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.


The Voice Connection - Sound Off
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Re: What am I doing wrong? (Support)

Moshytp
I have raise your voice, the ultimate breathing workout and a ptd-1 and I still cannot figure out support. If I take a chest breath I can hold the sustained "s" sound for around 40 seconds, and a sung note for 35 seconds. But when I try to support (pushing the lower abdominal out as listed on page 303 of RYV, pushing down never really worked for me) I can only hold the "s" for about 25- to 30 seconds at best, and about the same with a note. This doesn't seem to improve regardless of how much I practice. I'm probably going to book a skype lesson with Jaime at this point, but I'm posting here first in case anyone has any magical solutions.


You have to keep the ribs and lower portion expanded AND push down - you have to do both, but don't "push out", just expand all the way around, and remain in that state.

I learned this little visualization trick from Eli Prinsen. Eli said,"Pretend you have on pants that are too big, and you have to expand yourself around the waist to try to keep them from falling down."

Brilliant analogy! I only wish I had thought of that.


Tim

Re: What am I doing wrong? (Support)

Thanks for the advice, but it's the pushing down motion I can't seem to understand, not the rib expansion. Pushing down always seems to either lock my throat, or make me feel like I have to throw up. And it certainly never makes singing any easier.

Re: What am I doing wrong? (Support)

Moshytp
Thanks for the advice, but it's the pushing down motion I can't seem to understand, not the rib expansion. Pushing down always seems to either lock my throat, or make me feel like I have to throw up. And it certainly never makes singing any easier.


The next time you cough or sneeze, pay attention to the pushing down sensation. It is the exact same thing.