The Inner Game of Singing

At TVS we spend time studying the mental and spiritual side of singing. We have mantras and affirmations that we use to get into the right mindset to produce beautiful sounds and sing beautifully. We use visualization to help improve the power and beauty of the singing voice, we use positive mental programming to silence negative self-talk that hinders a vocalists ability to sing well. Singing is a mental sport you have to have the right attitude and mindset while being calm, relaxed and confident.

Eyes and ears to the back of the theater, standing at center stage, pick a target and sing to it.  Look to the distance, gain your balance and posture, you’ve heard in your head what you are going to sing, and you know where it is projecting too.

 Don’t think of higher pitches as higher; think of them as more forward, out “there”. You’re not thinking of stretching and reaching higher, you’re thinking of them out in front of you, all you have to do is grab them.

 Commit to the hard and boring stuff, Intense dedication and determination is what makes a musician and an artist.  Self-Discipline to master the hard and boring stuff will gain you great rewards. Make everything subconscious so you don’t have to consciously think about it.

 Meditate on a beautiful sound, the most beautiful sound possible. Create your voice in your mind. Let your imagination take the voice to the performance envelope. Hear the sound you want in your head, use your imagination and create something beautiful.

 For more about Visualization and Positive Mental Programming check out The Four Pillars of Singing 2.0:

Vocal Modes

At TVS we study voice in a context of Vocal Modes. Vocal modes are the categorization of the physiological configurations of the larynx, with each mode we get a unique overtone and color. At TVS there are 8 Vocal Modes:

• Speech
• Sob
• Opera
• Belt
• Falsetto
• Quack
• Distortion
• Twang

Of these 8 we use 5 in our training: Falsetto, Belt, Quack, Distortion, and most importantly Twang. Our larynx can be configured into many different physiologies. Other than communicating with our teacher we do not use speech in our training. Maestro David Kyle said: “Speech is an enemy to the singer”.  Sob employs a lowered larynx and a low dark sound, we do not use it in our training at TVS (sometimes as an embellishment in lyric interpretation). Opera is characterized by a low larynx and as much pharyngeal space as possible, though a beautiful art form, we don’t use it at TVS. Belt is a necessary evil to a singer and we do use it in our training at TVS, but we train so that we don’t belt high in the chest voice, we leave our belts down low and use twang to go higher. Falsetto is crucial to our training at TVS, it provides the basis for bridging into the head voice and gaining solid head voice placements. Quack is something we use to train twang, because it is basically extreme twang, it is characterized by a tilting of the thyroid cartilage and a very connected “whacky” sound.  Distortion is considered an occupational hazard and we do train it at TVS, it is essential for the modern vocalist. Twang is the king of all vocal modes and at TVS we say that singing lives in a world of Twang. Twang is what gives us full voiced tones in the head voice and freedom from constriction.

To learn more about Vocal Modes check out The Vocalist Studio.Com:
Click here to visit The Vocalist Studio (TVS, LLC)

Developing Vibrato

Vibrato is easily developed and is usually natural. Vibrato is natural when the voice is configured properly and free of strain.  Vibrato is an oscillation in a pitch, meaning a periodic variation in the frequency or pitch of a musical note. Vibrato is an embellishment to thicken your sound, it has a pulse and a rhythm to it. At TVS we learn to phonate notes that have no strain and are resonant and when that happens then we just “think” the vibrato, we let it happen, just let it “flutter”, this has to do with “Pillar 4” principles of Visualization and the mental side of singing. Most of the time Vibrato happens naturally when we have a perfectly balanced tone, and if we achieve this balanced tone we gain a good consistent solid vibrato.  We train to make our overtones ring and then let a nice pretty vibrato flutter through. You never force vibrato, you just think it and it comes through, be aware of it and the body will take care of it.  There are three kinds of Vibrato that we deal with at TVS: Hammer Vibrato, Diaphragmatic Vibrato, and Laryngeal Vibrato.  To learn how to employ these types of Vibrato in your singing check out The Four Pillars Of Singing 2.0:

Vocal Placement: The First Step To Connecting

Placement refers to where a tone resonates in the voice (aka: placed in the chest voice or head voice) it also refers to whether the placement is shallow or deep. As a general rule we always place our tones forward into the “Mask”.  However when we bridge into the head voice we want to place the tone deep in the head and “Cover” it. (Note: The mask can still have feelings of vibration and resonance while doing this). This is where Placement comes in the most at TVS. When we are training bridging and connecting we land in the head voice in a windy Falsetto which is “placed” perfectly. This is the placement we will keep as we start to modify Falsetto into Twang. We want a deep solid placement in the head voice, so that we have a solid foundation for a full voice tone.  Yes, Falsetto and Full Voiced tones sit in the exact same place in the head voice, the major difference is the laryngeal configuration. With perfect placement, you enjoy total freedom from strain and a big full voiced sound in the head voice.
Click here to visit The Vocalist Studio (TVS, LLC)

Bridging and Connecting

This is the back bone of TVS Technique, in fact 80% of the sport of singing is based on being able to do these two things easily and well.

What is Bridging?

Bridging is the process of going from the chest voice through the Passagio and into the head voice with no break in between and with no strain. This is probably what most singers have the hardest time with and is something that we spend a lot of time training at TVS.  We train the muscle memory so that we can consistently and smoothly bridge the Passagio with ease.  When a singer first starts learning how to bridge they start out in full voice and slowly ascend an octave or a perfect 5^th through the Passagio and then land in the head voice in falsetto, after this has been accomplished we work on the 2^nd part of these techniques, the connecting.

What is Connecting?

Connecting is when we bring the vocal folds together so that what is normally falsetto becomes a beautiful, full voiced head tone that matches the resonance of the chest voice. To do this we use an exotic vocal mode called Twang which tilts the larynx, and contracts the aryepiglotic sphincter, thus bringing the vocal folds together.

If a singer can learn to do these things, they will be able to sing with a range of 4-5 octaves and be totally free from strain and be able to sing with freedom and expression.  This is the biggest part of voice technique. The ability to do these two skills separates good singers from great singers.

One of the best places in the world to learn these techniques right now is at The Vocalist Studio.  The Four Pillars of Singing 2.0 written, filmed, and recorded by Robert Lunte. It Is one of the most advanced training systems ever developed. Pillars 2.0 teaches “Bridging and Connecting” with amazing detail and clarity.

Click on the picture below to see what comes with The Four Pillars of Singing 2.0 and to visit The Vocalist Studio.com:

 

Mixed Voice is DEAD!

Mixed voice is usually taught by people who teach “sing with a balanced larynx” all the time.  They say that “Mixed voice” is what happens when you start going through your Passagio and that you are singing half in your chest and half in your head. They teach that it is a register between chest and head voice. When really all this does is confuse students of singing.

You have two physical registers Chest voice and head voice period. At TVS call going through the Passagio into the head voice: Covering. This is a technique we use in our head voice. All “covered” notes are in the head voice! A covered note is a note that sits very low in the head voice as far as resonance is concerned.  Singers usually stay “covered” until around A4 (for men). But it is still head voice, not some weird other register.  

Check out this video of Robert Lunte clarifying this subject further:

Click here to visit The Vocalist Studio (TVS, LLC)

Introducing The Four Pillars of Singing 2.0

The Four Pillars of Singing 2.0 is one of the best vocal training systems in the world today. It is very innovative and provides for all of the needs of the modern vocalist. If you want to learn to sing higher, sing with power, endurance, and a beautiful tone, then this is the training system for you! 

Below is described everything that comes with The Four Pillars of Singing 2.0:

The Four Pillars of Singing 2.0:

1. The Book, “The Four Pillars of Singing 2.0

Foreword

Robert J. Lunte

Maestro David P. Kyle

Maestro David P. Kyle Lecture

Maestro David P. Kyle Quotations

Robert Lunte Quotations

This Book Is Not “Done”?

PERSPECTIVES AND PONTIFICATIONS

The Contemporary Breed & The Classical Tradition

The Emergence Of Extreme Singing Legitimacy

Setting The Record Straight

THE LANGUAGE OF VOCAL TECHNIQUE AND A TVS TALK TRACK FOUNDATION

What Does “Talk Track” Mean?

What Does Pedagogue Mean?

 What Does It Mean to Phonate?

Top Down Phonations vs. Bottom Up Phonations

The Definition Of Singing

Chest Voice & Head Voice

The Embouchure

The Embouchure Set

What Does “Placement” Mean?

What Is A “Shallow Placement

What Is Bridging & Connecting?

What Does It Mean To “Calibrate”?

Bridging The Passaggio

The #1 Secret To Bridging The Passaggio

Where Is My “Vocal Break”? – The Passaggio

Light Mass & Medium Mass Phonations

Heavy Mass Phonations

THE PHYSIOLOGY, PHONETICS AND ACOUSTICS OF SINGING

The Vocal Tract

Inhalation

Exhalation

Cardio Vascular Exercise

Benefits of Cardio-Vascular Exercise

The Anatomy of Phonation

The Vocal Folds

The Glottis

Compression

 Adduction

Semi-Occluded Phonations & Resonant Tracking

Resonant Tracking vs. Lip Trills

Vocal Fry

Benefits of Resonant Tracking

The CT & The TA

The Singing Voice vs. The Speaking Voice

TVS VOCAL MODES

Primitive Vocal Modes & Invention Vocal Modes

The Primitive Vocal Modes

The Invention Vocal Modes

The TVS Vocal Mode Matrix

 Conclusions From The Vocal Mode Matrix

Elaborating On The TVS Vocal Modes

Speech Mode

Sob Mode

Opera Mode

Belt Mode

 Falsetto Mode

Quack Mode

Twang Mode Is King!

The Benefits Of Vocal Twang

THE VOCAL REGISTERS

Chest Register

Head Register

Flageolet or “Whistle” Register

Overtones

The Resonators

THE FORMANT

VOWELS AND VOWEL MODIFICATION

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

The Two Kinds of Vowels

Open Vowels & IPA For Singing

Closed Vowels & IPA For Singing

Diphthongs

Vowel Modification For Singing

The Vowel Modification Table For Singers

Marking Your Lyrics For Vowel Modification

THE GEOMETRY OF VOCAL TECHNIQUE AND APPLYING TVS TO BECOME A GREAT SINGER

Steve Perry Sang a “Deep” Note

The Onset Package

The Components Of The TVS Onset Package

The Onset Package Work Flow

The Phonation Package

Intrinsic Anchoring

Laryngeal Dumping

Tongue Leveraging

The Intrinsic Anchoring Set

The Intrinsic Anchoring Set Work Flow

VOCAL EFFECTS

The Case For Vocal Distortion

Vocal Distortion Is An Occupational Hazard

Learn To Sing First, Then Train Distortion

Vocal Distortion Phonates In The Vocal Tract

TVS “Overlay” Distortion

The “Overlay” Distortion Work Flow

A New Definition of “Scream”

TVS Extreme Scream Distortion

The “ESD” Distortion Work Flow

TVS Extreme Scream Pitch

The “ESP” Pitch Work Flow

Vibrato

Hammer Vibrato

Diaphragmatic Vibrato

Laryngeal Vibrato

THE POWER OF MENTAL IMAGERY IN SINGING

Psychosomatics

The Mental Game of Singing

Learn To Silence The Noise

Eliminate Tension Creep

Hear The Sound Before You Sing It

Move Your Body

Singers Are Floppy!

Choose Your TVS Microphone Grip

Stop “Hitting” Notes And Start Singing Them

Be Audacious

THE APPLICATION OF TVS TECHNIQUES TO YOUR TRAINING ROUTINE

The Training Foundation

Resonant Tracking

Onsets & Sirens

Maintaining Your Vocal Technique When Singing

THE TVS RESPIRATORY WORKOUTS

37 VOCALISES FOR BRIDGING THE PASSAGGIO & HEAD VOICE DEVELOPMENT

THE VOCALIST GIG BAG

Microphones

Processing

Other Vocal Gear

THANK YOU

TVS CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS

TVS OPERATIONS AND PARTNERS

TVS SPONSORS AND RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS & SERVICES FOR SINGERS

FRIENDS OF TVS, MENTORS OF ROBERT LUNTE AND HONORABLE MENTION

 

2. The Video and Audio Content

37 Audio Files Of The Most Effective And Radical Workouts Available Anywhere!

22 Lectures In High Definition Video On The TVS Techniques You Will Need To Develop A World Class Voice.

37 Radical Performance Demonstrations In High Definition Video Of All The “Pillars” Workouts.(Creative edits from 4 cameras that simultaneously captured the action, Bring you a visual experience never before seen in any vocal training system)

37 Audio Tutorials & Demonstrations Of All The TVS Workouts You Can Listen To In The Car. (Robert Lunte explains how to do the workouts and then demonstrates)

37 “Sing-A-Long” Audio Files That Enable You To Train By Singing Over Robert Lunte’s Recorded Demonstration. (A NEW innovative way to learn vocal workouts quickly and correctly)

37 “Sing-A-Long” Audio Files That  Enable You To Train Over Simulated (Synth) Recorded Demonstrations.

 

 Bonus Content:

22 Re-mastered Videos From The Original “Pillars 1.5” Version. (Just for Fun)

Production Value:

• 16GB/435 Total files! 5 DVDS, 4 CDS, and The Book (Hard Copy)
• 4 High Definition Cameras, filming simultaneously with creative angles capturing the demonstrations/performances from multiple angles.
• 4 Cameras editing in multiple screen shots, picture in picture, creative transitions and effects. Professional Sound with Lavaliere. (Proper mic for speaking/lectures)
• All Filming and Editing provided by www.videreproductions.com
• All Vocal Workout Audio Re-mastered from version 1.0
• Updated book that includes vocal modes, onsets, laryngeal dumping, and other innovations such as “the two dimensions of vocal range”.

The Four Pillars of Singing 1.0/1.5
Content:

- The Book The Four Pillars of Singing

- 11 Vocal Workouts

- 22 Video Demonstrations of the Vocal Workouts

- 3 Discs (Hard Copy)

Production Value:

- 1 Standard Definition Camera

- A less professional editing of the video content

- Older recordings of the vocal workouts

- A great voice teacher, a cool idea, a good product… has sold well and everyone has loved it.

Learn To Sing Amazing High Notes With Ease and Power

Do you want to learn how to sing high notes that sound absolutely amazing? Are you frustrated because when you try to sing high, you sound like a little choir girl? With Robert Lunte’s The Four Pillars of Singing 2.0 you will learn to “Bridge and Connect” into your head voice so that you can sing high notes with ease, power and an absolutely beautiful tone.

What is Briding and Connecting?

At TVS Briding means smoothly going from Chest Voice to Head Voice with no vocal break in between, its one smooth fluid movement.

Connecting means after we have Bridged to the Head Voice then we use an exotic vocal mode called Twang to change what is normally falsetto to a full voiced tone.

With the Four Pillars of Singing 2.0 you will learn how to Robert Lunte will personally show you on 5 DVDs how to train this vital skill that all singers need.

This is the Key to The Four Pillars of Singing 2.0.  You will develop the strength and co-ordiantion to seamlessly present a full voice from the chest voice into the head voice and you will gain a 4-5 octave range. Singers that train with The Four Pillars of Singing 2.0 develop incredible power and the freedom from the tension that can happen when transitioning through vocal bridges from the chest register to the head register. 

Click on the picture below to purchase The Four Pillars of Singing 2.0 and become a better singer today.

Definitive Techniques For The Modern Vocalist