Wow this is so crazy! I never knew the connection between the solar plexus and throat muscles were so connected! Im not a singer, but i always experience anxiety in my solar plexus region, and when that happens i almost always tense up in my throat. As long as i can make my solar plexus less tense i dont have to worry about that throat tension. Thanks for making that clear to me!
FINALLY!!!! It's almost like I stumbled onto a genie in a bottle that would grant me the one wish for my singing woes I've had for a while now. Every since I started learning techniques about 7-8 years ago I've started to have more throat fatigue while singing. Even after just a small amount of singing. This is funny to me due to the fact that I remember singing allllll night and day as a younger kid without any problems. After watching this video I realize now that when I was a kid and hadn't been confused by any readings about the diaphragm and the difference ways to use it while singing. I was just naturally relaxed. I think I was kinda floating through just half listening to your vid thinking "another vocal tip" here we go. When I noticed that as I was saying ahhhh with you that my voice was wavering when I pressed on and off of my solar plexus. And that made it real. Finally some sign that I'm doing it more correct and not just imagining that I might be.
I had to pay for lessons to learn this simple technique for my breathing. No matter how much I practiced it it never stuck until my coach taught me this exact way... You are AWESOME. Thank you.
Samantha Tirivacho Thanks for watching. I'm glad it's helping out a fantastic singer such as yourself. :) If there's any specific topic you would like to see, just let me know.
+Marnell Sample After trying for ages to become a better singer I found Bens Singer Blog and this appears to be the simplest home study system (check it out on google)
This is the type of detailed explanation I’ve been looking for. *It’s so important to know how things should feel, when done properly.* Thank you so much! God bless you
This is so great. My first voice teacher had me and all her students flex all our stomach muscles when we sang and it just didn't feel right. Then I switched voice teachers and my new voice teacher taught me how to breathe like this. Made a world of a difference!
Thank your for this tipp! It was really nice that you showed both just hardening the solar plexus and then sing and too much forceful expansion and then sing
Interesting, few months ago, I physically moved my larynx and hyoid bone and I guess I injured it? Not really but this has been the issue since then and I am so glad I found you.
This was so very helpful! My problem is that subconsciously, I always squeeze my ab muscles, when trying to engage the diaphragm, but it always made things worse. Now I know why! It was affecting my solar plexus.
Excellent. If your voice was already strong but just tense, then this solar plexus idea was probably right on time for you. Do note, however, if you get carried away with this idea, the voice can end up getting a bit weak over time. At that point, you may need some ab tension to bring strength back into the voice. And thus, the never-ending cycle of vocal technique. :-)
90% of teachers go the wrong way with this diaphragm obsession without explaing what Marnell is saying, because it makes you think you have to tense up the stomach, exactly the opposite of what you have to do. still I can't help but tense up involuntarily, since I have learned to do things this way and been doing it for so long
Hey man just one word AWESOME!! this was what i was looking for.Though i have no singing plans,but i need to speak in front of my class thats when i develop tension in my throat.Also i suffer from cough a lot that that worsens my throat condition.That bad that even uttering words becomes difficult. Thanks again!!
My Passion These tips most definitely work for the speaking voice! I have another video I'm working on that will deal specifically with issues of the speaking voice, so be on the lookout for it.I wish you lots of luck in finding a proper remedy for your cough.
Hi you've totally helped me see why I have not progessed as a singer, thank you. You know what the crazy thing is? Before this year I had no idea about proper singing. I never understood why I was having so much tension after singing in higher ranges (my favorite). As I've gotten older its became a problem, as far as singing the high ranges. I sing in church alot, I lead songs and I truly seek to nail this technique. So I reached out to my High school chorus teacher, and he had me practice the technique of getting pregnant before singing; Until know I see why I've had no luck. My aunt has also stressed her perspective of how to control, and use the diaphragm muscle; she explains how she breaths in properly as you demonstrate. But she speaks on like holding the muscle you go number 2 with; you know the Boo Boo muscle Is she wrong??
Keyante Rashad Hi, Keyante! I'm happy the videos are turning on some light bulbs for you. When it comes to the bowel movement sensation, it's actually more like "holding it" as if you had use the restroom but there was none nearby. What this does is activates your pelvic floor muscles which are a part of your core. Normally, during a bowel movement, you relax the pelvic floor muscles, which is the opposite of what we need for singing! The feeling in the abdomen can be similar, though, because there is a sense of pressure that you get in your abdominal cavity; you get something to "push against". Hope this clarifies things.
Marnell Sample Ive heard Eric Arceneaux teach breathing into the pelvic floor, but that totally contradicts contracting the lower abs for more chest/abs expansion. Which is it ? So confused. I find I get no chest expansion when aiming breath that low, especially if im not taking stupidly large breaths.
Marc w Yes, I'm aware he teaches breathing into the pelvic floor, and believe it or not, what I'm teaching in my other breathing videos ( th-cam.com/video/ePYGNehrC1Q/w-d-xo.html ) is actually engaging the pelvic floor, even though I didn't mention it specifically. You see, the transversus muscle and the internal obliques tend to fire together with your pelvic floor muscles to stabilize your core. So in my other video when I tell you to brace the LOWER ABS like you're preparing for a punch, it activates all of that simultaneously. When the pelvic floor contracts, it raises the floor of the abdominal cavity, thus causing the expansion to have to take place elsewhere in the body (typically in the upper abs, sides, and lower back). If you RELAX the pelvic floor and lower abs when you breathe in, then that's where most of the expansion will take place (in that lower region). I find this way of breathing is good for relaxing when you're just lying on your back, but not very useful for anything in which your core needs to be engaged, such as singing. Please note that the pelvic floor muscles respond differently depending on what you're doing with your breathing. During normal RELAXED breathing (meaning you're not doing anything physical, you're just sitting there doing nothing), the pelvic floor RELAXES/EXPANDS during both inhalation and passive exhalation. During forced exhalation (such as blowing out candles on a cake), the pelvic floor contracts along with the rest of the ab muscles, including the deeper abdominal muscles that you can't see. On the other hand, if you're doing something PHYSICAL (such as moving a heavy object, running, or singing intensely), when you inhale, the pelvic floor contracts along with the abdominal muscles and other core stabilizers (including the diaphragm) to stabilize the spine and help give you air pressure in your abdominal cavity to work against. If you allow the pelvic floor to relax as in normal breathing, the spine becomes unstable, and thus the muscles in the upper torso like your shoulders, neck, chest, jaw, and tongue take over to try to stabilize the body. But that's the very tension pattern most of us singers are trying to avoid! There are lots of studies that have been done that show the importance of utilizing the pelvic floor musculature to stabilize your spine and help build up air pressure in the abdominal cavity. If you want to know more, just look for some in google scholar. Use the key words "pelvic floor intra-abdominal pressure". One more thing. Breathing into the pelvic floor...I would call it breathing into your groin muscles. You see, there is another set of muscles called the iliopsoas. There is one of each side of your spine. It connects from the back part of the diaphragm to the lumbar spine and then continues to go all the way through your groin into your femur. I know some people will think differently, but as far as I'm concerned, this muscle is a core stabilizer just like the abs and pelvic floor. During very intense singing, you can feel these muscles working strongly (along with your adductors), and it's what creates the "full bodied" sensation of singing -- the feeling of singing with your entire body, since it's literally connecting your upper and lower body. If you stabilize/engage these muscles before you inhale as I demonstrate in the video linked above, when you go to inhale, you will feel naturally that all those core muscles want to let go and relax. If you hold onto the contraction, though, you can feel the breath/air pressure pulling and pressing against those muscles, causing them to lengthen but also contract a bit more, and that's what creates the sense of breathing into the groin. A good way to get used to this contraction and stabilization of the core is to do something like a plank, or for more of a challenge, ab wheel rollouts. In the plank especially, you learn how to keep some of a contraction in the muscles while also still having to breathe at the same time!!! Meaning, you can't hold the abs (and other musculature) so tight that it inhibits breathing, but also not so loose that you end up losing the position of your spine. You can even try singing from a plank position. (A gymnastics style hollow body plank would be even better for this purpose.) Hanging leg raises will also give you a feel for how the iliopsoas kicks in, in addition to the boat pose in yoga which you can see here: th-cam.com/video/ooy4aOEmJgU/w-d-xo.html
I used to put 15 lb weights on my solar plexus, while lying on my back. As my stomach lowered the weights I would speak and speak until I couldn't anymore, then I would raise them again using my solar plexus and redo. I swear this helped my speaking/singing voice immediately after.
i can relate so much to this i always used to wonder why breath support makes me feel tense in my throat and when i finally found someone talking about you i'm very happy that it's not just something wrong with me , but i still don't get how i can avoid this like i know how it feels i can feel it but how can i support my voice and not have my throat felling sore and tense afterwards ?
+Kayhla rocks The feeling of support comes from the lower abs below the belly button, not really from the solar plexus area. It does take a little time to learn to get those two areas to work together. You can take one hand and place it on the solar plexus (above the belly button). Take the other hand and place it on the lower abs (below the belly button). Now, try to make these two areas move in opposite directions. You can make the solar plexus go outwards and the lower abs pull inwards (like trying to put on a pair of jeans that's too tight.) Then, try making the solar plexus cave in while the lower abs get pushed out. For most people, if the solar plexus moves out, the lower abs also move out too. But this is not helpful for singing. You have to learn how to make the two sections move in opposite directions. See these two videos here for a demonstration of what I'm talking about: th-cam.com/play/PLE6sSBqFLoybqt1s8mmEnVnz_WMIDszEe.html Just to be clear, though, breathing is not the only reason you might get strain. Breathing only accounts for 20% of vocal technique. If you find you're still straining after this, you will probably need to be a one-on-one lesson so we can figure out what you're doing wrong.
How do you support without engaging this area? I can’t seem to figure out how to engage the muscles in my sides and back independently, the solar plexus area always gets tight. Years of bad habit I’m sure, but is there anything I should do differently?
Thank you even more!))) For these amazing, high level, full and uncut vocal lessons!)))) You are doing a lot of good and helping people all over the world with your knowledge.)) I wish the best to you:)
I can't even do the muscle tension and voices you're doing to demonstrate. So does this mean I can naturally sing and / or naturally relaxed? I was in a choir as a kid, sung for years since but I never did all the exercises short of what we did in choir. I'm 30 now, surely I must've forgotten all of it?
This helped a lot. But when you say your stomach/solar plexus should have some give... is the stomach still supposed to be "going in" on the exhale? I watched your breathing from the diaphragm video, and it sounds like you're saying your sides and back should more or less stay expanded, but what about the stomach? (sorry if you literally answered that and I missed it lol) Any help would be appreciated.
Fear and anxiety will completely shut down the voice. They make everything stop working properly. The antidote is to learn to be angry and commanding, almost like a drill sergeant. That grounds the voice and body.
Hi Marnell, thanks for this very informative video. I wanted to ask - I think that I may be having the second condition that you talked about in the video - the "holding in the breath" one due to poor/incorrect training.. do you have any tips on how to release that? Thanks in advance!
You're welcome. You might want to check out this other video I made. If that doesn't help you along, then it might be best to sign up for a one-on-one lesson with me so we can address the issue head on. th-cam.com/video/7Akt4udRocA/w-d-xo.html
Thank you Marnell. You sound like a really nice person. It is lovely.As for my self, I have tention in the plexus. It feels like a vertical bar. Any tips and tricks to dissipate it?Massages?Sing low tones to vibrate it?I just don't know.Thank you.
Thank you! If your solar plexus is tight ALL the time, even when you're not singing, then it might be best to visit some type of manual therapist who knows how to deal with soft tissue and fascia. They could help you unwind all of that. If the solar plexus only gets rigid when you sing, then it's a technique issue. Scales on a very deep OO sound will help. You might also have to reduce your volume a little sometimes when you sing. Singing lessons would be the best way to address this tension as there could be many causes for it.
next video, i am a tenor, how about singing through G4? I found that my solar plexus is so tight which cause strain, but if I don't tight it up, it flips to falsetto. Btw, I think my larynx is in neutral position, not a high larynx position, and my vowel is modified, just can't get rid of that squeeze. Thank you very much :)
If I pull in my lower abdomen, is it still okay to expand my epigastrium as much as possible? I realize that it only goes out so far before it starts to cause the back to expand. I find that I can create different "feelings" based on how I breathe. I can try to breathe into the front, which will still go to the back, and then it seems I can breathe "into my back" (purposefully) which seems to cause an intense feeling in my back. I saw somewhere where you said something to the effect of the muscle work is done in the lower abdomen area, and the lower back too. When you sing, where do you feel more of the expansion happening? Is there a specific place where you focus on breathing into to get the expansion you are looking for? Thanks so much for your answers in advance!
Yes, it is OK to expand the epigastrium more. When I sing, I feel the expansion in the front (epigastrium), sides (obliques), and back (near the lowest ribs in the back). It's in all 3 places simultaneously. Just most people can FEEL this most easily when they focus on the front or maybe the sides in the beginning stages. But it's really a 360 degree expansion. The most important thing is to pay attention to how the different ways of breathing affect your throat as you make sound. That's the final determiner of what's right and what's not. The one that feels the most comfortable in the throat is the "right" one.
+marnell sample Even normally I feel this tightness in throat and my voice comes from my throat not my chest I lost my voice a few days ago and during that time I had to force myself to speak from my chest and thats when I realized I had a more deeper and fuller, more powerful voice. after I got my voice back I was able to retain this until about 3 days, when I was talking in my new deeper, relaxed voice when suddenly my voice habits went back to normal. I tried massaging my throat, breathing from diaphragm, drinking water but nothing works. I feel this constant tightness in throat and I cannot get my voice low. How can I train my throat to always be relaxed so I don't strain from my voice when I speak? Please help
Hey Marnell. I came to find this because I suffer tension in my upper abdominals on a daily basis and even worse when singing. I can't take a deep breath which it turns also doesn't allow me to support my voice properly. Also I suffer some horrible neck and throat tension especially the back of my tongue. This means on a daily basis I am constantly tense in my abs and throat. I did learn in the past that I need to breathe with my abdominals but it has actually made it worse and I always have this idea that I need to breathe deeply so I can relax but I feel its actually making me worse. I feel when I want to breathe deep into my abs my abs actually tightens up especially my solar plexus!!!. I wonder how can I work on relaxing my stomach so I can actually breathe deeply? What exercise can I do? I really feel tension in my solar plexus area and I do speak strained on a daily basis 😔 regards claudia
Please take a look at the two videos in this playlist, and tell me which one you look more similar to when trying to "breathe with your abdominals". th-cam.com/play/PLE6sSBqFLoybqt1s8mmEnVnz_WMIDszEe.html
Hello Sir! This video proved helpful in understanding the connection between abdomen and throat. But when I start to sing my abdomen tightens in anticipation that eventually hampers my singing. Are there any exercises that can help eliminate such tension?
marnell sample .. I have a questions. Does it matter if you have a big belly to still try this tension while singing ? Because I put my finger in between my belly and I can't really feel the air way like you explain with the balloon
+Naomi Martinez If you have extra fat around the abdominal region, this can be somewhat harder to feel. You might have to exaggerate the movements a bit more to feel them. So REALLY try to make your abs super tense, as tense as you can, until you feel your throat begin to tighten. Then back off of that and see how the throat loosens. Then do it again, going back and forth between the two extremes until you begin to see that what happens in your abs has an effect on your throat.
Hey, your videos are really helpful!!! Thanks. Every time when I sing from my diaphragm, I don't know why but my neck muscles still keep moving (like straining, although it's moving lesser than using chest breathing) and also my veins keep appearing on my neck which cause too much saliva production and the voice become distorted (like over-vibrato) too much. Any tips?
Thanks Marnell. I certainly find that with some breathing exercises where you breathe in, hold, release, the holding your breathe phase can introduce unwanted next tension/pressure on the vocal cords. In time, could an incorrect technique tire your voice quicker and leave you with mild aches in the larynx area? I'll be sure to check out all the diaphragm videos you've done.
Yes, if your voice is tiring quicker AND you're getting aches in your larynx, it's a sign that you're doing something wrong. What kind of breathing exercises are you talking about, though? Are they pranayama exercises or something else?
Hi Marnell, The exercise I'm thinking of is where you deep breathe in for the count of 4, hold for 4, then breathe out for 4. Each cycle you increase the count. Quite possibly I am using my larynx to hold the pressure back, instead of using the diaphragm. Also, on breathing out, I might be keeping tension in my abs instead of pushing down/out transferring work to my diaphragm, which I believe can lead to unwanted tension in the throat. I also suffer from acid reflux which has caused mild swelling and irritation to throat. That has got better with medication since my original post. Many thanks. Have a good Christmas.
Hi there! What if my voice does not sound as powerful as before and cant reach very high? And I am using the technique you mentioned in the correct chest voice video...Am i doing that wrong?
PURA PARA Hmmm, that sounds odd. Send me a video clip of you singing via a private message. You can leave the video as unlisted and I would be the only one who would see it.
Marnel, it is so good information, thank you very mutch sir. I just have one question, i can control this, ok...but now my down belly like my pelvis, sometimes get inside and tension like a rock...its like, "ok my solar plexus is relaxed and full of air, but now, my voice power need to come from somewhere", what i do about that? Thank you again.
+Marnell Sample Thank you Marnell! Yes, but my care is... about the relaxation of this area. I can just maintain this tension aways? during my day for example. Or i need to relax this? It can cause stomach effects or pain? Im having problem when im not singing too, you know? And when im singing, i just stay with this pelvis always tension or i relax in some notes, or some parts of the music. Thank you again, and sorry my english, im from Brazil.
+Bruno Pires Mucheroni The only time that area really relaxes all the way is when you are lying down on your back. The muscles in the lower abs are used to hold your body upright and to help stabilize your spine, so they will be active most of the day. Maybe not active to 100%, but for most of the day, they will be on around 20-30%. In singing, they tend to activate a bit more, but still not to 100%. They only activate to 100% if you're straining to move something very heavy or sprinting intensely. If you feel it causing stomach pain, then you're probably tensing the muscles too much. Otherwise, you are fine.
+Marnell Sample awesome Marnell..thank you bro, it was perfect answer. just to finish the topic when you breath in you relax this Pelvis or you maintain it fixed even breathing?
Hey, How do I gain stronger higher notes because it seems like as soon as I go above middle c, my voice becomes lighter and I cannot sing some songs that I would like to sing
Hey, one more question... for a beginner singer could it be that I learned some bad techniques and now I finally use the right techniques my voice will sound worse with less control for now? I ask cause I was going pretty damn high with a connected tone the other day but noticed I was straining the muscle under my chin. Now I'm releasing it on all the exercices I do ,but I feel I lost 70% of my range, control, and quality. Could it be because I simply trained my bad technique to sound good? And cause I finally let go of tension I'll have to rework everything? Sounds logical, but best ask. Thanks in advance man.
chris leppens Depends on what you mean by "sound worse". You want to go for something that is functional first. In this case, something that doesn't cause the muscles at the top of the neck/top of the larynx to strain. When you initially get used to keep these muscles relaxed, you might lose a little bit of power and lose some vowel intelligibility. It's a process that you work through as you learn how to find power and vowel clarity without the usage of those muscles. (So it's forcing your body to learn a different way of operating.) But's it's really hard to say without hearing you, because in releasing the muscles at the top of the neck, you might also be unintentionally changing a lot of other things too.
I'm confused.... when i breath in my whole lower torso gets pretty rigid! so i wanted to know how relaxed the solar plexus should be and how to lessen the tension in there and put the tension more in the back and sides. thanks for the videos, very helpful for the most part!
Amy Vuong Hi! This is a bit of a tricky thing to explain. Relaxed is not the right thing you're looking for, because to be relaxed implies that you are passive, just sitting there doing nothing. That is not what happens during singing, at least not in the breathing musculature. What you are looking for instead is an expansion of the solar plexus WHILE the muscles are still engaged at the same time. You will be engaging them, but in a different way than you are used to. If you engage the muscles of the upper abs the way you would during crunches, then that's the wrong way of using the muscles. That's the way that will cause rigidity. You have to get used to your solar plexus, sides, and back EXPANDING when you breathe in (all the way around, 360 degrees), and then you can hold that expansion. You can actually learn to hold that expansion very, very strongly, but it never borders on the point of becoming rigid. I actually recommend this way of breathing even when doing physical exercises, because it helps to engage your core properly (meaning it is engaged with your BREATH). If you want to feel more of the sensation of expansion in your back and sides (but especially the back), you can try The Balloon Squat here: Singing Breathing Exercises to Strengthen Your Diaphragm: The Balloon Squat | Singing Lessons
Amy Vuong Also, if you want to see more of the release of the solar plexus in application, check out Part 1 of my lesson with Sergio. This should help to give you a better sense of how rigidity in the solar plexus affects the sound, and also what it sounds like once you are utilizing the body harmoniously: Skype Singing Lessons: A Sample Online Singing Lesson - Releasing Throat Tension | Part 1 of 3
Marnell Sample ok thank u so much!!! i will watch the videos u recommended maybe later today or tomorrow, and i will let you know if i have any more concerns! thanks again, u are such a great vocal coach!
Hi, Marnell. After watching your video I learned a lot. but there is one thing Im confused about is that relaxing solar plexus. when you do the breath support correctly, does your lower abs( below the belly) engage inwards therefore your stomach automatically goes outwards?
when I laugh, my lower abs engage inwards and stomach automatically goes outwards. so they go opposite ways. Is this the proper way of using breath support?
The lower abs are kind of tricky for people to feel. The way you feel it depends on how you habitually hold tension in your body. Some people feel it more as a pulling in while others feel it more as a pushing out. If you engage the lower abs, they do tuck inwards or pull in. HOWEVER, as you start singing a phrase and the air pressure builds up in your abdominal cavity, the air pressure tries to make them expand outwards. But if you hold this inwards tension in the muscles, it creates a little bit of a tug of war -- a GOOD tug of war. This gives you something to push off of. If you're habitually used to holding the lower abs very tight, then you will relate to the pushing out side of this a bit more. If you're used to being very loose in the lower abs (think beer belly), then you normally relate more to the action of pulling them inwards. Either way, both actions are occurring simultaneously. So that's the lower abs. IF the lower abs behave in this way, then you also feel a similar "tug of war" in the upper abs, where they try to cave inwards, but you resist outwards against that. If I were in a lesson with you, though, I wouldn't talk about this. I would have you find the correct support through SOUND first, and then make you become aware of what the muscles are doing in your abs.
Marnell Sample cool, I really want to have a lesson with you to see if i am doing it right. but I checked your lesson schedule, its from 11-7 mon through thu. and i work from 10-7 mon through sat. i dont know if this would work though...
when i sing i feel that someone is pulling my throat and jaw and I am not able to sing and sometimes its really painful please help me out of this problem
It's almost impossible to say what could be causing this without working with you. A one-on-one lesson is the only way to really sort this out. www.vocalliberation.com/singing-lessons
+Ahmed Mahar Singing takes energy and air pressure. That is fine. It's in HOW you're apply that energy/pressure. If you're getting tight in your throat and straining, you're doing it wrong. If your throat feels fine and you're not losing your voice, then you don't have much to worry about.
***** Hard to tell without seeing you, but as long as what you're doing is not causing you to strain in your throat, then you're fine. No need to fix something that ain't broke!
Marnell Sample It's interesting how subjective vocal training can be. Some singers open their mouths a lot on high or loud notes in head voice or falsetto; others, like Chris Cornell, hardly open their mouths at all. Some Bel Canto devotees have said that opening the mouth interferes with the flow of the voice- it is vibrations and resonance, after all, not the air that makes the sound- and that as long as you have the inner smile (sensation), your tone will be what you need. Some coaches will tell you to keep your tongue flat- others will say that it needs to be up somewhere in the middle and arched, because a flat tongue will block the throat. This even extends to microphone technique: one voice instructor will tell you to pull the mic back on high notes, and another will say to keep the same distance, because pulling back the mic does make you quieter, but also makes your voice sound thinner. ...All the variables dependent on the musculature and bone structure of my own voice, or simply who I have been talking to, has made me really hard to train. Might be time for an actual teacher, outside of books and the internet. The good news in all of that, though, is that even after shouting at karaoke for the past 13 years, I have no vocal damage after seeing an ENT. Must instinctively be doing something right... But it would be wonderful to be able to belt the high notes needed for 90's grunge. Baritone just doesn't sound right. It makes every intense song sound like a laid-back Johnny Cash or Morrissey.
***** I can understand your frustration. Part of what makes the singing voice tricky to figure out is due to the fact that there IS a variability from person to person, both in terms of bone structure and how you are used to using your body (as a whole) on a neuromuscular level. Combine that with the fact that your mind is a part of the instrument too, and it just creates for an instrument where it's often times hard to create set rules. I just try to provide some of the concepts that tend to apply to most people, although there will always be outliers. Voice is a weird instrument in the sense that it's hard to teach yourself (outside of a very rare person) because there is just so much that you may not realize that you're doing, even if you are exposed to good instructional materials. This can be very frustrating for people, especially those who are used being able to teach themselves anything, and have taught themselves things like piano or guitar. As for baritone not sounding right, have you listened to people like Jeff Scott Soto, Eddie Vedder, and Eric Burdon? They show that baritones can sound great! One thing about the classical singers. I know a lot of classical teachers say not to open the mouth, BUT if you actually pay attention to what the classical singers that sing really well do, you will see they do indeed open the mouth. It's even more prominent on people who have big mouths. So look at people like Nikola Gedda, Piotr Beczala (easy to see on him because he has a big mouth), Salvatore Fisichella, Georges Thill, Giovanni Martinelli, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, Giuseppe Filianoti, Ghena Dimitrova, Martina Arroyo, Dolora Zajick, Montserrat Caballe, etc. Most professional opera singers open the mouth long (vertically); it just so happened that the few opera singers who didn't open much are the ones that get popularized as the example of "don't open the mouth too much to keep resonance". There is a time and a place for that instruction when you're learning, but when you get to advanced stages, you have to learn how to open the mouth fully while still maintaining resonance. Also, sometimes people who espouse the idea of not opening too much actually have TMJ issues (but don't know it) and it prevents them from being able to open fully without constricting and losing resonance. Look at Dolora Zajick teaching in this clip. This is precisely what most of the professionals do. It's the same thing I was taught by opera singers (although once again, I emphasize it is a particular way to do this). You can see the student isn't used to opening, and struggles with it. th-cam.com/video/N3souHTWqeQ/w-d-xo.htmlm7s Anyway, look. It seems that you are at a point where you need some help and clarification of misunderstandings, so why don't you send me over a clip of you singing, and then I can offer a little feedback: www.vocalliberation.com/vocal-assessment
One last thing, before I send the clip over. To reach higher notes, I have to unhinge my jaw to correct my overbite. I've been told this is a bad habit, but a lot of singers don't have overbites. Okay, enough exposition. Sending the link.
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Wow this is so crazy! I never knew the connection between the solar plexus and throat muscles were so connected! Im not a singer, but i always experience anxiety in my solar plexus region, and when that happens i almost always tense up in my throat. As long as i can make my solar plexus less tense i dont have to worry about that throat tension. Thanks for making that clear to me!
apparently its very important for ur whole body because if u get punched there in a fight it can easiy knock u out
0:00 identifying the solar plexus
1:15 reason for tension, tightness in solar plexus
2:30 finding the ideal tension for the solar plexus
Thank you!
No
I am trying not tense this area!!!
FINALLY!!!! It's almost like I stumbled onto a genie in a bottle that would grant me the one wish for my singing woes I've had for a while now. Every since I started learning techniques about 7-8 years ago I've started to have more throat fatigue while singing. Even after just a small amount of singing. This is funny to me due to the fact that I remember singing allllll night and day as a younger kid without any problems. After watching this video I realize now that when I was a kid and hadn't been confused by any readings about the diaphragm and the difference ways to use it while singing. I was just naturally relaxed. I think I was kinda floating through just half listening to your vid thinking "another vocal tip" here we go. When I noticed that as I was saying ahhhh with you that my voice was wavering when I pressed on and off of my solar plexus. And that made it real. Finally some sign that I'm doing it more correct and not just imagining that I might be.
Hi,why does this happen?shy learning tehnique makes your voice more vulnerable?
I had to pay for lessons to learn this simple technique for my breathing. No matter how much I practiced it it never stuck until my coach taught me this exact way... You are AWESOME. Thank you.
I've taken singing lessons for years and not one of my teachers told me about this simple, important technique. Thanks for an excellent video.
WOW. Probably the best teacher I've come across. Thank you. You are helping me so much.
Samantha Tirivacho Thanks for watching. I'm glad it's helping out a fantastic singer such as yourself. :) If there's any specific topic you would like to see, just let me know.
Thank you for this. I was overdoing it for so long thinking my sound was strongly supported.
***** Hey, glad to hear the tips helped you out! Sometimes it just takes getting the right explanation for something to stick for you.
+Marnell Sample After trying for ages to become a better singer I found Bens Singer Blog and this appears to be the simplest home study system (check it out on google)
Marnell Sample he i want to learn how to release tention and hit the high note with out eney tention at all
bens singer : es fuck-you ..mierda ..basura que venden y lucran de los que menos tienen !!
I am dying of laughter, This was me. I'm super late to this video but this tip was right on time. ;-)
This is the type of detailed explanation I’ve been looking for.
*It’s so important to know how things should feel, when done properly.*
Thank you so much! God bless you
I can't thank you enough for a video. It helped rectify a lot of problems I was having with tension.
Daniel Plainview You're welcome! Happy it's helping you to sing more freely. :)
This is so great. My first voice teacher had me and all her students flex all our stomach muscles when we sang and it just didn't feel right. Then I switched voice teachers and my new voice teacher taught me how to breathe like this. Made a world of a difference!
Good to hear! Glad you found something that's helping you.
You are such an awesome teacher very under rated... You are the best teacher on TH-cam ❤
Thank you. I really appreciate your kind words.
You’re so amazing! To the point with a solution.
Thank you. I really appreciate it!
Thank your for this tipp! It was really nice that you showed both just hardening the solar plexus and then sing and too much forceful expansion and then sing
Interesting, few months ago, I physically moved my larynx and hyoid bone and I guess I injured it? Not really but this has been the issue since then and I am so glad I found you.
Thank you so much!!! You're a hero. I went to the singing lessons but they never taught me this. Such a shame.
You are amazing Marnell! Thanks again for great advice.
omg, you are a real teacher. thank u
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Sir, you are really explaining it in perfect way. Thanx a lot for this video :)
I found it really helpful learning another way to release tension or even get some because I'm trying to learn subharmonic bass
Man.. you just make this make sense. Thank you, you're awesome. Subscribed.
This is the best explanation regarding the solar plexus thanks
This was so very helpful! My problem is that subconsciously, I always squeeze my ab muscles, when trying to engage the diaphragm, but it always made things worse. Now I know why! It was affecting my solar plexus.
Excellent. If your voice was already strong but just tense, then this solar plexus idea was probably right on time for you. Do note, however, if you get carried away with this idea, the voice can end up getting a bit weak over time. At that point, you may need some ab tension to bring strength back into the voice. And thus, the never-ending cycle of vocal technique. :-)
You teach so well.. one of the best vocal teacher out on youtube... You deserve more recognition :) Thanks for always uploading
Steve Moon Thanks so much!
90% of teachers go the wrong way with this diaphragm obsession without explaing what Marnell is saying, because it makes you think you have to tense up the stomach, exactly the opposite of what you have to do. still I can't help but tense up involuntarily, since I have learned to do things this way and been doing it for so long
Hey man just one word AWESOME!! this was what i was looking for.Though i have no singing plans,but i need to speak in front of my class thats when i develop tension in my throat.Also i suffer from cough a lot that that worsens my throat condition.That bad that even uttering words becomes difficult.
Thanks again!!
My Passion These tips most definitely work for the speaking voice! I have another video I'm working on that will deal specifically with issues of the speaking voice, so be on the lookout for it.I wish you lots of luck in finding a proper remedy for your cough.
Hi you've totally helped me see why I have not progessed as a singer, thank you. You know what the crazy thing is? Before this year I had no idea about proper singing. I never understood why I was having so much tension after singing in higher ranges (my favorite). As I've gotten older its became a problem, as far as singing the high ranges. I sing in church alot, I lead songs and I truly seek to nail this technique. So I reached out to my High school chorus teacher, and he had me practice the technique of getting pregnant before singing; Until know I see why I've had no luck. My aunt has also stressed her perspective of how to control, and use the diaphragm muscle; she explains how she breaths in properly as you demonstrate. But she speaks on like holding the muscle you go number 2 with; you know the Boo Boo muscle Is she wrong??
Keyante Rashad Hi, Keyante! I'm happy the videos are turning on some light bulbs for you. When it comes to the bowel movement sensation, it's actually more like "holding it" as if you had use the restroom but there was none nearby. What this does is activates your pelvic floor muscles which are a part of your core. Normally, during a bowel movement, you relax the pelvic floor muscles, which is the opposite of what we need for singing! The feeling in the abdomen can be similar, though, because there is a sense of pressure that you get in your abdominal cavity; you get something to "push against". Hope this clarifies things.
Marnell Sample Ive heard Eric Arceneaux teach breathing into the pelvic floor, but that totally contradicts contracting the lower abs for more chest/abs expansion. Which is it ? So confused. I find I get no chest expansion when aiming breath that low, especially if im not taking stupidly large breaths.
Marc w Yes, I'm aware he teaches breathing into the pelvic floor, and believe it or not, what I'm teaching in my other breathing videos ( th-cam.com/video/ePYGNehrC1Q/w-d-xo.html ) is actually engaging the pelvic floor, even though I didn't mention it specifically.
You see, the transversus muscle and the internal obliques tend to fire together with your pelvic floor muscles to stabilize your core. So in my other video when I tell you to brace the LOWER ABS like you're preparing for a punch, it activates all of that simultaneously. When the pelvic floor contracts, it raises the floor of the abdominal cavity, thus causing the expansion to have to take place elsewhere in the body (typically in the upper abs, sides, and lower back).
If you RELAX the pelvic floor and lower abs when you breathe in, then that's where most of the expansion will take place (in that lower region). I find this way of breathing is good for relaxing when you're just lying on your back, but not very useful for anything in which your core needs to be engaged, such as singing.
Please note that the pelvic floor muscles respond differently depending on what you're doing with your breathing. During normal RELAXED breathing (meaning you're not doing anything physical, you're just sitting there doing nothing), the pelvic floor RELAXES/EXPANDS during both inhalation and passive exhalation. During forced exhalation (such as blowing out candles on a cake), the pelvic floor contracts along with the rest of the ab muscles, including the deeper abdominal muscles that you can't see.
On the other hand, if you're doing something PHYSICAL (such as moving a heavy object, running, or singing intensely), when you inhale, the pelvic floor contracts along with the abdominal muscles and other core stabilizers (including the diaphragm) to stabilize the spine and help give you air pressure in your abdominal cavity to work against. If you allow the pelvic floor to relax as in normal breathing, the spine becomes unstable, and thus the muscles in the upper torso like your shoulders, neck, chest, jaw, and tongue take over to try to stabilize the body. But that's the very tension pattern most of us singers are trying to avoid!
There are lots of studies that have been done that show the importance of utilizing the pelvic floor musculature to stabilize your spine and help build up air pressure in the abdominal cavity. If you want to know more, just look for some in google scholar. Use the key words "pelvic floor intra-abdominal pressure".
One more thing. Breathing into the pelvic floor...I would call it breathing into your groin muscles. You see, there is another set of muscles called the iliopsoas. There is one of each side of your spine. It connects from the back part of the diaphragm to the lumbar spine and then continues to go all the way through your groin into your femur. I know some people will think differently, but as far as I'm concerned, this muscle is a core stabilizer just like the abs and pelvic floor. During very intense singing, you can feel these muscles working strongly (along with your adductors), and it's what creates the "full bodied" sensation of singing -- the feeling of singing with your entire body, since it's literally connecting your upper and lower body. If you stabilize/engage these muscles before you inhale as I demonstrate in the video linked above, when you go to inhale, you will feel naturally that all those core muscles want to let go and relax. If you hold onto the contraction, though, you can feel the breath/air pressure pulling and pressing against those muscles, causing them to lengthen but also contract a bit more, and that's what creates the sense of breathing into the groin.
A good way to get used to this contraction and stabilization of the core is to do something like a plank, or for more of a challenge, ab wheel rollouts. In the plank especially, you learn how to keep some of a contraction in the muscles while also still having to breathe at the same time!!! Meaning, you can't hold the abs (and other musculature) so tight that it inhibits breathing, but also not so loose that you end up losing the position of your spine. You can even try singing from a plank position. (A gymnastics style hollow body plank would be even better for this purpose.) Hanging leg raises will also give you a feel for how the iliopsoas kicks in, in addition to the boat pose in yoga which you can see here: th-cam.com/video/ooy4aOEmJgU/w-d-xo.html
Woooooaaahh!!! This is so helpful! Thank you!!
You're welcome.
U r a genius man.u deserve a million subscribers.thanx a lot for ur verdious
Great tip! something very overlooked as far as a source of tension.
***** Thanks, Luke. :)
I used to put 15 lb weights on my solar plexus, while lying on my back. As my stomach lowered the weights I would speak and speak until I couldn't anymore, then I would raise them again using my solar plexus and redo. I swear this helped my speaking/singing voice immediately after.
+Rich L That's another way of addressing the same thing. Good work!
Thank you that was one of my problems indeed, and I haven't heard of this tip in any video. Good for me who tend to try too hard..
Grateful!
Great!
Thanks, i was overdoing it
I'm so glad I came across ur video.
Thank u.
You're welcome.
Love your videos , please bring more!!!!
Thanks for watching!
i can relate so much to this i always used to wonder why breath support makes me feel tense in my throat and when i finally found someone talking about you i'm very happy that it's not just something wrong with me , but i still don't get how i can avoid this like i know how it feels i can feel it but how can i support my voice and not have my throat felling sore and tense afterwards ?
+Kayhla rocks The feeling of support comes from the lower abs below the belly button, not really from the solar plexus area. It does take a little time to learn to get those two areas to work together.
You can take one hand and place it on the solar plexus (above the belly button). Take the other hand and place it on the lower abs (below the belly button). Now, try to make these two areas move in opposite directions. You can make the solar plexus go outwards and the lower abs pull inwards (like trying to put on a pair of jeans that's too tight.) Then, try making the solar plexus cave in while the lower abs get pushed out.
For most people, if the solar plexus moves out, the lower abs also move out too. But this is not helpful for singing. You have to learn how to make the two sections move in opposite directions.
See these two videos here for a demonstration of what I'm talking about: th-cam.com/play/PLE6sSBqFLoybqt1s8mmEnVnz_WMIDszEe.html
Just to be clear, though, breathing is not the only reason you might get strain. Breathing only accounts for 20% of vocal technique. If you find you're still straining after this, you will probably need to be a one-on-one lesson so we can figure out what you're doing wrong.
Marnell Sample which one of those two videos is the right way to breathe?
How do you support without engaging this area? I can’t seem to figure out how to engage the muscles in my sides and back independently, the solar plexus area always gets tight. Years of bad habit I’m sure, but is there anything I should do differently?
this was really helpful
Thank you brother,it's really works
Thank you for sharing your success!
great video man. thank you!
Omg, your videos are treasure! Thank you so much!
You're welcome.
You`re the best youtube vocal teacher out there)))
Vic Tiva Thanks so much! I appreciate the sentiments. :-)
Thank you even more!))) For these amazing, high level, full and uncut vocal lessons!)))) You are doing a lot of good and helping people all over the world with your knowledge.)) I wish the best to you:)
Vic Tiva You're very welcome. I'm just happy you're finding this information helpful.
Very)) I`m sure I`ll thank you more generously one day:)
What's up Coach? Hope all is well. Watch these videos from time to time. Sent you some stuff via Gmail and Messenger.
+Seraskus White Thanks for the feedback. And you are welcome. :)
you're awesome, thanks for your thoroughness.
Thank you💙
You're welcome
I can't even do the muscle tension and voices you're doing to demonstrate. So does this mean I can naturally sing and / or naturally relaxed? I was in a choir as a kid, sung for years since but I never did all the exercises short of what we did in choir. I'm 30 now, surely I must've forgotten all of it?
Thank you for these lessons!
Thank you for this! Such an informative explanation
You're welcome. Thanks for watching.
This helped a lot. But when you say your stomach/solar plexus should have some give... is the stomach still supposed to be "going in" on the exhale?
I watched your breathing from the diaphragm video, and it sounds like you're saying your sides and back should more or less stay expanded, but what about the stomach? (sorry if you literally answered that and I missed it lol)
Any help would be appreciated.
Excellent. Thank-you.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching.
Thank you very much for the lessons sir !!!!!!
You're welcome!
This is so interesting because all the times I’ve had terrible and anxiety and tension in my solar plexus, my voice would disappear
Fear and anxiety will completely shut down the voice. They make everything stop working properly. The antidote is to learn to be angry and commanding, almost like a drill sergeant. That grounds the voice and body.
Hi Marnell, thanks for this very informative video. I wanted to ask - I think that I may be having the second condition that you talked about in the video - the "holding in the breath" one due to poor/incorrect training.. do you have any tips on how to release that? Thanks in advance!
You're welcome. You might want to check out this other video I made. If that doesn't help you along, then it might be best to sign up for a one-on-one lesson with me so we can address the issue head on. th-cam.com/video/7Akt4udRocA/w-d-xo.html
Great video!
Thank you
thanks for your videos bro. Very helpful
Nixon Omollo No problem. You're welcome!
This helps with voice cracks when speaking not singing? Thanks! One ❤️
For voice cracks when speaking, you might need to do the exercises in my video on cord closure for a few weeks, then come back to this video.
Thank you Marnell. You sound like a really nice person. It is lovely.As for my self, I have tention in the plexus. It feels like a vertical bar. Any tips and tricks to dissipate it?Massages?Sing low tones to vibrate it?I just don't know.Thank you.
Thank you!
If your solar plexus is tight ALL the time, even when you're not singing, then it might be best to visit some type of manual therapist who knows how to deal with soft tissue and fascia. They could help you unwind all of that.
If the solar plexus only gets rigid when you sing, then it's a technique issue. Scales on a very deep OO sound will help. You might also have to reduce your volume a little sometimes when you sing. Singing lessons would be the best way to address this tension as there could be many causes for it.
You rock man! Thank you
You're welcome.
next video, i am a tenor, how about singing through G4? I found that my solar plexus is so tight which cause strain, but if I don't tight it up, it flips to falsetto. Btw, I think my larynx is in neutral position, not a high larynx position, and my vowel is modified, just can't get rid of that squeeze. Thank you very much :)
thank u so much master!!
You're welcome. But, please don't call me master! I'm just a fellow singer sharing what I have learned. 🙂
If I pull in my lower abdomen, is it still okay to expand my epigastrium as much as possible? I realize that it only goes out so far before it starts to cause the back to expand. I find that I can create different "feelings" based on how I breathe. I can try to breathe into the front, which will still go to the back, and then it seems I can breathe "into my back" (purposefully) which seems to cause an intense feeling in my back. I saw somewhere where you said something to the effect of the muscle work is done in the lower abdomen area, and the lower back too.
When you sing, where do you feel more of the expansion happening? Is there a specific place where you focus on breathing into to get the expansion you are looking for? Thanks so much for your answers in advance!
Yes, it is OK to expand the epigastrium more.
When I sing, I feel the expansion in the front (epigastrium), sides (obliques), and back (near the lowest ribs in the back). It's in all 3 places simultaneously. Just most people can FEEL this most easily when they focus on the front or maybe the sides in the beginning stages. But it's really a 360 degree expansion.
The most important thing is to pay attention to how the different ways of breathing affect your throat as you make sound. That's the final determiner of what's right and what's not. The one that feels the most comfortable in the throat is the "right" one.
Wow yes I struggle with this especially when I get on stage
You are such an awesome teacher ❤
+marnell sample
Even normally I feel this tightness in throat and my voice comes from my throat not my chest
I lost my voice a few days ago and during that time I had to force myself to speak from my chest and thats when I realized I had a more deeper and fuller, more powerful voice. after I got my voice back I was able to retain this until about 3 days, when I was talking in my new deeper, relaxed voice when suddenly my voice habits went back to normal. I tried massaging my throat, breathing from diaphragm, drinking water but nothing works. I feel this constant tightness in throat and I cannot get my voice low. How can I train my throat to always be relaxed so I don't strain from my voice when I speak? Please help
Hey Marnell. I came to find this because I suffer tension in my upper abdominals on a daily basis and even worse when singing. I can't take a deep breath which it turns also doesn't allow me to support my voice properly. Also I suffer some horrible neck and throat tension especially the back of my tongue. This means on a daily basis I am constantly tense in my abs and throat. I did learn in the past that I need to breathe with my abdominals but it has actually made it worse and I always have this idea that I need to breathe deeply so I can relax but I feel its actually making me worse. I feel when I want to breathe deep into my abs my abs actually tightens up especially my solar plexus!!!. I wonder how can I work on relaxing my stomach so I can actually breathe deeply? What exercise can I do? I really feel tension in my solar plexus area and I do speak strained on a daily basis 😔 regards claudia
Please take a look at the two videos in this playlist, and tell me which one you look more similar to when trying to "breathe with your abdominals".
th-cam.com/play/PLE6sSBqFLoybqt1s8mmEnVnz_WMIDszEe.html
amazing video yet again :)
David Gindis Thanks!
Hello Sir! This video proved helpful in understanding the connection between abdomen and throat. But when I start to sing my abdomen tightens in anticipation that eventually hampers my singing. Are there any exercises that can help eliminate such tension?
Subscribed! Thanks
technotronic99 Thanks! Looking forward to bringing you more helpful content. :)
marnell sample .. I have a questions. Does it matter if you have a big belly to still try this tension while singing ? Because I put my finger in between my belly and I can't really feel the air way like you explain with the balloon
+Naomi Martinez If you have extra fat around the abdominal region, this can be somewhat harder to feel. You might have to exaggerate the movements a bit more to feel them. So REALLY try to make your abs super tense, as tense as you can, until you feel your throat begin to tighten. Then back off of that and see how the throat loosens. Then do it again, going back and forth between the two extremes until you begin to see that what happens in your abs has an effect on your throat.
Hey, your videos are really helpful!!! Thanks.
Every time when I sing from my diaphragm, I don't know why but my neck muscles still keep moving (like straining, although it's moving lesser than using chest breathing) and also my veins keep appearing on my neck which cause too much saliva production and the voice become distorted (like over-vibrato) too much. Any tips?
Thanks Marnell. I certainly find that with some breathing exercises where you breathe in, hold, release, the holding your breathe phase can introduce unwanted next tension/pressure on the vocal cords.
In time, could an incorrect technique tire your voice quicker and leave you with mild aches in the larynx area?
I'll be sure to check out all the diaphragm videos you've done.
Yes, if your voice is tiring quicker AND you're getting aches in your larynx, it's a sign that you're doing something wrong.
What kind of breathing exercises are you talking about, though? Are they pranayama exercises or something else?
Hi Marnell,
The exercise I'm thinking of is where you deep breathe in for the count of 4, hold for 4, then breathe out for 4. Each cycle you increase the count.
Quite possibly I am using my larynx to hold the pressure back, instead of using the diaphragm. Also, on breathing out, I might be keeping tension in my abs instead of pushing down/out transferring work to my diaphragm, which I believe can lead to unwanted tension in the throat.
I also suffer from acid reflux which has caused mild swelling and irritation to throat. That has got better with medication since my original post.
Many thanks.
Have a good Christmas.
Hi there! What if my voice does not sound as powerful as before and cant reach very high? And I am using the technique you mentioned in the correct chest voice video...Am i doing that wrong?
PURA PARA Hmmm, that sounds odd. Send me a video clip of you singing via a private message. You can leave the video as unlisted and I would be the only one who would see it.
Marnel, it is so good information, thank you very mutch sir.
I just have one question, i can control this, ok...but now my down belly like my pelvis, sometimes get inside and tension like a rock...its like, "ok my solar plexus is relaxed and full of air, but now, my voice power need to come from somewhere", what i do about that? Thank you again.
+Bruno Pires Mucheroni The area below the belly button is where you should feel most of the tension when you're singing. So you're doing well. :-)
+Marnell Sample Thank you Marnell! Yes, but my care is... about the relaxation of this area. I can just maintain this tension aways? during my day for example. Or i need to relax this? It can cause stomach effects or pain? Im having problem when im not singing too, you know?
And when im singing, i just stay with this pelvis always tension or i relax in some notes, or some parts of the music.
Thank you again, and sorry my english, im from Brazil.
+Bruno Pires Mucheroni The only time that area really relaxes all the way is when you are lying down on your back. The muscles in the lower abs are used to hold your body upright and to help stabilize your spine, so they will be active most of the day. Maybe not active to 100%, but for most of the day, they will be on around 20-30%. In singing, they tend to activate a bit more, but still not to 100%. They only activate to 100% if you're straining to move something very heavy or sprinting intensely.
If you feel it causing stomach pain, then you're probably tensing the muscles too much. Otherwise, you are fine.
+Marnell Sample awesome Marnell..thank you bro, it was perfect answer. just to finish the topic when you breath in you relax this Pelvis or you maintain it fixed even breathing?
You still feel this muscle a bit even when breathing in.
Hey, How do I gain stronger higher notes because it seems like as soon as I go above middle c, my voice becomes lighter and I cannot sing some songs that I would like to sing
Hey, one more question... for a beginner singer could it be that I learned some bad techniques and now I finally use the right techniques my voice will sound worse with less control for now?
I ask cause I was going pretty damn high with a connected tone the other day but noticed I was straining the muscle under my chin. Now I'm releasing it on all the exercices I do ,but I feel I lost 70% of my range, control, and quality.
Could it be because I simply trained my bad technique to sound good? And cause I finally let go of tension I'll have to rework everything? Sounds logical, but best ask.
Thanks in advance man.
chris leppens Depends on what you mean by "sound worse". You want to go for something that is functional first. In this case, something that doesn't cause the muscles at the top of the neck/top of the larynx to strain. When you initially get used to keep these muscles relaxed, you might lose a little bit of power and lose some vowel intelligibility. It's a process that you work through as you learn how to find power and vowel clarity without the usage of those muscles. (So it's forcing your body to learn a different way of operating.) But's it's really hard to say without hearing you, because in releasing the muscles at the top of the neck, you might also be unintentionally changing a lot of other things too.
Alrighty, thanks!
Is it the same in speaking.
For years, I have been trying, but, brain wont connect.!?
I'm confused.... when i breath in my whole lower torso gets pretty rigid! so i wanted to know how relaxed the solar plexus should be and how to lessen the tension in there and put the tension more in the back and sides. thanks for the videos, very helpful for the most part!
Amy Vuong Hi! This is a bit of a tricky thing to explain. Relaxed is not the right thing you're looking for, because to be relaxed implies that you are passive, just sitting there doing nothing. That is not what happens during singing, at least not in the breathing musculature. What you are looking for instead is an expansion of the solar plexus WHILE the muscles are still engaged at the same time. You will be engaging them, but in a different way than you are used to. If you engage the muscles of the upper abs the way you would during crunches, then that's the wrong way of using the muscles. That's the way that will cause rigidity. You have to get used to your solar plexus, sides, and back EXPANDING when you breathe in (all the way around, 360 degrees), and then you can hold that expansion. You can actually learn to hold that expansion very, very strongly, but it never borders on the point of becoming rigid. I actually recommend this way of breathing even when doing physical exercises, because it helps to engage your core properly (meaning it is engaged with your BREATH).
If you want to feel more of the sensation of expansion in your back and sides (but especially the back), you can try The Balloon Squat here: Singing Breathing Exercises to Strengthen Your Diaphragm: The Balloon Squat | Singing Lessons
Amy Vuong Also, if you want to see more of the release of the solar plexus in application, check out Part 1 of my lesson with Sergio. This should help to give you a better sense of how rigidity in the solar plexus affects the sound, and also what it sounds like once you are utilizing the body harmoniously: Skype Singing Lessons: A Sample Online Singing Lesson - Releasing Throat Tension | Part 1 of 3
Marnell Sample ok thank u so much!!! i will watch the videos u recommended maybe later today or tomorrow, and i will let you know if i have any more concerns! thanks again, u are such a great vocal coach!
Amy Vuong You are welcome. :-)
Nice work again¬! :)
GiveOrLooseIt Thanks!
love it
Fantastic! Thanks a million man
You're welcome!
THANK YOU
+blaze262332 You're welcome.
thank you so much
You're welcome.
WOW THANK YOU....
thank you
+Naomi Martinez You're welcome.
love it!
Thanks for watching!
Thank you :) :)
How do I get the solar plexus to pop out?
Hi, Marnell. After watching your video I learned a lot. but there is one thing Im confused about is that relaxing solar plexus. when you do the breath support correctly, does your lower abs( below the belly) engage inwards therefore your stomach automatically goes outwards?
when I laugh, my lower abs engage inwards and stomach automatically goes outwards. so they go opposite ways. Is this the proper way of using breath support?
The lower abs are kind of tricky for people to feel. The way you feel it depends on how you habitually hold tension in your body. Some people feel it more as a pulling in while others feel it more as a pushing out.
If you engage the lower abs, they do tuck inwards or pull in. HOWEVER, as you start singing a phrase and the air pressure builds up in your abdominal cavity, the air pressure tries to make them expand outwards. But if you hold this inwards tension in the muscles, it creates a little bit of a tug of war -- a GOOD tug of war. This gives you something to push off of.
If you're habitually used to holding the lower abs very tight, then you will relate to the pushing out side of this a bit more. If you're used to being very loose in the lower abs (think beer belly), then you normally relate more to the action of pulling them inwards.
Either way, both actions are occurring simultaneously.
So that's the lower abs. IF the lower abs behave in this way, then you also feel a similar "tug of war" in the upper abs, where they try to cave inwards, but you resist outwards against that.
If I were in a lesson with you, though, I wouldn't talk about this. I would have you find the correct support through SOUND first, and then make you become aware of what the muscles are doing in your abs.
When most people laugh (if it's a FREE laugh and not one they are holding back), then yes, these muscles of support tend to engage correctly.
Marnell Sample cool, I really want to have a lesson with you to see if i am doing it right. but I checked your lesson schedule, its from 11-7 mon through thu. and i work from 10-7 mon through sat. i dont know if this would work though...
I dont know if you can do a lesson start at 7PM, that will be super awesome :)
Is it ok to be out of breath while doing these exercises for the first time?
That's not a typical reaction for this exercise. Perhaps if you're singing very low in your voice you might feel this, though.
Thanku sir🙏🙏
Thank You!!! :)
You're welcome!
thanks
David Gindis You're welcome.
Awesome :)
+Spiracle Music Online Thanks!
when i sing i feel that someone is pulling my throat and jaw and I am not able to sing and sometimes its really painful please help me out of this problem
It's almost impossible to say what could be causing this without working with you. A one-on-one lesson is the only way to really sort this out. www.vocalliberation.com/singing-lessons
u rule, thank u
u are great :)
I see yer getting your money's worth with those balloons ;)
Engelhafen That's for sure! They're quite handy, lol.
Bro I myself sing and i apply alot of energy/pressure to my voice so is that dangerous or harmful for my voice or something help me I'm worried
+Ahmed Mahar Singing takes energy and air pressure. That is fine. It's in HOW you're apply that energy/pressure. If you're getting tight in your throat and straining, you're doing it wrong. If your throat feels fine and you're not losing your voice, then you don't have much to worry about.
+Marnell Sample then I'm positive thanks
My voice does not sound strained when my solar plexus is locked. It just sounds supported. Which is kind of puzzling...
***** Hard to tell without seeing you, but as long as what you're doing is not causing you to strain in your throat, then you're fine. No need to fix something that ain't broke!
Marnell Sample
It's interesting how subjective vocal training can be. Some singers open their mouths a lot on high or loud notes in head voice or falsetto; others, like Chris Cornell, hardly open their mouths at all. Some Bel Canto devotees have said that opening the mouth interferes with the flow of the voice- it is vibrations and resonance, after all, not the air that makes the sound- and that as long as you have the inner smile (sensation), your tone will be what you need. Some coaches will tell you to keep your tongue flat- others will say that it needs to be up somewhere in the middle and arched, because a flat tongue will block the throat. This even extends to microphone technique: one voice instructor will tell you to pull the mic back on high notes, and another will say to keep the same distance, because pulling back the mic does make you quieter, but also makes your voice sound thinner.
...All the variables dependent on the musculature and bone structure of my own voice, or simply who I have been talking to, has made me really hard to train. Might be time for an actual teacher, outside of books and the internet. The good news in all of that, though, is that even after shouting at karaoke for the past 13 years, I have no vocal damage after seeing an ENT. Must instinctively be doing something right... But it would be wonderful to be able to belt the high notes needed for 90's grunge. Baritone just doesn't sound right. It makes every intense song sound like a laid-back Johnny Cash or Morrissey.
***** I can understand your frustration. Part of what makes the singing voice tricky to figure out is due to the fact that there IS a variability from person to person, both in terms of bone structure and how you are used to using your body (as a whole) on a neuromuscular level. Combine that with the fact that your mind is a part of the instrument too, and it just creates for an instrument where it's often times hard to create set rules. I just try to provide some of the concepts that tend to apply to most people, although there will always be outliers.
Voice is a weird instrument in the sense that it's hard to teach yourself (outside of a very rare person) because there is just so much that you may not realize that you're doing, even if you are exposed to good instructional materials. This can be very frustrating for people, especially those who are used being able to teach themselves anything, and have taught themselves things like piano or guitar.
As for baritone not sounding right, have you listened to people like Jeff Scott Soto, Eddie Vedder, and Eric Burdon? They show that baritones can sound great!
One thing about the classical singers. I know a lot of classical teachers say not to open the mouth, BUT if you actually pay attention to what the classical singers that sing really well do, you will see they do indeed open the mouth. It's even more prominent on people who have big mouths. So look at people like Nikola Gedda, Piotr Beczala (easy to see on him because he has a big mouth), Salvatore Fisichella, Georges Thill, Giovanni Martinelli, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, Giuseppe Filianoti, Ghena Dimitrova, Martina Arroyo, Dolora Zajick, Montserrat Caballe, etc. Most professional opera singers open the mouth long (vertically); it just so happened that the few opera singers who didn't open much are the ones that get popularized as the example of "don't open the mouth too much to keep resonance". There is a time and a place for that instruction when you're learning, but when you get to advanced stages, you have to learn how to open the mouth fully while still maintaining resonance. Also, sometimes people who espouse the idea of not opening too much actually have TMJ issues (but don't know it) and it prevents them from being able to open fully without constricting and losing resonance.
Look at Dolora Zajick teaching in this clip. This is precisely what most of the professionals do. It's the same thing I was taught by opera singers (although once again, I emphasize it is a particular way to do this). You can see the student isn't used to opening, and struggles with it. th-cam.com/video/N3souHTWqeQ/w-d-xo.htmlm7s
Anyway, look. It seems that you are at a point where you need some help and clarification of misunderstandings, so why don't you send me over a clip of you singing, and then I can offer a little feedback: www.vocalliberation.com/vocal-assessment
One last thing, before I send the clip over. To reach higher notes, I have to unhinge my jaw to correct my overbite. I've been told this is a bad habit, but a lot of singers don't have overbites.
Okay, enough exposition. Sending the link.
Marnell Sample This is a brilliant answer :)