0 Voice Facts Which Are Really Singing Practice Tips (Part 4 of 5)

We’re getting a lot of great feedback from this 5 part series, we’re glad you’re getting a lot of good information out of it!

Here is part 4.

10 Facts About the Voice, Part 4:

1.  The oldest known recording of singing was an “ethereal” 10 second clip of a woman singing a French folk song. The recording of “Au Clair de la Lune”, recorded in 1860, is thought to be the oldest known recorded human voice. A phonograph of Thomas Edison singing a children’s song in 1877 was previously thought to be the oldest record.

2.  The amount of air pressure used and needed for rock singing is almost 3 times that of pop and country singing and 5 times that of jazz and most R&B.

3.  You lose up to 30% of your breath support while sitting compared to standing when you sing.

4.  Good technique is good technique whether it is applied to Rock, Country Opera, Pop, or R&B.

5.  Often, it is best to work up difficult songs without the use of consonant sounds. When consonant sounds are present they cause “jaw shifting” which generally closes off the air passage way in the back of the throat constricting the air supply.

6.  Many people think that the “high range” songs are the most difficult to master, but in fact the songs that have a lot of range are harder to master.

7.  Many times the terms falsetto, head voice, head register and so-on are quite misunderstood. They have become so watered down now that the terms are practically interchangeable.  Often when someone says “head voice” or “Falsetto” they mean the same thing.

8.  The over-use of caffeine and or alcohol can shrink the blood capillaries in your body and make it more difficult to access the oxygen needed to perform at maximum.

9.  Women generally have easier access to the upper registers, particularly head voice compared to men. In contrast, men have a much stronger command of their lower registers because of the size and shape of their vocal folds (cords).

10.  In the long run, it is best to think of the voice in terms of; as a whole (like your leg) – instead of breaking it up into chest voice, register break and falsetto (like your quad, knee and calf). The reason for this is over time you will get them to all function together as a whole, like the leg, instead of the confusion of compartmentalizing and individualizing them.