Sometimes in preparing songs for performance we want to give the song some “edge” in the singing.  This could be about meeting the edginess of the writing or the genre for a style treatment – think rock and roll blaring or grinding blues with growling tones for two examples.

The harsh treatment of the vocal cords in these types of vocal production choices can turn easily into vocal strain.  In my past blogs, I’ve written extensively about vocal health issues, and invariably the subject turns to how the vocal cords are treated and how they are effected by demanding singing challenges.

When you go to work on and prepare a song, remember to do gentle warmups, stretch the facial muscles and throat, relax the jaw, remembering to breathe well into the low abdomen and keep the shoulders down, with the entire upper torso relaxed.

When you go to sing, remember these principles still hold no matter what genre of music you’re singing, and they will protect your throat and vocal cords.  If you want to growl on notes, or “belt” out a song, make sure you’re supporting the notes with good breath support and a relaxed and open jaw.  Be careful with how often you employ the growling or gritty sounds, and use them wisely, for effect, in the song itself.

Strain will give you no gain in the artistic department.  Vocal strain can, over time, lead to serious harm done to your vocal cords and reduce your range and abilities over the long term.  Don’t push or put weight on your vocal tone.

Instead, to create “edginess,” employ other techniques, such as percussive rhythms, modulations of key, dynamics such as soft to loud and loud to soft to create dynamic contrast.

The basic instruction here is that you should never scream out your notes for effect, or put excessive weight on your note production.  Natural volume comes from the effective use of the resonating chamber that is behind your soft palate and sinus cavity.  Make those accessible with a relaxed jaw, relaxed lips and face, and the natural volume and forward movement of the tone itself will create a clean and powerful tone that produces great effect for any genre of music.

Additionally, I read a good article related to vocal health from the website Pit Stop Musicians about the effects of cold water on the vocal cords:   Read it HERE

Thanks for reading!   See you next time for all things Folk Diva! 

Hey, if you have a suggestion for a blog topic let me know! Email me HERE

Love and Blessings,

Susie

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Award-winning recording artist, Broadway singer, journalist, educator and critically-acclaimed powerhouse vocalist, Susie Glaze has been called “one of the most beautiful voices in bluegrass and folk music today” by Roz Larman of KPFK’s Folk Scene.  LA Weekly voted her ensemble Best New Folk in their Best of LA Weekly for 2019, calling Susie “an incomparable vocalist.”  “A flat out superb vocalist… Glaze delivers warm, amber-toned vocals that explore the psychic depth of a lyric with deft acuity and technical perfection.”  As an educator, Susie has lectured at USC Thornton School of Music and Cal State Northridge on “Balladry to Bluegrass,” illuminating the historical path of ancient folk forms in the United Kingdom to the United States via immigration into the mountains of Appalachia.  Susie has taught workshops since 2018 at California music camps RiverTunes and Vocáli Voice Camp.  She is a current specialist in performance and historian on the work of American folk music icon, Jean Ritchie.  Susie now offers private voice coaching online via the Zoom platform.   www.susieglaze.com