Description:
Sirens or slides. We’re transitioning slowly, and eventually smoothly, from one pitch to the next. This is actually easier said than done, because a lot of singers avoid slides for fear of cracking. If I sing I can disguise a register shift. But if I slide, I may crack.
A crack like that is just an abrupt register shift. In fact, it can sound really cool when it’s intentional. However, in order to access a wide variety of sounds throughout your range, it’s important to train a smooth transition. Although they may not be smooth at first, sirens or slides help us do just that.
Exercise: SOVT - NG slide 151 F
Begin with something semi-closed. I recommend an NG sound, like the end of the word SING. Slide over a perfect 5th.
Exercise: OO-WAH 5-1
Start high and end low. Oo helps you find lightness, AH helps you find stability and strength. Many singers find it more difficult to go from head voice to chest voice, so we’re working on that transition here. Think of descending down the back of the throat and around the corner like a C shape if that helps.
Exercise: NAH OO WAH 1-8-1 E
Finally, slide from low to high and back again on. Strong chest voice on the bottom, at both the beginning and end of the exercise. Careful that you’re not getting stuck in head voice. Or Carrying the weight of chest voice up too high either. Start and end strong, but find a softness as you transition! Can you feel the full C shape from chest to head and back?
Audio:
Lessons:
- 1: Welcome!
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2:
Warmup
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3:
Wide-range Exercises
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4:
Sirens & Slides
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5:
Open Vowels
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6:
Conclusion
Instructor: Abram Poliakoff
Abram Poliakoff is a singer, guitarist, pianist, teacher, conductor, and composer. He received a Bachelors of Music in Vocal Arts from USC’s Thornton School of Music and has been teaching music for 8 years. He is currently both the Associate Artistic Director and a tenor in the L.A. Choral Lab, which recently released its first studio album Sonic Visions in the fall of 2019. Abram teaches and performs a wide range of genres including Classical, Jazz, Folk and Popular music in the Los Angeles area. He has also sung with the San Francisco Opera and Pocket Opera in the Bay Area. His teaching mission is to help his students utilize vocal technique to find their authentic and healthy voice while maximizing genre flexibility and a naturalness of expression.