I have the darndest time singing certain vowels in my middle area. I can't even figure out where my break is or anything. A lot of times I feel like I'm either reaching up in chest voice or singing too heady in that area.

I feel like it's getting a little better but still a lot of times I'm hit or miss in that range.

Do you have to do some kind of speech level singing in that middle area or what?

I have the exact same problem.

Try doing the transcending tone exercise using the vowel your having trouble with. Start with the softest purest falsetto you can produce and transcend to full voice. I used to have a lot of trouble with "E" and "oo" but by doing that I have noticed lots of improvement. Hope this helps!

You must be around your break. Practice part of the songs you are having difficulty with on lib bubbles. Do short sentences at a time. Than keep your voice focused forward in the same place and sing than out. Careful on opening you mouth properly and keeping the tip of your tongue slightly resting on your lower front teeth. I fyou tongue slips backward, you end up moving the larynx and crushing your vocal cords.

Oiselle is right. The trouble often comes around the break. I used to have a problem with the "oo" on "there's" something wathing you" from the song "Fear of the Dark" by Iron Maiden. My voice would warble as if the resonance didn't know where to go. As I said before transcendoing tone exercises helped immensely.

I don't believe that there is a "break" in the voice (I'm from the CVT-school).

The reason people are having problems vowels is because they have choosen the wrong vowel for a certain mode (Neutral, Curbing, Overdrive, Belting)! And the reason why peoble are "breaking" is because they change mode! (usually Overdrive to Neutral for men)

It doesn't matter what you call it, break, mode or something else. The truth is there is a transition being made at some point or the other throughout one's register and the difficulty is to make it sound seamless.

Yes there is a change of resonance (from chest to head in the old terms)....but there isn't a change in the vocal-cord movement (until for men...high C C5). The transition is purely resonance....

I know a lot of you have questions and I am sorry that I do not respond much, but we are soooo busy trying to get the book out. The book is done but in the hands of my editor. As soon as it is released, I am going to offer my services REALLY cheap. I will be offering Web lessons and consultation for .99 a minute. This way a lot of people can have some contact with me for the next few months in order to help them;)

JV

Martin, you said you "don't believe there is a break in the voice". Were you referring strictly to the chest and middle voice? If so, I know what you mean and I agree until the break. Than the cords start zipping. I telling JP that what he thinks is still in his middle register might in fact be the very beginning of that transition area therefore the break as he said himself he doesn't know exactly where it happens for him.

The web lessons sound really cool Jaime. I'd like to know more about that!

Listen, Martin isn't far from the truth. There essentially is what people refer to as a break...but that is just a weak spot that need strengthened that you must leanr to coordinate and be able to switch gears in your voice, much like switching gears in a standard transmission vehicle. Typically it is said that the male break is around an E and that was where mine used to be. It's not there any more. Think of the voice as one fluid dlawless instrument from top to bottom. More about the webcam lessons soon;)

JV

Oiselle

No not only chest and middle! For men the vocal cords are just stretching like a rubber band until C5 and then they begin to "zip up"! The only thing that changes is the resonance.....which is also the originally meaning of the terms chest-voice and head-voice....there are no breaks...what males are experiencing as a "break" is a change of mode(CVT) or the use of "dampening" below C5...

Yeah guys; I get what you mean!! What you are referring to as head voice is when you think you've sang almost as high as you can (before the zipping)but yet not really. Before zipping occurs you stretch it a little more by pulling the vocal cords before they actually start zipping. So the head voice starts a tiny bit before the zipping. Right?!

Martin, can you describe your four modes : Neutral, Curbing, Overdrive, Belting please? Is this regarding the position of the larynx or where you focus your resonances? I haven't heard it explained that way before and I'd like to find out more

One more clarification. My interpretation of "break" is the area of transition where difficulties occur due to the effort required (i.e. elongating the cords) or the change (i.e zipping) in how the cords operate to produce the next highest sound. Unless the coordination is perfect, you can hear a "break" in the sound because the cords aren't vibrating freely. As a result, the voice doesn't resonate to its full potential regardless of where you try to focus the resonances.

Actually CVT doesn't use the "old" terms like chest-voice, head-voice, falsetto etc....because they have to much bagage....ex. chest-voice has many meanings!

Oiselle

You can see a guided tour of the Complete Vocal Technique here (also a desription of the modes):

http://sadolin.net/uk/sangteknik/gennemgang/sangteknik_01.html

Cool! I'll check it out...