Many singers have heard of things like ‘breath support’, a ‘relaxed throat’, ‘twang’, ‘vibrato’, etc. But which of these vocal techniques are essential to develop a healthy way of singing?
I often explain the basic elements of vocal technique by four steps but rule #1 is: Good singing ALWAYS has to feel good. So no tention, no pain.
Watch this video where Pavarotti and Friends (Michael Bolton, Bono, a.o.) sing Nessun Dorma during one of their concerts. Michael Bolton is doing a great job but he doesn’t use the proper vocal techniques. Luciano Pavarotti shows a superb vocal technique, no tention, no effort except for breath support! If Michael Bolton would train his vocal and breathing skills he would for sure sing almost as well as Pavarotti.
The next four steps are necessary to achieve healthy singing, no matter what style you are singing (opera, pop, rock, jazz, etc.) The basics are all the same:
After achieving these four steps you can add more techniques, which one depends on the style you want to sing. If you want to sing gospel or pop, you might want to add some TWANG to your sound. When you want to sing classical music, you will need to add a tilted larynx. If singers do not use these four basic techniques, they can develop serious problems to their vocal cords, such as polyps and nodules. So if you love singing and like to sing a lot it is wise to have some lessons with a good voice teacher. It is difficult to learn these techniques all by yourself, although the information on this website will lead you in the right direction. When you start singing with the four basic techniques you will find that your singing becomes easier, more free, more powerful and more beautiful! If you want know how the vocal folds work, click HERE.
