reg,
the methods by which singing is improved would have the same effect on
speaking as it is the same machine. your desire to have singing being as
easy as speech, is possible. i have put an example of speaking and singing
on file at the 'vocalist-temporary' website. the example illustrates
speaking a text then adding only specific pitches, speaking the text in
rhythm and then adding pitches to that and finally, speaking the pitches in
rhythm and making the words longer, supplying legato (it sounds so dorky,
anyone can do it) and then, simply adding specific pitches. the addition of
specific pitch requires no more physical effort. it requires the mental
decision to select the pitch and stay on that pitch (like driving on a
straight road instead of a winding road).
in the example i have put on file, the pitches sung are in the same
range as the pitches spoken. for most singers, what remains the most
difficult obstacle between speaking and singing, is the high range. we have
recently discussed 'head voice' as the means by which classical singers
access the higher range. lloyd mentioned those singers who seem to be
inately gifted with the ability to use this range (i presume this was his
answer to my question as to whether or not he thought paul mccartney, stevie
wonder and others, sing in head voice). however, a year or so ago, lloyd
mentioned using paper towels as a muffle for those unexceptional singers who
had trouble finding head voice (i use this too. the singer bunches up a
couple of paper towels and holds it to their mouth. they look as if they
were chloroforming themselves). the idea is that, when the singer is less
aware of what they sound like, they treat their singing more like an action
(which, it is) and while commiting the act of singing, they find access to
the head voice. it is something they already have the latent ability to do.
they don't just suddently start doing it as if divinely inspired. when
the paper towel is removed, the sound is usually different from anything the
singer would have thought of doing (explaining why they were unable to do it
before). adjusting this resultant sound to fit the singer's needs is a
paint job, not a task that resembles a rube goldberg cartoon.
as long as you think singing is 'magic', it will be difficult, if not
impossible. but, if you can see it as the simple trick that it is, you will
be able to do it easily.
mike
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