Singing isn’t strength training, it’s neural connections. Woah. That’s an incredible quote right there. I’m gonna hang that on my wall lol. Well said man. Thank you
Pitch issue - vowel Chesty Mix- vocal fold closure Support - Exhale Been working on it for a while getting there😃✌️ Thank you Kegan-good information like always!! Greets from Germany
When you said “gradient “, I had a holy shit moment. In both a sound/aural sense and physiological one. Like I could totally visualize the connectedness between the head and chest and see the smooth merging of colors/tones simultaneously. Maybe kind of esoteric but very helpful to me!
Yes I've come to realise that my 20 years of singing untrained has stored up my neurons to make this hard to keep consistent. I have to keep trying though. I definitely can do this and quite well at times. My frustration is recalling the muscle memory as my neural paths must get the shits with me lol
It's so weird what singing lessons can do for you! I started singing when i was 32 years old (now turning 38) and got inspired by grunge and rock singers like Chris Cornell, Layne Staley, Eddie Vedder... and as a Guy with a deep voice i didn't think it would be possible for me to sing this high with power but it absolutely is! Thanks to Guys like you I can almost sing anything now!!!
Love the videos and your point of view on singing in general and a lot of good things to think about. Keep making these videos. They’re really good. One suggestion that maybe might be interesting because I see a lot of motorhead shirts. I’d love to hear your take on Lemmy‘s voice and his vocals and what he did to maintain that intensity right to the end because you could hear it that he had that power in his voice, but just love to hear what yououtlook on that
Thanks. Lemmy has more of a 'character' voice, like Brian Johnson, Louis Armstrong, Joe Cocker, Axl - where they're not really using technique in a traditional sense/healthy way to sing well that is repeatable by others, they've just found a sound that works for them. Obviously huge motorhead fan, however as a vocal study that would be more entertainment than anything educational, so not really what I'm going for here on the channel. K
Great!🤘🏻 But I think you could keep an eye on the groove that forms in the center of your tongue when making high notes. It could be due to some tension in the root of the tongue or the crown of the larynx.
Hey, Kegan thanks a lot for ur vids, a real gem in dozens of CB and BS there. I see you talk a lot about Cornell/Stayley style, but what about some 2000s pop punk stuff like Offspring sum41 MCR. Did they actually sing in mixed/ or just shouted in chest register?
I generally sing what I enjoy! Smash is a decent album, but beyond that just not my kinda thing. Mix isn't just a style thing, it's a fundamental of how the voice functions, so yes, they're using it on some level. K
I HATE the tone of my voice, I don’t really sound bright at all. I have a naturally low voice for a woman but also very hoarse when I speak, that’s just how my voice is. I also hear a bit of this when I sing. I HATE IT SO MUCH!!! When I’m singing covers I can manipulate my voice a bit better to the point I love it, but when I sing my own songs I absolutely hate it. I don’t have any references with my own songs and have to figure it out on my own. It sounds awful to me, to others not. Besides, I blow my voice out almost everytime cause can’t seem to use the right technique when singing my own stuff.
I feel it's even worse being a female singer when this happens.The mix being tiny and heady makes the sound too piercing cause there's some unpleasant overtones going on. Currently struggling with this.
You always say that singing training is not strength training but it kind of is. Strength training is also mostly building muscle memory and neural connections.
🌟With your last three videos the onion layers exposed are coming together (oxymoron). I ace Teenage Dirtbag now; it's in our set! I need to ace Sweet Child of Mine now. Maybe another level 😆
Mate of mine here in Brissy has a baritone voice and nails Sweet child of mine in some hybrid voice. It tears paint and blows windows out ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oO0YCMOp9qs.htmlsi=8NgngYSWqelgNvCK
🌟By the way - you have extended my singing career. Singing, to me, it is therapy, it's freedom, it's almost the power of flight. Difficult to explain but it means such a lot. I'm in a band with some great guys that are also excellent musicians, the vibe of the band is the best I've had. The ability to remove the stress from "will I have a good gig tonight?" to "how good are we gonna be tonight?" is a great feeling; in no small measure thanks to your teaching. God bless you man. And God knows how many years of rock singing I have left, I'm 68, but I am having the time of my life 👍🏽😃
Hi Kegan! Amazing vid as always. I just wanted to ask, do you think that by practicing this kind of Mesa Di Voce exercises would I be able to sing with more closure in higher notes, like Dio does here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xtf4R6KyALU.html ? I can't seem to do that transition between softer and fuller notes in the high range, it's like in order to maintain the "cry" I have to blow more air or compress/close a bit harder and if I back off the pedal on one of the two I either break or go into the "weak" head voice. It's like and ON/OFF switch basically. I can go to high notes with the cry but not with a softer tone that's not the again "weak" head voice, even if I try to narrow the space. Love your content man, you're the best. Keep rocking! Greetings from Argentina.
Remember, it's less a game of physical changes - and more about your tone and frequencies. Ergo, your vowel is likely not right in this range. Closure is one thing, but it really goes hand in hand with your vowel.
Hey man just found your channel! Very interesting! Does this work for female rock singers too? I think this is something we struggle mostly with trying to have this bigger (and not miky mouse) sound.
Yes it does! Same premise. I find the most challenging thing for female singers to develop is a cutting, pingy sound - because generally, if you're trying to sing rock you're going in the other direction/trying to sing male songs/like make singers. Go BRIGHT and for full closure = beast! K
Tips on how to sing high-grit like michael jackson. Like in Dirty Diana, Give it to Me, and The way you make me feel! PLEASE! I know vowels play a role, but does neck/;arynx compression backwards as well to sing high pressure for so long?
I think MJ actually has one of the best "rock" voices ever, even if the music doesn't really lean that way. Sure, if it comes up for a reference, I'll use one of these songs. K
Interesting. Would you say that since you master this full high voice you tend to sing more in head voice than chest voice now? Even though it doesn’t really matter at the end like you said. I feel like many singers (at least me) will try anything to bring chest higher and avoid head voice at all cost because it sounds like Mickey. But a part of the answer could be like you just said… let it resonate where it feels natural and work the sound from there ?
Yeah, that’s what I thought. I’m getting much better to blend the registers, but even though the passage is smooth it’s still sound like 2 separate voices. Big low voice suddenly shifting to Mickey Mouse land. Around C5 its not really a problem since its so high anyway that even though it sounds head voice I’m ok with this. Like Aces High or Jesus Christ Pose. But the F-G-A section sucks. Again, my Like a Stone example. I’d rather shout a E4 then to sing the chorus on a heady F4 🤦♂️. Well, when I’m practicing alone I dont care, I sing it in head voice. But playing with the band I just cant sing the F in heady voice. Mental block. All this to say that I’ll stick to practice in the natural tone (head voice for me on the F) and will work to make the tone be more full and round over time. But what should I do to tend toward there? Continue blending registers and overtime I’ll get « stronger ». Like pray and hope for the best 😂.
Getting tone like that only makes me think about one of your older videos on Chris Cornell or Chester Bennington grit tone. Head voice cleans, but adding grit. And I gotta say, I knew exactly what you were doing here in this video. Accurately using grit is easy for me to do at-will, now.
So, when you go over say A4, does it feel like M2? Where is your break where it stops being M1? I made great progress using your tips, I can now hit G4 as a baritone, where E4 was my break for a long time. But I wonder if I should allow my voice to roll into falseto for A4. I'm doing your connection sirens and my falseto is getting good.
Hey there - you would know from my content I don't use M1/M2 terms - because it's often a gradient. If I go by that definition, it really stops 'feeling' like M1 around an A3... but that's not what you're really asking. Let the vowel do the work for you. Initially, just let it go to head voice around the A4 for now rather than dragging, then work on how you support/tone/vowel from A4 up and you'll notice there's a bridge into your higher head voice. Probably G4 up for me, maybe A4 on a good day - sounds like you're the same. Best - K
Hey man so I got your vowel modification course a while back and it has really helped my voice. But I was wondering if you have any tips on how to feel the initial resonant space you need to form to manipulate your vowel structures? Often times I feel like I'm sort of halfway in it if that's even possible. It makes it very difficult for me to visualize the path of my vowels and I believe is leading to a huge inconsistency within my voice. I've inhaled from a 'K' sound and found the space that way as you've recommended. But when it comes to actually producing a pitch, visualizing that space gets very fuzzy for me. Any advice?
So, the palate isn't something you really need/should manipulate. For example, if I raise it with a yawn/k etc - but then I sing an "aussie" vowel the way I speak, the palate slams down because that's what needs to happen to facilitate my speaking voice. Ergo, I suspect your pronunciation of the vowel may be off. Shoot me an email and let me know an example/shoot me an example. K
Terrible habit in general, sorry to say. Yes, it will effect your voice in the long run, and yes will also halt your progression even in the short time. There's many reasons why, but I'm sure know most of them already. Best (and hope you kick the habit, for your health and your voice also) - K
How much would you charge for a one on one video session?(pls don't say much, I'm a college going student😢) these videos are helpful but i can't seem to correctly identify the perform in my voice
I hear you. Generally I don't do 'one off' type sessions, they're a waste of time - you have to commit to a specific timeframe and goal, which isn't an "hour rate" type thing. Best - K
@@FoundationVocalStudio trust me, I have the range and there's just one bug i cant identify that is hindering my progress :( give a one on one session please :)
100% of singers who think they support incorrectly are actually singing their vowels incorrectly - hence the inability to master airflow when the setup and sound are simply wrong. It's kindof unimportant in the scheme of things until you're at a point where you're really hitting the notes well and consistently - and from this point you can look at support as the 'glue' that holds it together. Hence why I don't generally do videos about it. But yes, noted and will consider. Best - K
@@FoundationVocalStudio okay I see that makes sense. But you should feel engagement down below through a phrase, correct? It shouldn't just feel like nothing?
Depends on what you mean by 'engagement'@@acbeats3994 - it's definitely not a muscular feeling. Think of support as 'relying on airflow' rather than 'lifting bricks'. When I get it right, it really doesn't feel like much other than an outwards/lateral feeling around the ribs, occassionally below the navel. Best - K
@@FoundationVocalStudio Ah okay. I've heard that it should feel like blowing up a balloon, where there's a sense of pressure using those muscles. Some even say it's like going to the bathroom lol! Everyone says something different. I will definitely try that approach and see what happens! Thank you
imagine blowing up a balloon without flexing your abs - completely lateral. Again, this only works if you're first singing the correct sound and tone@@acbeats3994
Do you think this sort of mesa di voce exercise can help with accessing higher range in head voice? Currently it feels like my head voice brick walls at around an f4 and im not really sure how to really go beyond that.
Yes and no - I would first look at the color of your vowels, then yes, closure. Exercises in and of themselves actually do NOTHING for your voice other than what you apply yourself in the act of actually singing, so, it really depends on how/what/why the you're making other sounds. Best - K
@@FoundationVocalStudio Thanks - yeah I have mainly been practicing on the oo and ee vowels but in that sort of French oui sound that you talk about. Sometimes I find that when I do that I can make a clear strong sound more towards a C5 but I'm not sure it feels right. Sometimes it feels as though i'm kind of pinching my chords off a bit.
So, that leads into a support issue. OE is a front vowel, meaning that it really comes with it's own backpressure care of the tongue - so, support OUT from the ribs and slightly breathe out (leaking tyre style!) K
@@FoundationVocalStudio Oh wow I just tried this out - really focusing on keeping my ribs expanded, soft palate raised, and using the OE vowel and it really felt a lot more unrestricted and resonant. Gonna keep working on this. Cheers Kegan
I've had no other complaints, sounds fine for what it is (going between speaking and singing, quite literally) - and it's a more realistic representation of what is actually going on. Best - K
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