Vocal Technique: Assets or Obstacles

What is the essence of singing? What separates a good singer from a great one? How can you identify a singer with proper technique? What exactly is technique and how does an aspiring singer develop it?

At its core, singing is sustained speech. The same instrument we use to communicate in everyday life is the one we use to sing. Instead of speaking in quick vowel-consonant combinations, a singer sustains those speech sounds melodically. The key difference is that singers must link sustained speech forms in tune and in time, often alongside a musical arrangement.

A-440 – Tuning The Singer’s Instrument

Most musical instruments are tuned to a standard pitch of A-440. This means that the note A in the fourth octave above middle C vibrates at 440 Hz (cycles per second). Lower pitches vibrate more slowly, and higher pitches vibrate more quickly.

Since most music adheres to this standard, singers benefit greatly from training their voices to match a well-tuned instrument, such as a piano. Doing so helps build muscle memory and establishes accurate pitch control.

Breath, image by Virtual Voice Coach

Who Sings

Everyone sings whether it’s cheering “woo-hoo!” for a favourite team, belting tunes in the shower, or humming along with favourite songs. Some of us take it further, becoming karaoke stars, garage band vocalists, or even professional singers pursuing a full-time career.

But what defines great vocal technique? Some singers possess a natural ability to emulate their favourite artists, much like mimicking accents. However, replicating the positive qualities of trained singers often raises questions: How do they do that? And more importantly, how can one develop a technique that allows them to sing in tune, on time, without damaging their voice, even without a coach?

Larynx, image by Virtual Voice Coach

Natural Talent Vs. Training

In my experience, I’ve worked with two main types of singers:

1. The Untrained Mimic: These singers often sound impressive because they’ve honed their skills by imitating their favourite artists. They’ve developed solid pitch and timing through trial and error. However, they typically cannot explain how they do what they do or how to improve further. Without technical knowledge, they eventually hit a ceiling, often maxing out their range and stylistic abilities. They don’t know what they don’t know.

2. The Overwhelmed Learner: Some singers seek out training but fall into the trap of “too-much-itis.” They absorb conflicting advice from various coaches, online tutorials, or unreliable methods that may not suit their voice type. This can lead to frustration, confusion, or even harm.

The bottom line? Singers serious about developing their voices need a voice coach who understands how the voice works. The right coach applies tailored exercises at the right time to build and balance the voice in a structured, sequential manner.

The Importance of Technique

Singing songs is every singer’s ultimate goal. However, if you struggle with a particular song, repeating it endlessly won’t improve your performance. Instead, it ingrains bad habits that are harder to unlearn over time.

As a voice coach, I guide singers to focus on key areas they can control. These areas, or “concentrations,” are the cause-and-effect reasons why singers either succeed or struggle with their voices. While the principles are universal across all genres, the specific exercises and remedies vary from person to person.

The primary areas of concentration are:

1. Breath
2. Vocal Cord Closure
3. Laryngeal Tilt
4. Vowels

Vocal Chords, image by Virtual Voice Coach

When singers develop awareness and mastery over these areas, they create a functional, results-oriented methodology tailored to their voice type, ensuring consistent growth.

1. Breath

Breath isn’t the end-all, be-all of singing. While some traditional voice teachers emphasize breath as the cornerstone of singing, modern vocal science suggests that breath support is just one of several components contributing to balanced vocal production.

Most humans are naturally good at breathing. We control how much air we inhale and exhale, and singing relies on consistent, controlled exhalation to create sound. However, focusing solely on breath often leads to imbalance. In truth, good breathing is a byproduct of balanced singing.

2. Vocal Folds

The vocal folds (or cords) are located at the top of the trachea and are about as wide as your thumbnail. They form a “v” shape and vibrate to produce sound when air from the lungs passes through them. The rate of vibration determines pitch: faster vibrations create higher pitches, while slower vibrations produce lower pitches.

Singers can train their vocal folds to produce accurate pitch, just like tuning a piano. For example, to sing the A4 note, the folds must vibrate at exactly 440 Hz.

Adduction, or the closing of the vocal folds, is a skill singers can control. Fully closed folds hold air (as when holding your breath), while lightly closed folds activated by breath flow produce a breathy or whispered tone. For balanced singing, an optimum vocal cord closure of about 50 to 80 percent produces a connected, resonant sound that is well-suited for contemporary styles.

Breath and vocal folds work together to create sound. This relationship between air and muscle is often called “the source.”

Vowels, image by Virtual Voice Coach

3. The Larynx

The larynx houses the vocal folds. Place your finger on your Adam’s apple and count to ten—you’ll feel it move slightly. This neutral position can be altered for stylistic purposes:

• Lowering the larynx (e.g. speaking in a dopey, yawny voice) can stabilize the sound and assist with high notes, reducing flipping or cracking.
• Raising the larynx (e.g. using a bratty, witchy voice) can encourage vocal cord closure and improve clarity when a singer struggles with a connected tone.

These extremes might sound unnatural at first, but learning to balance slight adjustments in laryngeal tilt allows singers to achieve a controlled, dynamic tone.

Learning to raise or lower the position of the larynx becomes a valuable tool for singers that assist in navigating the transition or passagio; the place in the vocal register known as mixed voice where most vocal challenges are experienced.

4. Vowels

Singers primarily sing vowels, as they sustain sound without being blocked by the lips, tongue, or throat. Vowel shapes, or formants, influence resonance and tone. Correct vowel shaping enhances harmonic frequencies, helping singers achieve ease and presence in their sound.

For example, vowel tuning can direct tone toward the chest (lower notes) or head (higher notes), making transitions smoother. Mastering vowel shapes allows singers to boost harmonic frequencies associated with the notes being sung. When a vowel is shaped correctly, a singer will experience more ease and presence in vocal production.

The Key To Vocal Freedom

Mastering these four areas—breath, vocal cord closure, laryngeal tilt, and vowel tuning—unlocks vocal freedom. If you struggle with producing a solid sound, increasing your range, or avoiding cracks, chances are one or more of these areas are out of balance.

By addressing these obstacles with targeted exercises, singers can build a dynamic voice that is powerful, flexible, and strain-free.

Final Thoughts

Singing is simply complicated. As a voice coach, I help singers simplify the complexities of vocal technique by altering their experience. Understanding these areas of control is the foundation of vocal development for every singer. From there, the growth progression unfolds voice → song → sound → style → write → record → release → repeat.

With the right tools and mindset, every singer can unlock their full potential.

About the author: Darcy D brings 30 years of experience in the music industry to his diverse career as a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, recording artist, producer, and conference speaker. As the owner of Darcy D Music Group, he utilizes his vast expertise to shape his work. Beginning as the frontman of Simon Kaos and achieving Gold record success with Prism, Darcy’s musical journey has encompassed a range of genres, from rock to jazz. Darcy has been recognized with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.

He now teaches privately online and has developed an app for singers called Virtual Voice Coach. The app is designed to help students unlock their full potential as vocalists. To learn more, visit www.virtualvoice.coach.