The 5 Basic Elements of Singing

I've been studying voice for most of my life. And, while that is quite a while, unlike what the Wookiee (my younger son) says, I was not around at the same time as the dinosaurs. (I was around long before them!) That does, in truth, mean that I have been singing for almost 50 years; and working on improving my voice for most of that time.


My first choir experience began at the age of 3. It was a choir at church, but you had to audition to get into it. (Who makes a 3 year old audition!?!?) I got in. I got into just about every choir I ever auditioned for. I got most roles that I auditioned for. That doesn't mean that I was always any good, that just means that I managed to convince people that I was, or that I was better than the other aspirants. In fact, my older brother used to leave the house when I was practicing: in his words, I "sucked."


So, through the years, I've had quite a few voice teachers. Some good, some great, and a few who were REALLY HORRIBLE. But, they all contributed to bringing me here, and ultimately, they all made me a better teacher (if only as an example of what NOT to do).


This is about one of the great teachers, from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Kurt Weinsinger. I called him Herr Weinsinger (Herr being German for "mister"). And Herr Weinsinger was from Austria, a charming, short man, with salt & pepper hair, a full beard, and sparkling eyes. He often wore gold, half-rimmed reading glasses; I felt like I was getting vocal instruction from Santa Claus. Unlike the other teachers at the school at the time, Herr Weinsinger did not have his doctorate, only a Master's degree. But, his training was from a music conservatory in Italy, and he better trained than the rest. He was also a fabulous teacher. 


Studying vocal technique is tricky. Every other music student can see their instrument. We cannot take ours out and examine it. In order to sing properly, we have to learn how to control an automatic bodily process: breathing. So much of singing is bound up in how you think. It can really be a challenge. 


Herr Weinsinger had an outline that breaks down the process of singing into an understandable, objective set of fundamentals, that just about anybody can achieve. So, here, for posterity:

Five Basic Elements of Singing

1. Good Posture

A. Feet shoulder width apart
B. Bottom tucked under - back straight
C. Ribcage lifted
D. Chin tucked slightly under (no goose-neck!)

2. Relaxation of the Vocal Mechanism

A. Good posture
B. Throat and neck relaxed
C. Jaw loose (submissive look)
D. Back of throat (soft palate) lifted as in a yawn

3. Proper Breathing

A. Good posture
B. Take small breaths, down low, expanding the lower ribs in a barrel-like fashion. (This is breathing from the diaphragm)
C. Settle the breath before singing
D. Breaths should not be great gasps for air, but controlled intake as well as controlled outflow

4. Proper Focus

A. Tone well in the facial masque, or sinus cavities. This is also known as putting a spin in the voice.
B. On high notes, the focus becomes tighter, as is put right on the bridge of the nose

5. Good Mental Concept

A. "Hear" the note before it is sung. If you cannot "hear" what you want the note to sound like, it is very difficult for you to make it sound that way

Next time: I'll start with the first element, and try to explain each point in more detail