16 Playing with Texture Part 1
In this lesson, we’ll discover how we can achieve multiple sound qualities as we play with texture in our voice. Singing with texture is an amazing way to add emotion and beauty to your songs, and it truly can take your voice and your artistry to the next level! Part 1 of “Playing with Texture” will explore breathy, falsetto tones, as we learn to develop these qualities in the voice and learn how and when to use them in a healthy way. Charmaine will take you through a set of breathy texture scale exercises and song application exercises that will help you discover and master the art of vocal texture.
See the lesson resources below to:
- download the lesson notes (in Downloads tab)
- download the vocal workout for offline use (in Downloads tab)
My voice does not naturally lean to any breathy tone so this lesson was very enlightening. I was a little tentative to even try it because if the damage that could result in using it. I did like using it as a sprinkling here and there as it adds interest and dimension to my voice!
Hey Maureen! As long as you warm up your voice properly (with clear tone) and use a clear tone the majority of the time in your singing, there’s not risk of damage to use some breathy tone—so no need to be afraid of it!
This is an interesting lesson! I didn’t know that hurting one’s vocal chords is so common among singers. Reminds me to take care of my voice and to learn the proper ways of doing the exercises. Also glad to know that these are techniques for me to try out and eventually, I can decide if this is “my style” or not. Have never been taught to sing in a breathy tone, so this video helped me to understand what a breathy tone means and the “VUH” sound really helps!
Totally! It’s a helpful stylistic technique to know—but some will use it more naturally than others!
I can’t wait to work on these ideas with What a Beautiful Name since I’m leading it in a 1.5 week. So excited!
Awesome! That’s great!
Lightbulb moment was in the section where you talked about the risks of singing with the edgy texture. I had no idea the vocalists you mentioned had struggled with vocal issues. Really interesting, enlightening and makes me want to learn all these steps correctly and retrain bad habits.
Yes—so important to use edgy texture in a healthy way!
It really is amazing that your ear develops after a while and you can tell what coordinations singers are using. It’s like the singing code has been unlocked for me. I don’t have a FLIP at my bridges anymore. I continue to do these workouts for over a year now because THEY WORK. It’s like erosion, all that is required is pressure and time.
So true!! YAY! Glad to hear it — it truly is so exciting when you start to feel and hear noticeable improvement! 😀
This adds so much to Songs!! I played with the breathy voice while singing You Say, What a Beautiful Name and Broken Vessels this past Sunday and WOW what a difference. In conversation afterwards, I talked about my online vocal coaching and a guy who I sang on a worship team with for years said that it has definitely been a good investment. Thank you Charmaine!!!!
Wow, so cool! Thanks for sharing! Those are beautiful songs to use this technique in!! 😀
This content is pushing me way beyond anything I’ve ever done vocally…this is so fun…but so hard lol. I definitely agree that the breathy tone takes a lot more out of your “vocal budget” than a clear tone.
Glad you’re enjoying it! And yes, definitely takes more out of the budget. But it can be so worth it to “splurge” sometimes haha! 🙂
Wow I’ve learned so much in this lesson. Texture makes such a difference. I was very surprised to hear how dangerous is to sing with texture in an innapropiate way. Doing the exercises I could feel my voice getting tired so quickly because I’m not used to switch so much from edgy to breathy tone. From what I see I still have a long way to get the texture right. Thank you again for these amazing exercises and song applications 😊
Yeah, take it easy as your voice gets used to this stuff, and don’t put pressure on yourself to sound perfect! It can be super fun working on this stuff — and as long as you’re doing it in a healthy way, and resting the voice adequately, it’s totally safe!
Wow! listening to your step 4, I was amazed by how much more authentic and emotional it sounded. I loved it so much more. What a big difference just being able to switch back and forth makes! This is my lightbulb moment. I’ve been sick this week and haven’t gotten to practice any vocal workouts, but I’ve ended up training my ear more as I listen more intently to singers. Now I can hear much better the different when they are singing in light vs power voice and different textures. This video has opened my eyes to how much studio recorded songs use texture!
I also loved this line you said, “The vocal quality must agree with the lyric to be believable.” It’s instinctive when were listening to music, but I never had the words to describe it. These last few lessons have helped me “look under the hood” of why a particular song hits the spot for me – and how the singer did it! Thank you so much Charmaine!
Cool! Thanks for sharing your lightbulb moment! Sorry to hear you’ve been sick, hope you’re starting to feel better! Good on you for taking a break from singing, and intentionally listening while you’re waiting. Definitely the best decision! 🙂