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agreed -- love his voice

@dancallawaystudio and Lou Gramm on Foreigner 4. The vocals are insane. I find I can sing this stuff, but I have to drop most down a half step. Wish I didn't need to.

thanks -- so glad you enjoyed it

You're very welcome

It's my pleasure -- I hope this was helpful -- thanks for letting me know

@dancallawaystudio In fact, your expertise in singing needs to be shared also to the Chinese music industry. This was because many thought that singer need to project great vocal techniques instead of their emotional causing them not able to project their voice perfectly. I totally agreed with your sharing 100%. Perhaps you can do a review for a Taiwanese singer named Aska Yang. Many criticising him for singing too emotionally and forgot his vocal techniques.

@@dancallawaystudioThis singer named Aska Yang from Taiwan. He has been criticising for being too emotional and forgot about his vocal techniques. If you can do a review then it will be great. th-cam.com/video/sxA8ypPVB78/w-d-xo.htmlsi=5ZRwuJIre0Y2KwNY

@@sharonhong6859 Appreciate this -- I'll look up Aska Yang. I also have a former student teaching in Wuhan who resonates a lot with these values of emotional sharing.

I often employ Terrance and Philip in the studio. This is a great question -- I can't give a thorough answer here, and actually there are aspects I don't fully understand. Vowel itself has frequency because 2 separate acoustic zones are interacting (separated by the tongue dorsum's relationship to the hard palate) -- but basically when the frequency of the vowel joins forces with the higher frequency, it arrives to our ear closer to the word as heard in speech range. You can read a lot about vocal acoustics in Ken Bozeman's work. Honestly, it takes my math brain a few moments to download his explanations, but he's done a lot of work on understanding vowel frequency and passaggio (with a steady larynx).

Those videos are terrific -- the grad students at BoCo often communicate in Emo haha -- there's an IG reel I saw recently of a lecturer who wakes sleeping students with a bullhorn and Green Day.

Here you go -- 1 - Using a balanced production, the voice (on those higher notes) would move more to a thinner cord function, right? (Mode 2, but with good cord closure.) Whereas in all these examples, you're maintaining the full cord thickness? Yes, the folds do thin, but I'm staying in M1 for belting; one of the definitions for belting to me is remaining in M1. When you get super high around E5-G5, I usually move over to a M2. (have to up around G for screamies) 2 - I was always taught to modify my vowels as I go through the passagio. (AH goes to AW goes to UH, etc). Are you doing similar modification to these full vowels? I'm assuming you are otherwise you'd spread. (Or are those vowel mods designed to help navigate from chest to head - mode 1 to mode 2?) For belting, the vowels stay essentially the same. I do move my jaw lower as I go higher in pitch, but the vowel is the same. /eh/ and /oh/ for open, /ae/, /e/, and /ih/ for closed. 3 - What about wear and tear? I can make these open sounds up to A quite easily, but it doesn't take too many attempts before it feels like I'm tiring out my voice. Tends to get gravelly in my mid range as if my cords have become swollen. Is this just a matter of doing it more often? Ask yourself how much breath support you need. Try dialing down the amount of breath you're providing and see what that does. What you're describing often comes from a large amount of sub-glottal pressure that the folds have to manage. Use support so gentle your brain's like 'This won't work!" It may not, but you can just try different amounts. 4 - How to strengthen and stretch so you can get an open vowel higher? I think let your jaw lower and allow your larynx to float higher -- they're like a seesaw. If you're hitting a ceilng around A, I would bet your holding the larynx lower than you need to. Hope these helped!

You're more than welcome -- you're who these videos are for.

Here here here!!!! (Wait? Is that the translation for toy toy toy)

Thanks for the question -- while I can't answer your question with complete accuracy since I haven't heard you sing, in my opinion, Whitney was working with a blend of technical skill (both learned and instinctive, I believe), biological facility and divine gifting that gave us the instrument we got to hear. You can break down what she's doing mechanically with how her breath and tract shaping coordinate, the music she was surrounded with growing up and even her family legacy of singing -- a lot of factors. And also, you can hear how her life closed in on her voice, showing us how our health and emotional energy has a deep effect on our vocalism. I always think it's great to be aware of our influences, embrace them, digest them, and then continue to use the tools we have at hand to help our voices be as balanced as we can manage on that day, letting the most amount of you through. Also -- finding my technique was a long and winding road, and it was super worth it -- any time we spend singing and learning with curiosity and compassion is time well invested.

@dancallawaystudio thank you so much for your answer! I think I have a better understanding of what is going on. Do you give online lessons? If you do, I would really like to book with you. I really want to know my own instrument better and improve it.

@@itiswithinyou Hey there -- yes, you can just check it out there -- dancallaway.com/work-with-me/

I'm so glad to know this helped you -- thanks for letting me know

thanks so much I hope it was helpful

we think! Ahhh you just said that literally as I’m typing 😂 I do metal too & fast raps & pushing downwards helps too.

@@LexaTerrestrialx First of all WHOAH -- I can't imagine navigating with ENS -- life in general much less singing. Well done you. I learned a lot from Nestor's book. Love that you've found effective technique that serves you well -- I often find when you have a limitation or a big hurdle, it makes you cherish technique in a deeper way. So terrific to know there are many ways and we can try lots of options -- thanks for sharing!

Hope they help! Let me know how it goes. 🎵

Hey there sure thing -- and in the meantime, this video about singing higher in chest voice may be helpful if you haven't already seen it. th-cam.com/video/hlMGwZuCJL8/w-d-xo.html

Love reading this -- So many times our ears perceive an event, but our body logic often works in counterproductive ways. This was definitely true for me as I tried to sing in rock styles in my 20s. My dad had a similar vocal journey that you describe. He was a rock drummer starting in the early 60s in his teen years, never had a voice lesson, and he worked out so many coordinations on his on, never had a voice lesson. Sounded better than ever in his 60s -- he helped me a lot with style, too. I still tear up when I hear the songs he shared with me.

​​@@dancallawaystudioThere's an early Kansas song called Journey From Mariabronn. For me, the difficulty level is so high, especially in the original key, but drop it a half step and you can just feel it becoming more approachable. I'm trying to significantly understand why. Teachers will say you just cannot sing in that key. It's out of your range. Something inside me cannot accept that answer. Very frustrating. Honestly, it may be the most difficult song I've ever worked on. Gotta get it one of these years...lol!

This makes me so happy to read, deeply grateful. I think you've distilled it to its essence, for sure. Learning what the body's physiology and energy seem to want to do and following and flowing with that. I'm so glad you're here, and I'm very grateful to know these videos have helped you. Love from the US

Thanks very much 🙏

thanks -- I hope they helped!

I'm so glad this has been helpful for you, and thanks for sharing some of your story. I love that you're singing and enjoying it -- sacred choral singing comprises some very precious memories and experiences for me. For your mode 1/chest, you might want to play with all kinds of different acoustic shapes to see if that affects the presence of rasp or noise -- vocal tract shape has a powerful retro effect on how your registration behaves. Again, very glad to hear this video helped you -- happy singing.

@@dancallawaystudio Thank you!!! I will try!

I'm very glad to hear this helped -- You can click the work with me link in the description and sign up for. 15 minute chat if you think that'll help. Keep singing, and break a leg with your audition

@@dancallawaystudio that is so great I really appreciate that I booked an appointment for tomorrow and I am really excited to see you 💞 much appreciated Mr Dan

I couldn't be happier to hear that this helped you -- you're very welcome.

@@theBluntDude 😂 I'm glad to hear these have been helpful -- hopefully good supplement to the great work you've been doing. Should I edit my bio to include vocal thought leader?:)

@@dancallawaystudio I love how you incorporate Buddhism into vocal training🤣

@@theBluntDude accidental Buddhism :)

@@AdrienneBrown-t8h JT was one of my first singer loves and vocal models. That pic was a gift from my best friend in junior high and high school who also loved his music. It was autographed, but he must have used disappearing sharpie haha -- I looked recently and was like heeeey where did the autograph go? I've sung a lot of his stuff in cabarets etc. Secret of Life being one.

@@dancallawaystudioJT has been a big part of my whole life and continues to be. I’m so enjoying learning and singing his songs. I’ve done a few solos now (choir concerts) Always his songs, gives me a whole new insight into his music.

@@CHEEFZ090 thanks Nick -- it is indeed possible to maintain a laryngeal position; if you can raise it and lower it, you can also keep it somewhat in the same place. From my POV, vocal technique sought to teach singers to have control over the larynx, to keep it from involuntarily raising and the constrictors squeezing, and then the low larynx became an aesthetic semi-religious tenet of Western classical singing. I think the ability to have many options is where it's at -- hmmmmm how does this sound if I lower my larynx a little? Raise it? Etc. but yes, you absolutely have direct control over your laryngeal location and level of freedom you allow it.

@@AdrienneBrown-t8h this makes me so happy to read -- that you're letting yourself sing. The great thing about a song too is that it can hold and flow all the thoughts -- the ones related to the song itself as well as the ones about how you sound or the bill you need to pay -- it all gets included.

@@AdrienneBrown-t8h songs are terrific thought movers for sure

Hey good question -- when I sing classical rep, I use the same acoustic tools. For many years, I sang with the goal of keeping my larynx medium-low, but after studying with the good people at Complete Vocal Institute, my assumptions got jiggled around. I always say your laryngeal position depends on your aesthetic aim and what feels most technically accessible/satisfying for you. Here are a couple examples of me singing Strauss lieder where I'm using these strategies (jaw lowering, vowel modification, and laryngeal freedom/float) -- near the end of the songs when the pitches are higher th-cam.com/video/8dKx6--TQyE/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/8dKx6--TQyE/w-d-xo.html

@@dancallawaystudio thank you!

You're very welcome, and so glad you're here and singing. Yes, the modification continues as you ascend in pitch. You'll also let your folds continue to thin as you sing higher frequencies. It'll take on some lighter sensations you may recognize from Mode 2/head voice. If you haven't seen the video about higher notes in mode 1, I think i cover some of these coordinations -- th-cam.com/video/hlMGwZuCJL8/w-d-xo.html

you got it -- hope this helped

For rock and styles that call for intense vocalism, I always say if the emotional expression in life would be 4 cups of stank face pain-pleasure wring-out, then you use about a tablespoon of that authentic coordination for your vocalism. It seems to provide the right amount of support while letting you the artist remain flexible and malleable as you let it rip through.

@@dancallawaystudio Thanks Dan.

You're very welcome -- so glad this was helpful for you

You're very welcome

​@@dancallawaystudioCould you do a review and share your expertise on a Taiwanese singer who are actively singing in China. His name is Aska Yang. He is great because he always understands his lyrics well and putting emotion into his song because he did feel the lyrics spoke about him. The song called Wild Rose. I will share the meaning in English. Coz some critics said he sang too emotionally until he cannot project his vocal well. What do you think? th-cam.com/video/sxA8ypPVB78/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MiWT-1aGnVXtVkOq

Whooooah -- I hadn't heard that until now. So terrific. And in 1965 -- the leaping into sounds that was at that time. Thanks for referencing this. And agreed -- that represents a ton of laryngeal freedom. very impressed, and listening to a lot more Bobby Hatfield now.

@@dancallawaystudioHe's mostly known for his gorgeous cover of Unchained Melody. I like seeing what a lot of singers sang that weren't their hits. You can uncover some amazing performances.

@@dancallawaystudio He's known mostly for his amazing cover of Unchained Melody. I enjoy finding vocal performances that weren't the artist's hits. You can uncover some real gems.

@@VIDEOHEREBOB Unchained melody is what I know best, of course -- yes absolutely. He's a terrific vocal model.

You are so very welcome -- So grateful to know these videos are helping you. Always let me know if there's anything specific you'd like me to talk about. Glad you're here, and thanks for the very kind comment.

It's a beautiful image, right? I was struck by it when I heard Kevin talk about it the first time. Love seeing it this way rather than the usual desire to obscure or cement over.

You're very welcome -- so glad to know this helped

You're very welcome -- glad this was helpful.

I'm so glad to hear this was helpful, and I know the force and frustration story all too well. Trying a little tenderness goes a long way in understanding how to collaborate with our physiology. Wishing you a lot of joy as you continue to sing. Thanks for the kind comment

thanks for this question -- if you're experiencing a harsher sound in the higher range, it might not be an edge/overdrive question -- may be other tract factors. You might want to experiment with where your soft palate is (higher will add warmth) and what your lips and cheeks are doing -- a more relaxed and narrow embouchure will also warm things up. Overdrive works for a lot of things, but there's a definite pitch ceiling. So f you're singing /ae/ as in cat, that vowel will promote an edge/twanged mode, but you can alter other factors that affect your vocal color. I hope this helps -- hard to be completely accurate without hearing what you're doing, but understanding there are a lot of levers for color change in your vocal tract is useful and fun to play with.

@@dancallawaystudio Thank you for your answer. Based on that, I've experimented with more yawn to raise the soft palette further. That takes care of part of the harshness. Also, keeping the jaw a bit looser at the hinges improves the sound, probably because of impact on the cheeks you mentioned. Now I also notice I use a lot of force for cord closure. A lot of ingrained habits to discover and work with in the coming weeks. Thanks for pointing me in this direction!

@@KingSaiz67 terrific that this led you to examine how you're bringing your folds together -- also look at how much support you're using or need. It's a very chicken or egg situation. But I often say -- if you just ask yourself "How much air do I actually need for this phrase?" and listen to your body's answer, that solves a lot of vocal issues. So glad to hear the tools are helpful -- keep exploring and reach out if you have more Qs

​@@dancallawaystudio Thanks again! Over the last days I made my support better match what is needed, instead of having it full on all the time. This also improves the sound. I will re-watch some of your video's where you talk about "asking the body what is needed". Please, keep up your great work!

@@KingSaiz67 So glad to know this is helping -- the "how much air do I need?" question always helps, and it's the first one I forget to ask myself as well as students. Wishing you well with your singing!

You're very welcome -- follow up is coming today.

yes -- it's very brain teasy for sure. I find the same with navigating /i/ and /a/. There's a new video coming today that breaks down how to navigate transitions on specific vowels, so keep an eye out. Very glad to hear the videos have been. helpful -- as much as I'm able I want to make things less confusing for singers. thanks for the kind comment

appreciate that -- hope these videos are helpful

Yeah a lot of mode 2 sounds can sound very mode 1 indeed -- also why the term mix can get so mixed up for folks. I have one student who I still have a hard time discerning when she's left mode 2 for this very reason. On the flip, though, mode 1 can share a lot of characteristics with M2 in its lighter densities, so this is why it's so helpful to get to know your voice in this continuum framework, opens up a whole range of possibilities. Since mix refers to where a singer may be experiencing sympathetic resonances, it does happen in both modes 1 and 2, though what you're observing is accurate -- a rich and boosted mode 2 can sound very bright and like a mode 1. There have been fights in pedagogy class over this :)

Sounds like you've got some good understanding of how your instrument works -- the very reason why I think it's so important to think about passaggio inside a range of possibilities depending on phonation, tract shape, even air delivery. Not having heard your voice, I can't comment with accuracy, but sounds like you're navigating your own timbral spectrum well with the understanding of where you feel your own changes -- as long as they work for you for expressive and efficient singing, then sounds like you're on track. And yes, definitely worked with singers with more anomalous vocal features, and I always find that very exciting, how we're all so unique. Hope this answered you Q -- glad you're here

Dan can correct me if I’m wrong but the intensity will be the same just lower notes. A baritone’s G4/A4 will be powerful like a tenor’s B4/C5 in comparison to the music being played

Thanks for this question -- I always like to think about transitional zones rather than specific pitches. Depending on where your larynx is, and what style your singing, transitions can happen within a neighborhood of pitches. For lower voices, you may feel transitions wanting to go ahead and begin just below middle C. The pedagogy book will tell you that a bass will turn over at about D or E-flat, and the baritone voice will turn over around E to F, but these changes are predicated on a stable/medium laryngeal position. Once the larynx gets to move, then the tract shape also changes and gives different feedback to the folds which can affect registration. All this to say for a lower voice, I would expect that you might feel an inkling to turn over from mode one to mode 2 as low as B-flat below middle C, and you have a range of about a 3rd where transitional possibility occurs. I'd give yourself permission to play around with this range and just see what the possibilities are for your registration on different pitches. This way you can see a range of possibilities in this area rather than a specific demarcation where you feel like your voice has to transition every time. I hope this helps.

@@christianrasmussen9519 yes, I think I agree about the ring and intensity that a baritone voice would experience around G4/A4 as compared to where a tenor would experience leverage a little higher -- I always have to do math with scientific pitch naming :-)

@@dancallawaystudio thank you! I was though I was responding to another. My transition is quite high starting at F#4 and again at A4. Though my voice isn’t bright like you’d think with such a high transition points. Appreciate the information though. I do however begin to transition modes lower as it makes it easier to ascend into the upper range B4-E5 in mix example. Do you have any insight on someone with such high transition points it seems unusual I met one other person and his voice is very light and bright. He also has a “different” shaped skull.

Re transition higher- I choose to begin mixing lower than necessary because it’s easier to ascend if head of m2 is already in place

You're very welcome -- glad this was helpful