mezzo-piano' or 'mp') and Practise crescendos and decrescendos on single notes and
very quiet ('pianissimo' or 'pp') scales w ith different vowels. ~>) 66
Imagine that you are humming a note in Edge but make

sure it is actually in Neutral. Hum 'NG' w ith a slightly open
<:!start C4 0 0
mouth. Now sing the note using the vowel 'I' as though you
were humming it, in other words keep the same position of Increasing and decreasing the volume , crescendo and decrescendo
the vocal tract, especially the same amount of twang . Notice

that you now sing the note through the mouth instead of the
nose. ~>) 368
Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadol in www.completevocalin stitute.com 93

Attack Practise light sound colour in Neutral with air '4>) 61 and with-
Practise a Neutral with air attack '4>) 43 and a Neutral without out air '4 >) 63.
air attack '4>) 44 by singing an ascending five-note scale, re- Practise dark sound colour in Neutral with air '4>) 62 and with-
peating the highest note three times, and then singing five out air '4>) 64.
notes descending, repeating the lowest note three times.
To practise the Neutral without air attack try to bring the Sing a song in all the different sound colours you can find in
vocal cords together before attacking the note. Recall the your voice. Then try to sing songs in the sound colours you
memorised feeling of the clicking sound (see 'Finding Neutral prefer: the ones that you think suit you, your temperament
without air' on page 89). Use the ascending scale to feel how and your voice.
the support energy needs to gradually increase. Notice the
support value on the highest note. Breathe, and then find the Practise singing with necessary twang and distinct twang in
exact same support value. Hold back on singing the note until Neutral with air '4>) 175 and without air '4 >) 176, gradually
you think you have reached the right support value. Sing the more and less on single notes, and then on scales such as oc-
note and determine whether your support value was correct. tave scales.
If not, the attack will sound breathy and have a grated sound.
Adjust the support value in order to make a good attack and Sing an octave scale. Start the scale with a dark sound colour
memorise this value for the following note. When you find by lowering the larynx and twanging the epiglottic funnel.
the right support value for a particular note, memorise the Then as you ascend the scale, make the sound colour pro-
value. Sing down through five notes and practise finding the gressively lighter by raising the larynx, but keep twanging
exact support value for the lowest note. Make sure all the at- the epiglottic funnel. Make sure the high notes are delicate,
tacks are perfect and non-breathy. If you use more twang the light and non-breathy. Now descend the scale and make the
attacks will usually become easier to perform. Continue to sound colour darker by lowering the larynx, and still keep
repeat the exercise beginning half a tone higher each time. twanging the epiglottic funnel. Continue to repeat the exer-
cise beginning half a tone higher each time. '4>) 65
~ :QDW J J :JJ:JJJJJ
Practising non -
breathy attacks
Songs
(f start F3
Perform a whole song in Neutral with air '4 >) 67, and in Neu-
tral without air '4 >) 68 in different keys to cover all parts of the
voice.
Air added to the voice
If you want to add air to the voice you could also practise this
all the way through the various parts of the voice in Neutral. Classical sound
But remember that this makes it impossible to sing power- When you have found the sound you prefer, sing scales and
fully (see 'Air added to the voice' on page 206). lfthe air must songs whilst maintaining the sound colour up and down
be heard more distinctly, you can use more twang . throughout the pitches. Keep the compressed tongue as this
contributes to giving the vowels their classical sound . Prac-
tise making this sound on all pitches and on all vowels. '4 >) 69
Sound Colours
Practise finding as many sound colours as possible by chang-
ing the shape of your vocal tract. Find the lightest and darkest Metal-like Neutral (Curbing-like Neutral)
sound colour in your voice. Practise accomplishing the light- Sing a note in Curbing in the pitch you find easiest and
est and darkest sound colour in the high as well as in the low change to Neutral without altering the pitch . Practise chang-
part of your voice in Neutral with and without air. Sing, for ing between the modes to become certain of the feeling of
example, octave scales. the change. Gradually make the two modes sound alike and
keep the same amount of twang . In other words, locate the

position necessary to make Neutral sound like Curbing. Sing Unintentional distortion in Neutral
a note in Curbing, maintain the 'sound' from Curbing and When you practise Neutral, you have to be on your guard
shape of the vocal tract, and change to Neutral. Now you are against unintentional distortion. This may be described as a
singing Curbing-like Neutral. Try to add the 'hold' and the 'scratching' or 'jarring' sound in the notes. If an unintentional
metal again to test if you have maintained the sound and the distortion occurs, it is usually because the tones are some-
shape of the vocal tract from the note in Curbing . '4>) 70 what metallic, although you have positioned for Neutral. In
other words, you are using the mode outside its limits. Meta-
Find the vowel you think is easiest in Curbing and practise phorically, it may be compared to when a car hits the verge
the note with a Curbing attack. Raise the larynx slightly and of a motorway which generates the grating sound which in-
raise the soft palate along with the pitch, but only so that the dicates that you should stay within the lines.
sound still resembles Curbing whilst still singing in Neutral. You may have a metallic sound because of 'biting ' (see
Remember that it must feel comfortable. Women can start 'Finding the 'bite' on page 107).
from E4 and men on A3 and from there repeat the exercise You may have a 'hold', as in Curbing, while you use too little
beginning half a tone higher each time. Practise making this volume (see 'Curbing' on page 96).
sound in all pitches and on all the Curbing vowels . '4>) 71 You may be singing too loudly in Neutral.
Perhaps you are singing with a little bit of air on the voice
Make sure the mouth opens more as you go up in pitch. Be but intended to sing in Neutral without air and are there-
careful not to sing Curbing-like Neutral too powerfully. In do- fore trying to make the voice non -breathy through uncon-
ing so, you might force your voice and risk discomfort as well trolled constriction .
as strain. Keep the volume between medium quiet, i.e. mezzo You may not have been aware of uncontrolled constriction
piano (mp) and very quiet, i.e. pianissimo (pp). that appeared because of a protruded jaw, tightening of
the lips or lack of support.
Unintentional distortion might feel comfortable and sound

Warnings in Neutral pleasant, but it should be avoided because with persistent
Remember to keep a loose jaw use, it can result in a blurring of the modes. If you consciously
Avoid metallic modes by keeping the volume down and want to produce a distortion, it should be practised separate-
the jaw relaxed ly in order to avoid vocal strain (see 'Distortion' on page 179).
Avoid singing powerfully in Neutral without air, except in
the high part of the voice. In Neutral without air it is espe-
cially in the middle part of the voice that it might hurt and
cause strain to sing too loudly.
Now and then it is a good idea to return to and practise

the extremes of Neutral. You may find Neutral with air too
breathy and quiet, while Neutral without air may sound too
non-breathy. However, it is important to locate where the
perfect, healthy centre of the modes are so you do not lose
the mode while you are experimenting.
Remember that Neutral contains all sound colours, many

of which you will be unaccustomed to. It is acceptable for
sounds to be 'ugly' during practice but NOT for the process to
feel wrong or unpleasant.

Curbing
Mode ~
HALF METALLIC
Air Never add air to the voice
Method HOLD
Vowels in the
high part of
I UH 0
(sit) (hungry) (woman)
the voice
Pitch All
Volume Medium
Character Restrained
An overview
Curbing is the half-metallic mode, meaning there is some Men and women can use Curbing all through the voice.
metal in the notes. It is the 'mildest' of the metallic modes Curbing is used when a sound more powerful than Neutral
where the character is softer and not as powerful and distinct but quieter and more restrained than Overdrive or Edge is
as Overdrive or Edge but still powerful compared to Neutral. wanted. Women mostly use Curbing when they have to sing
The sound is often slightly plaintive and restrained. Curbing powerfully between F4 - FS but do not want the aggressive
can be found by establishing a light 'hold'. character of Edge.
To 'Curb' means to 'hold', to 'tame', to keep 'under control. I In Curbing you must use the vowels 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'O' (as in
have chosen the name 'Curbing' because it, in my opinion, 'woman') or 'UH' (as in 'hungry') to stay in the mode. '4>) 72
describes what it might feel like to sing while holding back
the sound thereby preventing it (or 'curbing' it) from becom-
ing full-metallic.

Curbing largely stays in the medium volume range, from me- Condition for Curbing
dium quiet ('mp' or 'mezzo piano') to loud ('f' or 'forte'). Very Can be found by establishing a light 'hold'.
quiet ('pp' or 'pianissimo') and very loud ('ff' or 'fortissimo')
volumes are not attainable.
The sound colour can be altered extensively. Finding Curbing

Curbing is used in almost all styles of popular music (such as Curbing may be established by holding your breath and
R & B music) when the volume is medium loud and a certain applying a large amount of support. Notice how it feels; as
amount of metal is required. Curbing is used in classical music though something is lightly holding your larynx, as though
by men singing medium loud ('mf' or 'mezzo forte') and by there is a light pressure or as if something is held lightly in an
women singing loud (mf-f) in the middle and low part of the exact position. This sensation is known as creating a 'hold'
voice. Curbing is used in everyday life when you are wailing, ~>) 371 . Maintain the 'hold' and say 'O' (as in 'woman') as if
moaning or whining. you have a stomach ache. Note the slightly restrained and
lightly plaintive sound that emerges. Make sure you do not
impair the voice with uncontrolled constriction. Even though
Singers who often sing or sang in Curbing the sound is restrained it should still be clear and free, not
Christina Aguilera, Charles Aznavour, Beach Boys, Bee Gees, squeezed or stifled. It must not hurt or be uncomfortable.
George Benson, Mary Black, Michael Bolton, David Bowie, Now try to sing a note with the 'hold'. ~>) 74
Toni Braxton, Gary Brooker (Procol Harum), Peabo Bryson, J
J Cale, Mariah Carey, Ray Charles, Neneh Cherry, Eric Clapton, At first it is a good idea to find Curbing by means of the
Marc Cohn, Phil Collins, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Terence 'hold' and make sure that the 'hold' is established BEFORE a
Trent D'Arby, Roger Daltrey, Sandy Denny (Fairport Conven- note is sung. The 'hold' is merely a tool to find and maintain
tion), Donald Fagen (Steely Dan), Agneta Faltskog (ABBA), the mode. Once you have practised Curbing sufficiently to
Peter Gabriel, Liam Gallagher (Oasis), Ian Gillan, Steve Harley control the mode it is no longer necessary to establish the
(Cockney Rebel), Murray Head, Jimi Hendrix, Don Henley (Ea- hold beforehand. At a certain time, due to practise, the hold
gles), Mick Hucknall (Simply Red), Iggy Pop, James Ingram, should have been worked in as a natural part of the mode. In
Mick Jagger, Elton John, Salif Keita, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the beginning it might help to practise Curbing by means of
Bobby Kimball (Toto), Tommy Korberg, KD Lang, Lyle Lovett, the Curbing attack (see 'Attacks' on page 61).
Bob Marley, Michael McDonald, Madonna, Meat Loaf, soloists
in Mills Brothers, Roy Orbison, Elaine Paige, Robert Plant (Led Another easy way to locate Curbing is to sing relatively loud
Zeppelin), Zach De La Rocha (Rage Against The Machine), Li- while clenching your teeth . Be aware not to sing TOO loud as
onel Richie, Paul Rogers (Free, Bad Company), David Lee Roth, it can feel uncomfortable and might strain the voice. Notice
Seal, 'Skin' (Sylvia Massy, Skunk Anansie), Britney Spears, Sta- how the notes are now automatically are sung with a hold. The
tus Quo, Stephen Stills, Sting, Michael Stipe (REM), Jennifer notes sound slightly restrained and plaintive. This is Curbing.
Warnes, Fee Waybill (The Tubes), and Stevie Wonder. Make sure the hold is light and not too strong as it will trigger
uncontrolled constriction and strain the voice. Maintain the
Curbing is also used by female classical singers when they sensation of this light hold and train to sing while separating
sing loud (mf-f) in the middle part of the voice and male clas- the teeth. Be sure that the notes maintain the same slightly
sical singers when they sing at a medium loud volume (mf-f). plaintive and slightly restrained sound . Keep the sensation
and the sound from the clenched teeth and practice opening
the mouth without changing the sensation and the sound.
If the sound suddenly feels or sounds 'freer' you have most

likely lost the hold. Return to singing with clenched teeth and cords and make a plaintive sound by singing ordinarily
train maintaining this sensation and sound regardless of how (outwards). This may produce a sensation like Curbing.
much you open the mouth. Imagine lifting something heavy. Notice how you prepare
to lift inside the larynx BEFORE the lift. Maintain this feeling
It usually helps to raise the palate slightly as you go up in and start on the note with a Curbing attack.
pitch (you raise the palate when inhaling for a yawn, see 'The Imagine that you are feeling very sorry for yourself and
Palate' on page 169). The higher the notes you use in Curb- listen to how the sound becomes plaintive because of the
ing, the more raised the palate should be. Be careful to raise 'hold'. ~>) 374
the palate cautiously and with great control. If it is raised too Imagine that you are speaking while you are crying. Feel
abruptly, the larynx is usually lowered and the half-metallic the 'hold' and listen to how plaintive Curbing sounds.
sound is lost. Imagine a large ball placed in the throat and apply a great
deal of support. Try to bring the vocal cords together across
Once you know the feeling and the sound of Curbing, you the ball while singing 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'O' (as in 'woman') or 'UH'
should make 'the hold' as light as possible. In the beginning, (as in 'hungry'). Sing 'on top of' the ball, as powerfully and
also practise with a relatively high-positioned larynx as this non-breathy as possible, without an unpleasant feeling .
will prevent 'the hold ' from luring the back of the tongue to Sing a low note with a high-positioned larynx, like a child
lower the larynx. This again would prevent reaching the right Imagine you are disgusted by something while singing
pitch and might feel uncomfortable. So, if the notes become Imagine you are about to cough, but stop and maintain
'heavy' or more difficult to reach, then 'the hold' should be that feeling.
loosened and the larynx should be raised. Some singers lower the larynx too much in Curbing, which
may make them lose the metallic sound. Counteract this
In the beginning it is usually easier to find Curbing by twang- by imagining that you are 'staying on the upper edge' of
ing the epiglottic funnel slightly, raising the larynx a little, the note. Do not keep the note 'down', let it float. Imagine
and by keeping the palate lowered and the tongue slightly the note has a floor and you must not sing under this floor.
broadened by placing it on the molars in the upper part of
the mouth (see 'The Epiglottic Funnel' on page 159, 'The La r-
ynx' on page 162, 'The Palate' on page 169 and 'The Tongue'
on page 166).
Once you can control Curbing, you will no longer need the An image: the note has a floor and
you must not sing under this floor
vocal tract to help the positioning. Skilled Curbers often use
many other positions of the vocal tract.
Imagine you are keeping the 'hold' at the front while 'open-
Achieving Curbing through images and sensations ing' the vocal cords at the back.
Remember that images and sensations are only meant as an
aid. If you do not respond to them immediately, forget them .
Do not confuse them with what is actually happening! Finding Curbing through sound
Inhale and make a slight sound while suddenly holding You can try to find Curbing by means of sound by:
your breath or cough and feel a small 'hold' just prior to the applying a great deal of support saying 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'O' (as
cough . ~>) 371 in 'woman') or 'UH' (as in 'hungry') as if you have a stomach
Bring the vocal vocal cords together and imagine making ache ~>) 72
a small sound by sucking inwards whilst keeping the vo- imitating a rogue or a stereotypical Italian from an Ameri-
cal cords together. Maintain this feeling of the closed vocal can movie such as The Godfather ~>) 372

imitating someone who is crying quietly
imitating a child who is just about to cry '4>) 373
imitating someone who feels sorry for himself '4>) 374
imitating a child who is overly tired and does not want to
do anything '4>) 375 The 'bite'
whimpering like a puppy

clenching your teeth and singing a rather loud '00' (as in
'you') or 'O' (as in 'woman') or 'UH' (as in 'hungry') '4>) 86 On the other hand, singers who are used to singing in Over-
(all vowels) drive or Edge may obtain Curbing by consciously keeping a
loose jaw. In doing so, the voice has a harder time returning
to the familiar Overdrive and Edge and ends up half-way in
Be careful not to constrict the voice Curbing .
Even though the notes are restrained, the sound must be
clear and free, not cramped and half smothered!
Notice YOUR sensation of singing in Curbing and listen for

the sound being slightly restrained and plaintive but still free.
Some singers like to get accustomed to the sensation first and Loose jaw
then focus on the sound. Once you can control Curbing, the
sensation and sound may come by itself. After that, the sound
may be made more or less plaintive. If the mode is difficult to
find, start by making a very plaintive sound in order to find it. Be careful not to lose the 'hold' while singing in Curbing, as it
When you are familiar with it, make the sound less plaintive. may be painful and can constrict your voice.
Notice that when you find the centre of the mode, it usually
costs less energy than when you are trying to find it.
Remember there is not one uniform sensation of singing in
Edge. It is not possible to feel a vocal mode, but you can hear it. Pitch in Curbing
Men and women use Curbing all through the various parts of
Be aware of the position of the jaw in Curbing the voice. Women particularly use Curbing when they want
Be careful not to lose the 'hold' while you sing . If the 'hold' is to sing above the limit in Overdrive and the volume should
not sufficiently established, the voice might either lose the not be as powerful as in Edge.
half-metallic sound or become full-metallic. In the beginning it
may seem like a balancing act to sing in Curbing, because the The higher you Curb, the more powerful the volume be-
Curb may be lost in both directions (Neutral one way or Over- comes, while the sound colour becomes lighter. The vowels
drive/Edge the other). Therefore, Curbing is regarded by many should be directed more and more towards 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'O'
as the most difficult mode and the last one to fall into place. (as in 'woman') or 'UH' (as in 'hungry') as the pitch becomes
higher. Even though Curbing becomes more powerful in the
Singers who mostly use Neutral often benefit from making higher part of the voice, it will never be as powerful as Over-
a 'bite' as in Overdrive or Edge in order to achieve Curbing drive or Edge.
(see 'Finding the 'bite' on page 107). lfthey maintain the 'bite',
they can usually maintain Curbing and prevent the voice from
returning to Neutral.

There is no lower limit to how deep you can sing in Curbing, with clenched teeth . Again, take care you do not sing TOO
but the mode becomes weaker, more 'squeezed in', and often loudly as it may feel uncomfortable and might obstruct the
'flatter' in sound as the pitch gets deeper ~>) 90. In the low voice. Try to sing all the vowels and notice how the vowels
part of the voice, Neutral and Overdrive are used more than in the high part of the voice change to either 'I', 'O' or 'UH'.
Curbing as these modes are capable of producing a darker Notice that the vowels sound slightly plaintive or restrained
and less suppressed character. Curbing is easiest to use in the like those vowels used by a rogue or a stereotypical Italian
middle part of the voice and the sound may assume many in an American movie. These are the Curbing vowels . They
different sound colours. often sound more restrained when spoken than when sung.
Be aware that even though the sound is restrained it should
be clear and not half smothered! ~>) 86
Vowels in Curbing Even though there are only three Curbing vowels in the high
part of the voice, it might seem that Curbing has a wider
It is very important to make sure that the pronunciation of range of vowels than Overdrive and Edge. This is because the
the vowels is 100% correct. Being able to reproduce the ex- 'UH ' can start with many vowels sounds as long as it has the
act vowel nuance mentioned is equally important in order 'UH ' ending, like in French 'un', 'don', 'blanc' and 'vin'.
for the technique to work in the right way. Therefore, I would
recommend all to study the sound examples from the CVT 'A' vowels are often difficult in Curbing . Pronounce the 'A'
Sound Library carefully and learn the exact vowel nuances in vowels as 'UH'. This might sound a little locked up or nasal
each case in order to avoid confusion between the written when spoken, but the sound is fine when sung . ~>) 85
and the spoken vowel (see page 249).
The vowels 'EE' and '00' can be difficult, especially for wom-
The vowel 'EE' (as in 'see') in Curbing ~>) 76 en, as these vowels tend to lose the metallic sound and move
The vowel 'I' (as in 'sit') in Curbing ~>) 77 towards Neutral. Be aware to maintain the 'hold ' on 'EE' ~>) 76
The vowel 'EH ' (as in 'stay') in Curbing ~>) 78 and '00' ~>) 80. You must be careful when raising the palate
The vowel 'A' (as in 'and') in Curbing ~>) 79 as th is might tempt the voice into changing to Neutral.
The vowel '00' (as in 'you') in Curbing ~>) 80
The vowel 'O' (as in 'woman') in Curbing ~>) 81 The vowels 'EH ' and 'OH' are very difficult to sing in Curbing
The vowel 'OH' (as in 'so') in Curbing ~>) 82 as they tempt the voice into Overdrive. It requires at lot of
The vowel 'AH ' (as in 'far') in Curbing ~>) 83 control to sing 'EH ' and 'OH ' without ending up in Overdrive.
The vowel 'OE' (as in 'herb') in Curbing ~>) 84 In the beginning, I recommend replacing 'EH ' with 'I' and 'OH '
The vowel 'UH' (as in 'hungry') in Curbing ~>) 85 with 'UH'. Later, 'I' can be pronounced in the direction of'EH',
and 'UH' can be pronounced in the direction of 'OH'.
In Curbing you can only use the vowels 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'O' (as in
'woman') and 'UH ' (as in 'hungry'). It might seem as all vowels You also have to be careful with the volume on 'EH' and 'OH'
can be used in Curbing in the low part of the voice because as powerful volumes will tempt them into Overdrive. If you
the vocal modes might resemble each other here. But if you deliberately keep the volume down on 'EH' and 'OH' it will
want to be sure you are in Curbing and especially in the high be easier to remain in Curbing . Remember that it may help
part of the voice it is necessary to direct the vowels towards to avoid 'EH ' and 'OH' completely in the beginning until you
'O' and 'I ', and 'UH ' in order to remain in the mode. gain full control over Curbing .
You can get used to the sound of the slightly restrained, slight- This method goes for all the vowels in Curbing . If a vowel pre-
ly plaintive Curbing vowels by singing relatively powerfully sents a problem, it may be directed towards or replaced with
the vowel you find easiest, most often 'I'. Later, when you can
control the note on the easy vowel, work in the more difficult

vowels whilst keeping the back of the tongue in EXACTLY the All singers are different. Practise until you are familiar with
same position. how powerfully and how quietly you can sing in Curbing.
'Back' vowels such as '00', 'OH' and 'AH' can be difficult to

do in Curbing as the back of the tongue may lower the lar-
ynx. This often impairs the pitch and feels uncomfortable. Acase story
This can be prevented by making sure that the larynx is kept Asoul singer had an unusual problem. His voice felt sore every
in the same position for all vowels. In practice it might help time he had to sing quietly. As it turned out, he sang in Curb-
to raise the larynx on all back vowels. So, if you have trouble ing, but in quiet passages he let go of the support.
pronouncing a back vowel in a song, you should consciously At first we worked on maintaining support on quiet notes in
practice a higher larynx position on that particular vowel. '4>) Neutral; the quieter the sound, the more support is required. In
80 '4>) 81 '4>) 82 '4>) 83 this way, the quiet notes became more intense and sustained.
Later, when you can control Curbing and want a darker sound Eventually, the singer could produce thinnings and very quiet
colour, you can lower the larynx as is done in classical singing. volume (see 'Volume' on page 64). We then transferred this
'4>) 96 support to Curbing so he could feel the minimum support re-
quired to maintain the mode. After that, the singer was able to
Just how much you have to direct vowels towards 'O', 'I' and feel that if he wanted to keep the Curbing sound, the volume
'UH' varies from singer to singer. An experienced singer does could only decrease to a certain limit, namely to medium quiet
not need to stick to these vowels as rigidly as a less experi- (mp). If he wanted a quieter volume than this, he would have
enced singer. to change to the Neutral mode. When the singer was able to
control the difference in volume between Curbing and Neutral
At first it may help to exaggerate the plaintive vowels in or- and was able to change between the modes, in other words,
der to find the most comfortable position in Curbing. When when he no longer let go of the support when singing quietly,
you are familiar with the position for Curbing and capable of the irritation in the voice disappeared.
singing all the plaintive vowels in a healthy manner, you can
practise making the vowel sounds less plaintive.
Sound colours in Curbing

Volumes in Curbing
When you wish to change the sound colour of a mode, you
The volumes in Curbing are largely medium . It is not pos- have to change the setting of the vocal tract. The form of the
sible to sing very quietly ('pp' or 'pianissimo') in Curbing, as vocal tract can be moved in many directions so there are nu-
the voice will lose the metallic sound and end up in Neutral. merous ways of changing sound colour (see 'Sound Colour'
The higher the pitch, the greater the volume usually required. on page 158).
However, be careful not to sing too powerfully in Curbing as
this usually results in a full-metallic mode (Overdrive or Edge). The sound colour in Curbing is often light and a little plain-
If this happens while the 'hold' is maintained it may feel un- tive, but you can easily colour Curbing in other directions.
comfortable and strain the voice. Once you can control Curbing without problems, you can
experiment with changing the sound colour by changing the
Curbing is usually quiet in the low part of the voice, so in this vocal tract. Almost all sound colours are possible, but remem-
range Curbing is not used much as Overdrive and Edge (ex- ber, the darker the sound colour, the greater the risk of losing
cept by female classical singers). The volume is medium in the the 'metal'. In order to change the sound colour in Curbing
middle part of the voice and loud in the high part of the voice.

Lighter sound colour
If you want a lighter sound colour, you can reduce the size of
the vocal tract ~>) 93. Choose one or more of the following
possibilities:
Use the distinct twang of the epiglottic funnel
Raise the larynx
Lower the palate (but make sure the notes get enough
'room ')
Open the mouth more, as in a smile
Open the nasal passage
Broaden the tongue
you need to perfect the overall principles of singing as well Even though you may become very good at Curbing and
as the 'hold '. It is important that you know your voice well changing sound colour, it is helpful to return to and practise
enough to know the moment you exceed its healthy limits. the centre of the mode now and then . Perhaps the centre of
the mode in Curbing gives too plaintive a sound colour for
Remember: you should only attempt to change the sound your taste, but it is important to feel where the exact, healthy
colour in Curbing if you can control the mode without prob- centre is so as not to lose the 'hold ' or the mode while experi-
lems, i.e. if you can control Curbing in relation to pitch, vol- menting with different sound colours in this mode.
ume and vowels .
Curbing in classical singing

Darker sound colour You can obtain a classical sound in Curbing. Start by practis-
If you want a darker sound colour in Curbing, which is often ing the centre of the mode. Then try to twang the epiglottic
desired in classical singing you can increase the size of the funnel even more, lower the larynx, and raise the palate with-
vocal tract ~>) 94. This can be achieved by using one or more out diminishing the 'hold '. Sing single notes with this feeling.
of the following methods.
Use the necessary twang of the epiglottic funnel When you are familiar with this feeling, experiment with how
Carefully lower the larynx without losing the 'hold' (re- large you can make the vocal tract still using single notes. The
member: the lighter a metallic mode is sung, the safer it is) larger you make the vocal tract, the darker, richer, and more
Raise the palate more (be careful that the voice does not classical the sound colour becomes. Be careful not to lose the
lose the metallic sound as this might feel uncomfortable) 'hold ' or the metallic sound when you twang the epiglottic
Open the mouth more with the corners of the mouth more funnel, lower the larynx and raise the palate . ~>) 96
relaxed
Close the nasal passage Men (for example counter-tenors) use Curbing in the whole
Compress the tongue (as this gives the notes an operatic range of their voice in classical singing when the volume is
sound). medium and when a certain amount of metal is required .
Women use Curbing in classical singing when they have to
sing loudly, in the middle part of the voice and also in the low
part of the voice (for example Kathleen Ferrier).
102 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin w w w.compl etevo calin stitute.com
In the beginning you should practise Curbing in a lower part
Acase story of the voice where it is easier to learn the mode rather than in
An opera singer (soprano) had some trouble with too much air a higher part of the voice where Curbing is more difficult and
in the voice after an illness, especially in the middle part of her often fails . .. >) 73 .. >) 74 ,.>) 75
voice. She was desperate as the opening night was approach-
ing and she had been practising getting rid of the breathy
sound for weeks through exercises in Neutral without air to no Vowels
effect. When you have perfected Curbing on this easy vowel, keep
Instead of Neutral without air, we started working on Curbing. the back of the tongue in EXACTLY the same position when
At first we established the 'hold', and she could immediately practising the other vowels. Start practising 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'O'
hear how the sound became stronger. When she hit the centre (as in 'woman') and 'UH' (as in 'hungry'). ,.,) 87
of the Curbing mode, she realised that the strong sound she And later 'EE' (as in 'see'), '00' (as in 'you') and 'OE' (as in
had in Neutral without air in the high part of voice could now 'herb') separately. .. >) 88
be obtained in the middle part of her voice via Curbing.
When she had attained a stronger, non-breathy sound in all Practising the same larynx position on all vowels can be an
pitches, we started to alter the sound colour in Curbing so that advantage. Sing an 'I', keep this larynx position and the posi-
it would suit the classical sound colour ideal. She worked on tion of the back of the tongue while you sing an '00', and
maintaining the 'hold' for Curbing while simultaneously mak- make sure that the larynx or the back of the tongue does not
ing the size of the vocal tract larger until she got the classical lower itself for the '00'. It will often feel as if you consciously
sound colour she wanted. After two days, the sound was com- have to raise the larynx or the back the tongue for the vowel
pletely without air and she even obtained louder volumes in '00'. Practise this with all vowels. Sing an 'I' and keep the lar-
the middle part of her voice than ever before. ynx position (raise the larynx and the back of the tongue) to
'O'. Sing an 'I' and keep the larynx position (raise the larynx
and the back of the tongue) to 'UH'.
'EH' (as in 'stay') and 'OH' (as in 'so') are very difficult vowels
Exercises in Curbing in Curbing as they tempt the voice to change to Overdrive.
Avoid them in the beginning and return to them once you
It is often easier to begin Curbing in an accentuated legato, can control Curbing without any problems. But remember
giving the note a minor 'run-up'. Sing a lower note and slowly to direct 'OH' towards 'UH' and 'EH' towards 'I' to ensure the
pull it up to the note you want. This usually gives you more 'hold' is maintained. Start with the vowel 'UH' and direct it
time to establish support. carefully towards 'OH'. Start with the vowel 'I' and direct it
carefully towards 'EH'. In both cases, stop before the voice
changes abruptly into Overdrive. Accept the slurred sound of
Single notes the vowel. ,.,) 89
Find the vowel that you find most easy to sing, usually an 'I' (as
in 'sit') or 'O' (as in 'woman'). Practise Curbing on single notes.
Start each note with a Curbing attack. When you can control Low notes
Curbing you can use any attack. Maintain the 'hold' and per- Afterwards, practise Curbing on lower notes. Be careful to
haps raise the palate slightly as the notes become higher. Be maintain the 'hold' on the notes. In the beginning it may feel
careful not to lose the 'hold' and remember that it must feel as though the lower you sing, the more you have to squeeze
comfortable. Women can start from G4 and men from C4 and in the notes. You must accept that the sound becomes more
then repeat the exercise beginning half a tone higher each plaintive the lower you sing. If you lose the Curb on a note, re-
time. Do not sing higher than it feels comfortable. turn to the previous note where you still had it and try to keep

the same feeling on the difficult note. Women can start on E4 Songs
and men on C4 and from there repeat the exercise beg inning Complete a song in Curbing. Repeat the song, transposing
half a tone lower each time. '4>) 90 it upwards by half notes. Remember to direct the vowels to-
wards 'I', 'O' and 'UH' as the pitch gets higher. Note that in
the sound example only three out of all the scales are sung:
Scales one in the low part of the voice, one in the middle part of the
When you can control Curbing on single notes, practise Curb- voice and one in the high part of the voice. '4>) 95
ing on three-note '4>) 91 and five-note '4>) 92 scales up and
down, again beginning with the vowel you think is the easi-
est. Start each note with a Curbing attack. Make sure the pal- Sound Colour
ate is slightly raised and the mouth opens wider as the pitch Practise finding as many sound colours as possible by chang -
gets higher. Do not sing so quietly in Curbing that the voice ing the shape of the vocal tract. Find the lightest '4>) 93 and
flips to Neutral. The volume increases as the pitch ascends, the darkest '4>) 94 sound colour in your voice in Curbing.
but do not sing too powerfully either as you could force your
voice which is uncomfortable and may strain it.
Women can start at D4 and men at F3 and from there sing a Classical sound
scale up and down through three or five notes. Repeat the When you have located the classical sound colour you de-
exercise beginn ing half a note higher each time and later half sire, sing shorter and later longer scales whi lst maintaining
a note lower each time. the sound colour all the way up and down. Make sure not
to impair the pitch even though the position of the la rynx is
J J J J
relatively low. Keep the tongue compressed to preserve the
A three-note scale
<:J start F3
' #ft J classical sound . Practise completing this sound colour in all
parts of the voice and on all vowels. '4>) 96
A five-note scale
<:J start F3
Warnings in Curbing
NEVER add air to the voice when singing in Curbing as it
When the five-note sequences are perfected, the exercise may hurt and damage the voice.
can be expanded to include octave scales and arpeggios. It can be difficult to maintain Curbing in the high part of the
voice as the voice often becomes either sharp, full metallic
and turns into Edge or softer and loose the metal and turns
An octave scale into Neutral.

Both women and men should apply sufficient support from
<:J start F3
C5/C4 to make sure the 'hold' is established, to avoid losing
the metallic sound and to prevent a break in the voice.
An arpeggio Be careful not to lower the larynx TOO much in Curbing as

it feels uncomfortable and may strain the voice.
<:J start F3
The higher the pitch, the more distinct the vowels have to
be directed towards 'O' (as in 'woman '), 'I' (as in 'sit') or 'UH'
(as in 'hungry').
104 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin w ww.completevocal institute.com

The higher the pitch, the more powerful the volume be- jaw or tightening of the lips must not be confused with the
comes. However, you must never sing very powerfully (ff) 'hold').
in Curbing as it may strain the voice. You may have lost the 'hold', and in doing so, the voice is
Be careful not to practise Curbing at too quiet a volume about to change to Neutral.
(pp) either as this also strains the voice. You have a 'hold' for Curbing while trying to make a full-
metallic sound as for Overdrive or Edge. This can strain the
voice.
You have too much 'hold' on Curbing.
Acase story You are using too powerful a volume for Curbing .
A very experienced jazz singer had problems reaching high You are about to raise the palate so much that the larynx
notes. She did not think the character of Neutral suited her lowers which can complicate a Curb.
style because it was too soft. Neither did she feel that Edge You may be singing at too quiet a volume for Curbing caus-
suited her because it sounded too much like rock. She had ex- ing the voice to lose the metallic sound and change to
perimented and found a sound she liked (Curbing), but when Neutral.
she sang this way she became exhausted, got pains in her
throat and the notes often failed. Unintentional distortion might feel comfortable and sound
The reason was that she feared the 'hold' was a harmful con- pleasant but should be avoided, because if used persistently,
striction, so she rejected it every time she felt it. As she was it can result in a blurring of the modes. If you consciously
quite happy with the sound of Curbing, we practised using the want to produce a distortion, it should be practised sepa-
mode in a healthy manner by adding in small pauses before rately in order to avoid strain on the voice (see 'Distortion'
each Curbing note. Using this small pause made the 'hold' on page 179).
clea rer for her and she practised it as a natural part of the
mode. After a short while she regarded the 'hold' as helpful
instead of being a harmful constriction. As soon as she es-
tablished the 'hold' in Curbing, she could sing the high notes
without it hurting or failing. When she got used to the 'hold'
in Curbing she no longer needed the small pauses and she no
longer had problems reaching high notes.
Unintentional distortion in Curbing

When you practise Curbing, you must be on your guard
against unintentional distortion (i.e. 'scratching' or 'jarring'
sounds). If there is unintentional distortion, it is usually either
because the 'hold' is not established correctly, the notes are
not metallic enough or the volume is too loud. Metaphori-
cally, it may be compared to when a car hits the verge of a
motorway which generates a grating sound which indicates
that you should stay within the lines.
You may have been unaware of an uncontrolled constric-
tion in the throat. This may occur due to a protruded jaw,
tightening of the lips or lack of support (nb: the protruded

Overdrive
Mode cx:J
FULL METALLIC
Method
Vowels in the
high part of
"Bit"
EH
_.A~ OH
(stay) (so)
the voice
Pitch 9 max
d2
(f max
c2
Volume Loud
Character Shout
An overview In terms of pitch, Overdrive is the only limited mode. It is es-

Overdrive is a full-metallic mode. Its character is often direct, pecially limited for women. The upper limit for women is D5-
loud, and shouted, like when you call 'hey' after someone in Eb5 and for men CS. There is no lower limit.
the street. Overdrive is a mode with a non-breathy sound.
When starting out, Overdrive can be found by establishing In Overdrive you can only use the vowels 'EH' (as in 'stay') and
a 'bite'. 'OH' (as in 'so ') . ~>) 97
I have chosen the name Overdrive because I find it descrip- The sound colour can be altered, but do not try to change the
tive of the pushy, aggressive sound you can obtain in this shouting character too much when singing in the high part
mode. My inspiration for the name is from the overdrive that of the voice.
can be found in guitar pedals and from the fifth gear in sports
cars (i .e. overdrive gear). The volume in Overdrive is mostly loud. However, medium
volume is possible. The higher the notes, the louder and

more distinct the shouting character becomes, and the more With a light sound colour: Chuck Berry, Jack Bruce, Woodie
distinct is the difference in volume and character from Neu- Guthrie, Billie Holiday, lce-T, Grace Jones, Al Jarreau, Eartha
tral and Curbing . Kitt, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Bette Midler, Willie Nelson,
Ozzy Osborne, Dolly Parton, Lou Reed, Axl Rose (Guns 'n'
Overdrive is the most commonly-used mode for men and Roses), Diana Ross, Gino Vanelli, Lolly Vegas (Red bone), and
women in the low part of the voice and when speaking or Hank Williams.
singing loudly.
It is used in popular music in almost all styles, when singing With a dark sound colour in the low part of the voice: Zarah
low or when the volume is loud or when a great deal of metal Leander, Sarah Vaughan, and some female classical singers
is desired, for example in rock music. when they sing in the low part of the voice in powerful vol-
Overdrive is used in classical music by men when they sing ume, such as Maria Callas.
loudly (f-ff). Women sometimes use Overdrive in classical mu-
sic in the low part of the voice, for example Maria Callas.
Overdrive is used in everyday life when you are shouting . Condition for Overdrive
Full-metal
Singers who often sing or sang in Overdrive

Joan Armatrading, Patti Austin, Anita Baker, Lavern Baker,
Shirley Bassey, Bono (U2), La Voix Mystere Bulgare, Johnny Finding Overdrive
Cash, Mama Cass, Tracy Chapman, Cher, Patsy Cline, Leon-
ard Cohen, David Coverdale, Roger Daltrey (The Who), Ray The most important thing in Overdrive is to maintain the full-
Davies (The Kinks), Sammy Davis Jr, Marlene Dietrich, Ron - metallic sound . The easiest way to find this is by establish-
nie James Dio, Vaya Con Dios, Celine Dion, Melissa Etheridge, ing the so-called 'bite'. You need to maintain this 'bite' if you
Aretha Franklin, Marie Fredriksen (Roxette), Judy Garland, want to sing in Overdrive.
Lowell George (Little Feat), Juliette Greco, Corey Glover (Liv-
ing Colour), Buddy Guy, Gypsy Kings, Emmylou Harris, James
Hetfield (Metallica), Jennifer Holiday, Noddy Holder (Slade),
Buddy Holly, John Lee Hooker, Whitney Houston, Michael
Hutchence (INXS), Julio Iglesias, Mahalia Jackson, Mick Jag-
ger, Etta James, Waylon Jennings, Billy Joel, Olivia Newton
John, Tom Jones, Jon Bon Jovi, BB King, Om Kalsoum, Gladys Use the 'bite' to estab lish Overd rive
Knight, Leadbelly, Huey Lewis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Rich-

ard, Vera Lynn, Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy), Miriam Makeba, Bob
Marley, Gisela May, Freddie Mercury, George Michael, Liza 'The bite'
Minelli, Jim Morrison, Van Morrison, Paul McCartney, Youssou A 'bite' may be established by:
N'Dour, Edith Piaf, Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard, Paul Simon, Otis smiling with a closed mouth and dropping the jaw while
Redding, Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies), Frank Sinatra, keeping the position of the upper lip so that the lower jaw
Bessie Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), Di- is behind the stretched upper lip
onne Warwick, Muddy Waters, and Tammy Wynette. shaping the mouth like the Joker in the Batman comics
making sure there is room for a finger between the jaws
Male classical singers use Overdrive when they sing loudly. - the lower jaw must always be behind the upper jaw (see
'The Three Overall Principles' on page 20)

positioning the jaw as you would when you are biting into Imagine that there is a wooden block between your teeth
a large apple. Imagine removing the apple while maintain- while you are trying to 'bite' together.
ing the 'bite'. Do not clench your teeth . There may be a Imagine that you pull out the corners of your mouth and
small muscular tension in the jaw-joint, but there should 'tie them around your neck'.
not be one in the lower jaw or the chin . Imagine that you are shivering. Notice how the feeling is
almost like sucking inwards. Try singing with this feeling. It
may feel as if you are singing out of the back of the head or
'opening up' the back of the head.
Bite at the front
Imagine that you are sucking on a clogged up straw. Feel
how the back wall of the oral cavity is tightened.
Imagine biting on a finger, then removing the finger, but
maintaining the 'bite'. Do not actually bite completely.
Finding 'the bite' through images and sensations Imagine that your teeth are moving out of your mouth
Remember that images and sensations are only meant as an while you sing. Notice how you tighten the back wall of the
aid. If you do not respond to them immediately, forget them . oral cavity.
Do not confuse them with what is actually happening! Imagine that you are disgusted by something that you do
Tighten the back wall of the oral cavity so that it stretches not want near you while singing.
like a sail, and press against it so as to give a double feeling Imagine that there is a floor on the back wall of the oral cav-
of tightening in the back wall . ity and that no Overdrive notes are allowed under this floor.
You can expand notes above the floor in all directions, up-
wards and sideways, but not under it.
Imagine that there is a floor

Sensation: tighten the back wa ll on the back wall
Imagine that you have rubber bands stretched between Show your back molars when singing.
the molars in the upper and the lower part of the mouth . Smile as if pretending you understand something that you
Try to stretch the rubber bands further, but without mov- do not.
ing the jaw. Feel the tightening in the jaw-joint.
Imagine that your teeth are stuck together with caramel The 'bite' is merely an educational tool to find and maintain
and that you try in vain to separate them. Do not clench the mode. Once you are familiar with and can maintain the
your teeth . mode, you may not need it any more.
Finding Overdrive
Find and maintain the 'bite'. Apply a good deal of support
and sing/ shout a long powerful 'EH ' (as in 'stay'). You may put
an 'H' in front of the sound as in 'hey'. Start with an Overdrive
Imagine that you have rubber bands attack (see 'Attack' on page 61) and continue with the same
stretched between the molars

sound and intensity. If Overdrive is difficult to find, make the Notice YOUR sensation of the setting in Overdrive (it must
sound more sneering and provoking. '4>) 97 never feel wrong or uncomfortable) and listen for if you have
the powerful and shouting sound . It may be helpful to get ac-
In the beginning it is easier to find Overdrive by twanging the customed to the sound first and then focus on the sensation
epiglottic funnel slightly, raising the larynx slightly, opening of the setting. When you have control of Overdrive the voice
the mouth wide, and extending the corners of the mouth will be able to find both the sound and the setting on its own.
sideways as in a 'bite'. Keep the tongue as you like, but lower After that, you can give the sound more or less of a shouting
the palate and close the nasal passage. character.
Once you can control Overdrive, you will not need to use If you find it difficult, start with a provoking and shouted
these tricks. Singers who are skilled at Overdrive often use sound, and when you are more familiar with it, make it less
many other positions within the vocal tract. shouted . Notice that w hen you find the centre of the mode,
it usually requires less energy than when you are trying to lo-
cate it.
Finding Overdrive through images and sensations Remember there is not one uniform sensation of singing in
Show your teeth while you sing Overdrive. It is not possible to feel a vocal mode, but you can
Place your fingers on your teeth, and keep the lips in this hear it.
position as you sing (see illustration)
Mind the jaw in Overdrive

Be careful not to loosen the jaw or open the mouth too much,
as both may lower the larynx, making the voice lose the me-
tallic sound and change to the Neutral mode. Keep the 'bite'.
If you lose the 'bite', you will usually lose the mode. This may
Find Overdrive by singing with your fingers on your teeth sound like a break in the voice which can hurt and strain it.
When you are able to control Overdrive, the jaw can be po-
sitioned in whichever way you prefer. In the beginning, how-
Finding Overdrive through sound ever, avoid a loose jaw.
In Overdrive the character is usually loud and shouted with a
certain amount of metal. The more you lower the larynx, the
darker the sound colour becomes.
You can find Overdrive by means of sound by:

imitating market sellers '4>) 376
shouting to someone in the street '4>) 377
crying for joy (as if someone has scored a goal in a football
match) '4>) 378 'Bite' Loose jaw
speaking provokingly and in a rough manner '4>) 379

singing like at a football match '4>) 380
imitating a loud drunk '4 >) 381
finding a vocal break in the lower part of the voice between Pitch in Overdrive
a quiet note (Neutral) and a loud note (Overdrive or Edge)
'4>) 382. Retain the feeling of the loud note while singing Experienced men can sing up to their high C (i .e. CS) in
a higher pitch. Be careful not to sing higher than DS for Overdrive. The highest note women can sing in Overdrive is
women and CS for men.

D5-Eb5. It goes for both men and women that the higher the without any problems and are familiar with the overall prin-
pitch, the more distinct the mode becomes. The volume be- ciples of the correct use of the voice. You also need to know
comes more powerful, the sound has a more distinct shout- your voice so well that you can tell the instant you exceed its
ing quality and the vowels have to be altered to 'EH' (as in healthy limits.
'stay') and 'OH' (as in 'so').
First find Overdrive in the lower end of the middle part of the
voice and practise it on F4 for women or C4 for men. Now
descend gradually, and feel how you have to 'squeeze in' the
Acase story mode the lower you sing. When you have achieved Overdrive
An experienced heavy rock singer had an active singing period in the low part of the voice, sing in Overdrive on the note A3
and then several years break. Normally his songs were high- for women or A2 for men and be careful to maintain the me-
pitched, and when he started singing them again he felt pain tallic sound while cautiously lowering the larynx. The more
in his voice. you lower the larynx (to a certain degree), the darker, richer,
The reason was that during his break he had lost part of his and more powerful the note will become. It must, of course,
physical strength and technique. That was why Overdrive (in never hurt or feel uncomfortable. ~ >) 112
which he had sung before) seemed too hard and powerful. He
had forgotten how much support energy was needed. When
he did not use sufficient energy, his voice automatically chose
Curbing, as this mode requires less energy in the high part of Vowels in Overdrive
the voice. The reason why his voice hurt was that he tried to use
as much volume in Curbing as he did in Overdrive and this was It is very important to make sure that the pronunciation of
too loud for Curbing. the vowels is 100% correct. Being able to recognise the ex-
He had a choice between continuing to sing in Curbing and act vowel nuance mentioned is equally important in order
decreasing the volume, or keeping the powerful volume and for the technique to work in the right way. Therefore, I would
replacing Curbing with Overdrive. As he wanted the powerful recommend all to study the sound examples from the CVT
volume, he had to do physical exercise to improve his condi- Sound Library carefully and learn the exact vowel nuance in
tion. In the meantime we practised Overdrive by establishing each case in order to avoid confusion between the written
the 'bite' and altering the vowels to 'EH' (as in stay) and 'OH' and the spoken vowel (see page 149).
(as in so) at the higher pitches. When he could do this, he was
once again able to sing his high-pitched songs with powerful The vowel 'EE' (as in 'see') in Overdrive ~ >) 100
volume. The vowel 'I' (as in 'sit') in Overdrive ~ >) 101
The vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay') in Overdrive ~ >) 102
The vowel 'A' (as in 'and') in Overdrive ~ >) 103
There is no limit to how low you can sing in Overdrive. The The vowel '00' (as in 'you') in Overdrive ~ >) 104
sound of Overdrive in the lower part of the voice may be- The vowel 'O' (as in 'woman') in Overdrive ~ >) 105
come dry, squeaky, and slightly squeezed if you do not lower The vowel 'OH' (as in 'so') in Overdrive ~>) 106
the larynx. To avoid the squeezed sound and to get more The vowel 'AH' (as in 'far') in Overdrive ~ >) 107
power in the lower part of the voice, sing in Overdrive while The vowel 'OE' (as in 'herb') in Overdrive ~ >) 108
cautiously lowering the larynx. This way you can get both the The vowel 'UH' (as in 'hungry') in Overdrive ~ >) 109
metal of Overdrive as well as the dark, rich sound of the low-
ered larynx. In Overdrive you can only use the vowels 'EH' (as in 'stay')
You should always be very careful with experimenting col- and 'OH' (as in 'so'). It might seem as all vowels can be used
ouring the modes darker unless you control the modes in Overdrive in the low part of the voice because the vocal

modes resemble each other here. But if you want to be sure
you are in Overdrive, especially in the higher part of the voice, Acase story
it is necessary to alter the vowels to 'EH' (as in 'stay') and 'OH' Ajazz singer in a musical had problems with hoarseness. The
(as in 'so') in order to remain in the mode. doctor diagnosed nodules on the vocal cords which had to be
Hence, 'EE', 'I', and 'A' are altered to 'EH'. For example 'Hey removed by surgery.
baby' is altered to 'H-EH, b-EH-b-EH'. '4>) 110 Even though she was very hoarse, something was amiss be-
'00', 'O', 'OR', and 'AH' are altered to 'OH'. For example 'I love cause her voice improved while working. The improvement
you' is altered to 'OH-i 1-0H-ve y-OH'. '4>) 111 was because she obeyed the three overall principles and suc-
ceeded in finding the centre of the modes. It turned out that
If it is difficult to get the same character with 'OH' as you have the hoarseness was not caused by strain on the voice but by
with 'EH', it is usually because the position for the mode is not uncontrolled constriction preventing the voice from work-
quite right for 'OH'. In this case it may help to bite your lower ing properly. When the modes were performed correctly, the
lip gently with the upper front teeth. Keep this position while hoarseness disappeared. This proved there was nothing wrong
opening the mouth a little, and say 'OH'. Notice that the tip with the voice; it was just jarred by so much uncontrolled con-
of the tongue dives into the lower part of the mouth. As a striction that it sounded strained.
result, the sound should acquire the same shouting character We practised efficient support, necessary twang and being
as with 'EH'. Make sure that this does not cause the jaw to be- constantly attentive to singing only in the centre of the modes.
come protruded or the lips tightened. Gradually the uncontrolled constriction disappeared and the
voice sounded more and more clear. After about an hour, the
The degree to which the vowels move towards 'EH' and 'OH' uncontrolled constriction had almost disappeared and the
will vary from singer to singer. An experienced singer is bet- voice was relatively free, so we worked on the modes she
ter equipped to explore the borderland between 'EH', 'OH' needed in the musical.
and other vowels than a less experienced singer. Her hoarseness had most probably appeared because she had
been accustomed to using almost nothing but Neutral in her
At first it may be helpful to exaggerate the direction/altera- jazz singing. Consequently, her problem arose because she
tion of the vowels towards 'EH' and 'OH' in order to find the tried to use the mode at too loud a volume for the musical. We
centre of the mode which is the most comfortable position in worked on establishing the 'bite' and singing precise notes in
Overdrive. When you are familiar with the exact position, you the centre of Overdrive. Then we worked on altering the vowels
can practise making the vowels less distinctly 'EH' and 'OH'. so that they were directed towards 'EH' and 'OH' in the high part
of the voice. When the position for the mode was correct, she
got accustomed to the metallic sound and used it when singing
loudly. She used Neutral for quiet passages and Overdrive for
Volumes in Overdrive loud ones. She completed that night's performance and did not
experience vocal problems during the rest of the show.
Generally speaking, Overdrive is a mode with a powerful vol-
ume, extending from medium loud ('mf' or 'mezzo forte') to
very loud ('ff' or 'fortissimo'). The volume can be varied more
easily in the lower part of the voice, as you usually can sing
Overdrive more quietly in the lower than in the higher part Sound colours in Overdrive
of the voice. The higher the pitch, the louder the volume re-
quired for this mode. Singers are different, and some are able When you want to change the sound colour of a mode, you
to sing less loudly in Overdrive. Practise until you are familiar have to change the setting of the vocal tract. The vocal tract
with how loud and quiet you are able to sing in Overdrive.

Open the mouth more with looser corners, but do not lose
the 'bite' and the metallic sound .
Close the nasal passage.
Lighter sound colour in Overdrive

If you wish to make Overdrive lighter, decrease the size of the
vocal tract. Choose one or more of the following possibilities
'4>) 116:
Twang the epiglottic funnel more distinctly.
Raise the larynx.
Lower the palate, but be careful to allow enough 'room' for
may be moved in many directions, so there are many ways the high notes.
of changing sound colour (see 'Sound Colour' on page 158). Broaden the tongue.
Open the mouth more as in a smile.
Overdrive may be coloured in different directions but most Open the nasal passage.
easily in the lighter and more twanged direction. It is also
possible to colour Overdrive in a darker and richer way, but When you can control Overdrive and are able to change its
this requires competence in the overall principles for singing sound colour, it is a good idea now and then to return to, and
and sufficient familiarity with your voice to know the mo- practise the perfect centre of the mode. Perhaps you will find
ment you exceed its healthy limits. Be aware that the lighter it is too 'shouted', but it is important to be aware of the posi-
you make a metallic mode, the better you protect the voice tion of the perfect and healthy centre of Overdrive so as not
against misuse. to lose the mode while experimenting.
When you can achieve Overdrive without problems, experi-

ment with sound colour by changing the size of the vocal
tract. Avoid lowering the larynx TOO much, as you may lose Acase story
the correct position for Overdrive. Aprofessional flamenco singer suddenly experienced problems
with hoarseness. He had consulted an Ear, Nose, and Throat
specialist who could not find any physical explanation for his
Darker sound colour in Overdrive hoarseness. I asked him to sing as he normally would and con-
If you want a darker sound in Overdrive, increase the size of cluded that, although he sang almost exclusively in Overdrive,
the vocal tract. Choose one or more of the following possibili- the position was not quite correct. He wanted the powerful
ties '4>) 117: sound of Overdrive but was not aware of the limited selection
Necessary twang of the epiglottic funnel. of vowels in this mode. Therefore, uncontrolled constriction had
Lower the larynx carefully. Take care not to lose Overdrive, gradually appeared in Overdrive. Eventually he became hoarse.
and rememberthat the lighter the metallic mode, the more
secure it is. We worked on removing the uncontrolled constriction, and af-
Raise the palate more. Be careful not to raise the palate so ter an hour or so the voice was back. We then established the
much that you lose Overdrive as this may be painful and 'bite' and practised the centre of Overdrive. When the position
damaging. was corrected, his notes became clearer and more powerful.
Compress the tongue (this gives the vowels an operatic Then we worked on adjusting the vowels by directing them
sound). towards 'EH' (as in 'stay') and 'OH' (as in 'so') when he sang
higher. On the highest notes he used only the vowels 'EH' and

'OH' and was suddenly able to sing three notes higher than he for 'OH' as you do on 'EH'. Women can start from F4 and re-
ever had before. peat the exercise beginning half a note higher each time up
When he used the centre of Overdrive, his hoarseness disap- to DS. (Do not practise to EbS unless you are well-trained in
peared. He was also able to reach higher notes and had much Overdrive and specifically need it on this note). Men can start
more power in his voice. from C4 and repeat the exercise beginning half a note higher
each time up to CS. Make sure that there is sufficient support
energy for Overdrive in the high part of the voice.
Overdrive in classical singing

Men can use Overdrive in classical singing . Start by practising Low notes
at the centre of the mode. Maintain the 'bite' and twang the Be sure to maintain the position for the mode and the 'bite' in
epiglottic funnel. Carefully lower the larynx and raise the pal- the lower part of the voice. It may feel as though you have to
ate without losing the 'bite'. Notice the powerful, rich sound, 'close together' around the notes the lower you go in Over-
and use this to sing single notes. drive. If you lose the full -metallic character, return to the pre-
When you have become familiar with this feeling, experi- vious note where you had it, and try to retain the feeling for
ment - still on single notes -with just how large you can make the difficult note. Practise 'EH' (as in 'stay') and 'O H' (as in 'so')
the vocal tract without losing the mode. Continue to twang in the beginning. When you control these vowels, go on to
the epiglottic funnel, carefully lower the larynx, raise the pal- the others, but ONLY in the low part of the voice. Women can
ate, open the mouth with loosened corners, compress the start from F4 and repeat the exercise beginning half a note
tongue, and close the nasal passage. Keep the 'bite' as well lower each time. Men can start from C4 and repeat the exer-
as the rich Overdrive character. The larger you make the vo- cise beginning half a note lower each time . .. >) 112
cal tract, the darker, richer, and more classical the sound be-
comes.
Scales
Men often use Overdrive in classical singing, usually up to A4- When you can control Overdrive on single notes, practise
Bb4, when the volume must be loud and penetrating . .. >) 119 three-note .. >) 114 and five-note .. >) 115 scales up and down
Women only use Overdrive in classical singing when singing - again on the vowels ' EH ' and 'OH'. Start each note with an
in the low part of the voice when the volume has to be very Overdrive attack. Make sure you open the mouth more, the
loud (such as Maria Callas) . .. >) 119 higher you sing. Avoid singing higher than DS - EbS for wom-
en or CS for men. Start from 04 for women and F3 for men
and sing a five-note scale up and down. Continue to repeat
the exercise beginning half a note higher each time, and later
Exercises in Overdrive half a note lower each time.
High notes
Practise Overdrive on single notes on the vowels 'EH' .. >) 98
A three-note sca le ~jl ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I
<:!start F3
(as in 'stay') and 'OH' .. >) 99 (as in 'so') and maintain the 'bite'.
Start the notes with an Overdrive attack; later you can choose
any attack you want. In order to find the correct amount of
support energy, it may be helpful to give the notes a "ru n-up"
A fi ve-note scale
~##; ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I!~ ~ ~
<:! start F3
and then pull them up to the desired pitch. Remember that
it must feel comfortable. Use the same shape of the mouth

Powerful low notes tongue compressed in order to give the vowels the classical
Practise Overdrive with a lowered larynx if you want a very sound colour.
dark and rich sound colour in the low part of the voice. Locate
Overdrive in the lower end of the middle part of the voice by Practise this sound colour in the high part of the voice up to
practising the mode on F4 for women or C4 for men. Gradual- about A4-Bb4 on the vowels 'EH' and 'OH'. The higher the
ly descend until you are able to maintain the mode in the low pitch and the darker the sound colour, the louder the volume
part of the voice. Sing in Overdrive on A3 for women and A2 gets. Consequently, you should not sing louder or darker
for men and lower the larynx cautiously without losing the than you are able to go through with. Also remember that the
full-metallic character. Try to make the note as dark, rich and higher the pitch, the more you must alter the vowels towards
powerful as possible and get used to the sound and feeling 'EH' and 'OH'. '4>) 119
of Overdrive with a lowered larynx. It must, of course, not feel
uncomfortable or be painful. '4>) 113
Then practise on the low notes to find the exact feeling,
sound, and centre of Overdrive with a lowered larynx. (Classi- Warnings in Overdrive
cal male singers use this combination throughout their entire When you practise Overdrive, you should be increasingly
range). careful as the pitch gets higher. Women must be aware of
having sufficient support from F4 and upwards, and they
must make sure that the 'bite' is correctly established to avoid
Songs losing the metallic sound or getting a break in the voice. Men
Complete a song in Overdrive. Continue to repeat the song should be equally cautious between C4 and CS.
beginning half a note higher each time. Remember to change NEVER add air to the voice when singing in Overdrive; it
the vowels to 'EH ' (as in 'stay') and 'OH' (as in 'so') in the high may hurt and be harmful to the voice.
part of the voice, and be careful not to sing so high that the Women are NOT able to sing in Overdrive above DS-EbS.
mode cannot be maintained, i.e. DS for women and CS for Men are NOT able to sing in Overdrive above CS.
men. Note that only three out of all the scales are sung: one in The higher the pitch, the more distinctly the vowels must
the low part of the voice, one in the middle part of the voice be altered towards 'EH' (as in 'stay') or 'OH ' (as in 'so').
and one in the high part of the voice. '4>) 118 The higher the pitch, the more powerful the volume. You
can harm the voice by singing too quietly in Overd rive at
a high pitch.
Sound Colour
ing the shape of the vocal tract. Find the lightest '4>) 116 and Unintentional distortions in Overdrive
the darkest '4>) 117 sound colour in your voice in Overdrive. When you practise Overdrive, be on your guard against un-
intentional distortions (scratching or grated sounds) in the
notes. If an unintentional distortion occurs, it is usually be-
Classical sound cause the 'bite' is not correctly established. Metaphorically, it
Men can use Overdrive in classical singing . When you have may be compared to when a car hits the verge of a motorway,
located the classical sound colour you want, sing short scales thereby generating a grating sound which indicates that you
at first - later you can singer longer scales - and pay atten- should stay within the lines.
tion to maintaining the sound colour throughout the entire Perhaps you have lost the 'bite' so the mode has changed
range. Make sure you do not impair the pitch even though to Neutral.
the position of the larynx will be comparatively low. Keep the

You might have a 'hold' for Curbing (see 'Curbing' on page
96) and at the same time have been using too powerful a
volume. This may hurt the voice.
Maybe you have not been attentive to an uncontrolled
constriction . This might have been triggered by a protrud-
ed jaw or tightened lips or by a lack of support. (Tensions in
the jaw or lips should not be mistaken with the 'bite').
Perhaps you are raising the palate so much that it lowers
the larynx, making the centre of Overdrive impossible.
You may be singing at too quiet a volume for Overdrive,
which prevents the mode from working and may strain
your voice.
The unintentional distortion may feel and sound pleasant but

should be avoided, as persistent use over a longer period of
time may result in a blurring of the modes. If you want dis-
tortion, this should be practised separately in order to avoid
strain to the voice (see 'Distortion' on page 179).

Edge
Mode
FULL METALLIC
Method TWANG
the epiglottis
funnel
Vowels in the
high part of I EH A OE
(sit) (stay) (and) (herb)
the voice
Pitch All
Volume Loud
Character Scream
Formerly 'Belting' The term Edge is used exclusively for the powerful and full-
The term 'Belting' is a common word to describe loud singing, metallic sound.
so it was an obvious choice for the name of the full-metallic
vocal mode. However, during the years I have seen so many
singers get confused by the term 'Belting' because it is now An overview
used with too many different meanings. Some use the word Edge, like Overdrive, is a full-metallic mode. The character of
'Belting' for a Curbing sound, some for an Overdrive sound Edge is lighter, sharper, and screamier than Overdrive. Edge
and some even use the term for a twanged Neutral sound. has a non-breathy character. Edge can be found by distinct
In order to prevent this confusion I therefore will avoid using twanging of the epiglottic funnel (as if imitating a duck).
the term 'Belting'. Where I formerly wrote 'Belting' I will now
replace it with the term 'Edge'. Edge can be used in all pitches by both men and women.

Only twanged vowels can be used in Edge, as a distinct twang Also included are male classical singers who sing loudly in the
is a condition for the mode. Accordingly, you must use only 'I' high part of the voice, such as Placido Domingo and Luciano
(as in sit), ' EH' (as in 'stay'), 'A' (as in 'and'), and 'OE' (as in 'herb'), Pavarotti.
especially in the high part of the voice . ~>) 120
The sound colour in Edge can be altered less than in the other Condition for Edge
modes, especially in the high part of the voice . Full-metal
Distinct twang of the epiglottic funnel
The volume in Edge is mostly loud. However, medium vol-
ume can be obtained. The higher the notes, the louder and
more distinct the screaming character becomes. In this way
the volume difference between Edge and Neutral/Curbing Finding Edge
increases. In addition the difference in sound colour between
Edge and Overdrive increases the higher you go.
Finding the distinct twang of the epiglottic funnel
Edge is used in many styles of popular music and mostly in Finding the distinct twang of the epiglottic funnel
the high part of the voice, when the volume is very loud and To find Edge it is essential to twang the epiglottic funnel dis-
there is a great amount of metal in the notes. Examples in- tinctly (see 'Epiglottic Funnel' on page 159). When the open-
clude heavy rock, gospel and powerful soul music. ing of the epiglottic funnel is made smaller by bringing the
Edge is used in classical music when men sing very loudly ('ff' arytenoid cartilages closer to the lower part of the epiglottis
or 'fortissimo') in the high part of the voice, such as the high C (petiole), the sound assumes a sharper and more penetrating
of a tenor. Women do not use Edge in classical music. and snarling character, similar to a cackle. This is known as a
Edge is used in everyday life when you scream. distinct twanged sound . The more the opening is squeezed,
the more snarling the sound becomes. You can increase your
volume by 10 to 15 decibels by twanging this way.
Singers who often sing or sang in Edge
Anastacia, Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), Chris Cornell (Sound-
garden), Bob Dylan, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Kate Pierson & Epiglottis
Cindy Wilson (The B-52's), Styx, and Steven Tyler (Aerosmith).
Especially in the high part of the voice: Anita Baker, Shirley

Bassey, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Randy Crawford, Ronnie Arytenoid carti lage
James Dia, Celine Dion, Melissa Etheridge, Aretha Franklin,

Marie Fredriksen (Roxette), Judy Garland, Woodie Guthrie,
Buddy Guy, Tramaine Hawkins, Jennifer Holiday, Mahalia
Jackson, Mick Jagger, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Jon Bon Jovi,
'Baby Jean' Kennedy (Mothers Finest), Cyndi Lauper, Freddie
Mercury, Liza Minelli, Youssou N'Dour, Dolly Parton, Percy
Sledge, Barbra Streisand, Tina Turner, and Hank Williams.
Vocal cords
Q
To find Edge it is essential to twang the epig lottic funnel

It is easiest to find the distinct twang by practising the follow- Edge, you will probably lose the distinct twang and thereby
ing sounds: lose Edge entirely. This might feel uncomfortable or hurt.
imitate an infant crying '4>) 22
imitate a duck quacking '4>) 23
making your voice grating and witch-like ~>) 24 Achieving Edge through images and sensations
speaking like someone who has an evil plan '4>) 25 Remember that images and sensations are only meant as an
imitating a diving aeroplane '4>) 26 aid. If you do not respond to them immediately, forget them.
making the sound of driving a toy car ~>) 27 Do not confuse them with what is actually happening!
imitating the sound of a very loud ambulance siren '4>) 28 Imagine that you have a pea between the tongue and the
Say 'Meow' like a cat (without the 00-sound) or say 'niet' palate. Keep the pea as high up as possible.
'4>) 29
Finding Edge
Once you have found distinct twang, add full metal to the
sound by using more volume. Be sure not to lose the distinct-
ly twanged funnel as the volume increases. It might help to
make a slight contraction of the corners of the mouth (pull Imagine that you have a pea
them inwards). Raise the larynx, broaden the tongue, apply a between the tongue and the palate
solid amount of support, and start with an Edge attack. Sus-

tain both the sound and intensity, and say/sing a powerful,
light and snarling 'EH' (as in 'stay'). The sound should be sharp When singing in Edge, many feel like making more room for
and sneering like a duck quacking. It is ok for this to sound the powerful notes by either relaxing the twanging of the
nasal. Be careful not to lose the distinct twang. If this happens epiglottic funnel, lowering the larynx, or raising the palate.
while you are singing, the sound loses its sharpness and you Avoid giving the notes this extra 'room', as you may lose the
will have lost Edge. It might also feel uncomfortable or hurt. metallic sound . The sharp, metallic sound is best achieved
if you do not give the note too much room. You must, how-
At first it may help to follow these suggested positions for the ever, take care to avoid uncontrolled constricting.
vocal tract, although they are not necessary conditions for Imagine that you have a large amount of energy built up
the mode: inside. Release the energy through a narrow crack between
raise the larynx as much as possible two iron walls that cannot be moved.
make a large mouth opening and extend the corners of the
mouth as if smiling
broaden the tongue
lower the palate
open the nasal passage
Once you control Edge, you will no longer need help from Image: Release the energy through a
positioning the vocal tract. Skilled Edgers often hold differ- narrow crack between two iron walls
ent positions.
In Edge you must first be sure not to lower the larynx (by rais-
ing the palate, for example). If you lower the larynx during Extend the corners of the mouth and 'tie them together
around the neck'. Extend the upper lip as in a smile and
open the mouth.

Imagine that you are pressing the corners of the mouth to-
Broaden the tongue and place the
gether and pulling them inwards. Place the tongue on the sides on the molars in the upper
molars in the upper part of the mouth and keep this posi- part of the mouth
tion whilst in Edge.
When the tongue is maintained in the broadened position, it

facilitates the twanging of the epiglottic funnel and therefore
makes Edge easier to maintain.
You can achieve Edge through the broad position of the

Imagine that you are pressing the corners of the
mouth together and pulling them inwards tongue in a number of ways:
Imagine that you are speaking like an over-tired child.
Move the tongue back and forth along the inside of the
Start a note with an Edge attack and continue singing with teeth in the upper part of the mouth, creating a small space
the same sound and intensity. Be sure to maintain the posi- between the tongue and the palate.
tion for the Edge attack all through the Edge. Press the tongue up behind the back molars in the upper
Say 'aiiiiiee' as if you are annoyed. Keep the position of the part of the mouth. Relax the tip of the tongue, let it point
epiglottic funnel and tongue. Practise higher notes with downwards, and, at the same time, broaden it.
this position. Press the back of the tongue up against the inside gum of
the molars in the upper part of the mouth.
How to achieve Edge by positioning the tongue Press the back part of the tongue up against the
gum on the inside of the molars.
Making the tongue broad might help you find the distinctly
twanged epiglottic funnel and thereby aid Edge. When the Palate
tongue is broad, it produces a light sound colour. If you add
To ngue
the twang of the epiglottic funnel and powerful volume, the
Lower lip
sound becomes metallic. Feel how the tongue rests on the
molars in the upper part of the mouth and arches towards
(cross section with upper lip and teeth removed}
the palate, as when you say 'twang'. It must be the sides of the
tongue that touch the molars in the upper part of the mouth,
not the tip. Feel how the space between the palate and the Make sure the tongue is broad and arched in the middle.
tongue gets smaller the more you press the tongue against The tongue should not be hollow in the middle, as this usu-
the molars. The smaller the space between the palate and ally results in losing the twang of the epiglottic funnel.
the tongue, the lighter and sharper the sound. This position
must be maintained on all vowels in the lower and middle
part of the voice. But remember, when you are singing in the
high part of the voice, you do not need to keep the tongue in Make sure the back of the tongue
is broad and does not form a
place for the vowels. The high notes will be easier to reach if
small hollow in the middle
you open your mouth more widely and keep your tongue as
you want.

Tighten the corners of the mouth and extend them into You can try to achieve Edge by:
a smile. Place the tongue against the molars in the upper imitating an infant crying '4>) 22
part of the mouth. Keep it there and broaden it. imitating a duck quacking '4>) 23
making your voice sound grating like a witch '4>) 24
speaking like someone with an evil plan '4>) 25
Tighten the corners of imitating a diving aeroplane '4>) 26
the mouth and extend
making th e sound of driving a toy car '4>) 27
them into a smile
imitating the sound of an ambulance siren '4>) 28
Saying 'Meow' like a cat (without a 00-sound) or 'Niet' '4>)
29. Feel how the tongue moves back and forth against the
Say 'twang' and feel exactly where the tongue touches the inside of molars in the upper part of the mouth. Practise
molars. Keep the tongue against the molars, say 'OE' (as in this movement on each twanged vowel separately, until
'herb') and feel how the front part of the tongue forms a the sound becomes as sharp and shrill as possible. Practise
small bowl shape, while the middle and back are placed on the position that makes the sharpest sound on each vowel.
the molars in the upper part of the mouth. Retain this small
bowl feeling when you Edge. Be aware of YOUR sensation of the setting in Edge (it should
not feel wrong or uncomfortable) and practise until you ac-
quire the powerful, sharp, screamy, shrill and snarling sound .
For some singers it is best to get accustomed to the sound
first and then focus on the sensation of the setting . Once you
can control Edge, the voice will find both the sound and the
Feel that the outer part of the tongue

setting by itself. Then the sound can be made more or less
shapes itself like a small bowl screamy. Remember that Edge always has to be scream-like
to a certain extent.
Remember there is not one uniform sensation of singing in
Edge. It is not possible to feel a vocal mode, but you can hear
Sing a long, light note on 'GI ' ('G' as in 'good', 'I' as in 'sit') it.
and feel the high position of the tongue on the consonant
'G'. Try to maintain this position on the vowel 'I'. If the mode is difficult to find, start w ith an aggressive and
excessively sharp and shrill sound . Once you are more famil-
Once you are familiar with the sensation of distinct twang, iar with the mode, the sound can be made less screamy and
you will no longer need to broaden the tongue. Skilled prac- shrill. Notice that when you find the centre of the mode, it
titioners of Edge sometimes use tongue positions other than usually costs less energy than when you are trying to find it.
the broad one.
Be careful about the position of the jaw and the

Finding Edge through sound epiglottic funnel in Edge
In Edge, the sound colour is very light because the vocal tract As in Overdrive, be careful not to loosen the jaw in the begin-
is very small. As the epiglottic funnel is twanged more and ning. If you loosen the jaw, you may lose the twang of the epi-
more, the sound becomes increasingly sharper. The sound glottic funnel and therefore lose the full-metallic sound. This
must be powerful, snarling and sharp. Remember there might sound like a break in the voice, and it could be painful
should be a great amount of metal in the sound . and damaging. Remember that if you lose the twang of the
epiglottic funnel, you lose the mode and the mode changes
to Curbing or Neutral. Later, once you have perfected Edge,
you can position the jaw as you choose.

If it hurts your throat to practise Edge, the epiglottic funnel The vowel 'EE' (as in 'see') in Edge "4 >) 125
is not twanged enough. Perhaps this is because the larynx The vowel 'I' (as in 'sit') in Edge "4>) 126
is not raised enough. Twang the epiglottic funnel more and The vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay') in Edge "4>) 127
make the tongue broader, raise the larynx more, smile more, The vowel 'A' (as in 'and') in Edge "4>) 128
and use a powerful volume. The vowel '00' (as in 'you') in Edge "4 >) 129
The vowel 'O' (as in 'woman') in Edge "4 >) 130
The vowel 'OH' (as in 'so') in Edge "4 >) 131
The vowel 'AH' (as in 'far') in Edge "4>) 132
The vowel 'OE' (as in 'herb') in Edge "4 >) 133
The vowel 'UH' (as in 'hungry') in Edge "4>) 134
Twang
In Edge you can only use the vowels 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'EH' (as in
'stay'), 'A' (as in 'and') and 'OE' (as in 'herb'). It might seem as if
all vowels can be used in Edge in the low part of the voice be-
cause the vocal modes resemble each other here. But if you
want to be sure you are in Edge, especially in the high part of
the voice, it is necessary to alter the vowels to 'I', 'EH', 'A', and
'OE' in order to remain in the mode.
Pitch in Edge
Edge can be used by both men and women in all pitches, also
above a high C. Edge is especially used by women in the high
part of the voice, when they cannot sing higher in Overdrive
than the limit at DS-EbS, but want the volume to be as pow-
erful. Men use Edge when they want the sharp, loud and full- The sides of the to ngue are kept on the molars
metallic sound.
It applies to both men and women that the volume increases
as the pitch gets higher. The sound also becomes sharper and To maintain distinct twang it can be helpful to keep the root
more shrill and the vowels more twanged. of the tongue in a high position in Edge. The sides of the
tongue are held against the upper molars with the tip point-
There is no limit to how low you can sing in Edge. ing downwards. With this tongue position you will achieve
the twanged vowels.
The vowel 'EE' can also be used in Edge, but you have to be
Vowels in Edge aware that it often lures the singer to change mode to Neu-
tral, and thereby you will lose the metal. The vowel 'I' is often
It is very important to make sure that the pronunciation of better as it is easier to produce in the metallic modes.
the vowels are 100% correct. Being able to recognise the ex-
act vowel nuance mentioned is equally important in order A more experienced singer is better equipped to explore the
for the technique to work in the right way. Therefore, I would borderland between twanged and other vowels than a less
recommend that you study the sound examples carefully and experienced singer.
learn the exact vowel nuance in each case in order to avoid
confusion between the written and the spoken vowel (see At first it may be helpful to exaggerate the twanged vowels
page 249). to find the most comfortable position in Edge. Once you have

located it and are able to sing all the twanged vowels in a tongue touches the molars in the upper part of the mouth,
healthy manner, you can practise making the vowels less and how the front of the tongue forms the shape of a small
twancolour ged. In Edge you can only use 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'EH' bowl. Keep the tongue in this position on all the vowels.
(as in 'stay'), 'A' (as in 'and'), and 'OE' (as in 'herb') in the high
part of the voice as these help to keep the distinct twang .
Sing an 'I' and feel the position of the back of the tongue.
Keep this position on all vowels in Edge. All 'A' vowels are pro-
nounced as a flattened 'A' (as in 'and ') in Edge. This means
that 'AH' (as in 'far') should be pronounced like 'A' (as in 'and '). Feel that the outer part of the tongue
shapes itse lf like a small bowl
Backtongue vowels like '00' (as in 'you'), 'O' (as in 'woman'),

'OR' (as in 'order'), and 'OH' (as in 'so') are problematic, as they
lower the back of the tongue and the larynx, and often hinder
the distinct twang . Hence, it is helpful to alter these vowels Keep the mouth and back of the tongue in EXACTLY the
to sound similar to an 'OE' (as in 'herb'). '00' is modified to same position on all vowels in the high as well as the low
sound like 'OOE', 'O' to 'OE' and 'OH' to 'OEH '. It may take time part of the voice, until the Edge vowels are perfected.
to get accustomed to the sound of the new vowels, so prac- Aim to make the same vowel sound in the high part of the
tise them separately until they are perfected. voice as well as the low for each vowel.
When you form consonants, feel how the lips often move
If a vowel presents a problem, start by replacing it with an forwards and the tongue backwards in order to maintain
Edge vowel you find easy, such as 'I' (as in 'sit'). Once you can Edge.
control the easy vowel, keep the back of the tongue in the It can be helpful to keep the tongue in the Edge position
EXACT same position and learn the difficult vowels. during the inhalation while you are using Edge.
Having practised the Edge vowels, you must also practise

consonants in Edge. Find the position of the tongue in Edge
and sing the vowel 'I '. Make a distinct twang and notice the Volumes in Edge
tongue is positioned high up so the sides of the tongue touch
the upper molars. Keep this tongue position, keep the mouth Edge is a mode with a powerful volume. The quietest volume
relatively open and try changing between 'L' and 'N' only by attainable is medium loud ('mf' or 'mezzo forte'). The volume
moving the tip of the tongue. Practise all consonants this way. is usually louder in the higher part of the voice.
Singers are different and some are able to sing less power-
Finding vowels in Edge through images and fully in Edge than others . Practise until you are familiar with
sensations your limits of how powerfully and how quietly you can sing
Remember that images and sensations are only meant as an in Edge.
aid. If you do not respond to them immediately, forget them.
Do not confuse them with what is actually happening!
Form the thumb and forefinger as a ring around the mouth
and make a pout inside the ring, as if you wish to call some-
one. Say 'OE' (as in 'herb') and feel how the back of the
122 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cath rine Sadolin www.completevocalin stitute.com
Sound colours in Edge Lighter sound colour in Edge
If you wish to make Edge lighter, you must make the size of
When you want to change the sound colour of a mode, you the vocal tract smaller. Choose one or more of the following
have to change the position and setting of the vocal tract. possibilities ~ >) 138:
The tract may be moved in many directions, so there are twang the epiglottic funnel distinctly
many ways of changing the sound colour of your voice (see raise the larynx more
'Sound Colour' on page 158). lower the palate more
open the mouth into a wider smile
broaden the tongue more
Soft pa late
open the nasal passage more
Nasal passage
Less light sound colour in Edge

Li ps Voca l tract (red)
If you wish to create a softer or less light sound colour in Edge,
you can SLIGHTLY increase the size of the vocal tract. Choose
one or more of the following possibilities ~ >) 139:
twang the epiglottic funnel a little less. Be very careful with
this. Remember that the distinctly twanged epiglottic fun-
nel is a condition of Edge.
if you are very experienced, you can try to lower the larynx
slightly. Again, take care not to lose the distinct twang of
The sound colour in Edge is generally light and shrill but can the epiglottic funnel. Remember, the lighter the Edge, the
be coloured in other directions. It is not difficult to produce a safer the mode.
lighter sound colour, but if you want a darker or softer sound, if you are very experienced, you can try to raise the pal-
you need to have impeccable control of the three overall ate slightly. Take care not to raise the palate so much that
principles . You also need to know your voice so well that you you lose the distinct twang of the epiglottic funnel as this
can feel it the instant you exceed its healthy limits. It is impor- might be painful and damaging.
tant to realise that the lighter you make a metallic mode, the open the mouth a bit more with the corners of the mouth
better you secure yourself against misusing the voice. You loose, but without losing the 'bite'. Take care not to lose the
should ONLY try to make the sound colour darker in Edge, if distinct twang of the epiglottic funnel.
you can control the mode without any problems. compress the tongue. This will give the vowels an oper-
atic sound colour. Again, take care not to lose the distinct
Only when you control Edge without any problems can you twang of the epiglottic funnel.
experiment with changing sound colour - but even then only close the nasal passage.
a little. You do this by changing the position and setting of
the vocal tract, but remember there may be problems in Even if you become an experienced Edger and are able to
darkening the sound colour. The darker the sound colour, the change the sound colour a little, it is a good idea to return to
greater the risk of losing the metallic sound. Remember to the centre of the mode and practise it regularly. It may sound
keep the distinct twang in order not to lose the Edge mode. too shrill, but it is important to feel exactly where the perfect
and healthy position is, so you do not lose the mode while
you are experimenting with the sound colour.
Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin w ww.completevocalinstitute.com 123

When you have become familiar with this, you can experi-
Acase story ment - still on single notes - with just how much you can low-
A rock singer had problems with high notes. She had taken er the larynx without changing the sharp and metallic sound.
many singing lessons but felt she was not improving and was The larger you make the vocal tract, the darker and richer and
fed up with exercises. more classical the sound colour becomes.
I asked her to sing as she did on stage and then show me
the exercises she was doing. When she did her exercises she Men use Edge in classical singing from around A4-Bb4 and
worked correctly in Neutral, but when she sang as she did on upwards when the volume needs to be very loud and pene-
stage, she was mainly in Edge. So it made perfect sense that trating (for example Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo).
her exercises did not have any effect on her singing. If you want Women do not use Edge in classical singing. '4>) 141
to develop your singing in Edge, you have to practise in Edge.
When we practised the centre of Edge, I found her epiglottic

funnel was not sufficiently twanged, which was why she had Acase story
difficulties reaching high notes. When she achieved the correct The leading tenor in a major opera company developed an
position for Edge in the exercises, we transferred the technique acute problem as his voice started breaking at a high C. He
to the songs. We then had to address the vowels which caused had always felt his high Cwas unstable, as he never knew if he
her problems. These vowels were directed more towards 'I' (as would be able to keep it or if the voice would break. But now
in 'sit'), 'EH' (as in 'stay'), 'A' (as in 'and'), and 'OE' (as in 'herb'), the voice was breaking all the time. He was desperate because
when she was in the higher part of her voice, and then com- he was to sing that night, and the more he practised the worse
pletely replaced at the highest notes. Once she controlled the it became.
correct position for Edge and used the correct vowels, she no As it turned out, he - like many opera singers - had been taught
longer had problems with the high notes. to keep the larynx as low as possible. The more he did this,
the more he impaired the high notes. We initially worked on
gradually raising the larynx, as he sang higher notes. The voice
became more stable and he was able to reach the note on prac-
tically all vowels, even at low volume. To achieve more pow-
Edge in classical singing erful volumes on high notes, we worked in Edge by twanging
Men can use Edge in classical singing, but it is technically distinctly until he learned the full-metallic sound.
complicated and difficult. You should only experiment with
this if you are accustomed to singing classically, are fully in After a short while he was able to sing in the centre of Edge
control of Edge, and know the three overall principles for the on all notes in the high part of the voice, exclusively using the
correct use of the voice. You also have to know your voice so vowels 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'EH' (as in 'stay'), 'A' (as in 'and'), and 'OE'
well that you can feel the instant you exceed its healthy limits. (as in 'herb'). The high notes were no longer shaky, and he
could even attain very powerful volumes. After this we worked
Start by practising the centre of Edge. Listen to the power- on making the Edge sound more classical by attempting to
ful, sharp, and full -metallic character. Now CAREFULLY try to darken the sound colour, carefully and slightly lowering the
raise the palate, relax the corners of the mouth as you open it, larynx, raising the palate and closing the nasal passages.
compress the tongue, and close the nasal passage - all with- We also experimented with darkening the sound colour so
out losing distinct twang. Sing single notes in a comfortable much that his voice started to wobble. We did this so that he
pitch with this sound, and keep the sound as you gradually became aware of how little he could lower the larynx before he
sing higher. got into trouble and would know what to do if this happened
during a performance. Whenever he felt that the high notes
were about to fail, he was able to stabilise them by returning

to the centre of Edge. When he was in full control, it was no After this, practice Edge on single notes on the vowel you
longer difficult for him to keep the high notes - he could obtain find the easiest - usually 'I' ~>) 121 (as in 'sit') or 'A' ~>) 123 (as
an even louder volume than before and knew exactly what he in 'and'). Start each note with an Edge attack, later you can
should do to avoid the break in the voice. He completed that choose any attack you want. Twang the epiglottic funnel dis-
night's performance without problems. tinctly and broaden the tongue, raise the larynx, and be care-
ful not to raise the palate. Start with a very sneering sound
and sharp full-metallic sound and keep it while you repeat
the exercise beginning half a tone higher each time. Remem-
ber that it must feel comfortable.
Exercises in Edge
Vowels
Find Edge When you can manage Edge on the easiest vowel, apply
Begin with an exercise in maintaining the distinct twang the same method to the other vowels. Maintain the distinct
of the epiglottic funnel. Twang the funnel and sing 'ng' as twang of the epiglottic funnel and use the exact same posi-
in 'gong', and then 'n-giiii' ('G' as in 'good' and 'I' as in 'sit') tion of the mouth and tongue as on the easy vowel. Practise
Make the two sounds as close to each other as possible. Hold 'I' ~>) 121 , 'EH' ~>) 122, 'A' ~>) 123, and 'OE' ~>) 124 separately.
your nose to feel whether the note passes through the nose
or the mouth ('ng' sticks in the nose, but 'n-giiii' should pass
through the mouth). Change between the two sounds, but Low notes
keep the tongue positioned high up - in other words in al- Then practise Edge on lower notes. Be careful to maintain the
most the same position for both sounds. ~>) 383 distinctly twanged epiglottic funnel in the lower part of the
voice. It might feel as if you have to 'close together' around
It may be easier to start Edge with an accentuated legato to the notes the lower you sing in Edge. Accept that the sound
give a small 'run-up' to the note. You can start on the note becomes more grating and cackling the lower you sing in
from below, beginning at a lower pitch and gradually pull- Edge. If you lose the metal on a note, return to the previous
ing it up to the desired note. This way you get a little more note where you had it, and try to maintain the same sound
time to establish support, and you do not risk starting with for the difficult note. Women can start on E4 and men on C4,
insufficient support, which may result in loss of mode and can and from there repeat the exercise beginning half a tone low-
strain . er each time. ~>) 135
High notes Scales

Practise turning the sneering, sharp sound into a vowel. Be When you can Edge on single notes, practise three - note ~>)
careful that the sound does not change character when go- 136 and five-note ~>) 137 scales up and down, again on the
ing from the snarling sound to the vowel. The sneering metal vowel you find easiest. Start each note with an Edge attack.
in the sound must not decrease. Women can start on G4 and Make sure the mouth opens w ider as the notes move higher
men on C4 and from there repeat the exercise beginning half up. Do not try to sing too quietly in Edge as this might harm
a tone higher each time. Do not sing higher up than it feels the voice, especially in the high part of the voice where the
comfortable. It is better to practise Edge lower in the voice, volume becomes louder. Women can start on D4 and men on
where it is easier to learn the mode, rather than higher up F3 and from there sing five -note scales up and down. Then
where Edge is much more difficult and often fails. ~>) 384 repeat the exercise beginning half a tone higher each time.

Finally repeat the exercise beginning half a tone lower each Classical sound
time. Only men use Edge in classical singing . When you have lo-
cated the classical sound colour you want, try to maintain the
sound colour all the way up and down the pitches. Make sure
'#~ J
you never lose the distinct twang, and never lower the lar-
A three-note scale
J J J J ynx so much that it impairs the pitch . Keep the tongue com-
<:!start F3
pressed in order to maintain the classical sound . Be ready to
adjust the position of the larynx, the corners of the mouth,
J JJ JJ JJ
the palate, the nasal passage, and the tongue should the
A five-note scale
<:!start F3
r#J I
mode start to fail.
Practise maintaining the sound, and practise in the high part

When you have perfected the five notes, expand the exer- of the voice. Use various Edge vowels. Remember, the higher
cises to include octave scales and arpeggios. the pitch, the more the vowels have to be directed towards
'I' (as in 'sit'), 'EH' (as in 'stay'), 'A' (as in 'and'), and 'OE' (as in
'herb') and the louder the volume will become. '4>) 141
An octave scale
<:!start F3
Warnings in Edge
An arpeggio
~#~ J J J F F F J J J NEVER add air to the voice in the Edge.
Avoid losing the distinct twang of the epiglottic funnel.
<:!start F3
Avoid raising the palate or lowering the back of the tongue,
as this may impair the twang of the epiglottic funnel (this
does not include classical singers).
Songs The higher the pitch, the more careful you have to be to ap-
Complete a song in Edge. Repeat the song beginning half ply sufficient support in order to avoid a break in the voice.
a tone higher each time. Remember to direct the vowels to- The higher the pitch, the more distinctly the vowels must
wards 'I', 'EH ', 'fa: and 'OE' at higher pitches. Note that only be directed towards 'I', 'EH', 'A' and 'OE'.
three out of all the scales are sung: one in the low part of the The higher the pitch, the more powerful the volume be-
voice, one in the middle part of the voice and one in the high comes. It can hinder the voice to sing in Edge too quietly.
part of the voice. '4>) 140 Avoid too dark a sound colour, as this might be painful and
damaging to the voice.
Many singers are unaccustomed to the sound of Edge. Re- Avoid using excessive amounts of energy for Edge. The
member that it is all right if it sounds 'ugly' during practice. centre of Edge does not necessarily cost more energy than
Edge IS penetrating and shrill in the middle and high part of the centre of the other modes. If you think Edge requires
the voice. a lot of energy, perhaps you are wasting energy by sup-
porting a tension that is counteracting the mode. Instead,
concentrate on maintaining the distinct twang of the epi-
Sound Colour glottic funnel.
ing the shape of the vocal tract. Find the lightest '4>) 138 and
the less lightest '4>) 139 sound colour in your voice in Edge.

Unintentional distortions in Edge
When you practise Edge, you have to be on your guard
against unintentional distortion - scratching or jarring. If
there is an unintentional distortion, it is usually because the
full-metallic sound and the mode are not established cor-
rectly, e.g. because the epiglottic funnel is not sufficiently
twanged . Metaphorically, it may be compared to when a car
hits the verge of a motorway, thereby generating a grating
sound which indicates that you should stay within the lines.
Perhaps you are losing the distinct twang of the epiglottic

funnel, causing the voice to change to Neutral or Curbing.
You are twanging too much which might result in distortion.
You might not have been aware of uncontrolled constric-
tion. This could be triggered by protruding the jaw, tight-
ening the lips, or by a lack of support.
Perhaps you have a 'hold' as if using Curbing (see 'Curbing'
on page 96) while using Edge's powerful volume.
Perhaps you are singing too qu ietly for Edge.
Perhaps you are lowering the larynx too much.
The unintentional distortion might both feel comfortable

and sound fine but should be avoided . Persistent usage may
lead to a blurring of the modes. If you specifically want distor-
tion, it should be practised separately in order to avoid strain-
ing the voice (see 'Distortion' on page 179).

Summarising the modes
The diagram on the next page presents an overview of the We started retraining the support and establishing neces-
positions and characteristics of the modes as regards char- sary twang. After that we worked on removing the protruded
acter, pitch, volume, vowels, and sound colour. In my expe- jaw that had arisen because of the lack of support. Once the
rience, 95% of all technical vocal problems can be avoided support was established, it was not difficult to get rid of her
by using the modes correctly and by understanding and re- protruded jaw by holding a finger between the jaws (see 'The
specting their advantages and limitations. Remember that Throat' on page 48). As she now complied with the three over-
the three overall principles constitute the foundation for their all principles, the surplus air in the voice disappeared and it
correct use. became non-breathy and powerful again. Finally, we practised
the centre of the modes and after a few weeks' work she no
longer became hoarse when singing.
Acase story
A rock singer who had recorded many albums had intonation
problems during the recording of his last album. As it hap- Acase story
pened, he had had a long break from singing and therefore Areggae band was very close to getting a big record deal but
his technique was not in its best shape because he simply the record company wanted the band without the singer. The
had not maintained it. To be told that you are out of tune puts band asked the record company if they could send anew demo
enormous psychological strain on most singers and during the in 14 days to give the singer time to improve his singing. The
recording sessions he became insecure and started to make record company accepted even though they said the band was
changes to his otherwisegood technique. wasting its time as it would be easier to find another singer.
We only had to work on afew minor bad habits. We brushed up Luckily, the singer was in good physical shape, so when we
on the amount of support required for the various modes and started working on support and the two other overall prin-
directed or changed the vowels as is required for the higher ciples, he rapidly benefited from his strength on his support.
pitches, i.e. towards 'O' (as in 'woman'), 'I' (as in 'sit') and 'UH' When the support and the other overall principles were cor-
(as in 'hungry') in Curbing, to 'EH' (as in 'stay') or 'OH' (as in'so') rected, we worked on the modes and on changing between
in Overdrive, and to 'I', 'A' (as in 'and'), 'EH' or 'OE' (as in 'herb') them. Then we trained the modes to such an extent that he
in Edge. When the modes were correctly established again, he could easily decide which mode suited the various parts of the
returned to being in tune and could continue recording. songs best. The singer had a great sense of style and was very
musical, so with the new technique, he turned into a fantas-
tic singer. On the last day of the 14 days he recorded all the
songs after singing for 19 hours straight! The record company
Acase story returned with the contract and the message: "We are signing
A young gospel singer was becoming hoarse when she sang. you - glad you found a new singer".
It turned out that she had forgotten to apply the three overall
principles of singing. When she sang, she tended to force her
voice by releasing large amounts of air along with notes with
loud volume wh ich can be very damaging. It was fortunate
that she sought help so quickly because she was close to seri-
ously damaging her voice.

n
0
3
Cl
~
ro
<
e a.
0
(")
~ I
n;i
(")
::r
::::>
..c
c Mode
ro
6)
NEUTRAL CURBING OVERDRIVE EDGE
"';:::;
0
NON METALLIC HALF METALLIC FULL METALLIC FULL METALLIC

~
~
5
ro
~
Air I With air I without air Never add air to the voice Never add air to the voice Never add air to the voice
Cl..
.
5
:E
:E
,.,:E
0
3
Cl
~
ro
<
~
Method
I Loose jaw
HOLD
"Bite" (
TWANG
I I the epiglottis
funnel
1'P ~
-
~:
sro
,., Vowels in the
0 I UH 0 EH OH I EH A OE
3 h;ghpocfof
the voice
~I (sit) (hungry) (woman) (stay) (so) (sit) (stay) (and) (herb)
Pitch All All

9
max
05
<:J max
C5
All
Quiet
Volume I Can be loud in Medium Loud Loud
---
__. Character I Soft Restrained Shout Scream

"'-'
\.0
P 8 17 CD VOCAL MODES
Using the modes
Different angles
In th e fol lowing five chapt ers I wil l examine the modes from
different ang les . Instead of looking at them individual ly, each
chapter wi ll cove r a subj ect: t ransition of t he mode, pitch,
sound colour, vol ume and vowels. These followi ng chapt ers,
therefore, do not contain any new information about the
modes but present a different perspective in order to give an
overview.
A -1- I
~__,IL!'.'.
---~'
J_ ~
~
~
~
~ ~_.__.__
-.-#JI-
u j_ l ....~~ f' I T'
~
T' ' ~~
L
~~CL
~~pj*- T
8va - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
.---
t "'l -Nl-o_o_"'-"-"-"J"'1o-Tol ,,
Hz ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ tg CO ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ;: ~
I
~ -----r--
~~ :!e- ~"'1"'~ 1'~ o e-

~ ~ ~
N "o
~ ~ lm
~ ~
- lt
~
NT O "1
~ "'
~ me- lm
. --.
ro"~ olrojf
~ m
T
~ m
~ , ~ ~ I"' ~ l~
~
00
~ ~
0
'~ m"
0
M
N
-
ilr
M
N IN
M
<O
g, ~ 1 ~ 1
~ M~I
_j
11
I '
C l/ Db- : H
Dl/ Eo-1
Y ~
LJ ~
~ 11 II 11
CDEFGABC
rn
l rn rn n~ ~ llPlll 111; ir ir i
Fl/ Go G I/ Ab Al/ Bo E ~ 1l c4 Jes Jc6 C7
_.____ --
9 very low low middle high very high
(f very low low middle high very high
_=r ---r - - --- - , - - -

l
e 9
cf
l
I
~ 9
cf
cxJ 9 A
cf ~
o_ 9 .l
l
cf I T
130 Complete Voca l Tech nique 2012 Cat hrine Sadolin www.comp let evocali nstit ute.com
Transitions between modes
Perfecting the modes Start by singing up and down through five notes from D4
Once you have perfected the modes, you can begin prac- for women and D3 for men . The first two notes are sung in
tising how to change between them. Practising will enable Neutral with air added and the following two in Overdrive.
you not only to change the mode smoothly, without a break, Repeat this pattern. Make the difference between the two
but also to use the vocal breaks that can emerge from such modes as distinct as possible so that you have no doubt as to
changes artistically (see 'Intentional Vocal Breaks' on page which mode you are in. At first, do the exercise slowly so you
202). By using practise-vowels you can obtain a grand over- have time to make the changes of modes. As you improve,
view over the various modes and have an excellent tool to be practise at a quicker tempo but never make the change so
conscious of the mode changes. quick that you compromise control. Transpose the exercise
upwards by half steps. '4>) 143
Practise-vowels
cf start D3
f#JJJJJJJ33 :
Using practise-vowels to change between modes makes you
increasingly conscious of which mode you are in and trains
e cx:J e cx:J e
AH EH AH EH AH
you to avoid getting caught in the limitations of each mode pp I mp f/ff pp I mp fl ff pp I mp
with regard to pitch, vowels, volumes and sound colours.

Practising practise-vowels consists of planning a pattern
where each mode is sung with its own specific vowel, vol- Change between all the modes by using the practise-vowels
ume, sound colour and character. For example '4l) 142: and repeat the exercise beginning half a tone higher each
time. Be careful not to sing too high in Overdrive (especially
e in Neutral with air, use the vowel 'AH' (as in

'far') - preferably quietly, with air added and a
Neutral with air attack.
for women). Once you are in the high part of the voice, where
Overdrive can no longer be used, replace it with Edge, Curb-
ing or Neutral.
e in Neutral without air, use the vowel '00' (as in

'you') - preferably with a classical sound colour
and a Curbing attack.
Then expand the exercise to include octave scales. Repeat
the exercise beginning half a tone higher each time. Be care-
ful not to sing too high in Overdrive.
in Curbing, use the vowel 'O' (as in 'woman')

- preferably medium loud, with a plaintive An octave scale
sound and a Curbing attack.
cf start D3
in Overdrive, use the vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay') -

preferably loud, with a shouty character and a
Overdrive attack. Later, expand the exercise to include more than one octave
by, for example, changing mode on every third note. Progress
o_ in Edge, use the vowel 'I' (as in 'sit') - preferably

loud, with the character of a scream and a Edge
through the modes so that you go through all of them in the
course of a scale. Of course, as Overdrive should not be used
attack. in the high part of the voice, use it earlier in the scale (espe-
cially for women). Repeat the exercise beginning half a tone
higher each time.

Later, expand the exercise to include leaps up through arpeg- should accept this verdict, as no voice is limited by nature to DS,
gios. Repeat the exercise beginning half a tone higher each and I became suspicious that this 'natural' limit just happened
time. Be careful not to sing too high in Overdrive (especially to be identical with the upper limit of Overdrive.
for women).
It turned out that she was singing and speaking in only Over-
Arpeggios
drive, because she was so good at her hefty repertoire and for
r:f start DO the many years had only worked with such demanding parts.
As D5-Eb5 is the upper limit of Overdrive, her problems with
high notes and the lack of nuance were due to her exclusive
use of Overdrive.
At first we worked on her speech and practised the various
modes. We practised speaking in Neutral by keeping a loose
jaw and very quiet volumes. When she could speak quietly and
gently without hoarseness, it brought a new dimension to her
expression. After singing in Neutral for a couple of hours, she
was able to sing an additional octave in the high part of the
voice! Then we practised Edge by twanging the epiglottic fun-
nel and exclusively singing on the vowel 'I' (as in 'sit') so she
developed the ability to sing powerfully in the high part of the
voice. When she could control the various modes, she was able
After this, select a small part of a melody or song and decide to reach high notes in both loud and quiet volumes and vary
where you want to use certain modes. Practise the phrase her singing and speaking with a wide range of sound nuances.
using practise-vowels. Repeat the exercise beginning half a
tone higher each time. Be careful not to sing too high in Over-
drive (especially for women).
Now select a number of small phrases with text. Decide Inaudible transitions
which modes will be suitable to which vowels and sing the Once you control the exercises with practise-vowels, try mak-
phrase with the chosen modes. Use practise-vowels if you ing transitions from mode to mode. Work on making the
like. Repeat the exercise beginning half a tone higher each modes sound like each other so that you can change inaudi-
time. Be careful not to sing too high in Overdrive (especially bly. With this skill you can use the modes where they work the
for women). best and avoid their disadvantages.
If two modes are far apart, you may have to insert an extra
mode to assist the transition. The diagram below describes
how to move from any mode to another.
Acase story
An actor and cabaret singer always had problems reaching high
notes. She had given up trying because she had been told she An example
had a 'low voice' and would never be able to sing higher. She To glide smoothly from Neutral to Overdrive in the high part
was told that "her voice had a natural limit around DS which of the voice, you can only use the vowels 'EH' (as in 'stay') and
she just had to accept never to cross". So she wanted lessons 'OH' (as in 'so') as these are the only two vowels the two modes
for atotally different reason - to develop her expression where have in common . It is important that you do not try to change
she thought lacked nuances in her singing. I did not think she from Neutral to Overdrive above 05-EbS for women and CS

for men as Overdrive does not exist above these pitches. Re- Assisting mode
member that if you are in Neutral with air, you have to go via To glide smoothly from Curbing to Overdrive in the high part
Neutral without air to be able to make an inaudible transition of the voice, you need an assisting mode. Sing the vowel 'I' (as
to a metallic mode. in 'sit') in Curbing and make an inaudible transition to Edge.
Once you are in Edge, gradually change the 'I' to 'EH' (as in
'stay'). Now change from Edge to Overdrive, remaining on
Inaudible
Possible mutua l vowels Warnings the vowel 'EH'. Notice that you do not have to use an assist-
transitions
ing mode between Curbing 'O' (as in 'woman') and Overdrive
+ ~ I, UH,O
'OH' (as in 'so'). ~>) 386
9 05 /85
+ o::l EH , OH Not above
cf C5
+ a. I, EH , A, OE a. + a.
EH EH
~ + I, UH , 0
Q 05 I E~5
~a. o::l Not above
** cf C5 To get from Overdrive to Curbing, do exactly the same as
~ + a. l,A/UH above but in reverse. From Overdrive on the vowel 'EH' make
Q 05 I E~5 a smooth transition to Edge on the vowel 'EH' and so on.

o::l + EH , OH Not above
cf C5
Q 05 / E~5
o::l a. ~
** Not above
cf C5
Q 05 / E~5
o::l + a. EH Not above
cf C5
a. + I, EH , A, OE
a. + ~ l,A/UH
Q 05 / E~5
a. + o::l EH Not above
cf C5
The vowel ' I' (as in 'sit')

The vowel ' EH ' (as in 'stay')
The vowel 'A' (as in 'and ')
The vowel 'OH ' (as in 'so')
The vowel 'OE ' (as in 'herb')
The vowel 'UH' (as in 'hungry')
The vowel 'O ' (as in 'woman ')
Use assisting mode

**
9 For women
<:! For men
e Neutral. To make transition from Neutral with air to a metallic

mode, you must go by way of Neutral without air
~ Curb ing
o::l Overdrive
a. Edge

Pitch and the modes
This chapter takes the pitch of a song as a starting point and her songs because she was unable to match these 'two voices'.
examines which modes are the most practical to use in rela- For years teachers had warned her not to use the very power-
tion to pitch. ful and rich sounds in the low part of her voice and told her
to thin her voice, 'make her voice slimmer' in order to 'equal-
ise the reg isters'. They also claimed that using such powerful
Very low and low part of the voice sounds in the low part of her voice was preventing her from
Below C4 for women, and C3 for men. reaching the higher parts of her voice. She therefore worked
If you sing in the low part of your voice, you can choose from on 'pulling down the frail top into the lower parts of the voice'
any of the modes. Neutral, Overdrive and Edge are most com- and 'thinning' her voice by practising with quieter volumes and
monly used. less support.
I did not think that her problems were due to difficulties

Middle part of the voice 'equalising the reg isters'. I thought the problems were due to
Between C4 and CS for women, and C3 and C4 for men . incorrect use of the modes. It turned out she sang in Overdrive
If you sing in the middle part of your voice, you can also in the low part of the voice and in Neutral in the high part. It
choose from any of the modes. In this part of the voice Neu- was obvious why she did not have enough volume in the high
tral, Curbing or Overdrive are most commonly used . part of her voice. We worked on support, making it independ-
ent of pitch and volume. So instead of working at low volume
and limiting her big voice, which had of course frustrated her
High part of the voice tremendously, we worked in powerful volumes. Here she could
Between CS and C6 for women, and C4 and CS for men. get advantage of the considerable physical strength she had
If you sing in the high part of your voice, you can choose from and she could work directly on the problem, namely to free her
all the modes. Women, however, can only use Overdrive to large voice and not hold it back.
DS-EbS.
Once she could provide support on both high and low notes, as
well as quiet and loud ones, she was ready to work with Edge.
Very high part of the voice She located Edge by twanging the epiglottic funnel, using a
Above C6 for women, and CS for men. very shrill and light sound colour on the vowel 'I' (as in 'sit')
If you sing in the very high part of your voice, you can use using large amounts of support and a powerful volume. We
Neutral, Curbing and Edge. Overdrive cannot be used. Both practised until she could hit the centre of the Edge mode and
sexes can use Neutral with air, but it is often quite difficult to as she was very strong it did not take long before she was able
achieve this at this pitch and you have to be careful not to trig- to perform Edge to ahigh C. Now she had the powerful and rich
ger uncontrolled constriction. In general, the very high part of sound all the way through her voice.
the voice is only used for short passages and then usually as
a mere effect. Long passages with lyric are rare at this pitch. We could have stopped there, but she was very interested in
working with the voice and her next wish was to sing quietly
in the low part of her voice. We practised Neutral, especially
establishing the loose jaw and singing quietly with added air
Acase story and a large amount of support. Once she had 'whispered' sev-
Asoul singer with an enormous voice had great power and rich- eral songs, she became accustomed to how much support she
ness in the lower parts of her voice but only thin and delicate needed to remain in Neutral. When she controlled Neutral we
tones in the higher parts. It was difficult for her to complete then worked on changing between Edge and Neutral.

Now it almost became asport for her to work with the voice, so Diagram 1: For women in the high part of the voice you can
we finally practised Curbing so that she had a mode between stay in Curbing or change into Neutral without air or Edge. If
the very powerful (Overdrive and Edge) and the quiet (Neutral). you wish to change to Neutral or Edge, the transition is usual-
Within three months she had solved her technical problems ly least audible between ES-FS. It is wise to practise both tran-
through the use of the different modes and had obtained an sitions. To change inaudibly from Curbing to Neutral without
enormous choice of sound colours and volumes. She now con- air, twang the epiglottic funnel more and gradually raise the
trolled the technique to such an extent that she was not only soft palate. (This makes the sound rounder and softer). From
an outstanding singer but also became avery skilled teacher. here, inaudibly let go of the metal. To change inaudible to
Edge, twang the epiglottic funnel more, make the sound col-
our lighter and sharper and increase the volume.
Transitions of modes in relation to pitch Diagram 2: Changing from Curbing to Overdrive works best
When practising the changing between modes, it is impor- for women between F4-A4 and for men between E4-G4. If
tant to be strictly aware of the pitch. If the transitions are to you change at a higher pitch, it will become more distinct be-
be inaudible, there are areas within the modes that are better cause Overdrive requires louder volumes than Curbing in the
suited to a change than others. high part of the voice.
For women the transition from Neutral to Curbing works best The higher you sing, the more distinct the modes become.
from around D4-F4. If you try to change at a higher pitch, you Therefore, the higher the notes, the more difficult it becomes
will usually hear an abrupt change when the metal is added to change mode inaudibly. To change from Overdrive to
to the note. Edge, it is important to start the transition before getting too
C3 I C4 lcs
Diagra m 1
9 a..
b..
e
C3
Diag ram 2
9 a..
o:::J

b..
m _---_ .. --_.
-----_-
It is easi er to make the trans itions inaudibly by foll owing the red lines .

high. It works best for women between A4- CS and for men
cf start C4
between G4-Bb4. It is necessary to make the Overdrive grad-
ually lighter by increasing the twang of the epiglottic funnel
* a..
more and by directing all vowels towards the twanged vow- EH EH EH
ff ff fl ff f/ff
els. Remember, the closer you get to the outer limit of Over-
*Twang th e epiglottic funnel (it may also help to raise the larynx, lower
drive, the more shouting the character and volume becomes.
the palate and broa den th e tong ue)
Exercise - from Overdrive to Edge

Exercising specific transitions Sing single notes in Overdrive on the vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay').
It is a good idea to have specific exercises for the problems Start on G4 for women or C4 for men and sing in a fairly pow-
you are likely to encounter in a given song. For instance, if erful volume without it feeling uncomfortable or too strenu-
you normally sing at a powerful volume, it is essential to be ous. Listen to the shouted, full-metallic sound and keep this
able to change from Overdrive to Edge without vocal breaks while you ascend by half steps. From A#4-C#S for women or
or abrupt changes. from E4-G4 for men gradually twang the epiglottic funnel (it
may also help to raise the larynx, lower the palate and broad-
en the tongue) without changing of the sound between the
notes. At around DS for women or G4 for men you should be
Acase story in Edge and you can continue singing higher from here. ~>)
Avery dramatic singer and actor was unable to sing powerful ly 144
in the high part of the voice, where the notes became thin and
whiny. This was unfortunate, as her personality and dramatic If you find it difficult to move from Overdrive to Edge with-
talent called for great power and a large dynamic range. She out an abrupt change, try the above exercise starting from
had no problems singing powerfully in the lower part of the the high notes. Sing single notes in Edge on DS for women or
voice, but in the high part breaks would occur and from there G4 for men and descend by semitones while trying to make
on the notes became thin and frail. The problem was that she the sound colour of each note less twanged but still power-
used Overdrive in the low part of her voice and in the high part ful. Be careful not to darken the sound colour TOO much as it
she could only reach the notes in Neutral. As she was physically can strain the voice. By doing this carefully and correctly you
strong with a solid and efficient support, we moved directly to should be in Overdrive at about A4 for women or E4 for men.
practising Edge. She was already used to twanging the epiglot-
tic funnel, as she had done this to avoid the sound becoming Once you can control this transition, sing a longer sequence,
too operatic in the high part of the voice. So all she needed was such as scales up and down through three notes, five notes
to add the metallic sound. and later, through octaves. At first practise on 'EH' as this
vowel relates to both Overdrive and Edge. Then start practis-
We worked on sustaining the energy required for Overdrive ing in Overdrive on the vowel 'OH' (as in 'so') and changing
further up her voice where she found Edge. By doing this she it to 'OE' (as in 'herb') in the higher part of the voice as you
could continue the same volume as in Overdrive into the high- change to Edge. Then practise the transition from 'EH' or 'OH'
est part of her voice by changing to Edge. After about an hour's (as in 'so') to other vowels in Edge such as 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'A' (as
work, she was able to Edge above a high C. Having gained con- in 'and'), 'EH' and 'OE'. Once you are comfortable with chang-
trol over Overdrive and Edge, she soon became nothing short of ing between the modes on different vowels, try it with lyric.
an institution in many major musical productions.
Sing a phrase that contains both Overdrive and Edge and re-
peat the exercise beginning half a tone higher each time. Be

j
~ J J J J
A th ree -note sca le Exercise - from Curbing to Edge
If you sing in medium volume, it is important to be able to
cf sta rt C4
get from Curbing to Edge without vocal breaks or changes
in the sound.
A five- note scale
cf sta rt C4
$ JJ ; rrr ; J J 1
Sing single notes in Curbing on the vowel 'I' (as in 'sit'). Start
on A#4 for women or C4 for men. Sing in a medium volume
without it feeling uncomfortable or too strenuous . Listen to
An octave scale
cf sta rt C4
$JJ JJJJfr f JJJJJJ I
the slightly plaintive, half-metallic sound and keep this while
you repeat the exercise beginning half a tone higher each
time. At around DS for women or E4 for men gradually twang
the epiglottic funnel. It might also help to raise the larynx,
lower the soft palate, broaden the tongue and increase the
careful not to sing in Overdrive in a too high part of the voice. volume without it feeling uncomfortable. Try to approach the
It is better to direct the mode towards Edge sooner rather full-metallic, screamy character of Edge between DS to ES-FS
than later to avoid straining the voice. for women or F4-G4 for men without abrupt changes in the
sound. You should be in Edge by E5-F5 for women or F4-G4
for men and can continue singing higher from there. "4>) 145
Acase story
ABlues singer with avery large voice started to have problems
cf start optiona l
e.g. C4
$ttJ ; r tt r r nr r r
singing powerfully. It turned out he had been singing with a ~ * a.
trio instead of larger bands and with the smaller set-up the
mp/ mf fl ff
volume of his Overdrive and Edge was too loud. Therefore, he
had changed to Curbing, to make the volume more suitable. * Twang the epig lottic fun nel (it may also hel p to ra ise th e larynx, lowe r
th e palate and broaden the tongue)
But when he returned to the larger band, he was unable to
leave Curbing, as he had become accustomed to using less en-
ergy. He had also become used to having a larger selection of If you find it difficult to change from Curbing to Edge without
vowels than is possible in Overdrive and Edge. If he wanted a an abrupt change, try the above exercise in reverse. Sing sin-
more powerful volume, he would have to replace Curbing with gle notes in Edge from E5-F5 for women or G4 for men and
Overdrive or Edge. We practised the support and he got used to descend by semitones while trying to make each note a lit-
applying more physical strength. Then we practised the centre tle more quiet, more plaintive and less metallic. However, be
of the modes for Overdrive and Edge and he became accus- careful not to make the note TOO quiet or lose the metallic
tomed to the powerful volume that comes with these modes. character entirely as this might result in the voice changing
Finally, we practised directing the vowels in the higher pitches to Neutral which may feel uncomfortable and strained . If you
towards 'EH' (as in 'stay') and 'OH' (as in 'so') for Overdrive and started in Edge and made each note a bit quieter and less me-
towards 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'EH ', 'A' (as in 'and') and 'OE' (as in 'herb') tallic than the previous one, you should be in Curbing around
for Edge. On the very high notes he chose exclusively to use CS for women or D4 for men .
'EH' and 'OH' (Overdrive) or 'I', 'EH', 'A' and 'OE' (Edge). When he
regained control of Overdrive and Edge, he was able to sing just Once you can control this transition, sing longer sequences,
as powerfully as before. such as scales up and down through three notes, five notes
and later through octaves . At first, practise on 'I' as this vowel
is the easiest in both Curbing and Edge. Later, practise on the
Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.compl etevocalinstitute.com 137

vowels 'A' (as in 'and ') and 'OE' (as in 'herb'). Then practise the TOO loud as this may result in a change to Overdrive or Edge
transition to other vowels in Curbing and Edge. Once you are which might feel uncomfortable and could strain the voice. If
comfortable with the transition between the modes on dif- you started in Neutral without air and made each note a bit
ferent vowels, try it again with lyric. louder and more metallic than the previous one, you should
be in Curbing around CS for women or C4 for men.
Sing a phrase that contains both Curbing and Edge and re-
peat the phrase beginning half a tone higher each time. It is Once you can control this transition, sing longer sequences,
better to direct the mode towards Edge sooner rather than such as scales up and down through three notes, five notes
later to avoid straining the voice. and later through octaves. At first, practise on 'I' (as in 'sit'), as
this vowel is usually the easiest in Curbing . Later, practise on
all the vowels, except for 'EH' as in 'stay' and 'OH' as in 'so' as
Exercise - from Curbing to Neutral without air they tempt the voice into Overdrive. Once you are comfort-
If you sing in medium volume, it is important to be able to get able with changing between the modes on different vowels,
from Curbing to Neutral without air without vocal breaks or try it again with lyrics.
changes in the sound .
Sing a phrase that contains both Curbing and Neutral with-
Sing single notes in Curbing on the vowel 'I' on A#4 for wom- out air and repeat the exercise beginning half a tone higher
en or C4 for men. Listen to the slightly plaintive, half-metallic each time. Direct the mode towards Neutral without air soon-
sound and keep this while you repeat the exercise beginning er rather than later to avoid straining the voice.
half a tone higher each time. Around 05 for women or 04 for
men gradually decrease the volume and let go of the metallic
sound without it feeling uncomfortable. It may help to raise
the soft palate a little and keep the twang or even twang the
epiglottic funnel more. Try to approach a softer, more non-
metallic character between 05 to ES-FS for women or 04-G4
for men, without abrupt changes in the sound. You should be
in Neutral without air by ES -FS for women or G4 for men and
can continue singing higher from there. ~>) 146
d' start optional

e.g. C4
~ 1J J r 1r r 1r r r
~ * e
mf mf mf
*Decrease the volume, let go of the meta llic sound (it might he lp to keep
the twang and at the same time lift the palate a little).
If you find it difficult to move from Curbing to Neutral with-

out air without an abrupt change, try the above exercise in
reverse. Sing single notes in Neutral without air from ES-FS
for women or G4 for men and descend by semitones while
trying to make each note a little louder and the sound more
plaintive and half-metallic. Be careful not to make the note

Sound colours and the modes
In the diagram below you can see that in terms of sound col- Choice of sound colour
our the metallic modes (Curbing, Overdrive and Edge) are far If you want to remove the sound of transitions or changes be-
more limited than the non-metallic Neutral. In the metallic tween the modes in order for all singing to have more or less
modes darker sound colours are possible in Overdrive and the same sound, it is easiest done by choosing a dark sound
Curbing, while Edge gives lighter sound colours . This diagram colour. Th is is used in classical singing where all transitions
also shows that the higher the pitch, the lighter the sound and changes between the modes are made inaudible and
colours are obtainable (especially for women). The lower the disguised .
pitch, the darker the sound colours are possible. If, for exam-
ple, you want a very dark sound colour in the low part of the If you choose a distinctly metallic sound as is frequently used
voice, you can choose between Neutral, Curbing and Over- in popular music, it is easier for women to avoid abrupt audi-
drive. If you want a very light sound colour in the middle part ble changes between modes by choosing light sound colours
of the voice, you can choose between Neutral, Curbing and rather than dark ones. For instance, a dark Overdrive can only
Edge. If you want a dark sound colour in the high part of the be sung in the middle part of the voice; about Bb4 for women
voice, women can only choose Neutral, while men can chose and about G4 in the high part for men. To continue singing
from all 4 modes. higher in pitch you need to change modes and it is impos-
sible to do this inaudibly if you choose a dark sound colour
(not as dark as classical singing). If you change to Neutral,
Warning there will be an audible break when you change from metal-
It is important to remember that the darker you colour a me- lic sound to non-metallic sound. But Curbing and Edge are
tallic mode (Curbing, Overdrive, or Edge), the greater the risk not useful either as these modes do not have a dark sound
of voice breaks and uncontrolled constriction . Usually it is colour in the high part of the voice. So you have to choose a
safer to colour in a lighter direction. If you want the sound light Overdrive instead of a dark one to make it easier to sing
of Edge but not the volume, you can choose Curbing. If you in the high part of the voice without audible changes. To be
want it even quieter, choose Metal-like Neutral (see 'Transi- prepared, you must always consider how high a song reaches
tions between the modes' on page 131).
Sound colour and the modes very light
e
light
medium
dark
very dark
very light
light
~ medium
dark
very dark
very light
light
ex:] med ium

dark
very dark
very light
light
o_ medium
dark
very dark
pitch low middle high very high

before you choose a dark sound colour - unless you want a The modes in classical
change of sound for artistic reasons.
singing
In the diagram below you can see the modes used in classi-
Making transitions easier cal singing up through the various parts of the voice for men
With distinctly metallic sounds, as used in popular music, it and women .
is useful to try to make the sound colour of the modes sound For example, if a female classical singer wishes to sing very
alike. By making the sound colour of the modes sound similar loudly ('ff' or 'fortissimo') in the middle part of the voice, she
to each other and by being able to change between them will usually choose Curbing (the dark sound colour makes
inaudibly, you can choose the easiest mode for what you Curbing appear louder). If a male classical singer wishes to
are singing. This is better than sticking rigidly to a mode and sing very loudly in the middle part of the voice, he will usually
pushing it to its limits. Some sounds are in the margin area choose Overdrive. If he wishes to sing very loudly on a high C
in some modes but in the centre in others. Therefore, you he will usually choose Edge.
should choose the mode closest to the centre and then ex-
periment with colouring it until you get the sound you want.
The modes in classical singing
You should be cautious when experimenting with singing loud o::J I~ ~ e

too close to the edge in the margin area of the modes un-
less you control the various modes without any problems, are 9 medium ~/ o::J ~ e
familiar with the three overall principles of singing and know quiet e e e
your voice well enough to know the moment you exceed its
healthy limits.
loud o::J o::J o::J I a.
cf medium o::J o::J I~ ~
An example, Metal-like Neutral

quiet e e e
You may want to sing quietly and with metallic character at pitch very low/low medium high/very high
the same time. However, you cannot use Curbing at such

a soft volume as it may trigger uncontrolled constriction.
Therefore, you will have to sing in Neutral without air, twang
the epiglottic funnel, and make the vocal tract smaller so you
can obtain a sound colour that is close to a light Curbing .
Practise changing between a light and as quiet a Curbing as
possible - it is this similar sound colour to Neutral without air
at a relatively powerful volume which allows the transition to
be inaudible. Once the transition feels comfortable and you
can make the sound of the two modes alike, continue with
Neutral without air, keep the sound colour, and lower the vol-
ume. In this way you keep the twanged sound, which is close
to light Curbing but at a much lower volume. This is, in fact,
Metal-like Neutral (or specifically Curbing-like Neutral) (see
'Metal-like Neutral' on page 92).

Volumes and the modes
It is important to know the advantages and limitations of can be. So, it is possible to sing more powerfully in the high
the modes at different volumes. The diagrams below chart part of the voice than in the low part of the voice. As a rule,
modes, pitch and volume. The colour and the width of the the metallic modes will become louder as the pitch increases.
diagram illustrate the volumes in the various modes. Intense
red means loud volume, medium red means medium loud The diagrams below and on the next pages show the maxi-
volume, medium pale red means medium quiet volume, and mum volumes in the various modes at the various pitches in
pale red means quiet volume. The vertical divisions of the an alternative graphical representation .
diagram show the va rious pitches.
In general, the following rule applies: the more metallic the The vocal modes
mode, the more loud the volume can be. Conversely, it is eas- You can sing quietly in all pitches in Neutral. From the high
ier to obtain a quieter volume if the mode is less metallic. In part of the voice and up Neutral can be sung in both quiet,
addition, the higher the pitch, the more powerful the volume medium and powerful volume.
very high pa rt
high pa rt
midd le part
volume
D quiet
med ium quiet

low pa rt
med ium loud
II loud
very low part
a..
Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.compl et evocalin st itute.com 141
In the low part of the voice Curbing can be sung quietly. In pitches. But on the contrary, in order to obtain an even sound
the middle part of the voice the volume becomes medium through all the pitches, you must use several vocal modes.
and from the high part and up, the volume in Curbing be- This is particularly so if you wish to sing with medium volume
comes powerful. all the way up through the pitches:
If you want to sing quietly up through your range, you can
In the low part of the voice Overdrive can be sung in both use Neutral all the way.
medium and powerful volume. The higher you sing in the If women want to sing medium volume up through their
middle part of the voice in Overdrive, the louder the volume. range, they can use Overdrive in the low part of the voice,
Just before the mode does not work anymore the vo lume be- Curbing in the middle part and Neutral in the high part.
comes disproportionately powerful. This will be around CS- Men can use Curbing to sing in medium volume in their
05 for women and A4- CS for men. entire range.
If women want to sing powerfully up through their range,
Just like Overdrive, Edge can be sung in both medium and they can use Overdrive in the low part of the voice and in
powerful volume in the low part of the voice. The higher you the low part of the middle part of the voice. From there,
sing in the middle part of the voice in Edge, the louder the they can change to Edge and use this all the way up. Men
volume. As in the other metallic modes, Edge gradually be- can use Overdrive at a higher pitch than women, which
comes more powerful up through the pitches. means they do not have to change to Edge before the up-
per end of the high part of the voice. However, be aware
of the fact that the closer you get to Overdrive's limit, the
In practice more powerful Overdrive becomes and at a certain time it
Many singers believe that they need to use the same vocal is more powerful than Edge. So, in order to make a smooth
mode all the way up in order to obtain an even sound in all
Maximu m volume for women
9 very loud
-- --- ...... -------
------
r loud o::J
[]_ ,,
,, -
,
vol ume
,,
, ,,
,,
l --
med ium
!:::::,,.. --- ---

quiet e
e

transition from Overdrive to Edge, you must remember to the learned volume and sound colour in the difficult middle
change the mode earlier. range.
As a singer it is important to respect the advantages and However, it is not 'the registers that have been aligned' (See
limitations of the modes to be able to avoid the usual mis- 'So lving unintentional vocal breaks' on page 76) but instead,
takes that occur when the vocal modes are used unknow- the singer has learned to use Curbing in the middle part of
ingly. If you are not consciously aware of the limitations of the voice. The result is a softer transition from Overdrive
the modes, you risk uncontrolled constriction, breaks and in the low part of the voice through Curbing in the middle
unwanted sounds in your singing . part of the voice to Neutral in the high part of the voice. The
singer may have momentarily solved her/ his problem but is
An example of this is that almost all singers at a certain time now limited to singing like this in order to avoid breaks. Many
in their development have had problems with unwanted have even been told that this is the only healthy way to sing!
breaks and transitions in the voice. This is caused by the fact This can be a huge limitation, because si nce the singer has
that almost all voices unconsciously choose Overdrive in not been introduced to the modes that have been used, s/ he
the low part of the voice and Neutral in the high part of the is not aware of all the other existing alternatives with regard
voice, which produces breaks and transitions when singers to character and volume.
are shifting between the modes. To avoid this, many singers
seek the help of teachers who work traditionally on 'aligning It is possible to imagine many other solutions to the problem
the registers '. After a period of training the singer can pos- of breaks:
sibly manage the transition between Overdrive and Neutral That the singer wanted to continue the volume of Over-
without breaks. The singer is now a trained singer who is drive in a higher pitch. In this case, the singer must obey
normally able to steer clear of the undesired breaks by using the rules for Overdrive in order to be able to stay within
Maximum volume for men
very loud
...... ...... .. -------

.... ....
.. .. .. ..
loud
.. .. ..
volume
.. .. .. ..
.. ..
medium
.. .. .. ..
..
1 .... .. ....
quiet e
e
Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.comp letevoca lin stitute.com 143
the mode. If the singer wants to go even higher, s/ he must High part of the voice
change to Edge before Overdrive gets too loud or reaches If you want loud volume in the high part of the voice, all
its limit. modes can be used.
That the singer wanted to sing at a low volume all the way Neutral without air is often used when the character needs to
up. In this case, the singer must obey the rules for Neutral be non-metallic or rounder. Curbing is used when the sound
in order to stay in Neutral on the way up and especially on needs to be a restrained metallic character.
the way down through the range. Overdrive is used when a very loud volume and a shouted
That the singer wanted to keep the metallic sound that was character is required. The higher you sing in Overdrive, the
used in the middle part of the voice. If so, the singer must louder and more shout-like the voice usually becomes. How-
obey the rules for Curbing in order to stay in the mode all ever, Overdrive can only be used up to DS/ EbS in women and
the way up to the high part of the voice. up to a high C (CS) in men. Edge is used when you want a very
And finally the possibility of using Edge in all parts of the powerful and sharply metallic character all the way through
voice. Then the singer must obey the rules for Edge in order your range.
to remain in the mode throughout the range.
Very high part of the voice

In the very high part of the voice you can use Neutral without
Loud volume air (for women). Men can use Neutral without air, Curbing or
Edge depending on what type of sound they want. In Neutral
without air, the character becomes non-metallic and rounder.
Low part of the voice In Curbing, the character becomes more restrained and metal-
If you want loud volume in the low part of the voice, Over- lic, and in Edge the sound becomes very sharp and full-metallic.
drive and Edge are the best modes. Overdrive gives a loud
and rich character and you can obtain and even richer, darker
and more powerful sound in this low part of the voice by
singing in Overdrive with a lowered larynx position. This usu- Acase story
ally requires practice. Edge has a lighter sound colour than A singer in a musical was hoarse and could not sing loudly
Overdrive. In general, if you want a loud, dark sound in the enough. It turned out that he was used to using Curbing be-
low part of the voice use Overdrive and if you want a lighter cause of the impression that more vowels can be used in this
and more 'natural ' sound use Edge. mode and because it does not require as much energy to sing in
the high part of the voice as Overdrive and Edge. However, the
problems occurred because he tried to sing loudly in Curbing
Middle part of the voice and this made him hoarse.
For a loud volume in the middle part of the voice, Curbing,
Overdrive and Edge are best. Overdrive is often used in the We worked on Overdrive by establishing the 'bite' and practis-
middle part of the voice as you can get a powerful, metallic ing support until he had enough energy for the loud volume
character with it. Edge is mostly used in the upper part of the required for the mode. Once he controlled the centre of Over-
middle part of the voice as the sound here does not sound so drive, we directed the vowels towards 'EH' (as in'stay') and 'OH'
twanged as in the lower part of the middle part of the voice. (as in 'so') in the higher part of the voice. By replacing Curbing
Curbing must be used with a dark sound colour to obtain with Overdrive in powerful passages, the singer achieved the
powerful volume in the middle part of the voice. This is often powerful volumes he wanted and at the same time avoided
used by women in classical singing. becoming hoarse. In medium quiet passages he could still use
Curbing. In this way he not only got rid of his hoarseness but
also achieved a larger dynamic range.

Medium loud and medium
quiet volume you sing in the metallic modes, the more powerful the vol-
ume usually becomes. How high a singer is able to sing in a
metallic mode at a medium volume depends on the singer's
voice and technique. If you want a medium quiet volume,
Low part of the voice Neutral without air can be used.
If you want medium loud volume in the low part of the voice,
you can use Overdrive and Edge. Curbing can also be used but
has a very enclosed character. Overdrive will have a rich me-
tallic character. Edge will have a light and metallic character. Quiet volume
If you want a medium quiet volume, Neutral without air can
be used.
Low part of the voice
Middle part of the voice If you want quiet volume in the low part of the voice, Neutral
If you want a medium loud volume in the middle part of the is often best. Neutral with air is used particularly if you want
voice, you can use Curbing, Overdrive and Edge and Neutral to combine a quiet volume with added air and often in con-
in the higher end of the middle part of the voice. Curbing will nection with microphone sphere 1 (see 'Microphone Tech-
have a light metallic character. Overdrive will have a richer, nique' on page 175). Curbing can also be used if you want a
full-metallic character. Edge will have a twanged and snarl- held-in or plaintive character.
ing, full-metallic character in the middle part of the voice.
Usually the higher you sing in Curbing, Overdrive and Edge in Middle, high and very high part of the voice
the middle part of the voice, the louder the volume becomes. If you want quiet volume in the middle, high or very high part
How high in the middle part of the voice singers are able to of the voice, you need Neutral. Again Neutral without air is
sing at a medium volume depends on the singer's voice and used when you want a non-breathy and quiet sound, while
technique. If you want a medium quiet volume, Neutral with- Neutral with air is used if you want to combine the quiet
out air can be used. sound with added air.
High part of the voice

If you want medium volumes in the high part of the voice, you
can use Neutral, Curbing, Overdrive (for men) and Edge. Neu- Acase story
tral without air is used when you want a rounder, softer, non- A rock singer with a tremendous voice had problems singing
metallic character and Curbing is used when you want a more quietly. It turned out that she sang exclusively in full-metallic
metallic sound. Overdrive and Edge is used when you want modes (i.e. Overdrive and Edge). It is very unusual to meet
a full-metallic character. The higher you sing in the metallic singers who rarely use Curbing or Neutral. The singer was tired
modes, the more powerful the volume usually becomes. How of always singing at full power, so we worked on the Neutral
high a singer is able to sing in the metallic modes at a medium mode. We started by adding air to the voice, as there is no way
volume depends on the singer's voice and technique. If you the sound can become metallic when using breathy notes. As
want a medium quiet volume, Neutral without air can be used. she was unaccustomed to this feeling and sound, we practised
with such quiet volumes that she was almost whispering. After
Very high part of the voice whispering her way through acouple of songs, she got used to
For women only Neutral without air can be used in the very the new volume and we moved on to a number of songs with
high part of the voice if the volume needs to be medium sound ranging from abarely audible whisper to amedium qui-
loud. Men can use Neutral without air, Curbing and Edge. et Neutral. Even though we worked at quiet volumes, she still
Curbing is used if you want a half-metallic character and Edge had to apply alot of physical energy and thus became aware of
is used when you want a full-metallic character. The higher the large amount of support required for quiet volumes.

Once she gained control over Neutral and the volumes attain-
able, we went on to practise Curbing by using the 'hold' and
<:!start optional
directing the vowels towards 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'O' (as in 'woman')
and 'UH' (as in 'hungry') in the higher part of the voice. When
e.g. 03
CXl CXl a.
EH EH EH
she controlled Curbing, we worked on medium volumes in this ff ff fl ff ff ff
mode. For some time we worked exclusively on Neutral and
Curbing. Finally, we worked on the full-metallic modes (Over-
drive and Edge). By being able to change between the modes Exercises at a medium volume
she could now achieve enormous differences in volume and a If you want to go through all parts of the voice at a medium
great range of sound colours. volume you can use Curbing all the way, but you have to be
aware that the mode is getting more powerful in the high
part of the voice. If you want to avoid this you can use several
modes: '4>) 148
begin with a medium volume in the low part of the voice in
Advanced exercises in Overdrive on the vowel 'OH' (as in 'so') or Edge on the vow-
el 'A' (as in 'and '). (The sound example is sung in Overdrive).
volume from the middle part of the voice change to Curbing and
gradually alter the vowel towards 'O' (as in 'woman').
If you want to sing phrases or whole songs in an even vol- when it becomes impossible to sing any higher without
ume, do exercises with built-in mode changes, so that the exceeding medium volume, change to Neutral without air,
voice itself can change to suitable modes by muscle memory. still on the vowel 'O'.
Sing various exercises, such as scales of five notes or octaves, Practise the vowels '00' (as in 'you'), 'I' (as in 'sit') 'EE' (as
up through the voice. Start in the low part of the voice and in 'see') and 'AH' (as in 'far') in the same way. Practise the
repeat the exercise beginning half a tone higher each time scales so the transitions are made smoothly and breaks in
and later half a tone lower each time. Note that the following the voice are avoided.
exercises are in the CVT Sound Library sometimes shown as
one scale all the way up and down, and some are scales of five
notes up and down. You can do the exercise as you like them.
<:!start optional 'JJJJJJJJF~f ~f~
e.g . 03
<Xl/a. t::=.... e
Exercises at a powerful volume OH / A 0 0
mf mp / mf mp / mf
If you want to go through all parts of the voice at a powerful
volume: '4>) 147
start with a powerful volume in the low part of the voice
in Overdrive on the vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay'), perhaps with a Exercise at a quiet volume
lowered larynx position. If you want to go through all parts of the voice at a quiet vol-
as you go up, change mode from Overdrive to Edge around ume: '4>) 149
Bb4-B4 for women and F4 for men. It may be helpful to di- Use Neutral without air at a quiet volume all the way up
rect the vowel towards 'I' (as in 'sit'). through the range. You can use many different sound col-
Continue by singing as high as possible in Edge. ours, but make sure the sound colour and volume do not
Make the transition as smooth as possible and practise alter- change during each exercise. Practise all vowels this way.
ing the vowels gradually so there are no audible transitions You can also practise Neutral with air all the way up through
or breaks. the voice. Try adding air to the voice and notice the amount

of extra support required to maintain the air in the high Make the transitions as smooth as possible and practise al-
part of the voice (see 'Air added to the voice' on page 206). tering the vowels gradually so that the changes become
Practise all vowels this way. inaudible
cf start optional
ij41JJJJJrrrrrr Decrease the volume (decrescendo)
Sing gradually more quietly as you go up through the range
e.g. 03
of your voice. Begin with a powerful volume and gradually
All vowe ls
PP I P decrease it until you are singing very quietly ('pp' or 'pianis-
simo') in the high part: '4>) 151
start with a powerful volume in the low part in Overdrive on
the vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay'), perhaps with a lowered larynx.
decrease the volume and change to Curbing in the mid-
Combinations of volume dle part of the voice and change the vowel to 'UH ' (as in
'hungry').
You can go on to combine various volumes and their match- continue to decrease the volume and sing in Neutral with-
ing modes. By practising the following four combinations you out air in the high part of the voice, alter to the vowel 'AH'
can avoid the volume problems that most singers encounter. (as in 'far').
continue to decrease the volume and as you go higher
gradually change to Neutral while adding air to the voice in
Increase the volume (crescendo) the high part of the voice. Remain on the vowel 'AH'.
Sing with an increasingly powerful voice as you go up Make the transitions as smooth as possible and practise alter-
through the range of your voice. Begin at a quiet volume and ing the vowels gradually in order to avoid audible changes
increase the volume until you are singing very powerfully ('ff' or breaks.
or 'fortissimo') in the high part: '4>) 150
start with a quiet volume in the low part of the voice in
Neutral with air and add air to the voice on the vowel 'I' (as
in 'sit').
increase the volume and change to Curbing in the middle
part of the voice, still on the vowel 'I'.
cf start optiona l e e
e.g . 03 EH UH AH AH
continue to increase the volume, then gradually alter the 'I' ff mf mp pp
to 'EH' (as in 'stay') and sing in Overd rive in the rest of the
middle part of the voice. Decrease and increase the volume (decrescendo to
continue to increase the volume and change to Edge. Stay crescendo)
on the vowel 'EH'. There are many mode changes in this exercise, so they have
sing as high as you can in Edge. to follow each other quickly (in the beginning practise this
slowly): '4>) 152
start with a powerful volume in the low part of the voice
cf start optional
ij41JJJJJrrrrrr in Overdrive on the vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay'), perhaps with a
lowered larynx
e.g. 03
e ~ cx:J a.. decrease the volume and change quickly to Curb ing on the
EH EH
pp mp ff vowel 'UH ' (as in 'hungry').
Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalin stitute.com 147

continue to decrease the volume and change to Neutral continue to decrease the volume and change to Neutral
without air as you direct the vowel towards 'AH' (as in 'far'). without air, now directing the vowel towards 'AH'.
continue to decrease the volume and change to Neutral continue to decrease the volume and change to Neutral
with air added, still on 'AH'. You should now be singing in with added air, still on 'AH'.
the middle part of the voice as quietly as possible. finally, sing as quietly as you can in the high part of the
now start to increase the volume gradually. Change from voice.
Neutral with added air to Neutral without air, still on 'AH'. Make the transitions as smooth as possible and practise alter-
continue to increase the volume and change to Curbing as ing the vowels gradually to avoid audible changes or breaks.
you direct the vowel to 'UH'. Note that the sound example are scales of five notes and only
continue to increase the volume by changing to Edge and three out of all the scales are sung: one in the low part of the
gradually change the vowel to 'A' (as in 'and'). voice, one in the middle part of the voice and one in the high
Make the transitions as smooth as possible and practise alter- part of the voice.
ing the vowels gradually to avoid audible changes or breaks.
Note that the sound examples are scales of five notes and
only three out of all the scales are sung: one in the low part of
the voice, one in the middle part of the voice and one in the
<:J start optional
(to1JJ J JJ rr rr rr
high part of the voice.
e.g. 03
e e ~o::i ~e e
AH AH UH EH UH AH AH
pp ml ff mp pp
<:J start optional

e.g. 03
o::i~e e e~a.
EH UH AH AH AH UH A
ff ml mp pp mp ml I I ff
Increase and decrease the volume (crescendo to

decrescendo)
Practise the above exercise reversed : ~>) 153
sing quietly in the low part of the voice in Neutral with add-
ed air on the vowel 'AH' (as in 'far').
gradually increase the volume, change to Neutral without
air, but stay on 'AH'.
continue to increase the volume, change to Curbing and
direct the vowel towards 'UH' (as in 'hungry').
continue to increase the volume and change to Overdrive
as you alter the vowel to 'EH' (as in 'stay'). You should now
be in the middle part of your voice, singing very powerfully
(ff).
start to decrease the volume gradually and change quickly
to Curbing on 'UH'.

Vowels and the modes
It is very important to make sure that the pronunciation of Directing towards I, 0 and UH
the vowels is 100% correct. Being able to recognise the ex- If you want a metallic sound in the high part of the voice with
act vowel nuance mentioned is equally important in order relatively precise vowel sounds, use Curbing (half-metallic).
for the technique to work in the right way. Therefore, I would Lots of vowels can be used in Curbing, but they should be di-
recommend all to study the examples in the CVT Sound Li- rected towards 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'O' (as in 'woman') and 'UH' (as in
brary carefully and learn the exact vowel nuance in each case 'hungry') in the higher part of the voice. The higher the voice,
in order to avoid confusion as regards the difference between the more necessary this becomes.
the written and the spoken vowel (see page 249).
To obtain certain modes in particular parts of the voice you Limited selection of vowels
have to alter the vowels. It is important to know which vowels In Overdrive and Edge altering the vowels is a condition for
facilitate which modes and which vowels impair them. It is obta ining the modes. In order to obtain Overdrive in the high
possible to decide which modes are the most practical to use part of the voice, you must change the vowels to 'EH' (as in
in relation to vowels, volumes and pitches. The more metallic 'stay') and 'OH' (as in 'so'). In order to obtain Edge in the high
the mode, the more limited the range of vowels and the more part of the voice, change the vowels to the twanged vowels:
you have to modify or alter the vowels as you go up in pitch. 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'EH' (as in 'stay'), 'A' (as in 'and ') and 'OE' (as in
'herb').
You may think that modifying or changing the vowels makes
the words sound strange, but listeners are already accus-
tomed to these changes, usually unknowingly. In fact, the Classical vowels
only time they notice them is if they study the words intently If you would like a classical pronunciation of the vowels, you
and compare them to the vowels used in speaking . From must comp ress the tongue as this gives them an 'operatic'
the singer's perspective, once the centre of the mode is per- character regardless of the mode. If you do not want a classi-
fected, the modifications of the vowel sounds seem natural cal sound, do not compress the tongue. ~>) 387
and actually make the text more distinct. Trying to stick to
the vowels as they sound in speech on the other hand works
against the centre of the mode and compromises the overall
sound. The lyric will also be less understandable and it trig- Acase story
gers uncontrolled constriction. Th is applies especially to the Awell-trained opera singer wanted to perform in musicals, but
high part of the voice where vowels cannot just be modified although he auditioned for many, he was never hired. The criti-
but have to be replaced entirely. cism was that he sounded 'too much like an opera singer'. Even
though he sang in the various modes, he always used the com-
pressed tongue, so the vowels had the same classical sound.
All vowels We practised many positions for the tongue and completed
If you have to pronounce lyric as you would speak it, you are whole songs with different positions and sounds. Once he re-
limited to singing in the lower part of your voice because in alised the importance of the position of the tongue to sound
this part of the voice the modes resemble each other so it will and vowels, he was able to choose from many different sounds.
seem as if you have a larger selection of vowels. If you want From then on, he never used a compressed tongue in auditions,
to sing in the higher part of the voice with speech-like vowels unless the theatre specifically asked for a classical sound. Once
you are restricted to using Neutral with air. A merging of the he changed the position of the tongue and thereby the vowels
vowels is inevitable in the higher part of the voice, even in so that they were more natural and less classical sounding, he
Neutral with air (see 'Change of vowels up through the voice' became successful in obtaining musical roles.
on page 56).
Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadol in www.completevocalinstitute.com 149

The vowels' choice of mode in various volumes Difficulty of the vowels in the high part of the voice
Some vowels choose the mode themselves, according to the In the diagram below you can see which vowels are the easi-
volume. This becomes particularly evident in the high part of est and which are the difficult ones in the various modes in
the voice. the high part of the voice. In Curbing, for example, 'I' (as in
'sit '), 'O' (as in 'woman ') and 'UH ' (as in 'hungry') are the easi-
Sing each vowel and sing it in different volumes. You will est, whereas 'EE' (as in 'see'), '00' (as in 'you'), 'A' (as in 'and ')
notice that the voice prefers certain modes at certain vow- and 'AH' (as in 'far') are difficult but will be easier if you direct
els and volumes. Try to sing all vowels in all modes and in all the vowel towards 'I', 'O' and 'UH '. 'EH' (as in 'stay') and 'OH'
volumes and you will feel which changes are needed to make (as in 'so') are not possible and should be avoided in Curbing
the various vowels easier to sing . The further away you direct
the vowel from its easiest place, i.e. its 'centre' at a specific You can also use this diagram to see which vowels can be
volume, the more difficult it becomes and the more control is sung in which modes. For example, the vowel 'I' (as in 'sit') is
required . Which vowels are the easiest to sing in the various easy to sing in Neutral with air, Curbing and Edge. However, it
modes and volumes varies from singer to singer. is difficult to make the sound non-breathy in Neutral without
air and 'I' should never be attempted in Overdrive in the high
part of the voice.
The vowels choice of mode in the higher part of the voice
Remember, how easy a vowel is to sing in the various modes
9 EE EH 00 0 OH A AH will vary between singers.
loud e bi...
Difficulty of the vowels in the hig h part of the voice
quiet e e
e EE I EH 00 0 OH A AH OE
e EE I EH 00 0 OH A AH OE
bi... EE I 00 0 A UH OE
<Xl - -
, ,,
EH OH -
a.. EE I EH A OE
e Neutral with air
e Neutral with air OH easy
e Neutral without air
e Neutral without air OH difficult
avoid - trying can cause uncontrolled constriction
In the above diagram you can see which modes the vowels
choose at various volumes. This becomes particularly evident
in the high part of the voice. For example, the vowel 'I' (as Altering the vowels inthe high part of the voice
in 'sit') chooses the Neutral mode when sung quietly (p), but In the diagram on the next page you can see the mod ifica-
it chooses Curbing when sung medium powerfully (mf) and tions and changes needed for each mode when singing in
Edge when sung very powerfully (ff). the high part of your voice. The more metallic the mode, the
more it is necessary to change the vowel.
Remember that the choice of mode can be YOURS rather
than the one dictated by vowels themselves because of cer- If the vowel '00' (as in 'you') is sung in the high part of the
tain volumes. voice in Neutral, for example, there is no need to alter it. In
this case, a perfect mode and a precise vowel are attainable.
150 Complete Vocal Techniqu e 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com

Altering the vowels in the high part of the voice.
If '00' is sung in Curbing, you must direct the vowel towards e EE EE ~ EE
'O' (as in 'woman') in order to obtain a perfect mode. If '00' I I

EH EH EH ~
is sung in Overdrive, it is necessary to alter the vowel to 'OH' A A
(as in 'so'). If '00' is sung in Edge, it must be altered to 'OE' (as AH AH A
UH
in 'herb') so that the epiglottic funnel does not lose its twang 00 00 AH
0 0
which would result in a loss of the mode. OH OH 00
0 0
In the low part of the voice it is rarely necessary to direct or e EE OH ~
alter vowels.
I EE
EH
cx:J EE ~
I ~
A
AH EH
EH
AH
A ~
00
00 ~
0 00 o ~
OH
OH
OH
AH ~
~ Avoid this vowel in the high
part of the voice .
a.. EE
I
EH EH
A
AH ~ A
00 ~
o ~ OE
OH ~
Choice of vowel in relation to mode
Sing the same phrase in the different modes and notice which vowel modification or alteration is necessary to stay in the mode.
Transpose the exercise. Note that only three out of all the keys are sung: one in the low part of the voice, one in the middle part
of the voice and one in the high part of the voice.
&~i J J J J Lo! $ I J J Eb{ r:f start Bb3
e (pp- mp) "if you wan - na do it, we can work it out" '4>) 154
e (pp - f) "if you wan - na do it, we can work it out" '4>) 155
('I' as in 'sit', 'O' as in 'woman',

~ (mp-mf) "if yO won- no dO it, wl cUHn wUHrk it UHut" '4>) 156 'UH ' as in 'hungry ')
cx:J (f-ff) "EHf yOH wOHn-nOH dOH EHt, wEH cEHn wOHrk EHt OHut" '4>) 157 ('OH' as in 'so', ' EH ' as in 'stay')
'4>) 158
a.. (f - ff) "if yOE wAn- nA dOE it, wl cAn wOErk it Aut ('I' as in sit, 'A' as in 'and ', 'OE' as in 'herb')

Speech techniques
Many people become hoarse from misusing their voice when and Neutral. The chosen speaking mode generally indicates
they speak, especially if they speak loudly for extended peri- the person's level of energy and temperament.
ods of time. Even singers who use correct technique and have
no problems during singing can become hoarse when speak- Many vocal problems appear if you are not aware of exactly
ing. Singers, actors, preachers, school teachers, politicians which mode you use when you speak.
and instructors of sports, aerobics and dance all run the risk
of straining the voice . For all groups, knowing the advantages
and limitations of the modes can prevent the vocal problems.
Speaking in Neutral
Many quiet people, women as well as men, speak in Neutral.
Preserve identity The character of the voice is gentle, non-breathy or breathy,
Modifying the way you speak should be done with great care light or dark, but the volume is not particularly loud. They
as altering the voice can feel like changing your identity. It usually have many possibilities for varying their speech, and
is important to avoid regimentation and smoothing out per- having a large range with many tonal variations . However,
sonal distinctive characters. Minor 'faults', such as a lisp, can such people normally have problems when they try to speak
be endearing so do not feel obliged to correct it unless you loudly. The Neutral mode is not suited to loud speaking or
really want to. Changing your pitch for speaking may also feel singing and the voice can break or split or get strained if you
like changing your identity. I see no reason for doing this un- try. People who speak in Neutral often find their voices tire
less you are truly unhappy with the pitch . quickly and feel that it is difficult to be heard.
Changing your voice can cause a lot of vocal problems . There

have been cases in which parents have complained to their People who speak in Neutral
doctor that they do not like the shrill voice of their child . The Neutral without air: People who usually speak very quietly
doctor has recommended the child to whisper for a year. To and non -metallically such as classical singers who have been
be ordered to whisper for a whole year is not only an enor- taught that metallic sounds are dangerous for the voice or
mous psychological strain, it is also straining on the voice. women who speak girlishly in a high pitch, e.g. Melanie Grif-
Such a voice often becomes so weak and inaudible that even fith in "Working Girl".
many years after it constitutes a handicap for the owner, not
to mention the psychological consequences! Neutral with air: Cute, sexy, breathy voices such as Marilyn
Monroe in "Some like it hot".
Speaking in different modes Exercises in speaking in Neutral

Speak with a loose jaw through all the vowels 'EE' (as in 'see'),
If you want a voice with many nuances and with many forms 'I ' (as in 'sit'), 'EH' (as in 'stay'), 'A' (as in 'and'), 'AH' (as in 'far'),
of expression, it is practical to be able to speak in several dif- 'OH ' (as in 'so'), 'O' (as in 'woman') and '00' (as in 'you'). Prac-
ferent modes. In general, when you speak loudly you should tise the positioning of the tongue if any of the vowels cause
use Overdrive and when you speak quietly you should use you trouble (see 'Pronunciation' on page 53). Practise con-
Neutral. Some people speak in Curbing and others in Edge, sonants and vowels together. Do not tighten on the vowels
but these modes are not as common in speaking as Overdrive or relax the consonants . Make sure to open the mouth more
when speaking in a higher part of the voice. Be careful not to
speak too loudly. Start on A3 for women or A2 for men and
152 Complete Vocal Techn ique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com

from there practise speaking half a tone higher each time and
later half a tone lower until you find the natural pitch for YOU Acase story
to speak in . '4>) 159 A comed ian had begun rehearsing a large part for the theatre
and became hoarse.
Practise just how quietly and how loudly you can speak in He was using Neutral for the part, and although it is an excel -
Neutral on the different vowels. lent mode for television, it is usually not loud enough for a
large theatre. Attempting to make it louder in Neutral made
Practise locating many different sound colours in your him hoarse.
speech, such as the darkest and lightest, by combining the We practised Overdrive for speaking as it is much louder. Once he
shape and position of the vocal tract, i.e. the epiglottic fun- controlled Overdrive, his hoarseness disappeared. He could ob-
nel, the larynx, tongue, mouth, palate and nasal passage. tain the same sound colour as before by shaping his vocal tract
(See 'Sound colour' on page 158). Practise the sound colours as he did in Neutral. He got very excited when he learned that he
whilst speaking on both high and low notes. was able to change sound colour by changing the size and shape
of the vocal tract, because aside from being a comedian he was
Practise adding air to the voice as well as removing it again also an impersonator. Now he was technically able to create the
(see 'Air on the voice' on page 206 and 'Finding Neutral with- exact character and sound colour of the voices he mimicked.
out air' on page 89). Be careful not to speak too loudly in a
breathy voice as it may feel unnatural and can be straining.
Choose a text and complete it speaking in the sound colour People who speak in Overdrive
you prefer. For example, most men or anyone who speaks loudly. Ac-
tors trained to reach the back row of a theatre without
Practise speaking in Neutral on different pitches, sound col- amplification.
ours and volumes (remember that Neutral is a relatively quiet
mode).
Exercises for speaking in Overdrive
Locate Overdrive in singing (see 'Overdrive' on page 106). Re-
Speaking in Overdrive member the tricks to obtain this mode, maintain these and
Almost all men speak in Overdrive, as do women with power- speak on the vowels 'EH' (as in 'stay') and 'OH' (as in 'so'). Keep
ful voices. Those who use Overdrive are often easy to hear, your voice in a low pitch and a powerful volume to make it
extroverted, vocally trained people (for instance well-trained easier to stay in the mode. If it is difficult to speak in Over-
actors from esteemed drama schools) accustomed to speak- drive, start singing in Overdrive a little higher where it may
ing to large crowds or in noisy surroundings. The voice will be easier to locate. Gradually descend in pitch while ensuring
have a metallic character, the sound colour can be light or you maintain the Overdrive feeling and character until you
dark, and the volume will usually be loud. Such people nor- arrive at your speaking pitch . Change from singing to speak-
mally have no problems speaking loudly but might have ing. Make sure it does not feel uncomfortable or wrong.
problems speaking quietly. Overdrive does not work in quiet
volumes and consequently the voice fails and creaks (see Now try to practise other vowels, maintaining the same sound
chapter Creak and creaking page 187). The range in Overdrive and tricks . Practise placing consonants before and after the
can be fairly large, but it is usually used in the lower part of vowels, but make sure the vowels do not lose their Overdrive
the voice. character. Speak loudly and clearly, but make sure it sounds
natural. If it is difficult to locate Overdrive, start by exaggerat-
ing the distinctiveness and the volume. Later, when you are

able to speak in the mode, make it sound more natural. Prac- should give up. She was devastated but still wanted to find out
tise speaking with short syllables. Later, practise maintaining if there was anything she could do.
the energy to several syllables and longer sentences. ~>) 160 Her voice was strained and she had developed nodules on the
vocal cords. Nodules only indicated that the voice needed a rest
Practise just how quiet and how loud you can speak in Over- not that it was unsuited for singing, so Irecommended that she
drive on different vowels. Become familiar with these limits be completely silent for 7-10 days. In the meantime, we worked
so that you will always be able to move safely within the on her support by practising the support without sound. After
mode. Take care not to speak too softly as you will come out 10 days of silence, the nodules were gone and her voice was
of the mode. ready so we could start working on her singing and speaking
technique.
Practise locating several different sound colours by combin-
ing the shape and position of the epiglottic funnel, larynx, It turned out that almost everything she sang was in a full me-
tongue, mouth, palate and nasal passage. Locate the lightest tallic mode but as this requires a lot of volume, she found this
and darkest sound colour in your voice and the colours in be- too loud for speaking. So she had decreased the volume and
tween . Choose the ones you like and practise speaking with subconsciously changed to Curbing. Curbing, however, does
these on both higher and lower notes. Notice the higher the not have a large volume, making it difficult for her to speak
pitch, the louder the volume. loudly. When she tried and at the same time used inadequate
support, she became hoarse. At first we worked on speaking in
Recite a short text in the sound colours and volumes you pre- Overdrive, i.e. full-metallically and at a powerfulvolume. When
fer. Be careful not to speak so quiet that you lose the mode. she perfected this, we added Neutral for when she wanted to
speak quietly. The Neutral mode also gave her additional pos-
Practise speaking in Overdrive while combining different sibilities for her singing. Happily she chose to work with the
pitches, volumes, sound colours and vowels. voice instead of giving up singing. Today she is an outstanding
professional singer.
Speaking in Curbing
Some people speak in Curbing that can result in a 'locked- People who speak in Curbing
up' and restrained sound. It might require some support People who speak in a medium volume are sometimes speak-
and control to stay in this mode and prevent the voice from ing in Curbing, as are people who speak in a restrained and
changing to Overdrive or Edge. If this mode sounds unclear slightly whining manner and the stereotypical Italian from
or 'locked -up' you might be using too much or too little ef- American movies, e.g. Robert De Niro in "Taxi driver".
fort; both may trigger uncontrolled constriction . The range
of the singing voice may be limited to a medium high pitch
and the speaking voice may be slightly monotone. The vow- Exercises in speaking in Curbing
els sound similar and the range of volume is around medium. At first practise the Curbing mode (see 'Curbing' on page 96).
If you want to transfer this sound to speech it must be prac-
tised. Create the 'hold' for Curbing and speak with it. Now
practise speaking in Curbing, following the same procedure
Acase story as for Overdrive. Feel how the range of notes becomes lim-
Ayoung, talented blues singer had consulted an ear, nose and ited and that you have to direct the vowels towards a merged
throat specialist for hoarseness. The specialist insensitively told vowel sound in order to get the most from the voice. Make
her that her vocal cords were unsuited to singing and that she sure that speaking in Curbing, just like speaking in the other
modes, always feels comfortable. ~>) 161

Speaking in Edge or rock music. For singers, this tendency often causes prob-
Some people speak in Edge which gives a sharp, metallic, lems reaching high notes.
loud sound with a light sound colour. Edge is a mode with
a powerful volume. People who speak in Edge will not nor- Conversely, many men and women choose a light and gentle
mally have problems speaking loudly, but may have prob- sound colour in Neutral. This can seem more disarming, sig-
lems speaking quietly. If sufficient energy and volume are not nalling innocence and tenderness as well as a subconscious
applied to the Edge mode, it will fail and the voice will break. appeal to be protected. This tendency to lighten one's voice is
The range of voice for people speaking in Edge is usually in often found in unobtrusive men and women . For singers, this
the higher part of the voice and the volume is loud. tendency often causes problems obtaining louder volumes.
People who speak in Edge Myths about techniques for speaking

People who speak sharply, lightly and loudly, e.g. Lucille Ball Many female classical singers are taught to speak in Neutral
in "I love Lucy" and Rosie Perez in "Do the Right Thing" and as it 'spares the voice', but this is not true. One mode is no
"White Men Can't Jump". healthier than another. All modes are equally healthy if used
correctly and just as straining if used incorrectly. By limiting
yourself to one mode, you miss out on numerous possibili-
Exercises for speaking in Edge ties of expression and dynamics. If, for example, you choose
Twang the epiglottic funnel and speak with this sharp, light to speak solely in Neutral, you may have problems speaking
and loud sound . Feel how the mode is easier when the pitch loudly. If you choose to speak solely in Overdrive, you may
is higher. If you want this sound in speaking, first practise have problems speaking quietly. Therefore, change between
singing Edge (see 'Edge' on page 116) as it is easier to find the the modes to avoid limitations; use Neutral for quiet speaking
mode in a higher pitch. Then practise speaking in Edge by and Overdrive for loud.
the same procedure as for speaking in Overdrive. Make sure
that speaking in Edge, as with the other modes, always feels Many women have been told that it is less straining to speak
comfortable. '4>) 162 in a higher pitch. Consequently, they speak higher than they
normally would or like to do or need to. It is not true that a
higher pitch is healthier unless you have a very light voice and
a raised larynx by nature. The reason why people are advised
About speaking in general to speak in a higher pitch is that it makes it easier to choose
Neutral which is conventionally believed to be healthier. But
Neutral is ONLY healthy if you speak at a low volume. It can be
The sound of the voice very damaging in a louder volume. So instead of making peo-
Everybody expresses something through the sound of their ple speak in an artificially high pitch, it is healthier to make
voice. The darker you make the sound colour, the more you them change between the modes, using Neutral for quiet
signal authority and responsibility. Many a managing director speaking and Overdrive for loud speaking, regardless of the
has tired her/his voice from placing it too low when speaking pitch.
from a platform. Moreover, it is difficult to hear and under-
stand when a voice is used in too low a pitch . This tendency Another pitfall is over-articulation. Many people over-em-
to darken the voice is often found amongst women and men phasise the tightening of the jaw and lips in the hope of
who wish to give an impression of authority, for example getting a more distinct pronunciation. This rarely improves
women in male-dominated professions like business, politics pronunciation, but rather triggers uncontrolled constriction
which complicates speaking or singing and often causes

vocal problems. Furthermore, the tightened jaw and lips of- which combined with their enormous physical strength of-
ten give speech a very jerky character and it looks forced and ten gives them an Edge voice. This distinctly metallic sound
artificial. The lips do not have to move more during distinct went against the traditional sound ideal and was therefore
speaking and singing than it does during normal speech. considered wrong. All this probably explains why they were
To pronounce distinctively, first decide which mode will be wrongly labelled as terrible singers.
suitable. Then practise the position of the mode and use the
special positions of the tongue to form the different vowels
(see 'Pronunciation' on page 53). It is also important not to Singing and dancing at the same time
exaggerate your pronunciation when using a microphone For singing I would never recommend anyone to use an in-
as it may distort the sound (see 'Microphone Technique' on halation where the abdomen bulges out (see page 24) as it
page 175). is usually strenuous and uncomfortable. The pressure often
triggers uncontrolled constriction and is not a particularly
pretty sight either. Neither would I recommend an inhala-
Avoid speaking monotonously- alternate between tion where the chest raises (see page 23) as this usually feels
modes unpleasant and tight, is difficult to maintain and can create
A monotonous voice is tiring to listen to. After a short time, uncontrolled constriction and muscular tensions in the neck
the listener usually loses interest. It is, however not difficult area. Instead, I urge dancers who sing to use an inhalation
to vary your speech. By alternating between the modes and where the ribs expand (see page 24) as this benefits sing-
positions of the vocal tract, you can use a larger range in your ing as well as dancing. Make the diaphragm expand all the
voice and obtain large differences in volume and sound. It way around the chest; partly at the lower ribs and partly at
is therefore a good idea to be able to control several modes the front in the solar plexus. This results in far greater expan-
for speaking - for example, Neutral for speaking quietly and sion than when the chest rises and has the added advantage
Overdrive for speaking loudly. of being less visible than when the abdomen bulges. Thus,
It is also important to be able to change between modes dur- dancers only need to expand the chest slightly and need not
ing speaking . When you have perfected the modes you are fear that breathing will expand the abdomen. In my experi-
interested in, practise alternating between them. This way ence, many dancers who have altered their breathing in this
you will develop a large range in your speaking voice as re- way have benefited from the change. It is always better to fol-
gards to both pitch and volume. You will also be able to keep low the body than go against it. The body becomes stronger
the sound colour that you think suits you best without having and is able to perform better in both singing and dancing.
to alter either volume or pitch.
Regarding sound, I would urge dancers to work on the metal-
lic mode for which they have a natural talent. It is so strenu-
Dancers ous to dance and sing at the same time that it is important
Dancers have often been unfairly described as terrible sing- to use the centre of the mode to get the most out of the in-
ers. This is because dancers are taught to breath with the vested energy. When they are able to obtain the centre of the
upper part of the chest as dancing theory dictates that this mode, they can move on to the other metallic modes.
is the correct way to breathe in order to perform physically Once they have achieved the centre of the metallic modes,
demanding dances. However, this conflicted with the old the non-metallic mode (Neutral) becomes easier to find
view of singing that breathing should be abdominal. Danc- as they now have something to avoid, namely the metallic
ers were reluctant to breathe in this way because they were sound . You can also choose to stay in the metallic modes as
taught it would hinder their dancing. Besides, it did not fol- the sound ideal has changed today so that the metallic sound
low the ideal of how a dancer should look. Also, dancers often is now often preferred in musical theatre.
have highly raised larynges (probably because of posture)
156 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadoli n www.completevocalinstitute.com

Acase story
A very skilled saxophonist had become hoarse. He thought it
was due to the way he spoke, but it turned out to be the result
of uncontrolled constriction around the vocal cords from when
he played his instrument. This was because he had been taught
to use what in singing technique is referred to as 'incorrect sup-
port' while playing, i.e. the abdomen was pressed outwards
during support (see 'Support' on page 27).
The saxophonist was worried about altering his support tech-
nique after so many years, but he took the chance. When he
started to follow the body instead of going against it, he could
find much stronger support. Accordingly, he was able to reach
louder volumes and higher notes on his instrument. Now the
uncontrolled constriction and his hoarseness disappeared.

Introduction to Sound Colour
The techniques in the chapters 'The Epiglottic Funnel', 'The
Soft palate
Larynx', The Tongue', 'The shape of the Mouth opening', 'The
Palate', The Nasal Passage' and 'List of Sound Colours' apply
Nasal passage
to both singers and wind instrument players.
Lips Vocal tract (red)
The Vocal Tract Epiglottis
Vocal cords
The vibrations of the vocal cords produce sound. When this
sound passes through the vocal tract the 'sound colour' is
created. The vocal tract is made up of the whole mouth cav-
ity from the vocal cords to the oral or nasal passages. Its form
and size have great influence on the sound colour. Both men on sound colour. However, the elements cannot be isolated
and women can have light or dark, small or large voices. All completely because they interact with each other. For in-
singers have different vocal tracts and therefore all have instance when the palate is raised the larynx is usually lowered
dividual sound colours. Usually you can recognise a person and vice versa. This is an automatic reaction, but you are able
from her/his sound colour. to learn to separate the various elements so they can be used
independently to a certain degree.
The acoustic rule

Everyone is subject to certain acoustic rules. If the space in Developing your own sound colours
the vocal tract is large, the sound will be darker; if it is small, A good singer is often characterised by having an even sound
the sound will be lighter. In other words, if the vocal tract is colour and volume regardless of pitch. For example, a trained
large, the sound colour will be darker; if it is small, the sound singer will not necessarily sing more quietly on the high
colour will be lighter. So a person with a wide jaw and large notes and more loudly on the low notes. Performing with
mouth, i.e. a large vocal tract, usually has a richer and darker even sound colour and volume is technically demanding and
sound colour than a person with a narrow face and a small often requires much practice.
mouth or in other words a small vocal tract. Popular and classical music demand different sound colours.
Try clapping with cupped hands (a large cavity) and listen to I urge both popular and classical singers to experiment and
the dark sound colour. Now try clapping with flat hands (a find the sound colour that suits THEM best. Avoid uniformity.
small cavity) and listen to the light sound colour. You can al- Use your artistic sense to develop the sound colour and dis-
ways remember this acoustic rule by this test. ~>) 388 tinctiveness you like and you think suits you and your music.
Some singers find it easier to practise an even sound with a

Changing the vocal tract relatively dark and rich sound colour (as in classical singing).
The shape of the vocal tract can be moved in many directions Experiment with finding a sound colour that you find the
so there are many ways of changing sound colour. You can easiest to obtain an even sound colour in and practise this.
change the shape of the vocal tract by changing the form and
position of the epiglottic funnel, the larynx, the tongue, the In the following six chapters each part of the vocal tract is
mouth, the palate and the nasal passage. For clarity, I shall examined.
go over each of the elements and its respective influence

The Epiglottic Funnel
Above the vocal cords are two quadrangular membranes. To- like a cackle. This is called 'distinct twang'. The more twang
gether with the epiglottis at the front and the arytenoid carti- (i.e. the more the funnel is squeezed), the sharper the sound.
lages at the back, they form a funnel, like a horn. The sides of
this funnel are called the aryepiglottic folds. The whole fun- Thus, we are distinguishing between 'necessary twang ' to
nel is called the epiglottic funnel. You can see the rim of this obtain clear, unhindered notes with correct technique and
funnel, this horn, when you look down the throat with a mir- 'distinct twang' to obtain a sharper character and lighter
ror or a fibrescope. This funnel or horn can be shaped in many sound colour.
directions which can affect the voice and its sound colour.
Ep1glott1s
Looking down the epiglottic funnel
Arytenoid cartilages
Rim of the epiglottis
Quad rate
membranes
Arytenoid
Voca l cords
cartilages
Vocal cords
Epiglottis c
0
.:::
The more the arytenoids move towards the lower part of epiglottis, the
more twa nged the sound becomes
Necessary twang
When twanging, the opening of the epiglottic funnel is As a singer it is important to practise your twang, both the
made smaller by bringing the arytenoid cartilages closer to necessary and the distinct one, partly in order to obtain cor-
the lower part of epiglottis (the petiole). Hereby the sound rect technique with clear, unhindered notes and partly to ob-
gets clearer and non-breathy and you can increase you vol- tain a sharper character and a lighter sound colour.
ume by 10-15 db just by twanging. You always need 'neces-
sary twang' on the notes in order to have correct technique
and achieve easy and unhindered use of the voice, regardless Finding twang
of the mode, sound colour and effect used. This necessary In the beginning it is easiest to make the twang as distinct
twang makes it easier to sing in all ways. For many, this neces- as possible, in order to recognise how to produce the twang .
sary twang does not sound twanged at all. But the trained Later when you control distinct twang, you can practise mak-
ear and an experienced singer are able to hear that a certain ing it less twangy. In this way you achieve necessary twang
amount of twang is involved. ~>) 164 which to many does not sound like a twang at all. It is an im-
portant tool for singers to be able to control the twang partly
If you twang more than this 'necessary twang' you can in order to obtain a correct technique with clear, unhindered
achieve a sharper and more penetrating snarling character notes and partly to obtain a sharper character and a lighter
sound colour.
Complete Vocal Techniqu e 201 2 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com 159

Distinct Twang Distinct twang and vowels
Distinct twang works best with the vowels 'EE', 'I', 'EH', 'OE'
When the opening of the funnel is made even smaller by and 'A' because the tongue in these cases is positioned
bringing the arytenoid cartilages closer to the lower part of against the molars in the upper part of the mouth which
epiglottis (the petiole), the sound assumes a much sharper helps twanging the epiglottic funnel.
and more penetrating snarling character like a cackle. This is 'OH', 'O', '00' and 'AH' are problematic as on these vowels the
known as 'distinct twang'. The more squeezed the funnel, the back of the tongue is lowered causing you to lose the twang
more snarling the sound . ~>) 163 of the epiglottic funnel. In distinct twang 'OH', 'O', '00' are
changed into sounding more like an 'OE'. 'OH ' is changed into
It is easiest to find the distinctly twanged epiglottic funnel by 'OEH'. 'O' is changed into 'OE'. '00' is changed into 'OOE'. 'AH'
practising the following sounds: is changed into 'A'. Practise each vowel separately.
imitate an infant crying ~>) 22
imitate a duck quacking ~>) 23 The vowel 'EE' (as in 'see') with distinct twang ~>) 31
making your voice grating and witch-like ~>) 24 The vowel 'I' (as in 'sit') with distinct twang ~>) 32
speaking like someone who has an evil plan ~>) 25 The vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay') with distinct twang ~>) 33
imitating a diving aeroplane ~>) 26 The vowel 'A' (as in 'and') with distinct twang ~>) 34
making the sound of driving a toy car ~>) 27 The vowel '00' (as in 'you') with distinct twang ~>) 35
imitating the sound of a very loud ambulance siren ~>) 28 The vowel 'O' (as in 'woman') with distinct twang ~>) 36
saying 'Meow' (without the 'O' sound) like a cat or "Niet" ~>) The vowel 'OH' (as in 'so') with distinct twang ~>) 37
29 The vowel 'AH' (as in 'far') with distinct twang ~>) 38
Imitate Andrea from the puppet show 'Kaj & Andrea' ~>) 30 The vowel 'OE' (as in 'herb') with distinct twang ~>) 39
Imitate a chainsaw The vowel 'UH' (as in 'hungry') with distinct twang ~>) 40
Imitate the sound of a banjo
Imitate a very energetic aerobic instructor
Imagine you are speaking loudly at a bar
Twanging with a lowered
Distinct twang is used, for example, in the stereotypical
American way of speaking (i.e. the southern accent) and of-
larynx
ten in country music. It is often mistaken for nasality but has
nothing to do with it. In twang the sound may come through When the larynx is lowered during twanging, the sound be-
the mouth and/or through the nose (see 'The Nasal Passage' comes rounder and darker. The more you twang, the more
on page 171). powerful the sound and the more audible it is at a distance.
Twang is also known as 'carrying' or 'focusing' the sound. This
combination of twang and lowered larynx is used by classical
Epiglottic funnel
singers in particular. ~>) 390
Classical singers often prefer a much more lowered larynx

than popular singers. The twanged epiglottic funnel com-
bined with a lowered larynx is an essential part of the ideal
sound colour in classical singing partly because classical sing-
Twa ng
ers often sing acoustically (i.e. without electronic amplifica-
tion). Without this twang it would be difficult to reach the
Twang has great influence on the
voice. When you twang the voice back row of a concert hall or a theatre.
becomes clearer and focused .
Twang is used in all sin ging styles.

Popular singers can also benefit from using their twang if Practise singing with distinct twang on single notes and then
they sing without a microphone. However, they have to be on scales. ~>) 163
aware that a very twanged and loud tone without metal and Practise singing with necessary twang on single notes and
with a much lowered larynx does not sound good through a then on scales. ~>) 164
microphone held close to the mouth.
Go through a whole song with distinct twang and necessary
twang .
Twang and lowered larynx as images and
sensations Go through a whole song with distinct twang and necessary
If it is difficult to feel the twanged epiglottic funnel and the twang.
lowered larynx, you can access it mentally and by ear:
Try raising the palate and pretend you are sucking in a lot For many singers it is often the amount of twang and perhaps
of air. the combination with the lowered larynx which determines
Imagine the epiglottic funnel as a tube that you are squeez- the mode. That is why they find some modes harder to obtain
ing into a long, thin shape. than others. In order to avoid this and to control the modes
Imagine that air surrounds the long, thin tube. better, singers should be able to choose a mode irrespec-
Imagine that the note runs up inside the thin tube without tive of distinct twang and necessary twang and twang with
touching the sides. a lowered larynx. To do this, you should practise each mode
with both distinct twang and necessary twang. Remember to
respect the limitations of the modes with regard to the shape
of the vocal tract. For example, you must not lower the larynx
too much in Edge.
Practise Neutral with air with distinct twang and necessary

twang. ~>) 175
Practise Neutral without air with distinct twang and neces-

sary twang . ~>) 176
Practise Curbing with distinct twang and necessary twang.
An image
~>) 177
Practise Overdrive with distinct twang and necessary twang.
Place a thumb behind your front teeth . Feel the sensation ~>) 178
in your throat as if you're trying to resist it with your palate. Practise Edge with distinct twang and necessary twang. ~>)
Pretend being taken by a shivering fit. 179
Exercising distinct twang

and necessary twang
Become familiar with the difference in sound between dis-
tinct twang and necessary twang. And make sure you are
able to twang with and without a lowered larynx at will.

The Larynx
Low note High note
The position of the larynx is fundamental to the pitch. It is
raised on high notes and lowered on low notes. The larynx
should be positioned within an exact area in order to permit
a certain tone (the white area in the illustration). If you lower
the larynx beneath this area or raise the laynx above this area
(the grey areas in the illustration) you will not be able to reach
the note. Within the specific area (the white area in the illus-
tration) that corresponds to a specific tone, you can slightly
adjust the position of the larynx to change the sound colour.
If you raise the larynx a bit, the sound colour will become
lighter and if you lower the larynx a bit, the sound colour
Lowered and raised larynx on a Lowered and raised larynx on a
becomes darker. So, a note with a lighter sound colour may
low note. high note.
have the same larynx position as the note above with a darker
sound colour.
Thus, you should always remember that when you adjust the
position of the larynx slightly to change the sound colour,
you must be careful NOT to adjust it so much that you are
hindering the pitch. It is unhealthy to position the larynx in a
way that works against the pitch. Classical singers are often
encouraged to have 'a low-positioned larynx' as it creates the
Highest larynx required dark sound colour. However, many classical singers
have taken the expression too literally, thereby creating prob-
lems reaching high notes.
Lowest larynx Before trying to alter the position of the larynx to change
sound colour, you must control the range of your voice. This
means being able to reach high and low notes without prob-
The larynx should be positioned within an exact area (the white area in the
illustration) in order to permit a certain tone. If you lower the larynx beneath lems. Only when you can do this should you attempt to use
th is area or raise the larynx above this area (the grey areas in the illustration) small adjustments of the larynx to change sound colour.
you will not be able to reach the note.
So remember, when raised or lowered larynx is mentioned in
connection with sound colour, it means a MINOR change in
As you go higher, you ALWAYS have to raise your larynx, in the position, but not so big that it impairs the pitch!
all styles of singing in order to reach the pitch. How high you
raise it depends on what sound colour you want. If you want
a light sound colour (often used in popular singing), you must
raise it more. This is called a raised larynx and gives a light Lowering the larynx
sound colour. If you want a dark sound colour (often used in
classical singing), you raise the larynx a little less. This is called When you lower the larynx, the sound colour darkens be-
a lowered larynx and gives a darker sound colour. But in both cause the vocal tract is enlarged. The lower the larynx, the
cases the larynx moves upwards when the pitch ascends. darker the sound colour. Classical singers often use a lowered
larynx to achieve a rich, dark colour. When you lower the lar-
Problems reaching high notes are almost always due to an ynx, you usually raise the soft palate too. This contributes to
insufficiently raised larynx. the darkening of the sound . ~>) 166

A lowered larynx makes the sound co lour darker. A raised larynx makes the sound colour lighter.
You can lower the larynx by: other actions usually follow: the palate lowers and the tongue
pretending to inhale for a yawn. positions itself on the molars in the upper part of the mouth.
taking a deep breath . This means that you can also achieve a raised larynx by work-
looking in a mirror and notice when and how you lower ing on the palate and tongue.
your larynx.
When learning to raise the larynx it might help to focus on
the position of the tongue:
Lowering the larynx through sounds make the space between the tongue and the palate small
You can also achieve a lowered larynx by using sounds: speak with a broad tongue placed as high up in the upper
Laugh like Goofy (from Donald Duck cartoons) mouth as possible
Laugh like Santa Claus make sure the tongue does not form a small hollow in the
middle
Lowering the larynx through images and sensations

You can also achieve a lowered larynx by using images and Raising the larynx through sounds
sensations: You can also achieve a raised larynx by using sounds:
Imagine that you are freezing the sound gets light, flattened, small and 'whiney'
Imagine that there is a floor in the larynx and you are sing- speak like a child '4>) 389
ing below it make the sound of driving a toy car '4>) 27
Imagine that you have a barrel in your throat speak like a man imitating a woman '4>) 363
Imagine that you are sobbing sound like a panting dog
sound like people at different ages (to achieve different de-
grees of a raised larynx)
speak as if you are very happy
Raising the larynx
Raising the larynx lightens the sound colour because the vo- Raising the larynx through images and sensations
cal tract is smaller. The more the larynx is raised, the lighter You can also achieve a raised larynx by using images and
the sound colour '4>) 165. When you raise the larynx, two sensations:

The space between the tongue and the palate should be to regain the desired pitch. After a few days, she had learnt
small. Imagine that you keep a pea between the tongue the new position of the larynx on the high notes and had no
and the palate. Keep this position on all vowels, both in the further problems reaching these high notes, even though the
high and low part of the voice. sound colour was relatively dark. Three months later she could
Imagine that you are about to swallow or throw up. Feel even sing four notes higher than ever before.
that the position of the larynx is high. Feel the position of
the uvula . Feel that the larynx is touching the root of the
tongue. Keep these sensations when you sing with a raised
larynx.
Sing a high note or a high-pitched scream. Feel that the lar- Exercises in raising and
ynx is raised and keep this sensation .
Imagine there is a floor in the larynx and you sing above
lowering the larynx
the floor.
Imagine having a inner smile Familiarise yourself with the difference between the sound of
Imagine you are spitting out your tongue a raised and a lowered larynx. Make sure you are able to raise
Imagine the larynx as a push up icecream that you will have and lower the larynx at will.
to push up in order to eat it.
This exercise is good for raising the larynx. Start an octave
scale with a lowered larynx and a dark sound colour and
gradually raise the larynx and make the sound colour lighter
Acase story and lighter towards the high notes in the scale. Make sure
Aleading soprano at a major opera had problems with singing that the high notes become frail, light and non-breathy. Make
very high notes. She had not had problems with the high notes the sound colour gradually darker as you descend the scale
before but had recently started singing larger and more dra- again . Move the exercise upwards by half a tone at a time.
matic parts and now the high notes seemed difficult. She had "4>)65
been told that it was probably a combination of her age and
the heavy roles that had changed her voice over the years and Practise singing with a raised larynx on single notes and then
that she would have to live with it. In my opinion, the problem on scales. "4>) 165
was not age or a change of voice but atechnical problem. Practise singing with a lowered larynx on single notes and
Instead of making her voice heavy and broad by maintaining then on scales. "4>) 166
a lowered larynx, we practised raising the larynx gradually
as the notes became higher. She was, therefore, singing very Go through a whole song with a raised larynx and then with
lightly and girlishly on the high notes. a lowered larynx.
It was difficult for her to accept the tiny and very light sound For many singers the position of the larynx often determines
colour, having worked with heavier and darker colours for so the mode. That is why they find some modes harder to obtain
long. However, we made the exercises gradually lighter, until than others. In order to avoid this and to control the modes
the notes were mere shrieks and squeals. And suddenly she better, singers should be able to choose a mode irrespective
was able to sing three notes higher than in recent years. We of the position of the larynx. To do this, you should practise
then added a little more body and warmth to the notes by each mode with both a raised and a lowered larynx. Remem-
twanging a little more and trying to lower the larynx a bit, ber to respect the limitations of the modes with regard to the
very gently. But as soon as she had difficulties with the pitch, position of the larynx. For example, be careful not to lower
we returned to the small, light sounds with a raised larynx the larynx too much in Edge.

Practise Neutral with air with a raised and a lowered larynx.
~>) 180
Practise Neutral without air with a raised and a lowered lar-

ynx. ~>) 181
Practise Curbing with a raised and a lowered larynx. ~>) 182
Practise Overdrive with a raised and a lowered larynx. ~>) 183
Practise Edge with a much raised and a less raised larynx.
Make sure that the larynx is raised sufficiently otherwise it
can feel very uncomfortable . ~>) 184
Warnings
When you work on altering your sound by changing the posi-
tion of the larynx, be aware that:
the position of the larynx must not impair the pitch.
the position of the larynx must not impair the mode.
you should not lower the larynx in Edge (except male clas-
sical singers).
you should not lower the larynx too much in the metallic
modes.

The Tongue
Broad tongue
Compressed tongue You can make the oral cavity smaller by making the tongue
broader. This creates a light sound . The tongue is positioned
If you make the tongue small the sound colour becomes against the molars in the upper part of the mouth and arches to-
darker because the vocal tract becomes larger. This is referred wards the palate (as when you say 'twang'). Feel that the space
to as 'compressing the tongue'. The tip of the tongue lies flat between the palate and the tongue gets smaller the more you
down in the oral cavity, the tongue arches in the middle and press the tongue against the molars. The smaller the space be-
at the back it pulls into itself (see diagram). With the tongue in tween the palate and the tongue, the lighter the sound colour.
this position, the vowels become more classical - this sound is It must be the sides oft he tongue that touch the molars, not the
not yet accepted within popular singing. '4>) 168 tip. If the tip of the tongue is raised, the effect is usually quite
the opposite as the back tongue is lowered. '4>) 167
Compressing the tongue makes the sound colour darker.
Broadening the tongue makes the sou nd colou r lighter.
Find the position of the compressed tongue by trying to sing

in a classical style. Maintain this position and feel exactly how You can find the broad tongue position by moving the tongue
the tongue is placed. You can look in a mirror and see that the back and forth along the teeth in the upper part of the mouth,
tongue is formed like a spoon (of course, you cannot see the creating a small space between the tongue and the palate.
back of the tongue). In classical singing technique, this posi-
tion is called 'cucchiaio', which is the Italian word for 'spoon'.
Broad tongue through images and sensations
The old Italian singing schools practise this tongue position by You can also find the broad tongue through images and sen-
placing the back of a spoon on the tongue and then pressing sations by:
the tongue forward toward the spoon. In this way the tongue pressing the space between the tongue and the palate
is pressed forward at the back and pressed back at the front, together.
which makes it rise in the middle. This is a compressed tongue. saying 'twang' and feeling where the tongue touches the
Later, the position is practiced without the spoon. molars. Keep the tongue in this position on all vowels.
imagining that you are holding a small pea between
tongue and palate.
Compressed tongue through images and sensations Cover your lower teeth with your tongue
You can also find the compressed tongue through images Imagine that you have burnt your tongue and you are try-
and sensations by: ing to cool it
Imagining that you are grabbing something and pulling it
in with the tongue while the sides of the tongue are placed
against the upper molars Broad tongue through sound
Imagining having a hot potato in your mouth You can also find the broad tongue through sound by:

imitating the sound of a baby crying. '4>) 22 Practise singing with a broad tongue on single notes and
imitating a duck quacking. '4>) 23 then on scales. '4>) 167
grating your voice to sound like a witch. '4>) 24 Practise singing with a compressed tongue on single notes
making the sound of a diving aeroplane. '4>) 26 and then on scales. '4>) 168
making the sound of a driving a toy car. '4>) 27
speaking like a child. '4>) 389 Go through a whole song with a broad tongue and then with
make a 'teasing' sound a compressed tongue.
A broad tongue helps maintain a raised larynx and a twanged A singer should be able to choose a mode irrespective of the
epiglottic funnel. Therefore, the sound of a broad tongue re- position of the tongue. To do this, you should practise each
sembles that of a twanged epiglottic funnel. However, the mode with a compressed as well as a broad tongue. Remem-
sound of a twanged epiglottic funnel is sharper, louder and ber to respect the limitations of the modes with regard to the
more twanged than a broad tongue alone. position of the tongue. For example, it takes a lot of control
A broad tongue is used, for example, in the stereotypical to use a compressed tongue in Edge. Also remember that
southern American way of speaking (the southern accent) a compressed tongue gives a classical sound to the vowel
and also often in country music. It is often mistaken for na- sound in all modes.
sality but has nothing to do with it. With a broad tongue the
sound comes through the mouth and/or through the nose Practise Neutral with air with a broad and a compressed
(see 'The Nasal Passage' on page 171). tongue. '4>) 185
Practise Neutral without air with a broad and a compressed
tongue. '4>) 186
Broad tongue and vowels Practise Curbing with a broad and a compressed tongue. '4>)
The broad tongue works best with the vowels 'EE' (as in 'see'), 187
'I' (as in 'sit'), 'EH' (as in 'stay'), 'OE' (as in 'herb') and 'A' (as in Practise Overdrive with a broad and a compressed tongue.
'and') because on these vowels the tongue is already posi- '4>) 188
tioned against the molars in the upper part of the mouth. Practise Edge with a broad and a compressed tongue. Re-
'OH' (as in 'so'), 'O' (as in 'woman'), '00' (as in 'you') and 'AH' member that you need a lot of control to use a compressed
(as in 'far') are problematic as these vowels lower the back tongue in Edge. '4>) 189
of the tongue, preventing it from being placed against the
molars in the upper part of the mouth. When the tongue is
broadened 'OH', 'O', '00' are changed into a sound close to an
'OE'. 'OH' is changed into 'OEH'. 'O' is changed into 'OE'. '00' Warning as to changing the position of
is changed into 'OOE'. 'AH' is changed into 'A'. Practise each
the tongue
vowel separately (see 'Twanged vowels' on page 52, as the
sound of the broad tongue is close to the sound of twang). When you are changing your sound by changing the position
of the tongue, remember that it must not impair the chosen
mode.
Exercises in broadening and

compressing the tongue
Become familiar with the difference between the sound of a
broad tongue and a compressed tongue so you are able to
broaden or compress it at will.

The shape of the Mouth opening
opening in order to obtain specific sound colours (see 'Open-
Relaxing the corners of the ing the Mouth' on page 58).
mouth
Exercising different shapes
The shape of the mouth also influences sound colour. If
you sing with the corners of the mouth relaxed, you usually of the mouth
achieve a darker sound colour because the vocal tract be-
comes larger. '4>) 170 Become familiar with the difference in sound between a re-
Relaxing the corners of the mouth makes the

sound colour darker.
Relaxed corners of the mouth through images and

0 laxed mouth and a smiling mouth . Make sure you are able to
change the shape during singing.
Practise singing with extended corners (as in a smile) on sin-
gle notes and then on scales. '4>) 169
Practise singing with relaxed corners on single notes and
sensations then on scales. '4>) 170
You can also relax the corners of the mouth through images Go through a whole song with extended corners (as in a
and sensations by: smile) and then with relaxed corners of the mouth.
Imagining that you have been to the dentist and been
anaesthetised so that you cannot move your lips A singer should be able to choose a mode irrespective of
Pretending to be stupid the shape of the mouth. To do this, you should practise each
Looking like a kid watching TV mode with both a smile and a relaxed mouth . Remember to
Imagining that you have an egg in your mouth respect the limitations of the modes with regard to the shape
of the mouth. For example, it takes a lot of control to use a
relaxed mouth in Edge.
Smiling
Practise Neutral with air with a smile and with a relaxed
If you sing with the corners of the mouth extended as in a mouth. '4>) 190
smile, the sound colour usually becomes light because the Practise Neutral without air with a smile and with a relaxed
vocal tract becomes smaller. Notice that the tongue usually mouth. '4>) 191
places itself on the molars in the upper part of the mouth as Practise Curbing with a smile and with a relaxed mouth. '4>) 192
you smile and the larynx rises slightly. '4>) 169 Practise Overdrive with a smile and with a relaxed mouth. '4>) 193
Practise Edge with a smile and with a relaxed mouth. Remem-
Smiling makes the sound colour lighter. ber that you need a lot of control to use a relaxed mouth in
Edge. '4>) 194
Smiling through images and sensations
You can also find the smile through images and sensations by:
Bite in a pencil and do not let your lips touch the pencil Warning as to changing the shape of the
Show your upper molars while singing
Imagine the corners of your mouth are rubberbands that
mouth
you tie beh ind your ears When you are changing your sound by changing the shape
of the mouth, make sure the shape of the mouth does not
Follow the pitch impair the mode.
Remember that the opening of the mouth should correspond
to the pitch even if you are working with the form of mouth

The Palate
'Palate' here refers to the soft palate which extends between the sound colour lighter. With a lowered palate the larynx is
the bony hard palate and ends in the uvula. The soft palate is usually raised . This contributes to the lightening of the sound
the posterior (back) part of the roof in the oral (mouth) cavity. colour. ~>) 171
When the soft palate is relaxed, it droops and nearly touches

the tongue. You can usually feel the soft palate by widening
the nostrils.
Soft pa late
Hard palate
Raising the palate

Contracting the soft palate is known as 'raising the palate'. It
is extended like a sail. When you raise the pa late, the vocal
Lowering the palate makes the
tract becomes larger and the sound colour darkens. Normal- so und colou r lighter.
ly, you automatically lower the larynx when raising the palate.
This contributes to the darkening of the sound colour. ~>) 172 Lower the palate by:
pretending that you are asleep or otherwise relaxed .
avoiding making any effort.
pretending you are lazy when singing.
Imagine that you bring the palate towards the tongue
Soft palate
Hard pa late
Exercises in raising and

lowering the palate
Lifting the palate makes th e sound
colour darker. Become familiar with the difference in sound between the
raised and the lowered palate so that you can raise and the
The palate can be raised by: lower the palate at will.
pretending that you are inhaling for a yawn.
smelling something with wide open nostrils. Practise singing with a raised palate on single notes and then
Imagine you are eating something very hot on scales. ~>) 172
Imagine a pen between your teeth and you sing above it Practise singing with a lowered palate on single notes and
then on scales. ~>) 171
Go through a whole song with a raised and then a lowered

Lowering the palate palate.
If you do not raise the palate it is, by definition, lowered. The A singer should be able to choose a mode irrespective of the
soft palate is normally relaxed , drooped and almost touching position of the palate. To do this, you should practise each
the tongue. In this way, the vocal tract becomes smaller and mode w ith both a raised and a lowered palate. Remember to
Complete Vocal Technique 201 2 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com 169

respect the limitations of the modes with regard to the posi-
tion of the palate. For example, you need a lot of control to
raise the palate in Edge.
Practise Neutral with air with a lowered and raised palate . ~>)
195
Practise Neutral without air with a lowered and raised palate.
~>) 196
Practise Curbing with a lowered and raised palate. ~>) 197
Practise Overdrive with a lowered and raised palate. ~>) 198
Practise Edge with a lowered and raised palate. Remember
that you need a lot of control to raise the palate in Edge. ~>)
199
Warning as to the position of the palate

When you are changing sound by changing the palate posi-
tion, make sure it does not compromise the mode.

The Nasal Passage
Some singers use the nasal cavity to affect the sound colour. Nasality
This may be done by opening or closing the nasal passage When the nasal passage is open and the tongue is not block-
with the uvula. The nasal passage opens to different degrees ing the mouth, the sound comes out of the nose as well as the
for speaking and singing in various languages. mouth and assumes a more nasal character. This is referred to
as a 'nasal' sound. How much the sound should be nasalised
in singing (or in other words, how much the nasal passage
should be opened) is an artistic choice. Some singers are fa-
Closing the nasal passage mous for nasalisation, for example Elvis Presley.
If you close the nasal passage, the sound comes out the
mouth and not the nose. When the nasal passage is closed,
the sound becomes darker and more powerful. A closed na- Opening the nasal passage
sal passage is part of the sound colour ideal in classical sing-
ing. '4>) 174 When you hum or say 'NG', 'M', or 'N', the nasal passage is
opened sending the sound through the nose and making it
nasal. Hold a finger under your nose and feel the air on the
The nasal passage is

finger when the nasal passage is open. '4>) 173
closed
( The nasal passage
Closing the nasal passage makes

the sound colour darker
Opening the nasal passage makes

Practise closing the nasal passage by: the sound colour lighter
imagining that you smell something foul. Speak or sing

while maintaining this sensation. It may sound as if you
have a cold . Practise opening the nasal passage by:
singing while holding your nose. By doing this, most sing- saying 'NG', 'M' or 'N'.
ers close the nasal passage to avoid the sound getting humming.
stuck in the nose.
Imagine you are about to throw up
Noticing the sensation before swallowing Finding nasality
Imagine you are snoring lightly Learn to feel whether the nasal passage is open or closed
Imagine you put earplugs in your nostrils while you sing. If in doubt, hold a finger under your nose
while singing to feel whether there is air coming through the
nose. If so, the nasal passage is open .

You can also try holding your nose while you sing: Practise Overdrive with an open and a closed nasal passage.
If the sound is stopped, it is nasal. The nasal passage is ~>) 203
open and the tongue is blocking the mouth, so the sound Practise Edge with an open and a closed nasal passage. Re-
can only come out through the nose. ~>) 391 member that you need a lot of control to close the nasal pas-
If the sound is not stopped but changes sound colour, even sage in Edge . ~>) 204
slightly, the nasal passage is open. The sound is nasal and is
coming out through the mouth as well as the nose. ~>) 392
If the sound is not stopped and there is no change in the
sound colour, it is oral. The nasal passage is closed and the Warning as to the position of the nasal
sound only comes out of the mouth. ~>) 393
passage
When you are changing your sound colour via the position
of the nasal passage, make sure that the position does not
hinder the mode.
Exercises in opening and
closing the nasal passage
Become familiar with the difference in sound between an
open and a closed nasal passage and make sure you can
open and close it at will. ~>) 394
Practise singing with an open nasal passage on single notes

and then on scales. ~>) 173
Practise singing with a closed nasal passage on single notes
and then on scales . ~>) 174
Go through a whole song with an open and then a closed

nasal passage.
A singer should be able to choose a mode irrespective of the

position of the nasal passage. To do this, you should practise
each mode with an open as well as a closed nasal passage.
Remember to respect the limitations of the modes with re-
gard to the position of the nasal passage. For example, you
need a lot of control to close the nasal passage in Edge.
Practise Neutral with air with an open and a closed nasal pas-
sage. ~>) 200
Practise Neutral without air with an open and a closed nasal
passage . ~>) 201
Practise Curbing with an open and a closed nasal passage.
~>)202

List of Sound Colours
Sound colour Darkest sounds:

Large vocal tract darker sound necessary twanged epiglottic
Small vocal tract lighter sound funnel
Lowered larynx
Epiglottic funnel Compressed tongue
Necessary twanged epiglottic funnel ~>) 164 darker sound Relaxed corners of the mouth
Distinctly twanged epiglottic funnel ~>) 163 lighter sound Raised palate
Closed nasal passage
Larynx
Lowered ~>) 166 darker sound
Raised ~>) 165 lighter sound
Lightest sounds:
Tongue Distinctly twanged epiglottic
Compressed ~>) 168 darker sound funnel
Broad ~>) 167 lighter sound Raised larynx
Broad tongue
Shape of the mouth Extended corners of the mouth
Relaxed corners of the mouth ~>) 170 darker sound (smile)
Extended corners of the mouth (smile) ~>) 169 lighter sound Lowered palate
Open nasal passage
Palate
Raised ~>) 172 darker sound
Lowered ~>) 171 lighter sound
Nasal passage
Closed (oral) ~>) 174 darker sound
Open (nasal) ~>) 173 lighter sound

Remember to respect the limitations of the modes with re-
Acase story gard to the shape of the vocal tract. For example, you must
An alto with an enormous voice had problems reaching the not lower the larynx too much in Edge. See the 'Limitations of
highest notes in her new role at the opera. We worked on the modes' under each mode.
gradually raising the larynx as the pitch became higher, but she
found it difficult and unnatural. She was afraid that raising the Practise Neutral with air with a light and dark sound colour.
larynx would compromise the rich, dark sound she was famous '4>) 205
for. She also felt that it prevented her from using her sound Practise Neutral without air with a light and dark sound col-
sufficiently. In actual fact, she had such a big voice that she did our. '4>) 206
not need to worry about using it less than 100 %. Even half of Practise Curbing with a light and dark sound colour. '4>) 207
her voice was still huge! Practise Overdrive with a light and dark sound colour. '4>)
208
At last she accepted trying to raise the larynx and after twenty Practise Edge with a light and a little less light sound colour.
minutes she could reach five notes higher than previously. Af- Be careful not to make the sound colour too dark in Edge, as
ter such encouraging results, she willingly worked on raising it can feel very uncomfortable. '4>) 209
the larynx on the higher notes. We then worked on colouring
the sound a bit darker, without losing the raised position of the
larynx. As she reached the high notes, her colleagues began
clapping spontaneously from outside the rehearsal room. They Warnings
said hervoice had never sounded better as it sounded naturally When you are changing sound colour, be aware that:
dark and therefore more impressive the shape of the vocal tract must not impair the mode.
you should not lower the larynx so much that you impair
the pitch .
you should be careful not to lower your larynx too much in
Edge (this also applies to classical singers).
Exercising sound colours you have to be careful not to choose too dark a sound col-
our in metallic modes (this also applies to classical singers).
Find as many different sound colours as possible by combin-
ing the shape and position of the epiglottic funnel, larynx,
tongue, mouth, palate and nasal passage. For example, find
the lightest and the darkest sound colour in your voice. Prac-
tise the colours in the high parts as well as the low parts of
your voice, e.g. by singing scales.
Pick a song and perform it with all the different sound colours
you are able to find in your voice.
For many singers it is often the shape of the vocal tract which
determines the mode. That is why they find some modes
harder to obtain than others. In order to avoid this and to con-
trol the modes better, the singers should be able to choose
a mode irrespective of sound colour. To do this, you should
practise each mode with both light and dark sound colours.

Microphone Technique
The microphone also plays a part in creating sound colour. you say 'sure'. Voiced consonants are produced with the vo-
This is partly due to the microphone's own acoustic prop- cal cords, for instance, the 's' when you say 'treasure' where
erties and partly because of the singer's microphone tech- you can feel your larynx vibrate when you make the voiced
nique. Furthermore, it will enable you to be heard at different consonant. '4>) 414
volumes and with different sounds compared to when you
sing acoustically. It is, however, important to realise that a mi- Consonant as in is changed into as in
crophone cannot save anything or anyone. If you are singing
incorrectly, it won't be corrected by using a microphone. Ac- P[p] 'pad ' B[b] 'bad'
cordingly, it is essential that your singing technique is correct T [t] 'tomb' D[d] 'doom'
before the sound is amplified by the microphone. K[k] 'class' G[g] 'glass'
F [ f] 'fast' V[v] 'vast'
By convention, certain voca l sounds are favoured when us- 5 [ sl 'soon' Z [z] 'zoom'
ing a microphone and amplification, as many consider these CH [tJ] 'cheat' G [d3] 'gent'
as sounding better through a microphone than without. For TH [8] 'theme' TH [o] 'the'
example, quiet and very breathy singing can easily be heard 5 [JJ 'sure' 5 [3] 'treasure'
and sounds good through a microphone, but not acousti-
cally. On the other hand, a powerful and very twangy sound Combinations of consonants also need to be changed to
without metal and with a lowered larynx is less suited for a avoid popping sounds.
microphone, but works well acoustically.
Practise new consonants

Practise with a microphone and listen how the popping
Pronunciation and the sounds of the consonants sound like explosions through the
microphone microphone. Get used to changing consonants in order to

avoid these popping sounds and notice how the text actual ly
becomes clearer from these minor changes in pronunciation.
If your pronunciation is distinct and powerful, the words are
easy to hear and are understandable acoustically. The same
applies in the theatre where microphones are placed at a dis-
tance from the singers. However, the 'popping ' sounds from Microphone spheres
a distinct pronunciation can be a problem with a microphone
held closely to the mouth and can sound like explosions. A microphone is surrounded by three imaginary spheres.
The spheres are comparatively small and it is essential to stay
within them if the sound is to be consistent. If you move in
Changing consonants and out of these spheres without control and without artistic
When you sing with the microphone close to your mouth, reason, the sound will not be even. Certain spheres of the mi-
you must be particularly careful to avoid the popping sounds crophone are best suited to certain sounds.
on certain consonants '4>) 413. Hence, you must get used to You may benefit from knowing the conventions as regards
changing 'unvoiced' consonants into 'voiced' consonants, microphone usage, but remember that ANYTHING you
which are just as easy to understand and do not cause prob- choose to do or not to do can be an artistic choice. Do not be
lems when using a microphone. Unvoiced consonants are dictated to by convention.
produced without the vocal cords, for instance, the 's' when

) Sphere 3 - Acoustic sound
Hold the microphone so far away that you hear your voice
as acoustic rather than amplified. Now slowly bring the mi-
crophone closer and notice where you begin to hear more
amplified sound than acoustic sound. This is where you leave
The th ree spheres of a microphone help you to achieve different sounds
sphere 3 and enter sphere 2. Singing in sphere 3 does give
you some amplified sound, ranging from a little to none at
all. When there is no amplified sound left, the microphone is
Sphere 1 - Bass boost so far away that the sound can only be heard acoustically. It
The sphere closest to the microphone, sphere 1, gives a bass is useful to be familiar with sphere 3 if you want to bring an
boost. In this sphere, low frequencies in particular are ampli- acoustic element into a song . '4>) 417
fied, giving the voice 'body' and 'proximity', even to a frail
female voice that would scarcely be audible acoustically 415. Hold the microphone as far away from yourself as possible,
If you add a lot of air to your voice in this sphere, the high bring it closer while you sing and find the place where sphere
overtones blend with the bass boost and produce a rich, 3 begins. Familiarise yourself with the border between sphere
broad sound. 2 and sphere 3.
Feel how far away you can move the microphone without Start in sphere 2 and slowly pull the microphone away. Prac-
leaving sphere 1. Try to make your voice breathy (remem- tise singing more and more powerfully the closer you get to
ber, only in Neutral) and hear how it sounds. Try out various sphere 3 so that you do not to notice the border between
modes and sound colours in this sphere and decide which sphere 2 and 3.
ones you like and which ones suit you .
Now you can use all three spheres in a song. Practise how to
obtain the exact sounds you want through the microphone.
Sphere 2 - Actual microphone sphere
Sphere 2 is where the majority of the work with a microphone
is done. In this sphere, all sound is amplified all the time, but
the power is governed by how far from the microphone the Know your own volumes
mouth is. If you sing powerfully, you must pull back a little It is very useful and important to be aware of your own vol-
from the microphone to avoid producing a distorted sound. umes and of just how powerfully you sing. You might wish
If you sing less powerfully, you must be closer to the micro- to link your volume to your support values to have a person-
phone. '4>) 416 alised measure of how powerfully you sing and how much
strength it requires (see 'Volume' page 64). The more con-
Practise singing a whole song in sphere 2. Do not bring the scious you are of your own volume, the easier it becomes to
microphone so close that you enter sphere 1 and do not work with a microphone.
move the microphone so far away that you enter sphere 3.
Adjust the distance from the microphone continually, so the It is not complicated to develop a good microphone tech-
amplified sound has an even volume, regardless of how pow- nique, it just requires plenty of practice in adjusting the mi-
erfully you sing. crophone to the volume and the desired sound.
Test the spheres on new microphones

Every time you work with a new microphone you must test
where the spheres are as spheres and sound colours vary
from microphone to microphone.

Introduction to Effects
The techniques in this chapter apply to both singers and wind Various levels of the vocal tract
instrument players. To get an overview of where the various vocal effects are pro-
duced, it may be useful to describe the vocal tract's various
Effects are usually an indispensable part of a solo career in levels.
popular music. Effects are those sounds that are not connect-
ed to melody and text, i.e. sounds that underline the singer's Level 1: is the vocal cord level. This is where 'creak', 'creaking'
expression or style. For example: 'air added to the voice', and 'hammer vibrato' are produced.
Distortion '4>) 222 Level 2: is the level of the ventricular (false) folds. This is
Creak '4>) 234 and creaking '4>) 240 where 'distortion' is produced .
Rattle '4>) 245 Level 3: is the level of the arytenoid cartilages/cuneiform
Growl '4>) 252 (the cuneiform are not pertinent to this book), epiglottis and
Grunt '4>) 270 aryepiglottic folds. This is where 'arytenoid rattles', 'saliva rat-
Screams '4>) 276 '4>) 277 '4>) 278 tle' and 'growl' are produced.
Intentional vocal breaks '4>) 284 Level 4: is the level of the hypopharynx and piriform fossa
Air added to the voice '4>) 67 (not pertinent to this book)
Vibrato '4>) 295 '4>) 296 Level 5: is the level of the soft palate, uvula, back wall of the
Ornamentation technique (rapid runs of notes) '4>) 316 throat and the back of the tongue. This is where the 'uvula
rattle' and 'back tongue rattle' are produced.
If you are looking for a particular sound but uncertain about Level 6: is the rest of the vocal tract. This is where the vowels
its name, you may be able to find what you are looking for and sound colour are produced.
among the effect examples in the CVT Sound Library.
Effects must SOUND as if they are spontaneous, for example,

as though the singer has made a huge emotional outcry with-
out any consideration for the voice. In everyday life, these ef-
fects often occur without you having control over the voice,
but for a professional singer they must be based on the over-
all principles for the correct use of the voice, both in order to
avoid damage and to enable the singer to repeat the effect
concert after concert.
Effects are produced in the vocal tract

Many singers have strained their voices by producing effects
in an unhealthy manner. It is possible to produce healthy ef-
fects if you always follow the three overall principles of sing-
ing, use the modes correctly and control the techniques for
the specific effects. The theory behind producing healthy
effects is to focus primarily on working with the vocal tract.
This reduces the risk of straining or damaging the voice. Just 'Grunt', 'scream', 'vocal breaks' and 'laryngeal vibrato' are pro-
like sound colours, healthy effects are made in the vocal tract. duced in a combination of various levels.

Effects have to be done in a healthy way wrong or gives discomfort, your voice is trying to tell you
The techniques behind a proper use of effects have crystal- that you are doing something wrong. Respect these warning
lised over many years. These effects often begin by chance. signs! Remember:
A singer in a studio happens to make some special sounds singing must ALWAYS feel comfortable.
(noises in fact) that seem expressive and suited to the mood the technique must have the intended effect right away
of a song. S/he decides to keep the sound as an effect, but otherwise the training is incorrect.
when the singer later goes on tour and needs to recreate the if an exercise hurts, feels uncomfortable, or feels wrong, it
effects night after night, s/he faces problems. Either s/he can- IS wrong. You are the only one who knows how it feels, so
not find the effects again, or s/he becomes hoarse in trying trust your sensations.
to recreate them. The effect now has to be designed. In other
words, the singer has to find a way to reproduce that sound Always use the same procedure when working with effects:
without causing irritation to the throat or vocal strain. Once First, control the overall principles of singing
the singer is able to use the effects in a healthy way and to Then control the chosen mode
make them SOUND right, s/he can repeat the sound night af- Then control the chosen sound colour
ter night on tour without worrying about the voice. Finally, control the chosen effect.
General principles Effects demand energy

There are general guidelines of what to do to produce the It usually costs extra energy to add effects to sound . The
various effects but you must also be aware that what one volume often decreases when an effect is added, but this is
singer has to do to get an effect may feel different from what compensated by the impression of more energy and stronger
another must do. Consequently, when working with effects expression which the effect gives. So in most cases it is not
you must also take into account the singer's anatomy, physi- possible to be as loud with an effect as when the mode is
ology, shape, energy level and temperament. On the basis sung without the effect. If you want to avoid the drop in vol-
of many years of experience working on sometimes very ume, you have to change mode and use more energy when
strange effects, I have assembled a number of general princi- the effect is used. However, you must accept that the distor-
ples which I shall go over in the following sections. tion will often sound different in a different mode.
Effects are technically demanding. It is essential that you are

in control of the overall principles of singing before you even Emotions must be a part
CONSIDER working with effects (see The Three Overall Prin- The effects must be specifically designed for the song and es-
ciples' on page 20). After that, you must be able to control pecially the singer's energy level, temperament and expres-
the modes which are the foundations for the effects as most sion. It is usually not enough that a singer has the technical
effects are combined with a mode. ability to produce an effect healthily ifs/he does not have the
As always when you work with the voice, and especially when emotional experience, courage, or temperament to make the
you work with effects, it is essential to be aware of its healthy listener sense authenticity behind the effect. I have met sing-
limits. If you become hoarse, stop working until the voice ers who wanted to learn how to make a distortion because
has recovered. It can be both difficult and unhealthy for the they thought it sounded nice, but they could not produce the
voice to practise when hoarse as the voice reacts differently emotions that should underlie it. Although they learnt how
to what it normally would . As long as the voice is healthy, you to produce the effect, without the authenticity, the energy,
can practise and experiment until you succeed. or the emotion, it only sounded shallow and unconvincing.
A main rule that cannot be stressed enough is that singing

must NEVER hurt or feel uncomfortable. If something feels

Distortion
The techniques in this chapter apply to both singers and
wind instrument players .
Distortion is a 'noise', an effect that can contain a range of

emotions from aggression to devotion. The effect is often
used in connection with a note. The more you distort the
sound, the more 'noise' and the less tone there is.
Full distortion (100% distortion) is only 'noise' and no tone.
Distortion is a mixture of 'noise' and tone. Distortion can be
used in all modes and is therefore subject to the same advan-
tages and limitations as the modes in terms of pitch, volumes,
sound colours and vowels.
Sensation: imagine twanging the ep iglottic fu nnel a lot.
Distortion can be used alone or together with other effects,

often creaking and rattle.
Creating intentional
Healthy intentional distortion
Distortions takes place at the level of the false cord (ventricu- distortion
lar folds), level 2 (see 'Va rious levels of the vocal tract' page
177). The 'noise' is created by vibrations of the false folds. The In order to find the distinct and healthy distortion made by
false folds do not have a flexible and excess mucous mem- the false folds, it may be helpful to imagine twanging the epi-
brane as do the true folds which means that they do not glottic funnel a lot.
vibrate as fast and delicately as the true folds and therefore
they produce a distorted sound . The distortion takes place The following tricks are tools to assist you in locating distor-
above the true folds which mean you can add lots of volume tion . Once you can control distortion you may no longer need
to this effect without damaging the voice. Once you have cre- them .
ated the 'noise' by using the false folds you can add a mode to
the distortion and thereby gain power and metal. Distortion may feel as though the back of the tongue is pulled
backwards and upwards as if attempting to touch the back
wall as high up as possible. It may tickle a little in the palate
or ears at first, but this is quite harmless. However, make sure
that it does NOT tickle or irritate the vocal cords. Once you
have created the 'noise' by using the false folds and without
involving the vocal cords, add a note and add the distortion.
This will sound as if 'noise' and note are melting together. To
some this sounds as if you are about to ruin your voice! The
balance between note and noise is an artistic choice. It should
feel comfortable and the note should not be hindered. It is
essential to keep the underlying mode healthy, even dur-
Vocal folds Fa lse vocal folds ing the most violent distortion, as it is the correctness of the
mode that secures against misuse of the voice. Losing control

of the mode during distortion can be very uncomfortable. In making the sound of driving a toy car ~>) 27
fact, you often see singers coughing with tears pouring out of imitating the sound of a very loud ambulance siren ~>) 28
their eyes when the mode is lost. At times like these, you will saying 'Meow' like a cat (without the 'o' sound) or saying
be in no doubt that the distortion is incorrect. 'Niet' ~>) 29
If you twang the epiglottic funnel even further, a noise will

often emerge. This is this noise used in distortion .
Shaping the vocal tract for finding distortion:

Twang the epiglottic funnel a lot.
Raise the larynx.
Pull the back of the tongue upwards and backwards so that
it almost touches the back wall of the throat high up.
Smile with the mouth wide open .
Lower the palate.
Sensation: it may feel like the back of the tongue tries to reach the back of
the throat as high as possible .
When you add distortion to a note more support is required Positioning the tongue for distortion
even though the volume usually drops. When distorting, it is a trick to twang the epiglottic funnel a
lot which contributes to making the sound colour light and
To make the distortion easier twang the epiglottic funnel sharp. It may feel as if the back of the tongue is positioned
more. It is helpful to make the whole vocal tract smaller. By behind the molars in the upper part of the mouth so far back
definition, a small vocal tract means a lighter sound colour. it does not touch the molars. From there, the tongue must
Therefore, in the beginning accept that you will only use light be arched upwards towards the palate as if trying to make
sound colour when distorting. the back of the tongue and the back wall meet. Feel how the
space between tongue and palate becomes smaller as you
press the tongue backwards and upwards. The smaller the
Twanging the epiglottic funnel space between palate, back wall and tongue, the more dis-
A key to creating a controlled, healthy distortion is to twang torted the sound becomes. It may feel as if you are mashing
the epiglottic funnel a lot. This makes the vocal tract smaller a pea on the back wall. The higher up you attempt to 'place
because the arytenoid cartilages are brought closer to the
lower part of the epiglottis (the petiole) (see 'Twang' on page
51). The smaller the opening, the more snarling the resulting
sound.
It is easiest to find the twanged epiglottic funnel by practis-

ing the following sounds:
imitate an infant crying ~>) 22
imitate a duck quacking ~>) 23
making your voice grating and witch-like ~>) 24
speaking like someone who has an evil plan ~>) 25
imitating a diving aeroplane ~>) 26 Sensation : it may feel like the back of the tongue is placed behind the
upper molars.

the pea', the safer the distortion. Maintain this position dur- as possible and push the back of the tongue backwards and
ing distortion in both the high and low part of the voice. upwards against the back wall. Twang the epiglottic funnel
When the tongue is kept in this high position, it prevents the a lot, apply a good amount of support and try to produce a
epiglottic funnel from losing the twang and the larynx from 'noise' solely in the mouth cavity, i.e. without using the vocal
lowering. cords . ~>) 210
Being aware of the palate and larynx

When distorting, it is important to make sure that the palate
is not raised and the larynx not lowered as you may risk los-
ing the twang of the epiglottic funnel. During distortion you 'Bite'
may feel you want to make more room in the vocal tract, but
be careful NOT to do this! If the larynx is lowered when dis-
torting, you will usually lose the distortion which might hurt.
Distortion works best when there is less room in the back of Say 'aiiiiiee' as if you are annoyed. Make it sound as close to
the mouth . Finally, be sure to avoid uncontrolled constriction the natural sound you make when you are deeply annoyed.
around the vocal cords (see 'The Three Overall Principles' on Do not worry if it does not sound much like a distortion at
page 20). this point. Listen to the TINY natural distortion which ap-
pears spontaneously when you are annoyed . Try to cultivate
this distortion without adding a note to it. Notice the great
amount of twang and support required. ~>) 211 .
Soft palate The 'bite' is a tool to assist you in locating di stortion . Once
you can control distortion you will no longer need it.
Hard palate
Try to produce a small, very light sigh as if you are very happy.
Make the sound as light as you can and gradually add more
voice to the sigh producing a light 'AH' (as in 'far'). If you main-
Lower the palate.
If the palate is raised, the twanging
tained the exact same position of the vocal tract (i.e. the same
of the funnel is usually lost amount of twang) as during the sigh, a slight distortion will
appear when you add voice . ~>) 212
The more you twang the epiglottic funnel and raise the lar-
Finding the noise yn x, the safer the distortion feels. Sing a note without distor-
tion in Neutral on a very flat, light and quiet 'GEE' ('G' as in
Locate distortion by finding the 'bite' in Overdrive. Smile with 'good ' and 'I' as in 'sit') in a pleasant pitch. Gradually go from
a closed mouth and drop the jaw, but keep the upper lip in the note without distortion to adding a slight distortion to
the same place. Make sure the lower jaw is behind the up- it. In other words, transform the 'GEE' without distortion to
per jaw and that there is room for a finger between the jaw a slightly distorted 'GEE' (as in 'aiiiiiee'). If the distorted note
bones. The jaw must be positioned as if you are biting into feels even a little uncomfortable, tickles, or hurts, the epi-
a la rge apple. Remove the apple, keep the 'bite', but do not glottic funnel is not twanged enough and the larynx is prob-
bite together. Notice that it may feel as if you t ighten the jaw- ably too low. STOP immediately and start again with a more
joint slightly but not the lower jaw. Raise the larynx as much twanged epiglottic funnel and a more raised larynx. Take
Complete Vocal Techniqu e 201 2 Cathrin e Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com 181

note of exactly what you have to do to make this transition Finding the distortion noise through images and
from a small, clear note to a distorted one. Try to exaggerate sensations
what you are doing in order to achieve distortion and at the Remember that these images and sensations are only meant
same time become familiar with exactly where the distortion to help you. If you do not respond to them immediately, forget
is placed and how it feels. Make sure the tongue only moves them . Do not confuse them with what is actually happening!
backwards to create the distortion and NOT downwards. And Imagine that the epiglottic funnel is completely squeezed
make sure the sound colour does not change whilst distort- together when distorting.
ing. The sound colour must never become darker. ~>) 213 Imagine that the squeezing together of the back of the
tongue, the back wall of the vocal tract and the palate is
Later, when you can control distortion, experiment by mak- placed up behind the eyes.
ing it a little darker. However, you should only do this if you Imagine you have a lot of energy inside you . Store up the
can control distortion without any problems, if you know the energy and release it through a small crack between two
overall principles for healthy use of the voice, and if you know immovable iron walls. Imagine that one iron wall is formed
your voice so well that you can feel exactly when you exceed by the back of the tongue and the other by the palate and
its healthy limits. The position of the vocal tract for distortion the back wall.
may feel like the position used for distinct twang and light
sound colours . Making the sound colour darker, therefore,
goes against the production of distortion which is why you
have to be careful with doing this.
In the beginning many singers end up adding rattle instead

when they want distortion (see 'Rattle' on page 190). The Image: Release the energy through a
sound therefore becomes more 'rolling' in effect in compari- narrow crack between two iron walls
son to when it is distorted. If you want distortion and not rat-

tle you could add more support and be aware that the back of
the tongue or the uvula does not vibrate along . To avoid rat- Imagine you are mashing a pea with the back of the tongue
tle you could perhaps feel like you place the distortion lower on the palate. The higher you place the pea, the safer the
in the throat (but not darker!) whilst still making the sound distortion.
twanged and light.
You can also imagine that you are making only 'half of a dis-
tortion' instead of going all the way which ends in a rattle. By
this many singers avoid the rattle by 'stopping halfway' and
get a distortion. Be sure that it feels comfortable at all times.
Pay attention to the sound and practise the different effect so Imagine that you have a pea
you can achieve exactly the effect you want. between the tongue and the palate
Some singers also end up growling instead when they want

distortion. The sound here becomes more coarse and rolling Imagine you are swallowing or throwing up. Feel the
in effect in comparison to when it is distorted. To avoid this, twanged epiglottic funnel, the high-positioned larynx, the
make sure that the epiglottis is not tilted backwards covering position of the uvula and feel the larynx press against the
the vocal cords as if speaking like Kermit the Frog from the back of the tongue high up in the oral (mouth) cavity.
'Muppet Show' (see 'Growl' on page 192).

Imagine you have a hair tangled around the uvula and that distortion without influencing the mode. Sing a very twanged
you are trying to remove it with the back of the tongue. 'AH' (as in 'far') and change between a note with distortion
Extend the corners of the mouth sideways and 'tie them and a note without distortion. If this 'AH' vowel feels unpleas-
around the neck'. Also extend the upper lip and open the ant you can try the vowel 'A' (as in 'and') instead. Later, prac-
mouth as much as possible while saying 'aiiiiiee' as if you tise the other modes with distortion added. '4>) 214
are annoyed.
Imagine you extend the corners of the mouth and the back It requires great ability to create and control a small distor-
wall sideways so much that it is as if you turn the oral cavity tion - the smaller the distortion, the more control required.
inside out just like a sock. The smaller the distortion you attempt to make, the easier it
try to talk like an animal made from a sock. is to lose the twang of the epiglottic funnel or risk giving too
much room in the mouth cavity. If this happens, the distor-
tion fails and it feels uncomfortable. '4>) 215
Finding the noise through sound
In distortion, the sound colour usually gets lighter because
the vocal tract gets smaller. The more you twang the epiglot- Distortion and the modes
tic funnel and raise the larynx, the smaller the vocal tract and You should start by practising distortion in the mode you find
therefore the lighter the sound colour and the more 'noise' easiest. Remember to keep the centre of the mode when dis-
results. tortion is added. It is the mode that determines which charac-
You can find distortion through sound by: ter the distortion attains, how it should be treated and which
imitating an old, rattling, evil troll '4>) 395 sound colours, volumes, vowels and pitch you can use.
imitating someone being strangled '4>) 396
imitating a cackling witch, but without a note '4>) 397
imitating a laughing person with an evil plan, again with-
out a note '4>) 398 Distortion in Neutral
imitating the sound of a diving aeroplane '4>) 399
imitating the sound of a car that brakes or turns around a Distortion in Neutral with air
corner at high speed, without too much note '4>) 400 Distortion in Neutral with air gives a quiet volume and a rela-
imitating a spitting cat '4>) 401 tively gentle effect. It is often used as an isolated effect in the
imitating a hissing dragon '4>) 402 high part of the voice with a very slow laryngeal vibrato (see
'Laryngeal Vibrato' on page 209) and may have a very suffer-
ing sound as if the singer is about to give up. '4>) 217
Noise added to a mode

Singers who use or used distortion in Neutral with
When you control the noise, you should decide how much air
of it you want. If you want less distortion, you could lessen David Bowie and Janis Joplin.
the twang of the epiglottic funnel. It may feel as though the
pressure between the back of the tongue, the palate and the
back wall is not quite as hard (in other words, the pea should Distortion in Neutral without air
be less mashed). Then add a note so the noise and the note Distortion in Neutral without air will give a more non-breathy
are mixed. It is important to maintain the mode underlying sound like a howl. The volume can vary from quiet to loud.
the distortion. The basis for a healthy distortion is correct po- '4>)218
sitioning and use of the mode. Practice adding and removing

Singers who use or used distortion in Neutral Distortion in Edge
without air Distortion in Edge is also mostly done at powerful volumes
James Brown, Ray Charles, David Coverdale, Nina Hagen, Bri- and is a very aggressive effect. It might sound as if the singer
an Johnson (AC/DC), Chris Rea, David Lee Roth, Wilson Pick- is screaming and about to be strangled at the same time. '4>)
ett, Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), and Stevie Wonder. 221
Singers who use/used distortion in Edge

Distortion in Curbing Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), James Brown, Chris Cornell
Distortion is most often used in connection with Curbing. (Soundgarden), Ronnie James Dio, Bob Dylan, Melissa Ether-
When you hear distortion together with lyrics it is mostly idge, Tramaine Hawkins, Etta James, Janis Joplin, 'Baby Jean'
Curbing being used. The volume can be loud or less power- Kennedy (Mothers Finest), Skin Sylvia Massy (Skunk Anansie),
ful. The more distortion added, the more strained the singer's Freddie Mercury, Tina Turner, and Steven Tyler (Aerosmith).
voice sounds. '4>) 219
Singers who use or used distortion in Curbing Acase story

Bryan Adams, Michael Bolton, Joe Cocker, Alice Cooper, Ter- Adeath metal singer had problems getting sufficient power
ence Trent D'Arby, Melissa Etheridge, Noddy Holder (Slade), and roughness in certain screams and distortions whilst re-
Billy Idol, Dan Mccafferty (Nazareth), Paul McCartney, Michael cording in a studio. Moreover, his voice had become hoarse
McDonald, Freddie Mercury, Jim Morrison, Alanah Myles, Otis from the repeated attempts at adding more volume.
Redding, Rod Stewart, Zak Tell (Clawfinger), Bonnie Tyler, Tom As he had a good technique for support and in avoiding uncon-
Waits, and Wilson Pickett. trolled constriction we went straight to correcting the modes
ensuring that he sang in the centre of the modes as often as
possible. In Overdrive he had to establish the 'bite' more thor-
oughly in order to create a clearer and more powerful sound.
Distortion in Overdrive In Edge he had to twang the epiglottic funnel more to obtain
Distortion in Overdrive is most obtainable at powerful vol- a sharper, more powerful sound. In Curbing, his 'hold' had to
umes and is a very powerful effect. It may sound as if the be made less strong, in order to avoid that his singing sounded
singer is very angry or very upset. It is often used as an iso- stifled. When the 'hold' was lessened, the sound of the mode
lated effect or on selected words. '4>) 220 became clearer and louder and the hoarseness disappeared.
Then we practised Edge at such a high pitch that it turned into
a scream and after this we practised a healthy distortion. With
Singers who use or used distortion in Overdrive the modes in the centre, the effects (screams and distortions)
Mama Cass, Ray Charles, David Coverdale, Etta James, James became much more powerful with regards to both volume and
Hetfield (Metallica), John Kay (Steppenwolf), Skin Sylvia character. In the end, the singer was able to make such violent
Massy (Skunk Anansie), Van Morrison, Paul McCartney, Little screams and distortions that he was quite shocked and asked
Richard, Bruce Springsteen, CF Turner (Bachman Turner Over- me and the producer if it was too much. He recorded the rest
drive), Tina Turner, Tom Waits, and Johnny Winter. of the CD without further problems and is known today for his
violently distorted screams.

Full distortion are stopping the note with the ba.ck of the tongue. Try to pro-
duce a small distortion without a note. "4>) 210
Full distortion is 100% distortion. It is only 'noise' and no tone
or mode. When you have located this distortion, try to increase it by
In full distortion it may feel like the epiglottic funnel is more saying 'aiiiiiee' on a pleasant low note in Neutral in a very flat,
twanged than in normal distortion. Remember to maintain light and quiet 'AH' (as in 'far'). Maintain the mode and the
the position of the vocal tract regardless of the amount of note. "4>) 211
distortion. Sing a note without distortion in Neutral on a very
flat, light and quiet 'AH' (as in 'far') or 'A' (as in 'and') and gradu- When you can control this, start again in Neutral on the note
ally add a slight distortion to it. If the distorted note feels even Bb4 for women or C4 for men and on a very flat, light and
a little uncomfortable, tickles, or hurts, the epiglottic funnel quiet 'AH'. Make sure the note feels the same way and has the
is not twanged enough and the larynx is probably too low. same sound whether the distortion is added or not. Now al-
STOP immediately and start again with a more twanged epi- ternate between adding distortion to the note and removing
glottic funnel and a more raised larynx. Now exaggerate this it. Later, practise all the modes with distortion. "4>) 214
distortion and stop singing the clear note so that there is only
noise. This will require a great amount of support. It may feel Gradually make the distortion smaller by twanging the epi-
as if the epiglottic funnel is being completely squeezed to- glottic funnel less and less. This may feel as though you are
gether. This is full distortion, i.e. only 'noise' and no tone. Full reducing the pressure between the back of the tongue, the
distortion is often used as an isolated effect in songs. "4>) 224 palate and the back wall of the vocal tract. It requires much
more control and support energy to be able to use a very
small amount of distortion. Learn just how little a distortion
Singers who use/used full distortion you can add to the various modes. "4>) 215
James Brown, Joe Cocker, Terence Trent D'Arby, Janis Joplin,
Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) and Then try to add distortion to a scale, up and down through
Tom Waits. five notes. Add the same amount of distortion on all notes.
After that, try adding distortion to selected notes on ly and
repeat the exercise beginning half a tone higher each time.
"4>) 216
Exercises in distortion
Practise distortion in all the modes. Use the mode and vowel
Remember when practising if something feels wrong or gives you find easiest, but avoid in the beginning most of the back
discomfort, your voice is trying to tel l you that you are doing tongue vowels such as 'OH' (as in 'so'), 'O' (as in 'woman')
something wrong . Respect these warning signs! Remember: and '00' (as in 'you'). Make sure the position of the mode is
Singing should always feel comfortable. correct before distortion is added. The distortion must not
The technique must have the intended effect immediately change the mode in any way - the rules of each mode must
otherwise the training is not being done correctly. be followed at all t imes. Repeat the exercise beginning half a
If an exercise hurts or feels uncomfortable or wrong, then it tone higher each time and be careful not to sing in too high a
IS wrong. You are the only one who knows how it feels, so pitch for Overdrive, especially for women.
trust your judgement. Neutral with air "4>) 217
Neutral without air "4>) 218
Locate the 'noise' by twanging the epiglottic funnel. It may Curbing "4>) 219
feel like you are building up a pressure between the back of Overdrive "4>) 220
the tongue, the palate and the back wall. It may feel as if you Edge "4>) 221

Add distortion to a phrase where you think it suits the mood The higher you sing, the easier it becomes if you twang
of the song and your expression. Try to add distortion onto the vowels, for example by changing or directing them to-
various vowels, but avoid 'OH', 'O' and '00' at first. ~>) 222 wards 'I' (as in 'sit') or 'A' (as in 'and').
Avoid dark sound colours in the beginning as they might
Once you have perfected distortion, practise changing be- hinder the twang of the epiglottic funnel. This might hurt
tween the modes with distortion, e.g. from Neutral with air and trigger uncontrolled constriction.
with distortion to Overdrive with distortion. Remember to
follow the rules of the modes (see 'Transitions between the
modes' on page 131). This is very difficult and technically de- Unintentional distortion
manding, so you should only experiment if you are in full con- If an unintentional distortion appears on the notes, it might
trol of the modes and distortion, know the overall principles be because:
for using the voice correctly and can feel exactly when you the mode is not correctly positioned.
exceed its healthy limits . ~>) 223 you are trying to sing in Curbing at too loud a volume.
the epiglottic funnel is not sufficiently twanged.
the larynx is not positioned high enough.
you have not noticed an uncontrolled constriction that has
Exercise in full distortion been triggered by protruding the jaw or tightening the lips
Now try to exaggerate the distortion and stop singing the or by insufficient support.
note. This way you practise full distortion. Practise going from you have lost the 'bite' in Overdrive or the twanged epi-
distortion to full distortion and back again. If it feels uncom- glottic funnel in Edge and the voice is about to lose the
fortable when you stop the note and go into full distortion, it metallic sound.
is usually because you have impaired the mode with an un- you have raised the palate so much that the larynx has low-
controlled constriction (see 'The Three Overall Principles' on ered. This makes correct distortion difficult.
page 20). ~>) 224 you are singing in Edge, Overdrive, or Curbing at too quiet
a volume.
Warnings
If any of the exercises feel uncomfortable, tickles or hurts, it
is usually because the underlying mode is not being made
correctly. Therefore, practise the exercises without distortion
until you are in full control of the modes. Then add the distor-
tion and keep to the centre of the modes.
No distortion must hurt or feel uncomfortable.
Make sure the epiglottic funnel is always twanged during
distortion.
Make sure the larynx is always raised during distortion.
Be careful at first not to raise the palate as it might lower
the larynx and hinder the twang of the epiglottic funnel.
The higher you sing, the more you have to support to avoid
uncontrolled constriction or vocal breaks.

Creak and Creaking
Creak and creaking takes place at the vocal cord level, level nearness, or to indicate that the singer is about to break down
1 (see 'Various levels of the vocal tract' page 177). The very emotionally and cannot go through with the song . Creaks are
delicate creaking sound occurs from vibrations of the vocal often used in Neutral or Curbing. ~>) 231
cords. The vocal cords vibrations in both creak and creaking
have a complex but regular vibratory pattern.
Creaking
Creaking is when the voice creaks during singing . It is often
used as a delicate version of 'distortion'. Creaking is like the
creak found by using two slightly opposite ways of using the
voice, i.e. a slightly incorrect use of the modes, in a very con-
trolled manner. ~>) 235
Creaking can be used alone or together with other effects,

Voca l folds
e.g. distortion (see 'Distortion' on page 179).
Creaking can be used alone or together with other effects,

e.g. distortion, rattle or screams (see 'Distortion ' on page 179,
Creaks and Creaking are found by using 2 slightly opposite 'Rattle' on page 190 or 'Screams' on page 199).
ways of using the voice (e.g. with a slightly incorrect use of the
modes) in a very controlled manner. Due to this it is therefore Creaks and creaking might sound unhealthy for the voice, but
very important to stress that performing creak and creaking as it is performed at a rather low volume, this consciously failed
(as all other singing) must NEVER hurt or feel uncomfortable. attempt to sing in a certain amount of metal does not cause
If something feels wrong or gives discomfort, your voice is discomfort or vocal strain. Be sure that you do not trigger un-
trying to tell you that you are doing something wrong. Re- controlled constriction because of too low or too high volume
spect these warning signs! Remember: however. Remember at all times that it is the mode that dic-
singing must ALWAYS feel comfortable. tates which parts of the voice, sound colours, volumes and
the technique must have the intended effect right away vowels you can use. Creaking is an advanced technique, so you
otherwise the training is incorrect. should be careful when experimenting with it. Make sure you
if an exercise hurts, feels uncomfortable, or feels wrong, it are in full control of vocal modes, know the overall principles
IS wrong. You are the only one who knows how it feels, so for the correct use of the voice and know your voice so well
trust your sensations. that you can feel exactly when it exceeds its healthy limits.
And remember to practise without creaks and creaking as
well so that they do not start appearing unintentionally.
Singers who use or used creak
Britney Spears, Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, David Gilmour
(Pink Floyd), James Ingram, Michael Jackson, Janis Joplin, BB
Creak King, Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) and Stevie Wonder.
Creaks are found by using 2 slightly opposite ways of using
the voice (e.g. with a slightly incorrect use of the modes) in a
very controlled manner. Singers who use or used creaking
Creaks are often used in the beginning or ending of a phrase, Christina Aguilera, Peter Gabriel, PJ Harvey, John P Kee, John
often while holding the microphone close to the mouth Lennon, Korean mask dance drama, John Martyn and Cor-
(sphere 1). It is used to give the impression of intimacy and nelis Vreeswijk.

You can also find creaking by singing in Overdrive on the
Finding creak vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay') by keeping the setting and slightly
turning down the volume. Notice how little or how much
Creak can be produced in a healthy way by preparing for a volume it takes on each note to make the creaking appear
metallic mode but then reducing the volume, so that the me- or disappear. This is not harmful to the voice as long as you
tallic sound cannot be sustained, resulting in a creaking, frail respect the overall principles and in particular be mindful to
and shaky sound . Creaky sounds can be sustained as long as not add too much volume.
you apply too little volume for the voice to make a metallic
sound . When you apply more volume, the creak disappears If you want to practise creaking, you should be aware that it
and you get a clear note. is a slightly incorrect use of the modes e.g. the vowel 'O' (as in
'woman') used in Overdrive. This is not harmful to the voice as
Sing a note in Curbing on the vowel 'O' (as in 'woman') on long as you respect the overall principles and in particularly
a comfortable pitch. Gradually decrease the volume while are aware that you do not add too much volume. However,
maintaining the 'hold' for Curbing. Feel how quietly you can you should only experiment with this if you can control the
sing in Curbing before the mode starts to become shaky. This modes without trouble, know the overall principles for cor-
must not feel uncomfortable or hurt. If you continue decreas- rect use of the voice and if you know your own voice so well
ing the volume, the note will eventually disappear and only a that you immediately feel when you exceed the limits for
creaky sound remains . '4>) 225 healthy use of the voice. '4>) 236
Now try making such a quiet attack in Curbing that you im- You should also be aware of the fact that persistent use of this
mediately make a creak (in other words, find the creak with- type of creaking can cause a blurring of the different modes.
out reducing the volume first). Become familiar with the point Therefore always be aware during creak that you are work-
when the creak appears and disappears so that you are able ing in the marginal area and that this usually requires extra
to hit the exact creak you are aiming for. '4>) 226 energy. Whilst working with creak, you always need to be
aware of where the centres of the modes are found so that
Sing a note right on the creak and gradually increase the vol- you are always able to return to the centre of the mode when
ume until the note takes over and replaces the creak. Even if the creak is no longer in use. Be aware that creaking should
you start with a 'hold' for Curbing, you need not sing the note always be produced and removed upon demand without any
in Curbing . The creak can glide into any other mode. You can, feeling of discomfort.
for example, choose to let the creak glide into Neutral, per-
haps with air added to the voice. In this case, begin with the
'hold' of Curbing to produce the creak and then, when you Involuntarily creaking
want the clear note, you can let go of the metallic sound, let Creaking is often discovered by singers during studio sessions
the creak glide into Neutral and add air to the voice. '4>) 227 where it sometimes occurs involuntarily due to a slightly in-
correct use of the modes. It causes no discomfort and it often
sounds good. You need to be careful not to allow too much
involuntary creaking however. Instead you should practice
Finding Creaking creaking in a healthy way so it can be produced without dis-
comfort at any time, and so that it can be removed when you
Sing a note in Curbing and decrease the volume until the want. '4>) 237
creak occurs . Try to maintain the sound of the creak and sing-
ing at the same time. Notice how little and how much volume Creaking often appears involuntarily if the mode is not posi-
it takes on each note to make the creaking appear or disap- tioned correctly. It might sound captivating and may appear
pear. '4>) 235

without discomfort, but involuntarily creaking should be
avoided as persistent use can blur the various modes. If the Exercises in creak
uni ntentional creaking is used persistently, it can result in the
creaking becoming permanent. It takes a g reat deal of effort Remember when practising if something feels wrong or gives
to re-learn how to get to the centre of the modes in order to discomfort, your voice is trying to tell you that you are doing
return to singing WITHOUT creaking. something wrong . Respect these warning signs! Remember:
Thus, if you want to use creak or creaking, a healthy creak or Singing should always feel comfortable.
creaking must be incorporated, i.e. a creak that can always be The technique must have the intended effect immediately
produced without discomfort and removed at will. otherwise the training is not being done correctly.
If an exercise hurts or feels uncomfortable or wrong, then it
IS wrong . You are the only one who knows how it feels, so
Acase story
Atalented soul singer had been singing for many years but had Sing a note in Curbing and decrease the volume until the
developed problems in separating the modes. They had liter- creak appears. Now increase the volume and feel how the
ally melted into one another and she lost her power and clar- note returns and the creak disappears. Notice how little and
ity. It turned out she had nurtured a creak which had suddenly how much volume each note requires to make the creak ap-
appeared in her voice and which she was now unable to get rid pear or disappear. '4>) 225
of. It had appeared because she had been singing in Overdrive
and Edge without releasing the 'hold' of Curbing. She had con- Hear and practise the difference between a creak '4>) 227 and
sequently lost her 'bite' in Overdrive as well as the twanged a distorted attack '4>) 228.
epiglottic funnel in Edge, so that neither Overdrive nor Edge
were clear or safe anymore. This was why she had lost her clar- Practise a creak that glides into a mode and then back to the
ity and power. creak again .
Start with Neutral with air '4>) 229
We started by finding the 'bite' for Overdrive and then the Then Neutral without ai r '4>) 230
twanged epiglottic funnel in Edge to restore the centre of the Then Cu rbing '4>) 231
modes. After this, we retrained Curbing by means of establish- Then Overdrive '4>) 232, and finally
ing the 'hold' and finally in Neutral by keeping a loose jaw. Edge '4>) 233.
Whenever the unintentional splitting reappeared, we returned
to focusing on the centre of the modes. After a month of hard Choose small ph rases of a melody and decide where you
work, her modes were distinct and healthy again and we now want to place creaks and which modes you want to glide to
practised the healthy creaking. We worked on decreasing the and from . Make it sound as natural as possible. '4>) 234
volume in Overdrive and change the vowel from 'OH' (as in 'so')
towards 'O' (as in 'woman) until she found the desired amount
of creaking. After that, we worked on the shape of the vocal
tract until she could produce the sound colour that she wanted. Exercises in creaking
By avoiding the unintentional splitting and using a controlled,
healthy creaking, she regained the healthy modes and was Practice creaking by singing Overdrive in the centre of the
able to use rough effects again without problems. mode on the vowel 'OH' (as in 'so'), now decrease the volume
a bit and change the vowel towards 'OR' (as in 'order'). Creak-
ing will occur. It requires some practice to mainta in the place
where the creaking occurs. '4>) 236

Rattle
Maintain the creaking and practise starting directly on it. If Rattle takes place at level 3 or 5 (see Various levels at the vocal
you want to experiment with just how loud you can creak, tract page 177) so rattle is produced higher in the vocal tract
make sure you are in full control of the three overall principles than creaking and distortion.
and know your voice so well that you can feel the instant you Rattle can be formed by vibrations at the arytenoid catillages,
exceed its healthy limits. '4>) 238 uvula, back of the tongue, the soft palate or by making the
sal iva/mucosa over the arytenoids cartilages vibrate. Rattle
Perform exercises in creaking (perhaps on three- and five- can be used alone or together with other effects, for exam-
note scales) using various vowels, sound colours and vol- ple distortion. When a rattle is used alone it often sounds less
umes. '4>) 239 'mean' than distortion or creak. When used together with dis-
tortion it usually makes the distortion even stronger in effect.
A five-note scale Looking down the epiglottic funnel .:x:

u
rn
_o
cf start F3
Arytenoid cartilages
Practise adding and removing creaking to a note. '4>) 237

Rim of the epiglottis
Practise adding creaking in a song . '4>) 240

Quad rate
membranes
Be aware that practising should ALWAYS feel comfortable
Vocal cords
and that working in a margin area always requires extra en-
ergy. Be aware of where the centres of the modes are situated
Epiglottis
so you always can return to these centres . Creaking should
always be produced and removed upon demand without any
feeling of discomfort.
There are 4 different rattles:
Warnings Arytenoid rattle

The arytenoid rattle takes place at level 3, the level of the ar-
Remember to practise without creaks and creaking as well so ytenoids cartilages. The sound of the arytenoid rattle occurs
that they do not start appearing unintentionally. from vibrations formed at the arytenoids cartilages. '4>) 241
The higher the pitch used for creak and creaking, the more
support must be given in order to avoid uncontrolled
constriction . Saliva rattle
The higher the pitch used for creak and creaking, the more The saliva rattle takes place at level 3 and above. It is usually
it may help to direct the vowels towards the vowels suit- an arytenoid rattle plus some extra saliva which is made to
able for the mode. vibrate along . '4>) 242
Be careful not to lower the larynx too much during creak
and creaking as it might feel uncomfortable and straining
to the voice. Uvula rattle
The uvula rattle takes place at level 5, the level of the soft pal-
ate, uvula, back wall, back tongue. The sound of the uvula
190 Complete Vocal Techn ique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com

rattle is formed by vibrations at the uvula and at the soft pal- rattle (the gurgling). Make sure the rattle does not change the
ate. '4>) 243 mode or the distortion in any way. '4>) 242
Back tongue rattle Uvula rattle

The back tongue rattle takes place at Level 5. The sound of You can also make the uvula and the back of the tongue
the back tongue rattle is formed by vibrations at the back of vibrate to create animal sounds, for example imitating a bird
the tongue. '4>) 244 or a tiger. Try to make a rolling 'rrr' at the uvula. If you find it
difficult, then train the soft palate by making snoring sounds.
Keep the vibrations in the soft palate while you breathe out
Singers who use or used rattle with support. Once you can control this rolling 'rrr', experi-
Joe Cocker, Ian Dury, Nina Hagen and Percy Sledge. ment with adding it to the distortion. Be careful that the extra
effect does not change the centre of the mode. '4>) 243
Exercises in rattle Back tongue rattle

You can also make the tongue and soft palate vibrate, there-
Remember when practising, if something feels wrong or by creating the sound of a hissing animal. Try to say 'kkkrrr' or
gives discomfort, your voice is trying to tell you that you 'gggrrr' and feel how the tongue meets the palate near the
are doing something wrong . Respect these warning signs! junction of the hard and the soft palate. When you control
Remember: the 'kkkrrr' or 'gggrrr' sound, you may experiment with add-
Singing should always feel comfortable. ing it to distortion. In this way, it feels as though the distortion
The technique must have the intended effect immediately is placed nearer the front of the mouth. Be careful that this
otherwise the training is not being done correctly. extra effect does not change the correct setting of the mode
If an exercise hurts or feels uncomfortable or wrong, then it and the placement of the distortion. '4>) 244
IS wrong. You are the only one who knows how it feels, so
trust your judgement. Practise adding rattle in a song. '4>) 245
Arytenoid rattle
Make a twanged note in Neutral and then add a light and
easy vibration to it - this is a rattle. If the note sounds like reg-
ular distortion (i.e. from the false folds) then try to place the
vibration higher and let go a bit on the support and make the
sound softer. '4>) 241
Saliva rattle
Gather a small amount of saliva and experiment with placing
it in different areas in the vocal tract and making it rattle. For
instance, place the saliva near the uvula as if you are gargling.
Sing a note in a given mode and add distortion; then add the

Growl
The techniques in this chapter apply to both singers and Shaping the vocal tract for growl
wind instrument players. When growling, you should:
slightly raise the larynx in the beginning.
A growl is like distortion, i.e. it is a 'noise'. It is an effect that pull the back of the tongue slightly backwards and not
can contain several different expressions from devotion downwards.
to aggression. Growl is often used in trad itional jazz, r 'n b add twang of the epiglottic funnel which is sometimes
and gospel. Growl often sounds like a coarser variation of helpful.
distortion.
Growl takes place at the level of the arytenoid cartilages/cu- Positioning the tongue for growl
neiform, i.e. at Level 3 (see 'Various levels of the vocal tract' on In growl it might be helpful to twang the epiglottic funnel.
page 177). In growl the epiglottis tilts backwards and almost The sensation of a growl may feel like pulling the back of the
covers the vocal cords. This creates the hollow and dark 'cov- tongue backwards into the throat, as though you are trying
ered ' sound of the growl. The arytenoids vibrate against the to 'swallow' the back of your tongue. At the same time the
epiglottis which produces the rolling sound. Together this larynx should be raised so that it feels as if the back of the
is the growl. Like all other effects, growls must be produced tongue and the larynx are trying to meet. It is important that
with great accuracy to avoid misuse of the voice. you do not lower the back of the tongue too much and do not
lose the twang of the epiglottic funnel. This will often cause
discomfort and coughing, and may even strain the voice. So
Epiglottis
twang the epiglottic funnel, keep the back of the tongue rela-
tively high and then 'swallow' the tongue.
Finding growl
Twang the epiglottic funnel, keep the back of the tongue
relatively high, raise the larynx and attempt to 'swallow' the
tongue. Press the larynx and the back of the tongue gently
together and sing 'la la la' while imitating Kermit from "The
Muppet Show" (this is also called a 'cnoedle' - a term that
characterises singing with a raised larynx and a retracted
tongue). Feel how a rough rattle often appears as you pull the
tongue further backwards (not downwards!) as if it is to be
Singers who use or used growl 'swallowed' even more. This rough rattle is a growl. Feel and
Louis Armstrong, LaVern Baker, James Brown, Whitney Hou- maintain this exact feeling and make sure that it never feels
ston, Michael Jackson, John Kay (Steppenwolf), David Lee uncomfortable or ticklish . If it does, try to twang the epiglot-
Roth, Sly Stone, Yma Sumac, Tom Waits, Johnny Winter and tic funnel more and raise the larynx and back of the tongue
Stevie Wonder. more. It might be difficult to sense minor alterations in the
position of the epiglottic funnel and the back tongue, but
in growling even the slightest rela xation of the back tongue
or loosing the twang of the epig lottic funnel might feel
192 Compl ete Vocal Techniqu e 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.compl etevocalinstitute.com
very uncomfortable, especially on the high notes. If it feels Finding growl through sound
uncomfortable, stop and start again with a more twanged A growl is a dark, grumbling sound full of rolling noise. The
epiglottic funnel and a more raised larynx and back of the more you pull the tongue backwards, the more noise (growl)
tongue. '4>) 246 is generated. Remember to keep the twang of the epiglottic
funnel and keep the back of the tongue high.
Sing a note in Neutral without air on the vowel 'AH' (as in 'far') If you ease the pressure between the back of the tongue and
without growl. Then add growl gradually, but make sure it the larynx and twang a little less on the epiglottic funnel,
does not feel uncomfortable, tickle or hurt. Notice exactly the sound becomes lighter and the note clearer. This lighter
what you do in moving from the clear note to the growled growl is used by many jazz and soul singers.
one. Exaggerate what you do to obtain the growl and get fa-
miliar with where the growl is positioned and how it feels. You can try to find growl by imitating:
'4>) 247 Kermit from "The Muppet Show" and then adding growl to
the sound '4>) 403
By clearing your throat with closed mouth a growl often ap- the way Louis Armstrong sang '4>) 404
pear by itself. Make sure you keep the volume down so it does a scary monster who wants to eat somebody '4>) 405.
not feel uncomfortable. Get familiar with where the growl is exaggerating a singer who croons '4>) 406
positioned and how to produce it. '4>) 248 a roaring lion '4>) 407
the sound of an accelerating racing car '4>) 408
You can make the sound colour of the growl darker by mak-
ing more room in the oral cavity, for example by raising the
palate. Be careful not to lose the twang of the epiglottic fun-
nel and that you do not lower the back of the tongue. You Growl added to a mode
must, as always, be sure to maintain the three overall princi-
ples to avoid uncontrolled constriction (see 'The Three Over- When you have found the growl, you can decide on the
all Principles' on page 20). If you forget the three overall prin- amount you want to use. Be aware not to lose the twang and
ciples while growling, it can feel very uncomfortable. Usually not to lower the back of the tongue to a degree that causes
you will start coughing and tears may pour out of your eyes. discomfort during the growl. Then choose a mode during the
At times like these, you will be in no doubt that the growl is growl, and just as you would when using distortion, it is im-
incorrect. '4>) 249 portant to maintain the chosen mode during the growl. The
basis of a healthy growl is correct positioning and use of the
mode. Practise adding and removing the growl without it
Finding growl through images and sensations affecting the mode. You should begin practising the growl
Imagine you are 'swallowing' your tongue without losing in the mode you find easiest. Remember to keep the centre
the twang of the epiglottic funnel or lowering the back of of the mode when the growl is added. The individual modes
the tongue. determine which character the growl will have, how it should
Imagine the larynx and tongue meet and stay stuck be treated and which sound colour, volume, vowels and pitch
together. you can use. Neutral with air '4>) 253, Neutral without air '4>)
Imagine you are about to swallow or throw up. Feel the 254, Curbing '4>) 255, Overdrive '4>) 256 and Edge '4>) 257.
high-positioned larynx and the position of the uvula and
notice how the larynx is pressed against the back of the
tongue. Maintain this sensation when growling.
It may feel as if you attempt to squeeze the sides on the
lower surface of the tongue together.

Growl and pitch Exercises in growl
Growl may be used in all parts of the voice. However, be sure
to twang the epiglottic funnel and raise the larynx more as Remember when practising if something feels wrong or gives
you ascend in pitch. Some singers use an acoustic illusion discomfort, your voice is trying to tell you that you are doing
when they want to give the impression of using a soft growl something wrong. Respect these warning signs! Remember:
to a higher note. They sing in a high pitch, then rapidly sing Singing should always feel comfortable.
a low note with growl added and then return to singing the The technique must have the intended effect immediately
song in the higher pitch. Normally, the ear does not perceive otherwise the training is not being done correctly.
the octave leap and you get the impression that the note was If an exercise hurts or feels uncomfortable or wrong, then it
growled in the high pitch. ~>) 258 IS wrong. You are the only one who knows how it feels, so
Imitate Kermit the frog from "The Muppet Show". Gradually

Growl and volume add growl. ~>) 246
The volume in growl can vary from very quiet (pp) to very
loud (ff). Practise adding and removing the growl. ~>) 250
Try to growl three notes up and down through a third. Start

on A3 for women or C3 for men. Transpose the exercise up-
Growl and vowels wards and later downwards by half a tone at a time. ~>) 251
All vowels can be used in growl, but remember to alter the
vowels when you are growling at a higher pitch. The individu- Practise adding growl to:
al modes determine which vowels can be used in which parts Neutral with air ~>) 253
of the voice. Be careful that the vowels do not lower the back Neutral without air ~>) 254
of the tongue. Take care that vowels such as '00' (as in 'you'), Curbing ~>) 255
'O' (as in 'woman'), 'OH' (as in 'so') and 'AH' (as in 'far') do not Overdrive ~>) 256
impair the twang of the epiglottic funnel or lower the back Edge ~>) 257
tongue as this could feel uncomfortable.
Omit a note from the melody and make a growl instead. Then
return to the melody. Practise doing the sequence 'note-
growl-note' so fast that it sounds natural. ~>) 258
Growl and sound colours
The sound colour of growl is often darker than that of dis- Sing a phrase from a song in which you think that a growl will
tortion. The larger you make the vocal tract, the darker the be suitable. ~>) 252
sound colour becomes. In the low part of the voice it is easier
to give the growl a dark sound colour than it is in the high The less you twang the epiglottic funnel, the more discreet
part of the voice. In the low part of the voice, you can lower the growl becomes. It requires great control to use a small
the back of the tongue slightly, but not to the extent that it growl. Practise just how small a growl you are able to add to
feels uncomfortable. In the high part of the voice you need a note.
be sure not to lower the back of the tongue as this will restrict
the larynx from rising which will make the note difficult to
reach and it can cause discomfort. ~>) 249

Warnings
If any of the exercises feel uncomfortable, tickle, or scratch, it
is usually because you have lost the twang of the epiglottic
funnel or lowered the back of your tongue, i.e. you are pro-
ducing the growl too far down in the throat. Twang the epi-
glottic funnel more, keep the back of the tongue high, raise
the larynx, 'swallow' the tongue and maintain the pressure
between the back of the tongue and the larynx.
Make sure the epiglottic funnel is always twanged when
growling.
Make sure not to lower the back of the tongue on the high
notes when growling .
Comply with the three overall principles of singing in order
to avoid uncontrolled constriction and damaging the voice.
Take care not to lose the twang of the epiglottic funnel by
using too dark a sound colour.
Take care not to lose the twang of the epiglottic funnel be-
cause of the use of the back vowels '00' (as in 'you'), 'O' (as
in 'woman'), 'OH' (as in 'so') and 'AH' (as in 'far').
Make sure you do not lose the twang of the epiglottic fun-
nel when raising the palate.

Grunt
Grunting has a dark, powerful sound, it is often low in pitch Singers who use or used grunt
and has a very 'demonic' effect. There is a lot of 'noise' on Tom Waits, Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy), David Vincent (Mor-
this effect. It is an effect that can contain different expres- bid Angel), George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher (Cannibal Corpse),
sions from despair to aggression . Grunt is often used in death Jeffrey Walker (Carcass), singers from Napalm Death, John
metal and black metal. Grunt can sound like a combination of Tardy (Obituary), Anders Friden (In Flames), Stian "Shagrath"
distortion and growl. Thoresen (Dim mu Borgir), Bj0rn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork).
Grunt is produced in a combination of levels from 1-5. (see

'Various levels of the vocal tract' on page 177). Grunt is pro-
duced by making the whole larynx vibrate in an open posi- Finding grunt
tion. The arytenoids, the aryepiglottic folds, the epiglottis
and the very base of the vocal tract are vibrating, creating Take a deep breath and relax the vocal cords Try to keep them
very low frequencies at a rather powerful volume. This effect in this position while making an exhalation with air. Try to add
is sometimes heard without a tone, when the vocal cords in a bit more sound to the exhalation without starting to sing.
held in an open position . Use a lot of support and make the sound of exhalation strong-
er, still with relaxed vocal cords. Gradually increase the sound,
The sound is dark and hollow, and combined with the large but without decidedly singing. In the beginning grunting is
shaped vocal tract (like a large funnel) the sound becomes easier to find if you add more air and less tone/sound . Later
even more hollow and booming. This sound is often used you can diminish the air and add more volume. '4>) 259
together with the microphone's sphere 1 (see 'Microphone
Technique' on page 175) which adds bass boost and makes Try to make a sound like you are really annoyed or find some-
the sound even darker and more powerful. thing extremely stupid. Add more sound to it, but not neces-
saryly more tone. Make strong sudden sounds, like you are
Like all other effects, grunt must be produced with great ac- pushing out the sound, similar to a sudden gust of air. But
curacy to avoid misuse of the voice. remember, it should always feel comfortable. '4>) 260
It may feel like you are holding back the air and at the same
Looking down the epiglottic fun nel
time trying to exhale very strongly, as if you are 'forcing' but
Arytenoid carti lages with correct support, or as if you are trying to force but in-
stead you apply a lot of support. Remember at the same time
Rim of the
keep the volume at a low or medium level. Later when you
have found the grunt, you can experiment with increasing
the volume. '4>) 261
Quad rate
membranes
Sing a note in Neutral at a low pitch. Give it a dark sound col-
Vocal cords our. Add more air than note and make long sustained sounds.
When you feel comfortable with this add more volume to the
Epig lottis sound and a lot of support, but keep the note as quiet as pos-
sible. '4>) 262
If you want to add more volume to the sound, think of adding

a "bite" like used in Overdrive (see 'Overdrive' on page 106).

It is easier to make more volume in the low part of the voice darker the sound becomes. The more power you use with lots
than in the high part. ~>) 263 of support, the more noise (grunt) is generated.
You can try to find grunt by:
Grunting requires a lot of support as it is strenuous both to Imitating the sound like you are really annoyed or find
let out the air and holding it back at the same time. If you do something extremely stupid. ~>) 409
not support a lot you will lose air too quickly and it will only Barking like a huge dog, while holding back the air. ~>) 410
be very short and quiet grunting lines that you will be able Imitating an angry or evil 'ore' (from the "Lord of the Rings"
to sing. So in order to make long phrases and more volume movies) . ~>) 411
in grunt be sure to have the necessary strength to support. Imitating the sound of very exaggerated moans and
groans . ~>) 412
You must, as always, be sure to maintain the three overall

principles. If you forget the principles for correct use of the
voice while grunting, it can feel very uncomfortable.
Grunt and pitch
Grunt may be used in all parts of the voice. However, it is
Finding grunt via growl mostly used in the low part of the voice. Be sure to support
Some singers find it easier to find the grunt via growling. Re- more and raise the larynx more as you ascend in pitch.
member that these suggestions are only meant to help you . If
you do not respond to them immediately, forget them.
Sing a growled low note with a lot of air, turn down the vol- Grunt and volume
ume and add more air. Avoid tilting the epiglottis backwards The volume in grunt can vary from quiet (p) to very loud (ff).
to cover the larynx (as in growl) but raise the epiglottis till it Remember to remove the air when you want to increase the
stands more upright. Take away the drumming of the aryt- volume.
enoids cartilages and you will have grunting . ~>) 264
Or you can growl with a "lazy" tongue and with a lot of air
added. ~>) 265 Grunt and sound colours
The sound colour of grunt is often dark. The larger you make
the vocal tract, the darker the sound colour becomes. You can
Finding grunt through images and sensations make the sound colour of the grunt darker by making more
Imagine you are forcing, but still apply a lot of support. room in the oral (mouth) cavity, for example by lowering the
Imagine you let the larynx "blow in the wind" while larynx or raising the palate. ~>) 266
grunting.
Imagine you have something in your lungs that you are try- In the low part of the voice it is easier to give the grunt a dark
ing to get rid of by blowing it out. sound colour than it is in the high part of the voice. In the
Keep the volume of a note very quiet, but the volume of low part of the voice, you can lower the back of the tongue
the air very loud. slightly, but not to the extent that it feels uncomfortable, and
be aware that it does not become a growl instead. In the high
part of the voice you need be sure not to lower the back of
Finding grunt through sound the tongue as this will restrict the larynx from rising which will
A grunt is a dark, guttural sound, full of noise. The more en- make the note difficult to reach and it can cause discomfort.
larged the vocal tract (particularly the mouth cavity), the

Exercises in grunt Find the grunting sound, then gradually add tone and re-
move the grunt. Go back and forth between the grunt and
Grunting is advanced technique, so you should be careful a clear note, but make sure it does not feel uncomfortable,
when experimenting. Make sure you are in full control of the tickle or hurt. Notice exactly what you do in moving from the
principles for the correct use of the voice and that you know clear note to the grunted one. Exaggerate what you do to ob-
your voice so well that you can feel exactly when it exceeds tain the grunt and become familiar with where the grunt is
its healthy limits. If you place it incorrectly, you will usually positioned and how it feels. '4>) 268
start coughing and tears will pour out of your eyes . At times
like these, you will be in no doubt that the grunt is incorrect. Notice in which part of the voice you think is the easiest for
you to grunt. Try to grunt three notes up and down in this
Remember when practising if something feels wrong or gives area. Start low and with one note at a time. Later you can do
discomfort, your voice is trying to tell you that you are doing the three-note scale in one breath. Transpose the exercise up-
something wrong. Respect these warning signs! Remember: wards and later downwards by half a tone at a time. '4>) 269
Singing should always feel comfortable.
The technique must have the intended effect immediately Sing a phrase from a song in which you think a grunt will
otherwise the training is not being done correctly. be suitable. Omit a note from the melody and make a grunt
If an exercise hurts or feels uncomfortable or wrong, then it instead. Then return to the melody. Practise doing the se-
IS wrong . You are the only one who knows how it feels, so quence 'note-grunt-note' until you can alternate between
trust your judgement. the grunt and a note without any discomfort or problems. '4>)
270
Once you have found the grunting sound, try to find the easi-
est position of the grunt, where it costs the least, and become Practise making the grunt softer. Notice it requires great con-
familiar with what you do to obtain it. trol to use a quiet grunt. Practise just how small a grunt you
are able to make.
You can also experiment by making the opening of the
mouth smaller when you are grunting. As if you imagine you
are about to yawn but want to hide it. Make the lips gently Warnings
meet when you practice grunting with air. Be sure not to If any of the exercises feel uncomfortable, tickle, or scratch,
tighten the lips or protrude the jaw. it is usually because you have lost the support, which means
Making the opening of the mouth smaller works as a 'resist- you are forcing you voice. Stop and try again with more sup-
ance', and makes it easier to control the airflow. In this way port. Hold back the air even more.
you can hold back and minimise the outflow of air and there- Make sure you apply enough support to make it feel com-
by control the Grunt better, and also sustain it for a longer fortable to grunt.
time. Later when you control the Grunt, you can open the In the beginning added air can make you can find grunt-
mouth as much as you like. ing easier. Later you must remove the air if you want to in-
crease the volume in grunting.
When you have found a comfortable position for the grunt Make sure not to lower the back of the tongue or the larynx
you can practice gradually sustaining it longer. It is a help to too much on higher notes when grunting as it will impair
remove the air when you want to sustain it longer. Build up the pitch.
the energy and the stamina in order to gain enough support Comply with the three overall principles of singing in order
to make it last a long time. '4>) 267 to avoid uncontrolled constriction and damaging the voice.

Screams
A scream is a sudden, often ferocious, loud and high-pitched light sound colour. Broaden the tongue and pull it backwards
note. Screams are effects that can contain several different behind the molars in the upper part of the mouth. Twang the
expressions and are usually used for powerful emotional out- epiglottic funnel and find the position in which you can get
bursts, such as horror, enthusiasm, or powerlessness . Screams the loudest sound without adding metal. The note will be
are used in many styles of music from Soul to Heavy Rock. sharp and light.
There are many types of screams; clear as well as distorted.
Now sing gradually higher as practised in Neutral until you
Screams are produced in a combination of levels from 1-6. are singing around a high C, i.e. C6 for women and CS for
The vocal cords produce a note and the vocal tract gives it a men. The note is sharp and pointed but without the metal
mode and a light sound colour (see 'Various levels of the vo- - it is Neutral - and may be called a twanged, metal-like Neu-
cal tract' on page 177). tral. When a note/ scream like this is sung in the high part of
In fact, screams are no different from other notes. A scream the voice, it can be loud, but in the middle part of the voice,
is actually just a high-pitched note in a given mode. So if you the sound will often be thinner and squeakier. The flatter and
can control the modes, you can make a scream. smaller you make the vocal tract and the more you twang the
epiglottic funnel, the lighter and sharper the sound will be-
The sound colour of screams, like other notes, can be altered come '4 >) 271 . If you add a slow vibrato in the high part of the
by changing the shape of the vocal tract, normally by twang- voice, you can obtain a sound like the screams of Ian Gillan in
ing the epiglottic funnel. You can make screams in various Deep Purple's "Child in Time".
modes depending on which sound or volume you want. It is
important that the mode is maintained even during the most You can also choose to lower the larynx a little while twang-
ferocious scream because it is the correct positioning of the ing. This makes the scream rounder.
mode that secures you against straining the voice. If you lose
the mode during a scream, it might feel very uncomfortable.
Usually the singer is seen coughing and with tears pouring Singers who use or used screams in Neutral
out of her/ his eyes. At times like these, you will be in no doubt James Brown, Ray Charles, Terence Trent D'Arby, Ian Gillan,
that the scream was performed incorrectly. Nina Hagen, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Bobby Kimball
(Toto), BB King, George Michael, Paul McCartney, Prince, Little
Remember when practising if something feels wrong or gives Richard, David Lee Roth, and Stevie Wonder.
discomfort, your voice is trying to tell you that you are doing
something wrong . Respect these warning signs! Remember:
Singing should always feel comfortable.
The technique must have the intended effect immediately Finding screams in Curbing
otherwise the training is not being done correctly.
If an exercise hurts or feels uncomfortable or wrong, then it Instead of choosing Neutral, you can add more metal to the
IS wrong. You are the only one who knows how it feels, so sound by making the scream in Curbing.
Sing in Curbing in a comfortable pitch on the vowels 'I' (as
in 'sit '), 'O' (as in 'woman'), or 'UH' (as in 'hungry'). Remem-
ber to twang the epiglottic funnel and raise the larynx as you
Finding screams in Neutral sing higher. Find the position that is most comfortable. It may
also be a help to raise the palate as you sing higher. The notes
Sing a note in Neutral without air at a comfortable pitch on are half-metallic but still powerful as all the metallic modes
the vowel 'AH ' (as in 'far') or 'EE' (as in 'see') and with a very

become louder the higher you sing. The sound may sound a
little more classical/rounder or restrained (at least compared Finding screams in several
to Edge). Sing gradually higher as practised in Curbing and
practise all the way, if possible, up to a high C (for both men modes
and women).The note is relatively powerful and pointed and
has a half-metallic sound and a medium to high volume. The You can also vary the sound of a scream during its course. In
lighter you can make the sound colour and the more you these screams, the vowels often determine the mode.
twang the epiglottic funnel at the same time, the easier it be- For example, you can start on '00' (as in 'you') in Neutral and
comes. ~>) 272 change to 'A' (as in 'and') for Edge. You can also make a scream
the opposite way. Start in Edge and use an 'A' (as in 'and') and
when you let go of the metallic sound, the vowel is altered to
Singers who use or used screams in Curbing '00' (as in 'you'). ~>) 274
Eva Cassidy.
James Brown, for example, often used to start his screams in
a high pitch in Edge and then gradually alter them . He made
the sound colour darker, dropped the pitch and ended up in
Finding screams in Edge Neutral.
You can make a scream by starting in Neutral on the vowel 'A'
Instead of choosing Curbing, you can add even more metal to and changing it to a metallic note (for example in Overdrive)
the sound by making the scream in Edge. while altering the vowel to 'OH' (as in 'so'). ~>) 275
Sing in Edge in a comfortable pitch on the vowels 'I' (as in

'sit'), 'EH' (as in 'stay'), or 'A' (as in 'and'). Remember to twang Singers who use or used combined screams
the epiglottic funnel, raise the larynx and broaden the tongue James Brown, Nina Hagen, Michael Jackson, Annie Lennox,
(pull it all the way back, behind the molars in the upper part Prince, Bruce Springsteen and Sly Stone.
of the mouth) so that the vocal tract is small and the sound
colour light. This will help keep the full-metallic sound of
Edge. Find the position that enables you to sing the loudest.
The note should be very sharp and metallic. Sing gradually Finding screams with
higher as practised in Edge and practise all the way, if pos-
sible, up to a high C (for both men and women). The note is
effects
sharp and pointed with a distinctly full -metallic sound and
a very high volume (ff). The lighter you can make the sound You can also add distortion to screams. The distortion can
colour and the more you can twang the epiglottic funnel at be produced with more or less tone. First practise the clear
the same time, the sharper and more full-metallic the sound scream, which means practising the underlying mode. When
becomes. ~>) 273 this is under control, practise adding distortion . When you
have perfected the distortion, you can decide how much to
addtothescream . ~>)276
Singers who use or used screams in Edge

James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Bobby Kim- You can choose any mix of noise and note, from a slight dis-
ball (Toto), Prince, and Tina Turner. tortion to a full distortion, perhaps even adding rattle. The
more distorted the scream, the more 'noise' and the less tone
is the results. Consequently, a full distortion scream is only
'noise' and no tone. This is often used by Joe Cocker. James
Brown often used distorted screams . ~>) 277

Certain singers, for example Prince, use the vocal flageolet to
create the distortion. These are known as flageolet screams.
~>) 278
Singers who use or used distorted screams

James Brown, Joe Cocker, Roger Daltrey, Terence Trent D'Arby,
Ian Gillan, Buddy Guy, Michael Jackson, Janis Joplin, Bobby
Kimball (Toto), Wilson Pickett, Prince and Tina Turner.
Acase story
Avery experienced hard rock/punk singer was getting hoarse
from distorted screams whilst recording. This was quite aprob-
lem as his screams were a major asset in his records and at the
concerts.
It turned out that the underlying mode in his distorted screams
was Edge and since it was not positioned correctly it strained
his voice. We worked on locating the centre of Edge to cre-
ate a proper foundation for the screams and worked on suf-
ficient support for the mode in order to make it obtainable.
We worked on twanging the epiglottic funnel more, raising
the larynx and directing the vowels towards 'I' (as in 'sit') or
'A' (as in 'and') in the high part of the voice. We then gradually
worked our way up in the mode to such high parts of the voice
that the notes became screams.
We worked on his ability to find and leave mode quickly and

finally we practised a healthy distortion in the screams. Now
that the singer controlled Edge, the distorted scream no longer
harmed his voice. As he also wanted darker screams at lower
pitches, we worked in Overdrive by establishing the 'bite' more
distinctly and altering the vowels to 'EH' (as in 'stay') and 'OH'
(as in 'so') in the higher part of the voice. While working with
Overdrive, the singer realised that his voice suddenly obtained
the richness and warmth that he had always wanted. It turned
out that he, in fact, had a secret dream of becoming a crooner
besides his career as a punk singer. The work on the distorted
screams did not take long, so he spent the rest of the time
crooning through old songs to the unbridled joy of the rest of
the band.

Intentional vocal breaks
A vocal break is an abrupt change in sound when going from important to be in complete control of the two modes you
one mode to another. Used as an effect, a vocal break can want to change between. Hence, it requires great technical
evoke many expressions such as surrender or devotion. Vo- control to determine where, when and how the vocal breaks
cal breaks will always involve the change to a non-metallic should appear.
note or a tlageolet. Vocal breaks can be used between all the
metallic modes and Neutral, or tlageolet and consequently It is important for a singer to be in control of at least two (of-
at different volumes, with different sound colours, in many ten more) modes or tlageolet to be able to perform and vary
parts of the voice and on many vowels. vocal breaks properly. One of the modes will always be Neu-
tral. Controlling the modes is described earlier in this book
Vocal break are produced in a combination of various levels (see 'Vocal Modes' on page 81 - 157).
from 1-6. The vocal cords producing a note, and the vocal When the modes or tlageolet are under control, practise
tract giving it a mode and sound colour. (see 'Various levels changing between them in order to produce the vocal breaks.
of the vocal tract' page 177).
The bigger the difference between the two modes, the more
distinct the vocal break. That is why vocal breaks are often
Intentional and unintentional vocal breaks used between full-metallic (Overdrive, Edge) and non-metal-
Vocal breaks often appear spontaneously in untrained sing- lic (Neutral) modes.
ers, because they do not have sufficient technique to main-
tain a mode when it becomes difficult. The voice changes
abruptly and spontaneously into another mode. These un- Use practise-vowels
controlled breaks can strain the voice and may interrupt a Practise-vowels can help you become more conscious about
singer's planned line of vocal sound . As a singer's technique which mode you are in. They also help you avoid misusing
improves the unwanted breaks are eliminated (see 'Solving the voice by choosing a wrong vowel in the modes. With
unintentional vocal breaks' on page 76). practise-vowels, each mode is sung with a predetermined
The singer may want to use vocal breaks as a means of ex- pattern of vowel, volume and sound colour (see 'Practise-
pression later in her/ his career. These controlled intentional vowels' on page 131).
vocal breaks are the ones dealt with in this chapter.
Singers who often use/used vocal breaks Finding vocal breaks

Sam Brown, La Voix Mystere Bulgare, Patsy Cline, Dido, Gypsy
Kings, Emmilou Harris, John Hiatt, Whitney Houston, Michael Sing a loud full metallic sound on the vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay')
Jackson, KO Lang, Leadbelly, Professor Longhair, Vera Lynn, in Overdrive on the note Bb4 for women or C4 for men. Make
Chris Martin (Coldplay), Alanis Morissette, Little Richard, Do- the 'bite' very distinct and sustain the note for a long time at
lores O'Riordan (Cranberries), Linda Ronstadt, Hank Williams, a powerful volume. Remember that it must not hurt or feel
and Brett Anderson uncomfortable. Let go of the 'bite', change to Neutral on the
vowel 'EE' (as in 'see') without changing the note. Make sure
the jaw changes into the loose position in Neutral and that
you immediately decrease the volume markedly. Notice the
Control the modes big difference in sound between the two modes.
It usually requires a lot of practise to change between modes Once you can do this quickly and without discomfort, try it
so quickly that the breaks sound good and feel healthy. Vocal again without 'preparing' for the change. To do this, imagine
breaks are often found in the marginal areas of a mode. These
areas are the most difficult to control and maintain, so it is
202 Complete Vocal Technique 201 2 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com

you are using the same volume in both modes - but remem- Vocal breaks between modes
ber that it is not actually possible to use the same volume You can obtain more distinct, abrupt and convincing vocal
in the two modes. This should create a vocal break in the breaks by:
change from Overdrive to Neutral. '4>) 279 choosing modes that are far apart in terms of character,
sound colour and volume
choosing the same vowel for both modes
Breaks between
Possible mutual vowels# Warnings maintaining the mode persistently and exaggerating it a
the modes
little just before the vocal break
~ .... e I, UH,O
~ .... e I, UH , O If a vocal break is not heard distinctly, it is usually because the
CXl .... 9 05 / E~5 mode you are breaking FROM is not exaggerated enough.
e EH, OH Not above
cfc5
CXl .... e EH, OH Not above

9 05 / E~5
cfc5 To the left you will find a diagram of the modes between
which vocal breaks can be performed. Not all vocal breaks
a. .... e I, EH , A , OE
are equally distinct in the beginning but they become more
a. .... e I, EH , A, OE noticeable with practise. Use practise-vowels at first and try
the vowels shown in the diagram later.
#The choice of vowels is on ly restricted in the high part of the voice. In the
low part you can use all vowels .
If you are a very experienced singer and are very conscious
e Neutral with air <;> Forwomen

of your technique, you can experiment with making vocal
e Neutral without air cf For men

breaks to and from the vocal flageolet. This will make your
breaks more distinct, but you must know when and when not
~ Curbing
to use the vocal flageolet, so as not to ruin your technique
o::J Overdrive
(see 'Solving split in the voice' on page 79 or 'Flageolet' page
a_ Edge
66).
Remember to practise the vocal break in reverse too, in this

case from Neutral to Overdrive. The procedure is the same: Exercises in vocal breaks
first control the two modes separately, sing them rapidly
one after the other at their individual volumes and then sing Sing two notes, each from a different mode (one of them
them as if they could obtain the same volume. must be Neutral) and choose the pitch, vowel, volume and
sound colour you find easiest in those modes. Now sing the
first note, pause and then sing the second note. Once you can
do this, omit the pause and increase the speed. When you are
Yodelling able to control this rapid change, use the same vowel in both.
Yodelling is a series of rapid changes (breaks) between Over- Always respect the limitations of the modes.
drive and Neutral, often with leaps of sixths or sevenths. Like Later, practise keeping the change of mode and the break
all the other breaks, this can be practised by achieving the but reduce the interval (the distance between two notes) un-
sound of the break first and then gradually speeding up the til you are singing the vocal break on the same note. '4>) 279
changes/breaks. '4>) 280
Find several small phrases with text. Decide which modes will
be suitable for which vowels in the lyric. Sing the phrase and

make a vocal break between the modes. Combine certain vo- starting modes, so you do not have to sing in too high a pitch
cal breaks with certain musical phrases so that you are always in it (especially women). Transpose the exercise upwards by
able to find that specific break by singing that specific phrase. half a tone at a time.
Later, you can transpose the phrases upwards by half a tone

at a time. First practice the vocal breaks at a relatively low An octave scale
pitch and then sing them at a higher pitch. When you arrive
cf sta rt F3
at a pitch where Overdrive can no longer be used, replace the
mode with another (often Edge), so as not to strain the voice.
Be sure the vocal break is still audible. You can also obtain a great effect by making a vocal break
from a metallic mode to no sound and then back to a me-
Practise increasing the interva l between the two notes of the tallic mode again. At first, practise the vocal break from and
vocal break. Start by practising a certain vocal break on the to the metallic modes you want. When you are in control of
same note and then increase the interval between the two the break between the metallic mode and Neutral, sing the
notes. Again, be careful not to sing in too high a pitch in Over- mode that you break to for just long enough to hear the vocal
drive. ~>) 281 break, but not so long that a note appears. When you break
back again, do it the same way- begin the mode the moment
You might also practise vocal breaks on scales . Start from 04 the break is about to appear. ~>) 283
(for women) or F3 (for men) and sing up and down through This is an advanced exercise so you should be careful when
five notes. Sing the first two notes in Neutral and the next two experimenting. Make sure you are in full control of vocal
in Overdrive and continue this pattern. Make the difference breaks, know the overall principles for the correct use of the
between the two modes as distinct as possible so there is no voice and know your voice so well that you can feel exactly
doubt about which mode you are singing in. when it exceeds its healthy limits.
Now select a small phrase from a melody. Decide where in the
cf start F3 ~~ j j ~ j
e CXl e
~ Jj J
CXl e
I
phrase a vocal break will be most suitable and which modes
you want to break to and from . Remember a break always will
involve the Neutral mode or tlageolet. Isolate the modes and
AH EH AH EH AH
pp /m p fl ff pp I mp ff ff pp/mp practise a quick change between them (perhaps with the use
of practise-vowels) until you are in control of the break. Later,
replace the practise-vowels with the actual vowels of the lyric
Exercise slowly at first, so that you have time for the change of and then practise the break with the lyrics. Insert the vocal
mode. Later, you can practise more quickly, but never make break into the melody and practise this until you can control
the changes so fast that you lose control of the breaks . Trans- it. Vocal breaks usually become more distinct the more they
pose the exercise upwards by half a tone at a time. Again, be are practised. Finally, transpose the exercise upwards by half
careful not to sing in too high a pitch when you sing in Over- a tone at a time, but be careful not to sing at too high a pitch
drive (especially for women) . ~>) 282 for Overdrive (especially women). ~>) 284
This exercise may also be extended to include octave scales. When you have practised vocal breaks, remind yourself of
For example, change mode on every third note. Make a suc- the inaudible transitions between modes to ensure that vo-
cession of modes so that you go through all of them dur- cal breaks have not been worked in so much that they appear
ing the exercise. Remember a break will always involve the unintentionally.
Neutral mode or tlageolet. Choose Overdrive as one of the

If some of the vocal breaks feel uncomfortable, tickle or
scratch, it is because the modes are not positioned correct-
ly. Practise each mode separately until they feel comfort-
able. Then practise making the change between the modes
quicker and quicker. Finally practise the change, still without
a vocal break, until you are performing the two modes cor-
rectly. Subsequently, you can make vocal breaks between the
modes or falgeolet and, at the same time, keep the correct
and healthy positions of the modes.
Warnings
The higher you sing, the more support you must provide
to avoid uncontrolled constriction or unintentional vocal
breaks
Make sure you do not exceed the limitations of the modes
regarding pitch, vowels, volumes and sound colours
Be careful not to choose too dark a sound colour for the
metallic modes during the vocal breaks

Air added to the voice
Air added to the voice (breathiness) can be very straining if Singers who use or used air added to the voice
the three overall principles are not respected (see 'Forcing' The Bee Gees, Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, Art Garfunkel,
on page 27). In this chapter, the controlled use of breathy Astrud Gilberto ("The Girl From lpanema"), Whitney Houston,
sounds will be explained which, if applied correctly, are just Julio Iglesias, Enrique Iglesias, Marilyn Monroe, Diana Ross,
as healthy as other effects. Dusty Springfield, Sarah Vaughan and Dionne Warwick.
Air added to the voice are produced at the vocal cord level,
level 1. (see 'Various levels of the vocal tract' page 177). Control the Neutral mode
Before experimenting with adding air to the voice, you must
Air added to the voice usually gives an impression of intimacy be able to control Neutral. That is, you must be able to sing
and nearness, and is often used when you are singing qui- the mode in all parts of the voice, with all sound colours and
etly in Neutral within the microphone's sphere 1 in which the vowels and at low volumes. Before you start adding air to
microphone is held close to the mouth. For example, when the voice, you must also be capable of removing involuntary
the high frequencies from a breathy voice mix with the bass breathiness from very quiet volumes (pp). This effectively
boost of the microphone, the broad, soft sound intensifies means that you must be able to sing all notes, vowels, vol-
and gives 'body' to a frail and light female voice. umes and sound colours in Neutral WITHOUT breathiness
first. If you can do this, you can safely say the breathiness
Air added to the voice is ONLY to be used in Neutral. There- does not come from insufficient technique.
fore, it can only be used at low volumes . You may think you
have heard air added to a loud voice, but you have to realise When you are sure you can control Neutral, try releasing a
that in today's recording studios effects are added to voices small amount of air together with the note. Notice that you
to make them SOUND as if air is added to them, for instance actually only need to release a small amount of air to get a
a track with whispering of the song can be mixed with the breathy sound. If you increase the amount of air, you will not
metallic singing in loud volume. This may sound like you are achieve a more breathy sound but only force the voice, which
singing with air on a metallic mode in a powerful volume. Do can be damaging and may feel uncomfortable.
not be deceived by this. Using added air in a metallic mode or
at a powerful volume is unhealthy for the voice.
Air only appears on the voice when it passes through the vo- Finding
. air added to the
cal cords as the tone is produced . If too much air is allowed to
pass, it may impair the efficiency of the cords and make the voice
voice tired and you will run out of breath too quickly. By sup-
porting correctly, you can reduce the amount of air that pass- Remember only to practise adding air in Neutral.
es and still preserve enough to produce the sound of added
air whilst ensuring that the vocal cords are free to work. In Sing a quiet note on the vowel 'AH' (as in 'far') at a comfort-
this way, the added air does not harm the voice. It is possible able pitch . Now try to add more air to the note without reduc-
to sing with air added to all parts of the voice, in all sound ing the support or trigger uncontrolled constriction. A soft
colours and on all vowels, but only in Neutral. hissing sound will appear together with the note. Initially,
make sure this sound is much smaller than the note. If the
If you are using distinct twang together with air it can mag- hissing sound is louder than the note, stop the exercise and
nify the impression of air. start again with a slightly louder note (still in Neutral). Adding
air to the voice should not feel different from singing without

added air. The only difference is that it may feel like the vocal
cords are slightly relaxed so that the air may pass. It should Exercises for adding air to
feel as if you are singing Neutral without air with just a bit
of added air. However, if you allow too much air to pass the the voice
cords, this feeling will disappear. Find the exact amount of air
to add. Sustain the note with added air for a relatively long Remember when practising if something feels wrong or gives
time and feel the amount of support energy required. discomfort, your voice is trying to tell you that you are doing
something wrong. Respect these warning signs! Remember:
Sing up and down through three notes with air added to the Singing should always feel comfortable.
voice and concentrate on singing the notes the same way as The technique must have the intended effect immediately
in Neutral without air. Imagine that you use the same amount otherwise the training is not being done correctly.
of support as usual, plus a little extra to sustain the added If an exercise hurts or feels uncomfortable or wrong, then it
air. Notice the extra amount of support required to add air. IS wrong. You are the only one who knows how it feels, so
When you have become familiar with this extra support, you trust your judgement.
can choose to add air at any time in Neutral so long as you
add the extra support. Practise adding air to the voice in the same way you practise
the Neutral mode. Practise scales of three and five notes,
It may be a problem to keep the added air, especially in the
A three -note scale
high part of the voice. The underlying note may even disap-
pear. If this happens, return to a Neutral without air and do r1 start F3 J J 1
the same exercise. You will probably discover that the note
requires more support than expected. Return to the exercise
A five-note scale
with added air and apply increased support PLUS the small
amount of extra support required to sustain the air added to r1 start F3
the voice.
By using light sound colours and distinct twang together with

the air, it can give the impression of an increased amount of
An octave scale
r1 start F3 $JJ JJJJfr f JJJJJJ I
air. Practice singing with air added with little or a lot of twang
and with dark as well as light sound colours.
Arpeggios
If you want to experiment with just how loud you are able to r1 start F3
sing with air added to the voice, you must control the three
overall principles of singing and make sure you know your
voice so well that you feel the moment you exceed its healthy
limits.

octaves, interval leaps and arpeggios. Use various vowels, You should only practise adding air to the voice if you can
sound colours and volumes. Be careful not to sing too loudly control Neutral without any problem.
with added air as this seems unnatural and takes a lot of en- Remember to comply with the three overall principles of
ergy for most singers. If the volume is too loud, you are at risk singing .
of forcing the voice which may ruin your technique and strain Be careful not to sing in a metallic mode while adding air as
the voice. ~>) 285 it might cause severe uncontrolled constriction which can
lead to damage of the voice.
Practise a song in Neutral with air. ~>) 67 The higher you sing with added air, the more support is
needed
Do not sing too loudly with air added as it will force the
When adding air to the voice is difficult voice which might feel uncomfortable and be extremely
In some countries, e.g. in Scandinavia it is easy to add air to wearing.
the voice as these singers almost always have some air added
to the voice when singing in Neutral. The completely non-
breathy sound usually demands extensive and regular prac-
tice for most singers.
If you find it difficult to add air to the voice, it might be be-

cause you naturally have a non-breathy voice or that you are
used to singing or speaking in a metallic mode.
If you feel it is difficult to add air, you can start by whisper-
ing. Whisper a vowel and gradually add more and more tone.
The more tone you apply, the less air you must add to avoid
forcing the voice which is harmful. Therefore, make sure the
note is distinct and that the added air is only a minor sound
compared to the note. Later, when you can control air on the
voice, you can alter the balance of note and air as you wish .
If you sing in a metallic mode, even an ATTEMPT to add air to

the voice can be damaging. Be sure to use Neutral when you
practise adding air to the voice.
Warnings
Remember to use only the Neutral mode when you want to
add air.
Also remember to practise Neutral WITHOUT adding air to

the voice first so that the added air does not begin to appear
involuntarily.

Vibrato
Children and untrained singers usually do not have vibrato Practising hammer vibrato
in their voice. It is often found when they have been singing Inhale and then exhale with many small stops and the feeling
for a while. of holding back your breath. Copy the sound of a bleating
After having acquired a vibrato it usually requires a good deal sheep or a machine gun . This is a hammer vibrato. Practise
of technique to be able to sing without. Very skilled and ex- the rapid pulsations until they become LIGHT and EVEN. Re-
perienced singers often chose to alternate singing with and member that it must never be unpleasant or painful. Remem-
without vibrato depending on musical style. ber to use the three overall principles: use support, use neces-
The speed and range of the vibrato can vary greatly from sary twang and avoid protruding the jaw and tightening the
singer to singer. lips. '4>) 287
Two types
There are two types of vibrato: 'hammer' and 'laryngeal' vi- Laryngeal vibrato
brato. Hammer vibrato is particularly characterised by pulsa-
tion, whereas laryngeal vibrato is characterised by both pul- The second type of vibrato is laryngeal vibrato or 'throat' vi-
sation and difference in pitch . Both vibratos may be acquired brato. The difference between notes in this vibrato may be
through practice. more or less distinct. Laryngeal vibrato is achieved by moving
the larynx up and down creating a variation in pitch . This vi-
brato is most likely produced in a combination of levels from
1-4. The vocal cords produce the pitch and the hypopharynx
Hammer vibrato produces the speed (see 'Various levels of the vocal tract' on
page 177).
Hammer vibrato is also known as 'vocal cord' vibrato. It
sounds like a long sequence of pulsations on the same note. This vibrato is often slower and has a broader pitch range
It may be thought of as a long line of attacks. Hammer vibrato than hammer vibrato and also has a larger difference be-
is most likely produced at the vocal cord level, i.e. Level 1 (see tween notes. If your jaw and tongue are very loose, laryngeal
'Various levels of the vocal tract' on page 177). vibrato may from time to time be accompanied by a quiver-
ing tongue, jaw and sometimes head. Distinct laryngeal vi-
If hammer vibrato is used in Overdrive or Edge it may sound brato is often used by crooners, jazz singers and blues sing-
like a bleating sheep or a machine gun. The Vibrato may be ers. '4>) 288
trained to reach the desired speed of pulsations. It is often
heard in ethnic musics such as Arab singing and flamenco
singing. It is also used by some French singers like Edith Piaf Practising laryngeal vibrato
and Charles Aznavour and by several folk singers. Hammer You can practise laryngeal vibrato by alternating between
vibrato may be used as a preliminary exercise for practising two notes. Choose two notes not very far apart (e.g. a ma-
rapid runs of notes (see 'Techniques for Ornamentation' on jor second or D-E-D-E and so on for women and F-G-F-G for
page 213). '4>) 286
3 3 3 3
Diagram 1
r:1 start FO
$JJJJJJ;a;aJJJJJJJJJJJJJJjJJJjJJJjJJJjJJJ 1
3 3 3 3
Diagram 2
r:1 start FO
'J d JJ;a ;an ;a JJJ JJJ JJJ JJJ JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ1
men). Accelerate the alternation between the notes. Practise when you keep the three overall principles while thinning a
making the movement as fast and as even as possible (dia- note using extensive support, for example if the volume is
gram 1). Then choose two notes even closer together (e.g. a decreased without lessening the support energy.
minor second or D-Eb-D-Eb for women and F-Gb-F-Gb for
men) and again practise speeding up the tonal alternation Vibrato can be practiced in the same way as thinning or pia-
(diagram 2). nissimo (see 'Volume' on page 64). Sing a powerful note with
good support and no uncontrolled constriction. Jump up an
Finally, make a vibrato near the same note (i.e. quarter tones octave and keep the quality of the note. Gradually decrease
or even smaller intervals) and practise making the movement the volume, keep the necessary twang and maintain the sup-
as small and even as possible. You can help the vibrato by port energy as if the note were still powerful. If you have no
using the vibration in the soft palate. Imagine that you are uncontrolled constriction, the vibrato can be heard at the end
speaking like an old woman or man and feel how that the soft of the note. Feel a delicate vibration in the soft palate. Once
palate is vibrating . Try to exaggerate this sensation and feel you know this feeling, you can assist it by making the move-
that you can make the soft palate move by imagining that ment bigger if you want a bigger vibrato. Make sure that the
you are pulling/pushing in the soft palate. '4>) 289 jaw is not protruded and that the support is kept in motion
This means that it is not locked in any way and should be dy-
namic, not static. Be patient. In the beginning, you might only
Practising speed experience a very small vibrato that can be difficult to hear.
The pulsation speed of both vibratos can be trained . You can Practice with somebody else as it is easier for another listener
practise altering the speed of a vibrato by using a metro- to hear the beginning of vibrato. '4>) 291
nome. Set the metronome at 60 beats per minute and make
three sound pulsations per beat. Say 'sss-sss-sss' or 'hey-ey-
ey'. Practise these pulsations until they sound similar and An octave leap
even. '4>) 290
<:!start F3
Then practise making four or five pulsations per beat. Imag-

ine the pulsations moving forwards, not up and down. Use
more support if the vibrato is not even. Speed up the vibrato
by speeding up the metronome (i .e. increasing the 'bpm' or Vibrato as images and sensations
'beats per minute') until you reach the pulsation speed you To work with vibrato can be described as the singer having
want. twice as much support as a certain volume demands and
at the same time keeping the "throat open". If the value of
Make sure when you sing with vibrato that it is according to support is 100 and volume is also 100, the note will be with-
the subdivision in the rhythm, unless you for artistic reasons out vibrato. If the value of support is 100 but volume is 50
deliberately chose something else. A vibrato which is not in and the throat is "kept open", the extra 50 can be used for
accordance with the subdivision may blur the rhythm. creating vibrato.
Support must be firm and not jumpy.
The sound is like one continuous stream with grooves on
the surface.
Practice vibrato on a note The sensation is relaxed (not the support though) and with
A vibrato that is developing during a melodic phrase requires no heavy pumping action.
that the throat is not uncontrolled constricted and that the
support is working well. Vibrato often occurs automatically

Practise making the vibrato slower '4>) 294
Using vibrato
Practise a song with hammer vibrato '4>) 295
Skilled singers use vibrato to emphasise expression. Both
types of vibrato can be used in a song. Practise a song with laryngeal vibrato '4>) 296
Many singers adjust the speed of the vibrato to the rhythmic
subdivisions of the song . For example, you might choose to Practise a song with no vibrato '4>) 297
put a slow vibrato in a slow song and a fast vibrato in a fast
song . A frequently used method to emphasise intensity is to Practise adjusting the vibrato to the subdivison in the music
start on a note without a vibrato and then gradually add it to- in 4/4 '4>) 298
wards the end '4>) 292. You may add intensity at special places
in the song by making the vibrato increasingly faster '4>) 293 Practise adjusting the vibrato to the subdivison in the music
or by slowing it down '4>) 294. in 6/8 '4>) 299
Different musical styles have different individual preferences

as regards the types of vibrato used. Classical singers often
sing with a larger vibrato than rock singers. Rock singers Too much vibrato
hardly ever start a note with vibrato, whereas classical sing-
ers almost always use vibrato from the beginning of the note. Some singers have a problem with too much vibrato (also
called 'wobble'). This is usually because the support is too
If vibrato is wanted in Overdrive, Edge and Curbing, it must slack '4>) 300. The problem is solved by singing more pow-
be added consciously. Vibrato usually costs even more en- erfully and supporting so much that the vibrato disappears.
ergy in these modes However, it usually requires more energy than the singer is ac-
customed to. The increased support values must be practised
and maintained as long as you want to lessen the vibrato.
Exercises in Vibrato Most singers have a tendency to add more vibrato as they
get older. For this reason, regular practising of singing entire-
Remember when practising if something feels wrong or gives ly without vibrato is a great exercise for all singers. This de-
discomfort, your voice is trying to tell you that you are doing mands a lot of support and it increases the awareness of how
something wrong . Respect these warning signs! Remember: much vibrato you use unconsciously. A great value of support
Singing should always feel comfortable. is demanded in order to remove the vibrato altogether. Place
The technique must have the intended effect immediately a hand on the solar plexus and feel the bulge being gradu-
otherwise the training is not being done correctly. ally pressed outward for as long as a note without vibrato is
If an exercise hurts or feels uncomfortable or wrong, then it wanted (remember at the same time gently to pull in the ab-
IS wrong. You are the only one who knows how it feels, so domen). '4>) 297
Start a note without vibrato and gradually add it towards the Involuntary vibrato
end '4>)292 Some singers have an involuntary, rapid vibrato, especially
towards the end of phrases. This is a vocal malfunction. This
Practise making the vibrato faster '4>) 293 very rapid quiver in the voice is usually due to a lack of sup-
port which makes the note unstable. At first it may sound like

a hammer vibrato but the main difference is that it cannot be The notes should now be without any kind of vibrato. This will
removed at will. usually require much more energy than you are accustomed
Different voices react differently. For most singers, a lack of to. These new levels of support energy must be practised and
support produces an uncontrolled constriction that will, to a you should under no circumstances sing with less energy.
greater or lesser degree, restrict the voice and thereby pre- When you are able to control single notes without involun-
vent it from reaching the high notes. But for others, lack of tary vibrato, continue by practising small scales, for example
support results in a involuntary vibrato. Involuntary vibrato up and down through three or five notes, until you are able
are therefore often heard among experienced singers who to manage this. Afterwards, you can sing longer sequences,
over many years, despite insufficient support, have learned perhaps octave scales, without an involuntary vibrato. ~>) 302
to overcome their problems in reaching high notes. ~>) 301
You should continue to work with this extra support energy
until you are convinced the involuntary vibrato has disap-
peared. When you can sing with the very last bit of air and
Acase story the involuntary vibrato does not return, it has finally gone. Try
Avery experienced actor and singer was not happy with her singing longer sequences of two octaves up and down and
vibrato which was too fast and appeared unintentionally. be sure the involuntary vibrato does not appear, not even
The involuntary vibrato had appeared because she had sung when you run out of support energy.
without sufficient support for so long. We started working on
exercises in which she sang so loudly and with such a constant
amount of support that a vibrato could not appear. It was easy
to hear when the notes were lacking support because the in-
voluntary vibrato returned immediately. Now she started the
important work of practising the extra amount of support until
it entered her muscle memory. For a while, she had to be very
aware of when the involuntary vibrato appeared and remove it
by providing extra support. After three weeks of practising, the
extra amount of support became a natural part of her singing
and the involuntary vibrato no longer appeared.
Getting rid of involuntary vibrato or wobble

If you have an involuntary vibrato in your voice, you should
get rid of it as soon as possible. The longer a involuntary vi-
brato or a wobble is allowed to stay, the more distinct it may
become and the harder it is to remove. It may become so en-
trenched that it manifests itself on all notes and not just in the
end of the phrases.
An involuntary vibrato can be difficult to get rid of. Start by

exercising your support until it becomes strong and learn
how to control it so you can intensify it at will. Subsequently,
sing only quite powerful notes with a lot of support energy.

Techniques for Ornamentation
'Ornamentation' means to decorate singing. The decorations
can be both melodic and rhythmic. They are also known as The hammer vibrato
'fast phrasings', rapid 'runs of notes', or (in classical music)
'coloratura' or 'melisma'. Fast phrasings or melismas are often
method
used in world music, Gospel, R 'n' B music and many operas.
~l) 316 Sing a hammer vibrato (see 'Hammer Vibrato' on page 209)
and make sure the vibrato is rhythmically even. It does not
Ornamentations are most likely produced in a combination of matter if the vibrato is very jagged at first. Practise it until it is
various levels from 1-6. The vocal cords producing the pitch, completely even at all speeds.
and the vocal tract producing the grid. (see 'Various levels of
the vocal tract' page 177).
It can be very difficult to make a rapid run of notes even and Note
equal as they can often become untidy and un-rhythmic, and

the melodic line can get blurred, hazy and indistinct. You can
Less s t a c c a t o - -
achieve an even and equal rapid run of notes by using orna- ____...--v lill. .
.i im'../ illl'../
'../ ....
ll[;;m'../ illl'../
'../ '../
llllmllliiilll
mentation technique. However, before you can benefit from Note
the technique, you have to know exactly which notes you

want to sing in the ornamentation. If you do not know this, Practise hammer vibrato till it becomes light and even and less staccato.
the ornamentation is rarely successful. To help you decide see

'Improvisation and phrasing' on page 234. Then practise the vibrato until it becomes light and less jag-
It is not difficult to learn to perform ornamentation tech- ged. It still has to be even, but keep the underlying note all
nique, but it usually takes a good deal of practice and time. the way through . Practise a faster as well as a slower tempo
of the hammer vibrato, and maintain its lightness. When you
can control the speed, you have the 'grid' which is the back-
Singers who use or used ornamentation technique: bone of ornamentation technique . ~>) 303
Cristina Aguilera, Cecilia Bartoli, Beyonce, Michael Bolton,
Boyz II Men, Maria Callas, Khaled Hadj Brahim, Mariah Carey,
Randy Crawford, Celine Dion, Lauryn Hill, Whitney Houston,
James Ingram, Freddie Jackson, Om Kalsoum, Nusrat Fateh The laryngeal vibrato
Ali Khan and Stevie Wonder.
method
There are two ways of achieving the backbone of ornamenta-
tion technique. One is through hammer vibrato and the other If you are able to do a very slow laryngeal vibrato, you can
through laryngeal vibrato. You can use the one you prefer. use that as your starting point (see 'Laryngeal Vibrato' on
page 209). Sing the laryngeal vibrato as slowly as possible
and stress the sound every time the pitch is at its lowest. Now
gradually make the stress more distinct so that in the end you
do not hear the difference in pitch in the vibrato. Now the
laryngeal vibrato has changed into pulsations on one note -
not movements up and down in pitch. When you can control
these stresses and its speed, you have the 'grid' which is the
backbone of ornamentation technique . ~>) 304
Complete Vocal Techniqu e 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com 213

Exercises in ornamentation advanced melodic training ' on page 236). Make sure the grid
technique remains even and light. Combining the grid with notes is the
ornamentation technique. ~ >) 307
Remember when practising if something feels wrong or gives Alternate between singing notes with and without the grid
discomfort, your voice is trying to tell you that you are doing so you can add or remove it at will. ~ >) 308
something wrong. Respect these warning signs! Remember:
Singing should always feel comfortable. Practise the grid in all modes . ~ >) 309
The technique must have the intended effect immediately
otherwise the training is not being done correctly. Practise the ornamentation technique singing different notes
If an exercise hurts or feels uncomfortable or wrong, then it in the grid in all modes. Be aware that it requires more energy
IS wrong. You are the only one who knows how it feels, so in some modes than in others.
trust your judgement. Neutral with air ~ >) 310
Neutral without air ~ >) 311
Use the 'grid' and the vowel 'I ' (as in 'sit'), choose a beat and Curbing ~ >) 312
divide it into two (eighth notes or quavers). Then divide it Overdrive ~ >) 313
into three (triplets), then into four (sixteenth notes or semi- Edge ~ >) 314
quavers) and then into six (sixteenth triplets or semiquaver
triplets). Practise increasing and decreasing the tempo and Practise va rious rhythmic sequences with the ornamentation
use a metronome if you wish . ~ >) 305 technique. Create rapid, rhythmic ornamentations by putting
different rhythmic sequences together. ~ >) 315
.o .o mmmJmJ
3 3
Choose a song and decide where to place fast ornamenta -

tions. First place the grid on long notes in the subdivision you
want. When this is under control, use different notes on the
Use for example three, four or five pulsations per beat in the grid. When you do not use the grid, you can sing completely
grid. On the first pulsation of every third, fourth or fifth sing free of any kind of vibrato as this provides greater contrast to
a different note (in other words, change note on every beat). the rapid run of notes. Later, you can add all kinds of vibrato
Once you can do this, sing a scale up and down through three to where there was no vibrato before. When you are in con-
notes. When you are comfortable with this, go up to six or trol of all this, you can choose freely between different kinds
more pulsations per beat and repeat the scale. Repeat the ex- of vibrato within the same phrasing . ~>) 316
ercise starting half a tone higher each time. ~ >) 306
Acase story
cf start F3 ' JJJfnJJJJJJJJJ
3 3 3 3 3
I An experienced jazz singer who used fast rhythmic changes,
breaks and many rapid runs of notes had problems on a tour
with hoarseness and too low volume. He was afraid that he
Next, instead of chang ing note on every beat, change on might have to cancel that night's performance.
every pulsation in the grid. When you are comfortable with It turned out he exclusively sang in Curbing because it required
this, try alternating between interval jumps and scales. Then less energy than Overdrive or Edge. Furthermore, Curbing had
go on to small melodic sequences . The very experienced made it easier for him to sing ornamentations and make many
may w ish to use pentatonic and blues scales (see 'Exercises in rhythmic changes. However, Curbing has the disadvantage

that you cannot sing very loudly (ff) and it was his attempts to
sing loudly that caused the uncontrolled constriction and made
him sound hoarse.
We worked on keeping the three overall principles by means

of increased support, necessary twang and removed the un-
controlled constriction he had worked in. Soon the voice was
clear again. After this, we worked in Overdrive for the phrases
in which he wanted a louder volume. We established the 'bite'
and directed the vowels towards 'EH' (as in 'stay') and 'OH' (as
in 'so') in the higher part of the voice. In this way, his voice got
accustomed to producing full-metallic instead of half-metallic
sounds every time he wanted a powerful volume. For the rapid
runs of notes, however, he still used Curbing as he wanted a
more moderate volume for these parts. When he had learnt
to alternate between Curbing and Overdrive and to use the
modes correctly in accordance with volume, he had acquired
greater volume and, at the same time, maintained the light-
ness of the rapid runs of notes. He no longer sounded hoarse
and had no problems carrying through that night's perfor-
mance or the rest of the tour.

Hoarseness
There can be a number of reasons why a voice becomes acid reflux coming up from the stomach
hoarse. If you remain hoarse for a long period of time you allergies
should always seek an opinion from a specialist and have your some medications
voice examined for a diagnosis. A medical voice specialist is structural changes in the vocal cords such as:
known as a Laryngologist or Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon the early stages of nodules on the vocal cords
specialising in voice problems or Phoniatrician. They should a cyst
look at your vocal cords with either a small, rigid telescope a polyp
introduced through the mouth or a fibre optic endoscope a bleed into the vocal cord
passed through the nose into the throat. It is really important nerve damage (very rare)
that the specialist is able to examine the vibratory pattern of
the vocal cords. To do this s/he must use stroboscopy, high
speed digital imaging or videokymography. Most will use
stroboscopy whereby a flashing light is used to examine the When the voice is strained
vibratory pattern of the vocal cords. You should ensure that If you have severe and long term uncontrolled constriction
your specialist uses one of these methods otherwise more the mucous membranes of the vocal cords can become irri-
subtle abnormalities may be missed. Most specialists should tated and swell (medical term 'oedema'). This makes it difficult
be able to record the images of your larynx onto a computer for the vocal cords to vibrate as rapidly as before resulting in
or video recorder so that you too can see the images if you a lower pitch and a darker sound . The swelling also prevents
wish. Some may be able to give you a photograph or digi- the vocal cords from closing properly, allowing air to whistle
tal image so it is worth taking a USB (memory) stick with you through them, creating the hoarse, dark and breathy sound.
when you are seen in the clinic.
Hoarseness does not necessarily mean the voice is so strained Singing when the voice is hoarse
that you should not use it. In most cases it is caused by new If a singer sings despite having a hoarse voice (perhaps be-
uncontrolled constrictions that have affected the voice but cause of a scheduled concert) s/he must strain to make the
no permanent damage to the voice has been done. The vocal cords close properly. This puts large amount of pressure
singer sounds hoarse but the voice is not damaged. This un- on the cords, especially at the point of the swelling. It takes a
controlled constriction can usually be released within a few lot of strength to 'squeeze out' a clear sound from swollen
hours. When this is done the voice is fine and sounds normal vocal cords. It is, however, possible. Many singers complete
(see 'Emergency Aid' on page 225). concerts even though the high notes may fail.
Singing with incorrect technique when the voice is hoarse

The hoarseness can be due to: usually makes your voice even more hoarse. The vocal cords
too much or inappropriate muscle tension (i.e. muscle ten- may swell so much after a concert they are no longer able
sion imbalance) leading to constriction due to: to vibrate normally and the voice simply goes. You often
singing or speaking with incorrect technique hear singers say, 'How strange! I was hoarse before I went on
stress stage. When I was singing it went all right but afterwards I
emotions couldn't utter a sound'. This phenomenon is not so strange
inflammation due to: when you know the physiology of the voice. To sing, the per-
irritation, such as smoke former has to 'squeeze out' notes from swollen vocal cords by
drying of the vocal cords constricting them uncontrolledly even more. The vocal cords
infection react afterwards by swelling up even more.

Avicious circle thickening gets larger and larger and finally it stops the cords
Many singers do not believe that singing with swollen vocal from working (see diagram). Now the voice fails to the extent
cords causes problems because the voice works when the that the singer cannot continue her/his career.
cords are forced together, so the singer keeps on singing and
uncontrolled constricting. But the swelling only gets worse The singer sees a doctor who diagnoses 'nodules on the vocal
the more the singer continues to irritate the vocal cords, espe- cords' or 'singer's nodes'. By definition, you talk about nod-
cially at the area most affected by the uncontrolled constric- ules when there are swellings on both vocal cords opposite
tion. Eventually this swollen part will stop the rest of the cords each other.
from closing properly. This sets up a vicious circle. Only the
swollen areas come together which again increases the pres-
sure on the swollen areas which again causes further swelling. Voice rest, speech therapy, or operation
At a certain time the vocal cords get a more or less permanent If you get nodules it is a sign that something is wrong with
thickening opposite each other at the most swollen area. This your technique. You can try a period of complete voice rest,
Uncontrolled constriction caused by poor technique
In severe cases an operation may

be necessary, but this does not
necessari ly solve the problem. If
the singer does not improve her/
jfJ .
:
Uncontrolled constriction
make the cords swell
creating a hoarse sound .
his technique the vicious circle

starts again.
Persistent singing with swollen

cords makes the swelling worse ,
Consequently, there are two swollen areas
especial ly in the area most affected
opposite each other stopping the cords from
by uncontrolled constriction . The
working properly. The doctor diagnoses
singer is now very hoarse or has
'nodules on the vocal cords'.
completely lost her/his voice .
t
Correct technique:
It is not difficult for the vocal cords
to stretch or slacken if they are not
obstructed . Remember to support to
avoid uncontrolled constriction.
Low pitch High pitch An image: 'An open throat'

i.e. no singing, speaking or whispering for 7-10 days after give the foot a rest by not wearing the tight shoes that caused
which most nodules will have disappeared all by themselves . the problem . Treat your vocal cords the same way. Do not
This is usually the fastest way to solve the problem. speak, let the voice rest and spend a few voiceless days with-
out saying a single word - writing notes to the world .
You can also be referred to a speech therapist who assists the
singer in performing exercises which either reduce the effect
of the nodules on the voice or cause them to disappear. This Voice rest
is usually a prolonged process. The throat specialist might If you have been diagnosed with nodules on the vocal cords I
also suggest an operation where the nodules are removed recommend a period of total voice rest for a week or 10 days,
from the vocal cords. About ten days after the operation the depending on how established the nodules are. By total
vocal cords are healed. The singer must not speak or sing dur- voice rest I mean DO NOT MAKE A SINGLE SOUND! Do not
ing this period. whisper because that tires the
voice even more than ordinary
As a starting point I always recommend singers to take the speech. Even avoid clearing
period of voice rest as it works fast, is cheap, and has no side your throat. Give the vocal
effects. cords a rest and write notes in-
stead. This method is very ef-
Whichever method is used, it is important the singer learns fective and has no side effects.
the correct technique so thats/he avoids damaging the voice Many discover that it is actu-
in the future. Otherwise the singer will become hoarse again, ally a valuable experience not
continue to sing on the hoarse voice, get even more hoarse, to speak for two weeks. You
and the voice fails yet again as the cycle is repeated. This may may find a whole new side to
require another period of voice rest, more speech therapy or yourself.
another operation .
If it is absolutely necessary to speak, do so clearly and with
conviction with plenty of support and no uncontrolled con-
striction . It is not a good idea to whisper or be 'cautious' be-
Nodules cause often singers put more uncontrolled constriction on
the voice as a result. By doing this, singers often forget all
Hoarseness is the first sign that a singer is going wrong. lfyou about supporting the vo ice when they speak quietly, but it
continue to be hoarse or suspect the development of nod- is difficult and requires good technique to speak quietly in a
ules, get a diagnosis from a specialist. If the specialist diagno- correct manner. It is better to add a bit more sound and re-
ses nodules, whether they are early or permanent, there are member to support well.
plenty of things you can do and maybe avoid an operation .
Relax the voice

Prevention is better, give the voice a rest You must avoid uncontrolled constriction in the throat even
It is better to prevent damage before the voice gets misused when you are not speaking or singing. This is also important
and hoarse. If the voice is strained, the vocal cords need rest! when the voice is healthy. Try to relax, inhale deeply, and
Just like getting blisters, the voice needs rest for swelling to imagine that the throat is opening up during the inhalation .
disappear. If you keep irritating the vocal cords they will re- Hold on to this openness when you exhale and generally be
main swollen . To get rid of a blister on the foot you should careful not to tighten the muscles around the throat.

Think positively to use the voice without the
It is important not to be too uncontrolled constriction that
worried about the vocal cords. caused the problem in the first
The throat instantly reacts to place. If you avoid this strain-
our emotions. You know the ing constriction it is possible
sensation when you are sad: to sing without ruining the
you get an uncontrolled con- voice again.
striction or a 'lump' in your
throat and lose control of the voice. Try to think positively and Uncontrolled constriction can be avoided by using the three
send happy, warm thoughts to the vocal cords. overall principles. Imagine that you are creating a circus ring,
a large opening, or a fortress wall around the vocal cords so
they have plenty of room to stretch (see The Throat' on page
Exercise while resting the voice 48 and 'The Three Overall Principles' on page 20). The vocal
You do not have to sit still during a voiceless period . You may cords can cope with extensive use for long periods of time
use steam inhalations (see 'Steaming' on page 222) and it is but CANNOT endure working under the extra strain of un-
a good idea to use the time to work on breathing and sup- controlled constriction .
porting exercises as these do not involve the cords directly.
You can also work on body awareness and strengthening the
muscles to supply you with the stamina to protect your vocal
cords in the future. Be careful not to tighten the throat mus- Too much mucus
cles during physical exercise. If you remain focused about
your work throughout a voiceless period you will improve If a singer has too much mucous on the voca l cords, it may
your singing technique more rapidly when you start singing be because the mucous membranes of the vocal cords are
again. being irritated. When the mucous membranes dry out or
become irritated, mucous is automatically produced to pro-
tect the cords. You must find the reason for this irritation; it
Starting again might be due to a slight infection, an allergy, or uncontrolled
After a week or two you should get reviewed by your constriction.
specialist:
If the nodules are gone you can start to exercise the voice
using correct technique to avoid problems in the future. Poor technique
If small areas of the nodules or the swelling remain, you Constantly getting mucous on the vocal cords might be sign
could try a further week of voice rest until they are com- of incorrect technique. It is quite common for the voice to
pletely gone. protect itself by producing large amounts of mucous, for
In only a few cases, if nothing has changed, may an opera- example after a strenuous performance. If you suspect your
tion be necessary. But even if it is, the period of voice rest technique might be wrong you must remember the three
will not have been in vain if you had worked on your tech- overall principles: use support, use necessary twang and
nique during the time. avoid protruding the jaw and tightening the lips.
Avoid uncontrolled constriction Infection

When the vocal cords are back to normal, either due to the At the initial stages of an infection you should avoid strain-
voice rest, speech therapy or an operation, you must learn ing the voice. Sing and speak as little as possible and gather

strength to fight the infection. Depending on how ill you are, clear your throat. It can be a function of vital importance if
you may need to see a doctor and get a prescription for an- mucous is entering the windpipe, but it might irritate the mu-
tibiotics. If at all possible you should avoid singing when you cous membranes if you do it too often and too vigorously.
have a fever. Instead of clearing your throat to clear mucous let it remain
there until it has covered the dry spots on the membranes.
Go ahead and use your voice and disregard the woolly sound.
Allergy Start by humming or speaking, carefully at first, and soon the
If the singing sounds as it should, if the singer does not feel rapid vibrations of the vocal cords will shake loose the excess
any discomfort while singing, ifs/ he does not feel ill or have mucous. There is another safe way of making excess mucous
any pain in the throat, then too much mucous may be caused disappear. Closing your mouth and nasal passage (or block
by an allergy. Try to find the cause of the allergy. Perhaps the nose) and at the same time suck inwards and swallow.
you already have a suspicion of what you may be allergic to? This creates a partial vacuum that sucks the excess mucous
When did the symptoms start? What changes might be re- off the vocal cords .
lated to the symptoms? Try to eliminate whichever factor(s)
you think may have caused the allergy and observe if your
condition improves. Try to find out what your body is sensi-
tive to and avoid it. Perhaps consult an allergy specialist who Prevention and Emergency
can test you for allergies.
Aid
'Morning voice' Even though a singer's voice might sound as if it is strained
When you wake up in the morning the voice often sounds or that it has perhaps completely disappeared, it can often
'woolly'. You have been drawing air back and forth over the be repaired within a few hours. A large part of ou r work at
mucous membranes all night, maybe you have even slept Complete Vocal Institute is to give 'Emergency Aid '. This
with an open mouth. This may have dried out the mucous means I am called out to recording studios or concert tours
membranes. When you wake up and speak, the dried out where singers needs help, either with technically difficult as-
mucous membranes cannot make the rapid vibrations which signments or because they have acute vocal problems. What
produce a sonorous sound, causing the sound to be husky needs doing depends on the circumstances, but first I ask the
and irregular - known as the 'morning voice'. singer to see a specialist who can make a diagnosis by look-
ing at the vocal cords, using either a rigid or fibre-optic endo-
You should let the natural production of mucous take its scope and ideally stroboscopy.
course. The mucous membranes will soon be moistened and
the voice will sound normal again. If you start to clear your Often the report from the doctor is that s/he actually can-
throat which dislodges the mucous off the membranes, they not see anything wrong, even though everyone can clearly
will only produce more to cover the exposed, dry area . This hear the singer is hoarse and unable to go through with the
makes some singers clear their throat again, compelling the concert. In this case, just a few hours of working on remov-
mucous membranes to produce yet more, which the singer ing uncontrolled constriction restores the voice as if noth-
dislodges again, and so on. The singer and the mucous mem- ing happened . The support however, will require more
branes can keep each other occupied like this for the rest of physical strength . If the singer is strong and able to supply
the day. this extra strength there is no reason why the concert can-
not go ahead.
Often the vocal cords are inflamed and irritated, but there
Clearing the throat are no distinct signs of damage. Also in this case releasing
When you clear your throat you dislodge the mucous off the
mucous membranes of the vocal cords . It is not damaging to

uncontrolled constriction may avoid further irritation to disappeared in a couple of days. This shows that it is not nec-
the vocal cords and allow the singer to fulfil the concert essarily unhealthy to sing on swollen vocal cords as long as it
engagement. is done correctly and you proceed carefully. Still, in general, I
Sometimes the vocal cords show sign of strain, perhaps would not recommend it.
with developing nodules. There is not much that can be
done as the vocal cords need rest! These days, doctors can
administer medicines to reduce the swelling for the singer
to get through a concert. It is not always to be recommend- Emergency Aid over the phone
ed as the vocal cords ideally need rest and the condition Sometimes there is not enough time to get to the singer be-
may be prolonged or may be worsened if the singer keeps fore a concert so we have to work over the phone. In order to
on singing . be able to give Emergency Aid over the phone it is helpful to
have worked with the singer previously.
Even very experienced singers can suddenly create uncon-
trolled constriction around the vocal cords, sometimes to
such an extent thats/he can not utter a sound.
Acase story
One night I was called from New York because a singer was
hoarse and had an important concert that evening.
Acase story It turned out he had become hoarse after singing a particularly
I was called out to a studio where a singer had problems. As difficult phrase over and over in the studio. As I had worked
always I asked him to see a doctor before I came as there is no with the singer before I knew his voice and strength so we
reason to spend money on Emergency Aid if the voice simply started working over the phone. We established the support
needs rest. However, the singer insisted that I come at once, and removed the uncontrolled constriction that the singer had
even if it was to be in vain because it would take four hours to worked in. After ashort time the voice was free of uncontrolled
get there. In the meantime he would see a doctor. constriction and was working again. We then went through
the difficult phrase and found the modes which suited it best.
When I arrived the singer had a photograph of his vocal cords We practised finding the centre of each mode - in this case it
and a statement from the doctor. The cords were not infected, was the 'bite' in Overdrive, the twanging of the epiglotticfun-
but they were red and very swollen so I did not think I could nel in Edge, and the loose jaw in Neutral. A little later he was
help. The singer asked me to try anyway as I was already there. able to sing the difficult phrase and he completed that night's
We started with carefully removing the uncontrolled constric- concert without any problem.
tion which almost always occurs when the singer has to com-
pensate because the sensation or sound of singing is different
from usual. It is important to remove this uncontrolled con-
striction but I was not sure it would have a large effect.
The reason for vocal problems
After an hour the singer and producer said the voice sounded Dried out mucous membranes, too much mucous and bad
normal again and they could continue the recording. They monitoring systems (loudspeaker systems used on stage so
asked me to stay during the rest of the recording so that we the singer can hear her/himself) can give the impression that
could work on removing the uncontrolled constriction as soon the voice is not working as it should and the singer can be
as it appeared. I must admit I was surprised that only an hour's knocked off course regarding the technique. When the voice
work had that effect considering how the vocal cords looked in does not respond normally, the singer often compensates
the photograph. I was even more surprised when the swelling with uncontrolled constriction . This uncontrolled constriction

hinders the voice in working even more which again can lead so on. How is one supposed to know what advice works and
to even more uncontrolled constriction. what does not? It is not possible to try them all!
It is important not to go astray and start this vicious cir-
cle where good technique is replaced by uncontrolled If you are familiar with anatomy you will know the vocal cords
constriction. are at the top of the windpipe (trachea) and that everything
you eat and drink enters the gullet (oesophagus), not the
windpipe. Food and drink, therefore, never come into con-
The importance of physical strength tact with the vocal cords unless it goes down the wrong way
Often problems occur because a singer runs out of strength. and you choke. And I have heard many suggestions but I have
If a singer starts getting tired on tour or during extended never heard THAT suggestion! So it is not logical that food
recording sessions, s/he will lack the necessary strength to and drink should be used to lubricate the voice. On the other
support the notes to avoid uncontrolled constriction. Many hand, certain foods and drinks can have an effect on some
singers experience this at the end of a concert. With no more singers. It could just be comforting or have a psychological
physical strength left the voice feels tired. The uncontrolled effect. You are the best judge of whether it helps to eat or
constriction puts a strain on the vocal cords and you have to drink something or not. If you feel that it helps, then carry on
use even more strength to sing with this uncontrolled con- as long as it does no harm.
striction which is yet more tiring. Typically, the high notes are
the first to fail and the volume decreases.
Steaming
If a singer does not remove uncontrolled constriction by Breathing in steam means that moisture goes straight to the
having a good rest and gathering new strength, new un- mucous membrane of the vocal cords. If you are hoarse you
controlled constrictions develop. The singer begins to feel may 'steam' your cords and mucous membranes by inhaling
hoarse and the hoarseness grows worse over time. Finally, the steam from a bowl of hot water with camomile or other
the voice might become so hampered by uncontrolled con- herbs such as thyme added. Experiment to find out what
striction that Emergency Aid is required to avoid cancelling suits you best.
the rest of the tour or recording sessions.
Use a bowl, a large towel, and
an alarm timer. Put a handful
Sleep of camomile flowers into the
It is essential to get enough sleep, especially on demanding bowl and pour boiling water
tours. Without enough sleep the vocal cords do not get time over them. Set the timer for a
to recover from the irritation that might have developed dur- maximum of ten minutes, put
ing the day. Sleep is also necessary for rebuilding physical the towel over your head and
strength vital to support. How much sleep a singer requires inhale the steam. Be careful
varies. You must know and respect your needs if you want to not to burn or scald yourself
survive a demanding period. but do not let the water cool off before you put your head
above it. Within the first ten minutes various essential oils are
released into the steam which are beneficial to the mucous
Eating and drinking membranes. Inhale through the nose and mouth.
Many singers are flooded with well-intentioned advice if they You must wait at least thirty minutes before speaking after
become hoarse, e.g. "a raw egg yolk with Tabasco", "warm the inhalation as it is important to let the membranes rest.
milk with honey (you know, honey lubricates so well)", "a few When you begin to speak, do it softly to start with. Do not
drops of ink taken in a glass of water", "definitely not choco- clear the mucous off the membranes, i.e. by clearing your
late", "always something hot", "always something cold" and

throat. Let it stay even though the voice may sound strange. effect on the voice of a smoker. If the mucous membranes
When the membranes are ready, they will loosen the excess of the cords are continuously exposed to smoke they com-
mucous. You may steam the vocal cords as often as you think pensate by producing more mucous to counteract the drying
is necessary, but remember not to speak for thirty minutes effect of the smoke. As a result the balance of the smoker's
afterwards. Let the excess mucous remain until it loosens it- mucous membranes are maintained. If you then stop smok-
self and stop the steaming approximately four hours before ing the cords will continue to produce the same amount of
you have to sing . mucous but this will now be too much as there is no drying
effect from smoke. Therefore there will be too much mucous
and the cords will be harder to control. This means that even
Alcohol though a singer may want to give the voice extra favourable
Alcohol can make singing more difficult as it dilates blood conditions in preparation for a demanding job it may be
vessels. After a big 'night out' the whites of your eyes often counter-productive.
turn red because blood vessels that are not usually visible
dilate and become visible. The blood vessels in the mucous All things being equal a non-smoker is generally healthier
membranes of the vocal cords also dilate and the vocal cords than a smoker, not only their voices, so there are definite ad-
become slightly swollen. Some singers will experience this as vantages to quitting smoking . The voice's adaptation to new
increasing difficulty and requires more strength to reach high conditions is variable and can take anywhere between a few
notes. weeks to three/four months.
How much alcohol a singer can take before their mucous

membranes swell varies from singer to singer. Some are
aware of difficulties after just a couple of beers, while oth- Acase story
ers seem to be able to drink inconceivable amounts without Arock singer got so hoarse during recording her new CD that
problems. You must get to know your limits and respect your she could not continue.
body's warning signals. It turned out that she had stopped smoking just before the re-
cordings as she wanted to do her best. Because she had been a
heavy smoker for years, the membranes reacted by producing
Smoking a lot of excess mucous. During the recordings the extra mucous
When smoke is inhaled it comes into contact with the mu- annoyed her and she compensated by changing her otherwise
cous membranes of the vocal cords causing them to become good technique. As a result she developed a lot of uncontrolled
irritated and dry increasing the likelihood of developing constriction.
uncontrolled constriction. Avoiding smoke is difficult in the
music business. How different mucous membranes react to We worked on releasing the uncontrolled constriction by us-
smoke varies a great deal. I know singers who cannot tolerate ing more support, using necessary twang and avoiding a pro-
a single cigarette and others who inhale cigars all day long truded jaw and tightened lips. After a couple of hours her voice
with no audible effect on their voices. You must know your was back. She started smoking again so she did not have to
limits and respect your body's signals. concentrate on maintaining her technique in spite of a new
sensation the last 14 days of the recording. After the recording
I must emphasise that I do not recommend that singers she found a less stressful period where she could take time off
smoke but if you are a smoker, you should be aware that it vocally to qu it smoking.
is not necessarily a good idea to stop just before an impor-
tant assignment such as a studio recording or a tour because
also the sudden ABSENCE of smoke may have an intense

Stick to correct technique
The best you can do as a singer, whatever challenges you are
subjected to, is to stick to techniques you are familiar with
and KNOW work. Even if the voice does not sound normal,
keep using your technique. If you are becoming hoarse and
the notes require double the normal amount of strength,
give them double the support and maintain the sensation
of singing without uncontrolled constriction . Likewise, if the
monitoring conditions are bad, you should do as you usually
do. Try not to sing more powerfully just because you cannot
hear yourself. Get used to singing more on the basis of the
physical sensation of correct singing rather than just on what
you can hear. That way these hurdles will not lead you astray.
224 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.compl etevocalinstitute.com

Programme for Emergency Aid
It is important to be well rested and in good physical shape the breath of air escapes. Repeat this exercise four times (see
when the voice needs extra help. If the voice is hoarse or per- 'Breathing' on page 21).
haps has even disappeared, it is often due to uncontrolled
constriction in the throat. It is possible to remove this uncon-
trolled constriction but be aware that the notes will require Gradual support and resistance in the movement
more support than usual until the uncontrolled constriction To support a note you must realise that support is a continu-
has completely gone. ously dynamic movement and that the movement is to be
sustained as though working against a resistance, i.e. as if
there is a resistance in the movement. To illustrate this resist-
ance raise an arm away from the body without resistance and
Balancing support and the voice feel the work of the muscles in the arm. Now do the same
Hoarseness is typically caused by an imbalance between sup- thing while you resist the movement of your arm with the
port and voice. It is important to restore this balance. With other. You will feel the muscles
all exercises you must be responsive to your own sensations. of the arm work much harder.
If something feels uncomfortable or wrong, then STOP im- Now raise your arm in exactly
mediately. Try again and find how to perform the exercise so the same way without resist-
it feels comfortable. It is okay for the exercises to 'cost' a lot ing the movement of your arm
of support energy, but it should not feel unpleasant to work with the other. This time cre-
with the voice. If the work seems too strenuous then some- ate the resistance yourself so
thing is not quite right. If things are still not right, seek the ad- the movement feels like and
vice of a professional teacher experienced in Emergency Aid. looks like it is working against
a resistance. Hereby the move-
ment gets sustained and re-
Exercises for breathing quires more energy.
First practise breathing that expands all around the dia- Note this work of the muscles. It is this work, as though
phragm. Place both hands on the lower ribs, one on each against a resistance, that is the most essential component of
side. Exhale for a long time, heavily and unhindered, and at support. You can compare this resistance with the sensation
the same time press the ribs inwards with your hands with- of blowing up a balloon.
out it feeling uncomfortable. Relax the pressure on the ribs
while inhaling so the lower ribs and the solar plexus expand
as much as possible but do not raise the upper part of the Exercises for supporting
chest. The inhalation must be calm and free and you should Make a rocking movement in the support while holding
not pout. Let the movement of your breath. Place one hand flat on the solar plexus and the
the ribs push out your hands.
Notice how a bulge at the so-
lar plexus appears. The abdo-
men around the navel should
also expand slightly and
should be neither helped nor
hindered. Relax and exhale
and notice how the bulge at
the solar plexus disappears as

other on the abdomen around the navel. Pull in the abdomen the sound . Try to avoid any activity in the throat and do not
around the navel while the bulge at the solar plexus moves attempt to 'assist' the tone. It is better to make no sound than
outwards. Alternate the movements by rocking the abdomen an 'assisted' one. '4>) 337
and solar plexus back and forth. The movements are quite
small, but remember to create that resistance in the support Now make the soft, quiet, low-pitched and breathy sound
movement (see 'Support' on page 27). again but this time with an accentuation. Start the note with-
out support - and then produce an accentuation by adding
Exhale, inhale and on the exhalation make a quiet 'sss' with support. Sustain the note with support. Make sure the sup-
your tongue on the out breath. The 'sss' must be even. Notice port is active and work 'as though against a resistance'. When
how the bulge at the solar plexus gradually expands while the support dies out, the sound dies out. Allow no interfer-
you sustain the 'sss'. The bulge must not diminish and must ence from the throat. Listen to the difference in the sound be-
be kept extended. Also keeping the ribs extended, gradually fore and after the accentuation. The accentuated part is more
pull in the abdomen around powerful than the first part. Change vowels. '4>) 338
the navel, try to curve the back
(but it is not possible because Put more accentuations into the note. Again, use no support
of the work of the abdominal on the first part of the note, but use it to produce the accen-
muscles) and tighten the mus- tuations. Avoid interference from the throat. Divide your sup-
des of the back. Maintain the port to several accentuations by saving some of the support
sensation of holding back your on the first accentuations. Be sure to have enough support
breath as the air is gradually for each accentuation, also the last one. '4>) 339
released. Practise gradually
the 'sss' until you can make it Now make the sound clearer and less breathy. Gradually add
last one minute (see 'Support' more tone and maintain the same co-ordination between
on page 27). '4>) 336 sound and support. Allow no activity in the throat and econ-
omise your support in order to make it last throughout the
notes you have planned. Begin the exercise with one accen-
tuation and gradually make more. '4>) 340
Co-ordinating support and vocal sound
Exercises for co-ordinating support and vocal sound usually If you feel uncontrolled constriction begins return to the first
last for between 15 to 45 minutes. It is difficult to concentrate exercise of soft, breathy sounds.
for much longer and without due attention the exercise
might do more harm than good. If you begin to lose con- When the exercises with a non-breathy, clear sound feel
centration, take a break and continue the rehabilitation pro- pleasant and easy, move the accented note a little higher.
gramme when you are ready. Maintain the same co-ordination between vocal sound and
support as previously described and do not 'assist' the pitch
Make soft, quiet, low-pitched and breathy sounds and at the with activity in the throat. Again, you must economise your
same time make sure the support is active and 'as though support so there is enough for the pitch you have planned.
against a resistance'. The bulge at the solar plexus or the mus- Gradually move higher up. Begin by making one accentua-
cles at the waist should be tightened gradually as the sound tion and gradually make more. '4>) 341
is used. When the support dies out, the sound also dies out. Once in a while you should return to the soft breathy exer-
Avoid vibrato and aim at making as even a tone as possible. cises to make sure you are not creating uncontrolled constric-
Your neck and throat should be as relaxed as possible. The action around the vocal cords.
tivity and energy of the support alone should be producing

When the voice feels easier and is able to produce a non- 'I' (as in 'sit') or 'O' (as in 'woman'). Practise 'I' and 'O' by com-
breathy clear sound without any uncontrolled constriction in paring their sound to the sound of 'EE' and '00'. Aim for the
the throat you may proceed with the normal training. same non-breathy sound on the new vowels. Later practise
'EH' (as in 'stay') and 'OH' (as in 'so'), and finally 'A' (as in 'and')
and 'AH' (as in 'far'). Do this in Neutral or remember to choose
the right vowels for the modes.
Exercises with vowels
Begin in the low part of your voice and sing up and down Finally, sing scales up and down through an octave on vari-
through five notes on the vowel 'EE' (as in 'see') or '00' (as in ous vowels. Do this in Neutral or remember to choose the
'you'). Choose whichever mode you find easiest (usually Neu- right vowels for the modes. Move the exercise upwards by
tral or Curbing). Do not be too cautious, make sure the notes half a note at a time. '4>) 344
are supported and that you sing at a comfortably powerful
volume. Use the vowel that seems easiest to make a non- Now the voice should be fine and sound as it used to. No-
breathy, clear sound. Maintain the same co-ordination be- tice, however, that the notes most likely require more support
tween vocal sound and support with no activity or assistance than usual.
from the throat. Aga in, economise your support to make it last
through all the notes. Save energy for the highest note so you
have enough strength in this part to push the bulge at the so-
lar plexus out a bit more. Gradually move higher up and make
sure all the notes have a good sound quality. .. >) 342
cf start F3
'~' J J J J J J J 1 J
After this, sing up and down through an octave on the 'EE'
or '00 ' vowel. Make sure all the notes are produced by sup-
port activity and no other place. Be sure to economise your
strength to ensure that there is enough energy for the high
notes. Remember to sing clearly and don't hold back. All the
notes must have good sound quality and be as non-breathy
as possible. Move the exercise upwards by half a note at a
time. '4>)343
cf start F3 'JJ wJJJr rrJJJwJJ 1
When 'EE' or '00' have become non-breathy and clear and

you are in control of the high notes, return to the five-note
exercise in a lower part of the voice and change the vowels to

Warming Up
The prevalent perception is that singers should do a good, If you find yourself in need of energy, it is of course a good
long warm-up before singing to avoid damaging the voice. idea to warm up your body to get sufficient energy and
It is frequently debated how long that warm-up should be. strength to support the voice.
It is of course also a good idea to make your voice clear if

Warming up = brushing up technique there is too much mucous on the cords. Be sure to let any
If you regard warming up as brushing up of technique then excess mucous remain on the cords until the throat can be
it makes sense. cleared effortlessly with one or two clearings (see 'Clearing
your throat' on page 220).
Many singers feel a certain security by brushing up on their
technique before going on stage. That is a good idea so long If you feel more secure by brushing up your technique before
as you are doing it correctly. Find and feel your support and going to sing, please do so, but not for too long. And do not
necessary twang, brush up the centre of the modes and the feel guilty if you go on stage without warming up.
healthy ways to make effects and brush up the sensation of
healthy singing. Retain this sensation for as long as you speak
or sing.
This book does not contain a ready-made warm-up pro-

gramme as it is up to the individual singer to judge which
aspects of their technique need brushing up.
However, make sure this brushing up does not take so much

energy that you do not have enough left forthe concert. Most
vocal strain results from when singers are tired and lack suf-
ficient strength to ma intain support and avoid uncontrolled
constriction .
Warming up is not essential for the voice itself

On the other hand if you are in full control of your technique
there is no reason to brush up just before singing . Many
professional singers go on stage without a formal warm-up.
There is no reason to feel guilty and think that it will ruin your
voice if you do not warm up. In fact there is not that much
to warm up. The muscles around the vocal cords are many
and small and it does not take much to warm them up and
stretch them, especially as they are encased in the throat and
are kept at a constant temperature of 37 deg rees centigrade.
That's why if you take the expression 'warming up' literally it

is not necessary!

Hearing your voice
How you hear yourself can influence your technique If you put your fingers in your ears, the sound travelling to
There are many ways to hear your own voice (also known as your ears through the air is blocked off and you only hear the
'monitoring'), from the lively acoustics in a bathroom or the sound resulting from bone conduction. The audience, obvi-
'dry' acoustics in a bedroom, to headphones or monitoring ously, does not hear the sound conducted through the bone;
systems (the loudspeaker system used on stage so that sing- they only hear the sound through the air. Therefore, you nev-
ers can hear themselves). Many singers have to deal with per- er hear your voice the way they do (as you cannot take away
forming with an unfamiliar monitoring system and this can the sound from the bone conduction) and they never hear
cause problems. your voice the way you do (as they cannot hear the sound
from your bone conduction).
Hearing your voice in a setting that you are not accustomed to
can make you think your voice is different and therefore make Only you know the mixture of inner and outer hearing that
you believe something is wrong . For instance, those used to you consider to be your voice. You have become accustomed
lively acoustics will think their voice is different and wrong if to this and therefore may be astonished when you hear a
the acoustics are dry. Conversely, those used to acoustic set- recording of your voice for the first time. "Uh, that's not my
tings will think their voice is different and wrong when heard voice, that's not how it sounds!" Yes it is - to everybody but
through a P.A. ('Public Address') system . Equally those used you!
to loud monitor systems will find their voice strange when
heard acoustically. These singers are deceived by the unfa- It usually requires adaptation for a singer to learn to control
miliar sound and believe that something is wrong with their the voice without being led astray by the unattainable sound
voice or their way of singing . They risk triggering a vicious cir- you have in your head. It is important to be aware of what the
cle; they start compensating by changing their sound and by audience hears when you sing and learn to control the voice
altering their technique. This way they risk triggering uncon- according to this. Therefore, it is important you know your
trolled constriction which can result in hoarseness. voice and can control it, whether the sound comes from the
inner or the outer hearing, or a mixture of both .
It is useful to be familiar with various ways of hearing your
voice and to know what you can do to prevent being led
astray by the monitoring conditions.
Inner hearing
It is practical for a singer to learn how to use inner hearing
The sound of your voice because it is always available to you . Many singers, if they
An audience will never hear your voice the way you do. The cannot hear themselves while singing, are advised to place
sound you hear when you sing or speak is a mixture of inner a finger in an ear. This advice works because the finger cuts
and outer hearing. Sound is vibration. These vibrations can down the outer hearing and consequently the sound of the
travel through solid objects, liquids and air. This means that other singers and instruments. The inner hearing now domi-
when you hear your voice you are not only hearing the sound nates and enables you to hear yourself. However, if you are
travelling from your vocal cords to your ears via the air (i.e. unaccustomed to depending on inner hearing, you run the
the 'outer route' or 'outer hearing'), but you are also hearing risk of singing out of tune.
the sound travelling to your ears via the bones in the skull (i.e.
the 'inner route' or 'inner hearing'). This inner route is called A similar problem can occur when you sing wearing earplugs.
'bone conduction '. Earplugs have become more and more widespread as protec-
tion against hearing damage, but they usually take a lot of

time to get used to. The use of earplugs actually means sing- It is very important to practise with a microphone if you have
ing without outer hearing and this means relying on inner to sing with amplification, partly to learn to sing with outer
hearing alone. This is usually difficult and greatly increases hearing and partly to practise microphone technique. Clas-
the risk that you sing out of tune. sical singers rarely use microphones as this produces sounds
that are generally different from the accepted classical ideal.
To sing while relying on inner hearing requires awareness of
the difference between what you hear (the inner hearing) To learn how to sing with outer hearing you can:
and what the audience hears. sing amplified through microphone and monitor system.
sing amplified through microphone and headphones.
To practise singing with inner hearing:
sing with your fingers in your ears. Sing through a microphone and use a monitor speaker. Many
sing wearing earplugs. factors influence what you hear, including the choice of mi-
crophone, the quality of the mixer and monitor, the equalisa-
Make a recording of your singing while paying close attention (i.e. levels of bass and treble), the addition of effects (e.g.
tion to the sound of your voice. Then play back the recording reverb, delay etc) and also the acoustics of the room.
and be aware of the difference between what you heard as
you sang and what you hear on the recording. Experiment with different settings on the equaliser and add
effects to the recording so you get accustomed to the differ-
Then sing wearing ear plugs or with fingers in your ears, re- ent sounds. Listen to the recording through headphones to
cord the singing and again be aware of the difference be- become aware of the difference between the sound through
tween what you heard when you sang and what you hear on the headphones and the sound through the monitor system.
the recording.
Holding on to your technique

Outer hearing Regardless of which irregularities you experience and types
of monitors you are subjected to, the best thing you can
When you sing through a microphone and monitor system, do is to hold onto the technique you are familiar with and
outer hearing is drastically amplified compared to inner hear- that you KNOW works, even if the voice does not sound like
ing. This is why many singers who are accustomed to singing it normally does. You must continue using your good tech-
acoustically have difficulties when beginning to sing with a nique even when the monitoring conditions are bad. By do-
microphone; they are not used to the strange sound of their ing as you normally would and avoiding, for example, singing
voice. louder because you cannot hear yourself, you will get accus-
tomed to basing your singing more on the physical sensation
To get used to singing with outer hearing as you practise of correct technique than sound. The physical sensations are
acoustically, you can: always available to you, whereas sounds will often differ.
Place two large books in front of the ears.
Place your hands like cups behind the ears.
Sing up against a hard surface, for example, right in front of
a mirror or window.
Sing into a bowl or a soup plate.

Studio and live techniques
You need to adjust your singing to the conditions. There are When you sing acoustically you are influenced by the acous-
major differences between singing acoustically, singing in tics of the room. You also have to be aware that the acoustics
a recording studio and singing live with amplification. The of a room change when the audience enters. After practising
reasons for this are many and include the varying volume for a long time in a room with lively acoustics, it might be
requirements and the different monitoring condition s. For difficult to sing a concert in a room with dry acoustics. The
example, Neutral with air added to the voice is often used in relevant point here is that you have to be able to sing un-
a recording stud io, but it is usually not suited to the stage. der different acoustic circumstances without changing your
As a result the same song has to be sung in a different mode technique to compensate for the unfamiliar sound .
depending on the circumstances. This usually only applies to
singers of popular music as classical singers generally aim for
the same sound in the recording studio as when they sing
acoustically. Singing in a recording
studio
Acoustic singing In a recording studio there are usually high quality, highly sen-
sitive microphones which are able to pick up even the lowest
It is important, also for practical purposes, that singers know volumes and the smallest nuances. For this reason, sing ing in
their voice acoustically. When you are accustomed to singing a recording studio can resemble singing acoustically rather
acoustically, you can practise anytime and anywhere without than singing with amplification. There are, however, essen-
being dependent on a monitor system. This can be practical tial differences which are important to be aware of. In a re-
on extended tours as you can easily check up on your tech - cording studio you can obtain a larger dynamic range and a
nique utilising exercises you are already familiar with as a broader range of sounds by taking advantage of the spheres
matter of routine. You do not have this advantage if you are of the microphone. A microphone produces different sound
only accustomed to singing with amplification. In this situa- colours depending on how close it is to you r mouth. A skilled
tion you might not discover any irregularities until you are on singer is able to use this deliberately (see 'Microphone Tech-
stage. Practising acoustically also gives you the confidence nique' on page 175).
that you can create the sound you are aiming for without be-
ing dependent on microphones and various sound-produc-
tion effects. If you are able to do vocal thinning acoustically, Using headphones
you have good technique. This is not necessarily the case, When you sing in a recording studio, you use headphones
however, if you are thinning the note by moving the micro- for monitoring which means you hear your singing as well
phone away from your mouth. as the backing music through the headphones. This requires
practise if you are accustomed to hearing your voice acousti-
When you sing acoustically you have to bear in mind that not cally. Through headphones the outer hearing dom inates the
all volumes work equally well. For example, air added to the inner hearing. However, you can compensate for this by re-
voice in acoustic singing just sounds muffled at a distance, moving the headphone from one ear and placing the cup of
whereas when it is mixed with the bass boost of a micro- the headphone behind the ear instead. This way one ear is
phone it sounds intimate. All in all, it can be difficult to hear free and able to hear your own mix of inner and outer hear-
very quiet volumes from a distance and, consequently, acous- ing whilst the other can hear the amplified voice and backing
tic singing can seem less dynamic than amplified singing. music.
Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.co mpletevocalin stitute.com 231
Using a compressor or limiter powerful volumes . Also you do not have to fear that the songs
In recording studios powerful volumes are often limited so as lose their expressiveness in the full metallic modes as what
not to overload the equipment and become distorted. This may be lost in nuance is made up for in the outpouring of en-
is done with 'compressors' or 'limiters' which can be set to ergy. Working out which modes to use requires new training.
be more or less active. Using such equipment takes getting It is therefore practical for singers to run through their entire
used to, especially since singers often find it strange to hear repertoire and practise the parts where modes will have to be
themselves reproduced in such a different way to the way replaced. It is necessary to practise the new modes at realistic
they sing. You should take care not to try singing louder and volume levels, which means loud, to get accustomed to the
by this exceed the healthy limits of the voice. The compres- conditions before the live performances begin .
sor or limiter will simply continue to reduce the volume level
and this might trigger uncontrolled constriction. A way to get
used to a compressor or limiter is to practise with one. Oth-
erwise, if you think it hinders your performance, ask for the Acase story
sound in the headphones not to be sent through the com- Avery skilled and experienced folk singer who sang a lot in re-
pressor or limiter. cording studios became hoarse on an extensive concert tour. It
It is also helpful to practise microphone technique and be turned out he had become accustomed to singing in Curbing
able to control the volume of your voice so that the sound from studio work and had continued to do so on the tour. In the
does not need to go through a compressor or limiter. concerts he had to sing louder than in the studio and singing in
Curbing at high volumes will strain the voice.
We worked on releasing the uncontrolled constriction and af-

Singing live with ter about an hour the voice was fine again. We then practised
the centre of the modes ofOverdrive and Edge by means of the
amplification 'bite' and the twang of the epiglottic funnel respectively. Then
we practised directing the vowels towards 'EH' (as in 'stay')
Avoid damaging your voice when singing live with and 'OH' (as in 'so') in Overdrive and towards 'I' (as in 'sit'), 'EH'
amplicification. (as in 'stay'), 'A' (as in 'and') and 'OE' (as in 'herb') in Edge as he
When you sing live with amplification, you generally have to sang higher. At first on very high notes he exclusively used 'EH'
sing louder than when you sing live acoustically or in a re- in Overdrive and 'I' in Edge.
cording studio. Therefore live singing often requires more
from the singer, both technically and physically. Many sing- When he had perfected the modes, we practised replacing all
ers who are accustomed to singing in a recording studio have the notes in Curbing with Overdrive or Edge. In order for him to
problems with hoarseness during concerts. To prevent this, it get accustomed to the louder volume levels he needed while
is often necessary to alter the modes used in the songs. This, performing, he sang with his backing music playing very loud-
of course, depends on the style of music being performed. ly. In this situation he could not be heard in Curbing so he was
forced to use Overdrive and Edge. When the singer replaced
Curbing with Overdrive or Edge at the concerts, he no longer
had problems with hoarseness or lack of volume. He could still
'Full metallic' method sing quieter by changing back to Curbing or Neutral whenever
A sure way to avoid problems in live concerts is to exclusively he wanted to.
use the full metallic modes. If you sing your songs exclusively
in Overdrive and Edge, you will achieve powerful volumes
and you will also do it safely since these modes work best at

'One step up' method Finally, aside from general microphone technique (see 'Mi-
Another method used when a louder volume is required, but crophone Technique' on page 175), there are various ways of
not as persistently loud as in the previous method, is to move holding the microphone. There are various advantages and
the mode and volume 'one step up'. For instance, where you disadvantages to different positions. Experiment with a mi-
would use Neutral with air in the recording studio, use a Neu- crophone and find out what kinds of different sounds you
tral without air when singing live. Where in the recording can get by holding the microphone in different ways. Some
studio you were using Neutral without air, use Curbing when singers grip the microphone quite high up around the micro-
singing live, and where you were using Curbing, use Over- phone's head and this can give a very distinctive sound, but
drive and Edge when singing live. This method gives more you also run the increased risk of feedback. Others, such as
room for nuance, but is not as safe as using Overdrive and metal singer Ronnie James Dio, sing while covering the mi-
Edge exclusively. crophone with their arm in order to create a cavity that pro-
duces a special sound. Experiment until you find what you
prefer.
Sound check
It is important to make sure you have good monitoring. At a
sound check it is essential to determine the capabilities and
limitations of the monitor system quickly and find the best
possible sound under the given conditions. A practical meth-
od is to always use the same song segments, the same choice
of words, sounds, modes and vowels, as well as the same vol-
umes every time you do a sound check. This way you are able
to quickly recognise the sound of your voice and determine
the differences from system to system.
Choosing a microphone
Since the microphone is in many genres a substantial part of
the singer's performance, it is important to choose the right
type of microphone. When you use a hand-held one, you can
use the spheres for working with volume levels and sound
colour. You will not be able to do this with a headset micro-
phone however. When using a headset microphone, you
have to control your volume and consonants with greater ac-
curacy. On the other hand, a headset microphone can be ad-
vantageous if you are not accustomed to using microphones
because you avoid unwanted movements in and out of the
spheres. A headset microphone also gives the singer free -
dom to move around freely with both hands available.
There is debate and general disagreement over which type

of microphones are suited to which type of voice and style
of singing. Experiment until you find the microphone(s) you
think best suits you and your style of singing.

Improvisation and phrasing
Improvising is about making rhythmic or melodic changes to Common methods
the original song. An important part of improvising and phrasing is to 'have
Phrasing is about adding melodic or rhythmic 'decorations' been there before'. If while practising you have made some
to a short sequence of a song, a phrase or a word. Phrasings good phrasings and have worked these into your muscle
and improvisations do not have to be spontaneous but can memory, you can incorporate these later into an improvisa-
be rehearsed. However, you can use rehearsed phrasings as tion. This means that some of these phrasings will appear 'in-
the basis for spontaneous improvisation. stinctively' and you can bring the rest to your voice at will. In
time and with practice, it is possible to create completely new
Many singers think improvising and phrasing are difficult and phrasings on the basis of the phrasings you already know. Fi-
feel like they are on shaky ground when they improvise or nally, you might also be fortunate enough to be touched by
make phrasing changes. Some even think that these are natu- good old divine inspiration! But if you one day should not be
ral abilities that you either have or do not have. They believe blessed with the most divine ideas, then at least you have
you cannot learn them and therefore will never be a good some phrasings you know will work and you can go on from
singer or musician. This is of course nonsense! Improvising there.
and phrasing can be learned and requires practice like any-
thing else. The work with improvisation and phrasing and its results may
vary a lot from singer to singer:
It can be difficult to start improvising or changing the phras- Some singers start by singing something casual and from
ing because singers, unlike musicians who play an instru- this select what they like. Along the way they make it fit
ment, cannot visually relate to where they are in a scale. For with the chords.
many it seems intangible to sing anything other than the Some singers adopt the phrasings of other singers and put
melody because what else are you supposed to sing!? What- parts of these phrasings together to create their own.
ever it is, it should at least be as good as the original melody, Some singers study music theory and start improvising on
otherwise why change it?! the basis of a theoretical harmonic overview (less common).
When they start improvising, most people discover it is great Most singers take something from each method to create
fun to skate out onto thinner ice than when you sing the song their own approach.
as written or as you have always done.
Do not feel obliged to improvise Method for beginning

Although it may be fun for singers and musicians to change
the phrasing or to improvise, it does not necessarily mean improvisation
it is fun for the audience to listen to. Do not feel obliged to
improvise or phrase. There is absolutely nothing wrong with There are many excellent books on improvisation theory that
singing the melody as it was written. On the other hand, an I recommend if singers wish to work from a theoretical basis
improvisation or phrasing change may, if it is expressive, help (you can see the 'Recommended Reading' list on the website
intensify the overall expression of the song. It gives the singer www.CompleteVocallnstitute.com). The methods described
an extra opportunity to add his or her personal touch. in the following pages are for singers who want practical,
handy and non-theoretical instructions; how to get started
and what to do when you are stuck.

Don't worry about whether your improvisation is correct or it until you think it suits the chord. Go through all the notes
not. A general rule which most can agree on is that if you in an octave in this way. Some notes are easier to change so
think it SOUNDS right, it IS right. they go with the chord than others. On the difficult notes you
might even feel like using several passing notes before you
When you work with the following exercises, you will hear change to the note you think fits the chord. This is the begin-
many notes other than the melody and you may discover ning of improvisation.
phrasings or improvisations that you like and can keep them After you have systematically gone through all the notes in
as one of your own. It may help to record yourself while prac- an octave in this way, you do not have to fear singing wrong
tising in order to remember and re-use the ideas you like. notes in an improvisation because you have practised chang-
ing any note until it goes with the chord. Change the chord
and continue the exercise the same way. ~>) 325
Melodic exercises Play a chord and try deliberately to sing notes outside of the
Choose a song you want to improvise on and sing it as you chord, i.e. a note that is not contained in the chord. Practise
already know it. Now you can assign yourself various melodic changing the note until you find a note that sounds good
exercises: with the chord. Change chord and continue the exercise the
same way. ~>) 326
Start all the melody lines with a note other than the original.
From this new note it is usually difficult to find your way di- Play a chord and alternate between singing notes that are
rectly back to the melody so you have to take a musical de- actually in the chord and singing other notes that you think
tour. This is the first improvisation. sound good with the chord . Try to sing other notes to fill up
the space between the notes, creating small melody lines.
Finish all melody lines with a note other than the original. It does not matter if you sing outside the chord, just try to
direct it back to the chord. Change chord and continue the
Sing for instance every third and fourth word on notes other exercise. ~>) 327
than the original.

When you start to get comfortable with this, you can change
Combine these, for instance, start and finish all melody lines the chords in a rhythmic pattern, creating a rhythmic se-
on notes other than the original. quence or a groove in the improvisation.
Melodic exercises with an instrument

Play a triad or a chord on an instrument such as a piano. Sing Rhythmic exercises
all the notes you hear in the chord in as high and low a pitch
as you are able to. Play a new chord and sing in the same way.
~>)323 Rhythmic exercises with an instrument
Practise playing a percussion instrument as this will help give
Play a chord and sing ALL the notes you think go with it. you a solid grasp of rhythmic concepts as well as a good deal
Change the chord and repeat the exercise. ~>) 324 of rhythmic training. Practise with a shaker, tambourine, or
something similar. Play some music you like and play percus-
Play a chord on the piano with your left hand and use your sion to it. It is an advantage for many singers to be trained
right hand to play any note. Now sing this note and change in playing percussion instruments as a supplement to their
it until you think it suits the chord. Then play the same chord singing - and it's not as easy as it looks.
together with another note, sing the note and again change

Rhythmic exercises with a metronome Set the metronome to 80 beats per minute. Sing a song and
Sing a song and be aware of where you are in the bar at all practise clapping or beating both straight and triplet subdivi-
times. Get accustomed to tapping with different fingers on sions of the rhythm in the song. Try to change parts of the
the various beats so that, as an example, the first beat could melody so it suits the straight and triplet subdivision. Practise
be tapped with the thumb, the second with the index finger, with different tempi on the metronome. '4>) 331
the third with the middle finger and the fourth with the ring
finger. Make a decision for, say a month or so, that whenever
you find yourself playing or listening to music, you will know Rhythmic exercises for two
which beat you are on at all times. By this you will over time Practise your sense of rhythm by taking turns at improvising
develop your sense of timing and your sense of knowing (this is called a 'chase'). For instance, the first person starts
where you are in the structure of a musical piece. It is a skill improvising over two bars and then the other person takes
that will definitely improve with practice, so don't give up! over and improvises over the following two. The one who
is not improvising can count the beats out loud, so you al-
Set the metronome to 60 beats per minute. First sing a note ways know where in the bar (measure) you are. Find a mutual
on every first beat and then practise singing on every second, pulse and alternate between being the one counting and the
third and fourth beat in the bar. Once you are confident with one improvising. Try alternating between rhythmic systems
this, try to alternate between which beat in the bar you sing for improvising such as using only quarter notes (crotchets).
on. Practise with different tempi on the metronome. '4>) 328 Later you can try using only half notes (minims), eighth notes
(quavers), and after that, try starting on the "2-and" upbeat
Set the metronome to 60 beats per minute. Become famil- and so on.
iar with all the upbeats. Practise until you are able to sing on
any upbeat you choose. Sing, for example, on all the '3-and' Practise making longer and longer improvisations. At first
beats. Alternate between singing on certain downbeats and over two bars, then four, then eight and so on. You can also
upbeats. Also practise leaving the note on certain downbeats try having one person singing long notes which start and fin-
and upbeats. Practise with different tempi on the metro- ish on certain beats while the other improvises. Later these
nome. '4>) 329 long notes can be developed into bass lines to accompany
what is being improvised .
Set the metronome to 60 beats per minute. Practise making
pauses on certain downbeats or upbeats. Pauses are very
important rhythmically. Practise with different tempi on the
metronome.
Method for advanced
Set the metronome to 60 beats per minute. Practise making
pauses and practise starting and finishing melody lines on
improvisation
certain downbeats or upbeats. Design your own exercises.
Practise with different tempi on the metronome.
Set the metronome to 80 beats per minute. Sing a song and Method for advanced melodic training
clap or beat a fast subdivision of the rhythm of the song. Try Many melodic improvisations and phrasings are based on
to change parts of the melody so they suit the fast subdivi- the pentatonic scales (for example, all the black keys on the
sion . Later on, do the same exercise with a slower subdivision. piano) or blues scale. Therefore it might be useful to practise
Practise with different tempi on the metronome. '4>) 330 these scales.

C- major pentatonic scale .
l.M.l !.M 11 Practise the major pentatonic scale. Sing the first, second,
J J J J
thi rd, fifth and sixth degrees of the C major scale (C, D, E, G, A) .
I
Then start on each note in this scale and sing up through the
major pentatonic scale (see diagram: exercise 1). Also practise
singing down through the major pentaton ic scale from any
Exercise 1
l.M.I!.M I! ! I! ! ! I I note in the scale (see diagram: exercise 2) '4>) 332. Move the
exercise to other keys.
'JJJJJJJJJI
Practise the minor pentatonic scale. Sing the first, third,
IM.l !.MI.!! I!!! 11 fourth, fifth and seventh degrees of the C natural minor scale
(C, Eb, F, G, Bb). Then start on each note in this scale and sing
'JJJJrJJJJI up through the minor pentatonic scale (see diagram: exercise
1). Also practise singing down through the minor pentaton ic
I! !.IM.! l.M I! ! ! I I scale from any note in the scale (see diagram: exercise 2) '4>)
& JJJrrrJJJI 333. Move the exercise to other keys.
Then practise the blues scale. Sing the first, third, fourth, flat-
I! ! I M.! 1.M.1! ' ! I I tened fifth, fifth and seventh degrees of the C natural minor
& JJrr rr rJJ 1

scale (C, Eb, F, Gb, G, Bb). Then start on each note in this scale
and sing up through the blues scale (exercise 1). Also practise
I! ! I! M1.M.1M! I I singing down through the blues scale from any note in the
scale (exercise 2) '4>) 334. Move the exercise to other keys.
You can refer to the th ird, flattened fifth and seventh step as
'blue' notes. Locate all the blue notes in a blues scale. Practise
being able to hit a blue note in a song and to sta rt melody
Exercise 2
l.M.I!.MI! ! I! ! ! I I lines on a blue note.
Change starting
tone as in
exercise 1
Method for advanced rhythmic training

Notice the rhythmic phrasings used by other singers . Some
C minor pentatonic scale
I.! ! l.M! 11 singers, like Scottish folk singer Dick Gaughan for example,
J J d I
Also make exercise
achieve an advanced rhythmic, percussive effect by empha-
1 and 2
sising and varying the consonant sounds when singing. This,
combined w ith abrupt changes between the modes, creates
advanced rhythmic structures and a broad dynam ic range.
C blues scale
I.! ! I.!.! ! I I Develop your sense of timing so you know which form the
Also make exercise song has and where in the form you are at all times (e.g. the A
1 and 2
or B part of a song). Record an accompaniment with A, Band
C parts and practise singing to it. In the beginning you can re-
cord a small clap or other percussive sound on the downbeat
Notice the exercises are here written in C for a better overview. The sound
examples are sung in A for women and D for men .
Complete Vocal Techniqu e 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocal institute.com 237

every time the form changes so you can hear where in the Improvisation using moods
form you are. Later you can omit these markers and find your When you can control the melodic and rhythmic aspects of
own way into, and perhaps create your own build-up to, the improvisation and phrasings, you can practise creating im-
various parts. provisations and phrasings that are rooted in various moods.
You can practise with others who play instruments so that For example, you can set yourself a task where your improvi -
you can check on each other's sense of timing . You may also sation or phrasing must emphasise a happy mood and later
practise alone to backing tracks or karaoke CDs/files. an unhappy one. The more experienced you become at this,
the more nuances you can add to the expression, e.g. resigna-
Practise by clapping or beating the rhythmic patterns of the tion, wonder, tired-but-happy and so on.
phrasing or the improvisation you sing. The rhythm should
also sound good when isolated from the melody. This will Later, examine if you have a subconscious system to inten-
give you a better overview of the rhythmic side of your phras- sify various moods. Perhaps you want to develop this system
ings and improvisations. further. Try to find other less obvious means of expressing a
particular mood or feeling so that, as an example, a happy
Practise being at the front or the back of the beat. Record mood is not only depicted by quick tempo, the use of major
backing music for a song and sing along. At first practise keys and tonally ascending movements; and conversely an
singing exactly on the beat, then a little behind the beat and unhappy mood is not only depicted by a slow tempo, the use
finally a little in front of it. Notice the difference in energy and of minor keys and tonally descending movements.
mood when being in front of the beat, on the beat and at the
back of the beat. '4>) 335
Speak through your songs rhythmically, perhaps make a

mark in the text on every beat in the bar (measure). Decide
where in the song each phrasing is to be placed rhythmically
and melodically. Practise reproducing this.
Mixing rhythmic and melodic

improvisation
Finally, mix together the melodic and the rhythmic training
in a free improvisation. Practise either with a metronome,
accompanying yourself, or ask someone to record various
chords for you to practise to. There are, by the way, many
good backing tracks and karaoke CDs/files that you can prac-
tise to if you do not play any instrument.
Notice that the bass line will help anchor you in the structure
of the music, so become accustomed to listening to bass lines
while you improvise.

Interpretation and performance
Technique and expression Some singers use special methods to develop their expres-
Technique and expression sive abilities.
This book is mainly about technique, but not because I be- Others use a bit of each method and mix it with their own
lieve technique is the most important aspect of singing . Tech- intuition.
nique is merely THE MEANS by which to express yourself. I
believe the most important aspect is EXPRESSION, i.e. to say Whichever method you use, it is advantageous to have
something. worked consciously on this part of your singing. As with im-
provisation and phrasing, an important part of working with
The techn iques in this book are only tools for musical expres- expressing is 'to have been there before'. When during your
sion, the possibilities of sound with which to strengthen what work with interpretation you get to know your tools for ex-
you say. Therefore, while techniques are important to impression, it becomes easier to express exactly what you wish
prove the musical expression, they are not the ultimate goal. to convey.
If technique dominates, singing can often become less
interesting.
Credibility
The more precise and solid the portraying of the character of
Choose for yourself the song and the story of the song, the more credible your
It is important the singer trusts his or her taste, feelings and expression will be. When you succeed in conveying a precise
judgement. Individuality is invaluable. Use techniques to and solid interpretation of the song, the audience will be-
achieve the goal you have for expressiveness . Try to find the come involved and will start inventing their own story. Often
tools which you think strengthen your expression, using your the audience will recognise situations from their own lives
judgement and intuition. Do not be afraid of experimenting and maybe see situations from new angles. In my experience,
because experimentation often brings renewal. those performers who have truly succeeded in providing the
audience with an artistic experience have enabled the audi-
Perhaps you should practise with other singers for mutual ence (consciously or subconsciously) to connect to a story in
support and encouragement. It may help develop your ex- their own minds.
pressive skills and practise your ability to hit the spot in your
expression. Others may suggest various sound possibilities, Sometimes it is not the story or even the exact expression
but remember it is your job to artistically choose what and conveyed by the singer that creates the experience for the
how something is to be told, so trust yourself and your taste. audience. It may be a glance, a certain sound, a particular
You yourself are the only one who can make these artistic word, some perhaps subconscious element both from the
choices and decide how you want to sound . And remember, singer and the audience that sets up the sentiment. But the
the options you do NOT take characterise you as an artist as condition for the singing to develop into an artistic experi-
much as the one's you do choose. ence is that the singer ens ures that the story, the character
and the interpretation is as convincing as possible. It is impor-
tant not to lose the story, the character or the interpretation
Many methods as it will distract the audience from the created mood .
The way singers work on their interpretation varies a great
deal as do the results: It is very important you do not break the illusion (i.e. break
Some singers are not awa re of their expression. the film) once the aud ience gets involved. If the singer is los-
Some singers use only their intuition and feeling at that ing the cha racter or the story, e.g. if the tempo, key, form, lyr-
moment (some days it can be extremely intense while on ics, improvisations etc. do not correspond the interpretation,
other days it is less convincing).

you will most likely jolt the audience out of the mood and poetic, but it is not easily
experience they are having, i.e. 'cut the film'. This can be very understood.
frustrating for the audience and the singer/musician immedi-
ately loses the connection to the audience. Create your own translation: A translation which might give
more meaning (paraphrased) :
"When I look back on my life,
"When I look back at my
I remember crossing a mead- life I see myself crossing a
ow whilst crying". You should meadow whilst crying"
Method for working with not sing the translation. It is

only designed to help you
expression understand the lyrics.
There are many good books on interpretation which I recom- Translate each verse into everyday language so you under-
mend singers work with if they would like to work on their stand the verses one-by-one. Maybe each line of the lyric in
interpretation (you can see 'Recommended Reading List' on the verse does not give an exact meaning.
the website www.CompleteVocallnstitute.com).
Create a translation of each verse which is meaningful to
Here I will go through a practical, tangible method which you.
from experience has proven very efficient and easy to use. Finally make up your mind what the song is about.
You can use it as a method to get started, what to do when
you get stuck, or you can use it to further develop the meth-
ods you already have. Again, as with all singing, this is just a Moods in lyrics and melody
suggestion; a possibility amongst many. You can either use it, Decide which moods and what message the lyrics contain .
use parts of it, change it, or, if the method does not work for
you, forget it, and waste no more time on it. Decide which moods and what message the melody
contains.
Do the moods and message in the lyrics and melody cor-

Analysing lyrics and melody respond? Maybe the mood of the words is happy, light and
easy, but the mood of the melody is heavy and dark. Find the
Translating reason why there is no correspondence between the mood
It is usually a pre-condition for working on interpretation that and messages of the word and melody. If the lyric is happy,
you understand the lyrics in detail: light and easy and the melody is heavy and dark it maybe
because the main character of the song is trying to maintain
If the lyrics are not in your Original lyrics: "Tilbageblik a happy facade whilst actually feeling miserable.
groodende eng"
first language, translate each
word.
Know the story
Then translate the song line Direct translation of each Decide what the story is Example: The song is about
word : "Retrospect crying an unhappy person .
by line into plain, everyday about. Base it on the transla-
meadow" (lyrics can be very
language so all the lyric lines, cryptic)
tion and, possibly, any incon-
one by one, are understood. gruity between the mood
For instance, 'retrospect cry- and messages in the lyrics
ing meadow' may be very and melody.

Invent the previous history The story: Why are the words being Wendy seeks comfort,
scold ing the boyfriend ,
of the events described us- The loved one of the said? For seeking comfort?
and tries to get hold of her
character has moved out a
ing a lot of detail. What is the In an argument? Because of emotions .
week ago after having found
dilemma? someone else . overwhelming joy?
Build the current situation The character is confused Where and when are the Wendy sits half-drunk and
and alternates between miserable in her kitchen at
around the event described things being said? In bed? In
wanting the loved one back half past one at night talking
in the lyrics, again with a lot or never wanting to see her/ a street on a dark night? On a to a friend .
of detail, so that the situation him again . meadow at dawn?
is easier to imagine.
Progression, turning points and subtext

Create the character Many songs go through a
Create your character (the Creating the character: progression and have turn- The progress and turning
points :
person singing) with so "Wendy" - woman , 30 years ing points and subtexts.
old , normal appearance ,
much detail that you feel 1. Verse: Wendy starts with a
a qu iet type , smokes a lot,
as though you know him or has lived together with her From the story and the ac- superficial cheeerfulness to
hide how miserable she is.
her. Give him or her a gen- boyfriend for 2 years . tual situation in the song,
der, age, look, style, clothing, put together the story which Subtext: "I pretend there is
background, type, personal- is happening in each verse nothing wrong, then she will
probably leave soon".
ity, name and a job. You can and find the progression of
even base it on someone the song and eventually the
turning points. For instance, 2. Verse: Wendy alternates
you know. Never use your-
between cheerfulness and
self as the character. It is im- the first turning point may rage.
portant that you take care of be the third verse, where
Sub text: "How could he do
your own heart and do not the main character breaks
it?"
use yourself as the charac- down and talks about how
ter. It can be very tough and bad things actually are. The
3. Verse: Wendy falls apart
unhealthy for your physical fourth verse, where the main
and says how bad a state
well-being to relive drastic character finds comfort and she is in .
or traumatic situations from sees a brighter future, may

your own life, night after be the second turning point.
4. Verse: Wendy gets
night. comforted and starts feeling
Wendy talks partly to herself Find a subtext to each verse, the future looks more bright .
and partly to her girlfriend.

What is the character doing in other words, create a word
in the song? Talking? Think- or a sentence to describe the main character's real feelings
ing? Shouting? that underlie the verse, for instance, a verse that describes the
Wendy tells the story to her main character of the song as trying to maintain a happy fa-
girlfriend .
Who is he or she address- c;ade: 'Pretend nothing is wrong; hopefully she'll leave soon'.
ing and are they present? To know the subtext for each verse often makes it easier to
Herself/Himself? A friend? A channel the right expression into the verse.
mother? A child? A lover?

If you think there is discrepancy between the lyric and its character, the easier it becomes to choose what he or she
meaning, try to find the subtext. For instance, if the lyric says: would choose and the more credible the character becomes.
'It's great that you came, please come in', the subtext may be:
'Oh please go away, I don't want you to see me crying'. After this comes a large amount of experimentation, deci-
sion-making and practice of the various means of expression
In the beginning it can be an advantage to find the subtext in which convey this expression in the best way.
all the lines to get to know how it works, later you can find the
subtext in only certain passages or specific words . Note that
the idea of the subtext is not for the audience to understand, The song's mind of its own
the subtext only serves to help the singer create and repro- Often you will discover that as you experiment with the tech-
duce a solid interpretation. nical tools in order to achieve a certain mood, the story and
the character might 'have a mind of its own' and start interfer-
ing. Maybe you cannot make certain tools work, even though
they seem very reasonable. Often you will experience that
The actual work of the singer a certain passage only wants to be sung in one special way
regardless of how many different ways you try. It is my expe-
Describing the character by means of sounds rience that you can experience a new side of the story and
How would the character in the character which you have overlooked in the first place, by
this song react to what has Wendy has a quiet experimenting in the direction pointed out by the song and
personality and cries when
happened? Is the character the character. When you understand why you are choosing
she gets angry.
hot tempered and shouts the certain sounds, pitch etc, it is much easier to reproduce
when s/he gets angry? Or is the expression and perfect it.
s/he a more quiet type who
is crying heartbreakingly?
Summary
How would the character, Wendy is rather quiet also You do not have to go through all the ingredients in this method
when she falls apart.
with his or her personal- for every single song for the rest of your life. When you get expe-
ity and history, express the rienced in working with interpretation you can go directly to the
subtexts, the progression important questions:
and the turning points in the What is the story/drama/dilemma?
song? Who is the character? What is s/he doing?
Wendy mostly uses Neutral Who is this addressed to? Where is s/he?
and Curbing and very little
Which modes, types of vibra- Why is this said/sung?
vibrato .
to, attacks, pitch and improv- All the details are not necessary each time, but very useful if you
isation should you choose to feel stuck working with the interpretation of the song.
illustrate the main character
and his or her sentiment?
Wendy does not use many
Which sound, pitch, volume, ornamentations or a large

range of notes, and no
Working together with the band
phrasing, words and effects effects, not even when she
will the character choose? gets angry. Joint expression
The better you know your It is not enough that the singer is very conscious of a song's
interpretation if the various members of the band are using
242 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadol in www.completevocalinstitute.com

different expressions. If the entire band works in unison, the Performance
expression is intensified and the audience is more likely to be
captivated. This content is meant as a help for new bands.
Decide which genre of music, tempo, instruments, key, form

and gestures are best suited to convey the expression and Designate a leader
the story of the song . The singer is not necessarily the leader of the band, but dur-
ing a performance the singer will be the focus of attention
Remember that some songs are 'loaded' in the sense that the and may therefore seem to be the leader. This can easily re-
audience already knows a certain version of the song for in- sult in extra pressure felt by the singer. If this happens, you
stance the original version . It is important that you know this can concentrate on the character and the story of the song so
version and decide how it corresponds with your story and you don't have to think about yourself and where you are. If
character so you can take the expectation of the audience you are nervous, it might be a sign of you being too aware of
into account. the situation and concentrating too little on the story and the
character. Therefore, it is often an advantage that you have,
If the song has been recorded by others it may be inspiring to for the concert, a designated member of the band to take the
hear their interpretation. By this you might learn new sides to decisions, for instance which song to play or if some confu-
the story or the character which you might want to incorpo- sion occurs. Avoid unnecessary and long breaks in order not
rate in your version. to bore the audience, or 'break the film', between songs. If
there are too many breaks the overall effect of the concert
Take into account the charisma of the band . It might be diffi- will be boring even ifthe songs are performed amazingly.
cult to convey tenderness and devotion if the charisma of the
band is tough and unapproachable. Take into account per-
sonal gesturing and facial expressions, e.g. some singers and Presentation
musicians unconsciously grimace when they sing or play. Try not to worry about how you look. It signals that you do
not feel comfortable and this insecurity is transm itted to the
Make sure the musical ideas presented in the solos corre- audience. When the audience applauds, acknowledge and
spond with the song's interpretation. The solo could express accept it and show that you appreciate that they like the mu-
the thoughts of the main character, be the comforting friend, sic even if you are unhappy with your performance.
or a rousing speech to oneself. Maybe the turning point of
the story is in the solo. Be aware of your own behavioural changes, i.e what you do
unconsciously when you get nervous, and stop them . It spoils
Train so all members of the band are taking part in what is be- the overall impression if the performer is constantly adjusting
ing played. For instance, think about what has just been said/ their hair, crossing their arms etc. The audience can read that
played . This way you can avoid being the redundant 'lost' you feel insecure and this will spoil their experience. Prefer-
singer/musician who does not know what to do with her/ ably the audience should not be distracted from concentrat-
himself when the others sing/play. Train passing on the so- ing on the music.
los. Play to each other and develop further each others ideas
based on the same story.

Where to look before performing at the stage. Remember also to enjoy it
Some people find it distracting when a singer/musician looks while you are there.
them straight in the eyes during a concert. It can jolt the au-
dience out of the experience. Focus lightly on the back wall
or the foreheads of members of the audience, just above the
eyes. This will make them feel as if you are present and look-
ing at them without it feeling too invasive or intimate and
spoil the expression.
If you make a mistake

Avoid drawing attention to the fact that you have made
a mistake. Stay in the interpretation even during the worst
mistakes. Often the audience does not notice the mistakes,
but will be distracted if the band leaves the story. If you look
appropriately convincing, as ifthe mistake was made on pur-
pose, you can also convince the audience. If you make mis-
takes with lyrics or melody, improvise; sing something else,
but keep the character, the story and the expression, even
though you do not know where you are in the song. Keep the
energy going and tell the story.
Remember to enjoy it
Nervousness is a natural reaction to stressful situations where
the body releases adrenalin which makes the heart beat fast-
er, your body sweat and your hands shake. Adrenalin ensures
you are physically ready for the demands of the performance
so do not be too concerned when you start getting nervous.
Usually the audience does not understand why musicians and
singers are nervous about being in a situation they have cho-
sen for themselves. There is no reason to be nervous if you
have practised and know your performance. Remember, the
audience has come to hear what you are singing or playing .
Sometimes it takes the edge off the nervousness if you think

about why you are nervous. What is the worst thing that can
happen? And is that really so bad that just the sheer fright
of it should spoil the present experience for you and for the
audience?
You can also think through why you are performing. Most
singers and musicians have worked hard for many years

Physical Exercise
Stand with your feet about fifty centi-
The concept of exercise metres apart. Point your feet outwards a
It is important for a singer to be familiar with the muscles of little, stretch your right arm upwards as
the body. Muscles must be kept in shape and strengthened, though trying to touch the ceiling while
but you must also be able to relax them . All this requires bending the right knee. Change sides
knowledge and control of your body. If you exercise fre- and stretch the opposite side in a long,
quently, you will become familiar with your muscles and be deep movement. Repeat the exercise, al-
able to quickly identify and remove unwanted muscular ten- ternating sides, 8-16 times in total.
sions before they settle permanently.
Remember, as with vocal exercises, if an exercise hurts or

feels unpleasant or wrong, then it is wrong . Stop doing the Head and neck
exercise immediately. Slowly turn your head from side to side. Do this very slowly so
as not to pull a muscle. Repeat 4 times on each side.
Also be careful not to trigger uncontrolled constriction while
you exercise. Avoid pushing the abdomen outwards and avoid Move your left ear towards your left
tightening the abdominal muscles to the point that they feel shoulder. Lower the right shoulder si-
hard and locked. Avoid protruding your jaw and tightening multaneously. You should feel a long
your lips during exercise. These types of tensions can trigger stretch on the right side of your neck.
uncontrolled constriction in the throat, which can impair the Maintain the stretch and try to relax as
voice. Hoarseness is occasionally observed as an unwanted you breathe and let go from within .
side effect of heavy workouts where there has not been Change to the other side in a smooth,
enough attention aimed at avoiding uncontrolled constriction. gliding movement and repeat. Repeat 4
times on each side.
Bring your chin down towards your chest

Warming up and roll your head slowly and CAREFUL-
Shake and stretch your body gently. Run or jump for about LY to the left in a smooth, gliding move-
five minutes. ment. When your head is as far to the left
as it can go, carefully lift your chin and
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Stand up straight, look up. Hold this stretch, try to relax as
swing your arms above your head and rise up on your tip- you breathe and let go from within . Then bring the chin back
toes. Then put your feet flat again, bend your knees, bend down towards your chest and roll your head to the right. Re-
forwards and swing your arms down past your sides. Let your peat the movement on this side. Repeat 4 times on each side.
arms swing back and stand up straight again. Do the exercise
in a smooth, gliding movement. Repeat 8 times.
Shoulders
The more relaxed your shoulders are, the more energy you
have for other parts of the body. The shoulders are an area
often subject to excess tension while singing.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lift both shoul-

ders up to your ears, tighten them and then relax the shoul-
ders and lower them for just as long as they were tightened .

Try to push them down a little bit more and then let them Now make a cycle of these movements. Start by moving your
return to their relaxed position . Repeat 4 times. chest forwards, to the left side, then to the back and then to
the right side. Make a circle gently with smooth movements a
Stand with your feet shoulder-width couple of times. Then do it in the opposite direction.
apart. Place your right hand on your
right shoulder and your left hand on
your left shoulder and point your elbows
out to the sides . Gently move your el- Abdomen
bows in circles, first in small circles, then The strength and flexibility of the abdominal muscles has a
larger and then even larger. Then make great effect on the support so it is essential for singers to have
the circles smaller and smaller again until as much strength and stamina in the abdomen as possible.
the circles are so small that there is almost no movement in At the same time it is important to learn how to relax these
the arms. Start again, but now make circles in the opposite muscles so they are not tightened all the time as this wastes
direction. Repeat twice. energy. So you must be able to tighten and relax these mus-
cles at will. Then when you practise support, the idea is to
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Push your shoul- control singing through the muscular strength and stamina
ders forward and try to lift them up while keeping them for- achieved through these exercises.
ward . When you have lifted your shoulders as high as pos-
sible, draw them back behind you and keep them together Always remember when training the abdominal muscles to
as high as possible. Now lower the shoulders as much as straighten the curve of the back to avoid injuring the back.
possible while keeping the shoulder blades together. Finish This means when exercising lying down to make sure the
the circle movement by pulling the shoulder forward in front lower back is always in contact with the floor!
of the body again. Repeat a few times in a smooth, gliding
movement, then circle the shoulders in opposite direction a ALSO BE CAREFUL NOTTO PRESS THE ABDOMEN OUTWARDS
couple of times. DURING EXERCISES SINCE THIS WILL WORK IN AN INCORRECT
SUPPORT!
Lie on your back with your

The upper body knees bent, your feet on the
The more flexible the upper body, the easier the work with ground, your hands behind
support becomes. your head and your elbows
pointing out. Lift your shoulders and neck slightly, be careful
Stand with your feet shoulder-width not to pull your neck muscles. Hold the neck motionless by
apart. Place your hands on your hips and letting the head and neck rest in your hands, then point your
keep the legs, hips and head still. Move nose down towards your chest and at the same time push
your chest gently forwards and the the lumbar region into the floor. Feel how your abdominal
shoulders backwards and then the chest muscles start to work. Find the point where they work hard-
gently backwards and the shoulders for- est and make small movements - smooth contractions, NOT
wards. Practise ONLY moving the chest. jerks - so the muscles really work. Train yourself to be able to
make these small movements about 100 times. Take a break
Then CAREFULLY move your chest to one side and then the whenever necessary.
other a few times.

Repeat the same exercise with Stretching the abdominal muscles
one leg raised off the floor It is important to stretch the muscles you are training .
pointing towards the ceiling
and the other on the floor as Lie on your stomach with your ~
before. You must feel your lumbar region pressing against the elbows on the floor with the -
floor at all times. Again, lift your shoulders and neck slightly, hands pointing forward (i.e.
being careful not to pull your neck muscles and point your Sphinx position). Imagine you are pulling yourself forward
nose down towards your chest. Change legs and repeat the by the fingertips until you feel the abdomen stretching. Also
exercise. Train yourself to be able to make these small move- from this position, stretch the oblique (side) muscles. Start by
ments about 100 times with each leg raised . Train so that you leaning over to your left side, so your weight is over your left
use the leg resting on the floor as little as possible; let your arm. Then repeat the stretch leaning over to your right side. In
abdominal muscles do the work. this exercise do not straighten out the arch in the lower back;
you should not bend forward . Make sure it does not feel un-
Repeat the same exercise, but comfortable. Maintain the stretch and try to relax while you
now lift both legs pointing breathe and let go from within . Repeat this until you feel that
towards the ceiling. Do not your abdominal muscles have been stretched. You can do
straighten your knees. Make this exercise between the strengthening exercises.
sure your knees are above the body, so you keep the lum-
bar region in contact with the floor at all times. Train yourself
to be able to make small, smooth movements - NOT jerks -
about 100 times. The back muscles
The back muscles are as important as the abdominal mus-
Lie on your back with your cles in the act of supporting the voice. It is essential to have a
hands behind your head as strong back to have strong support. It is important that muscle
before and your legs pointing groups related to the back are equally as strong as those re-
towards the ceiling and your lated to the abdomen in order to avoid back problems. Make
knees slightly bent as before. Again, make sure the lumbar sure at all times that the exercises do not feel uncomfortable.
region touches the floor and use a soft pad underneath you
so as not to hurt your spine. Position the upper part of your Lie on your abdomen with ~
body as before and lift your buttocks until they just come your hands by your sides. Keep
off the floor. Train yourself to be able to repeat this exercise the neck straight and do not
about 20 times. bend it backwards. Lift the whole upper part of your body
just slightly from the floor. Train yourself slowly over time so
Lie on your back with your you are able to repeat the exercise 50 times.
knees bent, your feet on the
floor and your hands behind When you wish to intensify
your head. Lift one leg off the floor and lift the opposite el- the exercise, repeat it with the
bow towards the raised knee. Repeat the exercise on the oth- back of your hands placed on
er side and again make small sustained movements without your forehead . Build yourself up slowly over time so that you
jerking. Change sides after each time and train yourself to be are able to repeat the exercise 50 times.
able to make the small movements about 50 times.
Sit cross-legged on the floor with a straight back, hands rest-
ing on your legs. Start by bringing your chin down towards
your chest and let your back follow as slowly as possible.

Continue in a long, gentle, your legs. This will straighten the back.
gliding movement, rolling Stay in this position for a moment. Bring
your head forward and down your pelvis back to its normal position
towards the legs, letting the and then push it backwards, as when
back follow in the movement, vertebrae by vertebrae. Then curving your back. Maintain this position
slowly roll back up again, imagining that you are placing one for a moment and then bring your pelvis
vertebra on top of another until the back is straight once back to the normal position. Bend your
more. Continue the movement, lift your head and continue knees a bit more and repeat the move-
lifting the chest as high as possible. Stay there for a moment ments: normal, forwards, normal, back-
and then restart the cycle by rolling your head down and forwards, normal. Then bend your knees a
wards again . Repeat the exercise 4 times. little more and repeat the movements
here. After that, straighten your knees a
little and repeat the movements again.
Stretching the back muscles Straighten your knees a bit more and
Lie on your back and slowly repeat the movements one more time.
pull both legs up to your chest. Repeat this whole exercise 4 times, shak-
Maintain the stretch and relax ing your legs in between if you need to.
while you breathe and let go
from within .
Stretching the muscles of the lumbar region
Sit on the floor with your legs Lie down on your
stretched forward. Place the left side with the left
sole of your right foot on the leg outstretched.
floor outside (on the left of) Bend your right leg
the left knee. Turn your body backwards to the right, place so that the knee is on the floor and place the sole of your right
your right hand on the floor behind you and straighten your foot on your left knee. Put your left hand on your right knee
back. Perhaps put your left elbow on the right side of your and your right hand on top of it. Now carefully move your
right knee and look back over your shoulder. Maintain the stretched right arm in a circle along the floor, passing the
stretch, try to relax as you breathe and let go from within . head and stop at a point behind your head. Turn your head
Change to the other side. and look back at your arm. Maintain the stretch and try to re-
lax while you breathe and let go from within . Try over time to
make your arm come close to the floor. Lie in this position for
a couple of minutes and then move your arm back ALONG
The lumbar region THE SAME PATH past your head. It is very important to avoid
The muscles of the lumbar region must be strengthened so damaging the shoulder joints. Rest for a while before chang-
they can work during support. ing to the other side.
Stand with a straight back with approxi-

mately half a metre between your feet.
Point your feet slightly outwards. Hold
onto something and bend your knees
a little. Pull your pelvis up under your
body, as if you are pressing it in between

Three Overall principles
Download 'The CVT Sound Library' from the internet:
Exercises for support values ~>)
www.completevocaltechnique.com/soundlibrary Support va luesfor high notes
Support values for low notes
Support values for long notes
Support values for pitch and the time factor
List of Sound Examples Support values for volume

Hum an octave
Hum two octaves
It is very important to make sure that the pronunciation of the vowels sounds is done Exercise with vowels ~>)
100% correctly. If you make the wrong vowel sound you might risk not being able to Practise the vowel 'EE' (as in 'see')
Practise the vowel 'I' (as in 'sit')
perform certain modes, pitches and sound colours. Therefore, it is very important that
10 Practise the vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay')
you take time to understand exactly which vowel sound is called for before you start
11 Practise the vowel 'A' (as in 'and')
the exercise.
12 Practise the vowel '00' (as in 'you')
13 Practise the vowel 'O' (as in 'woman')
Train each vowel individually. Listen to the exact vowel sound in the CVT Sound Library.
14 Practise the vowel 'OH' (as in 'so')
Do not mind ifthe vowels in the CVT Sound Library doesn't sound exactly as the vowels
15 Practise the vowel 'AH' (as in 'far')
in your language or dialect. The vowels in the CVT sound library is made for all lan-
16 Practise the vowel 'OE' (as in 'herb')
guages, taking its starting point in English, so th e CVT sound library might have other
17 Practise the vowel 'UH' (as in 'hungry')
vowels or slightly different vowels compared to the vowels in your language or dialect.
18 Practise the vowel 'OR' (as in 'order')
If there is difference between the vowel sound in your language and the vowel sound
19 Practise changing between vowels
in the CVT Sound Library, use the vowel sound from the CVT Sound Library. EE-l-EH-A-00-0-0H-AH
20 Practise changing between consonants and
The numbers of the sound examples are not in numerical order throughout the book. vowels
The sound examples are instead collected in groups so that the sound examples can 21 Practise octaves and merged sound
be used for practice purposes.
Twang: finding twang through sound
~>)
Exercises for commonly-used technical subjects 22 Imitate an infant crying
Numbers 1 - 54: exercises for the three overall principles 23 Imitate a duck quacking
Numbers 55 - 162: exercises for the various vocal modes 24 Making your voice grating and witch-like
Numbers 163 - 209: exercises for sound colour, and finally 25 Speaking like someone who hasan evil plan
Numbers 210 - 316: exercises for effects. 26 Imitating a diving aeroplane
27 Making the sound of driving atoy car
Exercises for more specific subjects 28 Imitating the sound of a very loud ambulance
siren
Numbers 317 - 322: exercises for fine tuning
29 Say 'Meow' like a cat (without the OD-sound) or
Numbers 323 - 335: exercises for improvising and phrasing say 'niet'
Number 336 - 344: programme for Emergency Aid 30 Imitate Andrea from the puppet show 'Kaj og
Numbers 345 - 350: troubleshooting exercises, and finally Andrea'
Numbers 351 - 417: various isolated examples 31 The vowel 'EE' (as in 'see') with distinct twang
32 The vowel 'I' (as in 'sit') with distinct twang
33 The vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay') with distinct twang
Notice the volume! 34 The vowel 'A' (as in 'and') with distinct twang
Notice that the volume of the modes on the sound examples can be rather different
35 The vowel '00' (as in 'you') with distinct twang
from the acoustic volume of the modes. If the volumes were reproduced as they are
36 The vowel 'O' (as in 'woman') with distinct
acoustically you might have to turn the volume up and down accordingly. As a result, twang
the volume levels on the sound examples have been equalised, which means that the 37 The vowel 'OH' (as in 'so') with distinct twang
less metallic sounds have been boosted (to make Neutral loud enough to be heard) and 38 The vowel 'AH' (as in 'far') with distinct twang
the more metallic sounds have been compressed (to make sure Overdrive and Edge 39 The vowel 'OE' (as in 'herb') with distinct twang
are not distorted). The sound examples are appropriately presented in order to be able 40 The vowel 'UH' (as in 'hungry') with distinct
to recognise the character of the modes, but do not get confused by the equalised twang
volumes. Acoustically Curbing, Overdrive and Edge will often be much louder than Completing the note ~>)
Neutral. 41 Completing the notewithout support
42 Completing the note with support

Attacks ~>) 85 The vowel 'UH' (as in 'hungry') in Curbing 134 The vowel 'UH' (as in 'hungry') in Edge
43 Practise attack in Neutral with air 86 All vowels with clenched teeth: 135 Edge in the low part of the voice
EE-l-EH-A-00-0-0H-AH-OE-UH
44 Practise attack in Neutral without air 136 3-note scale in Edge
87 Keep the position of the larynx on 'I' 'O' and 'U H'
45 Practise attack in Curbing 137 5-note scale in Edge
practise same position from 'I' to 'O' and 'I' to
46 Practise attack in Overdrive 'UH' 138 Practise light sound colour in Edge
47 Practise attack in Edge 88 Keep the position of the larynx from 'I' to 'EE' and 139 Practise less light sound colour in Edge
'I' to '00' and 'I' to 'OE' 140 Singing in Edge in the low, medium, and high
Volume ~>) 89 Keep the position of the larynx from 'UH' to 'OH' part of the voice
and 'I' to 'EH' 141 Edge in classical singing ONLY MALE EXAMPLE
48 Practise thinning and pianissimo
90 Curbing in the low part of the voice
49 Increasing the volume (crescendo)
91 3-note scale in Curbing Exercise for use of the modes ~>)
50 Decreasing the volume (decrescendo)
92 5-note scale in Curbing 142 Practise-vowels
51 Practise increasing and decreasing the volume
(crescendo and decrescendo) 93 Practise light sound colour in Curbing 143 Changing between Neutral and Overdrive
94 Practise dark sound colour in Curbing 144 From Overdrive to Edge
Various parts of the voice ~>) 95 Singing in Curbing in low, medium and high part 145 From Curbing to Edge
52 Practise the extreme part of the voice: very low of the voice 146 From Curbing to Neutral without air
part of the voice 96 Curbing in classical singing 147 Exercise at powerful volume
53 Practise the extreme part of the voice: very high
part of the voice 148 Exercise at medium volume
Overdrive ~>)
54 Practise flexibility in connection with the vari- 149 Exercise at soft volume
97 Overdrive 'EH' and 'OH'
ous parts of the voice, sound colours, vowels, 150 Exercise for crescendo
volume, and tempos 98 Single notes on 'EH' (as in 'let')
151 Exercise for decrescendo
99 Single notes on 'OH' (as in 'so')
152 Exercise for decrescendo and crescendo
100 The vowel 'EE' (as in 'see') in Overdrive
Exercises for the modes 101 The vowel 'I' (as in 'sit') in Overdrive
153 Exercise for crescendo and decrescendo
154 Alteration of vowels in Neutral with air
102 The vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay') in Overdrive
Neutral ~>) 155 Alteration of vowels in Neutral without air
103 The vowel 'A' (as in 'and') in Overdrive
55 Neutral with air: EE-l-EH-A-00-0-0H-AH-OE-UH 156 Alteration of vowels in Curbing
104 Thevowel '00' (as in 'you') in Overdrive
56 Neutral without air 157 Alteration of vowels in Overdrive
EE-l-EH-A-00-0-0H-AH-OE-UH 105 The vowel 'O' (as in 'woman') in Overdrive
158 Alteration of vowels in Edge
57 Single notes 106 The vowel 'OH' (as in 'so') in Overdrive
58 5-note scale 107 The vowel 'AH' (as in 'far') in Overdrive Speech Technique ~>)
59 Octave scale 108 The vowel 'OE' (as in 'herb') in Overdrive 159 Speaking in Neutral
60 Arpeggios 109 The vowel 'UH' (as in 'hungry') in Overdrive 160 Speaking in Overdrive
61 Practise light sound colour in Neutral with air 110 Alteration of vowels in Overdrive 'hey baby' 161 Speaking in Curbing
62 Practise dark sound colour in Neutral with air 111 Alteration of vowels in Overdrive 'I love you' 162 Speaking in Edge
63 Practise light sound colour in Neutral without air 112 Overdrive in the low part of the voice
64 Practise dark sound colour in Neutral without air 113 Powerful low notes
65 Exercise in raising the larynx 114 3-note scale in Overdrive Sound Colour
66 Volume in Neutral: crescendo and decrescendo 115 5-note scale in Overdrive
The positions of the vocal tract in one
67 Singing Neutral with air in low, medium and 116 Practise light sound colour in Overdrive
mode ~>)
high part of the voice 117 Practise dark sound colour in Overdrive
163 Distinct twang in Neutral without air for women
68 Singing Neutral without air in low, medium and 118 Singing in Overdrive in the low, middle and high and Curbing for men
high part of the voice part of the voice (the high part of the voice is
only sung by a male) 164 Necessary twang in Neutral without air for
69 Neutral in classical singing
women and Curbing for men
70 Finding metal-like Neutral 119 Overdrive in classical singing
165 Raised larynx in Neutral without air for women
71 Single notes in metal-like Neutral and Curbing for men
Edge ~>)
166 Lowered larynx in Neutral without air for wom-
Curbing ~>) 120 Edge 'I', 'EH', 'A', 'OE' en and Curbing for men
72 curbing: 'I', 'O', 'UH' 121 Single notes on 'I' (as in 'sit') 167 Broad tongue in Neutral without air for women
73 Single notes on 'I' (as in 'sit') 122 Single notes on 'EH' (as in 'stay') and Curbing for men
74 Single notes on 'O' (as in 'woman') 123 Single notes on 'A' (as in 'and') 168 Compressed tongue in Neutral without air for
75 Single notes on 'UH' (as in 'hungry') 124 Single notes on 'OE' (as in 'herb')
169 Smile in Neutral without air for women and
76 The vowel 'EE' (as in 'see') in Curbing 125 The vowel 'EE' (as in 'see') in Edge Curbing for men
77 The vowel 'I' (as in 'sit') in Curbing 126 The vowel 'I' (as in 'sit') in Edge 170 Relaxed mouth in Neutral without air for women
78 The vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay') in Curbing 127 The vowel 'EH' (as in 'stay') in Edge and Curbing for men
79 The vowel 'A' (as in 'and') in Curbing 128 The vowel 'A' (as in 'and') in Edge 171 Lowered palate in Neutral without air for wom-
en and Curbing for men
80 The vowel '00' (as in 'you') in Curbing 129 The vowel '00' (as in 'you') in Edge
172 Raised palate in Neutral without air for women
81 The vowel 'O' (as in 'woman') in Curbing 130 The vowel 'O' (as in 'woman') in Edge and Curbing for men
82 The vowel 'OH' (as in 'so') in Curbing 131 The vowel 'OH' (as in 'so') in Edge 173 Open nasal passage in Neutral without air for
83 The vowel 'AH' (as in 'far') in Curbing 132 The vowel 'AH' (as in 'far') in Edge women and Curbing for men
84 The vowel 'OE' (as in 'herb') in Curbing 133 The vowel 'OE' (as in 'herb') in Edge

174 Closed nasal passage in Neutral without air for Dark and light Sound Colour in all 248 Growl with closed mouth
Vocal Modes ~>) 249 Darker growl
205 Practise light and dark sound colour in Neutral 250 Change between growl and note
Epiglottic funnel ~>)
with air 251 Growling 3 notes up and down
175 Practise distinct and necessary twang in Neutral
with air 206 Practise light and dark sound colour in Neutral 252 Growl in singing
without air
176 Practise distinct and necessary twang in Neutral 253 Growl in Neutral with air
without air 207 Practise light and dark sound colour in Curbing
254 Growl in Neutral without air
177 Practise distinct and necessary twang in Curbing 208 Practise light and dark sound colour in Overdrive
255 Growl in Curbing
178 Practise distinct and necessary twang in 209 Practise light and less light sound colour in Edge
256 Growl in Overdrive
Overdrive
257 Growl in Edge
179 Practise distinct and necessary twang in Edge
Effects 258 Pitch illusion
Larynx ~>)
Distortion ~>) Grunt ~>)
180 Practise raised and lowered larynx in Neutral
with air 210 Find the noise 259 Finding grunt
181 Practise raised and lowered larynx in Neutral 211 Imagine you are annoyed 260 Sounding annoyed
without air 212 Happy sigh 261 Increase the volume
182 Practise raised and lowered larynx in Curbing 213 Add distortion 262 From Neutral with air to Grunt
183 Practise raised and lowered larynx in Overdrive 214 Add and remove distortion 263 Adding the bite
184 Practise raised and lowered larynx in Edge 215 Diminish distortion 264 Finding grunt via Growl
216 5-note scale with distortion 265 Keeping a lazy tongue
Tongue ~>)
217 Distortion in Neutral with air 266 Making the sound colour darker
185 Practise broad and compressed tongue in Neu-
tral with air 218 Distortion in Neutral without air 267 Sustained Grunt
186 Practise broad and compressed tongue in Neu- 219 Distortion in Curbing 268 Alternating between note and grunt
tral without air 220 Distortion in Overdrive 269 Grunt 3 notes up and down
187 Practise broad and compressed tongue in 221 Distortion in Edge 270 Grunt in singing
Curbing
222 Distortion in singing in low, medium and high
188 Practise broad and compressed tongue in part of the voice Scream ~>)
Overdrive
223 Transitions with distortion 271 Scream in Neutral
189 Practise broad and compressed tongue in Edge
224 Full distortion 272 Scream in Curbing
Corners of the mouth ~>) 273 Scream in Edge
Creak and Creaking ~>) 274 Screams in different modes: Edge to Neutral and
190 Practise smile and relaxed corners of the mouth
in Neutral with air 225 Find creak Neutral to Edge
191 Practise smile and relaxed corners of the mouth 226 Directly onto creak 275 Screams in different modes: Neutral to Overdrive
in Neutral without air 227 From creak to a note 276 Adding distortion to scream
192 Practise smile and relaxed corners of the mouth 228 Distorted attack 277 Full distorted scream
in Curbing
229 From creak to Neutral with air to creak 278 Distorted flageolet scream
193 Practise smile and relaxed corners of the mouth
in Overdrive 230 From creak to Neutral without air to creak
Vocal breaks ~>)
194 Practise smile and relaxed corners of the mouth 231 From creak to Curbing to creak
279 Break between metallic and non-metallic mode
in Edge 232 From creak to Overdrive to creak
280 Yodeling
233 From creak to Edge to creak
Palate ~>) 281 Expanding the interval in breaks
234 Singing with creak
195 Practise lowered and raised palate in Neutral 282 5-note scale with breaks
with air 235 Finding creaking by maintaining the creak
283 Breaking from a mode to no sound and back
196 Practise lowered and raised palate in Neutral 236 Finding creaking 'between' Overdrive and
Curbing 284 Breaks in singing
without air
197 Practise lowered and raised palate in Curbing 237 Remove and add creaking
Air added ~>)
198 Practise lowered and raised palate in Overdrive 238 Directly onto 'loud' creaking
285 Exercises for breathy sound
199 Practise lowered and raised palate in Edge 239 Creaking five notes up and down
240 Singing with creaking Vibrato ~>)
Nasal Passage ~>) 286 Practising hammer vibrato
200 Practise open and closed nasal passage in Neu- Rattle ~>)
287 Even and light hammer vibrato
tral with air 241 Arytenoid rattle
288 Laryngeal vibrato
201 Practise open and closed nasal passage in Neu- 242 Saliva rattle
tral without air 289 Practising laryngeal vibrato
243 Uvula rattle
202 Practise open and closed nasal passage in 290 Practising the speed of vibrato
Curbing 244 Back tongue rattle
291 Vibrato on a note
203 Practise open and closed nasal passage in 245 Singing with rattle
292 Start without vibrato and gradually add it to-
Overdrive wards the end
Growl ~>)
204 Practise open and closed nasal passage in Edge 293 Making the vibrato faster
246 Imitating Kermitthe Frog
294 Making the vibrato slower
247 Add growl
295 Singing with hammer vibrato

296 Singing with laryngeal vibrato 341 Gradually raising the pitch 379 Speaking provokingly and in a rough manner
297 Singing with no vibrato 342 Exercise of 5-note scales on 'EE' (as in 'see') for 380 Singing like at a football match
women and '00' (as in 'you') for men
298 Adapting vibrato to the subdivisons in 4/4 381 Imitate a loud drunk
299 Adapting vibrato to the subdivisons in 6/8 343 Exercise of an octave on 'EE' for women and '00' 382 Finding avocal break in the low part of the voice
for men
300 Too much vibrato (a wobble)
344 Exercise of an octave on different vowels Finding Edge ,.>)
301 Involuntary vibrato
383 Finding Edge by 'n-giii'
302 Exercise for removing involuntary vibrato Trouble shooting ,.>)
384 From asharp and snarling sound into a note
345 Abreak due to change of mode
Ornamentation technique ,.>) 346 Avoiding breaks on descending melodic lines
303 Hammer vibrato method
Other sounds ,.>)
347 Avoiding breaks on ascending melodic lines 385 Click-sound
304 Laryngeal vibrato method
348 Flageolet below high C 386 Assisting mode
305 Finding the grid in different tempos
349 Splitting 387 Classical vowels
306 Changing note on every 3rd, 4th, or 5th
pulsations 350 How to get rid of asplit
307 Changing note on every pulsation

Sound Colours ,.>)
388 Clapping test
308 Adding and removing the grid
Various sounds 389 Speak like achild
309 The grid in all modes
Pronunciation ,.>) 390 Twang with a lowered larynx
310 Ornamentation in Neutral with air
391 Tone stopped through the nose
311 Ornamentation in Neutral without air 351 Tongue too relaxed
392 Nasal not stopped but change sound
312 Ornamentation in Curbing 352 Vowels in the low part of the voice, not merged
393 Oral no change in the sound
313 Ornamentation in Overdrive 353 Vowels in the middle part of the voice, partly
merged 394 Nasalisation
314 Ornamentation in Edge
354 Vowels in the high part of the voice, merged
315 Rhythmic sequences Finding Distortion through sound ,.>)
355 Tightening the vowels and relaxing the vowels
316 Singing with ornamentation technique 395 Imitating an old, evil troll
356 Too relaxed consonants and too tight consonants
396 Imitating someone being strangled
357 Opening of the mouth too large
Additional Techniques 397 Imitating acackling witch, but without a note
The various parts of the voice ,.>) 398 Imitating a person with an evil plan
Fine-Tuning ,.>) 358 The very low part of the voice ('Pulse register')*. 399 Imitating adiving aeroplane
317 Changing the note if higher than the defined 359 Low part of the voice ('Chest register')*. 400 Imitating a car that brakes or turn around a car-
pitch ner at high speed
360 Middle part of the voice ('Mixed register')*.
318 Being higher than the defined pitch within a 401 Imitating aspitting cat
361 High part of the voice ('Head register)*.
note
402 Imitating a hissing dragon
362 Very high part of the voice ('Flute register')".
319 Changing the note if lower than the defined
pitch Nb. "358-362: To avoid confusing register and sound Finding Growl through sound ,.>)
of the voice, the piano sound is predominant in
320 Being lower than the defined pitch within a note 403 Kermit from the Muppet Show
these sound examples. The voice in the back-
321 Changing high pitch into the defined pitch ground is only added to make it easier to locate 404 Imitating Louis Armstrong
322 Changing low pitch into the defined pitch the pitch.
405 Imitating ascary monster
Improvisation and phrasing ,.>) Finding Neutral ,.>) 406 Imitating acrooner
363 Sound like a man imitating awoman 407 Imitating a roaring lion
323 The notes in a chord
364 Imagine you sing quietly in Edge 408 Imitating an accelerating racing car
324 Notes that go with a chord
325 Directing all notes 'home' in achord 365 Call someone far away quietly
Finding Grunt through sound ,.>)
326 Singing beside the chord 366 Find metal-like Neutral
409 Annoyed
327 Creating melody lines within achord 367 Metal-like Neutral on high notes
410 Barking
328 Improvisation on certain beats 368 'Ng' to a note
411 An evil 'ore'
329 Improvisation on a certain upbeat/lifts 369 Diminishing the 'hold' in metal-like Neutral
412 Exaggerated moans
330 Tempo of sub-division 370 Metal-like Neutral in a quieter volume
331 Straight and triplet sub-division Microphone Technique ,.>)

Finding Curbing through sound ,.>)
332 Major pentatonic scale 413 Consonants with popping sound
371 The 'hold'
333 Minor pentatonic scale 414 Consonants without popping sounds
372 Imitating a stereotypical Italian from an Ameri-
334 Blues scale can movie 415 Microphone sphere 1- Bass boost
335 Being on the beat, on the back of the beat or on 373 Imitating a child just about to cry 416 Microphone spheres 2 - Actual microphone area
the front of the beat 417 Microphone spheres 3 - Acoustic sound
374 Imitating someone feeling sorry for her/himself
Emergency Aid programme ,.>) 375 Imitating an overly tired child
336 'Sss' sound
Finding Overdrive through sound '4>)
337 Soft exercises
376 Imitating market sellers
338 Note with one accentuation
377 Shouting to someone in the street
339 Several accentuations
378 Crying for joy (as if someone has scored agoal in
340 Clearer voice afootball match)

Classical vowels: Vowels as they sound in Diaphragm: The large, dome-shaped muscle
Glossary classical singing, created by a compressed that separates the abdominal and chest
tongue. cavities and which controls breathing.
Closed phase: When the mucous membranes Diphthong: Some vowels form a union of two
of the vocal cords come together during vowel sounds pronounced in one syllable,
Abdomen: The portion of the body between
one vibration of the sound-production or as 'oi ' in noise. You start the vowel sound at
the diaphragm and the pubic bone.
vibratory cycle. the articulatory position for one vowel and
Accentuated legato: To give the note a small
Cnoedle: Singing w ith raised larynx and low- moves toward the position for the other.
run up.
ered back of the tongue which gives the Direction of vowel: To make a vowel so und
Acoustic singing: Singing without
characteristic sound of Kermit the frog similar to another without overtly chang-
amplification.
from the "Muppet Show". ing it. Used to establish and maintain a
Active support: The physical process required
Constrictors of the throat,: Muscles that mode.
to control outflow of air. The interplay be-
tighten the throat. When too tense, the Distinct twang: When the opening of th e epi-
tween three different muscle groups hap -
constrictors restrict the normal working of glottic funnel is made even smaller than in
pen in a sustained, gradual, continuous
the voice. Necessary twang by bringing the epiglot-
movement as though working against
Coloratura: A fast, rhythmic and melodic se- tis even closer to the arytenoid cartilages,
resistance for as long as the sound is
quence of notes used in classical singing. the sound assumes a much sharper and
produced.
Compressed Tongue: A position of the more penetrating snarling character like a
Air added to th e voice: An effect you can add
tongue that makes the sound colour dark- cac kle . The more sq ueezed the funnel, the
to the Neutral mode.
er. The tip of the tongue lies flat down in more snarling the sound becomes.
Alteration of vowel: Modifying one vowel to
the oral cavity, the tongue arches in the Distortion: An effect or a 'noise' that can be
another in order to establish and maintain
middle and at the back it pulls into itself. added to a note and which can convey a
a particular mode.
With the tongue in this position, the vow- wide range of emotions. The 'noise' is cre-
Anatomy: The science concerned with the
els become more classical. ated by vibrations of the false fold s. Once
physical structure of the body.
Compressor/ Limiter: An electronic device for you have created the 'noise' by using the
'Anterior/ posterior' narrowing: a narrowing
reducing the amplitude (volume) of the false folds you ca n add a mode to the
that bring s the front and the back of the
signal. distortion with your true vocal cords and
larynx closer.
Consonant: Any letter of the alphabet other thereby gain power and metal.
Articulation : Pronunciation.
than a vowel. Dynamics: Differences in volume.
Arytenoid cartilages: Two triangular pieces of
Creak: Creaks is an effect often used in the be- Economising: To limit and reduce waste,
cartilage attached to the back of the vocal
ginning or ending of a phrase. therefore maximising the effort.
cords. Perched on the cricoid cartilage, the
Creaking: Creaking is used as a delicate little Edge (formerly 'Belting'): Edge, like Overdrive,
arytenoid cartilages help regulate pitch as
'distortion'. Creaking is found by singing is a full-metallic mode. The character of
well as performing the opening and clos-
with a slightly incorrect use of the modes Edge is lighter, sharper, and more screamy
ing movement ofthe vocal cords.
in a very controlled manner and is there- than Overdrive. Edge has a non-breathy
Arytenoid/cu neiform complex: the area
fore creating certain vibrations of the vocal character.
around the arytenoid cartilages.
cords known as creaking. Edge attack: The beginning of a note in Edge.
Arytenoid rattle: The sound of the arytenoid
Crescendo: A gradual increase in vo lume. Also called full -metallic attack or glottal
rattle is formed by making the mucosa
Cricoid cartilage: A ring of cartilage found at attack.
over the arytenoid cartilages vibrate.
the top of the windpipe (trachea). Edge-like Neutral: is a variant of Neutral with-
Aryepiglottic folds: The sides of the epiglot-
Croon: An especially sentimental, popular, out air. It may sound as if there is almost
tic funnel are called the aryepiglottic folds.
easy-listening style of singing. some metal in the sound, even though it
Assisting mode: A mode used as an interme-
Cuneiform Cartilage: Two cone -shaped carti- is Neutral. It is made using Neutral wit hout
diary when changing a sound from one
lages placed in front of the arytenoid carti- air with the addition of a twanged epiglot-
mode to another.
lages in the aryepiglottic folds. tic funnel and a fairly light sound colour.
Attack: The beginning of a vocal sound. There
Curbing: Curbing is the half-metallic mode, Emergency Aid: Immediate, on -the-spot
are Overdrive attack, Edge attack, Curbing
i.e. there is some metal in the notes. It is assistance given to solve pressing vocal
attack, Neutral without air attack, and Neu-
the 'mildest' of the metallic modes. The problems.
tral with air attack.
character is softer and not as powerful and Epiglottic funnel: The funnel shape above the
Back tongue rattle: The sound of the back
distinct as Overdrive or Edge, but still pow- vocal cords formed by the false folds, the
tongue rattle is formed by vibrations at the
erful compared to Neutral. The sound is of- epiglottis, the arytenoid cartilages and the
back of the tongue.
ten slightly plaintive and restrained. aryepiglottic folds.
Bad intonation: Singing out of tune.
Curbing attack: The beginning of a note in Even: Regular (for volume or sound colour).
Bass boost: An amplification of the low
Curbing, also called a 'half-metallic attack' False folds or Ventricular folds: Folds of mu-
frequencies.
or 'simultaneous attack'. cous membrane positioned above the real
'Belting' now Edge: Edge, like Overdrive,
Curbing-like Neutral: is variant of Neutral or true vocal cords. The False folds are de-
is a full -metallic mode. The character of
without air. It may sound as if there is al- liberately used in creating distortion.
Edge is lighter, sharper, and more screamy
most metal in the sound, even though it Feedback: Heard as a high, whining sound
than Overdrive. Edge has a non-breathy
is Neutral. It is made in Neutral without air that is produced when a sound from the
character.
usually with twanged epiglottic funnel and microphone is amplified by a loudspeaker
'Bite': A specific jaw position to obtain
fairly light sound colour. and caught again by the microphone, am -
Overdrive.
plified again, caught again and so on.
Broad tongue: Making the tongue broader
CVT Sound Library: The former CD with the Fifth: A distance of five notes from one note
creates a lighter so und colour.
book has been replaced with the enlarged to another in a major or minor scale.
Cartilage: Strong, elastic tissue.
CVT sound Library for download. The CVT Fibre optic endoscope: A thin, flexible cable
Case story: A true, illustrative example for
sound Library has been extended to en- of fibre optic fibres capable of transmitting
educational purposes of a singer with a
compass 417 female and 417 male sound images from within the body to an exter-
problem to be solved.
examples. nal monitor.
Character: The person in a song.
Decrescendo: A gradual decrease in volume. Flageolet: A muscular compression that pre-
A chase: two musicians alternately making
Decibel (dB): A measuring unit for the vo lume vents part of the vocal cords from vibrating
improvisations and answering each other.
of sound. making it possible to reach higher notes. Is
Centre of a mode: The optimal positioning of
automatically involved when producing
the mode. In this position sound produc-
notes above high C.
tion is optimised and it is energy-efficient.

Forte (f): Powerful vo lume. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA): notes in order to have correct technique
Fortissimo: Very powerful volume. is an alphabetic system of phonetic nota- and achieve easy and unhindered use of
Full distortion: An effect when so much tion. It is a standardized representation of the voice, regardless of the mod e, sound
'noise' is added to a note that only the the sounds of oral language, meaning it is colour and effect used. For many this nec-
noise remains and no note. a way of writing down the pronunciation. essary twang does not sound twanged at
Full metal: A term to describe a large amount Karaoke CD/ file: CD/files of backing music. all.
of metal in the sound of the voice. Over- Larynx: The voice box, where the voice is Neutral: Neutral is the only non-metallic
drive and Edge are full -metallic modes. located . mode. It is a very extensive mode which
Laryngeal vibrato or throat vibrato: Pulsa - contains many different sounds and sound
Grid: A controlled, underlying rhythm or tions caused by the larynx moving up and colours. The sounds are softer and milder
pulsation that can be applied to notes as down rapidly. than the metallic modes. Neutral is the
a means to establish ornamentation. The Latissimus dorsi: The large muscles of the only mode where you can add air to the
grid is the backbone of ornamentation back located between the underarm and sound.
technique. the hipbone. Neutral with air: A variation of the Neutral
Groove: A repeated rhythmic pattern. Legato: Constant sound-production without mode where air is added to the voice.
Growl: An effect, a rough rolling sound to the audible pauses between notes. Neutral without air attack: The beginning of
voice. Ligaments: A strong type of tissue that con - a note in Neutral without air. Also called
Grunt: An effect. Grunting has a dark, power- nects two bones and stabilises joints. non-metallic attack or simultaneous attack
ful sound; it is often low in pitch and has a Loose jaw: Preferred position of the jaw for Neutral with air attack: The beginning of a
very demonic effect. There is a lot of 'noise' the Neutral mode. note in Neutral with air. Also called non-
and air on this effect. Low part of the voice: For women below C4, metallic attack or breathy attack
Half-metallic or Curbing: A t erm for a smaller for men below C3 . Nodules on the vocal cords: A term given to
amount of metal in the sound of the voice. Main vowel: are the vowels in singing that are when there are two small, swellings, one
Curbing is half- metallic. necesssary for obtaining the vocal modes on each vocal cord, opposite each other.
Hammer vibrato or Vocal cord vibrato: Vibra- (for example the vowels in the chart on Non-metallic: The sound of the voice without
tion of the vocal cords. This type of vibrato page SS). metal. Opposite to metallic. Neutral is the
can be perceived as a sustained series of Merged sound: The merging of the vowels in non -metallic mode.
attacks sounding like a machine gun or a the higher part of the voice, necessary to Oedema: A collection of fluid in bodily tissues
bleating sheep. establish and maintain a mode. which produces swelling.
Head-set microphone: A microphone at- Metal: definition of a metallic sound. Appears Octave: A musical distance of eight notes. A
tached to the head at a fixed distance from in Curbing, Overdrive and Edge. doubling of the hertz value. Twelve half-
the mouth. Metal-like Neutral: A variation of Neutral notes or semitones. The same note name
Hertz (Hz): A number of complete pulsations/ without air in which the sound becomes higher or lower.
vibrations per second. A unit of scientific metal-like. Open throat: An image of when the constric-
measurement for pitch . Metronome: A mechanical device to indicate tion of the throat does not hinder the vocal
Hidden incorrect support: The abdomen and tempo or speed. cords from vibrating freely.
solar plexu s are both pushed outwards, Mezzo-forte (mf): medium or moderately Oral: Pertaining to the mouth (inferring
even though the abdomen seems to be powerful volume. closed nasal passages).
pulled in . Mezzo-piano (mp): medium or moderately Ornamentation technique: A technique used
High part of the voice: For wome n between quiet vo lume. for producing very fast, rhythmic and me-
CS and C6 and for men between C4 and CS. Middle part of the voice: between C4 and CS lodic sequences of notes.
'Hold': A method for obtaining a half- metallic for women, and C3 and C4 for men. Outer hearing: The sound of the voice that
mode. Used in Curbing. Modes: 4 techniques for singing based on travels to the ears through the air rather
Improvisation: Rhythmic or melodic devia- volume, pitch, and sound colour. There are than through the bones of the skull. See
tions from the original melody. four modes: Neutral, Curbing, Overdrive, also 'Inner hearing'.
Incorrect support: Both solar plexus and ab- and Edge. Overdrive: Overdrive is a full-metallic mode.
domen around th e navel are pushed out- Monitor, monitoring: Sound is amplified Its character is often direct, loud, and
wards. See also 'Hidden incorrect support'. and relayed back to the singer via loud- shouted, like when you call 'hey' after
Inner hearing: The sound of the voice con - speaker or headphones. This mechanism someone in the street. Overdrive is a mode
ducted to the ears through the bones of enables a performer to regulate her/ his with a non-breathy sound.
the skull rather than through the air. Can performance. Overdrive attack: The beginning of a note in
be isolated by singing with your fingers in Mucous membrane: A thin, moist covering of Overdrive. Also called full-metallic attack
your ears. internal body surfaces that produces mu- or glottal attack.
Inner Support: The support needs to be a cous for lubrication. Overdrive-like Neutral: is variant of Neutral
continuous and dynamic movement, and Mucous: A moist, slimy, protective liquid without air. It may sound as if there is al-
this should be done in a sustained way 'as formed by the mucous membrane. most metal in the sound, even though it
though the work is against a resistance'. Muscle memory: repeating the same thing is Neutral. It is made in Neutral without air
The inner support is a support so subtle until the brain remembers it usually with twanged epiglottic funnel and
and yet it gives so much energy to the Nasality, Nasalisation: The sound a voice fairly light sound colour.
voice that it alone can provide all the en- acquires when the nasal passages are Overtones: Any tone that contributes to the
ergy needed. opened during singing or speaking. overall sound and has a frequency that is a
Interpretation: Expression, to say something, Nasal passage: Some singers use the na sa l multiple of the fundamental tone.
to tell a story, convey a message. cavity to affect the sound colour. This may Palate: 'Palate' here refers to the soft palate
Interval: The distance betwee n two notes. be done by opening the nasal passage which extends between the bony hard pal-
Intonation: Fine adjustments of the pitch . with the uvula. The nasal passage opens to ate and ends in the uvula . The soft palate is
Intentional distortion: Distortion is a 'noise', different degrees for speaking and singing the posterior (back) part of the roof in the
an effect that can contain a range of emo- in various languages. oral (mouth) cavity. When th e soft palate is
tions from aggression to devotion. The Natural support: The instinctive muscle con- relaxed, it droops and nearly touches the
effect is often used in connection with a trol that follows inhalation. tongue. You can usually feel the soft palate
note. The more you distort the sound, the Necessary twang: The opening of the epiglot- by widening the nostrils.
more 'noise' and the less tone there is. The tic funnel is made smaller by bringing the Petiole: the lower part of epiglottis.
'noise' is created by vibrations of the false epiglottis closer to the arytenoid cartilag- Phrase: A short, continuous part of a melody.
folds. es. You always need 'necessary twang ' on

Phrasing: A personal interpretation (rhythm ic simultaneously. An uneven and often Very high part of the vo ice: Notes above C6
and melodic) of a short sequence. breathy sound. for women and above CS for men.
Pianissimo (pp): Very quiet volume. Staccato: Making each sound sharply distinct, Very low part of the voice: Notes below C3 for
Piano (p): Quiet volume. opposite to legato. women and C2 for men.
Partial vacuum or low pressure: An air pres- Stretching of the vocal cords: The stretch that Vibrato: An effect. A vibration on a note. Two
sure that is lower than that of the sur- is necessary for the cords to reach a higher types of vibrato exist: hammer vibrato and
roundings. A partial vacuum will draw note. laryngeal vibrato. The vibration can be
things into it. Subdividing: To divide something, such as changed in range and speed.
Pull in the lumbar region: Straightening the a note/rhythm into small, equa lly-s ized Vocal break: An effect or an abrupt change of
curve of the back by pulling in the abdomi- parts. sound between two modes. A Vocal Break
nal muscles. The natural curve of the back Subtext: A word or a sentence that illustrates will always involve a change between a
is diminished . what the character in a song really feels. metallic mode and Neutral.
Quadratus Lumborum: Muscles in the lower Support: Th e work and movement which Vocal cord or voca l fold : One of a pair of struc-
back. When contracted, they increase the controls the outflow of air. Support means tures consisting of a fold of mucous mem-
curve of the back. working against the natural urge of the di- brane overlying the vocal ligament that
Rattle: An effect. The sound of the rattle oc- aphragm to release the air. This is achieved produces sound by vibrating. Some peo-
curs from vibrat ions of the arytenoid car- through an interaction of three muscle ple use the term voca l fold only to reflect
tilages. Rattle can also be produced by vi- groups in the abdomen, the loin, and in the part of the voca l cords that vibrates,
brations in the back of the tongue or soft the back. but for simplicity I use voca l cord to cover
palate, or making the mucosa over the Support va lu e: A unit measuring the physical both meanings.
arytenoids cartilages vibrate. Rattle can be work of support. Vocal flageolet: A muscular compression that
used alone or together with other effects, Tempo, tempi (plural): The speed of music prevents part of the vocal cords from vi-
e.g. distortion . (e.g. fast, slow etc). brating making it possible to reach higher
Register: A name for a pitch area which ha s Thinning: A gradual weakening of the note notes. Is automatically involved when pro-
nothing to do with vo lume or sound of the without loss of sound quality. ducing notes above high C.
voice or the way you sing. There is much Three overall principles: 1) Support 2) Neces- Vocal Modes: One of the four techniques for
confusion caused by the term 'register' be - sary twang 3) Avo iding a protruded jaw singing based on volume, pitch, and sound
cause the same word is used with many dif- and tightening of the lips. co lour. There are four modes: Neutral,
ferent meanings. In order to prevent con - 'Tone-deafness': Singers w ho are called Curbing, Overdrive, and Edge.
fusion I avoid using the term 'register'. If I 'tone-deaf have difficulties sing ing in tune. Vocal tract: Th e cavity of the throat stretch-
mean pitch I write 'pitch', if I mean volume I By correcting their singing techniques ing from the vocal cords to the lips and
write 'volume' and if I mean sound colour I and releasing uncontrolled constriction nostrils.
write 'sound colour'. they can learnt to distinguish between the Vowels: The letters of the alphabet a, e, i, o, u,
Resistance: Needed in the support work. The notes and gained the ability to sing in tune. which form open sounds.
resistance and the strength it requires Transpose, transposing: To change to another Wagnerian singers: Wilhelm Richard Wagner
makes it possible to prolong the move- key. Repeating the exercises in another key. was a nineteenth century German com-
ment of the support throughout singing. Triad: Any set of three notes, pitches or tones. poser famed for the invention of 'music
Resonance: is the tendency of a system to Triggers of uncontrolled constriction: Pro - drama'. Wagnerian singers are those sing-
vibrate at a greater amplitude at some fre- truded jaw and tightening of the li ps ers who sing in that dramatically operatic
quencies than at others. that can cause uncontrolled constriction style.
Renaissance: A cultural epoch between years around the voca l cords. Yodelling: A singing tradition from Switzer-
1300 and 1600. Thyroid cartilage: The front shield of the lar- land and the Tyrol region where you make
Saliva rattle: The sound of the saliva rattle is ynx protecting the vocal cords. This is what rapid changes between metallic and non
formed by an arytenoid rattle plus some is felt when you touch the Adam 's apple. metallic modes.
extra saliva above that is also made to vi- Involuntary vibrato: A malfunction in singing.
brate along. A rapid quiver in the voice resulting from a
Satellite vowels : are variations of the main failure to support adequately.
vowels. For instance, the vowel 'AH' (as in Twang: When twanging, the opening of the
'far') is a satellite vowel to the main vowel epiglottic funnel is made sma ller by bring-
'A' (as in 'and '). Since each vowel is treated ing the arytenoid cartilages closer to the Additional lists
differently, it is important to note which lower part of epig lottis (the petiole).As
The Bibliography, Video List and Rec-
main vowel a certain satellite vowel be- a result the sound gets clearer and non -
longs to in order to treat it correctly. breathy and you can increase your volume ommended Reading List are available
Scientific pitch notation: a system of naming by 10- 15 db just by twanging.
on internet:
notes by combining a letter name and a Uncontrolled constriction: Constriction that
number identifying the pitch's octave, i.e. impair the voice. www.completevocaltechnique.com
Middle C is called C4. Unintentional distortion: Unwanted distor-
Scream: An effect. A sudden, often ferocious, tion, scratching or jarring sounds on the
loud, and high-pitched note in a mode. note. Usually appears because of the sing -
Can be combined w ith other effects such er is not following the rules of the mode or
as distortion. the overa ll principles.
Solar plexus: The highest point of the front Upbeat: A subdivision or off-beat between
wall of the abdominal cav ity where the ribs fu ll beats or on-beats.
no long er attach to the breast bone. Uvula rattle: The sound of the uvula rattle is
Sound colour: The sound of the voice, light, formed by vibrations at the uvula and at
dark etc. The sound colour is created by the the soft palate.
shape of the voca l tract. Velum pa latinum: The soft part of the palate
Speech therapist: A professional trained in forming the back part of the 'ceiling' of the
solving a multitude of problems relating mouth cavity.
to the throat, including voice, speech and Ventricular folds or False folds: Folds of mu-
swallowing. cous membrane positioned above the real
Split, splitting: A malfunction of vocal pro- vocal cords. Also known as the False folds,
duction sounding like two notes appearing they are deliberately used in distortion .

Arpeggios 132 Bonnie Tyler 184 Edge in classical singing 124
Index Art Garfunkel 88, 206

Artistic choice 73
Aryepiglottic fo ld s 51
Bono (U2) 107
Bowl 230
Boy George 89
Female classical singers 89,
97, 107
Male classical sin gers 89, 97,
Arytenoid cartilage 44 Boys' voices at puberty 70 107, 117
Arytenoid rattle 190 Boyz II Men 213 Neutral in classical sing in g 92
Assisting mode 133 B part 237 Overdrive in classical singing
Symbols 'Assisting ' muscles 30 Brad Roberts (Crash Test 107, 113
1 or 2-day Master Classes and Astrud Gilberto ("The Girl From Dummies) 107 The modes in classical singing
Introductory Courses 270 lpanema") 88, 206 Breaks 76 140
1-year Singer Course - for singers Attacks 'Break the film' 243 Classical sound 126
with a busy schedule 269 Another view 61 Breathy Attack (see Neutral w ith Clawfinger 184
3-year Singer/Singing Teacher Exercise for attack 62 air attack) Clearing the throat 220
Diploma Course 269 Full-metallic attack 61 Breathing 21 Cliff Richard 107
4-month intensive course 269 Half-metallic attack 61 Brenda Lee 107 Closed phase 46
5-day courses 270 Non-metallic attack 61 , 62 Brett Anderson 202 Cockney Rebel 97
lOCC 89 Support and twang ensure Brian Ferry 88 Coldplay 202
440 Hz 45 healthy attacks 62 Brian Johnson (AC/DC) 184 Co loratura 213
Axl Rose (Guns 'n' Roses) 107 Britney Spears 97, 187 Combined screams 200
Bruce Springsteen 107, 184, 185, Comedian 153
A
B 200 Complete Vocal Institute (CVI)
'A' 14, 52,54, 100, 110, 121, 129,
the B-52's 117 Bryan Adams 184 269
160, 265
Baby crying 166 Buddy Guy 107, 117, 201 1 or 2-day Master Classes and
Aaron Neville 89, 92
'Baby Jean' Kennedy (Mothers Buddy Holly 107 Introductory Courses 270
ABBA 97
Finest) 117, 184 Build-up 238 1-year Singer Course - for
Abdomen 22, 246
Bachman Turner Overdrive 184 singers w ith a busy schedule
Abdomen bulges 24
Back against a wa ll 38 ( 269
Abdominal muscles 28
the Back muscles 247 C2, C3, C4, CS, C6 and C7 130 3-year Singer/ Singing Teacher
Accelerating racing car 193
Back tongue rattle 191 Diploma Course 269
AC/DC 184 Cabaret singer 132
Bad Company 97 Cackling witch 183 5-day courses 270
Acid reflux 216
Balancing support and th e voice Camom il e 222 Complete Vocal Academy 269
Acoustic rule 158
225 Candle 28 Newsletter 270
Acoustic singing 231
Private lessons 270
Acoustic sound 176 working together with the Band Cannibal Corpse 196
242 Carcass 196 Complete Vocal Technique
Actor 132, 212
Banjo 160 Carly Simon 89 overview 19, 264
Actual microphone sphere 176
Bar 160, 236 Car that brakes or turns 183 Completion of the note 60
'Adam's apple' 44
Barbra Streisand 117 Case sto ry 40, 79, 80, 84, 85, 86, Compressor 232
Advanced improvisation 236
Barrel 163 101 , 103, 105, 110, 111, 112, 124, Consonants 237
Advanced melodic training 236
Baritone 71 128, 132, 134, 136, 137, 144, 145, Avoid 'relaxing ' on consonants
Advanced rhythmic training 237
Barking 197 149, 153, 154, 157, 184, 189, 201, 56
diving Aeroplane 167, 183
Bass 71 212, 215, 221, 223, 232 Consonants 56
Aerobic instructor 166
Bass boost 176 Cecilia Bartoli 213 Developing correct vowels and
Aerosmith 117, 184, 185
Bass line 238 Celine Dion 107, 117, 213 consonants 56
Agneta Falgtskog (ABBA) 97
uncontrolled Constriction
'AH' 14, 52,55, 100, 110, 121, 160 Bathroom 229 Centre of the mode 83
BB King 107, 187, 199 Cesaria Evora 88 Avoiding uncontrolled
Aid over the phone 221
Beach Boys 89, 97 CF Turner (Bachman Turner constriction 48
Air 129, 265
the Bee Gees 92, 97, 206 Overdrive) 184 Uncontrolled constriction
Air added to the voice 206
Beginning improvisation 234 Chainsaw 60 46,48
Flow of air 45
Being strangled 183 Chaka Khan 117 'triggers' of uncontrolled
Outflow of air 27
'Belting' 10, 116 Character 241 constriction 49
Pulsation of air 45
Bessie Smith 107 Charles Aznavour 97 Co-ordinating support and voca l
Too much air 28
Bette Midler 107 sound 226
Alanah Myles 184 Chase 236
Beyonce 213 Cher 107 Corey Glover (Living Colour) 107
Alanis Morissette 202
Billie Holiday 107 Chest raises 23 Corne li s Vreeswijk 187
Alcohol 223
Billy Idol 184 'Chest register' 67 Correct technique 224
Al ice Cooper 184
Billy Joel 107 Children's voices 70 Country singer 84
Al Jarreau 107
Bing Crosby 88 Chord 235 Cranberries 202
Allergy 216, 220
the Birth of Complete Vocal Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) 117, Crash Test Dummies 107
Alto 71, 174
Technique 8 184 Creak 187
sing ing live with Amplification
'the Bite' 107, 129, 265 Chris Martin (Coldplay) 202 Creaking 187
232
Anastacia 117 Bj0rn "Speed " Strid (Soilwork) Chris Rea 184 Creating intentional distortion
196 Chrissie Hynde 89 179
Anatomy 21
Black metal 196 Christina Aguilera 97, 187, 213 Credibility 239
Anders Friden (In Flames) 196
Bleed into the vocal cord 216 Chuck Berry 107, 117 Cricoid cartilage 44
Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy)
Blondie 89 Church choirs 88 Cristina Aguilera 213
196
Blues scale 237 Cindy Wi lson (The B-52 's) 117 Crooning 193, 201
Anita Baker 107, 117
Blues singer 137, 154 Clannad 88 Crotchets 236
Annie Lennox 200
Bobby Kimball (Toto) 92, 97, 199, Classical music 97, 117 Cuneiform 177
Anyone who speaks loudly 153
200, 201 Classical singing 92 Cups 230
A part 237
Bob Dylan 117, 184 Classical vowels 149 Curbing
Arch Enemy 196
Bob Marley 97, 107 Curbing in classical singing An overview 96
Aretha Franklin 107, 117, 200
Body's warning signals 223 102 Condition for Curbing 97

Fast phrasings 213 Hissing dragon 183
Distortion in Curbing 184 E History of singing 6
Exercises in Curbing 103 Fee Waybill (The Tubes) 97
Eagles 97
Finding Curbing 97 Fibre optic endoscope 216 Hoarseness 216
Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon
Pitch in Curbing 99 Fifth gear 106 'the Hold ' 97, 129, 265
216
Screams in Curbing 199 Fine -Tuning 72 Huey Lewis 107
Eartha Kitt 88, 107
Sound colours in Curbing 101 Flageolet, 67 Humming 171
Earth, Wind and Fire 89
Speaking in Curbing 154 Flamenco singer 112 Hyoid bone 48
Eating and drinking 222
Unintentional di stortion in 'Flute register' 67 Hypo pharyn x 177
Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) 107
Curbing 105 Folk singer 232
Edge
Volumes in Curbing 101 An overview 116 Forcing 27
Vowels in Curbing 100 Form 237, 239 'I' 14, 52, 54, 100, 110, 121, 129,
Condition for Edge 117
Warnings in Curbing 104 Frank Sinatra 107 160, 265
Distortion in Edge 184
'cut the film' 240 Freddie Jackson 213 Ian Oury 191
Exercises in Edge 125
CVI (Complete Vocal Institute) Freddie Mercury 107, 117, 184 Ian Gillan 92, 97, 199, 201
Finding Edge 117
269 Formerly 'Belting' 116 Free 97 lce-T 107
'CVT Sound Library' 249 Full distortion 185 Identity 152
Pitch in Edge 121
Cyst 216 Full Metallic 129, 265 Iggy Pop 97
Screams in Edge 200
Full-metallic attack 61 Illusion 239
Sound colours in Edge 123
Full metallic method 232 "I love Lucy" 155
D Speaking in Edge 155
Full-metallic mode 106, 116
Dancers 156 Volum es in Edge 122 Impersonator 153
Dan Mccafferty (Nazareth) 184 Vowels in Edge 121 Improvisation 234, 239
David Bowie 97, 183 Warnings in Edge 126 G Index finger 236
David Coverdale 107, 184 Edge attack 61 Gary Brooker (Proco! Harum) 97 Infection 216, 219
David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) 89, Edge-like Neutral 92 George Benson 97 In Flames 196
187 Edith Piaf 107 George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher Inflammation 216
David Lee Roth 92, 97, 184, 192, 'EE' 14, 52, 54, 100, 110, 121, 129, (Cannibal Corpse) 196 Inhalation 23
199 160, 265 George Michael 107, 199 Inner hearing 229
David Vincent (Morbid Angel) Effects Gestures 243 Inner support 31
196 Effects demand energy 178 'gggrrr' 191 Intentional di stortion 179
Death metal 196 Emotions must be a part 178 Gilberto Gil 89 Internal oblique muscles 29
Death metal singer 184 General principles 178 Gino Vanelli 107 Interpretation 239
Delay 230 Introduction 177 "the Girl From lpanema" 88, 206 Introductory Courses 270
Demands 9 'EH' 14, 52, 54, 100, 110, 121, 129, Girls' voices at puberty 70 Intuition 239
'Demonic' effect 196 160, 265 Gisela May 107 Involuntarily creaking 188
Despair 196 Elaine Paige 97 Gladys Knight 107 INXS 107
Diana Ross 107, 206 Elderly, voices of the 71 Glottal Attack (see Overdrive The International Phonetic
Diaphragm 22, 24 Ella Fitzg erald 89 attack or Edg e attack) Alphabet (IPA) 14x
The power of 27 Elton John 97 the Godfather 98 Irritation 216
Diaphragmatic vibrato 10 Elvis Costello 97 Godley & Creme (lOCC) 89 a stereotypical Italian from
Dick Gaughan 237 Elvis Presley 107 Goofy 163 American movies 98, 154
Dido 202 Emergency Aid 270 Gospel 117, 128, 213
Dilemma between looks and programme for Emergency Aid Grace Jones 107
physical strength 40 225 Grimace 243 Jack Bruce 107
Dimmu Borgir 196 Emmylou Harris, 202 Growl 192 James Brow n 117, 184, 185, 192,
RonnieJamesDio 107, 117, 184, Emotion s 216 Growl added to a mode 193 199, 200, 201
233 Endoscope 216 Grunt 196 James Hetfield (Metallica) 107,
Dionne Warwick 107, 206 Energy 39 Grunt via growl 197 184
Diphthongs 56 Enrique Iglesias 206 Guitar pedals 106 James Ingram 97, 187, 213
Distorted screams 184, 200 Enya 88 Gullet 48 Janis Joplin 117, 183, 184, 185,
Distortion Epiglottic Funnel 51, 159 Guns 'n' Roses 107 187, 201
Creating intentional distortion Epiglottis 45, 158 Gurgling 191 finding the correct position of
179 Equalisation 230 Gypsy Kings 107, 202 the Jaw 50
Distortion 179 Eric Clapton 97 Jazz singer 105, 111, 215
Exercises in distortion 185 Etta James 107, 117, 184 H Jeffrey Walker (Carcass) 196
Finding the noise 181 Eva Cassidy 200 Half metallic 129, 265 Jennifer Holiday 107, 117
Full distortion 185 Exerci ses must be simple 13 Half-metallic attack 61 Jennifer Warnes 97
Noise added to a mode 183 Expression 238 Half-metallic mode 96 Jerry Lee Lewis 107
Dolly Parton 107, 117 working with Expression 240 Hammer vibrato 209 Jimi Hendrix 97
Dolores O'Riordan (Cranberries) External oblique mu scles 29 Hank Williams 107, 117, 202 Jim Morrison 107, 184
202 Extreme parts of the voice Hard palate 169 JJCale 97
Donald Fagan (Steely Dan) 97 Training the very high part of Hard rock / punk singer 201 Joan Armatrading 89, 107
Don Henley (Eagles) 97 the voice 69 Harry Belafonte 88 Joan Baez 89
"Do the Right Thing" 155 Training the very low part of Head 245 Joe Cocker 184, 185, 191,200, 201
Downbeat 238 the voice 69 using Headphones 231 John Hiatt 202
Dramatic singer 136 Headphones 229 John Kay (Steppenwolf) 184, 192
Dry acoustics 229 F 'Head register' 67 John Lee Hooker 107
Drying of the vocal cords 216 Fairport Convention 97 Hearing your voice 229 John Lennon 89, 187
a Duck 116 'Fake' Edge 92 Heavy rock 117 John Martyn 187
Duck quacking 166 False fold s 44 Heavy rock singer 110, 177 Johnny Cash 107
Dusty Springfield 88, 206 Falsetto 67 Helmholz 12 Johnny Winter 184, 192
False vocal folds 179 Hertz (Hz) 45 John P Kee 187
Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute .com 257

John Tardy (O bituary) 196 Loretta Lynn 107 Mirror 230 Screams in Neutral 199
Joint expression 242 Loud Volume 144 Misleading terminology 76 Sound Colours in Neutral 90
Jon Bon Jovi 107, 117 Louis Armstrong 192, 193 Mistake 244 Speaking in Neutral 1S2
Joni Mitchell 89 Lou Reed 107 'Mixed register' 67 Unintentional di stortion in
JudyGarland 107,117 Lowell George (Littl e Feat) 107 Moaning 97 Neutral 9S
Julie Andrews 89 Luciano Pavarotti 117 Mode 129, 26S Volumes in Neutral 90
Juliette Greco 107 Lucille Ball in "I love Lucy" lSS Monitoring 229 Vowels in Neutral 90
Julio Iglesias 107, 206 the Lumbar region 248 Monotonously 1S6 Warnings in Neutral 9S
Lyle Lovett 97 Monty Python's "Flying Circus" Neutral without air attack 61
K Lyrics 239 90 Neutral with air attack 61
Karaoke CDs/files 238 Moods 240 Newsletter 270
Kate Bush 89 M Morbid Angel 196 New York 221
Kate Pierson (The B-52's) 117 'M' 171 'Morning voice' 220 'NG' 171
Kathleen Ferrier 102 Madonna 97 Mothers Finest 117, 184 'Night out' 223
KO Lang 97, 202 Mahalia Jackson 107, 117 Mouth opening, the shape of the Nina Hagen 184, 191, 199, 200
Kermit from "The Muppet Show" Main problem 11 Relaxing the corners of the Noddy Holder (Slade) 107, 184
S3, 193 Main vowels S3 mouth 168 Nodules 218
Key 239 Mama Cass 107, 184 Smiling 168 finding the Noise 181
Khaled Hadj Brahim 213 Man imitating a woman 90 Mouth, the opening of Noise added to a mode 183
'kkkrrr' 191 MarcCohn 97 In the high/ very high part of Non metallic 129, 26S
Know the story 240 'Marginal area' 83 the voice S8 Non-metallic attack 61
Korean mask dance drama 187 Maria Callas 107, 213 In the lower/middle part of the Non-metallic attack with air 62
Mariah Carey 92, 97, 187, 206, 213 voice S8 Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan 97, 213
Maire (Moya) Brennan (Clannad) In the low part of the voice S8
L In the middle/high part of the
the tensions of Language S3 88 0
Marie Fredriksen (Roxette) 107, voice S8
Large books 230 'O' 14, S2,SS, 100, 110, 121, 129,
117 In the very low part of the
Laryngeal vibrato 209 160, 26S
Marilyn Monroe 88, 206 voice S8
Laryngologist 216 Oasis 97
Marilyn Monroe in "Some like it Opening too wide S9
Laryngopharyn x 48 Obituary 196
hot" 1S2 Mucous membran e 44
Larynx 44 'OE' 14, S2, 100, 110, 121, 129, 160,
Marlene Dietrich 107 Muddy Waters 107
Exe rcises in raising and 26S
Mary Black 97 the Muppet Show 193
lowering the laryn x 164 Oesophagus 48
Master Classes 270 Murray Head 97
Laryn x 1S8, 162 'OH' 14, S2, SS, 100, 110, 121, 129,
Measure 236 Muscle memory 12
Lowering the larynx 162 160, 26S
Meat Loaf 97 Muscles 28
Movements of the larynx 47 Olivia Newton John 107
Medium loud volume 14S Musical 111, 144, 149
Raising the laryn x 163 Om Kalsoum 107, 213
Medium quiet volume 14S Myths 6, lSS
Laughing person 183 'One step up' method 233
Lauryn Hill 213 Melanie Griffith in "Working Girl" Online vocal technique forum
Lavern Baker 107, 192 1S2 N 270
La Voix Mystere Bulgare 107, 202 'Meli sma' 213 'N' 171 '00' 14,S2,SS, 100, 110, 121, 160
Leadbelly 107, 202 Melissa Etheridge 107, 117, 184 Napalm Death 196 Open throat 49
Leader 243 Melodic exercises 23S Nasal cavity 48 Opera 174, 213
Leading t enor in a major opera 'Merged sound' S6 Nasal fossae 48 Opera singer 103, 149
company 124 Metallica 107, 184 Nasality 171 Operation 217
Learning angles 11 Metallic so und 81 Nasal Passage 1S8 'OR' 14
Led Zeppelin 97 Metal-like Neutral 92 Closing the nasal passage 171 'O re' (from the "Lord of the Rings"
Leonard Cohen 107 Method 129, 26S Opening the nasal passage movies) 197
Levels of the vocal tract Methodology 8 171 techniques for Ornamentation
Level one 177 Metronome 236 Nasopharynx 48 213
Level two 177 Mezzo-soprano or Mezzo 71 Nat King Cole 89 'Oropha rynx' 48
Level th ree 177 Michael Bolton 97, 184, 187,206, Nazareth 184 Otis Redding 107, 184
Level four 177 213 Necessary twang 1S9 Outer hearing 230
Level five 177 Michael Hutchence (INXS) 107 Neck 24S Out of tune 72
Level six 177 Michael Jackson 92, 187, 192, 199, Neil Young 89 Overdrive
Liam Gallagher (Oasis) 97 200, 201 , 202 Neneh Cherry 97 An overview 106
Limiter 232 Michael McDonald 92, 97, 184 Nerve damage 216 Condition for Overdrive 107
Linda Ronstadt 202 Michael Stipe (REM) 97 Neutral Distortion in Overdrive 184
Lionel Richie 97 Mick Hucknall (Simply Red) 92, 97 Neutral without air, 88 Exercises in Overdrive 113
Lower lip 119 Mick Jagger 97, 107, 117, 199 Achieving Neutral without Finding Overdrive 107
Lips 1S8 Choosing a microphone 233 air through im ages and Pitch in Overdrive 109
Lips, avoid tightening SO Microphone Technique sensations 89 Sound colours in Overdrive
Little Feat 107 Know your own volumes 176 An overview 87 111
Little Richard 107, 184, 199,202 Microphone spheres 17S Condition for Neutral 88 Speaking in Overdrive 1S3
Singing Live with amplification Pronunciation and the Distortion in Neutral 183 Volumes in Overdrive 111
232 microphone 17S Exercises in Neutral 93 Vowels in Overdrive 110
Lively acoustics 229 Test the spheres on new Finding Neutral w ithout air Warnings in Overdrive 114
Living Colour 107 microphones 176 through sound 90 Overdrive attack 61
Liza Minelli 107, 117 Middle finger 236 Metal-like Neutral 92 Overdrive-like Neutral 92
songs that are 'Loaded' 243 Mills Brothers 97 Neutral in classical singing 92 Ozzy Osborne 92, 107
Lolly Vegas (Red bone) 107 Milton Nascimento 89 Neutral with air 88
Loose jaw 129, 26S Minims 236 Neutral without air 88 p
Miriam Makeba 107 Pitch in Neutral 90
258 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute .com

Palate Procol Harum 97 Scary monster 193 Steaming 222
Lowering the palate 169 Professor Longhair 202 School choirs 88 Steely Dan 97
Raising the palate 169 Progression 241 Scientific pitch notation 12 Stephen Stil ls 97
P.A. ('Public Address') system 229 Pronunciation 53 Scottish folk sin ger 237 Steppenwolf 184, 192
Panting dog 163 Puberty 70 Screams 129, 199, 265 Steve Harley (Cockney Rebel) 97
Patsy Cline 107, 202 'Pul se-register' 67 Seal 97 Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) 117,
Patti Austin 107 Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) 117, 184, 185
Patti La Bell e 117 184 Stevie Wonder 97, 184, 187, 192,
Q Semi-professional sin ger 85 199, 213
Paul McCartney 107, 184, 199 Quadrate membranes 51
Paul Rogers (Free, Bad Company) Shaker 235 Stian "Shagrath" Thoresen
Quavers 236
97 Sheryl Crow 97 (Dimmu Borgir) 196
Qu iet volume 145
Pau l Simon 107 Sh irl ey Bassey 107, 117 Sting 97
Peabo Bryson 92, 97 Shoulders 245 Story 239
Pearl Jam 107
R Shout 129, 265 Stress 216
Rage Against The Machine 97 Simply Red 92, 97 Stroboscopy 216
Pentatonic scale 237
Randy Crawford 117, 213 Simultaneous Attack (see Structural changes 216
Percussion 235
Range 70 Curbing attack) Studio 221
Percussive effect 237
Rattle 190 Sinead O'Connor 88 Stud io and live techniques 231
Percy Sledge 117, 191
Rattling, evil troll 183 Singing is not difficult 6 Stupid 197
Performance 239, 243
Ray Charles 97, 184, 199 Skid Row 117, 184 Styx 117
Peter Gabriel 97, 187
Ray Davies (The Kinks) 107 'Skin ' (Sylvia Massy, Skunk Subdivision 236
Phil Coll ins 97
R & B music 97, 213 Anansie) 97, 184 Sub-register 67
Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind and
Really annoyed 197 Slade 107, 184 Subtext 241
Fire) 89
singing in a Recording studio 231 Sleep 222 Supertramp 89
Phi l Lynott (Thin Lizzy) 107
Rectus abdominus muscles 29 Sly Stone 192, 200 Support 27
Piriforma fossa 177
Redbone 107 Small bowl 122 Back against a wall 38
Phoniatrician 216
acid Reflux 216 Smoking 223 Connection between note and
Phrasing 234
Reggae band 128 Sobbing 163 support 43
'fast Phrasings' 213
Registers 66 Soft 129, 265 Connection betwee n support
Physical Exercise 245
Relax the voice 218 Soft closure Neutral 10 and sound 40
the importance of Physical
REM 97 Soft palate 158, 169 Economising support 40
strength 222
Research 7, 8 Soilwork 196 Exercise for support values as
Pianissimo 64
Resonance, 67 "Some like it hot" 152 regards to pitch and time
Piano 235
Responsibility 11 Soprano 71, 103 factor 42
Pink Floyd 89, 187
Restrained 96, 129, 265 Soprano at a major opera 164 Exercise for support values as
Pitch 66
Reverb 230 Powerful soul music 117 regards to vo lume 42
Extreme parts of the voice 69
Rhythm 236 Soul singer 101, 134, 188 Exercise for support values of
Growl and pitch 194
Rhythmic exercises 235, 236 Sound 45 high notes 41
Grunt and pitch 197
Ribs 22 Sound check 233 Exercise for support values of
Max CS 129, 265
Richard Davies (Supertramp) 89 Sound Colour long notes 42
Max DS 129, 265
Ring finger 236 Darkest sounds 173 Exercise for support values of
Pitch 129, 265
Roaring lion 193 Growl and sound colours 194 low notes 41
Pitch and the modes 134
Robert De Niro in "Taxi driver" Grunt and sound colours 197 Failing to support 77
Pitch in Curbi ng 99
154 Introduction to Sound Colour Feeling support 33
Pitch in Edge 121
Robert Plant (Led Zeppe lin) 97 158 Feeling support at the back 35
Pitch in Neutral 90
Rock singer 124, 128, 145 Lightest sound 173 Feeling support at the ribs 35
Pitch in Overdrive 109
Rod Stewart 184 List of sound colours 173 Feeling support at the solar
Refining the p itch 73
Roger Daltrey (The Who) 97, 107, Sound co lours and the modes p lexus 34
Regulation of the pitch 47
201 139 Feeling support at the waist
The high part of the voice 67
Roger Hodgson (Supertramp) 89 Sound colours in Curb in g 101 35
The low part of the voice 67
Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) 89, 187 Sound co lours in Edge 123 Feeling support in the
The middle part of the voice
Ronnie James Dio 107, 117, 184, Sound Colours in Neutral 90 abdomen 35
67
233 Sound colours in Overdrive Finding inner support 32
The very high part of the voice
Rosie Perez 155 111 Hidden in correct support 37
and the voca I flageolet 67
Roxette 107, 117 Sound Examples 249 How to release hidden
The very low part of the voice
Roy Orbison 97 Soundgarden 117, 184 incorrect support 37
67
'rrr' 191 the CVT Sound Library 249 Humming exercise for support
PJ Harvey 187
Runs of notes 213 Soup plate 230 va lu es 43
Placido Domingo 117
Po lyp 216 Speaking like a child 167 Incorrect support 36
Poor pitching 72 s Speech techniques Inner support 31
Inner support through images
Poortechnique 219 Sade 88 About speaking in general 155
Pop/rock singer 86 Sa l if Keita 97 Speaking in Curbing 154 and sensations 33
Popular music 117 Saliva 190 Speaking in Edge 155 Know your exact support
Posture 26 Saliva rattle 190 Speaking in Neutral 152 values 43
Powerful volume 144 Sam Brown 202 Speaking in Overdrive 153 Natural vs. active support 33
Practise-vowels 131 Sammy Davis Jr 107 Speech techniques 152 Rock the support 38
Presentation 243 Sandy Denny (Fa irp ort Speech therapy 217 'sss' sound 38
Prevention 218 Convention) 97 Spitting cat 183 Support as images and
Prevention and Emergency Aid Santa Claus 163 Split in the voice 79 sensations 35
220 Sarah Vaughan 88, 107, 206 Sports cars 106 Support= Movement 33
Prince 92, 199, 200, 201 Sate Ilite vowels 53 'sss' sound 38 Support training 38
Private lessons 270 Saxophonist 157 Status Quo 97 Support value 40
Comp lete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.comp letevocalinstitute.com 259
The 'zero point' of support 34 Trouble-S hooting Ventricular folds 44 Volum es in Neutral 90
Using support 40 An example of a break 76 Vera Lynn 107, 202 Volumes in Overdrive 111
Supporting muscles Avoid completing notes badly Vibrato 209 Volumes of the vocal modes
Abdominal muscles 28 60 Involuntary vibrato 211 64
'Assisting ' muscles 30 Constriction 46 Vicious circle 217 Volume on sound exa mples 249
Interaction of the three groups Exercise for removing a split in Videokymography 216 Vowels
of muscles 30 your voice 79 Vocal breaks 76 Avo id tightening on vowels 56
Muscle awareness 30 Exercise while resting the Breaks between modes 203 Change of vowels up through
Muscles of the back 29 voice 219 Vocal Breaks 202 the voice 56
Muscles of the loin 29 Failing to support 77 Vocal cords 44, 158, 179 Change the vowels to 'EH' and
Supporting muscles 28 Hidden incorrect support 37 closed phase 46 'OH' 149
Suzanne Vega 88 Inappropriate muscle tension Vibrations of the vocal cords Change the vowe ls to the
Swal lowing 48 216 45 twanged vowels 'I ', 'EH ', 'A'
Swingle Singers 89 Incorrect support 36 Vocal flageolet 67 and 'OE' 149
Sylvia 'Skin' Massy 97, 184 Nodules 218 Vocal Ligament 45 Choice of vowe l in relation to
Opening too wide 59 Vocal mode mode 151
T Prevention and Emergency Adjustment of the modes 84 Classical vowels 149
Tambourine 235 Aid 220 Vocal tract, 158 Developing correct vowels and
Tammy Wynette 107 Programme for Emergency An introduction to the 4 Vocal consonants 56
Tapping 236 Aid 225 Modes 81 Directing towards 'I', 'O' and
"Taxi driver" 154 Solving split in the voice 79 Assisting mode 133 'UH' 149
Teasing sound 167 Solving unintentional vocal Changing between modes 83 Distinct twang and vowels 52
Tempo 239 breaks 76 Changing vocal mode 76 Growl and vowels 194
Tenor 71, 124 The reason for voca l problems Choice of vowel in relation to Main vowels and satellite
Tension imbalance 216 221 mode 151 vowe ls 53
Tension in the back of the tongue Too much mucous 219 Everybody uses metallic Practise-vowels 131
53 Too much vibrato 211 sounds 82 Use exact vowels 14
Tensions of language 53 Too small a sound or a break Exercising the mode s 86 Vowels and the modes 149
Terence Trent D'Arby 97, 184, 185, 78 Filling out the modes 86 Vowels in Curbing 100
199,201 Trouble-S hooting 76, 83 Navigating in the chapters of Vowels in Edge 121
Theatre 153 Unintentional distortion in the modes 86 Vowels in Neutral 90
The Kinks 107 Curbing 105 Pitch and the modes 134 Vowel s in Overdrive 110
Theory and practice 9 Unintentional distortion in Recognise the modes 84 Vowels in the high part of the
The Pet Shop Boys 89 Neutral 95 Sound colours and the modes voice 129, 265
The Throat 48 Unintentional distortions in 139 Vowel s used in this book 14
The Tubes 97 Edge 127 Specific transitions 136
TheWho 107 Unintentional distortions in
Overdrive 114
Summarising the modes 128
The centre of the mode 83
w
Think positively 219 Wailing 97
Thin Lizzy 107 Using vocal flageolet below a The limitations of the modes
Warming up 228, 245
Thinning 64 high c 78 84
Waylon Jennings 107
Three Overall Principles 20 Warnings in Curbing 104 The modes in classical singing
Western world 88
Advantages 20 Warnings in Edge 126 140
Where to look 244
Thumb 236 Warnings in Neutral 95 Transitions between modes
Whining 97
Thyme 222 Warnings in Overdrive 114 131
"White Men Can't Jump" 155
Thyroid cartilage 44 Tug-of-war 39 Trouble shooting 83
Whitney Houston 107, 192, 202,
'Tilt' 10 Turning point 241 Tuition in metallic modes 82
206, 213
Time factor 42 Twang 129, 265 Use sufficient support 85
Willie Nelson 107
Tina Turner 117, 184, 185, 200,201 Distinct Twang 52, 160 Using the modes 130
Wilson Pickett 184, 201
Tom Jones 107 Distinct twang and vowels 52 Volumes and the modes 141
Window 230
Tommy Kiirberg 97 Exercising distinct twang and Vowels and the modes 149
Windpipe 44
Tom Waits 184, 185, 192, 196 necessary twang 161 Vocal tract 158
sound like a Witch 167
Tone-deafness 74 Finding twang 52 Large vocal tract 173
Wobble 212
Tongue 158 Necessary twang 51, 159 Small vocal tract 173
Woodie Guthrie 107, 117
Broad tongue 166 Twanging w ith a lowered Voice rest 217, 218
Words 242
Compressed tongue 166 larynx 160 Voices of men and women 70
"Working Girl" 152
Find the position of the Types of Voices 70 Voice specialist 216
the actual Work of the singer 242
tongue 54 Volume
World music 213
Position of the tongue 53 u Advanced exercises in volume
146
Tension in the back of the
tongue 53
U2 107
'UH' 14, 52, 100, 110, 121, 129, Changing the volume 65 v
Combinations of volume 147 Yma Sumac 192
The Tongue 166 160, 265
Get to know your volume 64 Yodelling 203
Toni Bra xton 97 'Unworthy' 72
Growl and volume 194 Youssou N'Dour 107, 117
Toto 92, 97, 199, 200, 201 Unintentional vocal breaks, 202
Toy car 167 Upbeats 236 Grunt and volume 197
Tracy Chapman 107 the Upper body 246 Medium volume 129, 145, 265 z
Tramaine Hawkins 92, 117, 184 Uvula rattle 190 Pianissimo and thinning 64 Zach De La Rocha (Rage Against
inaudible Transitions 132 Powerful volume 129, 144, 265 The Machine) 97
Quiet volume 129, 145, 265
specific Transitions 136
Translating 240
v Volume 129, 265
Zak Tell (C lawfinger) 184
Zarah Leander 107
Vacuum 46
Transversus abdominus muscles Volumes and the modes 141
Van Morrison 107, 184
29 Volumes in Curbing 101
Vaya Con Dios 107
Tremolo 211 Volumes in Edge 122

Charts
The following pages will contain some charts used for study Page Chart
and tuition .
262 The chart of your technical singing abilities
On the chart of your singing technical abilities you can write
down which modes, pitch, sound colours, volumes and ef- 264 Overview over 'Complete Vocal Technique'
fects you can control. You can also use the chart to follow
your technical improvements. Remember that it is not essen- 265 Overview of the 'Vocal Modes'
tial to control everything. It is also what you chose NOT to do
that characterises you as an artist. 266 Vocal Modes, pitch and volume
If you have any questions about singing technique or want 267 Sound colour
information about training and courses in Complete Vocal
Technique, you can use the online discussion forum about
singing technique (in English), or contact Complete Vocal
Institute.
Online Vocal Technique Discussion Forum

forum.completevoca linstitute.com
Complete Vocal Institute

Kultorvet, Hausergade 3, 5
DK-1128 Copenhagen K
Denmark
tel +45 3332 7724

email cvi@shout.dk
www.completevoca linstitute.com
Newsletter
If you are interested in beeing updated on the latest research,
technique, courses and educations ect. You can subscribe to
the CVI newsletter at www.completevoca linstitute.com

Chart of technical singing abilities Name~-----------------~ Date _____
very low part low part middle part high part very high part
c c c c c
e
Light SC - pp EE
Dark SC - pp EE
Light SC - pp AH
Dark SC - pp AH
e Light SC - pp
Dark
Light
SC -
SC -
pp
ff
EE/00
EE/00
EE/00
Dark SC - ff EE/00
Light SC - pp AH
Dark SC - pp AH
Light SC - ff AH
Dark SC - ff AH
Light SC
Dark SC
Light SC UH
Dark SC UH
Light SC 0
Dark SC 0
Light SC EH
o::J Dark
Medium volume
SC EH
EH
Light SC OH
~
Dark SC OH
Medium volume OH
EH
OE
:;:
:;:
e
:;:
;-,
0
e
3
"O Vibrato ~
~
rt>
< cx:J
~ a.
~
;:::.
srt> e
;-,
0
3
e
Distortion ~
cx:J
a.
Growl
Creaking
c c c c c
very low part low part middle part high part very high part
support
necessary twang
Avoid protruding the jaw
and tightening the lips
~
CHOOSE VOCAL MODE
e
NEUTRAL
~
CU RBI NG
<XI
OVERDRIVE
CL
EDGE
~
CHOOSE SOUND COLOUR
:~
'.,'
.~
LIGHT
1
~
PERHAPS CHOOSE EFFECT
distortion screams
creak and creaking vocal breaks
rattle air added to the voice
growl vibrato
grunt techniques for ornamentation
264 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.comp letevocalinstitute.com

n
0
3
"'CJ
~
ro
e
<
~
~::J""
:::;
_Q'
c
ro
@
N
Mode
NEUTRAL
b...
CURBING OVERDRIVE
a. EDGE
0
;::; NON METALLIC HALF METALLIC FULL METALLIC FULL METALLIC

:;-
s
ro Air With air I without air Never add air to the voice Never add air to the voice Never add air to the voice
~
0.
Q_
s
~
~
~
;..,
0
3
"'Q_
ro Method HOLD
;:n
< Loose jaw "Bite"
~
~
;:;
sro
n
0
Vowe ls in the
I UH 0 EH OH I EH A OE
3 high part of All (sit) (hungry) (woman) (stay) (so) (sit) (stay) (and) (herb)
the voice
n max ~max
All
Pitch All All
+ 05 u C5
Quiet
Vo lume Can be loud in Medium Loud Loud
Character Soft Restrained Shout Scream

N
0\
U1
very high part
high part
middle part
low part
volume
D quiet
medium quiet
very low part

medium loud
loud
Cl.
:E
:E
:E
;-,
0
3
"'Q_
~
ro
<
~
~
;::;:
sro
;-,
0
3
Epiglottic funnel Tongue Palate

Necessary twanged ~>) 164 darker sound Compressed ~>) 168 darker sound Raised ~>) 172 darker sound
Distinctly twanged ~>) 163 lighter sound Broad ~>) 167 lighter sound Lowered ~>) 171 lighter sound
Larynx Shape of the mouth Nasal passage

Lowered ~>) 166 darker sound Relaxed corners ~>) 170 darker sound Closed (oral) ~>) 174 darker sound
l\J Open (nasal) ,.>) 173 lighter sound
Raised ,.>) 165 lighter sound Extended corners (smile) .. >) 169 lighter sound
'
'.J
Authorised CVT Teachers
An Authorised CVTTeacher is best qualified to teach CVT. We want to make sure that singers around the world get access
to the best CVT teachers of the highest professional level. In
An Authorised CVT Teacher has completed the 3-year Singer/ order to do so it is important that we make clear distinctions
Teacher Diploma Course at Complete Vocal Institute (CVI) in Co- between who are Authorised CVT Teachers, and who might
penhagen, and has thereby qualified professionally as a singer have followed other courses at CVI, or learned about CVT in
and as a teacher and has proven to be capable of demonstrat- another way, or maybe even not at all . There is a huge differ-
ing and teaching according to the techniques, philosophy, and ence between being taught CVT as a singer, and being trained
teaching method of Complete Vocal Technique. in teaching CVT at the 3-year Singer/Teacher Diploma Course at
Complete Vocal Institute. We are serious about the three years
An Authorised CVT Teacher is expected to update regularly of study it takes to become an Authorised CVT Teacher - there
theoretically and practically according to latest research within is a lot to learn!
voice science, practical technique, and the newest discoveries
within pedagogics. To keep the authorisation the teacher must Teachers without authorisation from Complete Vocal Insti-
reauthorise every third year to make sure s/he is properly up- tute might be brilliant in many ways, but they are not properly
dated at all times. trained in teaching CVT and not updated with the newest CVT
techniques. At CVI we do not know what these teachers are
To provide as clear and correct information as possible, all Au- teaching and how. Therefore we cannot vouch for them.
thorised CVT Teachers are expected on their website, in social
medias, and in all other marketing material to inform correctly
about their CVT qualifications. Find an Authorised CVT Teacher
At Complete Vocal In stitutes website you will find the list of all
Authorised CVT teachers. Teachers who are not on this list have
CVT is spreading fast either not been properly trained in CVT or haven't been prop-
Many singers find Complete Vocal Technique valuable in work- erly updated. Previous Authorised CVT teachers who have lost
ing on their singing challenges, and with? language versions of their authorisation and is not present at the list, can re -authorise
the book and many courses available, CVT is spreading fast. CVT and re-enter the list once they qualify again by being updated.
is used by voice professionals around the world and is now the The list contains the year the Authorised CVT Teacher first was
fastest growing singing technique method in Europe. authorised, and the update courses the teacher has completed.
The increasing demand for CVT calls for teachers who have See the list of Authorised CVT Teachers at
been thouroghly trained and master the techniques as well as www.completevocalinstitute.com
the teaching method. This training is done at Complete Vocal
Institute and the singers/ teachers who complete it receive au- You are welcome to contact Complete Vocal Institute if you
thorisation in teaching CVT. Today 194 Authorised CVT Teach- have special requests regarding finding a teacher that suits your
ers are teaching in 16 countries in Europe, US and Middle East needs, or if you have questions about the CVT qualifications
(December 2012). of a teacher or any other questions. You can also contact us if
you want a skype lesson or solo lesson from Complete Vocal
Institute.
Teachers without proper training in teaching CVT
As the demand for CVT grows some teachers unfortunately feel You can contact us at cvi@shout.dk or +45 3332 7724.
tempted to announce that they can teach CVT even though
they have never had any official training in teaching CVT. Such
teachers can cause problems if they do not teach CVT correctly.

Complete Vocal Institute (CVI)
Complete Vocal Institute is Europe's largest vocal institute for on completion of the course. The 3-year courses takes place in
professional and semi-professional singers. The main reasons Copenhagen: 18 seminars of 4 days each spread over 3 years.
for its success are the use of its own vocal method 'Complete
Vocal Technique' (CVT) and a special pedagogy where the sing- Attendants at the 3-year course experience the following :
ers are instructed by many different teachers, even in the same development in own singing
subject. Hearing the same content explained in a slightly dif- the ability to work with ALL sounds the human voice can
ferent way by different teachers makes the information settle make
more thoroughly. The use of master classes and other group the ability to demonstrate ALL sounds the human voice can
sessions has shown itself to be substantially more efficient than make
individual lessons, and makes it possible to receive instruction the ability to repair up to 90% of apparently hoarse voices in
for many hours a day. a single session ('Emergency Aid')
that teaching is much less of a strain as the special CVT peda-
The transparency of the method makes it exciting to watch gogy puts the responsibility on the singer with well laid-out,
teachers work with other singers, and in many cases even more step-by-step guides for almost every request
valuable than being taught directly. The group sessions also in- to be part of an international network of around 200* highly
spire singers to help and support each other with feedback, ide- skilled singers and teachers from various countries and with
as, repertoire suggestions and experience from different career all kinds of musical backgrounds who all use the same termi-
paths. CVT's clear structure and terminology makes it possible nology and therefore can exchange tips and tricks efficiently.
for teachers to exchange information about individual singers,
and to build on whichever issues other teachers have worked *Dec 2012 194 singers/teachers from 16 countries will have re-
with in previous sessions. ceived authorisation as 'Complete Vocal Technique' Teachers.
The atmosphere at CVI is characterised by a total absence of

competition among singers. It is a place with enthusiastic sing- 14 weeks at Complete Vocal Academy
ers pursuing their goals, teachers focusing on singers' wishes, Spend 14 weeks in Copenhagen with focus on your singing and
concerts, parties and other good times with like-minded peo- develop technically as well as artistically. Benefit from the inspir-
ple. Being in an international environment of great singers ing, international CVI singing environment with fellow singers,
from different musical backgrounds and in different stages of teachers, concerts, etc. 4 days a week for 4 months. Each week
their careers, singers studying at CVI enjoy support from other contains a new technical subject, improvisation class, interpre-
singers whilst building a rock-solid technique that changes "I tation class, master class and rhythm training. This course is es-
can sing it on a good day" into "I can sing it every time" - a life- pecially suitable for advanced singers who wish to work inten-
changing experience for many. sively and experience improvement in a short period of time.
CVI can assist finding accommodation. All styles of singing are
CVT covers all sounds the human voice can make, and therefore welcome.
the institute welcomes singers from all musical styles like pop,
rock, folk, metal, classical, world music, etc ... 1-year Singer Course - for singers with a busy schedule
The 1-year course is 6 seminars, 3 days each, within one year. This
General information about attending a CVl-course course allows attendants to study between concerts, teaching
ALL styles of music covered and other work. The course covers a thorough introduction to
Group teaching 'Complete Vocal Technique' as well as attending master classes
Competition-free environment
No demands for academic education
No upper age limit
No teaching of minor subjects - all focus is on singing
3-year Singer/Singing Teacher Diploma Course

The 3-Year Singer/Singing Teacher Diploma Course is aimed
at singers who wish to qualify professionally, partly as sing-
ers, and partly as singing teachers. The goal of the course
is to enable the participants to work independently and 3-vear Sln11e1/Sln11t111leac1111r111\lloma lltlmse
responsibly with singing and teaching. The aim is for the
participants to have achieved the highest professional level
Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.complete calinstitute.com

where the singer chooses what to work on. Seminars run on a of the cases of hoarseness we meet can be cured within one
Friday to Sunday. This course is especially suitable for advanced lesson and we have on numerous occasions assisted singers in
singers who wish to work in-depth and develop further profes- changing a potentially cancelled concert to a successfully ac-
sionally, technically and artistically. complished performance just a few hours before showtime.
Courses in Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Oslo, Vienna, and Depending on the situation CVI can send a teacher anywhere
Zurich. See www.completevoca linstitute.com for latest news. within a very short time. In some cases the problem can even
be fixed via phone or Skype. All CVI teachers adhere to the CVI
5-day courses rules of client confidentiality which prohibits all CVI staff to
The 5-day courses (often over the summer) are held in Copen- mention names of singers they have worked with to any outside
hagen for all types of singers and include an introduction to party. This is also one of the reasons why no celebrities are used
'Complete Vocal Technique' as well as attending master classes in the marketing of CVT/ CVI.
where the singer chooses what to work on. In most cases a con-
cert is scheduled on the fifth day. www.completevocalinstitute.com
Visit Complete Vocal Institutes website for latest news about
1 or 2-day Master Classes and Introductory Courses CVT and related subjects:
A quick, basic overview and introduction to 'Co mplete Vocal Updates and corrections to the book.
Technique' for all types of singers and an opportunity to work Free Vocal Techn ique forum where you can ask questions,
with your own singing at the following master class. On 1, 2 and share information and debate with fellow singers. CVI teach-
5-day courses you will have the opportunity to be evaluated for ers frequently answer posts here. Forum also includes a
admission onto a longer course at CVI. 'Report errors in CVT books' section where we kindly ask you
to report any errors you find in the book or the sound library.
Private lessons Latest research and information from conferences.
Get help with a specific subject. CVI offers individual lessons in Signup for the CVI newsletter, and get latest news sent to
Copenhagen or via Skype. your mailbox.
Online signup for courses and workshops.
CVI can visit you Many videos with research, technique, evaluations of longer
Do you want a CVI teacher to visit your theatre company to get courses, interviews, technique and more.
you and fellow actors and singers in shape before the next mu- Information about courses, workshops etc.
sical production, or maybe to work as a vocal coach during re- 'Find a Teacher' listing all Authorised CVTTeachers.
hearsals? Or do you want to arrange a master class or a course
in your region with one of the experienced teachers from CVI? Contact &Sign up
Or perhaps your choir needs a refreshing and sound-expa nding phone +45 3332 7724
taste of CVT. At CVI we have experience of all kinds of different email cvi @shout.dk
engagements and we are flexible in meeting your needs or to www.completevocalinstitute.com
put you in touch with someone who can. Contact the CVI office
for more information. Complete Vocal Institute
Hausergade 3, 5
Emergency Aid for professionals DK-1128 Copenhagen K
Do you experience voice problems so severe that you consider Denmark
cancelling an important concert or show? It might be a good
idea to contact CVI first to hear what can be done. Up to 90%
Complete Vocal Technique research
With the techniques and pedagogical method well proven in On Acoustic Detection of Vocal Modes
real life situations, Cathrine has in more recent times shown Eddy B. Brixen (EBB-consult)
increased focus on the scientific side. We have conducted Cathrine Sadolin, Henrik Kjelin (Complete Vocal Institute)
several studies in collaboration with, among others, Dr. Julian
McGlashan from Queens Medical Centre University Hospital According to the Complete Vocal Technique four vocal modes
in Nottingham, Eddy B0gh Brixen from EBB Consult and Finn are defined: Neutral, Curbing, Overdrive and Edge. These modes
Agerkvist from Danish Technical University. Some results have are valid for both the singing voice and the speaking voice. The
been presented at various voice conferences, for example Pan modes are clearly identified both from listening and from visual
European Voice Conference (PEVOC) in London, Groningen, laryngograph inspection of the vocal cords and the surround-
Dresden and Marseille, and at Audio Engineering Society (AES) ing area of the vocal tract. For many reasons it would be pre-
conferences in London, New York, Budapest and San Francisco. ferred to apply a simple acoustic analysis to identify the modes.
'Complete Vocal Technique' has also been presented as a style- This paper looks at the characteristics of the voice modes from
independent method with an agreed and well-defined termi - an acoustical perspective based on voice samples from four
nology. The aim is to raise the public awareness to the problem male and two female subjects. The paper describes frequency
with wide-spread use of undefined terminology, which is caus- domain criteria for the discrimination of the various modes.
ing confusion in the field of singing.
Besides the studies that has already been made, more research AES paper No. 8620. Can be downloaded from www.aes.org
studies are under way.
For latest information visit www.completevocalinstitute.com

Complete Vocal Technique -What kind of Share more about the CVT's impacts on you as a singer,
concrete help has the method given to and how do you find the technique overall?
singers? It is 100%fabulous. Ilove this technique and it has helped me alotwith my singing. Iwas always
with soar throat and my voice was always tired. Now Ifind it more easy to sing and I have much
Reeta-Leena Korhola (Sibelius Academy, Helsinki, Finland) more confidince when I perform. I teach children to sing and I use the modes there. I call them
1. 2 .3. 4 to make it easier for them to remember. I know now how to work with and fix different
issues and problems that I have with my voice, instead of working "around" them, and leave
The aim of this academic research study was to assess what kind them as they are. I also find that I can do so much more with my voice than I thought one year
of concrete help Complete Vocal Technique has given to sing- ago! There are no limits! :) The technique overall is great! It's easy to understand and so much
can happen with your voice in no time at all. It's extremely effective (and that counts for both
ers . Questionnaires were collected from 279 singers. The sing - time and results) and, as I said before, there are no limits! No limits in range, in genres . Not at
ers were from different musical backgrounds, from different all! I love it! CVT is about 'do, do, do' whereas I was classical trained with 'don't, don't, don't!
The idea that there are no limits, that every human sound is possible, the possitive attitude in
countries, of different ages, and had different levels of training the teaching, the factthatthe student is the person that matters etc. etc .. ; that all leads to the
inCVT. conclusion that I'm very, VERY content with CVT. CVT is great Voice-study because it gives you
choises. You can sound the way you wantto. I have more confidence in myself and my voice. Now
The full analysis is 40 pages long in Finnish, but Reeta-Leena Ko- I can sing any song I want if I just use the righttechnique. I practice more than before because
rhola has kindly provided us with a compact report in English. now there is so many more songs to sing . My life as a singer has approved a lot. I have got more
singing jobs and I am very happy with the one year course. So I would like to study more at CVI
The report can be found on the following internet link: to approve even more. CVT is an unique method for learning to sing. It's concrete, fast-learning
http://kjelinfoto.dk/research/cvt-report_ReetaLeena/2008-03_ and as a teacher an extremely good tool for teaching others how to sing. Let me keep this short:
This itthe bestthing you could ever do asa singer!!! ltsimplyworks!! :-) It has helped me become
CVT_ report_Reeta-Leena_Korhola.html more aware of my voice, taking better care of it. And its really fun to sing now. Dont have any
vocal problems no more. I enjoy singing more than ever and think CVT is a revolutionary tech-
nique! I'mvery glad thatCVT came on my way. It gave me on overview of subjects that Ican work
Excerpts from the report: on. I focus on a view and when I think that it is stable, I will move further. So, the subjects that
I gave 'moderate' or 'not at all' is because it didn't got me interested at that time. I'm sure that
when I'm ready to work on them, CVI can help me further and will have solutions form my prob-
How much has CVT helped you 'as a singer'? lems of questions. As a singer I developed a lot and it all went so fast. I'm singing for 10 years
Very much: 69.6 % (188 singers) now and I never discovered such a fast development before. It's great to know that there is a
method and institute that can help me discover more and will give me tools to reach my goals. If
Quite a lot: 21.9 % (59 singers) speaking of technique, once you've learned it, you wont find any other method satisfying. What
Moderately: 5.6 % (15 singers) it doesn't do, on the other hand, is to help you find the source within, from where your inspira-
tion and creativity lies. It is simply an excellent tool to use when you know what you want to
A little bit: 3% (8 singers) express. Revolutionary! Its like I have found the missing piece of a puzzle. Im so thankful! Good .
Not at all: 0% (0 singers) CVT has given me the tools to solve any challenge in my singing. It may take time to solve the
problem, but I know how to do it. Great. Excellent! The method of the future. Very comprehen-
sive. It has changed my life as a teacher as an artist. I think it is the BEST that can happen to a
Compared to other singing techniques you've tried, how singer!!!!! Excellent! The method of the future. Very comprehensive. Every singer should learn
about this technique!!! It just works -for me and everyone I've seen using the techniques. The
do you find CVT? myth is gone and facts have arrived! I am very satisfied! Fantastic!!!! The 3year diploma course
Much easierto learn: 60.1 % (163 singers) and the cvi spirit has changed my life! CVT has given me confidence, inspiration, and great tools
to work out "problems" both as a singer and teacher. For me CVT is the reason to become a pro.
Somewhat easier to learn: 26.9 % (73 singers) For me CVT has been the key to develop my overall singing technique in terms of modes, range,
As easy/hard to figure out as other methods: 7.4 % (20 singers) power, support, expression. The practical, physical and problem solving approach to singing
has had a great impact on me, and I feel that I have developed a lot as a singer - and that I've
Somewhat more complicated: 5.2 % (14 singers) been given tools to continue developing. Suddenly it all became natural. It feels great! The
It's much more complicated : 0.4 % (1 singer) method was so easy to understand! And it works! I am quite the theorist, so having words put
on the specific techniques has helped me a lot. Today I can correct myself singing live where I
in the past lost my voice. I can now locate the problems before Iwould go hoarse. That's a great
How much has CVT helped you with 'Range'? (E.g, is it help. I also find it easy to learn new songs because my voice is trained well in the different vocal
modes. I have been studying 4 years of singing on the Conservatory before I got to know CVT.
easier for you to reach extremely high or low notes?) With CVT I understand much more how my voice is working, and it has given me a lot of choices
Very much: 52.4 % (153 singers) and possibilities on my voice. I can teach in all styles and I feel much more safe and secure in my
singing. I had studied singing for a couple of years but I did'nt have any solid technique. When
Quite a lot: 26.9 % (73 singers) I discovered CVT all that changed, for the first time I KNEW how to work out all my problems
Moderately: 13.3 % (36 singers) and progress. I just wish that I had come across CVT earlier! The method makes me think what
I really want to do instead of thinking what I am able to do. It creates a great and clear picture
A little bit: 5.5 % (14 singers) about the human voice and it's possibilities. I am extremely pleased to know this technique. It
Not at all : 1.8 % (3 singers) has made me believe that I can sing "anything", there are nearly no limits!! It solves problems I
have had all my life. Great! ;O) its put up in a very clear way, really fantastic . CVI helped me both
with my technique and as a musician . CVI has created a safe and good environment for learning
Did you feel that being in a group with other singers and I feel much more secure as a singer and as a performer after being there, although I've
been singing with different teachers since I was 10 years old. Through studying CVT I have now
and having master classes was the right teaching developed a wider pal et of vocal possibilities and feel secure in more styles of music/singing. It
method? feels like I in the past used to have "only one voice" with limited possibilities, that limited also
my choice of repertoire and style. Now I feel more confident to make artistic choices, sing vari-
Absolutely: 49.6 % (134 singers) ous styles and even use styles and techniques I never did before. Also, through learning about
For sure: 31.9 % (86 singers) the vocal modes and their specific rules I can now analyze technical "pitfalls", get to the root of
technical problems, and solve them much faster than I could with my previous training (I am a
It was ok: 14.4 % (39 singers) conservatory trained singer). Nowadays I feel I get less "stuck" on technical details, because I
Kind of: 3.0 % (8 singers) can solve them more efficiently. The more I know about the method, the more I want to le.arn.
It's very motivating to practise, because I can notice the improvement of my voice. CVT is so
Not at all: 1.1 % (3 singers) concrete and practical, I can make very clear goals what I want to reach as a singer and that's
why it's easier to really make that happen . CVT inspires me to practise. And at this moment it
feels the most important thing what CVTcan give to a singer. And I think I'm not the only one
who thinks that way! To me the specific value of CVT is the vowel-stuff, and the dynamics-mode
chart. That is what I perceive as the most.revolutionary addition to other methods. Of course at
the base of that is the 4 modes themselves! As a teacher I had tremendeous advantage from the
student-oriented approach. Not to teach from MY taste and wishes, but to really go into what
the singer wants! It is nicer for the singer, and I don't gettired any more from a day of teaching.

v
Reviews
CATHRINE SADOLIN COMPLETE VOCAL TECHNIQUE

This is an impressive book with great graphics and
descriptions written for anyone to pick up and start
playing with... A great knowledge for the voice...
There are various glowing reviews on the back of the
COMPLETE VOCAL TECHNIQUE is a pioneering and innovative
approach, highly useful for anyone interested in the voice, of the word bible is a book that is considered an
authority on a particular subject then I would have
professionals as well as beginners. The techniques can be used in all to agree.
- Communicating Voice British Voice Association
styles of singing.
With her unorthodox and energetic approach to
the mysteries of the voice, Cathrine Sadolin has
succeeded in breaking apart fossilized myths, as well
This book is based on the most current and updated research in as providing loads of singers, amateurs as well as
professionals, with the necessary tools to enable them
vocal technique. Complete Vocal Technique is recommended by to better understand the various functions of their
singers, singing teachers, actors, speech therapists and doctors voices. Complete Vocal Technique is an impressive
-
internationally. tions and carefully prepared graphics.
- Soundcheck Music magazine for professional
musicians
Cathrine Sadolin is one of the Complete Vocal Technique contains material for
both singers as well as teachers on all levels, classical
leading voice researchers in the as well as rhythmical... Cathrine Sadolin is a trouble-
shooter with vast experience. The book exudes her
world. Her 25 years of research curiosity and engagement in her trade, which means
across all vocal styles, combined that one is smitten with enthusiasm and thereby eager
to engage in every proposed exercise. Her background
with her own experiences as a research is solid and her huge practical experience
has liberally coloured the book. Her tenacity and per-
professional singer, has inspired sistence to create a general technique and a common
vocabulary that encompasses all genres, rhythmical
innovative thinking within the field. as well as classical, is unusual and worthy of praise.
This is to be praised immensely and therefore we most
She is regularly invited to voice wholeheartedly recommend this book that in the most
conferences around the world, and - The Musician Magazine of the Danish Musicians
contributes to the ongoing voice Union
and vocal technique research. She has specialised in solving vocal A bible for vocal coaching and vocal care... An
epoch-making book on singing techniques... A very
problems, repairing worn out voices, and teaching advanced singing dashing and competent instructional book on singing
technique... Many illustrative drawings that indeed
techniques within all musical styles. She has worked with theatres, qualify the book as being for self-study... Easily
understood and easily accessible for everybody with
operas, and record companies, both as a voice coach and as a vocal an interest in singing... The book simply covers
everything a singer needs to know and encompasses
producer. She has performed all over Europe, as a classical, folk, and all styles and genres from classical to rhythmic sing-
rock singer, and has released several albums. ing... A revolutionary publication that will give huge
reward to everybody that is interested in the use and
the function(s) of the voice.
- Djembe World, Music, Dance & Art
In 2002 Cathrine launched a 3-year Singer/ Teacher Diploma Course
Eminent new thinking... The book gives a compre-
for professionals who want to improve as singers as well as singing hensive and detailed treatment of all possible sides of
singing technique... Very clear and easy to use... easy
teachers. In 2005 COMPLETE VOCAL INSTITUTE (CVI) opened to read layout... Many good pedagogical ideas to use...
It is really complete. I can warmly recommend the
in Copenhagen with branches in many countries. CVI is today the book to everybody who teaches music. It is a must!
largest singing institute for professional and semi-professional singers - Gymnasiemusik Magazine for music teachers at
colleges
in Europe.
The new bible for all singers... According to Cathrine
Sadolin everybody can learn to sing, and I believe it
to be true having read Complete Vocal Technique.
One of the books most undisputed qualities is the
incredible versatile understanding and consideration
of the various differences that the readers may be
subjected to. Even those who are heavily hit by the
-
publishing ApS able help here. The pedagogical and positive way in
4IPVU1VCMJDBUJPOTt)BVTFSHBEF which she conveys her knowledge gives the reader a
feeling that Complete Vocal Technique is written for
%,$PQFOIBHFO,t%FONBSL
you, and only you, even though it could (and most
e-mail: cvi@shout.dk ISBN 978-87-992436-1-7
warmly recommend Complete Vocal Technique to
everybody interested in expressing him or herself
www.completevocalinstitute.com through the voice.

- Line Out Magazine for musicians

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C A T H R I N E S A D O L I N

CATHRINE SADOLIN COMPLETE VOCAL TECHNIQUE

Download included with purchase:

Complete Vocal Technique

2012 Cathrine Sadolin

Thanks to Vera Rozsa and Bonna S0ndberg.

* CD instead of CVT Sound Library

2 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin w w w .completevocalinstitute.com

To keep this line of the general philosophy behind 'Complete

Among the many other reasons to use non-complicated, di-

Singing is often emotional and consequently does not re -

In Danish it is common to use informal language in many

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4 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com

Microphone Technique . . . . . . . . . 175 Too much vibrato ... . .. . ..... 211

Pronunciation and the microphone 175 Techniques for Ornamentation

Exercises in distortion ..... . ... 185 Too much mucous . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Growl . .... .. ..... .. . ..... 192 Inner hearing . . . . . . . . . . . .... 229

Finding growl . . . . . ... . ..... 192 Outer hearing . . . . . . ... . . . .. 230

Exercises in growl .. . . ........ 194 Acoustic singing .. .. .... ..... 231

Grunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ... 196 Singing in a recording studio ..... 231

Exercises in grunt .. ........ . . 198 Improvisation and phrasing . . . . . . 234

Finding screams in Neutral . .. . . . 199 improvisation .. .. . .. ....... 234

Finding screams in Curbing ..... 199 Method for advanced

Finding screams in several modes .200 Interpretation and Performance .. . 239

Intentional vocal breaks .. . . . .. . 202 expression ... . ...... . .. . ... 240

Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com 5

6 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com

My research Singing techniques were always presented with attached

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8 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com

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10 Compl et e Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin ww w.compl etevocalinstitute.com

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In my opinion the taste of the teacher is unimportant. To me Muscle memory

When you practise, it is important to concentrate and avoid

12 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com

As all your attention must be placed on achieving the correct

Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com 13

'A' is pronounced as in 'and' '4>) 11 [al]

Train each vowel individually. Listen to the exact vowel sound

14 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com

The three overall principles 2. Necessary Twang

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Neutral without air is often used in popular music when you

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Each of these factors can and should be trained individually

18 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocal institute.com

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Avoid protruding the jaw and tightening the lips

You must distinguish between activity and tension. Avoid

20 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com

The lung on the left is shown in cross section so

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The very first breath Conscious vs. unconscious process

22 Complete Vocal Technique 2012 Cathrine Sadolin www.completevocalinstitute.com

Finding the best breathing

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When the abdomen bulges

Exercise for expanding the diaphragm

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Inhalation that expands around the

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