Category: Vocal Mechanics

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Why can’t I sing as high as I used to? a.k.a. How a voice can go downhill

“Why can’t I sing as high as I used to?”

THIS is a question I get asked a lot. I’ve extensively covered the effects of aging on the voice in this article I previously wrote, but in this article I want to use some actual examples of voices that are golden voices in their own genres, but that have perhaps gone on to find their voices have gone downhill compared to their golden years. It’s also helpful to hear these to realise that EVERYONE has their issues. I’m not picking on the following singers because I think they are bad (far from it!) but merely to remind us that they are human, and we all have peaks and troughs over time and day to day.

In each of these cases however, I’d put this down to issues in their technique that maybe weren’t backbreaking at age 20, but at age 30, 40, 50 or older become back-breaking technical issues for each of them.

The Allure of Youth

Note: It’s always easier to sing high and sound fresh when you’re young. This isn’t the primary sign of vocal ability, it’s a hallmark of youth. The challenge lies in building one’s voice so it gets stronger and fuller as you get older rather than getting run into the ground through bad habits and poor technique.

This is especially problematic when singers acquire commercial acclaim based on an unsustainable sound. Let’s go through a few examples I think show this issue well: Continue reading “Why can’t I sing as high as I used to? a.k.a. How a voice can go downhill”

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How different is your singing from your speaking voice?

One of the key principles that our technique is built on is using the natural calibration of your speaking voice (i.e. chest voice) as a roadmap to build our singing voice. The greater the deviation from our speaking voice co-ordination/calibration (evidenced by a different sound), the greater the level of issues singers tend to encounter.

Such issues can be physical, acoustic, and/or psychological. Let’s get into the first one now… Continue reading “How different is your singing from your speaking voice?”

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Voice pedagogy – has teaching become more about science than singing?

A question was asked relatively recently in a voice forum by someone who had picked up on recent trends for voice teachers to dive heavily into voice research as opposed to practical vocal development.

“Has voice pedagogy become study ABOUT the voice rather than how to TEACH singing?”

This is a fascinating question, and one I think about a lot. I posted the following response in the forum, and a number of people suggested I follow it up as an article on my site. Here are my thoughts in response to the above question:

In my opinion, I think there has been an excessive shift towards pure intellectual knowledge over practical application. More importantly, there has been a drift away from a more objective and concrete understanding/appreciation of what makes good singing. Having objective science seems to matter very little if there isn’t something objective to apply it to, i.e. what does good singing ACTUALLY sound like? Continue reading “Voice pedagogy – has teaching become more about science than singing?”

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How to sing when recording?

I received an email this week asking about how to sing when recording. I’ve re-parsed the sentences in the email so that the questions flow for the purposes of this article.

“Hi Mark,

Do you have any articles [or advice] on how to sing when recording? I feel like my recorded voice sounds both harsh and dull.

I wonder whether I sing too forcefully to try and get emotional intensity. Do I need to improve my loud singing? Or is it about singing differently when recording?

When I listen to my favourite artists’ recordings they sound alive, intense and still have nice higher resonances going on. Would getting a mic that can deal with louder singing help with not losing the higher resonances?”

What can we do?

Sorry to hear you’re having trouble with your vocal recordings. I happen to spend a lot of time recording and working on this stuff, so let’s dive into it… Continue reading “How to sing when recording?”

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A problem with trying to teach good singing using only vocal science

Reading time: 3 minutes

I had a coaching session last week, and the topic of vocal science came up. Now I am ALL for further understanding of science: it is an incredibly helpful tool.

However, whenever I see a new idea presented in vocal science, or some aspect that is preached heavily by various teaching methodologies, there is invariably a problem. Science can only – at best – explain why something has happened, it does not inherently create a roadmap or set of helpful instructions for others to follow. The key question we must always ask with anything to do with voice, is how do we apply something helpfully in a singers voice.

What’s the point?

I have met some incredibly knowledgeable vocal coaches over the years. Some of them are excellent coaches and apply what they know effectively in tools, but others seem to be acquiring knowledge for knowledge’s sake.

The voice is incredibly complex, and it is worth pursuing understanding. But, so what if you understand formants, can name every aspect of vocal musculature, measure or manipulate laryngeal tilt, etc… If a coach or singer can’t leverage that knowledge into making a voice better effectively, what good is it? Continue reading “A problem with trying to teach good singing using only vocal science”

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When Throat Viruses Attack – Back to singing after illness/vocal fatigue

Reading time: 4-5 minutes

Singing after illness or after bouts of vocal fatigue (especially when viruses, colds, sinus issues, mucous-heavy bugs have hit you) is a critical topic to consider. There is a certain amount you CANNOT do as you have to let an illness run its course. However, there are also things you can do to ensure your voice is as good as it can be for when the virus finishes it’s run. In this post, I wanted to take you through five key tips I use as part of my regimen to a) get my voice through a tricky throat virus or cold-based sickness, and b) alleviate how the symptoms can further aggravate your voice. Continue reading “When Throat Viruses Attack – Back to singing after illness/vocal fatigue”