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Miguel de Maria -> My weekly Long Post (Oct. 29 2003 19:22:46)
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Today at my singing lessons I had a breakthrough! For 6-8 months I have been singing these stupid scales, always in the car or when other people are away. While I was in Sevilla I had to stop because you're never alone there. The main goal of all these exercises was to get to the "head voice." If you're not familiar with it, you may recognize the sound when an opera singer hits a high note.
Well, it seems that men naturally sing in the "chest voice," a throaty, deep sound, and it's quite a challenge to get men to be able to transition into the head voice when necessary (to hit high notes). It's been a long process, but since singing has never been that important to me, I just did what my teacher told me to, without worrying about it not sounding good. That's a very different approach because when I practice guitar, I am constantly judging myself, noticing all these problems and faults.
But today I was in the head voice. We did these scales, and at the normal point, when I usually have to stop, the voice kind of "flipped over," and I had another four or five semitones to go. I was pretty shocked to look at the piano and realize I was singing high C! (eighth fret, first string on the guitar).
Of course I'm not going to lie to you and tell you it sounds good. It sounds like a falsetto. Who knows if I'll be able to use this technique for flamenco. But what interested me was how to apply this to guitar.
What happened was my teacher told me to sing these scales and exercises. He did not encourage me to sing along with the radio, but to mainly do exercises. And I did it. This built up the strength of my vocal chords. During this time I was sing everything with a huge, wide smile on my face. This was designed to bring forward the singing apparatus, and encourage me not to sing from the throat. I was told to sing the high notes very lightly, not to force them, but to let the voice go "where it wanted to go." And now, now that I can hit the head voice upon command, I have to keep hitting it, and slowly add air to get more volume and body.
If anyone is still reading this, I couldn't help but be flattened by the many comparisons with guitar technique:
1. Playing scales or technical exercises is the foundation of good playing.
2. Playing through pieces haphazardly is not the foundation of good playing.
3. Forcing or pressing for volume or speed is a mistake.
4. Playing lightly in order to reduce tension and increase awareness is key.
5. Once the sensations of the correct technique are established, practice in this "new place" in order to strengthen it.
6. The guidance of a teacher who can communicate the proper sensations and technique is vital.
Singing has come so much more easily to me than guitar playing. Guitar playing has been a constant struggle, a slog through sticky mud, constant doubt. (Sounds fun, huh? Probably wonder why I do it). I think that singing has come more easily in part because I have already made significant accomplishment on the guitar, so I feel empowered by overcoming a seeming lack of talent there. But more importantly, I have had the guidance of an excellent teacher.
I would never have gotten to where I am in singing without a teacher. I used to struggle to hit the e and now I can hit the C!
Now if only I can find a guitar teacher! I think that those of us who are good at playing guitar should do our best to communicate to those who have not yet developed their skills how it "feels" to play well. There is a lot of nonsense about "every man has to learn how to play guitar his own way"--Sabicas, but I don't believe it. Yes, we all have to walk the path, but a good teacher can give us directions, tell us how it will feel on the way there and how it feels when we get there. A bad teacher might just give us directions... but little guidance when we falter from the path, or when doubt arises.
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