Help: Can't sing 'ee'

Subject: Can't sing 'ee'
From: GUEST,Paul
Date: 12 Mar 01 - 07:01 PM

I'm trying to improve my singing voice, just for my own enjoyment (I'm not endowed with much to work with). When I sing the "ee" sound, my palette vibrates, and on up into my nose, and I get an unpleasant buzzing sound in my voice. No position of my mouth that I have found alleviates this. "Oo" is difficult too, but doesn't produce the buzzing, just a lack of openness and volume. Anyone have pointers or ideas? Thanks, Paul

Subject: RE: Help: Can't sing 'ee'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Mar 01 - 07:48 PM

Well, I suppose you could take up tuva singing...

Alice compiled an index to all of the threads we've had on the singing voice. Click here to see her index.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Help: Can't sing 'ee'
From: Lyrical Lady
Date: 12 Mar 01 - 08:38 PM

Relax and drop your lower jaw ... have your tongue forward touching behind your lower teeth ... slightly perse your lips and sing 'eeeeeeeeeeeeeee' ... there ya go .... ya did it! LL

Subject: RE: Help: Can't sing 'ee'
From: En
Date: 12 Mar 01 - 08:54 PM

I know what you mean about that vibrating palate! Sometimes my teeth vibrate so much I fear I'll lose dental work. Then the palate itches, and it feels as though flesh will separate from facial bones.

It sounds as though singing "ee" is producing a harmonic resonance in the bones of your head. The only thing to do is to change the sound you are producing so that the vibration doesn't jive with that of your bones.

Knowing what region you are from would help me describe vowel sounds more clearly, but try these changes:

Sing a more open, less nasal sound by raising your palate while singing (like when you are yawning, or when a bite of pizza scalds your mouth).

or

Change the vowel sound slightly. Try substituting a short American i sound for the ee. Or add more long a. Usually people don't notice the difference in context.

or

Rewrite the song to eliminate the offensive vowel sound.

Subject: RE: Help: Can't sing 'ee'
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 12 Mar 01 - 11:29 PM

Four Blind Mice? I don't know, En...

I sometimes use the short "i" sound as En suggested. In fact, to generalize that, if certain vowels give you trouble it often helps to break them down into simpler components and emphasize the open vowel sounds. OK, let me try to say that more simply with another example. The long "A" sound as in "say" is actually "eh" plus "ee". So if the word "say" is supposed to last 4 beats, sing "seh" for 3 3/4 beats and move to "ee" at the very end. Your audience will still hear it as "say", but it will sound better. The same thing works if you do "ih...ee" instead of going right to "ee". Your voice is much more open on an open vowel (that is, when your tongue is not crowded up against your palate), and when your voice is open it sounds better, and may not buzz as much. Listen to good singers and you'll hear them do that all the time.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Help: Can't sing 'ee'
From: GUEST,Paul
Date: 13 Mar 01 - 12:43 AM

Midwest, En. Thanks to all. Think some of these things are going to help. And my thanks to Alice for that compilation.

Subject: RE: Help: Can't sing 'ee'
From: Deni
Date: 13 Mar 01 - 04:58 AM

That buzzing, or resonance is what professional singers strive for, it makes your voice project. Maybe you just need to control it a little so that the top of your head doesn't shake loose. Try lowering your shoulders and flaring your nostrils...not too wide oryou'll look like you're about to charge.

...sounds like you've got the idea so far.

and seriously, if you do have metal fillings or dental work, those can vibrate most unpleasantly when you are singing.

Cheers Deni

Subject: RE: Help: Can't sing 'ee'
From: En
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 12:20 AM

Hey Mark, how about:

A triad of mice A triad of mice Visualize them running Visualize them running...

Like it????

Ah, Paul--the midwest! Chicago? Dayton? It's all so clear now.... Midwestern vowels are the flattest (not open) of all, perfect for singing folk and county music, though, or my favorite--seriously--Bulgarian folk music. But unless you are singing those you can open up the vowels a bit and solve your problem I'm guessing. Mark described perfectly how to hold on to that open vowel and tag on the 'ee' sound at the very end of the note. You can often leave it off entirely, and somehow the audience's ears will fill it in subconsciously.

Have fun playing with it.

--En

Subject: RE: Help: Can't sing 'ee'
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 02:50 AM

En, my voice teacher back in Seattle once told me that my Philadelphia vowels (most of which I've lost) were the most complex of any in the country! Of course, I don't think she'd ever been to North Carolina. But what I really want to know is, how do those Bulgarian singers get their voice to sound like it's coming from about a foot and a half in front of them? Absolutely amazing.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Help: Can't sing 'ee'
From: En
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 10:38 AM

Mark,

What an intelligent way your voice teacher had of putting it, Mark. "Complex"--I like it. That's my philosophy too, that there are no bad sounds, only different sounds. Down with intonation bigotry! My vote for most open vowels sounds in US go to Hawaii (used to live and sing there) and Utah.

Those Bulgarian singers do everything my voice teacher said was wrong--nasal and strident, sing back in their throats and just plain shout out that sound. The other thing that helps is vowel unification: all those singers pronounce their vowels identically and so magnify and project the sound like a holograph. Don't you love it???

Subject: RE: Help: Can't sing 'ee'
From: RichM
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 10:45 AM

Try to recognize "head" voice, "chest" voice and in between. These are your overtones, that modify the voice qualities/overtones/full vs. thin etc...
Others here can describe it better, but it's useful to understand this.

Rich

Subject: RE: Help: Can't sing 'ee'
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 14 Mar 01 - 06:27 PM

Used to sing in Hawaii, En? Where? I've been trying for years to find folk-oriented musicians for song circles and such, and I haven't had any luck, here on the Big Island or even on Oahu.
And I think "complex" was my term; my teacher found it in an old book that was rather more negative, though I don't remember the book or the phraseology. If anybody is in the Seattle area, by the way, and wants to take singing lessons from a wonderful teacher, look up Kim Scanlon. She's a genius.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Help: Can't sing 'ee'
From: En
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 10:54 AM

Hi Mark,

Sorry it took me so long to respond. It's report-card writing time for me here.

I lived on Oahu, sang with a group of military wives called the Julie Singers, and briefly directed the group until we moved. We performed all kinds of music, sometimes with the Pacific Fleet Band. It was not folk group but a few of us played folk stuff outside the group. My husband was in the Navy and it was not difficult to find folk-oriented people in the military community there--you might try putting up a cards on the bulletin boards in music stores or military exchanges and commissaries.

Hawaii is the most musical place I have ever lived. It seems everyone dances, plays or sings. Have you gotten into Hawaiian music at all?