To help you think horizontally when changing from one note to another, imagine that the range of notes in your voice stretches out in front of your face, level with the imaginary on/off switch in the middle of your forehead just above your eyebrows.
The note that is lowest in pitch is closest to you and the highest pitched sound you can make is the furthest away.
Thus, at its simplest:
When moving to a higher-pitched note your voice travels horizontally away from you, while when moving to a lower-pitched note it travels horizontally towards you.
(It’s actually slightly more complicated than that, but for now the description above is adequate.)
Also:
If you think vertically when moving from one note to another you’re very likely to be using your throat to control the move, which is exactly what we want to avoid.
The feeling of going up or down to notes can manifest physically as a chin tilt – usually more marked in singers but seen in some speakers too.
Tilting your chin up when ‘reaching’ for a high-pitched note is particularly damaging because it tightens your throat. Feel the effect yourself by putting your fingers on your throat as you raise your chin.
The following video demonstrates the audible effects of thinking vertically and tilting the chin. It exaggerates to make the point, but do check (via a mirror or a friend) whether you do a reduced version of this when talking. Even a small backward tilt can have a large negative effect.
There’s more about balancing your head in Section 3.5. For now, while ideally your head should be level, as we said before it’s better for your chin to be pointing down slightly rather than up.
Q: What visualization of a horizontal line of notes works best for you?
To help you think horizontally when changing from one note to another, imagine that the range of notes in your voice stretches out in front of your face, level with the imaginary on/off switch in the middle of your forehead just above your eyebrows.
The note that is lowest in pitch is closest to you and the highest pitched sound you can make is the furthest away.
Thus, at its simplest:
When moving to a higher-pitched note your voice travels horizontally away from you, while when moving to a lower-pitched note it travels horizontally towards you.
(It’s actually slightly more complicated than that, but for now the description above is adequate.)
Also:
If you think vertically when moving from one note to another you’re very likely to be using your throat to control the move, which is exactly what we want to avoid.
The feeling of going up or down to notes can manifest physically as a chin tilt – usually more marked in singers but seen in some speakers too.
Tilting your chin up when ‘reaching’ for a high-pitched note is particularly damaging because it tightens your throat. Feel the effect yourself by putting your fingers on your throat as you raise your chin.
The following video demonstrates the audible effects of thinking vertically and tilting the chin. It exaggerates to make the point, but do check (via a mirror or a friend) whether you do a reduced version of this when talking. Even a small backward tilt can have a large negative effect.
There’s more about balancing your head in Section 3.5. For now, while ideally your head should be level, as we said before it’s better for your chin to be pointing down slightly rather than up.
Q: What visualization of a horizontal line of notes works best for you?
