Overtime Updating Review. Starting the experience.
Artickus
2.0 PRO Posts: 66
So here is the deal.
I got the How To Sing Better course (3 volumes) + Pro Packs around 6 of December 2016.
I have recorded a full-length album with my band before I got the course (I sang the way I learned to sing over the years and with some help of few different vocal coaches), it will be soon out, cause we are mixing and mastering it.
The subject is: I'm working out with the course - Volume 1 for now. I will update this threat with new material along the way and the progress.
Want to introject the sing, that due to heavy work traffic, I'm not able to workout with course every day, another way it would be 7 days per week. I'm able to workout with the volume for like 3-4 days per week.
Also consider one curious fact, at the time I was trying to start singing I was looking for a vocal coach, cause people in my first ever band told me the truth - "Man you cannot sing!" - and I told them "So I will learn to sing!". They did not actually believe that I could. Most of the coaches were also telling me I'm not able and will not be able to sing anything in my entire life, that I will not hit any of 2 notes in my vocal range. But eventually, I found vocal coaches that were ready to teach me something))
I will leave some links here and will upload new covers moving from Volume to Volume, and practice using the knowledge I will gain, so I will upload the next one at the start of 2017 and we can see the progress and I will be able to see it too.
From what I can say now, I'm really excited because I can already feel the changes, I'm starting to sing right, I'm starting to deeper understand the intuitive mechanism of singing, and why my voice was and is trying to do in this or that case, the background of this singing course is most complete I could possibly ever imagine.
P.S. Don't mind my grammar, I can misspell a lot XD
Here are some of the covers I made, that are up to date(mostly reflect my current singing ability before I got the course) and also 1 of my band songs.
I already can see, feel and understand a ton of mistakes I made on these ones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KuR7VWN76I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJjnB9-kcJs
I got the How To Sing Better course (3 volumes) + Pro Packs around 6 of December 2016.
I have recorded a full-length album with my band before I got the course (I sang the way I learned to sing over the years and with some help of few different vocal coaches), it will be soon out, cause we are mixing and mastering it.
The subject is: I'm working out with the course - Volume 1 for now. I will update this threat with new material along the way and the progress.
Want to introject the sing, that due to heavy work traffic, I'm not able to workout with course every day, another way it would be 7 days per week. I'm able to workout with the volume for like 3-4 days per week.
Also consider one curious fact, at the time I was trying to start singing I was looking for a vocal coach, cause people in my first ever band told me the truth - "Man you cannot sing!" - and I told them "So I will learn to sing!". They did not actually believe that I could. Most of the coaches were also telling me I'm not able and will not be able to sing anything in my entire life, that I will not hit any of 2 notes in my vocal range. But eventually, I found vocal coaches that were ready to teach me something))
I will leave some links here and will upload new covers moving from Volume to Volume, and practice using the knowledge I will gain, so I will upload the next one at the start of 2017 and we can see the progress and I will be able to see it too.
From what I can say now, I'm really excited because I can already feel the changes, I'm starting to sing right, I'm starting to deeper understand the intuitive mechanism of singing, and why my voice was and is trying to do in this or that case, the background of this singing course is most complete I could possibly ever imagine.
P.S. Don't mind my grammar, I can misspell a lot XD
Here are some of the covers I made, that are up to date(mostly reflect my current singing ability before I got the course) and also 1 of my band songs.
I already can see, feel and understand a ton of mistakes I made on these ones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KuR7VWN76Ihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJjnB9-kcJs
Comments
This is a cool thread. I'm looking forward to hearing your voice grow more and more as you get further into the course.
You are correct that you won't be able to do your workouts every day, along with your regular singing that you already have to do. That eventually will change around, though, if you do as Ken instructs, and eventually incorporate the lessons in Volume 3 that train you to be able to increase the longevity of your voice and avoid over-singing. Ken does about 7 or 8 hours per day of singing and could go longer, but everybody needs some rest and sleep, and to do other things in life!
I think you've come to the right place to really rock your voice like never before!
All the Best!
Bob
Cheers
Rob
Thank you for the kind words, that was hard time proving that to myself, I had a few times I wanna quit real hard, but the love for the music and the feel of the stage kept me in. I'm that kind of person that has no stage fright from the start, I had and have only stage need
They also told me that I'm totally key deaf and that this is a natural ability. But as you can see, It is also something you can develop, I have a long way to go thou, but it is one of the hardest acoplishment for me, I'd say. They told I have no talent, no natural ability, nothing to become a singer, good that I wanted to become one so much, that I did not listen to them.
I feel myself like a Dragonborn from Skyrim and Ken is the Greaybeard to guide me on the Path of The Voice!
It should be an awesome jorney!
@highmtn Hey, Bob.
I'm actually working out with the course mostly when we have rehersals, for no it is not hard to do it and it does not hurm my maybe, maybe because of some skill i alredy have and mainly my strong support I developed over the years. It's my dayjob that keeps me from working out 7 days a week, anyway I will keep on working out any avaliable time I have and will do like updates, where I will tel like this month I was working on Volume for ammount of days so we can compare the progress, it's not even a month and it's already significant, and it's only Volume 1 I'm workingo out(but I admin I have wanthed Volume 2 also, but did not work on it, yet)
I would do singing 7-8 hours per day, if I just had that time - right away)
Also thank you for the advice, I'm that type of guy that follows the instructions if I see that they are real deal, like in case with Ken, great help for me was, my previous vocal coach had a really similar aproach, but it was more intuitive, but in this case the programm is a real step by step to-do knowledge practical course. I mean despite the fact I have some singing background and everything I will workout on Volume 1 untill I'm 101% sure I have done it, to be ready to move on.
And also I would advice that to the people with the course - don't rush it in, think and absorbe every word and do the wokout section, apply what you learned.
I was able to do the "into the bridge connection" with no voice crack on a decent volume right away, for example. So, I could just thought that I'm alredy good enouph and rush thru the programm volumes, but I would never ever do it, because I have to learn, learn from the basic to the top, to develop all the connections in my voice mechanism and my brain, to never go back to "bad old habits" of sisning.
Awesome course!
Cheers,
Artem
Working out with the course. I once again got thru the Volume 1 due to my health getting back and not singing for a long time. And now I started Volume 2 full ham, got thru the Video and audio around 4 times already.
Here is just my latest vocal cover for the record and tracking purpose.
And here is my band's first full-length album.
https://soundcloud.com/time-shadow
I'm just trying to follow - was the first band that told you "you can't sing!" the same band or different from the band in the album you posted?
Working on volume 2 slowly, but surely, not running wild and getting all the exercises step by step.
I feel like mine upper mid section is ok, I can drag a good amount of chest without hurting myself.
So I made this latest cover to mark and check the progress later on. What I can clearly feel after the paresis my "e" became less flexible and a bit more strained, what I mean is before paresis my vibrato on "e" and this vowel in overall had much brighter sound and was easier to operate. But it is not a big surprise it got a bit off after paresis, as 'E' the sound that needs the most fold closing. I hope that it will gain back that flexibility in time, will see how it goes, not a big downscale in terms that I'm able to sing, after all.
Still working thru the volume 2 (and working out with 1st of course). Still, have problems with working a good reflex not to strain chords on high notes but use the proper coverage and control over modifications. When I'm rolling to head voice it is really hard to maintain control my fold becomes like stopped after a second (spasmed, sort of feeling, but I can work pretty much well with a mixed voice). I suppose it is more of mine fold paresis leftovers, will see how it goes with the practice of more control and develop a proper reflex.
So I recorded this new cover, this time it's a balled and I have added a vocal track in the end - for those who are interested, as well as @highmtn or @Ken Tamplin could give some evaluation!
Cheers! And hope you will like it, more updates soon! \m/
Bob
I feel really good working thru the course and all the parts. Currently, the only thing that concerns me is my passageway and rolling into the head with easy way. I can nail the full section with no discomfort with a little bit of mixing the chest and pulling it up, but using pure head voice (falsetto style, makes my fold to strain, I suppose it can be connected to that of singing metal I just never cared about that light finesse but belted and mixed all the way, and plus the paresis left over, as EE was totally broken for me as the folds could not close right, but It seems to work much better now). I suppose the hard work, practice, right reflex development, and control will remove it or least make it not a big deal.
But for those guys who have any doubts about the course left them over at the door, this is the most proper way to do singing you could ever find, that is confirmed by doctors! And do not be lazy exercise in the proper way and always warmup XD
Hope I can move to Volume 3 in a month or 2
http://forum.kentamplinvocalacademy.com/discussion/7733/vocal-folds-paresis#latest
My left side was broken it did not move at all.
So as they say - a good vocal exercise and proper singing are also one of the best healing instruments, and that is what exactly KVTA provides. I will make some video later on where I describe more precisely why KVTA is best of all from the medical side of treatment of the Paresis.
With the exercises your voice can only get better. What a good thought eh?
Thanks, getting better every day.
I only wish I could have more time exercise
Working on Volume 2 full power. Applying everything I've learned and trying to do as save as possible, my high notes and head voice is not yet that flexible and controllable as before, but i just throw away the thoughts of how it was and jsut work on it, little by little the reflex will be there so to say I'm really satisfied with the progress after that throwback with paresis, my voice is much stronger now, more consistent and endurant, here and there I still miss some feelings and good reflex to go into some places\spaces, but I'm really satisfied, Ken 2.0 - is amazing, I just consume this information over and over again, sometimes I work (like yesterday) Video portion Volume 1 + Volume 2 and right after I'm doing the audio portion from Volume 2. I only hope that soon I will be able to train at least 5 days per week, as now it is possible only 3-4(sometimes even 2), but I still watch the videos and listen to audio portions at work, so I'm connected at least for 6 days per week.
So not to be all in words, here is my latest try on the song I wanted to sing really long time ago, it was a challenge for me in all terms (and I failed a bit with mic and amp levels XD), would be glad to get your feedback guys
The song was sung after a 2hr+ workout session with the course!
Despite those differences, based on what you've been through, it's an amazing feat. You hit some killer notes there. You shouldn't even be able to sing a single note with the severe issues you have had with your cords. It would be hard to choose a more difficult song to do.
Honestly, I'm myself surprised be able to be even close to such high notes, I mean this is just another thing to confirm the LEGITEMENT of @Ken Tamplin method, both on practice and from medical perspective
I mean, it was not even super exhausting for me after 2+ hours of workout, even thou stong parts require a good bag of support and relaxation response and I have not broke anything, I feel the endurance is getting back
I can sustain high notes for longer with no consequences for the voice, as it was before could not hold on for long or voice was going to waste, the voice struggle here and there, but those are just minor things that can be worked out thru the workouts XD
Despite the editing of the video all of the sound stuff is just a single sing-thru take, with 2 cuts to resing really bad moments, just for the knowledge of it - which is breaking achievement for me.
And thanks for being here looking out for the guys around the forum!
Thanks, Bro!
Bob
@highmtn Sure will do!
I will post them in one place or drop different demos for each section, my bad, sorry
Best!
Finished with Volume 2. Woking with those exercises mostly.
Currently at video section of Volume 3 and doing some of the exercises.
Voice control is kicking in, endurance is insane at the current state I can navigate the voice much better, slowly crawling to the awesome high notes, bridge and mixed voice are starting to sound much more precise, full and strong. Sometimes I have some things like "lizard tongue' that stuff comes naturally thou, nothing is forced
Feeling awesome! Would only be great to workout more than 3 times per week
Some more vocal demonstrations soon
Currently, my routine consists of:
1. Full audio workout of Volume 2
2. Training with videos of volume 3.
3. Enjoying long tail exercises.
4. Doing more training with vocal compression singing.
5. Singing songs to learn and apply.
Few small examples of compression training:
@highmtn Hey Bob, I would like you to evaluate this live singalong. I use this song to train a lot as it seems to be a good fit with my natural overdrive/distortion/compression of the voice. In the low-middle range I'm doing relatively good, but in the 2nd passageway and head voice (because you are kinda compressed there already to get there in the first place), but on 3-00 I kinda get not bad compressed high note.
The hardest question for me is what's the difference in between compressing with mixed voice and head voice, as far as I'm concerned all compression is kinda done in mixed voice because actually -pulling chest teaches you not to strain and not to overuse the air, otherwise you are bound into too much tension and cannot stretch the chest high. So my guess that all compressed voice is mixed voice
with this said, im sorry, but on your compression is not correct
the "hey yeis" are too fronta, this is a sound I personally love, but you have to place it a little more in the back and let the resonance go to the front.
the EE is shutting your throat and because of that, you are getting that distortion which is not the compression Ken talks about, you are getting your distortion from the closing off the throat,
you should first try to place all the vowels a little more to the back of the throat
the vocal tract shaping exersices in the program will help you work on that part of your voice, I would suggest you to record yourself doing this exercises and compare the sound with Ken, so you get the feeling of the back of the throat im talking about
once you´ve got that part really cleaned and worked I recommend you to
hold your breath and start very very lightly, once you worked on this for about half an hour you will notice that the compression will be more noticeable and controlable then start leaning in without distorting
once you get the compression without distorting, you can work on leaning in with the compression more which will lead to that distortion
hope I was of help
I know you asked @highmtn but this is how I would go for this in a step by step process, still wanna read his comments on this
Only researching this thou. As the harmonical resonance comes from atop of the folds as it feels like governing in the back behind the soft pallet if it makes any sense, I clearly can feel when I'm closing the throat sometimes and the strain is felt a bit underneath the folds, I do not feel any discomfort when it is so to say comes at the top and a little tickling felt at the bottom of my neck.
I do try to cut off the air and lean from the clean note as the starting point. I do not feel discomfort doing this for most of the part when I do not mess up the air flow.
I do love the vocal tracks shaping exercises which I do a lot of them along with long tail exercises. The harmonical resonance and compression is a really hard concept I will not deny (and I'm far for the guy with natural direction towards compressed or distorted sounds) and definitely requires practice, what I wonder how can I feel or hear the difference (except when I feel the stain from beneath the folds which makes a closure and then I know I overpressure and straining the folds).
And I'm not always sure I'm closing down the throat as I lean on the sound and keeping the back of the throat open all the time trying to maintain the contiguous phrase. I do try to put too much of the sound if front, that is a really good point to hide it more to the back, which makes a lot of sense even by inner feelings.
Any tips on how to clearly feel or hear the difference are much welcome, thanks
You are sounding good. "Compression" can have a few meanings, related to the voice. For the most part, in KTVA, we are referring to holding back the air. Actually compressing the air (slightly) that is held, yet releasing it with a lot of control. It's the opposite of just blasting out the air.
Kind of like when we fill a balloon, and then release it by slowly allowing some air to come out at one time, but not too much. No air comes out of the balloon, except for the fact that it is at a higher pressure than atmospheric pressure. And the stretched rubber of the balloon also causes some compression. That difference in pressure inside the body and outside the body is what makes the air release.
We don't need a lot of pressure to make some compression. By pushing down on the diaphragm, we can lower the pressure inside the lungs. By allowing the diaphragm to release the air, that also lowers the pressure inside the lungs because we are also releasing air at that time, through the cords.
We look to be able to balance these inner pressures relative to outside atmospheric pressure, in order to make smooth air flow past the cords, at low, but controlled pressures. Just enough pressure to sound the note. Sometimes we use a little extra pressure to do what Ken calls "distressing" the cords, to create the distortion effect. That is done very carefully, and with fine precision, to avoid over-stressing the cords. We "find" that place where the cords distort just a bit. We maintain that by balancing the air pressures and keeping them to the minimum that will support either these clean compressed sounds (volume-reduced clean sound) or distorted compressed sounds, (that are still reduced in volume) yet at that magic place where we can get a simulation of distortion WITHOUT the excessive volume or REALLY using too much volume and over-stressing the cords to achieve unsafe distortion.
The real gauge is you. Are you getting that tickling feeling just after or as you sing? That's a sign that you're oversinging a bit. We really can't go much into much detail here, as this is a public area of the forums. If you want to discuss compression in detail, relative to the KTVA techniques, then that's more for a student area like Glottal Compression.
I only get that feeling during the singing, in this case, I refer to those places where I think I'm doing it right like that tickling feeling I get inside the throat like behind the soft pallet (at its top part like not on the uvular) and under the cricoid cartilage depending on how high or low I'm, I'm not trying compressing on high notes too much as I know it is different and beyond my skills for now, so I try to work with speaking and call register and maybe sometimes on my mixed.
The air preassure I figured out a bit how that behaves, as we get different types of pressure in the throat the back pressure the top pressure, airflow pressure and all of that. It was an interesting discovery to see how the folds do themselves when there is less or more than needed pressure depending on the outside one.
I will follow the advice to that part of the forum for further research and will train and train.
My goal actually not to get super phase voice but to develop my naturally acceptable extent of compression/distortion.
Like on high especially my notes I get that sandy little fast phase crackling so I try to lean on it bit by bit.
Cheers!
P.S. I saw users on the forum have a badge 2.0 Pro. I have the 2.0 full course can I get that badge?
Yes, it definitely will, already adjusting
Thank you!
They were actually bel canto and opera serious singer teachers, welp I'm glad I did not listen, but it takes years and hours of work and practice nevertheless.
Just be never discouraged by someone's critics and worlds, I just took as a challenge it to claim the opposite and worked harder!
Cheers!
I have just been diagnosed with a paresis of the right vocal fold. Singing is my passion, and my goal after the army is to be a full-time musician. Thank you for posting this journey of yours, as it has inspired me and has shown me that even an obstacle such as this can be overcome. You rock! And your voice is yours, man! I hope you are proud of how far you have come and how far you will go with it! Keep rocking! I'll be looking for your updates.
I saw @Ken Tamplin included my experience on the website page regarding the course for voice recovery and best voice health practices, I really appreciate that and if anyone out there has any questions regarding my experience feel free to hit me up.
Remember that my condition was a real serious matter, that said I want to confirm and verify few things is some of you have doubts:
- During my recovery process I did make a lot of things from the course Volume 1 and 2 and it was verified by my phoniatrics specialists that what Ken describes is correct. I had to verify every thing first with my specialist thou if that is something that I can take on at the current stage of recovery, and if it is correct thing to do. Remember that recovery is a gradual thing just like learning to sing, I had to take things at a VERY and EXTREMELY slow pace. Real health specialists verified that "Yes, it is a healthy way/approach to your voice".
- I 100% agree with what Ken says that most (if not nearly all) voice damage can be recovered by correct practices and special exercises instead of going for surgery. This is based of my own experience with a very serious vocal problem.
- Ther doctors I worked with had nodes removal like an everyday routine with tenth of patients each day and all those were removed with only the proper exercises and therapy - no extremes and surgeries.
This is my own proof about that Ken actually knows a great deal, and we can rely on that knowledge and benefit from it.
For the reference, my condition was a partial paresis where 1 of the folds was not moving and the muscle that should position the fold - drag it back, was non-responsive at all: "Vocal cord paralysis occurs when the nerve impulses to your voice box (larynx) are disrupted. This results in paralysis of the vocal cord muscles.
Vocal cord paralysis can affect your ability to speak and even breathe. That's because your vocal cords, sometimes called vocal folds, do more than just produce sound. They also protect your airway by preventing food, drink and even your saliva from entering your windpipe (trachea) and causing you to choke.
Possible causes include nerve damage during surgery, viral infections and certain cancers. Treatment for vocal cord paralysis usually involves surgery, and sometimes voice therapy" - in my case I had the chance to undergo the voice therapy first, as after the testing with endoscope and other methods it was verified that my condition does not require "immediate surgery-reaction", which can be the case sometimes as it can be life threatening situation.
I also, want to point out again that my condition was not caused by improper technique or anything vocal around, it was the cause of neurological and psychological damage.
"If you feel you have a serious medical condition that requires direct medical attention, please consult your licensed healthcare practitioner before starting any health-related program." - a very good point from Ken.
As a conclusion I want to mention something Ken himself points out at the start of every volume - DON'T RUSH folks, it will come, this is not an overnight experience this is a long road of learning and practicing, sit on the lower volumes until you fully mastered it as practice and applied in your songs and technique only after that start taking the next ones. You will make it hard on yourself or moreover can cause some damage to your voice YOURSELF, just because you do not have the patience to work it through.
The recovery course will definitely help you to understand how to better take care and treat your voice, but remember that you have to be mindful and ready to make your own calls, like understand when you actually need a help of a good specialist as there can be different cases.
Cheers!
P.S. Feel free to check one of my latest recordings if I have not yet shared it around. I still sing and train actively as much as my work allows me and have a few bands working on the albums. My lowest note to hit is G2 but only A2 being kinda constant while the highest comfortable would be around D#5-E5 with the highest I can get now is A5 (I can actually get a bit higher, but I do not consider that sound I produce there yet to be considered singing, just yet haha).
Great technique and love the metal vibrato