Onset of Tone (1)

Task: If you’re getting a sore throat during/after singing, you may have some throat constriction or be
allowing too much unprocessed air to pass over the vocal chords. Changing the onset of your tone can
help this! Your onset is the beginning of the sound, how you start a note or phrase.

Consider these questions:

- Do you have a breathy tone or a clear tone?
- Do you have an edge to your tone? We can actually choose the tones we use, we’re not bound
to one particular tone!
- The onset of the tone can happen simultaneously with the breath, before or after the breath. All
these choices effect our sound.
- For a glottal onset practise saying 'egg'
- For an aspirate onset, put an 'h' in front of your tone
- For a simultaneous onset, sing 'miaow' like a cat.

Warm up:
1. Lip bubble (151)
2. ‘Mmm’ (132435421) (Also, Nn, Ng)
3. ‘Koo koo koo koo koo-aw-ah’ (on one note)
4. Pitch matching: Press one key at a time from middle C to high C. Listen to the pitch then make
your voice match it. Try various onsets while doing this.

Breathing (3)
Task: The better we breathe, the better we sing! Today, let’s focus on how to take the best breaths we
can.

1. Horizontal breathing, bend at waist with palms of hands on knee caps. Breathe easily
2. Imagine a hole in the middle of your back

Warm up:
1. Lip bubble 123454321
2. Be-oo-oh-ah (on one note)
3. ‘Ra,re,ri,ro,ru’ (54321)
4. Teaser: zing-a-ma-ma (whole teaser on one note then
continue up the scale - 12345678) (get faster with more
practice!)
Vocal Resonance (1)
Task: Creating a beautiful resonant sound is what separates great singers from good singers. Let’s focus
on creating this sound!

So where does resonance come from?

Contrary to what you might think, the nasal cavity only comes into play for resonance in nasal
consonants/vowels (e.g. in French). The vocal tract is actually our main resonating space. The vocal
tract is from above the vocal folds to our lips.

Warm up:
1. Bright ‘i’ vowel (like feed). (123454321) Listen for the ringing sound of efficient resonance as
you sing. Allow yourself to sound excessively nasal two or three times as you sing it if you are
struggling to hear a difference.
2. ‘N’/‘ng’ to ‘i’ (55-44-33-22-11) The first 5 is ‘N/ng’ and the second 5 is ‘i,’ the same applies
to the other repeated scale notes. N/Ng are nasal consonants requiring a large amount of
buzzing in the nose.
3. ‘La’ (1-8-7654321)

Extending Vocal Range (1)

Task: There are three factors which significantly affect the ability to sing higher or lower. Today let’s
focus on them to extend our vocal range!

1. The Energy Factor – The response the body has to make sound. This means having a good
breath support mechanism (strong relationship between the breathing-in muscles and the
breathing-out muscles) It also refers to the breath pressure given to the folds and the dynamic
level of sound.
2. The Space Factor – Refers to the amount of space created by moving the mouth and the
position of the palate and larynx. Generally speaking, the higher you sing, the wider your
mouth will be - to an extent! The internal space/position of the soft palate and larynx can be
widened by the relaxing of the throat. Try the "beginning of a yawn".
3. The Depth Factor – Refers to the actual physical sensations of depth in the voice, but also to
the mental concepts of depth as related to tone quality.

Warm up:
1. Lip bubble (12345432123454321) - Feel the ‘Energy’ factor
2. ‘Ra,re,ri,ro,ru’ (54321). – ‘Space’ Factor
3. Mee, mee, mee, mee, mee (12321)
4. Hum-aw-ah (same note, then scale upwards) Hum-eh-ah. Etc. ‘Depth factor’