Sing Well Singing Course
Week Three
Breathy Or Pressed
1 - What We Are Doing This Week
When you sing, the air you are breathing out travels from your lungs to your throat. Your vocal cords draw close together and then ripple as air passes between them. How they meet and ripple varies from singer to singer, and makes a difference to the quality of people's voices. Perhaps the vocal cords are standoffish with each other giving a weak, breathy tone, or perhaps they are a tad combative and push hard against each other, creating a harsh forced sound. Sweethearts, we want our vocal cords somewhere in the middle, friendly, informal and close. Like a good dinner party!
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.
How Friendly Are Your Cords?
Let's find out. With this lesson, record your voice, so you can hear how you are going. If you can't decide if your voice sounds breathy nor pressed, go with the pressed exercises.
If You Are Breathy
Try these exercises. Some of them are a little ridiculous! Pick the ones you like.
Pressed Exercises
If You Are Pressed
The good news is you are working too hard! These exercises should make your singing feel easier. In fact, done right they should feel downright lazy. That's a good thing
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.
Breathy Exercises
4 - This Week’s Song
Two songs this lesson. Measured Moments for the breathy folk, Far From Home for the pressed folk. Through this lesson, you will have noticed how the sound of your voice has changed with the exercises. The way it feels to sing might have changed too - a sense of brightness for the breathy singers and a sense of ease for the pressed singers. As you sing your song, be aware of this new sound and sensation in your voice. I've written both songs so the consonants will help you. Let your vowels sit right where your consonants are. Click on the sheet music to open a PDF you can print out and keep.