1. Thin, hooty, weak, lifeless, nasal and edgy
problem voices all have one thing in common-
the "resonance cave" of the voice is not
completely open.
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2. These vocal sounds are not nearly as listenable as the rich, clear, bell-like,
multi-textured musical sounds of a voice when the throat is open Sometimes a
person is so used to speaking or singing with a small, pinched voice, they don't
even know it's possible to change it But with vocal training to open the throat,
you will be amazed at how great you can sound The "resonance cave" of the
voice involves a forked channel The channel goes from the larynx in the throat
upwards where it forks into the mouth and the nasal and sinus passages The
nose is actually huge inside
3. The top of the nasal membrane goes all the way up to the eyes Resonance is
created and modified by the state of this channel Here's how it works: * The
vocal cords vibrate the larynx * Sound waves coming off the larynx go through
the channel to bounce against other tissue surfaces and cavities in the throat,
mouth, nose and some sources say even down the trachea * These
alternative resonation zones add their own character to the sound waves * If
the channel is open, more vibrations can reach more surfaces, and the
resulting sound gathers and comes out the mouth much richer than when the
channel is constricted anywhere
4. Another very important point is that different pitches need to vibrate through
different resonation zones If your throat is tight anywhere, that will keep
vibration from freely traveling and you will experience limited range, thin voice -
and vocal strain - if you try to hit inaccessible notes Here are some tips to
open your throat and gain resonance you never thought possible: First of all
record yourself speaking or singing something so you have a baseline from
which to assess your progress If you have what is commonly known as a
"nasal voice", the nose is actually constricted - like when you have a cold
5. Paradoxically, to get away from the nasal sound, you need to sing through an
open nose - not just your mouth! Try singing or speaking with a flared nose to
see the difference Another thing that can help open the nasal portion of the
throat channel is to use your eyes! Try counting to five, LOUD, with your eyes
small and zombie-like Then count again with your eyes wide moving like
you're communicating to a baby or a puppy Notice the difference? To open
the throat channel where it forks into the mouth, articulate your words in the
front of your mouth
6. NOT AT THE JAW! This will invariably sound thin and lifeless You may not
realize you're speaking from the jaw so try this: Put your knuckle in your mouth
and try to speak Then hire voice over talent take your knuckle out but try to
speak like it's still in there Sometimes it helps to rock the jaw slightly
sideways to keep from locking it on a note or passage Try speaking or
singing while imagining that a ping pong ball is on the back of your tongue To
open the channel at the top of the throat and back of the mouth: Don't hold
your head forward! This frequently leads to a hollow, hooty voice
7. Try doing wall work: Stand against a wall (head and heel against the wall,
flexible spine, chin level and floating) and speak or sing Notice and/or hear a
difference? When using a mike, pull your mouth back from the mic like you're
playing tug of war Don't go too far, just a little stretch Your head should go
back and to the side a bit, and keep your chin flexibly level Important: Your
neck should never lock to your shoulders And one last point
8. sometimes the throat tightens to try to defend the vocal cords from too much
breath pressure That's why I emphasize the three cornerstones of Power,
Path & Performance vocal training - studying breath technique along with open
throat and performance communication Put them all together and you have
9. GREAT VOICE! For information on this amazing vocal training method,
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