Singing and the Body

[Sylph]

Okay, so first of all... I'm bored :p J/k .

So, I was wondering... how does singing work and specifically work for those who think they cannot sing.

I mean, everyone can sing, but I think I'm talking about the technical stuff, like Vibrato/Runs(Trills)/Passagio , because when I was doing this Music programme at our local college, we had a guy there who literally couldn't do these things and I was thinking "How can you not?", even though I had been trained for about 2 1/2 years.

Let me explain abit;

Vibrato - Is just a quick Vibration of the note that is sung/played, controlled by the Diaphram in singers.

Passagio - Is when you go into your "head voice", some call it your "nose voice" . Basically when you go higher than your normal speaking voice, especially notable in men.

Runs(Trills) - Similar to Vibrato, except your going up and down notes, usually quickly.

All these things are controlled by parts of the body, but since mostly everyone has the same parts, why is it that some people can do this and some not?

My Cousin has never been trained in her life, yet she's got all of these things down to a Tee and can almost literally blow the roof off a building, but other people cannot do this?

Is there something that prevents people from performing the technicalities of singing?

It really intrigues me.

My Mom can sing, I can sing(though I was trained) but alot of my cousins can't. Is there something in the body that prevents people?

Some people really can't Vibrato, while some can... even though we all have a diaphram.

What do you guys think? Can you guys do this and if not, how come?

I don't know what it's like, cause I can do it, but is it like a weird feeling you get?

I'm really interested, because it theoretically makes sense that everyone can, but they say they can't... . Music is such a fickle :p .

[ceez]

I think its kind of like being double jointed, some people just can't do it. my voice always cracks when I try to sing.

[Sylph]

I think its kind of like being double jointed, some people just can't do it. my voice always cracks when I try to sing.

I wonder why though... it seems weird to me. Physically, everyone should be able to do it. When you sing, are you singing from your gut/chest, or from your throat/nose, because most people sing from their chest, as it gives a more powerful, resonant sound. Singing from your throat/nose isn't as powerful and can make you crack, unless your doing Passagio which is slightly different.

My friends voice cracks when he talks and it's kinda deep :p. He's 19 and like 6'4 and I have to look up at him alittle, and it's kinda funny, cause his voice doesn't match his stature.

[ceez]

I found something interesting on what happens when you sing.

http://voicestudio.kristinaseleshanko.co...natomy.htm

[Sylph]

I found something interesting on what happens when you sing.

http://voicestudio.kristinaseleshanko.co...natomy.htm

That's really... in depth . It seems our bodies are literally musical instruments , hooray for Music! .

That's so interesting. So maybe that's why some people can do it and others can't, the control over their voice isn't strong or the required essentials are missing...

I never knew about all the medical aspects to singing, just what I've been taught :p, so this can actually help me better my voice lol.

[Puck]

I don't know all the technical aspects of it.

All I know is I rock the clubs on karaoke night :biggrin:

[East]

I used to feel a bit dizzy. I remember feeling a bit like I was gonna pass out when we had to sing for Satan at the capital.....I was in a Boys Choir and we won alot of awards and got to go alot of places signing. We were taught to sing from our chest and stomach and take really deep breaths and let it come from deep inside....I was in my Baritone phase the day we sang for Satan (Satan is Ronald Reagan and it was when he was governor of California).....singing Ava Maria for 17 minutes and holding alot of notes made me and my body feel very dizzy and sometimes like I was floating on a cloud.

In addition to the deep breaths our director also taught us to stand on our toes while we sang...I forgot why but that might have had something to do with the feeling as well.

[Sylph]

I don't know all the technical aspects of it.

All I know is I rock the clubs on karaoke night :biggrin:

Lol, I've been banned from family Karaoke, cause I "embellish" too much...

I actually couldn't help it, plus when you've been doing music for your whole life, it's hard not to embellish. Even my old string teacher told me I need to step back abit which is why I was made 2nd Chair Cello instead of 1st, cause I had a tendency to "go off script" :p . I've toned that down now.

Most people don't know the technical stuff, but do it anyway. So maybe you do know, but you just don't know it .

[Sylph]

I used to feel a bit dizzy. I remember feeling a bit like I was gonna pass out when we had to sing for Satan at the capital.....I was in a Boys Choir and we won alot of awards and got to go alot of places signing. We were taught to sing from our chest and stomach and take really deep breaths and let it come from deep inside....I was in my Baritone phase the day we sang for Satan (Satan is Ronald Reagan and it was when he was governor of California).....singing Ava Maria for 17 minutes and holding alot of notes made me and my body feel very dizzy and sometimes like I was floating on a cloud.

In addition to the deep breaths our director also taught us to stand on our toes while we sang...I forgot why but that might have had something to do with the feeling as well.

Oh gee, I can see why if you sang Ava Maria :p , though my cousin has no problem with it and actually sings it just to sing it sometimes. Between her and I , we're the only musicians in our family, so no one outside of us gets it .

I've never been Dizzy, but I once got a slight ache in my stomach from singing too much .

I've never been in a choir... A Band, An Orchestra, but never a choir .

And yes, singing from the gut/chest is pretty important. Never heard of the tipy-toes thing, but whatever works .

Oh, you sing Baritone? I can if I go deep, but my natural voice is a Tenor and my "head voice" or Passagio is almost counter-tenor, meaning very close to a womans voice. I frequently talk this way, and my mom lowers her voice and we trade places .