For TT's yes - momentarily - the point is to help you connect the chords to strengthen them. You have to make sure you actually connect as you rise and don't just make a louder falsetto tone - if that makes better sense. I have seen many people - prior to RYV - who would talk about how they just "can't get any louder", they "can't increase range" and how "higher notes seem like they just take so much air". What was happening is they would just use the tone they sang in falsetto and push it louder without connecting the chords or increasing resonance. They'd be like this the whole time([ ]) instead of ending like this ( || ). If you do them right not only to they strengthen the chords like an MMA workout, they also allow you to effortlessly slip in and out of falsetto and full voice for dynamics and emotion when you sing without a noticeable "flip" unless intended. You get a nice connection tone consistency throughout your "voicings".

Jaime also warns of swelling falsetto during TT's in RYV. He says: "You must make sure that you are not swelling your falsetto. (That is an entirely different exercise.)
If you swell your falsetto, the sound will be loud and breathy and/or
hooty sounding. Increasing the volume of your falsetto occurs when you add
more volume than resonance; by not fully utilizing the muscles involved in
vocal cord tension, the glottis maintains a more open position, thus allowing
excess air through the glottal opening on louder volumes. A loud falsetto
only dries out your throat and irritates the edges of the vocal cords, if you
don’t know what you are doing.
Your goal is to transcend into your full voice by utilizing the muscles
that control vocal cord tension and glottal adjustment. Full voice should
sound loud, resonant and clean, with minimal breath support. You
shouldn’t notice any breathiness in the sound of your voice. Rely on the
inhalation sensation while vocalizing to minimize pressure." (p.240,241)


There is no falsetto involved in the sirens and these are designed to strengthen cord and vocal coordination.

Think of the RYV exercises this way -

Falsetto slides - help build breath control, tone control and consistency.

Transcending Tones - Build strength, lateral tone/volume control and connections (cord and register). Remember - you're not supposed to push harder for TT's to get louder, you're supposed to balance you volume and resonance to SWELL the sound. Only increase your push as a means of support and balance, not the sole means to increase volume.

Sirens - build strength, linear tone control and smooth out any wrinkles left in the connections.

Hope that clarifies :-)

The yawn sensation exercise (practise yawning) might help you understand how much you are supposed to drop the jaw to create that space for the voice to travel freely to the resonators and add bass to your sound. Feel the openness and easiness in creating that relax opened throat. Singing a the top of your range should feel as effortless as singing at the bottom.

It can be many different things. I need to hear you to make sure you still have chest connection in it. Put an audio sample up and I'll tell you what's going on.

Phil Moufarrege
Grow-The-Voice.com
Youtube.com/PhilMoufarrege