Sing Well Singing Course
Week Four
Onset
1 - What We Are Doing This Week
When you sing, you can bring life to your voice with your belly. That exciting, vibrant sound in the voice, comes from right down in the belly. This lesson we look at how to get your belly engaged. We do this by honing in on the moment where each phrase starts - the moment you outward breath arrives at the vocal cords. This is called onset.
2 - Here’s How
In this section, I'll talk you through this lesson's exercises in detail, so you can understand what you are doing and why. When you've worked through this section, go to section 3 which has the same exercises but without the explanations, so you can get on with your daily practice without listening to me yibber yabber.
For The Thespians
For the first one grab a lace hankie sweethearts. This ladylike fake cough engages the trunk muscles perfectly.
When people express their emotions vocally, they tend to naturally engage their lower bellies. In the second exercise, we can use this deliberately. A slight sense of the ridiculous will prove useful this week!
Light And Gentle Sweetpeas!
This engagement is gentle darlings. Remember the cello!
Let’s Talk About The Song
Sweethearts, the song has lots of little notes for you to focus on onset and really get that connection from your lower belly. How you approach these notes, will depend on whether you are pressed or breathy.
3 - Your Daily Practice
Nothing like repetition to make things stick. For your daily practice - here are short versions of this lesson's exercises without the explanations. Pick your favourite posture/s and shoulder exercises for your daily practice routine.
4 - This Week’s Song
The words are from an old English Folk Song. Feel how your belly engages to give the song vitality.