Some qualms about vocal lessons

[RayL]

Hi!
I like bands such as The Killers, Death Cab For Cuties, Foo Fighters,Muse, Nirvana, Artic Monkeys, Silversun Pickups...etc. I look up to frontman/singers such as Brandon Flowers of the The Killers, Matt of Muse, and Paul McCartney...etc.
For the last two months, I have been taking vocal lessons from a vocal teacher who uses the classical technique. I am happy with the fact that I now sing with better breathe support. However, she tells me to sing with my soft palette raised (open-throat), this did allow me to find my head resonance and sang a few notes higher, but I am afraid that I will sound too operatic if I continue studying this "open-throat" singing.
So my questions are:
1) What is the difference between "non-open throat" singing and just merely straining your voice?
2) How do you find the head resonance without raising your soft palette and sound overly operatic?
3) When singers like Brandon Flowers or Matt Bellamy of Muse sing high notes, do they belt, use head voice, or a mix of both?
4) If I continue having class with this teacher, will it do me any harm in the sense that I will be unable to sing rock? (which is the genre that I really care about)

P.S. I have asked her if singing open-throat will sound too operatic for pop/rock singing, she assured me that it will be good for all genres, which I think is BS, but she is a firm believer of classical singing, and I don't want to offend her.

THANK YOU! Sorry for the long post

 

[Rich]

The trick to sounding more rock and roll is not to strain your voice, but think about how your enunciating while singing. Take a guy like Mick Jagger for example - when he speaks he has British accent but, when he sings, he sounds American and that's not by accident. Another good example is Sebastion Bach, formerly of Skid Row; he's a guy who can both scream his head off AND sing operatically. My advice is always to use your natural singing voice and concentrate on enunciation to sound more rock and roll.

The other part of the equation is just being born with a voice that has a quality to it that allows you to get a dirty sound. Guys like Brian Johnson, Sammy Hagar, Henry Rollins and so on can really belt it out and doing it in a controlled manner, but they also just have these voices that sound great for doing it. I can get a dirty vocal sound, but I have to strain to do it and I don't sound anywhere near as good as those other guys.

 

[SKATTERBRANE]

Your teacher knows what she is talking about.

 

[DLChance]

Hey, this is the internet! The WORLD WIDE WEB!

Singing lessons are available for free online now, and you might get a lot of good from some of them.

Try this guy, for instance: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBcNz0pz9Jw]Voice Lessons- Relaxed Singing - Rock the Stage NYC - YouTube[/ame]

It's worth a shot.

 

[RayL]

Hey, this is the internet! The WORLD WIDE WEB!

Singing lessons are available for free online now, and you might get a lot of good from some of them.

Try this guy, for instance: Voice Lessons- Relaxed Singing - Rock the Stage NYC - YouTube

It's worth a shot.

I see, I have watched many of them, but the thing that frustrates me is that a lot of times that people from different genres contradict each other! The RockTheStageNYC guy for example, says that you don't need to have exagerated faciao expressions when saying the vowels, which is opposite to what my teacher says.

Also for example: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPnyflzpb2w]1st Open Throat-Breaking Down Singing Styles Vocal Warmups--Voice Lessons and Tips - YouTube[/ame]
the dude talks about how open-throat sound is more for operah and classical stuff, while closed-throat is for pop singing/rock singing, but according to some people, you are suppose to raise your soft pallete even if you sing complementary pieces...

Also the matter with belting vs head voice vs. pulled up chest voice vs mix voice versus falsetto... I AM CONFUSED AS EVER

 

[sonar1]

H...
1) What is the difference between "non-open throat" singing and just merely straining your voice?
2) How do you find the head resonance without raising your soft palette and sound overly operatic?
3) When singers like Brandon Flowers or Matt Bellamy of Muse sing high notes, do they belt, use head voice, or a mix of both?
4) If I continue having class with this teacher, will it do me any harm in the sense that I will be unable to sing rock? (which is the genre that I really care about)...

1) if you sing from your diaphram and don't cut notes off with your throat you won't strain your voice. Air support and control from your diaphram is where it's at! Making notes happen from your throat without that essential air-support is what strains the voice.

2) Move your jaw forward a little, which should move the resonance a bit more into your palette from the back-forward (less "hooty"). Classical technique allows for NO restriction from the throat to EVER shape notes. In Rock, you might add in a "bit" of restriction to get the tone you want, but you're still not cutting notes off with the throat, just adding a little restriction for the effect you want.

Air is your friend - always. (just don't practise any of that restriction in front of your teacher).

3) dunno them but Steve Perry (Journey) sounds like he uses proper voice-saving technique (lots of air - head voice - doesn't cut notes off with his throat but just removes the air support to stop a note).

4) Being trained will only add to your versatility. I play guitar in two distinctly different techniques: the way I played before I took jazz lessons, and the way after learning proper technique. So when I play jazz I use "proper" technique, and when I use other styles I learned before jazz I just revert.

In the end I'd advise always accomodating your teacher and gaining as much as you can from her while you are with her (do what you want out of her earshot - while still practising her techniques so you can do it in front of her when necessary).

Later on you will form your own style anyway, which will likely be a synthesis of all kinds of things. But at least you'll know what's going on when your voice is tired after a singing date. It won't hurt to know the basics of classical technique. Then later you modify your style for where you want to go with the music you're presenting.

I took some voice lessons while in College, and sung in choir too. Then I worked as a sideman for a vocal instructor at her student's recitals, etc.

.

 

[DLChance]

I see, I have watched many of them, but the thing that frustrates me is that a lot of times that people from different genres contradict each other! The RockTheStageNYC guy for example, says that you don't need to have exagerated faciao expressions when saying the vowels, which is opposite to what my teacher says.

the dude talks about how open-throat sound is more for operah and classical stuff, while closed-throat is for pop singing/rock singing, but according to some people, you are suppose to raise your soft pallete even if you sing complementary pieces...

Also the matter with belting vs head voice vs. pulled up chest voice vs mix voice versus falsetto... I AM CONFUSED AS EVER

Good point.

 

[Drew224]

You always want to sing open throat. Anyone who says that you don't want to do that for rock and pop is leading you down the wrong path. Yeah it's a different style with a slightly different approach, but if you close it up more, you're losing power and presence, and more likely to constrict too much and strain your voice.

 

[mudfinger]

Your teacher is doing right by you, and your concerns, although reasonable, and very common, are unfounded.

Master Bella Voce, and your instrument will be solid forever, even as you develop your voice in other directions. Good posture and efficient breath management are the same for every style.

There is simply no substitute for working with an accomplished pedagogue in person; easily 90% of what interferes with most folks' ability to sing freely, stems from issues they're completely unaware of. Someone who knows whats up, observing you carefully while you sing, will produce results much faster than working it out on your own, or relying on books, videos, and youtube for guidance.

In my view.