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Playing With Resonance

Explorers Wanted

This blog is part 3 of a blog series about resonance. 

If you’ve not read the previous blogs click on the button below to go to blog 1 in the series. . 

Playing with resonance – with or without structure

I deliberately use the word playing as singing must be explored in a playful and non-judgmental way to get the best and fastest results.

Imaginative Playing

You may choose to work by doing impressions of other singers. I love Christina Bianco and I love her version of this song. Enjoy.

You can find incredible voice discoveries by making silly noises and seeing what you find. 

Animal sounds is fantastic place to start.

There is a big movement in voice training using what is referred to as “primal sounds”. This approach was first popularised, (as far as I know), by the inspirational and wonderfully potty-mouthed classical singing teacher Janice Chapman. I think there is a similarity with the Estill method in that asks people to cry/sob etc to find different voice qualities.

This is another way of playing with resonance.
(I’m qualified in the Estill method to the first level EFP/CFT).

I suggest that you do so with the support of an experienced and knowledgable teacher who can ensure you’re not doing anything harmful to your voice. 

However if you want to do this work without a guide then do make sure you follow my rules of safe singing.

Structured Playing

You may prefer to work in a more methodical way, perhaps exploring more or less nasality, a different larynx position, or even explore adding distortion or growl to your sound. 

There are so many cool things you can do with your voice!

You might play with richness v’s brightness, dark v’s light. 

You might explore dynamics, from loud to quiet and all that’s in between. 

You may explore voice qualities such as whiney, shouty.

The list is endless.

Exploring your voice and replicating the results will change your resonance.

You’re just strengthening your muscles, just like Arnie.

You are in charge of how far you take your voice.

I would suggest always being able to get back to neutral after your vocal playing as I discussed in this previous blog.

Arnie young and then massive

When you find something you like then see how well you can replicate that sound. 

Name It

When you like what you’ve found you give it a label, (perhaps a word, sound or gesture), to help you to easily find the sound again and again.

Vocal Explorers and Playing With Resonance

We had a fantastic time playing with what gave us power in the Vocal Explorers’ Class on Monday 26 April where we played with all sort of different ways to get more power.  I was so surprised that they almost all chose the imaginative approach that from my spoken voice training background. 

Explorers Wanted

If you’re up for playing with your resonance you should consider joining the Vocal Explorers Group.

 

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