In a message dated 12/7/2001 4:34:47 PM Central Standard Time, LeaAnn@k... writes: LeaAnn@k... writes:
> . When I do produce head tone it's shrill and very nasal. > > I have no vibrato to speak of...sometimes a throat vibrato (and I know > that's not a good thing) My voice teacher tells me that vibrato comes from > the "gut" well....if that's so I sure don't have a vibrato. >
It's shrill and nasal because the larynx is rising shortening the vocal tract, blocking the back of the throat, causing the velum to drop, opening the velopharyngeal port allowing the sound to come out the nose, hence the nasality. Don't worry about lifting the soft palate, if you get the larynx at a neutral speech level or slightly lower it should stay up eliminating the shrillness and nasality.
As far as vibrato being produced from the gut, that shows a misconception about physiology. Vibrato is a neural impulse (a kind of relaxing agent within a contraction). Vibrations in sync with the vibrato rate have been shown in different places in different singers, including some in the supporting musculature of the larynx. When you say throat vibrato, does that mean it's fast in nature? Some individuals have faster rates, your teacher may be prejudiced against a faster rate, your attempts to slow it down may just impede it from happening at all resulting in straight tone.
Randy Buescher
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