Shall we explore the fundamentals of breath and airflow in greater detail? 

Proper airflow is a crucial element in achieving vocal excellence. However, to fully comprehend its significance and make advancements, it must be examined alongside the other 5Essentials of vocal technique.

Singers often think they need to control their breath by taking in large amounts of air and holding on it for as long as possible to nail a 4-bar phrase, a high note, or the final note. However, the truth is more complex than one might expect.

It usually comes down to knowing and understanding my suggested 5 basic principles. But here we are focusing on just one of those five… Airflow, not airb-l-o-w.

So, how do you feel about the following statement? 

Onset: is yours breathy, glottal or balanced? Breathy = airflow occurs before glottis closes. Glottal = glottis closure completes before airflow begins. Balanced = co-ordinated action of muscle & breath i.e. … synchronised.

What is the main underlyi...

Singing keeps me sane.

Quite literally. Singing has been and continues to be both my linchpin and my salvation. It may have been challenging to maintain the learning regime at tumultuous times, but I always have returned to music - to singing - to restore my sense of balance.

For centuries, humans have enjoyed vocalizing as a means of expression, connecting with others, and celebrating life. Singing, in particular, has been scientifically proven to have numerous health benefits. This article delves into the positive effects of singing on our well-being and emphatically emphasizes how this activity can significantly enhance our overall health and happiness.

It’s a question of balance

Singing restores my equilibrium. It lifts me up in unseen ways and gives me permission to engage with my inner self. It helps me express and communicate, share thoughts and even commemorate.

In 2001 I gave a concert to celebrate the life of my youngest daughter Alice, who had died earlier that year a...

Did you know?

What if I told you that there are only a few very basic vocal ‘tools’ that you need to know about which will serve you well in every singing situation? Would you believe me? A good vocal sound is nearly always reliant on a firm grasp and knowledge of the basics. Simply explained in my free PDF companion guide to this article: Need Help with Singing Basics.

A simple fact

Getting to grips with or making improvements to your singing and the methods to achieve progress are all far easier and more accessible than you think.

Consider this: we all have a speaking voice and we utilise our vocal folds every single day, so you’re actually already familiar with how powering your voice from the inside out feels.

Learning to use your singing voice is just an extension of that same vocal process, using the same equipment. 

The best way to ease your voice along healthily is to maintain a consistent gentle warm-up routine, covering the basic and essential vocal technique tools like...

Do you know where the root of your vocal problems lies?

Finding your authentic singing voice starts with the way you speak - as do all those little lifetime foibles we create along the way.

Look to the way you speak for weaknesses and physical stumbles - take care to know what they are so that they do not leach their way into how you produce your singing sound.

Fabulous article

I remember reading an article written by then VoiceCouncil writer Kathy Alexander following an interview with Speech-Language Therapist, Sue M Jones. In response to this question, 

“Do you ever encounter singers who have an issue with their voice that stems from the way they talk?”

Sue confirmed that many singers experiencing problems with their singing voice actually have problems with excess muscle tension in the production of their speaking voice.

It’s easy to imagine a scenario where we are tempted to use more voice than we should; this, in turn, can lead to habitual constriction in the vocal...

I know that you love to sing, because you're reading this post.

You may belong (or have done in the past) to choirs and small ensemble singing groups. Perhaps you even get the opportunity to sing solo for concerts occasionally. But, I also know that there are times when you feel like the experience could be better. You know that all this singing should be paying off, but strangely it's not.

Let's explore the difference between choral, ensemble, and solo singing... (I'm playing devil's advocate here... indulge me!)

Choral singing is the art of singing in a large-ish group. It can be a very rewarding experience, as it allows singers to come together en masse and create some of the world's most beautiful music. Choral singers must learn to blend their voices together and bend to the will and artistic direction of the conductor.

Ensemble singing is similar to choral singing, but it usually involves a smaller group of singers. Ensemble singers often have more individual responsibility, ...

In this video ... a short introduction to the knotty problem of how consonants can sabotage your sound.

Everyone expects to sing vocal exercises on vowels, right? But not many singers will spend time examining how their consonants are formed, and how the articulators play their part. 

For classical (if not all) singers, vocal technique issues around the interaction between vowels and consonants - and the relationship they have when it comes to maintaining the breath and keeping a constant airflow to the source of the sound - continue to be a source of frustration.

Understandably, singers become primarily preoccupied with their sound - thinking mostly in terms of ‘support’ and ‘vocal tone’, underpinned by such considerations as ‘breathing’ ‘onset’ and ‘resonance’, and good use of vowels to carry it along.

Yet, getting to grips with the finer details of say, the articulatory system and perhaps where associated weak links can lurk, can be a bit vague - perhaps rather hit and miss.

In any language, the tongue is a mighty muscle - and I’m sure if a cat (big or small) could talk, he or she would be truly proficient in its use.

Can’t you just picture that? 

Photo by Isabella Jusková on Unsplash

A while back, according to Facebook, this topic was most popular - lots of likes. Everyone loved the picture of the big cat. What’s not to love? But hey! What about the content?

I’m known for talking a lot about vocal technique basics. So essential, and yet in the scheme of things often very overlooked, with students wanting to rush on to the more complicated and glossy stuff.

Singers too need to know their way around the ins and outs of nifty tongue use. Not only for clarity of diction and language but also to have a firm understanding of likely causes of vocal fatigue and related problems to do with limited vocal range and more.

How much tension do you think you hold in your jaw? I know I’ve said this before, but it translates to many vocal frustrations: lack of ran...

The more I teach, the more my own understanding as a singer grows.

A brilliant bonus from teaching something well is that you get to repeatedly learn the details and deep dive alongside your students and re-examine processes. Learning by doing. It's an excellent by-product - a wonderfully harmonious, serendipitous result.

Learning how to sing well, and with confidence is not a journey you can embark upon with impatience. It IS going to take time, especially if (as I am) you're invested in the longevity of the voice you already have.

Remember that the JOY is IN the journey, every step of the way, exploring the twists and turns - joining the dots as you go if you like.

What's in the video above... Posture, breath and support: go with the flow

The skill of singing well lies in patience, in practising little and often and with focus - and with great guidance or mentoring. A further secret also lies in appreciating what the body naturally wants and is equipped to do and by not ...

From the Little Soprano archive.

Originally written one Sunday morning, almost ten years ago, the comment it makes is still as pertinent as ever, especially for new or beginner singers, or those who have a penchant to return to classical singing.

August 2014

I read the quote below earlier this morning and paused to think on it a while.

I love to sing - everyone knows that - but I also love to write, and that love goes way, way back to before I ever sang a note. It was, I think my love of words that lit that first little singing flame. A beautiful marriage between verse and music. I was clearly thinking about singing at quite an early age ...

I’m not fearful of my singing path; I’ve pursued my craft tenaciously, very conscious of the journey and the absolute need to improve, spurred on by the excitement of improving ability and the lure of achieving my goal. But writing is something else - ultimately far more private. I’m more fearful of failure when I write.

Yet my love of word...

Where do you start, learning how to sing classically?

You've got to want to do it - be excited and curious enough to get on board.

The vocal journey has a very human beginning and it is good to remember that. At the heart of all we do as singers, is the joy of making music and the release of self-expression. Sharing with others is vital to the learning experience, because it provides a solid base for exchange, observation and mutual support.

Also, there is no quick fix - no singing teacher worth their salt has a magic wand.  You - the singer in you - has to be bitten by the I-want-to-sing-classical-song bug for the duration and be lit up by it over and over again.

I remember years ago, watching a television advert, where an old lady taps a police officer on the shoulder in the street and asks,

“How do I get to Carnegie Hall?”
The officer answers with a wry smile, “Lady, you gotta practice!”

And he was right. Like anything else, you have to want to do it enough and put your...