I have been typed as a dramatic baritone. I agree as my passagio primo is around A3/Bb3 and the passagio secundo is around D4/Eb4. In my current choirs I sing bass 2 as there are no other baritones who can project a F2. It is so difficult to find a bass voice teacher who can teach me how to project below E2. This lesson helped me to understand what I can do when I have to sing E2 and lower. Thank you
Yup - they are for the developing voices. Think of it as practicing how to dribble before playing an actual basketball game. You gotta start somewhere, right?
Thanks for the inspiration! Especially in times like these, it works in my favor since I can really sit down and respond to people. Many tangents occur but still orbital without the gravity of each situation presented.
Incredible. I had never considered using fry or strohbass before this but this really helped me get a grasp of why I should and I was able to pick it up really quick thanks to you. I had been playing with strohbass before without knowing what it was!
You are a god send! I have a kinda high voice and I have been trying this to be able to hit some lows in beatboxing. This explanation is so much more detailed than beatbox subharmonic tutorials. Maybe do the channel some good to tag beatbox. Subharmonics have become a bit of a trend in the community and it could serve some beatboxers well
This was really good. instantly gave me better controll over my low end (well I'm completely untrained so i suppose training does work, who would have thought) Anyways, thank you, really cool
Glad this helped! I've noticed a lot of voice teachers and other videos demonstrating this but never get into the mechanics as to why it helps. Simple way to think of this is that vocal fry brings your vocal folds together and falsetto only uses the edges of your vocal folds (basically, barely touching, or not even touching at all). Both tools allow you to approximate pitch and primarily work with your vocal folds. From there, you can explore different resonant spaces with vowels, other resonant spaces, and shape of the sound through amplifying or attenuating/filtering different frequencies. People say that vocal fry is dangerous and others say that it is essential in vocal development. When and where do you use it? How much do you use? Why do you use it? What happens? Vocal fry is dangerous when: you force the larynx in a extreme position, try to produce a sound with too much weight, begin to grind your vocal folds to force phonation, cut off airflow and efficient use of breath energy, use it as a primary means of phonation which forces it to operate outside of its intended use (example, playing percussion on your guitar; we're not talking about a few slaps and bops here, we're talking using drum sticks and force on the guitar to try to make it sound like a drum without amplification). I can go on, but this here is just an example. Really, bad singing causes just as many issues, if not more. Think of vocal fry and falsetto as the basic "mechanics" or "tools" in finding your voice instead of as a measure of range. They are classified as "registers" because a register change denotes a change in how the vocal folds function, regardless of pitch. Thanks for dropping by!
@@bass2yang Thanks! Yeah, for me understanding (or at least trying to understand) the concept of what I'm attempting is very important. I find it incredibly difficult to understand how something is "supposed" to feel, so getting a little bit of insight in the mechanics of the vocal apparatus was just wonderfull. I was planning on taking some singing lessons somewhere between march and july, but due to some unforseen events (well this one should be obvious) that didn't come to be. I'm gonna continue to do the warmup as practice and see where that takes for the time being, untill I'm able to get professional help
You can do it! It takes time. Even if the range may feel limiting, you can still sing with resonance that reflects the character of a bass/baritone. The only way I can moonlight as a tenor is falsetto and some sort of head-resonant singing. Enjoy your voice! Musicality is everything. Bruce Lee said it best: "I fear not the man who has practice 10,000 kicks, but I fear the man who has practice 1 kick 10,000 times." Limited range or different voice type? Make it the best you can offer. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Hi sir! Just saw ur vids a few months ago, and I got inspired by your voice! I mean its just so powerful! and now here I am practicing bass, tho I don't have a teacher, I'm self-taught😅 I'm 16 and I can pretty much hit a D2 (sometimes lower) in my chest voice, I can also hit some low notes with strohbass like A1, but after seeing your techniques I started learning more about sub-harmonics and stuffs, hoping I can improve my voice more... Thank you so much for your videos, it really helped me A LOT!
You are very welcome and thanks for watching! Keep singing and developing your whole range and the quality of subs will be there for you to use when necessary. Thanks!
Dear Thou, I can't find thet connection your showing around 5:05 I always switch into subharmonics, or stay in pure vocal fry, but there's no connection between chest and fry. Could you share some other exercises that can help finding that sound?
Sure thing! There is an updated video I just posted today but I will continue to address this. It is not necessary to try to produce this sound as a means of singing, but to use this sound to find connection in your voice. You'll be surprised that it is actually easier to use vocal fry a bit higher in the range (it will feel like a distortion effect on the voice). What it does is it brings your vocal folds together completely. The irregular clicks/puffs of air moving through and the lack of any pharyngeal resonance is usually the sign of vocal fry and you can take it up or down in your range using very little air (but maximizing efficiency and air speed is the key) - again, use it sparingly to help you find connection. If you don't need it, move on to what works. Thanks!
With strobass, is it characteristic to drop the head forward and down, and have the Adam’s Apple more forced into the neck? It feels to me like a completely different placement in the neck compared to a normal chest note, which perhaps gives it that slightly “squeezed” and throaty sound? I’m not sure. If I take your example of a D2 which works well for me. D2 doesn’t sit entirely right in this normal “head up” position (ordinary placement - I’m not sure how else to define it), but if I switch my placement to having my head down and chin more towards my chest, the note sits much more comfortably and I can achieve more power with it, but it does have that throaty squeezed sound. Would this be an example of strobass or just unnecessarily straining the voice? Very interesting information on vocal fry. Thank you for your time
I think it my be slightly different with each singer. I don't use it often so my attempts are more of "I'm doing whatver it takes to keep the upper harmonics in my voive strong." It may be different for you, and it can introduce unnecessary strain since you can only narrow your vowels and compress your voice (bring your folds together) so much before you start to cut off the air. I would say that is an example of strohbass as we have defined it (vocal folds are connected and it is brighter, a lot of buzz and somewhat brassy in terms of quality). I am working on these things daily as well so I can give a clearer picture and demonstration - there are days that it works great and other days where it doesn't bode well. Taking it one step at a time as well. Thanks!
I am really glad I saw your comment. The placement you describe, especially Adam’s Apple being more “forced” into the neck is the secret key to low notes that I discovered. Putting the chin down serves to help tuck the Adam in, because the muscles for it are usually weak. That’s where the “squeezed” quality of the voice comes from too, because you strain more muscles in the neck than you need to. In my experience the more I train that position, the less strain I have and the more resonance I have. Try to do exercises that target that movement specifically. It helped me and I’m still working on it
Video for you! ruclips.net/video/JHY3YhTSDCo/видео.html He talkes about a singing technique called "inhalare la voce". And about a register he calls "Schnarrregister" which is below the chest register. By combining these two you can sing beautifully low notes - watch it. He starts singing some piece at around 2:26 and uses the technique as the video goes on! :) I am excited about what you got to say about it!
I love this video - what a voice. We've actually talked about this in the Octavism group years ago. This video and a lot of the experiences from basses I've talked to experience something similar in that range below F2 down to as low as A1 depending on the vowel, approach, and rep. The register he talks about is strohbass, the term is just different (like saying undertone instead of subharmonic). Schnarren means "buzz" - keeping the vowel bright and not trying to push the chest register below or darken so much that the larynx is overworked in the wrong direction (which he also demonstrated that a lot of young basses do). Make no mistake, it is a healthy approach and proper alignment. It also aligns with the school of thought of basses having more buzz in their voice as they go lower to accommodate for a proper lift in the singer's formant. Just as soprano modify the vowel, so must basses (great vocal coaches understand this and have even changed the text of certain repertoire in a way that accomodates this need without sarcificing meaning or proper balance in the voice.) This buzz does not give up the necessary tension that you use in full voice and you do not fall into the vocal fry trap either. The larynx is stablized through vowel alignment and the breath pressure decreases, airflow is still consistent, and if you have the necessary timbre for it (like he does in this video) you can pull it off without a drastic change. It is slightly narrower as well and you will notice a decrease in chest resonance, but no decrease in the singer's formant. I have found that this narrowing is necessary. You "can" over do it, however, by pressing to the point where you cut off the air. No matter what technique, being connected in the voice (folds coming together completely) and a stable larynx (not forced) with proper airflow is the key to success and healthy singing. Thanks!
Mr. Bass2yang,thank you for sharing this video.When I come to A flat 1 with subharmonic,I cannot have such large volume as you do in your video.It feels like my larynx is somehow stuck,would you teach me some method to get through this?Or it needs chest talented voice resonance?And what is "connection"?Thank you.
"Connection" is about connecting your modal voice to your fry register, i.e. developing a solid chest-fry/strohbass register. This will simultaneously improve your low chest and your fry, thus allowing you to sing better in your fry-based extended registers (like subs)
For me, once it dropped, it pretty much stayed there. I was down to A1 at about 15-16, give or take a few notes here and there (but it was very thin-sounding. Not a lot of experience). My voice shifted up a few notes once I started singing and has settled back down. For some people they say it has lowered and for others, it stayed the same until they experienced a voice change (usually every decade from what it seems like). Some people's voices change after they turn 40 and again around 50 so it all depends on the person. It all depends on your approach, rep, and use. Keep singing and make as many different, healthy sounds as you can. I actually didn't sing with lessons until I was in college. If you can start now, find a great teacher. Thanks for watching!
@@bass2yang Thanks for the reply. I'd say I'm a baritone as my lowest note fluctuates around D2 (mornings C2-B1) but I definitely enjoy singing bass in my school choirs. I've taken lessons in the past but for now during quarantine, I've just been practising a ton on my own haha. Excited for your future videos!
Hey Mr. Yang. Despite my best efforts to follow this exactly, I ended up feeling as though I had definitely done something wrong with my vocal chords. It is especially mad at me when i match the vocal fry exercises, even softly. They are not happy at me right now. My typical comfortable (and acceptable tonally) range is Eb2 to C5, and my full range is D2 to F5. But, my tessitura is low-ish Baritone, with my break being just above the sharp of middle C. For whatever reason the vocal fry stuff seems to be very very hard on my voice. I have been practicing subharmonics on and off for several weeks now, and every time I practice them for long I always stop when my vocal chords start to get really mad at me. Any advice for not dying every time I try to improve these techniques?
Thank you for commenting. Vocal fry at its core does have a lot of tension due to the folds being thicker and short/slack. Because of this, regulating the air properly without adding too much breath pressure is the key to learning how to relax into the vocal fry. If, at any time, you feel discomfort, cease the exercise immediately. Vocal fry should not be loud, but should be connected even when soft. I would recommend singing vocal fry and falsetto with a straw to minimize excessive tension or breath pressure; it will regulate what is needed to make the sound. My apologies for these exercises as they are also not for everyone. You may actually not need vocal fry for the lower notes, but to relieve yourself of excessive tension. Try a very low (pitch) around F3 in falsetto, NOT connected (meaning your vocal folds should not be fully adducted). Maybe start a bit higher - breathiness is fine here. No need for volume either, just pitch. As you descend, see how far down you can take your falsetto. This exercise will strengthen the CT muscles (muscles typically used for head voice and for stretching the vocal folds out). Remember to sing up high with falsetto as well as descend down low. Take it as low as comfortable on an "ah" vowel or "oo" or even hum. The point of these exercises are to find balance with the thickness and length of your vocal folds - there is always an antagonism between stretch and slack and being able to balance that is the key. Forget about vocal fry and falsetto bring forms of dysfunctional and useless vocal sounds and think of them as warmups that assist in finding balance, airflow, and vocal fold closure (or non-closure). To sum up: Vocal fry = max tension, thick/slack, low effort, full vocal fold closure, minimum air Falsetto = minimum tension, thin, long, vocal fold edge or minimum closure/contact, more airflow Start in the middle of your register and slowly find a way and balance to maintain a healthy sound as you move up and move down. As you sing lower, the vowel needs to feel brighter, the vocal fold closure needs to feel like it is leaning to the front of your Adam's apple, and the sound will feel like it is resonating above your chest and above your eyes. No need to press and go down to a comfortable note. Change the vowel and see if it improves by a half step. Take it slow and tread with the idea of maintain a good timbre throughout. Hope this helps. Thanks!
I only started singing about three days ago( I never have before). Your lessons are very helpful and intelligently put together. Thank you! As an aside, was that Unity I saw? And if so, do you make game/applications? If you don't mind me asking
Awesome! Agreed! I'm slowly working more with JavaScript and will be making the move to C# possibly as I learn more. One step at a time. I thought about Python but JavaScript is working for me for now.
C# is great! It's the programming language I've used. I know a lot of people like python, especially for machine programming it seems. Though I've never used it.
In this video you are working on cord closure, right? I have difficulty with this, because when I try to sing lower notes, I push the larynx down too much, so I can't sing the note. Excellent video.
Yes - though most of us do have a limit for low notes, there are ways to improve efficiency. The mechanism is flexible so long as we understand where the flex needs to be, however, pushing the larynx down will cut off the airflow. So airflow is just as important as proper tension for the lows. Thanks!
It all depends on the person, though as you improve your singing and coordination, it is very possible to expand your range as well with time and experience. For a lot of people, age usually makes the notes you have sound and feel fuller, but you won't really reach your prime as a bass until your 40s, with some even experiencing a more solid sound into their 50s.
for some reason it's extremely difficult for me to even do pure vocal fry, just when i wake up or before i go to sleep. that is, it is difficult to combine pure voice with some vocal fry. Do you think it could be a bad closure of the vocal cords? Glottic cleft or something? I'm 19 years old my range is usually from G2 F4 comfortable, and F#2/E2 - E5 forcing more, thanks.
It is a matter of balance. Having naturally bigger vocal folds make the process easier. The other is to work on your upper register to help you stretch your vocal folds. Singing low requires both thickness and proper airflow; sometimes we lower our larynx too much and cut off the air. Keep singing and find that balance! Thanks!
@@bass2yang thanks, through your videos i learned in 1 week to do the subharmonic technique, it is a technique that i did not know yet, i thought that there was only fry, you expanded my knowledge, thank you very much. I sing low in a quartet here in Brazil, the Vocallys Quartet we have 10 years of history I am a bass player who only takes the D2 from my chest, I didn't use the fry because I always thought the quality was very poor, but now that I have learned this new technique, the subharmonic, I am very excited, very happy. I still have difficulties in the transitions of the subharmonic notes, it is all new to me, it is like learning to write ... but I have faith that one day I will be able to sing in deeper notes with this technique. Thank you very much and may God continue to bless your life
Thank you, I have one question. Are subharmonics strohbass? I have discoverd some bass singer that claims it's the same! According to this video isn't, right?!
It really depends on who you talk to, but, yes, some say they are the same. Some actually categorize everything under vocal fry as well. I choose to call it vocal subharmonics (true vocal fold undertones) because of its properties. Strohbass is a German term that essentially means "straw bass", because of its sound being similar to the sound of crackling straw. From what I understand, strohbass does actually start on the actual pitch whereas subharmonics has a normal fundamental that is an octave or more above itself. Others call it "throat singing" or "polyphonic singing" - so it really depends on your approach and if you are able to describe it.
@@bass2yang Very well, You didn't disappoint me, clear answer, Thank You. I'm working on my voice and as You might notice on tiktok I post only short accapella ideas of what I want to achieve. As a composer I find fascinating to harmonize just with my voice. It's like a sketch before the real painting.
Hello, Thou! Thank you a lot for these free lessons! But I have a question. My highest comfortable subharmonic note is Bb1 and B1 is where my high subharmonic range starts. However, my daily chest low is D2 and my lowest "projectable or comfortable" note is Eb2 so transitions from chest to subharmonics are insanely difficult for me because of that B1-C#2 area. To sing let's say Bb2-G#2-F#2-F2-Eb2-*C#2-C2-Bb1* these C#2 and C2 notes are "available" only on a good vocal day. Otherwise I will get a robotic sound. BTW I'm a baritone. -----Can I do anything about it?
I would focus on getting a really good modal sound up top. Nice, round, and full vowels so that when you do engage the for the subharmonic, it carries that tone into the subharmonic. There comes a point to where relaxation can only give you the starting note - adding more energy, airflow, compression, etc. will allow you to shape the sound and explore better qualities of timbre. Thanks!
@@bass2yang I'm back again with another question!:D What happens when one approach to the lowest chest notes? I mean it's obviously the bottom of the pure natural vocal range and there's got to be a limit, but, in terms of anatomy, what happens to vocal chords and larynx? I want to at least picture the anatomy of subharmonics that are *more that an octave lower that lowest chest note* . Like how is even fry added? As far as I know, the leading theory about how subharmonics are created is that one part of the vocal chords (let's say the right part) vibrate at a ratio of 2, whereas the other one (left part) vibrate at a ratio of 3, which in a result give as an undertone. BUT if the higher pitched vocal chord's part [The ratio of 3] is still natural "full chest", then ONLY ONE part of the lower pitched vocal chord [The ratio of 2] is *FRY* ? It does sound real but it's so weird. Can you explain please?
I think assuming it to have two distinct pitches at the same time is the issue - the "vocal fry" is more of a vocal fold state rather than an actual pitch. An active false fold involvement such as VVM would be two pitches, albeit maybe not necessarily at the same ratio. Meaning, the vocal fry feeling is simply there to allow you true folds to hold itself in such a manner that is causing the offset/asymmetry (and this holding is actually from the false folds). The key functions of a subharmonic are periodic, dampening, and active or passive involvement from another physical object (true folds with false folds (active or passive), epiglottal, tongue, uvular, lips, etc.)
For your bottom chest notes, it all comes down to the ability to maintain length and breath energy while the folds are thickening (which consequently makes them shorter and slack). Too breathy, but there is a pitch: what most would feel to be in full voice. Less overtones. More length than thickness. Connected, but unstable pitch and throaty/clicky: more thickness than length. Imbalance of vocal fold negotiation, breath (air speed and/or air density), approximation of fold closure. Stable pitch, but soft or a lot of overtones: some length and thickness balanced, but improper or undeveloped breath energy. Balanced, full, not necessary loud, but present: balance of registration and breath energy, balanced thickness and length.
There isn't a solid way to strengthen it, rather, there are ways to develop an efficient airflow and pressure that allows the vocal fry to be more free and allow it to create a discernable pitch. Try singing in your falsetto to stretch your vocal folds and then move down into vocal fry in the lower range. Sometimes, the efficiency gained from stretching your vocal folds is transferred to the lower range and the airflow allows it to be free enough to create a pitch. It's a mixed bag at the moment because every voice is different and everyone has different experiences. With that said, yawn-sighs up high to down low, lip rolls, and working on breath efficiency really helps. Thanks!
Yes - subharmonics is a "state" that the vocal folds are in and not based on voice type. Octavism.com has demonstrated this and he has said that he is more of a baritone or even tenor. My wife and kids can pull it off at times, too. Usually, basses and baritones seem to have an easier time finding it and blending the timbre with their full voice, though not always. Thanks!
As a tenor voice, I have been practicing range development by using subharmonics. Now I can help the B2 parts on songs Voctave songs like This is my wish/let there be peace on earth. The C at the beginning of this song is on the upper range of my subharmonic and is very difficult to maintain. Cheers.
Hi Mr. Yang I hope you are well! I am lyrical choral singer, lover and dedicated to monitoring education and vocal training at different levels and moments. I am writing to you because it would be able to count on the program with which you present the explication in this video as a tone analyzer and to work on it technique. I tried to find information it on your page but it does not talk about these details. I have even tried to get one that offers the quality of your program but I have not obtained satisfactory results. I will be extremely grateful if you could provide me with the necessary information to be able to opt for it, and in case it was not possible, be so kind and give ma a favorable aption for the task. Extremely grateful for your attention and your invaluable contribution to the education of the art if singing. Have a great day!
Efrain! Thank you for commenting and I apologize for my tardiness on this reply. I am not sure I fully understand what are you asking for, but it seems as though you are referring to the program I am using to evaluate the voice. This specific program is Logic Pro (Main Stage) that is available for Apple computers. I also use Vocal Pitch Monitor (app for phones) to check pitch as well as Spectroid (phone) when I am on the go. I hope this helps! Thanks!
I'm sure there is a decent 2nd bass voice in there somewhere, but all this invented technique stuff is confused, unmusical and a real distraction. Possibly damaging to the voice too.
I have been typed as a dramatic baritone. I agree as my passagio primo is around A3/Bb3 and the passagio secundo is around D4/Eb4.
In my current choirs I sing bass 2 as there are no other baritones who can project a F2. It is so difficult to find a bass voice teacher who can teach me how to project below E2. This lesson helped me to understand what I can do when I have to sing E2 and lower. Thank you
Your speaking voice is alot like geoff castellucci haha!
No way... i thought little bit different...
No I see what you mean!!
lol, really
His voice definitely has a LOT of harmonic content... you can see it on the scope. Speaking voices like this are rare... even among bass voices.
Geoff voice is little bit clear
His voice is richer than geoff
these are definately not to be done in public
Yup - they are for the developing voices. Think of it as practicing how to dribble before playing an actual basketball game. You gotta start somewhere, right?
Do it... What will happen.??? People are there who always love you.
Thank you so much!!! You are really important and helpful for the bass community here on RUclips!
Thank you! Appreciate the kind words!
Wow, thanks for the mention there at the end! Glad our conversation was productive!
Thanks for the inspiration! Especially in times like these, it works in my favor since I can really sit down and respond to people. Many tangents occur but still orbital without the gravity of each situation presented.
Incredible. I had never considered using fry or strohbass before this but this really helped me get a grasp of why I should and I was able to pick it up really quick thanks to you. I had been playing with strohbass before without knowing what it was!
Awesome info. Thanks man
You are a god send! I have a kinda high voice and I have been trying this to be able to hit some lows in beatboxing. This explanation is so much more detailed than beatbox subharmonic tutorials.
Maybe do the channel some good to tag beatbox. Subharmonics have become a bit of a trend in the community and it could serve some beatboxers well
Well explained, It works with practice, but not too much. thanks for your insights.
This was really good. instantly gave me better controll over my low end (well I'm completely untrained so i suppose training does work, who would have thought) Anyways, thank you, really cool
Glad this helped! I've noticed a lot of voice teachers and other videos demonstrating this but never get into the mechanics as to why it helps. Simple way to think of this is that vocal fry brings your vocal folds together and falsetto only uses the edges of your vocal folds (basically, barely touching, or not even touching at all). Both tools allow you to approximate pitch and primarily work with your vocal folds. From there, you can explore different resonant spaces with vowels, other resonant spaces, and shape of the sound through amplifying or attenuating/filtering different frequencies.
People say that vocal fry is dangerous and others say that it is essential in vocal development. When and where do you use it? How much do you use? Why do you use it? What happens?
Vocal fry is dangerous when: you force the larynx in a extreme position, try to produce a sound with too much weight, begin to grind your vocal folds to force phonation, cut off airflow and efficient use of breath energy, use it as a primary means of phonation which forces it to operate outside of its intended use (example, playing percussion on your guitar; we're not talking about a few slaps and bops here, we're talking using drum sticks and force on the guitar to try to make it sound like a drum without amplification). I can go on, but this here is just an example.
Really, bad singing causes just as many issues, if not more.
Think of vocal fry and falsetto as the basic "mechanics" or "tools" in finding your voice instead of as a measure of range. They are classified as "registers" because a register change denotes a change in how the vocal folds function, regardless of pitch.
Thanks for dropping by!
@@bass2yang Thanks! Yeah, for me understanding (or at least trying to understand) the concept of what I'm attempting is very important. I find it incredibly difficult to understand how something is "supposed" to feel, so getting a little bit of insight in the mechanics of the vocal apparatus was just wonderfull. I was planning on taking some singing lessons somewhere between march and july, but due to some unforseen events (well this one should be obvious) that didn't come to be.
I'm gonna continue to do the warmup as practice and see where that takes for the time being, untill I'm able to get professional help
Very clean sound...
Envy you. I love bass part.
But i'm tenor...
You can do it! It takes time. Even if the range may feel limiting, you can still sing with resonance that reflects the character of a bass/baritone. The only way I can moonlight as a tenor is falsetto and some sort of head-resonant singing. Enjoy your voice!
Musicality is everything.
Bruce Lee said it best: "I fear not the man who has practice 10,000 kicks, but I fear the man who has practice 1 kick 10,000 times." Limited range or different voice type? Make it the best you can offer.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@bass2yang thank u for ur advice... I'll keep that in mind.
한국인을 보네요ㅎㅎ반갑습니다
Hi sir! Just saw ur vids a few months ago, and I got inspired by your voice! I mean its just so powerful! and now here I am practicing bass, tho I don't have a teacher, I'm self-taught😅 I'm 16 and I can pretty much hit a D2 (sometimes lower) in my chest voice, I can also hit some low notes with strohbass like A1, but after seeing your techniques I started learning more about sub-harmonics and stuffs, hoping I can improve my voice more... Thank you so much for your videos, it really helped me A LOT!
You are very welcome and thanks for watching! Keep singing and developing your whole range and the quality of subs will be there for you to use when necessary.
Thanks!
THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR THE ADVICE!!!
Will you be doing a video on women and Subharmonics? Thanks for the vid!
Yes! This will be in a future video.
Dear Thou, I can't find thet connection your showing around 5:05
I always switch into subharmonics, or stay in pure vocal fry, but there's no connection between chest and fry. Could you share some other exercises that can help finding that sound?
Sure thing! There is an updated video I just posted today but I will continue to address this. It is not necessary to try to produce this sound as a means of singing, but to use this sound to find connection in your voice. You'll be surprised that it is actually easier to use vocal fry a bit higher in the range (it will feel like a distortion effect on the voice). What it does is it brings your vocal folds together completely.
The irregular clicks/puffs of air moving through and the lack of any pharyngeal resonance is usually the sign of vocal fry and you can take it up or down in your range using very little air (but maximizing efficiency and air speed is the key) - again, use it sparingly to help you find connection. If you don't need it, move on to what works.
Thanks!
Thanks for this! This is going to help so much!
You are welcome! I hope to do more as inspiration, research, and experience grows.
With strobass, is it characteristic to drop the head forward and down, and have the Adam’s Apple more forced into the neck? It feels to me like a completely different placement in the neck compared to a normal chest note, which perhaps gives it that slightly “squeezed” and throaty sound? I’m not sure. If I take your example of a D2 which works well for me. D2 doesn’t sit entirely right in this normal “head up” position (ordinary placement - I’m not sure how else to define it), but if I switch my placement to having my head down and chin more towards my chest, the note sits much more comfortably and I can achieve more power with it, but it does have that throaty squeezed sound. Would this be an example of strobass or just unnecessarily straining the voice?
Very interesting information on vocal fry. Thank you for your time
I think it my be slightly different with each singer. I don't use it often so my attempts are more of "I'm doing whatver it takes to keep the upper harmonics in my voive strong." It may be different for you, and it can introduce unnecessary strain since you can only narrow your vowels and compress your voice (bring your folds together) so much before you start to cut off the air.
I would say that is an example of strohbass as we have defined it (vocal folds are connected and it is brighter, a lot of buzz and somewhat brassy in terms of quality).
I am working on these things daily as well so I can give a clearer picture and demonstration - there are days that it works great and other days where it doesn't bode well. Taking it one step at a time as well.
Thanks!
I am really glad I saw your comment. The placement you describe, especially Adam’s Apple being more “forced” into the neck is the secret key to low notes that I discovered. Putting the chin down serves to help tuck the Adam in, because the muscles for it are usually weak. That’s where the “squeezed” quality of the voice comes from too, because you strain more muscles in the neck than you need to. In my experience the more I train that position, the less strain I have and the more resonance I have. Try to do exercises that target that movement specifically. It helped me and I’m still working on it
Thank you so much!
You're welcome! Looking forward to doing more.
Video for you!
ruclips.net/video/JHY3YhTSDCo/видео.html
He talkes about a singing technique called "inhalare la voce". And about a register he calls "Schnarrregister" which is below the chest register. By combining these two you can sing beautifully low notes - watch it. He starts singing some piece at around 2:26 and uses the technique as the video goes on! :)
I am excited about what you got to say about it!
I love this video - what a voice. We've actually talked about this in the Octavism group years ago. This video and a lot of the experiences from basses I've talked to experience something similar in that range below F2 down to as low as A1 depending on the vowel, approach, and rep. The register he talks about is strohbass, the term is just different (like saying undertone instead of subharmonic). Schnarren means "buzz" - keeping the vowel bright and not trying to push the chest register below or darken so much that the larynx is overworked in the wrong direction (which he also demonstrated that a lot of young basses do).
Make no mistake, it is a healthy approach and proper alignment. It also aligns with the school of thought of basses having more buzz in their voice as they go lower to accommodate for a proper lift in the singer's formant. Just as soprano modify the vowel, so must basses (great vocal coaches understand this and have even changed the text of certain repertoire in a way that accomodates this need without sarcificing meaning or proper balance in the voice.)
This buzz does not give up the necessary tension that you use in full voice and you do not fall into the vocal fry trap either. The larynx is stablized through vowel alignment and the breath pressure decreases, airflow is still consistent, and if you have the necessary timbre for it (like he does in this video) you can pull it off without a drastic change.
It is slightly narrower as well and you will notice a decrease in chest resonance, but no decrease in the singer's formant. I have found that this narrowing is necessary. You "can" over do it, however, by pressing to the point where you cut off the air.
No matter what technique, being connected in the voice (folds coming together completely) and a stable larynx (not forced) with proper airflow is the key to success and healthy singing.
Thanks!
Mr. Bass2yang,thank you for sharing this video.When I come to A flat 1 with subharmonic,I cannot have such large volume as you do in your video.It feels like my larynx is somehow stuck,would you teach me some method to get through this?Or it needs chest talented voice resonance?And what is "connection"?Thank you.
"Connection" is about connecting your modal voice to your fry register, i.e. developing a solid chest-fry/strohbass register. This will simultaneously improve your low chest and your fry, thus allowing you to sing better in your fry-based extended registers (like subs)
Awesome video!! Just wondering (as I am just in high school), how much has your voice lowered since your teens?
For me, once it dropped, it pretty much stayed there. I was down to A1 at about 15-16, give or take a few notes here and there (but it was very thin-sounding. Not a lot of experience). My voice shifted up a few notes once I started singing and has settled back down. For some people they say it has lowered and for others, it stayed the same until they experienced a voice change (usually every decade from what it seems like). Some people's voices change after they turn 40 and again around 50 so it all depends on the person.
It all depends on your approach, rep, and use. Keep singing and make as many different, healthy sounds as you can. I actually didn't sing with lessons until I was in college. If you can start now, find a great teacher.
Thanks for watching!
@@bass2yang Thanks for the reply. I'd say I'm a baritone as my lowest note fluctuates around D2 (mornings C2-B1) but I definitely enjoy singing bass in my school choirs. I've taken lessons in the past but for now during quarantine, I've just been practising a ton on my own haha. Excited for your future videos!
Hey Mr. Yang.
Despite my best efforts to follow this exactly, I ended up feeling as though I had definitely done something wrong with my vocal chords. It is especially mad at me when i match the vocal fry exercises, even softly. They are not happy at me right now. My typical comfortable (and acceptable tonally) range is Eb2 to C5, and my full range is D2 to F5. But, my tessitura is low-ish Baritone, with my break being just above the sharp of middle C.
For whatever reason the vocal fry stuff seems to be very very hard on my voice. I have been practicing subharmonics on and off for several weeks now, and every time I practice them for long I always stop when my vocal chords start to get really mad at me.
Any advice for not dying every time I try to improve these techniques?
Thank you for commenting. Vocal fry at its core does have a lot of tension due to the folds being thicker and short/slack. Because of this, regulating the air properly without adding too much breath pressure is the key to learning how to relax into the vocal fry.
If, at any time, you feel discomfort, cease the exercise immediately. Vocal fry should not be loud, but should be connected even when soft.
I would recommend singing vocal fry and falsetto with a straw to minimize excessive tension or breath pressure; it will regulate what is needed to make the sound.
My apologies for these exercises as they are also not for everyone. You may actually not need vocal fry for the lower notes, but to relieve yourself of excessive tension.
Try a very low (pitch) around F3 in falsetto, NOT connected (meaning your vocal folds should not be fully adducted). Maybe start a bit higher - breathiness is fine here. No need for volume either, just pitch. As you descend, see how far down you can take your falsetto.
This exercise will strengthen the CT muscles (muscles typically used for head voice and for stretching the vocal folds out). Remember to sing up high with falsetto as well as descend down low. Take it as low as comfortable on an "ah" vowel or "oo" or even hum.
The point of these exercises are to find balance with the thickness and length of your vocal folds - there is always an antagonism between stretch and slack and being able to balance that is the key.
Forget about vocal fry and falsetto bring forms of dysfunctional and useless vocal sounds and think of them as warmups that assist in finding balance, airflow, and vocal fold closure (or non-closure).
To sum up:
Vocal fry = max tension, thick/slack, low effort, full vocal fold closure, minimum air
Falsetto = minimum tension, thin, long, vocal fold edge or minimum closure/contact, more airflow
Start in the middle of your register and slowly find a way and balance to maintain a healthy sound as you move up and move down.
As you sing lower, the vowel needs to feel brighter, the vocal fold closure needs to feel like it is leaning to the front of your Adam's apple, and the sound will feel like it is resonating above your chest and above your eyes. No need to press and go down to a comfortable note. Change the vowel and see if it improves by a half step. Take it slow and tread with the idea of maintain a good timbre throughout.
Hope this helps. Thanks!
I only started singing about three days ago( I never have before). Your lessons are very helpful and intelligently put together. Thank you!
As an aside, was that Unity I saw? And if so, do you make game/applications? If you don't mind me asking
Thank you! Yes - I am currently using Unity and RPG Maker but really just dabbling in the programs for now, nothing too serious haha.
@@bass2yang that's awesome! Unity is my favorite engine for game and app development. Just because it's pretty comprehensive, and free😅
Awesome! Agreed! I'm slowly working more with JavaScript and will be making the move to C# possibly as I learn more. One step at a time. I thought about Python but JavaScript is working for me for now.
C# is great! It's the programming language I've used. I know a lot of people like python, especially for machine programming it seems. Though I've never used it.
In this video you are working on cord closure, right? I have difficulty with this, because when I try to sing lower notes, I push the larynx down too much, so I can't sing the note.
Excellent video.
Yes - though most of us do have a limit for low notes, there are ways to improve efficiency. The mechanism is flexible so long as we understand where the flex needs to be, however, pushing the larynx down will cut off the airflow. So airflow is just as important as proper tension for the lows.
Thanks!
@@bass2yang Thank you!
Am 21 and my range is C2-E4. Do you think I'll be able to hit a B1 or Bb1 when I be 25 years old?
Thanks!
It all depends on the person, though as you improve your singing and coordination, it is very possible to expand your range as well with time and experience. For a lot of people, age usually makes the notes you have sound and feel fuller, but you won't really reach your prime as a bass until your 40s, with some even experiencing a more solid sound into their 50s.
@@bass2yang Thanks!
for some reason it's extremely difficult for me to even do pure vocal fry, just when i wake up or before i go to sleep. that is, it is difficult to combine pure voice with some vocal fry. Do you think it could be a bad closure of the vocal cords? Glottic cleft or something? I'm 19 years old my range is usually from G2 F4 comfortable, and F#2/E2 - E5 forcing more, thanks.
i believe i learned how to make fry, but how can i make it more volume and weight? make it sound more velvety. how can I improve this?
It is a matter of balance. Having naturally bigger vocal folds make the process easier. The other is to work on your upper register to help you stretch your vocal folds. Singing low requires both thickness and proper airflow; sometimes we lower our larynx too much and cut off the air. Keep singing and find that balance!
Thanks!
@@bass2yang thanks, through your videos i learned in 1 week to do the subharmonic technique, it is a technique that i did not know yet, i thought that there was only fry, you expanded my knowledge, thank you very much.
I sing low in a quartet here in Brazil, the Vocallys Quartet
we have 10 years of history
I am a bass player who only takes the D2 from my chest, I didn't use the fry because I always thought the quality was very poor, but now that I have learned this new technique, the subharmonic, I am very excited, very happy.
I still have difficulties in the transitions of the subharmonic notes, it is all new to me, it is like learning to write ... but I have faith that one day I will be able to sing in deeper notes with this technique. Thank you very much and may God continue to bless your life
what app you use to show the pitch while speaking ? thanks
hey guess what, using sub-harmonics i can hit an F♯4
Thank you, I have one question. Are subharmonics strohbass? I have discoverd some bass singer that claims it's the same! According to this video isn't, right?!
It really depends on who you talk to, but, yes, some say they are the same. Some actually categorize everything under vocal fry as well.
I choose to call it vocal subharmonics (true vocal fold undertones) because of its properties. Strohbass is a German term that essentially means "straw bass", because of its sound being similar to the sound of crackling straw. From what I understand, strohbass does actually start on the actual pitch whereas subharmonics has a normal fundamental that is an octave or more above itself.
Others call it "throat singing" or "polyphonic singing" - so it really depends on your approach and if you are able to describe it.
@@bass2yang Very well, You didn't disappoint me, clear answer, Thank You. I'm working on my voice and as You might notice on tiktok I post only short accapella ideas of what I want to achieve.
As a composer I find fascinating to harmonize just with my voice. It's like a sketch before the real painting.
Hello, Thou! Thank you a lot for these free lessons!
But I have a question. My highest comfortable subharmonic note is Bb1 and B1 is where my high subharmonic range starts. However, my daily chest low is D2 and my lowest "projectable or comfortable" note is Eb2 so transitions from chest to subharmonics are insanely difficult for me because of that B1-C#2 area. To sing let's say Bb2-G#2-F#2-F2-Eb2-*C#2-C2-Bb1* these C#2 and C2 notes are "available" only on a good vocal day. Otherwise I will get a robotic sound. BTW I'm a baritone.
-----Can I do anything about it?
I would focus on getting a really good modal sound up top. Nice, round, and full vowels so that when you do engage the for the subharmonic, it carries that tone into the subharmonic. There comes a point to where relaxation can only give you the starting note - adding more energy, airflow, compression, etc. will allow you to shape the sound and explore better qualities of timbre.
Thanks!
@@bass2yang Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I will definitely try that!
@@bass2yang I'm back again with another question!:D
What happens when one approach to the lowest chest notes? I mean it's obviously the bottom of the pure natural vocal range and there's got to be a limit, but, in terms of anatomy, what happens to vocal chords and larynx? I want to at least picture the anatomy of subharmonics that are *more that an octave lower that lowest chest note* . Like how is even fry added? As far as I know, the leading theory about how subharmonics are created is that one part of the vocal chords (let's say the right part) vibrate at a ratio of 2, whereas the other one (left part) vibrate at a ratio of 3, which in a result give as an undertone. BUT if the higher pitched vocal chord's part [The ratio of 3] is still natural "full chest", then ONLY ONE part of the lower pitched vocal chord [The ratio of 2] is *FRY* ? It does sound real but it's so weird.
Can you explain please?
I think assuming it to have two distinct pitches at the same time is the issue - the "vocal fry" is more of a vocal fold state rather than an actual pitch. An active false fold involvement such as VVM would be two pitches, albeit maybe not necessarily at the same ratio. Meaning, the vocal fry feeling is simply there to allow you true folds to hold itself in such a manner that is causing the offset/asymmetry (and this holding is actually from the false folds). The key functions of a subharmonic are periodic, dampening, and active or passive involvement from another physical object (true folds with false folds (active or passive), epiglottal, tongue, uvular, lips, etc.)
For your bottom chest notes, it all comes down to the ability to maintain length and breath energy while the folds are thickening (which consequently makes them shorter and slack).
Too breathy, but there is a pitch: what most would feel to be in full voice. Less overtones. More length than thickness.
Connected, but unstable pitch and throaty/clicky: more thickness than length. Imbalance of vocal fold negotiation, breath (air speed and/or air density), approximation of fold closure.
Stable pitch, but soft or a lot of overtones: some length and thickness balanced, but improper or undeveloped breath energy.
Balanced, full, not necessary loud, but present: balance of registration and breath energy, balanced thickness and length.
Is there any way to make vocal fry stronger? my vocal fry is very weak
There isn't a solid way to strengthen it, rather, there are ways to develop an efficient airflow and pressure that allows the vocal fry to be more free and allow it to create a discernable pitch.
Try singing in your falsetto to stretch your vocal folds and then move down into vocal fry in the lower range. Sometimes, the efficiency gained from stretching your vocal folds is transferred to the lower range and the airflow allows it to be free enough to create a pitch.
It's a mixed bag at the moment because every voice is different and everyone has different experiences. With that said, yawn-sighs up high to down low, lip rolls, and working on breath efficiency really helps.
Thanks!
Yang. I've one any question...
Does tenor can using subharmonics???
I wondered it...
Anyway, be careful COVID...
Yes - subharmonics is a "state" that the vocal folds are in and not based on voice type. Octavism.com has demonstrated this and he has said that he is more of a baritone or even tenor. My wife and kids can pull it off at times, too.
Usually, basses and baritones seem to have an easier time finding it and blending the timbre with their full voice, though not always.
Thanks!
@@bass2yang yap!!! Thank you for ur recommend.
It was too late but... happy new year!!!
As a tenor voice, I have been practicing range development by using subharmonics. Now I can help the B2 parts on songs Voctave songs like This is my wish/let there be peace on earth. The C at the beginning of this song is on the upper range of my subharmonic and is very difficult to maintain. Cheers.
😀😀
Hi Mr. Yang I hope you are well!
I am lyrical choral singer, lover and dedicated to monitoring education and vocal training at different levels and moments. I am writing to you because it would be able to count on the program with which you present the explication in this video as a tone analyzer and to work on it technique. I tried to find information it on your page but it does not talk about these details. I have even tried to get one that offers the quality of your program but I have not obtained satisfactory results. I will be extremely grateful if you could provide me with the necessary information to be able to opt for it, and in case it was not possible, be so kind and give ma a favorable aption for the task.
Extremely grateful for your attention and your invaluable contribution to the education of the art if singing.
Have a great day!
Efrain! Thank you for commenting and I apologize for my tardiness on this reply. I am not sure I fully understand what are you asking for, but it seems as though you are referring to the program I am using to evaluate the voice. This specific program is Logic Pro (Main Stage) that is available for Apple computers. I also use Vocal Pitch Monitor (app for phones) to check pitch as well as Spectroid (phone) when I am on the go.
I hope this helps! Thanks!
So basically do every thing opposite of what my hs choir teacher is leading me to do
I'm sure there is a decent 2nd bass voice in there somewhere, but all this invented technique stuff is confused, unmusical and a real distraction. Possibly damaging to the voice too.
This dude knows more about the voice than you ever will. He literally has sung with glenn miller as an oktavist