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When singing, when do you position your mouth in a wide smile EE type position, and when in more of a closed O or U position as in eww.... rounded more puckered lip position ?  I'm wondering if I can open up my voice more by maintaining a tighter EE position while projecting or is that a bad thing to begin doing ?

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Well, this all depends on what you're singing.  A wide E position is going to give you a "brighter" sound.  The O may give you a darker, more "covered" sound.  What are you trying to accomplish?

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"I hold the key to an open door....will I ever be free...?"

I'm trying to project in a fuller manner to break completely out've head voice, in hopes of delivering a harder vocal quality, and break out've any congested sounding weak singing by hopefully creating less upper vibration (cranial area), and vibrating more from the mandibular & upper torso region.  I'm also trying to communicate like I have a clue what I'm talking about but I don't

However,  I think you get the general idea

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Ok.  Not sure if this is what you're  after...but I'll throw some stuff out there, and see if any of it gives you what you are looking for...

Now, talking about vibration, do you really mean the vibration caused by your skull or are you talking about vibratto?  Really nothing you can do to change the way your skull vibrates, but you can change how your vibratto works.  "Straightening" your vibratto is a matter of breath support.

In staying more to your chest voice, keep your soft palate "down."  You are going to want more of a wide E shape.  You want to keep your sound forward - to the back of your front teeth.  Ugh...ok...it's a little hard to explain this w/o being able to demonstrate - you should see the faces I'm making....anyhoo...as you get higher, expose your upper teeth and bring the corners of your mouth back towards your ears.  It's been described to me by voice teachers as "biting into an apple."

Hope this helps!

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"I hold the key to an open door....will I ever be free...?"

Yes,   that's exactly what I'm trying to figure out..  But tension in the facial musculature, and resonance within the sinus cavity and bone structure of the skull can be altered somewhat based upon timbre formed and facial tension as well as projection method can't it be ?  Or it solely a function of pitch and nothing more ?
I know tonally certain string instruments and horns (most instruments) project a better tonal characteristic because of the conduction and resonance throughout the instrument due to construction, and various physical properties, I suppose I thought musculature, and facial positioning altered the characteristics if timbre and tone in a similar fashion to how a speaker cabinet shape and construct alter the characteristics of sound of the speaker..

It makes sense you are correct however, assuming mouth positioning and facial tension don't change resonance by altering shape and bone structure vibration assuming that is ONLY contingent on pitch and nothing more, meaning NOT projection style.. I assumed that resonance within our body had to do with method of projection and we had more control of how we resonate but perhaps not..  I'm probably quite wrong, because when I think of a trumpet Or string instrument, or any instrument it's pitch that vibrates that instrument and what creates resonation points, maybe we have little control with facial tension of changing the characteristics of the instrument.   Vibratto I thought was diaghram control only ?



It does, thanks !  I'll have to apply it and try it out tomorrow during part two of butchering up my attempts at my new song.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

It will change the PLACEMENT of where your tone resonantes.  And it may change the color to some degree.  Listen to anything recorded by Sarah Brightman in the last few years.  Listens to something she's done that is classical, and the something that is more pop.  When she sings classical, she uses a lot of O shapes, and keeps her upper lip down over her top teeth.  What results is a dark very "hooded" sound that seems to resonate more in the back or top of her head.  When she sings lighter pop stuff, her sound is lighter and more forward.

For better projection, you want to keep your sound focused in the front of your face -behind your upper teeth.  I have also been told to visualize the sound moving forward.  Not something that really works for me, but may work for you.  How you use your facial muscles and the space in your sinus cavity will have some effect on your tone.

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"I hold the key to an open door....will I ever be free...?"

I think this is exactly what I'm contending with.  I need to create a brighter stronger sounding real timbre than just loud nasally humming sounding stuff.  But that takes more energy right ?

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

To create a brighter sound, just keep it as forward as you can.  You should feel resonance in your cheek bones, nose, and behind your teeth. You don't want to be IN your nose, of course or get that nasal sound.  It really sould be fairly intuitive and shouldn't take more energy.  It might seem like it does at first simply because you have to break habits you have probably had for years.  

Ugh...I wish I had an hour with you in person...*laugh* It'd make some of this a lot easier....

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"I hold the key to an open door....will I ever be free...?"

Thanks,  I need to get out've my nose (so-to-speak, or sing), glad to know it's something I can do... I just never knew how to do it..



Oh, I've been told by others to find a different interest in the past.  You can tell me that in here though. I'm used to it !  No need to break that to me in person, unless of course you really want a good laugh finding this out for yourself

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Well, I haven't heard you sing, so I can't tell you honestly to "get a real job" at this point. *giggle*  And, well...you're just looking to improve what you are doing...maybe it'll never be professional quality, but there's no reason what you are doing can't be improved upon.

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"I hold the key to an open door....will I ever be free...?"

I'll settle for that.  I'll settle for doing the best I can even if it means sewing my lips shut.  If I can't do this, and it's not my fault I was born with a vocal quality that has yet to be appreciated in this galaxy, I'll survive.

Some were born with a vocal ability suited for singing,  others of us were born with a vocal ability suited for typing in chatrooms.




There's no danger of turning my head inside out this way is there ?  Should I have a crowbar nearby just in case my chin gets caught behind my lower lip and my tonsils end up where my nose currently is ?  Or is this one of those activities you should never try when you're by yourself ?

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

 LMAO Normally, my response to this would be "No, of course not."  But...seeing as this is YOU we are talking about....I'm gonna have to say be sure you are never alone when attempting these things...be sure to have a spotter at all times!

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"I hold the key to an open door....will I ever be free...?"

See, this is what worries me too.  Can never assume something isn't dangerous just beause it hasn't happened to others to date.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Phanton is a little bit cleaner.  I'm able to get out've that "dark" congested area a bit, but theres not enough energy to my voice, or no interesting timbre... Trying the wide EE mouth position and it does make a difference.  In fact it helps me project from chest voice in a higher range..  Not exactly sure of the mouth positioning though.. I try to feel the vibration in the front behind the teeth as opposed to lower sinus areas.. and sing with exhalations instead of despite breathing pattern..  Need to build a stronger sound and cut thru my own voice..

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".