What is Speech Level Singing? | Seth Riggs and SLS |  

I agree with what you're saying though, we need other things too.

SLS worked for me as well. We are in our own way. It's all about "support" once you get it. You just speak and your body supports your voice. This confuses so many beginners and it confused the heck out of me.

Same! Totally saved my voice when I had my band and was straining to be louder than the instruments.

Thank you! :)

Interesting. 🤔

@@meerkatnip892 we learned a lot about Dr Dan though 😅

Just you know that "2 hours of vocalizing" is not at the same time, probably they were recording at the evening at vocalized 2-3 times before that 2 hours all together. If you vocalize 2 hour in 1 take you will lose your voice before you enter the booth.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WGREQ670LrU.html

I'm glad you enjoyed the video Ian Webster. Thanks for watching.

Did you go to him personally, or did you follow something on youtube? Thanks!

A trick : watch series on Flixzone. Me and my gf have been using it for watching loads of movies during the lockdown.

@Stetson Rodrigo Yea, have been using flixzone for months myself =)

With all due respect, I appreciate your perspective, and I agree that singing is indeed a total body experience. The classical approach to voice training has long-standing merit and has shaped the foundation of vocal techniques for many singers across various genres. However, I'd like to highlight a nuance in our understanding of vocal training that may differ from your viewpoint. While a classical foundation can provide essential skills, it is not necessarily the one-size-fits-all solution for all singers. As a seasoned professional singer and experienced singing voice specialist, I can affirm that singers often need to develop task (genre) specific techniques. This means that the training and muscular development required for singing pop, rock, jazz, or other contemporary styles may vary significantly from the classical technique. Research in modern vocal science supports this idea, showing that various genres often call for different vocal setups, breath management, resonance strategies, and stylistic nuances. The risk of damage to the vocal folds does exist, as you've rightly pointed out, but it's not exclusive to non-classical techniques. It's the responsibility of vocal coaches, including myself, to guide singers in developing safe and effective techniques tailored to their specific genre and individual needs. Your passion for the integrity of vocal technique is admirable, and I believe our shared goal is to nurture voices in the healthiest way possible. I hope this offers some insight into the multifaceted nature of vocal training in today's diverse musical landscape.

Y T, the following video may prove helpful - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-147vNeTN5Ss.html

Lesther Miranda, the following video about Bel Canto may prove helpful - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-147vNeTN5Ss.html

bel canto and SLS is not the same thing. But lies on the same idea, bel canto is with a stronger diapraghm and and with a lot more resonance, but the basic idea is the same. Though you need different scales for each of that.

Dr Dan's Voice Essentials Thank you. I will check it out.

Yes, that booklet is NOT a good representation of what SLS became or what Seth Riggs really teaches. SLS did not really start formalizing its pedagogy until early 2000 and even then it took a long time to standardize it. And I agree, one cannot study SLS from books and expect to understand it without following up for deeper information. Speech level singing is a phrase that describes the basic position of the larynx which is the same thing Dr. Dan teaches- the voice box should not be constricted or too high or too low. SLS is just that--- It's actually pretty clear that Dan adopted concepts from SLS because I recognize it from his videos. True many more "traditional" more "academia-oriented" bel canto sounds (adding '"y" before the "ah" in the 5 tone scale) are incorporated but essentially what he does is very similar to what Seth does. Seth uses a 5 tone "ah" as a diagnostic tool for assessing a student's current state of balance between muscle and air and their understanding of vocal tract shaping and laryngeal stability. I know this because I have taken lessons from Seth and some of his inner circle coaches. Dr. Dan gets more technical about explaining the anatomy and mechanics (which Seth will do) but mostly SLS focuses on training singers with exercises to promote transitioning through passagios/bridges/transitions without allowing the nervous system to interfere during the building process. And...as with ANY pedagogy uses shaping of vowel sounds and enlists various consonants (m,n) to guide and strengthen. It's interesting though...yes Seth teaches about fach...however, he never mentioned in any master classes or private lessons that the "sweet spot" was a person's chest voice. He does not distinguish chest voice as being the part of the voice that is "easy to sing in" and hence the "sweet spot". I mean, I get that Dr. Dan is using the chest voice as a starting place to discover a singer's basic fach, but I don't prefer to send a message that it always will be the best part of a singer's voice-especially for new and inexperienced singers who may not have a context for interpreting what he means. Seth was first and foremost a classical singer and started his career teaching classical performers. He also worked with musical theater singers. He later branched into the pop/R&B industry. He always had professional classical artists on his roster though. True SLS coaches (I admit there are weak ones, good ones and great ones) do not distinguish between classical and contemporary while the voices are being developed as instruments. That's a whole other thing. Many teachers of the classical genre train "classical styling" into students' voices which can end up rendering them mediocre before even giving them a chance to know their true unaffected voices. The idea of SLS is to preserve the natural quality of every singers unique voice throughout the range which with SLS students is commonly multiple usable octaves affording them the ability to sing many different types of music. Incidentally, if you have ever heard Josh Groban refer to a "voice teacher" who introduced him to David Foster....well, yeah...it was Seth Riggs.

Well actually Angela Bradford I had the privilege of living with Seth Riggs for 8 years in his Hancock Park home, and later his Koreatown home, where he currently resides; and he would simply say if he could go back and re-brand his method, he would call it "Friendly Compression." You are correct in some aspects of what you are stating. But vowels are related to the vocal fold conduction, for they need oscillation to exist. Consonants are more so related to pressure and stresses. Simply google the definition of a Constonant - "basic speech sound in which the BREATH IS AT LEAST PARTLY OBSTRUCTED and which can be COMBINED with a vowel to form a syllable." There for consonants are stresses in air flow, or blockage of air release; which are formed by tongue, teeth, and lips only! Consonances can be created without oscillation. So how does (M,N) "guide" any growth in the muscles that form a singers ability to oscillate sound frequencies; when they are simply just obstructions to the breath release? More so (M,N) hold the air back longer than plosives like (B,P); and don't need a vowel for them to exist. As in "B" is pronounced "B-UH" and "P" is pronounced "P-UH" which keeps a singer from isolating specific vowels. Then there is "Y" the sometimes a vowel and sometimes a, Partial Breath Obstruction, consonant. Its the most vowel a consonant can be, with its quick elongating of the mouth on an obstructed "uh," having absolutely no value assisting compression of "uh" like that of "mum;" "uh" surrounded by two nicely balanced sounds effects of straight compression. While "Y" can even be seen as a dangerous tiny plosive "uh", for it creates a quick "Y-UH" sound in "Y-uh-ey" for "yay" and "y-uh-es" in "yes." Its better to train a singer with (M,N), not because it "guides" but because it "isolates" the vowel within in an obstructed breath release, it isolates a vowel after an evenly balanced compression sound effect; focusing the singer on the very musculature, that holds the various oscillations, that can grow a singer's control over vocal fold conduction at various frequencies. (M,N) are straight forward stresses, pressure building, not needing the "uh" vowel to exist. Other consonances like "s" act like (M,N), in that it doesn't need "uh" to exists, but lacks the compression needed to build resistance on the muscles that come together to hold a vowel on pitch; as mention with the problem of using "Y" as a builder. All muscles need some form of resistance to grow and strengthen; ask this of any athlete or body builder. Once muscles are coordinated enough to hold pure vowels, all consonances can be thrown in front of them; simply by changing the mouth in the same manner as one would when speaking, this then creates singing as we know it... I am truly impressed by your response, but its important to note that any and all consonances are created solely in the mouth, where as vowels are in the manipulation of the folds; and until a singer has the ability to fully isolate the two, separate from each other, that singer isn't fully developed and runs a risk of loss of voice in a professional setting. It truly is important to not over complicate nature, just to show off how one is different in approach nor how learnt one can be. "The Rise and Fall of Bel Canto," a book Seth made me read, which is out of print, published 1821; wish I could find a copy for myself, for it explains how conventional teachers ruin the fundamentals of the voice, simple to show off how they differ. There is the straight forward path, and then there is the scenic route to all destinations. The more paths learned, the longer it takes someone to do something, and the more complications they add; all increase higher risk of failure... Seth Riggs is a graduate from John Hopkins; and his more simpler approached of just isolating vowels only, within "Friendly Compression," has given me the ability to save singers from surgery. Surgeries which their doctors thought could not be avoided, through vocal edge therapy alone. I only share, for I believe everyone has the right to this knowledge. No one should be held back by ego nor money constraints.

Mark Hayes thank you so much for cleaning up my act 😄 Lol Seth pulled a book off his shelf when I was there and told me to read it but I never did. I will definitely do so now. Yes I recall that he attended Peabody at Hopkins- (I’m a native Marylander as well but met Seth at a Master’s class in Silicon Valley when SLS was taking off as a bigger brand and he recruited me after the class. I was in an completely different industry at the time. I dabbled and became a kind of very serious hobby singer with an ability to get students off and running without making them sound weird;) I’m in the healthcare industry now and back in Maryland near Seth’s hometown (Seth trivia) but still help the occasional singer when an opportunity presents itself. I am currently helping my 13 year old autistic son (budding baritone who is already over 6ft tall) navigate his huge voice. That’s how I came across this post because I have been out of the loop and decided to brush up on what’s going on in the singing world. Thank you for taking the time to write that response to me. That was very kind of you. And- who doesn’t love free information? Haha. When I chose the word “guide” I was very lazily attempting to describe the experiential piece of the instructor- student interaction. Like the use of the edgy “m” to assist a student in getting through passagios without blowing a gasket lol. I was trying to talk about nervous system stuff. You of course make an expert observation that I was very clumsy and not nearly detailed enough in my explanation. In this type of setting no assumptions can be made as far as context goes and details and distinctions are an essential part of the formula. In a world where words, language, letters and sounds are the tools of the trade, one must be mindful of what she says. Cheers!

@@MjHayzy Hi who is the author of The Rise and Fall of Bel Canto? I cant seem to find information about that book.

Ally, I think most singers are on a never-ending journey of self-discovery. We never actually arrive. I encourage you to not get too bogged down in voice classification. Perhaps this video about voice classification will prove helpful - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mkKsB3fpMH4.html

Glad it was helpful!

He's the reason why MJ lost his range as he aged.

Really?!??

For balance: MJ was a great singer before Riggs trained him. Nobody knows that Riggs caused him to lose range and it is pretty unlikely.

@@RachelGerrard That makes sense of everything. MJ did sound different.

@@marka2773 He taught Sohyang and her vocal range is insane.

Artistically speaking, singing is using your voice in a musical manner to communicate ideas and emotions to an audience. Technically, however, singing is nothing more than sustained speech over a greater pitch and dynamic range. The key to singing well is the ability to always maintain a speech level production of tone, one that stays connected from one part of your range to another. You don’t sing like you speak, but you need to keep the same comfortable, easily produced vocal posture you have when you speak so that you don’t reach up for high notes or press down for low ones. There’s no great mystery involved. But although it’s easy to understand, it takes time and patience to coordinate everything so that you can do it well. A teacher needs to know how to get each of his students to sing through his or her range in a connected, easy manner, without any “breaks” or sudden changes of tone quality. This process does not include anatomy or direct manipulation. Correct method and the ear do most, if not all, of the work. You don't need to think about twenty different things every time you open your mouth. It doesn't matter if you sing pop, rock, opera or musical theatre. You should sing with a technique that allows you to just relax and concentrate on performing - which is what it's all about anyway, right? What is interesting is that the best opera singers (of yesterday and today) sing in a clear, speech-level manner that lets you understand their words all the way through their ranges. This is the same ideal that people listen for in any type of good singing. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WGREQ670LrU.html

Every singing teacher has something to offer...some more than others. Open communication with your teacher will ensure your lessons provide you with the best possible outcomes. I think the following videos will be helpful - ru-vid.com/group/PLZFx6cLexy5FPjc2hy4NysR0LW7AmYeMH

I appreciate that!

Who was your coach in Phoenix? Thanks!

@@EMILYCOLEOFFICIAL Yup - It was Stephanie Swann... She was INCREDIBLE... If you heard the before and after of my voice you would be amazed.... I am... When I first started taking lessons from her I had done singing success from brett manning... which improved my range but she balanced my resonance, got me through my next passagio and taught me to cover properly through the bridge.

+Dr Dan's Voice Essentials i cant find a superHeadvoice method ... how can i mastering SuperHeadvoice.... at beginning i cant do it.. but im training everyday... at the day 3 on the morning.... i hit the high light note... but its only going for 3 minutes... at the day 4... it can last for 20mnit... at the day 5.. i can do it almost for 4 hours... at the day 6.. i cant do it at the afternoon.. that register was fully dissapeared.... why doctor? pleaseeee answer.. its really help me... do you have any personal contact? like whats app org wechat? so i can send my sample to you.. ita really important for me as a singer.. i can mastering all register.. except whistle and superHeadvoice... theres a mission for me that i not yet fulfill

Fascinating. Thanks for sharing

Bullshit, you are so down the musical conspiracy theory's I don't even know where to begin. I know this whole thing about specific Hz but those are just BS. For of all there were SEVERAL tunings of history. It was not only about the place of A4 but also between the intervals. Well tempered, Young temperament and Equal temperament, which are all documented properly. Second this 432 is a more relaxed for throat is just bullshit as it is. The human voice box doesn't care what the tuning is, since the dawn of humanity there were no tunings or ancient tunings when hitting two sticks together, there weren't even proper instuments like today. The human voice depending on your level of study and vocal fach only cares about whether biologically you could resonate that note or not BASED ON THE LENGHT OF THE VOCAL CHORDS AND TRACK. Have nothing to with wether the A4 is 440 or 432. Of course A4 is more relaxed with 432 than 440 because there are a 8Hz difference, because IT IS LOWER, has nothing to do with magic tunings. It is more relaxed because it is lower, BUT SO IS EVERY NOTE not just the A. It also becomes bullshit since most of the 20th century was with the 440 tuning. There were a lot of singers who did JUST FINE with this new tuning, because 8hz of a difference isn't that much of a difference from a singing technical standpoint so doesn't matter anyway. If you need 8Hz more to hit a note you are far away from that note anway since you have to be able to scale above it which a lot more than 8Hz. BTW the "Verdi tuning" is not just about 432, since at the time of Verdi in the 19th century there was the Young's temperament which is constinsts of many more things than just lowering the hz of the A4 and the whole scales. You can read more about this here: www.math.uwaterloo.ca/~mrubinst/tuning/tuning.html

Great Quote!!!!

He's definitely a high tenor. From the little grit on his voice, with his higher articulation points, though, I bet his range is something like B2-D5 in chest voice, and can probably get up to around C6 in falsetto. He actually has a quite dynamic speaking voice (very broad) but sits a little high on the averages.

@@johndeeregreen4592 yeah, there's a few baritone coaches That can sing Hi Pitches But the tambor is always not the same Compared to someone who already has a high voice like Steve Perry Oh well You can't have it all

You're welcome Miguel Angel Martinez. Thanks for watching.

+Dr Dan's Voice Essentials I have had classical training for some time and it was good but they taught to sing with an open throat and louder which was different from speech singing.

+Dr Dan's Voice Essentials what I have noticed with Brett Manning is that while he is an SLS based teacher, he has borrowed from other schools of thought in the creation of The Singing Success series. for example, his exercises practice with the lyrics in three positions, High mid and low. within the Estill Method, referred to as Twang, sob, and speech level. also some of his chord closure and edge training weren't in the original. He also did very well with stylistic applications. while I am not a purist and totally agree with you in learning from different schools of thought, I would say that Brett Manning brought a lot to the table and helped to evolve some of the limitations associated with classic sls.

Thanks for watching Marcos Flores!

no problem man!

lol

Of course, He created it