THE VOICE CONNECTION
SOUND OFF

Welcome to The Voice Connection Sound Off; a forum for users of books like Raise Your Voice, Melody to Madness, The Ultimate Breathing Workout, and Unleash Your Creative Mindset, as well as a place for Vendera Vocal Academy members to interact.

This message board was created so that singers could come together and "sound off" to help support each other during vocal development and the creative process of unleashing the creative spark that occurs when writing and producing music. Currently, myself and vocal coaches Ben Valen, Ray West, and Ryan Wall are here to respond periodicially to your questions, with new vocal coaches coming soon. But, feel free to help each other too:)

This board is here for you to ask questions about my and my fellow coach's books, videos, and MP3 programs, as well as offer others help with our vocal techniques. You may also post videos of yourself and your band to share your music and ask for critiques.

Please refrain from negative comments, profanities, spamming, and inappropriate criticisms of vocal methodologies, vocal coaches, and singers. All negative posts will be deleted and subject to banning without question. I will not respond to negative posts, because, as Mark Twain once said, “Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.” With that said, positive criticism is welcome because that is how you'll grow as a singer during the training process.


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Skullsplitter
Sep 25, 2012 - 10:42AM
Re: The swallowing muscles

davidgtr
Wow. Thanks so much for the advice. I feel like this is the one thing that is holding me back from where I want to be. I feel fortunate for the help you guys are giving on fixing it. I've learned so much in the last year or so and have worked every single day to improve.

I will work on these suggestions and stick with it. I know that it's going to take a while but I'm going to devote a huge section of my practice time toward this swallow muscle problem.

I can't thank you all enough for the help

Hi David,

Keep this in mind, it isn't a swallowing muscle problem. Thinking like that is just setting yourself up mentally for a long arduous task. It is simply that your throat's constrictor muscles are doing what they were designed to do. For singing, you have to train these muscles to relax - but they haven't been relaxed ever since you had your first food as a newborn! So just relax and do the exercises to to 20 minutes a day. Trust me, once you can get the larynx down - the tongue taming and keeping the throat in an expanded state are a breeze.



Tim

d
davidgtr
Sep 25, 2012 - 12:19PM
Re: The swallowing muscles

I just did that during four songs. My biggest problem so far is trying to keep from yawning. When I yawn I lose the position after the yawn. lol. Even on a yawn those digastric muscles under the chin are wanting to really flex so I try to relax that part while holding the yawn position.

I lightly hum the song while holding my thumb and index finger of the right hand on my digastric muscles to remind myself to relax when they get tense. two fingers on the left hand go to the larynx to insure it don't pop up so I can maintain the yawn.

I feel very confident these techniques will eventually lead to relaxed and effortless high notes.

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