The problem

In holistic health circles it's starting to be recognised that lots of of us 'operate' according to an unconscious 'mental map' of how our body works.

And because, as singers, we know that our 'vocal instrument' sits mainly in our throats, there's a really common tendency for us to sing as if the 'engine' of the voice is in the the throat.

I often see and hear people singing in this way, they seem to be 'pushing' the voice out from their throats. Does that sound like your habit too?

And the trouble is that this can cause all sorts of problems, such as:

~ Getting a sore throat quite quickly;
~ The voice tiring too soon whilst singing;
~ A pressed or hard/ strident/ glottal sound to the voice, especially at the start of vowels;
~ Long term deterioration of the condition of your voice;
~ A lack of some of the richer qualities of singing such as ringing resonance.

It's a shame to see and hear this unconscious mis-use of our fabulous vocal instrument and the frustration people experience when they are doing this. So many vocalists run into problems with it and don't know how to change it.

A different perspective

So to help you understand the correct and optimum 'mental map' of your voice, I'd like to quickly sketch out for you how your voice really works... and then give you a lovely 'recipe' for vocalising more in tune with your instrument.

Your voice has 3 main parts:
1. The power comes from the breath, from your lungs;
2. The pitch/ the note/ the initial sound, is produced in the larynx or 'voice box' (in the throat);
3. The amplifier and resonator is in the spaces inside your throat/mouth/nose/face.

So hopefully you can see from this that your throat is really more like the 'channel' of your voice than the engine.

Because, although the throat does 'work' to make sound ( your vocal folds vibrate).... you ACTUALLY want to treat it AS IF the voice is 'flowing through' the throat instead of being pushed out from there.

( and it literally is flowing through because the breath flows through your vocal folds and onwards).

A recipe for change

So I've got a lovely and easy-to-grasp 'recipe' for you -
which is a way to sing that uses your instrument effectively, healthily, and usually creates a stronger, richer, livelier sound.

So what is this recipe?

I like to call it 'the Fountain Method' of singing...

Your breath-power starts right down below your navel. So, imagine that the source of your fountain is there, in the centre of your pelvis, in your abdominal muscles. (You can feel the spot if you make a strong 'shh' sound). 'Begin' your tone in this place.

Now picture the water (breath) spouting upwards through your torso and your throat;

Continuing up through the central channel of your throat/mouth/head;

Emerging a few inches above your head and spreading out from there!

Have a go at this and see how you find it! You really want to picture the WHOLE fountain image within you as you sing.

I have taught this to loads of my students and they find:

~ it makes singing easier and more enjoyable,
~ they usually get a much stronger 'ring' and projection to their voice!
~ they also find the throat-pushing problems start to go away.

I hope you've enjoyed discovering my Fountain Method and have fun using it!

Let me know what you think in the comments.