Aloha from Hawaii

djeans

I purchased the program back in 2011, and unfortunately, never really applied myself to learning it. I have recently started practicing 1 hour a day. I'm about a week into stage 1 at this point.

I'm looking forward to improving, and I feel minor improvements already, but I still have so far to go.

I do have a couple of questions maybe some of you could help me with.

In each stage, there are several intro videos, and a bonus material video. When practicing, I have been just watching the bonus material video and singing along with Ken. Is that the way it is intended to be done? (I have watched each intro video at least once too). 

There is also audlo only files. I have added them to my iphone, and if I'm going to be in the car for a relatively long drive, I play those and sing along with them. I know not the best practice, but I figure it's better than not practicing.

My goal is to get a solid hour of practice in each day, but which video or audio should I be using?

 I'd like to maybe post video of me doing a couple of the exercises to get some feedback - would this be the right place, or is there a dedicated forum for that?

Lastly, Ken never really mentions when doing the scale warm-ups when I should be transitioning from chest to head voice. Does it matter? Should I be trying to go as far as i can with my chest voice up the scale and only transition when I reach the limit, or should I transition into the head voice sooner, and if so, how much sooner?

Thanks

Darron

highmtn

Aloha, Darron!

You should watch the instructional videos several times each.  Periodically you should go back and rewatch them.  You will always catch something new in them.

The audio exercises are what you should be doing for a minimum of an hour each day, 5 or 6 days per week.  It is recommended that you try to dedicated some time to them when you are not driving.  You can't pay proper attention to both your voice AND your driving, so as a result both will suffer from only working out while commuting.  Many claim that they can't devote the time, but if you do that you are short-changing yourself and your vocal development, as well as compromising your attention while driving.

It is essential that you pay sufficient attention and devote sufficient time to your vocal development, if you truly want to become the singer that you have the potential to be.

The videos are intended to be instructional.  Watch what Ken does and says and copy him as exactly as you can.  Then practice those techniques when doing the audio workouts.

If you pay attention to what Ken is saying during the audio workouts, he tells you in several places where you should be beginning to feel like transitioning to head voice.

Each person has to figure out where their own passagio happens, but in the videos and audio exercises, Ken mentions around E4 most males are either ready or getting close to needing to bridge.

Others will be around F or F#, some at G.  If you are a higher tenor, you may actually want to bridge at G#, A, or Bb. You will have to experiment and find where you can most efficiently bridge.

Don't forget to use the vowel modifications.  You will probably have to start doing them around the E4 or so.

Use them to help delay where you have to bridge.

As I have explained to so many students, you need to be aware of TWO (2) initial goals.

1.  Bridge smoothly, without a yodel.  Connect head voice to your chest voice without the speed bump.  Sing as lightly as you have to in order to avoid the yodel.  Sing the rest of the scale no louder than you are able to sing in the passagio when connecting.  It may take time to get this worked out, so start learning to do this NOW.

2. Stretch your chest voice.  Practice singing your scales, going as high as you are able, without straining, and avoid bridging, instead taking your chest voice as high as you are able.  It takes months or even years to stretch chest voice very high, so get started on that NOW. 

These are two different processes that have to be practiced alternately, because they are both the opposite of one another, but both are also essential skills you must learn and master.  So do light scales and work on bridging.  Then do a little stronger singing and resist bridging. You have to lean into the sound a little more to stretch chest.  You have to hold back a little more to bridge smoothly.

Dudes should start with the Dudes Audio tracks for Volume 1 and work on them for a minimum of 6 to 12 weeks. 

You will get back from this program what you put into it.  If you want great results, do great practice.

You can post demos of your exercises here on the forums.  Please put them in the Demos section.  There is a thread there called Demos for Newbies.  If you're new or nervous, it's a bit less critical on the feedback there.

Nice to have you show up here at the forums.  You're about three years behind where you could have been, if you had dug in earlier.  No time like the present to make up for lost time!  Dig in and enjoy your progress.

You will do well if you choose to make this a priority in your life.  Your results will be in direct proportion to the time, effort, and focus you put on your KTVA practice.

All the Best!

Bob