Vocal Technique

Most singers, have at point or the other come across the term, vocal technique. But what is it really? How technical and rational is it really? And, how abstract is it? Since we are all so very different it can for some people feel like a very blurred and vague kind of knowledge, full of myths, almost like a religion. Yet, for others technique might seem not so mysterious or perhaps not even very important. In other words:

There a many ways to find Rome!

On your way to Rome, to become a better singer, it is very likely that a singer will be exposed to various theories within vocal technique. One of the biggest tasks for the singer is then to get to know his voice and to be able to feel what is right, according to how the voice responds to the techniques. I believe that most of us sets out on this journey with a great deal of curiosity and the hope of finding "the right" technique.

I believe that this phase of making research is extremely important to a singer. The only obstacle can be that a singer practises less healthy techniques which turns into habbits. This, I believe, is due to the fact that a lot of singers are very sensitive to impressions of technique in this developing phase and many believes way too much in the authority of a teacher and then don't dare to question what they are being told.

Within the field of vocal technique it is very common that it is almost impossible to agree on which technique is "the right one" and a singer often has to re-evaluate his beliefs through time, as he's being introduced to new or different theories.

Nothing is wasted, no time is misspent! i believe that all the knowledge we put in our "bag of tools" is important to our understanding.

The more different point of views a singer has on technique, the better he'll be able to understand why one certain technique works for him.

Often the voice responds quickly to technique and muscular memory can be achieved fast, it is the habitual part of it that takes time. To be able to know technique so well that we can forget about it when we sing, it should become a natural part of our way of using the voice, as if we know it from the spine, like some people express it. As a vocal teacher I experience that this is the part that takes the longest time. That is why I use some time in the lessons to continuously encourage the singer to ask himself: How did I do that? How did it feel? etc.

It's the process where a singer develops his own ability to analyse what is actually happening and makes him able to make the technique truly his.

My wonderful teacher Kevyn Lettau once said: Patience, Practise, Perseverence! I believe it is very important to keep this in mind while we practise, to not go too fast or to slow or to lose focus.