Perspectives on Modern Voice Technique Coaching Versus the Classical Technique
The Classical Approach versus The Modern Day Pop Approach. Is there a difference?
Click Here for Classical Approach versus Modern Approach
Perspectives on Modern Voice Technique
By Jimi Zimmardi
There have been ongoing discussions over the years on how Classical Singers approach a performance in contrast to a modern day Pop/Rock/Jazz/Contemporary approach. I think that regardless of the style that you’re singing that you must apply a solid universal vocal technique that concentrates on an easy relaxed onset of each phrase. All singers and speakers should undoubtedly have a solid breathy onset that has a foundation of loose muscles in and around the larynx during phonation. That has to be your rock solid foundation regardless of the style you’re singing.
To build on this idea, it is vitally important that you maintain the natural shape of your vocal tract as you phonate. As you sing or speak in a relaxed manner using the relaxed onset and correct phrasing to maintain that relaxation as the phrase progresses, you should first find a your “natural spoken tone” resonance. This is defined by executing the east onset in speech and then immediately segueing to sung tones. By doing this you find the sung tone that is very close to your natural speech tone. This natural tone that has a breathy “H” consonant will give you a breathy fat tone that will give you a relaxed execution that allows your vocal tract to maintain its natural shape. You can practice finding your natural spoken tone by using the segue exercise outlined above.
Regardless of what style you’re singing, you should start with a solid vocal technique as outlined above and find your natural tone without trying to sound like someone you’re not. What many singers don’t know is that if they try to manipulate their sound, they change the shape of their vocal tract and they can hurt their voices. A classic example of this is when a cover band singer, tribute band singer or impersonator singer tries to imitate another singer that has a different shaped vocal tract that is drastically different form their own. What results is a lot of muscle tension within the tract that has caused many singers to hurt their voice.
Regardless of what style you’re going to sing, it is important to apply the two major things mentioned above technically. I call it meat and potatoes technique. It’s like a plain bland piece broiled chicken with a cooked potato on a plate. Once you have good command of your technique and natural resonance, you can take that bland but solid meat and potatoes technique and step into the Spice Cabinet.
The style of the song your singing will dictate which “spices” you add to your natural tone. If you have ever stepped into a kitchen pantry spice cabinet, you know that there are many different spices. Well the Spice Cabinet of vocal style is wide and vast. The common denominator is a well executed tone regardless of the style.
THE SPICE CABINET
There are a number of issues that will define which spices you use in each style you will sing and perform. History will dictate your approach to each style. If you’re performing Classical, it is essential that you do your homework and research each era that you might be singing. There are distinct stylistic differences that span from Gregorian Chants to the Baroque Era to the Romantic Era to the 20th and 21st Century Modern Classical Era. If you’re a modern day Pop/Rock/Contemporary/Jazz/Broadway singer, you also need to do your homework and research as well.
Here are some of the major spices that you can add: Vibrato, Tremolo, Ornamentation, Trills, Timbre and Tone, Dynamics, Mood of the Song, Growl, Scream, Emotion, Historical Pronunciations, Feel, Groove and Language.
Our own individual personal style development is built on influence and doing your homework by doing a lot of Listening and Analysis. These are the major factors in each singer’s own personal style. In essence, all aspects of the Spice Cabinet will also be instrumental to your own personal style.
I won’t elaborate on all of the major spices listed above, but as you research and explore the style you’re singing, you need explore what works for you in your own personal style and utilize the Spice Cabinet spices appropriately.
Generally I find myself in one of two places when I speak of resonance during sung phonation. I either find myself in a spoken tone resonance that has a crisp clarity or a more breathy tone in more romantic, balladic songs. That same breathy tone should also be applied to singing notes in the low register and the vocal fry register.
The major issue that comes to mind in Language is the various different vowels in each language. Because all of our phonation as singers is built on vowels, it’s important that you do your homework on each vowel’s approach in all of the languages that you sing and speak.
Emotion is also important in every performance as long as you control your emotions during the performance. I also think that Feel is important as well. In modern music you must lock into the groove and vocally execute your phrases correctly. For instance, if you’re feeling the beat on 1 and 3 and you should be feeling it on 2 and 4, there will be a problem.
It’s important to keep it real technically and tone-wise by being yourself and not trying to imitate other singers. It’s also very important to do your homework stylistically for every style that you want to perform. By doing this, you will have an awesome formula for success that will stay with you for your entire performing career.