Dear Lynny-- I thought I'd post this, in case anyone else is interested in these exercises. I've been taking vocal lessons for about 6 months, and I am stunned at the changes the breathing exercises and pitch exercises have wrought in my vocal ability. Do them AFTER the breathing regimen I outlined earlier, and do them IN ORDER! Also, you must be accompanied by an in-tune guitar or piano that can play while you hold your note, so you can correct yourself if you're off.

1) The bottom line: a) hum a couple of tunes you know well and that do not stretch your range, then; b) sing "ahhhhh" on the middle note of your range; c) sing "ahhhh" one third below that; d) sing "ahhhh" one third below that; e) sing "ahhhh" a minor second below the first note; repeat steps c, d, and e descending by minor seconds until you reach the bottom of your range.

2) Raise the Roof: a) sing "ahhhhh" on the middle note of your range; b) sing "ahhhh" one third above that; c) sing "ahhhh" one third above that; e) sing "ahhhh" a minor second above the first note; repeat steps c, d, and e ascending by minor seconds until you reach the top of your range.

For both 1 and 2 above, keep your throat OPEN. Yawn between each note if you have to. Stop BEFORE it feels strained. Do not try for volume--your most comfortable singing voice is all you want here.

3) Find the Pitch: a) pick a note in the bottom half of your range; b) sing the ascending notes at chromatic intervals up one octave alternating with your root note. i.e. "one two" "one two" "one three" "one three" "one four" "one four" "one five" "one six" "one six" "one seven" "one seven" "one one" Repeat in descending order.

Again, keep it open, do it soft and slow and yawn a lot.This one trains your ear to detect intervals and your voice to be more accurate. Again, no volume--just a natural, comfortable power.

4) Get dynamic! a) pick a note in the middle of your range and sing it normally, b) slowly and keeping your throat open, increase your volume, c) slowly and keeping your throat open, decrease your volume to your starting volume, d) stop and yawn, e) sing the note again, f) slowly and keeping your throat open, decrease your volume to a whisper, g) slowly and keeping your throat open, increase your volume to your starting volume. Repeat with two other notes. The general tendency is to go sharp when increasing and flat when decreasing, so feel for accuracy feel what corrections you have to make to ensure accuracy, so your body can reproduce them for you.

5) Ha Ha Ha! a) pick a note in the middle of your range and sing "HA" b) inhale c)sing "HA" d) inhale e) sing "HA" Repeat with two other notes. The objective is to move a lot of air with your diaphragm at an accurate pitch, with a quick, but relaxed and large, diaphragmatic breath. Do not strive for any more volume than your exhale can produce--as the diapragm gets fitter, the volume will increase on its own.

Start to finish, including the breathing, I spend about 20 minutes doing all this stuff before I rehearse or record. I do as much as I can as a warm up before gigs. The payoff is that I can now sing for 2 to 3 hours at a clip, recording or rehearsing, or performing, without getting strained, tight, or hoarse. Or course, I'm not singing like Janis Joplin, either--more like Joni Mitchell.

Mileage may vary, as they say...but I've been amazed at my improvement. My coach is an older gentleman by the name of Charles Frink, and he's incredibly cool. Now if I could just get a regimen for the guitar that works as well....

Good Luck and let me know how you make out!

Vixen

(baker_victor@sirus.commnet.edu)