Chapter 1
IN THIS LESSON
BECOMING AWARE OF YOUR VOCAL CORDS
Your mind’s eye is a spot just above the middle of the roof of your mouth–right at the end of your hard palette. You can’t see your mind’s eye, but if you close your actual eyes, you can probably sense it. Indeed, we’ll use your mind’s eye to sense what is happening in your vocal cords.
To begin using your mind’s eye to “look down” at your vocal cords inside your body, let’s first practice using your mind’s eye on things outside your body–like your right ear, the back of your neck, and your chin. Try closing your eyes and then “looking around” at these three spots, using only your mind’s eye. Can you “see” them, even with your eyes closed? Can you sense the way your focus shifts to each of these three spots?
If so, that’s your mind’s eye at work. And when the mind’s eye is always looking at your vocal cords, you’ll sing with a newfound awareness that unleashes your true voice.
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Grab a tissue and stand in front of the mirror. Put the tissue flat on your hand and raise it up until your hand with the tissue is just a few inches in front of your mouth. Now blow the tissue off your hand–first with tightly pursed lips, then loose. See how the position of your lips affects the speed of the tissue flying off your hand.
This is similar to what the vocal cords are experiencing as you tighten or loosen them–it’s just physics. The tighter your lips (or smaller the opening for the air to pass through) the more forceful the air–and vice versa.
So it follows with singing:
The smaller opening for air to pass, the faster your vocal cords vibrate. That higher force results in higher pitches that resonate upward in your mouth, sinuses, and skull.
The wider the opening for air to pass, the slower your vocal cords vibrate. That lower force results in lower pitches that resonate downward in your chest.
