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This is a transcript of the entire Sing Thing for reference or to print off.

The Prologue

Hello! My name is Anton Browne, welcome to this singing technique practice recording. I have put together a set of exercises that have proved valuable for keeping my voice healthy and in shape. Sometimes during periods of intense work - when my voice can become tired and also during periods of relative quite when I need to keep my voice from getting out of condition. These are real world exercises distilled from years of singing, teaching and being taught. I think it's of value to say a few words about what you can hope to achieve with this recording and how best to go about it.

The exercises are designed to provide a gentle and basic daily schedule that will keep your voice and breathing in shape, and hopefully keep you in touch with a 'neutral' vocal production. I see no reason why this recording should not be used in conjunction with a teacher's work, if you are lucky enough to have one. If you are between teachers or unable to attend regular singing lessons for whatever reason, then this recording is ideal. Although I've described the work here as basic, doing the exercises well requires considerable skill, practice and I'm afraid - patience.

In this part of the recording I'll talk you through each exercise to help you understand what each one is about. I'll also give examples. Try to get an understanding of the essence of each one. You will need to acquire self monitoring skills so you can judge whether you're doing the exercises well as I won't be with you to give you feedback on the sound you're making. See if you can maintain a relaxed and quiet concentration throughout.

I have chosen a pitch range for these exercises that will be in the middle of the majority of voices, with most ladies singing an octave above the men. If you find that they push the limits your range this is not necessarily a bad thing as long as you approach it well. I give advice later on the exercises where this may happen. I suggest you stay with the first part of this recording until you've got a feel for the work in hand. Rushing ahead and consequently doing the exercises badly day after day will mean you will not derive the full benefit.

The Talk Through

In this section I'm going to talk you through the exercises. Have a pen and paper handy so that you can make notes that will refresh your memory as to the purpose of each exercise. You will find this helpful when you come to do them in full.

The act of singing has been broken down into its elementary parts in the first few exercises, so that you can concentrate on just a few areas at a time before putting it all together. The program starts with inhalation and exhalation and continues with each exercise building on the last. Let's go through the exercises in detail with some examples. Have your pen and paper ready and of course stop the recording whenever you need to.

I'd like you to sit comfortably and upright, in a good chair and place one hand on your abdomen, quite low, so that your thumb is level with your navel. Gently breathe in and imagine that the air is drawn into you from the area beneath your hand. When you breathe out, feel that the air is coming from this same place, feel that you're breathing low in your body. Ideally your shoulders will not rise when you inhale but there will be a gentle expansion of your abdomen. For this to be the case, you must be relaxed in the area of the tummy, if you're storing tension there, you will find it difficult to achieve this abdominal breathing, you will need to let go of the tension. Why not pause playback now and try this for a short while?

Do the first exercises, 1, 2 & 3 - which we shall go through in a minute - lying on the floor initially, support your head with a pillow. When you're happy that they're free and comfortable try them sitting upright but not rigid in a chair - this is a little harder. Finally try them standing, with a good posture and your feet about one foot apart.

EX1. In The Beginning

One of the first things we do at birth is breathe in and that's what we are going to practise. Remember these words; quick clean & quiet. This is what we're looking for. Your mouth and jaw are relaxed, the tip of your tongue resting just behind your lower front teeth. As you breathe in, imagine the air being drawn down to meet your hand with no obstacles in the way and no restriction. It should sound something like this (example 1. In-breath). If you're making sounds like this (example 2. Noisy in-breath) it means tension is creating a restriction in the airway don't worry, but try to let go of it; let your diaphragm do the work, not your mouth or throat. When you've taken a full comfortable breath, just let the air out, don't drive it or squeeze it out, just relax your diaphragm and let the air come out of it's own accord. Allow the natural elasticity of your abdomen to send the air out with no help from you. Incidentally, when we come to do exercises 1, 2 & 3 in full later, you will do them out of phase with me. That is to say you will hear me complete one round and then you will copy, then you rest whilst I complete another, then you copy and so on. We are going to do them to a backing track to keep us in sync (example 1b). If you find it difficult to breathe in quickly enough, start to breathe a little earlier, you'll find it gets easier with practise. Exercises 1 2 & 3 use a similar backing track so I'll demonstrate all three of them a little later.

EX2. The Sigh

We are going to keep the work that we've just done and add to it the most basic exhalation - still no driving or squeezing, just release the air. As the air comes out we are going to form some sounds with the tongue and lips in as relaxed a way as possible. These are the sounds we'll be using (example 3. Un-voiced releases, ss, ff, sh & ooh, just blowing). Be very careful not to push, squeeze or control the air in any way. After a while I'd like you to add your voice to this exercise, (example 5) make a sound that's comfortably low and be sure that your voice doesn't interrupt the flow of air. I want there to be the same flow of air at your lips in the voiced exercises as there is in the un-voiced exercise. Listen, the air at my lips here (example 6. Un-voiced release) is the same as the air at my lips here (example 7. Voiced release). My voice is carried on the air and in a sense the air is more important than the sound. Try to maintain a feeling of freedom and openness in your throat. If you feel dizzy at any stage, please stop.

EX3. The Sigh With A Squeeze

We are going to keep all that we've done in the two previous exercises and add something to them, we are simply going to accelerate the air mid flow by contracting or squeezing the tummy muscles. We are in effect adding an accent. It sounds like this (example 8. Accented exhalation). An important point here, as soon as you've squeezed your tummy muscles to accelerate the air, try to release that tension, don't hold it, hopefully you will see and feel your hand - which is still on your abdomen - bounce in and then back out as you squeeze and release. We will do this with air first (example 9. As 8) and then with your voice (example 10. Voiced accented exhalation). If you have difficulty with this practise it in segments without the backing track like this, (example 10b) practise this way until you are able to do it smoothly as a whole. Remember the in breath is still the same as in exercise one. The release or sigh the same as in exercise two, the squeeze is the only new thing. Don't underestimate the value of these simple exercises, stay with them, listen carefully to my examples and be sure that yours are similar. If you're not convinced that you are doing these first three simple yet paradoxically tricky exercises well, give yourself some more time to get used to them. Listen carefully to my examples, they should feel comfortable and free, you'll need to spend a few minutes pretty much daily to achieve this.

EX4. Starting To Sing

This exercise is done to one half of the major scale. We will go from soh down to doh or from five to one, then go up a semitone and repeat and so on. Do this to any of the five vowels with a breathy onset, in other words hoo, hee, heh, hah, hor, pick one vowel and stay with it each time you do the exercise. It sounds like this (example 11. Two half scales on ha) and we continue getting higher. Again, we keep the essence of the previous exercises and add to them. Breathe in properly, feed the air from low down, resist the temptation to grab in the throat. Give your voice its freedom. The work from now on is pitched, remember we all have different ranges. I have kept the scales in a range that I have found most people can manage but you must judge for yourself. If this exercise goes uncomfortably low, drop out, if you find it uncomfortably high, do likewise. If you find it goes through a break in your voice then go through that break as comfortably as possible. Maintain the airflow and lighten up on the sound, don't worry if your voice wobbles or clunks around a bit, gently try and make it as smooth and comfortable as possible. We're after a good feeling in preference to the sound at this stage. Whatever you do don't strain away regardless.

EX5. Adding Another Thing

This exercise is similar to the previous one except that there are three onsets or starts' here's an example (example 12. Accented Half Scale). It is important here to release your abdominal muscles between the onsets - rather like in exercise three, remember. There is no need to actually inhale but just release the muscles.

EX6. One Thing More

Again, similar to but building on the previous exercise. This time one onset with two accents during the sustain (example 13. Sustained Accented Half Scale). This is quite tricky, keep the note continuous, try and make sure the accents come from your abdomen, definitely not your throat. See if you can release the muscles after each accent.

EX7. The Mobile Tongue

Here we are going to isolate and hopefully release your tongue. Listen to these directions carefully, make a note if you desire. Open your mouth until your front teeth are about one inch apart, then try to leave your jaw in that position for the duration of the exercise.

Do this initially in front of a mirror because your jaw may well move inadvertently unless monitored. Leave the tip of your tongue just in contact with your lower front teeth (which is where it will be anyway if you're relaxed). I then want you to move the back of your tongue forwards and backwards so you get an ee - eh sound finishing on ah (example 14. The Tongue Exercise). Remember, Jaw open and still, the tip of your tongue just in contact with your lower front teeth, work or massage the back of your tongue forwards and backwards in a relaxed manner. Keep the air moving.

Go gently at this we're not aiming to develop muscle bound tongue. We're aiming to free it up.

EX8. The Dropping Jaw

In this exercise we are looking for space and freedom at the back of the jaw. I'd like you to sing from oo to or, finishing on ah. Let your lips go forward to form a good oo, something like a moderate pucker, then leave them forward as you drop the back of your jaw to form or (example 15. The Jaw Exercise). If you allow your lips to pull back to the sides as you drop your jaw you'll get more of an ah sound instead of an or. Be sure to produce or. Try to ensure the back of your jaw actually drops and rises as you do this exercise, this is what it's about. Stay relaxed.

EX9. Grinning And Pouting

I think you'll enjoy this it's a simple lip and cheek exercise from oo to ee. Lips as far forward as they'll comfortably go on oo, like a good pout and as far back on ee, like a grin. We're after relaxed extremes of movement. (Example 16. The Lip Exercise). Time for a reminder, on all these exercises, monitor your breathing, breathe in properly, keep the air flowing through the exercise. Once again stay relaxed.

EX10. The Open Throat

Do this exercise to yor or yah, we are going to sustain these notes. Try to make them feel as free and as spacious as possible. You may find it helps to imagine that you are drinking the sound as you make it or you can imagine that your throat is made of the finest silk and as you sing the note, it gently billows open. Feel as if these notes come from way down in your being. Allow your voice to develop its freedom, give it space, don't push, release, feed your voice with air but don't make it breathy. Finally, if you feel the scales are getting to high, drop the octave or stop, there should be no straining, particularly with this exercise. (example 17).

EX11. A Lip & Tongue Thing

This Exercise is to be done to a lip or tongue trill, whichever you find easiest (example 18. Lip Trill, then Tongue Trill). Keep all muscles of the mouth relaxed, make sure you're feeding air through the whole time. Try not to squeeze in your throat as you ascend the scale. This exercise covers a wide range in pitch; you may have to go through to your head voice or falsetto for the fellows. If so, go through as lightly and as openly as possible, keep the air moving at all times (example 19. Lip Trill over passaggio). If you find this exercise uncomfortable, leave it for now, come back to it later.

EX12. Down To The Bottom

We are going to explore the lowest notes of your voice. We all have different ranges, so to make this exercise effective for people with low voices I've gone down to a low C. This may be much lower than some of you can manage but it doesn't matter, just carry on until you run out of notes and are just producing air (example 20. The Lowest Notes, off the bottom). I want you to practise approaching your lowest notes without gripping or constricting in your throat. Maintain a feeling of space and freedom, feed the air through and let go every time you feel a tendency to grab in your throat. You can allow the sound to be breathy if this helps with the freedom. Once you get good at this, see if you can add some brightness to the sound. Here's an example of what we don't want, gripping as we descend (example 21. Gripping the lowest notes), here's a better way (example 22. Aspirate non-gripped lowest notes) a bit breathy but comfortable. Eventually, when we're practised at this, we can add some brilliance to the sound. (example 23. Bright non-gripped lowest notes).

EX13. Up To The Top

Do this to any of the vowels, though some will be easier than others. What we're hoping to gain here is an ease about the production of the higher notes of what I'm going to call your normal voice and if necessary through into falsetto or head voice. If this simply goes too high, stop, otherwise keep the air flowing and your voice supported. Keep the sound light but not too breathy, we're not looking for a belting sound at this stage. Above all resist the temptation to struggle, push, force or bully. You may find your voice wobbles, jumps several notes or veers off at a tangent when you get to a certain point. At this stage let it, it's your passaggio and all of us have a hard time with it. Focus on keeping things feeling comfortable and let the sound look after itself, you can sort that out later. (Example 24. Higher Notes through to falsetto. Mines not all that elegant up there. You may be able to do better).

EX14. Humming And Buzzing

In this exercise we look at humming as a means of increasing the resonance in your voice. Resonance helps a voice to carry with minimum physical effort and minimum stress to the vocal mechanism. Do this to mm for mother, nn for noisy or ng, as in the latter half of sing. Your jaw can be quite loose whilst humming, certainly not clenched, there should be space between your teeth. Keep the air moving, keep your throat open. Try and focus the sound at the bridge of your nose, you may get a buzzing sensation. You're looking to produce this sort of sound (Example 25. Humming For Resonance). If you find yours is a bit dull, (example 25b) see if you can bring the sound forward without doing it from the throat. Once you're happy with this exercise you can add some of this brilliance to the other exercises, for instance you'll be able to go from (example 23c) to (example 25d) in the half scales in exercise 4 and you can add some cut to the low notes in exercise 12. It makes for a stronger clearer sound. Be careful that you don't start producing a nasal sound, there's a difference.

EX15. Fooling Around

Exercise fifteen is not really an exercise, we are just going to fool around with one of the backing tracks to enjoy playing with our thoroughly warmed up voices. Use all of your range, do melodic things, do rhythmic things. Use your own words or copy the phrase that I use.

One last thing

You may have noticed that the vocal quality I used when singing was different from the quality I used in the exercises. In the exercises I'd like you to use what I call a neutral sound. We want this to become home. When you sing you are conveying emotions with your voice so the sound will be different. As long as it doesn't hurt or feel strained or tired, do what you will with your voice when you sing. Experiment but always come back home to neutral in your practise and your warm-ups (and even after a performance if you've been screaming and shouting) to get rid of any residual tension.

Well, that's it from me, I'll leave you to get on with the exercises in full and I'll see you sometime.