Support

[btherl]

I'm moving this out of jianrong's thread But it is essentially a reply to this and the nearby posts.

I want to clarify a few things. Chenglehung is learning Speech Level Singing (as am I). While SLS singers do support, the support is not learnt by concentrating on the diaphragm. Instead it is taught by concentrating on balancing the vocal cords. As the vocal cords can only be balanced when supported, support comes naturally as a consequence.

So that is how it's possible to support without ever thinking or practicing it. And I believe support IS a natural process. After all we support when speaking, crying, and plenty of other modes of making noise, and we can do all these from the moment we are born.

If support is natural, why is it so hard to learn? Because we learn so many bad habits throughout our life. And we need to rediscover the natural way of breathing again.

At the end of it all, whether you use a breathing based method or a vocal cord based method, the result is the same - balance of air and cord.

All feedback welcome! My ideas of singing are constantly under review and I'd like to hear what others think on this.

 

[legpain]

Hi TS,

Im new here and keen to learn.
Just want to ask a question from wad i read...


"As the vocal cords can only be balanced when supported, support comes naturally as a consequence."

But where does the "support" comes from? It has to be from somewhere isnt it? And how strong is the support? Does it matter if the support comes from different parts of the body?
Given a choice, would you want a stronger "support"?

 

[btherl]

Support is actually quite a complex process, which is not fully understood by anyone. It involves many muscles in the chest, and also requires the vocal cords to be holding back the air simultaneously.

But just because it's complex to understand doesn't mean it's difficult to do. It's a natural process that your body knows, and all you have to do is find it. A lot of exercises have been developed which will encourage your body to support. And if you have a healthy speaking habit, you're supporting already

If you want to feel what support is like, try making a whiny sound, like a child who wants a toy. You should feel your vocal cords shut tight and some muscles engage in your chest. That's a supported sound.

As for "stronger support", what you need is balance. As long as the muscles in your chest and your vocal cords are in balance, you can produce a nice sounding note. Higher notes need stronger muscles in both your chest and your vocal cords, aka "more support". But rather than thinking about support, I would think about maintaining balance. If you're balanced, then the necessary support is there.

You were asking about support from different parts of the body - I believe there's only one support. It's the one we used when screaming at the top of the lungs when we were born And all of us have it, we just need to find it. We don't need to think about where it comes from because it's instinct.

I'm by no means an expert by the way, just another singer who talks a lot

 

[illuminationexcursion]

Vocalization is a balance between 2 things.

1. Vocal cord compression (medial compression)

2. Air pressure

Too much vocal cord compression and too little air pressure, you'll sound constricted and tight. Too much air pressure and insufficient vocal cord compression, you get a weak sounding sound or flip outright into falsetto.

Personally, I really think both vocal compression and air pressure is not really a very conscious process.

I do not mean you can't control it, but the kind of control is counter-intuitive. I do not mean there is no perceptible physiological sensations, but to try to reproduce these "remembered" sensations do not always work.

This "support" is, I believe, when vocal compression and air pressure are balanced. The two factors can only be balanced when your vowels are clearly articulated throughout your entire singing range. That is why its counter-intuitive. You cannot achieve this balance by going for the balance. Instead, just go for clear and pure vowels and this balance is achieved as a natural consequence.

This is think is what btherl has been trying to say. Hope this helps.

 

[btherl]

Thanks, that's a nice explanation

About the pure vowels, when you are balanced, your larynx stays stable and steady. This lets you produce vowels through your entire range with the same kind of sound. But when your air pressure exceeds cord compression, your throat has to squeeze to keep your cords together, and this causes the vowels to distort. That's how SLS teaches, by the teacher detecting vowel distortion, which is an indicator of excess pressure (or habitual squeezing caused by past excess pressure).