Stability and the Singing Voice

Dr. Jane as a wee grad student trying very hard to sing with stability!!!

Dear Students,

One word that I have been using a lot lately when talking about singing is “stability”. Stability in singing means creating a sound that you can rely on- a sound that isn’t shaky or likely to crack, and that can be held for as long as needed. It’s actually a term I have been using increasingly in place of “support” as something that is a little easier to understand and integrate with the voice system as a whole. 

Stability occurs physiologically in the voice when the ratio between breath pressure and muscle is balanced such that phonation is maintained. When this ratio fluctuates, the sound becomes shaky or wobbly, or phonation may briefly stop altogether, as in a voice crack. Depending on the exact ratio of breath pressure and muscle, you may get different kinds of sound: when the vocal folds (aka vocal cords) are loosely held together with a lot of air moving past them, the sound is ‘breathy’; when the vocal folds are pressed together tightly with less air moving past them, the sound is ‘pressed’; and when the vocal folds are pressed together firmly in balance with the air moving past them, the sound is ‘clean’.

There is a term called “tensegrity” which describes the structural principle where a system achieves stability through the interplay of continuous tension between its components, creating suspension points of neutrality between opposing forces. In the voice, this means stability is achieved by tension within muscles occurring throughout the body such that at the vocal fold level, there is a reduction of tension, allowing for vibration to occur.

The main areas that can carry tension in the body (related to the voice) are the muscles of breath support (abdominals and ribcage muscles), the facial and jaw muscles, the tongue, and the vocal folds themselves. (Occasionally I do see tension carried in other, very peripheral areas, such as the legs or hands.) It’s easy to think of tension anywhere as bad, or even to think that support should only be maintained at the abdominal/ribcage level, but I find that a reductive model, especially in the context of singing with different styles or tone qualities.

The reality is that there are many different ways to stabilize; different options that allow us to achieve the tensegrity necessary for phonation to occur. We choose the strongest points of stability as a baseline, while occasionally employing other stabilizing muscles for dramatic purposes. Maintaining strong stability looks like aligned spinal posture that doesn’t shift in response to vocal demand (such as the head jutting forward on a high note), and with dynamic engagement of the abdominals and ribcage muscles to regulate airflow in response to vocal demand. Intentional use of other forms of stabilization might look like shoulder tension used to make a gesture, physical movement based on theater blocking, or facial tension to show emotion in the voice. Facial and tongue tension can be a useful part of getting an edgy, distorted sound, etc, etc. The point is, having an efficient baseline of stability allows us to make intentional choices to enhance the sound, rather than relying on a means of stability that, if overused, will ultimately fail.

Since the voice is multidimensional, it’s worth noting the role of resonance; specifically, that having the right amount of mouth opening for the note, tone quality, and volume you’re singing reduces the effort with which the vocal folds need to close fully. This subsequently reduces the amount of breath pressure needed to produce a stable sound, thus reducing the risk of vocal fatigue. It’s possible to achieve stability without leveraging mouth opening, but you may find it harder to find and maintain stability, or if you do, impossible to do so at the desired volume or with the desired tone quality.

So, what happens when we try to change the way that we find stability? What if you have been relying on tensing the jaw or the facial muscles to achieve stability? The first step is to determine if there are less efficient means of stabilization you have been using habitually rather than intentionally. Filming yourself, singing in front of a mirror, or asking someone to watch you when you sing might help bring some awareness to what you’re doing. Once you’ve identified those muscle patterns, the next step is to start to consciously make changes while you are singing. This tends to be easier if you break down what you’re doing, i.e. sing short phrases more slowly. The third step is to keep in mind that as you are rebuilding these muscle patterns, you may initially LOSE stability. When you make a change, you throw off the balance of muscle and air that has, more or less, been working for you up to this point. Anticipate an initial increase in voice cracking, running out of air, and even vocal fatigue. It’s important not to get discouraged during this phase, even though it may feel as though your singing is getting worse. Focus on the process of what you are trying to change and be patient with regards to the outcome and the quality of your sound. Over time, you will start to see the positive outcome. Recognize that what you are doing is difficult, but it’s worth it in the cultivation of a voice that is strong, flexible, and resilient.

Do you have a habitual peripheral tension pattern? Have you ever gone through the process of changing how you stabilize your voice? What are your questions about finding stability in your singing voice? Leave a comment or shoot me an email, I’d love to hear from you.

Warmly,

Dr. Jane