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The following article is reprinted from Singer Magazine
When Blowing It is a Good Thing
By Lisa Popeil
Controlling your outgoing airflow-blowing-can add new depth to your vocal sound
Perhaps you've been working on your voice for some time and are
now pursuing the noble goal of making your audience cry-or at least emotionally
moving them from their daily stupor into a more elevated, dreamy state. Great
singers have the ability to capture the attention of their listeners and take
them on a journey far from present reality. How do they do that? There are many
tricks of the vocal trade. One I'd like to offer to you is one of the simplest
and most effective of all: blowing. Increasing airflow through the vocal cords
can create immediate magic in your sound. Here's how it works.
Airflow: Divide and Conquer
If you think about how vocal sound is created, airflow against the vocal folds
is obviously the primary mechanism of their vibration. Actually, that airflow
needs to be under pressure for it to do any good, but without the actual air,
there is no sound.
Historically, voice training has treated airflow in and out in a fairly general
way ("breathe deep and low and when you sing keep the air moving").
Personally, I like to know specifically what to do with my air. Towards that
end, I've separated what some singers call "breathing" into three
parts:
Breathing (Air intake, what you do when you're not singing)
Support (Using torso and abdominal action to help put outgoing air under
pressure, which is what you do when you are singing)
Blowing (Moving air out through the cords and mouth) The reason for
separating these functions is that they can each be modified, resulting in exquisite
control of the vocal mechanism.
Learning to Exhale
Try not to confuse blowing with being breathy. Breathiness results when the
cords do not adequately close, so that there is a glottal chink at the back
end of the cords. It is this wasting of air and the fact that there is less
cord edge vibrating which creates the sound of breathiness. On the other hand,
the blowing of air through closed cords can create a creamy, luscious sound,
which is a real asset when you wish to sound romantic or sultry. It can also
help you achieve smooth, legato phrases; reduce the pressing of vocal cords;
and make high notes easier to produce.
Increasing airflow through the vocal cords can create immediate magic in your sound.
Try this: standing tall, place three fingers on your upper belly (above your navel and below your sternum). Place the palm of your other hand about 2" in front of your mouth. Now sing "yeah" on a descending five-note scale as you push gently out with your upper belly. See if you can feel the hot steam pouring out against your other hand. You should notice how surprisingly hot and bountiful the steam is. As you continue to experiment, try to keep the hot steam steady on your hand, rather than coming out in short bursts. This "hot-steam" test will give you the immediate feedback that you have more air coming through your cords.
Strategic Air Command
Now perhaps you've been trained in the classical tradition that emphasizes reduction
of airflow to conserve air and to create a pure, clean sound. No problem. Simply
add more blowing on those phrases or words that could benefit from the expressive
power of increased airflow. For instance, in the phrase "I have always
loved you," try blowing a tad more on the word "loved" and see
how the meaning pops out. Even in classical singing, tasteful use of this technique
can really help to "sell" the song and give the listener goose bumps.
For the non-classical singer, there are many uses for controlled blowing, particularly in pop, jazz and R&B styles. Note how many expressive singers in these styles use this approach on softer, lower notes and a louder, more tone-oriented approach on the higher notes. It is precisely this variety, which keeps your listeners glued to your every word.
Recipe for Better Sound
Another way to add the power of airflow control to your arsenal of vocal tools
is to think about your sound like an old-fashioned apothecary scale. On one
of the scales is a "toney" sound-hard and edgy. On the other scale
is your fluffier, "blowy" sound. As you sing, experiment with each
sound and see which works better on a particular song. If you're definitely
too toney, you're probably too loud as well. And worst of all, you may be inadvertently
pressing your cords.
If you know you're too loud and pressing your cords, here's the formula to fix it: first reduce volume, then add blowing. Hmmm, sounds like cooking, doesn't it? A pinch of this, a pinch of that, a balancing of flavors, and you too will have delicious sounds to serve up to your hungry listeners.
Lisa Popeil has an MFA in Voice and is the creator of the Voiceworks Method and The Total Singer video. She conducts voice research and lectures internationally on vocal technique. Check out her site at www.popeil.com or contact her at 800-BEL-VOCE.
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