20 Hour Course

workbook

CONTENT PAGE

Seven Ques)ons Worksheet 4

Seven Ques)ons Help sheet 5
BAST Course outline 9
Week 1 11
What It Means To Be A Singing Teacher Worksheet 11
What It Means To Be A Singing Teacher Possible Answers 12
Self Study 13
Week 2 14
GeFng A History Help Sheet 14
Student History Form Example 15
Vocal Fold Closure Exercises 17
Self Study 18
Week 3 19
Diagnosis Terminologies Chart 19
Func)onal Diagnosis Worksheet 21
Self Study 24
Week 4 25
Consonants Exercise Worksheet 25
Breath Management & Posture Assessment Worksheet 26
Extract from Shirlee Emmon’s ar)cle 30
Self Study 31
Week 5 32
Extra resources 32
Formant Frequency Chart 32
Prac)ce Goals Worksheet Example 33
Prac)ce Worksheet Example 34
Self Study
Week 6 36
Comparing Celine and Tina Vowels Worksheet 37
Diagnos)c Assessment Worksheet 39
Singing Assessment Worksheet 40
Self Study 42
Week 7 43
Guidelines For Giving Feedback Help Sheet 43
Teaching Tools Help Sheet 44
Self Study 49
Week 8 50
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 VAK Self Assessment Ques)onnaire 50
VAK Learning Styles Explana)on 54
Tips For SeFng SMART Goals 55
Wri)ng An Effec)ve Goal Statement 56
My Goals Statement Worksheet 56
Self Study 57
Week 9 58
Vocal Exercise Worksheet 58
Self Study 60
Week 10 61
Zooming In Exercise 61
Next Step Exercise 61
That’s It! 62
Self Study 63

7 QUESTIONS TO GET YOU STARTED WORKSHEET

©Singline Ltd 2019

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Before commencing the course you should take some 5me to consider the following
ques5ons. Check the accompanying Help Sheet for further explana5ons.

Please bring your answers with you to the first class.

1. Why do you want to teach?

2. Who do you want to teach?

3. Where do you want to teach?

4. When do you want to teach?

5. How do you plan to start?

6. What is your current experience?

7. Where do you want to take it?

7 QUESTIONS TO GET YOU STARTED HELP SHEET

1. WHY do you want to teach?

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Some things to consider:
• Do you enjoy teaching?
• Do you enjoy learning?
• Are you happy to run a business?
• Do you have enough experience and knowledge to charge for your teaching
services?
• What experience, skills or training do you have that will appeal to your
poten5al customers?
• Could you add any relevant qualifica5ons or training to your skill set? E.g. a
music degree, specific vocal technique training.
• Are you organised and reliable?
• Do you have an entrepreneurial streak?
• Do you have the 5me to commit to teaching regularly?

2. WHO do you want to teach?

In other words who is your target market?

• consider the age range you want to teach,
• what level of singing experience the student may already have
• the musical genres/style you are comfortable with.

Children: Young children don’t want spend too much 5me on technique, they want to
sing and have fun. They generally have short aMen5on spans and get easily distracted;
they are rarely disciplined on prac5ce. School age children will be restricted to aOer
school and weekend 5me slots. Parents may wish their child to do graded exams (e.g.,
in the UK that would include ABRSM, A Levels or Rock School).

It is not that common for children to start very young. Some fields e.g. Children
Beauty Pageants they may start as young as 4 having voice lessons. If you are
comfortable working with very young children and have a good understanding or
training in vocal technique then there is no reason why you shouldn’t take on
students this age. On the whole its between 10-12 that children are mentally and
emo5onally ready for weekly music/singing lessons.

Teens: Males may be experiencing voice changes as they go through puberty. Do you
know how to guide a boy’s voice through this, some5mes, very difficult stage?

Some teens find it hard to focus and may not be very diligent with prac5ce, they
generally prefer to sing current repertoire and ‘hate to look foolish’ and are s5ll very
much coming to terms with their self image. So if you have some vocal exercises that
may seem ‘uncool’ it may be difficult to get the teen to cooperate and commit to the
exercises.

Adults:
- Hobby singers: less experience and skill required than for a professional singer.
Usually hobby singers want to gain confidence and an intro to performance
and singing.

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 - Professional singers, you will need to have experience and/or training suitable
to that level of a professional.
- Elderly, as the voice gets older it can degenerate so singing can be a bit more
of a struggle for the elderly especially if they have not maintained any kind of
vocal fitness. It may also take longer for the voice to get fit. Saying this singing
technique and singing can be very good for the older person not only in
helping them gain vocal strength but also enjoyment.

3. WHERE do you want to teach?

From home - It is easy to set up, cheap and convenient. But you will need to consider
your family and neighbours. Some5mes a steady stream of people coming to the
house can be intrusive, not to men5on the poten5al noise from the vocal exercises
and singing. If you live in a one-bedroom studio flat you will need to consider how you
feel about strangers in your bedroom and the need to maintain a 5dy and clean
environment. It can also appear ‘unprofessional’ to some clients.

A teaching studio — own, shared or for someone else.

Other teaching environments — e.g. primary to higher schools and colleges.

In the UK music peripate5c teaching is common. This is where an instrumental or

vocal teacher comes in specifically to teach their instrument one-to-one. You don’t
need to be a qualified teacher to do this job, just experienced and qualified in your
instrument. There are also private performance or dance schools that use singing
teachers on their courses.

4. WHEN do you want to teach?

In other words what days of the week and 5mes of the day?
- AOer school hours
- Day5me
- Evenings
- Weekends

What length of 5me will your lessons be? Can be anything from 15 minutes to 2hrs or
more depending on the purpose.

If just working technique the recommended 5me is a 30 min session, once a week.

If the singer is working towards a specific project e.g. recording or tour, or is only in
town for a short period then 2-3hrs. This will incorporate technical exercises, song
applica5on and performance.
Hobby singers oOen work day jobs so you will need to work evening slots and
weekends.

If you don’t want to teach full 5me you will have a more difficult 5me maintaining
regular customers. Commonly people see singing lessons as a regular commitment

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through out the year. They don’t like having too long a gap between lessons. This may
not be the right job for you if you don’t think you can commit to it for at least 10-11
months of the year.

5. HOW do you plan to start?

Like any new business geeng started can be difficult. You need to make sure you have
everything required to geeng up and running, which may mean you need to spend
money before you earn it. It is important for you to figure out how to get your
message out to your target market.

Carry out some research on marke5ng for small businesses. There are many free and
low cost strategies you can apply in the beginning so don’t be concerned that you
need a major budget.

To get started you may want to consider seeng aside one day/evening and build up
from there as demand rises. It will take you a year or two to build a solid business and
get to your full earning poten5al.

Deciding your fee: When deciding a fee you will need to research price ranges for
singing teachers in your area. Also look for teachers with similar qualifica5ons/
backgrounds. Go onto specific singing and music teachers sites, here you will also get
a sense of average fees. In London you can earn anything up to hundreds of pounds
per hour depending on a) your reputa5on b) years of teaching c) qualifica5ons d)
celebrity status. But outside of London you may struggle to command such fees. The
average UK fee range seems to be between £35-85 per hour. As you gain experience
you will be able to increase your fees, you may need to test the market and adjust
accordingly. £35 with a full schedule is beMer than £45 with half the hours. Unless
that suits your needs of course.

Another way to decide your fee and figure out how many students you need is to
work out how much you want to earn per year. Divide that by how many weeks you
want to work, then divide that number by hours per week you want to work. For
example £24,000pa/40 weeks = £600/16hrs per week = £37.50 hourly rate. This
means you need to find 16 students to have a 1 hour weekly lesson over 40 weeks a
year to earn £24,000pa. You can also start with a fee and then work out how many
hours you need to work a week e.g. £24,000/£50ph = 480 lessons per year/48 weeks
= 10 hours a week. In order to achieve your annual income aim to have another
50-70% extra students to make up for comings and goings.

Scheduling: Midweek evenings generally work beMer than weekends. Saturdays are
popular and certain months are oOen busier than others too. For instance in the UK
and USA the slow period is July to Sept. In Australia the slow period is December to
February, these are the summer breaks. You should also check the school holiday
dates in your area, if your target market is children and hobby singers they are either
off on holiday or looking aOer their children. You may find star5ng your business at
the beginning of an academic year is beMer than the middle or end of it.

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The nature of your type of customer will be transient. Singing lessons are, for many, a
luxury item so as soon as finances are scarce lessons are sacrificed. Some students
start enthusias5cally but get put off when they realise that it is hard work to reach a
high standard of singing. You will find there is an ebb and flow with student numbers
related to things out of your control.

6. WHAT is your current experience?

To help you target your market and focus your resources you need to take an
inventory of what you have to offer a singing student.

- Make a list of your qualifica5ons and skills (musical and non musical), singing
experience and most importantly your musical passions. Iden5fy what makes
you unique. Maybe you have extensive experience as a func5on singer, or in
session work, maybe you have worked as a solo ar5st, or have a
complimentary profession/qualifica5on that singers may be interested in e.g.
music degree, music business qualifica5ons, sales experience.

- Take a good look at all of it and find your specialty angle. People like to know
what they can get from you that they can’t get elsewhere. This won't only help
you stand out from the crowd but it will help you to find a focus when
marke5ng your self and finding poten5al students.

7. WHERE do you want to take it?

- It is highly recommended that you make a plan for where you want this job to
take you.

- Remember you can always update and change your plan as you go.

- The kinds of places that this job can take you include working with hobby
singers, professional singers, major label ar5sts (live and recording studio),
coaching on TV shows, teaching in schools, colleges and universi5es, teaching
around the world (live and on line), working with special needs groups,
corporate training, musical theatre vocal coaching, film world and working on
major community events based around singing.

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BAST 20 HOUR COURSE OUTLINE
Week Content
1 • Intros
• Course outline: What to expect from the course
• Being a singing teacher: The why, what, where, how & when
• A&P: Intro to the skeletal structure and extrinsic muscles of the larynx.
• Voice classifica8ons: Classical vs Contemporary
• Func8on In Singing: what we’re interested in regarding the larynx and why
• Assessing: The larynx
• Assessment Exercise: Assessing the larynx
• In Teaching: Larynx oriented exercises
2 • Review: Week 1
• GeCng a history: Useful info to get from a new student, how to ask the
quesFons, what to do with the responses
• A&P: Introducing the vocal folds
• Assessing: Vocal fold closure
• Assessment Exercise: Assessing vocal fold closure
• In Teaching: The vocal folds
• Teaching prac8se
3 • Review: Week 2
• A&P: The vocal folds — sound and pitch making
• A&P: Laryngeal innervaFon
• Vocal Registers: The why, what, where, when and how
• Transi8ons: The why, what, where, when and how
• Assessing: Vocal funcFon
• In teaching: How, what and when of assessing vocal funcFon
• Assessment Exercise
4 • Review Week 3
• IPA: Intro to the InternaFonal PhoneFc Alphabet
• The consonant: What, how, why, when
• A&P: The Respiratory System
• Myth bus8ng: Breathing for singing myths
• Assessing: Breath management and posture
• Assessment exercise: Assessing breath management and posture
• In Teaching: Breath management strategies
5 • Review: Week 4
• Intro Voice Science P1: Harmonics
• Vowels: Before vowels, the what, where, how and why
• Intro Voice Science P2: Formants
• Prac8ce advice: How to advise your students on pracFce, how long, when,
where, what etc

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 6 • Review: Week 5
• Vowels cont: Assessing
• In teaching: Modifying the vowel
• Assessment: How, what, where and when
• Assessing: A singer’s singing voice
• Prac8cal Applica8on
7 • Review: Week 6
• SeCng up the studio: Must haves and should haves to get your studio up and
running
• Tools of the trade: The six tools we can use to help the singer sing beWer
• Giving the lesson: What, where and when of a 60, 45 and 30 minute lesson
• Teaching all ages: ConsideraFons for children, teens and adults
• Prac8cal Applica8on
8 • Review: Week 7
• Goal seCng: The SMART way
• Mo8va8on: How to maintain it
• Learning & teaching styles: Learning models, VAK and understanding student
centred learning
• Other teaching strategies: To help you give a great lesson
• Personality types: The types of people who may come through your door
• Repertoire: Applying the tools into song, choosing repertoire
• Prac8cal Applica8on
9 • Review: Week 8
• Intro to vocal pathology: common vocal injuries in singers
• Other things that impact on the voice: common factors that affect the voice.
• Vocal health advice: Top Fps to share with your students.
• SOVT Exercises: Vocal warm ups and cool downs
• Class Exercise
• Prac8cal Applica8on
10 • Review Week 9
• GeCng students through the door: Ge`ng started with markeFng and other
consideraFons
• Good prac8ce guidelines: Policies and processes that will help you run a great
teaching studio
• Con8nuous professional development: Learning doesn't stop here! Achieving
your goals
• Prac8cal Applica8on

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WEEK 1
Content

• Intros
• Course outline: What to expect from the course
• Being a singing teacher: The why, what, where, how & when
• Classifica)ons: Classical versus contemporary singers
• A&P: Intro to the skeletal structure and extrinsic muscles of the larynx.
• Func)on In Singing: what we’re interested in regarding the larynx and why
• Assessing: The larynx
• Assessment Exercise: Assessing the larynx
• In Teaching: Larynx oriented exercises

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SINGING TEACHER WORKSHEET

1. What is the role of a singing teacher? Hint there are many…

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2. What a:ributes should a good singing teacher have?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

3. What are the advantages of being a singing teacher?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

4. What are the disadvantages of being a singing teacher?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

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WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SINGING TEACHER POSSIBLE ANSWERS

Role • non ego5s5cal

• teach technique, performance, etc Advantages

• help with vocal health — rehab,
habilitate, educate • financial — added source of income/
• nurture replacement (e.g. giving up gigging
• encourage due to family)
• cri5que • sharing experience and knowledge
• build confidence • helping others
• listen • flexible working hours
• advise • crea5ve
• coach • related to own passion/interest/career
• guide experience
• provide singing opportuni5es • improve own knowledge for one’s self
• bring out the best voice in the singer • improve own technique
• refer on if necessary • network
• to be student focused • building a community

Aeributes Disadvantages

• knowledge of the voice and singing • need self mo5va5on

• knowledge of teaching methods • can be lonely
• knowledge of learning styles • requires admin, business and
• pa5ence marke5ng skills
• construc5ve judgment • 5me for money
• ethical • takes 5me to build a good financial
• trustworthy turn over
• sensi5ve to other’s needs • income can fluctuate with seasons e.g.
• great ears drops in summer
• musical and performance experiences • big commitment e.g. need to consider
and ability student’s con5nuity, this may mean
• piano skills turning down gigs
• music theory/reading • not singing/performing as much
• self mo5va5on • not always crea5ve
• confidence • lack of educa5onal courses/support
• compassionate • dealing with a person’s psyche/vocal
• organised health/dreams — big responsibility
• punctual • needs equipment and suitable space
• entrepreneurial • needs some technological ability e.g.
• self reliant computer, IT, sound equipment


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Your Notes

WEEK 1 SELF STUDY

Explore the larynx further in [Link]/larynx

Check out the videos in the Reference Folder - there are various Xray videos of
people singing, swallowing and rapping. See if you can locate the larynx and
watch how it moves during these ac5vi5es.
Find some guinea pig students and get them to explore the concept of
posi5oning their larynx High, Neutral and Low.
Pop Quiz Week 1. You should have received the link and instruc5ons via email, if
not then email info@[Link] to request the link.

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WEEK 2
Content

• Review: Week 1
• GeFng a history: Useful info to get from a new student, how to ask the ques5ons,
what to do with the responses
• A&P: Introducing the vocal folds
• Assessing: Vocal fold closure
• Assessment Exercise: Assessing vocal fold closure
• In Teaching: The vocal folds

GETTING A HISTORY HELP SHEET

1. Singing/performance/music experience

• How long have you been singing for?

• At what level? e.g. amateur/semi-pro/pro
• Style of singing?
• How o=en do you perform?
• What se@ng do you perform in? E.g. rock singer in an electric based band/choral
singing/jazz/acousFc/musical theatre , etc.

1. Singing/performance/music educaEon

• EducaFonal experience? Including singing lessons, how long for? Any parFcular
technique? Why stopped? How many teachers?
• Other related study e.g. Degree , etc.
• Other instrumental study?
• Any relevant learning issues/disabiliFes e.g. dyslexia, on the spectrum

3. Relevant medical issues

• Has the student had any problems with their voice? If there are vocal health issues
— were they seen by a GP or an ENT, if so what was the diagnosis? Any treatment
or therapy prescribed?
• Respiratory problems such as asthma, hay fever
• History of Gastric Reflux
• Hormonal issues including PMS/Menopause/thyroid issues/pregnancy
• MedicaFons that might interfere with vocal health e.g. Asthma meds/
anFhistamines/blood thinners including aspirin/Ibuprofen
• It may also be worth knowing if someone has life-threatening allergies, diabetes or
epilepsy just in case they have an episode in the studio. Find out what usually needs
to happen and who to call in case of emergency

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4. Lifestyle habits — leisure and work

• Smoking
• Alcohol/drug habit (You may not wish to ask these quesFons directly, o=en if there
are such problems these things will become evident as Fme goes on)
• Caffeine
• Are they drinking enough water?
• Stress levels?
• Work - do they have a heavy voice workload such as teaching/call centre job/
working in a loud environment , etc. Is the work environment cold/dry/hot/toxic/
humid
• Hobbies: in parFcular one that uses the voice a lot e.g. sports coach

5. Is there anything else?

This is an open ended quesFon to find out if there is anything else they feel you’d find
useful.

STUDENT HISTORY FORM EXAMPLE

Name: _____________________________ Age: _________ Male/Female (circle)

1. Technical areas I feel my voice needs to improve in: (Tick all that apply) 

Control
 Maintaining connected sound
Pitching
 through out range
Bridge/break/passaggio/transi5on
 Dynamic control

Tone/5mbre
 Ease Of Use

Balance
 Flexibility

Breath control
 Vibrato

Ar5cula5on
 Endurance

Range
 Health

Strength
 Styling

Other _________________________ 


2. How long have you been singing for? ____________


3. Do you consider yourself currently: Amateur Semi-Professional Professional

4. Style(s) of music that you sing: __________________________________________

5. Do you play instruments while singing? No Yes What instruments? _________

6. Do you take singing lessons? No Yes How long have you been studying? _____
7. Have you trained in a par5cular vocal technique? No Yes (name)______

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8a. How oOen do you currently perform? Average of ___ per week month year

8b. Average dura5on of gig ________ hrs

9. What is your regular singing environment? (Tick all that apply)

Solo Small group Choir (classical) Choir (gospel) Electronic band

Acous5c band Musical Theatre BVs Studio Sessions Concert Other _____

12. When I sing I experience: (Tick all that apply)

Loss of higher notes
 Run out of breath quickly

Loss of lower notes
 Vocal fa5gue aOer short 5me

Unable to sing loudly
 Become hoarse aOer singing
Unable to sing soOly

Can’t sustain pitch accurately Complete loss of voice aOer singing

Difficulty with breaks/register Other _________________________


transi5ons

13. Have you ever been referred to an Ear Nose and Throat consultant for voice or
related problems? No Yes - how long ago? __________ The reason? _________

14. What was the diagnosis? ______________________________________________

15. What treatment did you receive? ______________________________________

16. Are you due for a follow-up in the future? No Yes Date: _____________

17. Tick any of the following condi5ons that you have:

Asthma or other respiratory disorder. Treatment ____________________________

Vocal fold injury or disorder. Treatment ___________________________________

Acid reflux. Treatment _________________________________________________

Indiges5on. Treatment ________________________________________________
Environmental allergies. Treatment ______________________________________
Thyroid problems. Treatment ___________________________________________

Peri or postmenopausal problems. Treatment _____________________________
Rheumatoid Arthri5s. Treatment ________________________________________

18. Do you currently work? No Yes, occupa5on ___________________________

19. Describe how you use your voice at work. ________________________________

20. Do you have any hobbies that involve voice use? ___________________________

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 21. Do you smoke? No Ceased for ____ years Yes ____ per day for ____ years

23. Other informa5on you feel is relevant: __________________________________

VOCAL FOLD CLOSURE EXERCISES

Some suggested exercises:

i. Move from a sustained HH to AH. Here you are experiencing abducted

then adducted vocal folds during phona5on
ii. Karate chop ‘HUH’ or grunt to close VFs. Get to closure as quickly as
possible, minimise airiness…watch for excessive closure or gloMal stopping
iii. HUH-AH on single notes This is to get singer to create AH from a VF
adducted posi5on. S5ck to chest register (i.e. below G4[f], D4[m])
iv. Light staccato edgy MMs on 3N, 5N or major scale
v. MM (up)-AH (down) — legato on 3 or 5N scale

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Your Notes

WEEK 2 SELF STUDY

Make a list of the ques5ons you find useful to ask a new student
Explore vocal folds further on [Link]/larynx/vocal-cords
Find a guinea pig student and teach them some vocal fold closure exercises
How are your keyboard skills coming along? If your piano skills need addressing
then make sure you are prac6cing daily. It will be a challenge to do scales and
focus on the singer at the same 6me so the be:er your piano skills are the more
you can focus on the singer Prac5ce the major scale in all 12 Keys. Then reduce
them into 5 and 3 Note Scales. You must know all 12 major keys ( C, Db, D, Eb, E,
F, Gb, G, Ab, A, Bb and B). Prac5ce them with your eyes closed so you know how
they feel and don’t have to rely on watching your fingers. Then prac5ce the 3N
and 5N deriva5ves. See Reference sec5on of handbook for scales and fingerings.
Pop Quiz Week 2

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WEEK 3
Content

• Review: Week 2
• A&P: The vocal folds — sound and pitch making
• A&P: Laryngeal innerva5on
• Vocal Registers: The why, what, where, when and how
• Transi)ons: The why, what, where, when and how
• Assessing: Vocal func5on
• In teaching: How, what and when of assessing vocal func5on
• Assessment Exercise

DIAGNOSIS TERMINOLOGIES CHART

These are not exclusive or final. The idea is to ensure the teachers have a broad
understanding of the different ways a voice might be assessed and to find uniformity within
the BAST training.

Term Other terms Possible Symptoms What’s happening

Weak No Chest; • Lacking lower resonance (chest) Vocal Folds (VF) are
Vocal Fold classical soprano may have falsetto/flute-like quality. adducting but with a
Closure sound • Limited dynamic expression and low Closed Quotient
vibrato. (CQ) and/or reduced
• Able to get through transition mass. Sometimes due
successfully but lacks richness of to forcing too much air
bottom end. e.g. Dido, Antony out during phonation.
Hegarty, James Blunt, Marilyn May or may not be
Monroe present in speaking
voice.
Medium Mix, balanced • Balanced tone through out, no Singer has great
Vocal Fold flips, cracks, intonation issues. control of their vocal
Closure • Looks and sounds easy. Access to mechanism. Correct
full range of dynamic and usage and balance of
emotional expression.e.g. Karen air, muscle and
Carpenter, Maureen McGovern, mechanism.
Alfie Boe
Strong Mix, belt, • Strong but balanced tone through Singer has great
Vocal Fold out, no flips, cracks, intonation control of their vocal
Closure issues. mechanism. Correct
• Looks and sounds easy. usage and balance of
• Access to full range of dynamic air, muscle and
and emotional expression. mechanism.
• Sounds like “chest” register all the
way. E.g. Wendy Moten, David
Phelps, Idina Menzel (on a good
day), Beyoncé.
Excessive Pressed; edgy • Sound is strangled and hard VFs too compressed/
Vocal Fold sound. over adducted.
Closure • Effects to tone, pitch and vibrato. Too much muscle
• Intonation issues — often flat. involvement: intrinsic
• Vocal fatigue and injury, can lead and extrinsic.
to vocal issues if excessive and
persistent. e.g Idina Menzel on a
bad day

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Strained Pulled chest; • Bulging neck muscles/veins The Thyroarytenoid
yelled; shout • red face, pulled back mouth e.g. (TA) muscle is not
John Mayer giving over to the
• Voice may flip or crack Cricothyroid (CT)
• Pitch may go flat muscle, or the CT
• Loud dynamic volume muscle is weak; too
• Singer may complain of much air being pushed
hoarseness after singing out and extrinsic
muscles now involved
in trying to help with
VF adduction
High Pulled chest; • Sound is lacking in warm bottom Larynx is rising up too
Larynx strained; yelled; tone, may be ‘harsh in tone; much. The extrinsic
belted similar symptoms to Strained but muscles (supra
to a lesser degree; may have hyoids) contract and
nasal tone pull larynx upwards.
• Voice may crack in the Transition May be a result of
area base of tongue
• Dynamics and vibrato may be tension.
limited.
• Some singers manage to sing long
term on a slightly elevated larynx.
• Does not always impact ability to
transition.
Lack of TA No chest • Commonly found in females who Minimal engagement
muscle have had classical training or a of the TA
choral background.
Nasal Pharyngeal; twang • Tone is nasal, strident; may have The sound is going
some symptoms of High Larynx/ into the
Strained. nasopharyngeal area
• Sometimes goes hand in hand and less out of the
with Belt technique. mouth. Sometimes a
• Many singers have had a result of a high larynx
successful career of nasality e.g and narrow mouth
Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand and opening where the
Ethel Merman sound is forced to find
it’s way out via the
nose. May be related
to character, accent or
dialect.
Breathy Aspirate; airy; • Low dynamic volume only; singer VF either not closed
falsetto may complain of loss of voice enough or closed
during singing. quotient is low, too
• Vocally tiring, due to consistently much air passing
high airflow. through VFs
• Singers who have had successful
careers with a breathy tone e.g.
Nora Jones, Dido, Antony
Hegarty.
Flip Yodel, falsetto • Normal in the chest register but Due to poor TA-CT
flips as ascends into transition handover preceded by
balanced voice
Crack Yodel, crack, • Precede by a strained/yelled/ Due to over using the
register break, pulled approach TA; there will come an
break end point where it can
no longer stretch, so
the VFs flip open and
there is a sudden
transition to the CT
and head voice.
Balanced Mixed; blended; • No audible changes as the voice All is well with the
modal; neutral; transitions between registers; full world!
speech; speech rich, strong tone with dynamic
level freedom
• Balanced vibrato may be evident.

!20
FUNCTIONAL DIAGNOSIS WORKSHEET

Select the predominant results. At 4mes you may need to select more than one
criterion — take notes as to where the changes occur or any other observa4ons that
you think may be useful.

Example 1

1. Vocal Fold Closure Weak Medium Strong Excessive

Comments: _________________________________________________________

2. Laryngeal height Low Neutral Low Neutral Neutral High High

Comments: _________________________________________________________

3. Register Transi,on Well controlled Strained Flip Crack Pitch fla;ens

Pitch sharpens Lack of TA muscle

Comments: _________________________________________________________

4. Air/muscle balance Well-balanced Excessive airflow Insufficient airflow

Excessive intrinsic muscle Excessive extrinsic muscle Poor TA/CT
handover Weak tone Nasal tone Yelled tone Strident tone

Comments: _________________________________________________________

5. Diagnosis? _______________________________________________________

Example 2

1. Vocal Fold Closure Weak Medium Strong Excessive

Comments: _________________________________________________________
2. Laryngeal height Low Neutral Low Neutral Neutral High High

Comments: _________________________________________________________

3. Register Transi,on Well controlled Strained Flip Crack Pitch fla;ens

Pitch sharpens Lack of TA muscle

Comments: _________________________________________________________

4. Air/muscle balance Well-balanced Excessive airflow Insufficient airflow

Excessive intrinsic muscle Excessive extrinsic muscle Poor TA/CT
Handover Weak tone Nasal tone Yelled tone Strident tone

Comments: _________________________________________________________

!21
5. Diagnosis? _______________________________________________________

Example 3

1. Vocal Fold Closure Weak Medium Strong Excessive

Comments: _________________________________________________________

2. Laryngeal height Low Neutral Low Neutral Neutral High High

Comments: _________________________________________________________

3. Register Transi,on Well controlled Strained Flip Crack Pitch fla;ens

Pitch sharpens Lack of TA muscle

Comments: _________________________________________________________

4. Air/muscle balance Well-balanced Excessive airflow Insufficient airflow

Excessive intrinsic muscle Excessive extrinsic muscle Poor TA/CT
Handover Weak tone Nasal tone Yelled tone Strident tone

Comments: _________________________________________________________

5. Diagnosis? _______________________________________________________
Example 4

1. Vocal Fold Closure Weak Medium Strong Excessive

Comments: _________________________________________________________

2. Laryngeal height Low Neutral Low Neutral Neutral High High

Comments: _________________________________________________________

3. Register Transi,on Well controlled Strained Flip Crack Pitch fla;ens

Pitch sharpens Lack of TA muscle

Comments: _________________________________________________________

4. Air/muscle balance Well-balanced Excessive airflow Insufficient airflow

Excessive intrinsic muscle Excessive extrinsic muscle Poor TA/CT
Handover Weak tone Nasal tone Yelled tone Strident tone

Comments: _________________________________________________________

5. Diagnosis? _______________________________________________________

!22
Example 5

1. Vocal Fold Closure Weak Medium Strong Excessive

Comments: _________________________________________________________

2. Laryngeal height Low Neutral Low Neutral Neutral High High

Comments: _________________________________________________________

3. Register Transi,on Well controlled Strained Flip Crack Pitch fla;ens

Pitch sharpens Lack of TA muscle

Comments: _________________________________________________________

4. Air/muscle balance Well-balanced Excessive airflow Insufficient airflow

Excessive intrinsic muscle Excessive extrinsic muscle Poor TA/CT
Handover Weak tone Nasal tone Yelled tone Strident tone

Comments: _________________________________________________________

5. Diagnosis? _______________________________________________________

!23
Your Notes

WEEK 3 SELF STUDY

Explore vocal folds further on [Link] and Anatomia

Find some guinea pig students and do an assessment as you did in class. Record
1 give a diagnosis, bring the recording to class next week to see if everyone
concurs.
Check out the Diagnosis folder and prac5ce your Assessment skills
Prac5ce your Triads, Octave Arpeggios and Long Scale. Con5nue with the Major,
5 and 3N scales in all keys
Pop Quiz Week 3
!24
 WEEK 4

Content

• Review Week 3
• IPA: Intro to the Interna5onal Phone5c Alphabet
, • The consonant: What, how, why, when
• A&P: The Respiratory System
• Myth bus)ng: Breathing for singing myths
• Assessing: Breath management and posture
• Assessment exercise: Assessing breath management and posture
• In Teaching: Breath management strategies

CONSONANT EXERCISE WORKSHEET

Order the consonants from least to most air flow and where in the mouth they occur
(back, middle, front). Sound out in lower case.
b - d - f - g - h - k - l - m - n - p - s - t - v - w - z - ng

Consonant Placement
Least e.g. ng Back
airflow

e.g. d Middle

Most e.g. w Front

airflow

!25
BREATH MANAGEMENT & POSTURE ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET
Video 1
1. Face & Jaw
Relaxed Tense Red Jaw too forward or back
Comments: __________________________________________________________

2. Neck/Throat area
Relaxed Tense muscles Bulging
Comments: __________________________________________________________

3. Shoulders
Relaxed and neutral Rising with breaths Tension Stooped posture
Comments: __________________________________________________________

4. Ribs, chest & back

Relaxed, ribs descending and inwards on exhale Tension/rigidity Ribs stay
contracted on exhale Clavicular breathing Swayback
Comments: __________________________________________________________

5. Inhale
Well-controlled Snatched Excessive Inadequate Erratic Audible
Comments: _______________________________________________________

6. Exhale
Well-controlled Too rapid Excessive Inadequate Erra;c Breathless at
;mes
Comments: _______________________________________________________

7. Voice
Well-balanced strong tone Too breathy Breathing in inappropriate places
Unable to sustain long notes/phrases Pushing air out e.g. as range goes up
Comments: _______________________________________________________
Video 2

!26
1. Face & Jaw
Relaxed Tense Red Jaw too forward or back
Comments: __________________________________________________________

2. Neck/Throat area
Relaxed Tense muscles Bulging
Comments: __________________________________________________________

3. Shoulders
Relaxed and neutral Rising with breaths Tension Stooped posture
Comments: __________________________________________________________

4. Ribs, chest & back

Relaxed, ribs descending and inwards on exhale Tension/rigidity Ribs stay
contracted on exhale Clavicular breathing Swayback
Comments: __________________________________________________________

5. Inhale
Well-controlled Snatched Excessive Inadequate Erratic Audible
Comments: _______________________________________________________

6. Exhale
Well-controlled Too rapid Excessive Inadequate Erra;c Breathless at
;mes
Comments: _______________________________________________________

7. Voice
Well-balanced strong tone Too breathy Breathing in inappropriate places
Unable to sustain long notes/phrases Pushing air out e.g. as range goes up
Comments: _______________________________________________________

!27
Video 3

1. Face & Jaw

Relaxed Tense Red Jaw too forward or back
Comments: __________________________________________________________

2. Neck/Throat area
Relaxed Tense muscles Bulging
Comments: __________________________________________________________

3. Shoulders
Relaxed and neutral Rising with breaths Tension Stooped posture
Comments: __________________________________________________________

4. Ribs, chest & back

Relaxed, ribs descending and inwards on exhale Tension/rigidity Ribs stay
contracted on exhale Clavicular breathing Swayback
Comments: __________________________________________________________

5. Inhale
Well-controlled Snatched Excessive Inadequate Erratic Audible
Comments: _______________________________________________________

6. Exhale
Well-controlled Too rapid Excessive Inadequate Erra;c Breathless at
;mes
Comments: _______________________________________________________

7. Voice
Well-balanced strong tone Too breathy Breathing in inappropriate places
Unable to sustain long notes/phrases Pushing air out e.g. as range goes up
Comments: _______________________________________________________

!28
Video 4

1. Face & Jaw

Relaxed Tense Red Jaw too forward or back
Comments: __________________________________________________________

2. Neck/Throat area
Relaxed Tense muscles Bulging
Comments: __________________________________________________________

3. Shoulders
Relaxed and neutral Rising with breaths Tension Stooped posture
Comments: __________________________________________________________

4. Ribs, chest & back

Relaxed, ribs descending and inwards on exhale Tension/rigidity Ribs stay
contracted on exhale Clavicular breathing Swayback
Comments: __________________________________________________________

5. Inhale
Well-controlled Snatched Excessive Inadequate Erratic Audible
Comments: _______________________________________________________

6. Exhale
Well-controlled Too rapid Excessive Inadequate Erra;c Breathless at
;mes
Comments: _______________________________________________________

7. Voice
Well-balanced strong tone Too breathy Breathing in inappropriate places
Unable to sustain long notes/phrases Pushing air out e.g. as range goes up
Comments: _______________________________________________________

!29
EXTRACT FROM AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY SHIRLEE EMMONS

‘Focus on Vocal Technique. Update! On Breath Management’

(Keith) Underwood has discovered that an inhala5on achieved by vigorously sucking

in the air will, without fail, s5mulate a maximum expansion of the ribs extending even
to the back of the body. To make sure that the effort is strong enough to set up the
proper rib expansion, he has devised a way to inhale: holding up the leO hand in front
of your face, the thumb touching the palm, the second finger ver5cal before your
mouth, surround that knuckle with your mouth. Then, making a loud, vulgar sucking
noise, pull in the air. You will immediately note that the upper torso is relaxed except
for the ribs, which expand greatly. AOer all these years of hearing how the back is so
important, and, in many cases, being unable to do a strong back expansion, you will
finally feel the back fill with air. So simple, so sure a result. It is the strength of the
sucking that makes the ribs respond.

Underwood insists that the loud noise be as low a sound as possible. Of course, this
produces a slightly lowered larynx without any pushing or pulling. He asks that you
stand on the arch of the foot, not the ball, not the heels. He suggests that you not try
to take in an enormous amount of air, but that you concentrate on expanding the ribs
as far as they can go with every breath, that you not consider the quan5ty of air you
are drawing in. The quick catch breath must also expand the ribs as far as possible. It
can be prac5ced by coun5ng to 5 while expanding slowly and completely. Then take in
the same amount of air in 4 counts, followed by the same amount of air in 3, 2, and 1
count. The 1 count complete inhala5on is your catch breath.

So far we have thought only about inhala5on. How does one manage the exhala5on,
the singing air? Herein lies the essence of his genius and his profound understanding
of musicality. With the inhala5on being accomplished by sucking past the knuckle of
your leO hand in front of your face, raise your right arm straight in the air above your
head. As you begin to sing, trying at the same 5me to keep the ribs expanded for the
en5re phrase, move your right arm down toward your leg. The arm must move at the
same speed for the en5re trip down to the leg. If you start fast, you must con5nue
fast. If your right hand arrives at your leg early (before the phrase has finished), you
must try again, un5l the movement coincides exactly with the phrase you are singing.
The arm must not stop during the movement downward. (This generally happens
when you think about some vocal technical problem.) If you move the right arm too
slowly, and do not arrive at the leg un5l aOer the phrase has finished, you must try
again. The faults in the descent of the arm demonstrate that you have been using too
much air or too liMle air, or stopping your air in various places. When the arm arrives
at the leg exactly at the end of the last note, having made the en5re trip at the same
speed, your singing will have improved immensely—musically and vocally—and
appear to possess more air than ever before.

Full ar'cle [Link]/~jones/Shirlee/[Link]

!30
Your Notes

WEEK 4 SELF STUDY

Explore the respiratory system further: [Link]

Check out the Reference Video folder for more videos on the respiratory system
Read Keith Underwood’s method to access correct inhala5on
[Link]
Assess one Classical singer with one Contemporary singer of your choice in a live
performance (Youtube). Compare the differences in their breath management.
What are the constraints and challenges of each style, situa5on and how may
that impact on the singer’s ability to manage their breathing for singing?
Play with the consonants IPA and audio chart: [Link]/earmstro/ipa/
[Link]
Pop Quiz Week 4

!31
WEEK 5

Content

• Review: Week 4
• Intro Voice Science P1: Harmonics
• Vowels: Before vowels, the what, where, how and why
• Intro Voice Science P2: Formants
• Prac)ce advice: How to advise your students on prac5ce, how long, when, where,
what etc

EXTRA RESOURCES

PRAAT So7ware: A free computer program with which you can analyse, synthesize,
and manipulate speech [Link]/praat/

Overtone Analizer: [Link]/en/order/

VoceVista: [Link]/

FORMANT FREQUENCY CHART

[Link]/ncvs/tutorials/voiceprod/tutorial/fi[Link]

!32
PRACTICE GOALS WORKSHEET EXAMPLE

A) Overall goal/s for this week: e.g. strengthen the transiKon

1. ___________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________

B) How I will achieve this/these goal/s i.e. specific exercises - scales, sounds, songs
applicaKon e.g. NAY and NA on 1.5 and octave up repeat exercises

1. ___________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________

C) How I will know if I have achieved this/these goal/s i.e. what will the result be eg.
No break through the transiKon, feels easy, sounds in tune and with a full tone

1. ___________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________

D) Set 1-3 goals each day of prac)ce:

Describe exercise in terms of scales, the vowel/consonant combo. Include specific foci,
as you are going through the exercise, such as 'add a creak/cry' or 'make the sound
dopey'. Also document the start note and highest note you sang. Make comments
regarding how it felt, sounded or appeared or any other observaKons that will help
you next Kme.

Score out of 5: 1= needs work, 2 = developing, 3 = OK, 4 = nearly there, 5=best

result.

Remember this is in rela(on to today's goal/s, not the long term. A 5 means that it is
as good as it can get given your stage of development or vocal condi5on. Give
yourself a score each 5me you do your exercise then record the best score of the
session. A maximum of 3 aMempts before moving on is a general guideline. Be
objec5ve with your scoring, these scores will help you gauge your progress and
understand where the focus needs to be for future prac5ce sessions.

!33
PRACTICE WORSHEET EXAMPLE

PRACTICE SESSION DATE: ______________ START TIME: ______________

GOAL 1 _______________________________________________________________

Scale _________ Sound ___________ Focus/instruc5on ________________________

Start note: _____________ Highest note achieved _____________ (NB middle C =C4)

Comments: ____________________________________________Best score _____/5

What did I do well? _____________________________________________________

Where can I improve? ___________________________________________________

What can I do to improve the next 5me? ____________________________________

Set new goal for next prac5ce session _______________________________________

GOAL 2_______________________________________________________________

Scale _________ Sound _________ Focus/instruc5on __________________________

Start note: ____________ Highest note achieved ______________ (NB middle C =C4)

Comments: __________________________________________ Best score _____/5

What did I do well? _____________________________________________________

Where can I improve? __________________________________________________

What can I do to improve the next 5me? ____________________________________

Set new goal for next prac5ce session _______________________________________

GOAL 3 _______________________________________________________________

Scale ________ Sound __________ Focus/instruc5on__________________________

Start note: _____________ Highest note achieved _____________ (NB middle C =C4)

Comments: ___________________________________________Best score _____/5

!34
What did I do well? _____________________________________________________

Where can I improve? ___________________________________________________

What can I do to improve the next 5me? ____________________________________

Set new goal for next prac5ce session _______________________________________

END TIME ____________________

Total all the scores and divide by 3 to get the session’s overall achievement score.

__________/15 = __________/3 = ____________ Overall Score

!35
Your Notes

WEEK 5 SELF STUDY

Review this week — it’s a heavy one

When working with your students listen out for their vocal 5mbre. Is it warm,
piercing, belted or hollow? How will that correlate to the harmonic content of
their sound?
Pop Quiz Week 5
!36
WEEK 6

Content

• Review: Week 5
• Vowels cont: Assessing
• In teaching: Modifying the vowel
• Assessment: How, what, where and when
• Assessing: A singer’s singing voice
• Prac)cal Applica)on

COMPARING CELINE AND TINA VOWELS WORKSHEET

Write out the vowels each singer sings (phoneKcally or using IPA). Comment on if the
way each singer pronounces each vowel is: broad/narrow or strained/balanced or
chesty /heady resonance. See Extra Resources for answers.

Live. For the one I love

Celine: _____________________________________________________________

Comment: __________________________________________________________

Tina: _____________________________________________________________

Comment: __________________________________________________________

!37
Love. As no one has loved

Celine: _____________________________________________________________

Comment: __________________________________________________________

Tina: _____________________________________________________________

Comment: __________________________________________________________

Give. Asking nothing in return

Celine: _____________________________________________________________

Comment: __________________________________________________________

Tina: _____________________________________________________________

Comment: __________________________________________________________

I'll love unKl love wears me away

Celine: _____________________________________________________________

Comment: __________________________________________________________

Tina: _____________________________________________________________

Comment: __________________________________________________________

I'll die and I know my love will stay

Celine: _____________________________________________________________

Comment: __________________________________________________________

Tina: _____________________________________________________________

Comment: __________________________________________________________

!38
DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET

Select the predominant results. At Kmes you may need to select more than one
criterion. Make notes in Comments as to where the changes occur or any other
observaKons that you think may be useful.

[Link] Fold Closure:

Weak Medium Strong Excessive

Comments: ____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

2. Laryngeal height

Low Neutral Low Neutral Neutral High High Larynx rises with pitch

Comments: ____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

[Link] Transition

Strained Flip Crack Pitch goes flat Pitch goes sharp Dominant TA
Lack of TA Dominant CT Lack of CT Poor TA-CT coordination

Comments: ____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

[Link]

Well-balanced Full Thin Breathy Pressed Strong Weak Nasal

Yelled Edgy Strident Falsetto/whistle Harsh Hoarse

Comments: ____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

!39
SINGING ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET

1. Intona8on:
Good pitch control Poor pitch control Occasional intona5on issues Goes flat as
melody goes higher

Comments: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2. Vocal fold closure
Well controlled Poor control Weak Medium Strong Excessive

Comments: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. Laryngeal stability
Well controlled Poor control Low Neutral Low Neutral Neutral High
High Larynx rises with pitch

Comments: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

4. Breath management
Well managed Poor control Occasional breathless Occasional inappropriate
breath placement Excess air loss Holding back air

Comments: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

5. Range
Low Middle High

Comments: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
6. Tone
Well-balanced Full Thin Breathy Pressed Strong Weak Nasal
Yelled Edgy Strident Falsetto/whistle Harsh Hoarse Other

Comments: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
7. Dynamic control
Good control and varia5on Mainly loud Mainly SoO No dynamic varia5on

Comments: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

!40
8. Transi8on
Well managed Poor control Strained Flip Crack Pitch goes flat Pitch
goes sharp Dominant TA Lack of TA Dominant CT Lack of CT Poor TA-CT
coordination

Comments: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

9. Vibrato
Balanced None present Wobble Bleat Wide

Comments: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

10. Emo8onal expression

Present and appropriate Present and inappropriate None present

Comments: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

11. Musicality
Excellent Moderate Poor

Comments: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

12. Other E.g. use of riffs or improv, dic5on, accent, posture, performance confidence,
style, use of instrument and its affect on singing , etc.

Comments: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

!41
Your Notes

WEEK 6 SELF STUDY

Find a couple of guinea pig students and assess their vocal func5on as you did in
class. Record the 1 assessment scale, give it a diagnosis and bring to class next
week to see if everyone concurs.
Listen to some of your favourite singers and hone in on their vowels. No5ce if
they are manipula5ng the vowel sound in the different areas of their voice (low,
middle and high ranges). No5ce in par5cular what occurs at the transi5on
(Males: Eb4-Gb4 Females: Ab4-Db5) See Appendix for a Vowel Assessment
Worksheet
Pop Quiz Week 6

!42
WEEK 7

Content

• SeFng up the studio: Must haves and should haves to get your studio up and
running
• Tools of the trade: The six tools we can use to help the singer sing beMer
• Giving the lesson: What, where and when of a 60, 45 and 30 minute lesson
• Teaching all ages: Considera5ons for children, teens and adults
• Prac)cal Applica)on

GUIDELINES FOR GIVING FEEDBACK HELP SHEET

General do’s

• Make sure you know what the student’s goals and needs are
• Ask the student what they think needs addressing/improving
• Start with a posi5ve
• Offer your ‘observa5ons’ not your judgement
• Be objec5ve, not subjec5ve
• Relate the outcome to the original objec5ve e.g. In this exercise the goal was
to maintain beMer vocal fold closure but there was s5ll air escaping as you got
higher in your range, so let’s find another approach”
• Be specific
• Offer solu5ons/alterna5ves
• Use empathy i.e. imagine what it is like to be in their shoes
• Listen ac5vely (eye contact, listen without interrup5ng, posi5ve stance)
• Ask student if they have any ques5ons or concerns regarding the exercises or
the result
• Observe for signs that the student is responding poorly to your feedback e.g.
unable to maintain eye contact, flushed face, teary, angry tone, long silences
• Move on to another exercise aOer 3 aMempts if there is liMle/no change
• Don’t dwell on the issue, find alterna5ve approaches, point out that 5me and
prac5ce will help resolve the issue
• Be pa5ent
• Summarise “What we were aiming for was…, what occurred was…, we are
going to move forward from here by….”
• Keep to 1 or 2 points that need to be addressed, don’t overwhelm student with
everything that needs addressing

!43
TEACHING TOOLS HELP SHEET
Following is a list of scale, sounds and instruction options (NB this is by no means
complete, feel free to add your own examples as you go). Keep this near you as you
teach.

SCALE TYPES ABBREV DEGREES OF THE SCALE*

Major scale M 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 > then reverse to descend
5 Note Ascending (major 5NA 1-2-3-4-5
and minor) 1-2-♭3 - 4-5
5 Note Descending (major 5ND 5-4-3-2-1
and minor) 5-4-♭3-2-1
5 Note Sustain 5NS 1-2-3-4-5 (hold)… 4-3-2-1
Triad Tr 1-3-5-3-1
Triad Up /Down TrU/TrD 1-3-5 / 5-3-1
Octave Arpeggio OA 1-3-5-8-5-3-1
Octave Arpeggio Repeat OAR 1-3-5-8-8-8-8-5-3-1
Octave Arpeggio Sustain OAS 1-3-5-8(hold)… 5-3-1
Long Scale LS 1-3-5-8-10-12-11-9-7-5-4-2-1
Long Scale Repeat LSR 1-3-5-8-10-12-12-12-12-11-9-7-5-4-2-1
Long Scale Sustain LSS 1-3-5-8-10-12(hold)…11-9-7-5-4-2-1
Minor scale Mi 1-2 -♭3-4-5-6-7-8
Broken Arpeggio BA 1-5-3-8-5-3-1
Octave Down Arpeggio ODx1 or x3 8-5-3-1 (just once or x3)
ChromaSc scale Chr 1-♯1-2-♯2-3-4-♯4-5-♯5-6-♯6-7-8-
7-♭7-6-♭6-5♭5-4-3-♭3-2-♭2-1
Advanced scales: minor, pentatonic (minor & major), modal scales, blues, etc.
*Degrees explained
E.g. C major scale Note name C D E F G A B C D E F G A
Degree name 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

The keyboard and with pitch names

!44
VOWELS EXAMPLES (NARROW TO WIDE-TOP TO BOTTOM) NB BASED ON BRITISH IPA

i beef u: boot

I bit ʊ book

ɜ bird ɔ: ball

e bet ɒ bot

æ bat ʌ but

ɑ: bath
DIPHTHONGS EXAMPLES I.E. TWO VOWELS TOGETHER

ei bay əʊ bone

aɪ buy aʊ bow (as in take a…)

ɔɪ boy iə beer

ʊə bureau eə bare

CONSONANTS EXAMPLES FROM LEAST AIRFLOW TO MOST

ng (use stand alone) back of mouth

m lips

n middle of mouth

l middle of mouth

g back of mouth

b lips

d/t/k middle of mouth/back of mouth

v/z lips/teeth

p lips

s/f teeth/lips

sh/th teeth

w lips
h back of mouth

!45
INSTRUCTION OR FOCI RESULT
Make your voice sound 'dopey or dumb' To maintain a low larynx
Add a cry or creek effect To get vocal folds to adduct (come together more)

Add more air To release over compressed vocal folds, especially

when approaching the upper range.
Start a yawn, go into a yawn posi;on To drop the larynx down similar to making a dopey/
dumb sound.

Start with a firm-short 'huh', hold vocal ‘HUH’ closes the vocal folds, sound is created from
folds closed and start sound from this this posi5on. Make sure they don't release the vocal
posi;on folds before making the sound. They can also press
the heels of their hands together in a prayer posi5on
to help maintain closure.
Place two fingers on your larynx. The To physically monitor the larynx and increase
larger lump in the middle of your throat awareness as to how it rises and falls during singing.
(Adam's Apple in men).

Ask singer to watch themselves in the Monitor unnecessary tension or odd movements.
mirror Focus on the mouth pulling back or not opening
enough, jaw tension, throat bulging, rising of the
shoulders or jueng of the chin.
Push the corners of your lips together/ To narrow the vowel when it's going too wide.
make 'OO' shape with your lips

Pull back the corners of your mouth To widen the vowel — useful on some vowels
through the transi5on to get that Belted vocal
quality.
Chest voice, resonance or register This is the vocal resonance that most adults use to
speak in. D4 and below for men and G4 and below
for women should be vocalised in the chest register.
Thyroarytenoid (TA) muscle dominant.

Mix, Middle voice, blended resonance or The area between chest and head resonance.
register Some5mes reported anecdotally as if there is a
mixture of the two resonances, but not scien5fically
accurate. Achieved through the correct coordina5on
of air and muscle during transi5on. It is the secret
ingredient to singing with a balanced and healthy
voice. Starts around Eb4 for men and Ab4 for
women.
Head voice, resonance or register The resonance that occurs aOer the middle voice.
Around C5 for men and G5 for women. S5ll should
have a bit of chest resonance. As the transi5on area
gets stronger then so will the head voice.
Cricothyroid (CT) muscle dominant. This co-
ordina5on can be placed anywhere in the range. For
instance classically trained females tend to
disengage TA muscle in lower range.

!46
FalseLo This is a coordina5on of the vocal folds when the
pitch is created on the full length of the vocal cord
but not the full depth. TA disengaged. Sounds light,
breathy and lacks dynamic range or tone. May be
used as an effect or style e.g. Bee Gees,
Tempta5ons, R&B/pop, Country singing where they
yodel.

Whistle Top end of the range usually beyond the top of the
piano range, like falseMo but much more flute like
quality to the tone. Difficult to produce words in this
coordina5on. Mariah Carey and Minnie Ripperton
used this vocal quality a lot. It can be quite 5ring on
the vocal folds due to the speed and force of air
constantly flowing over them.
Transi;on/bridge/passaggio/break The areas in the vocal range that span/bridge the
various registers of the voice. With the right vocal
coordina5on the voice will transi5on through the
passaggio smoothly, to and from, chest and head
resonance. The right balance of air and muscle must
be achieved. First by teaching the correct muscle
coordina5on then we can build on muscle strength
and sustain. See “Iden5fying Transi5on Points”
below

Strained/pulled chest/yelled This is when the singer sings using only the chest
resonance and muscle coordina5on (Thyroarytenoid
m.) as they ascend through their range. The larynx
generally rises with the pitch. As the voice
transi5ons it results in a yelled, strident sound,
flaMened intona5on (pitching) and lack of vocal and
dynamic control. May also result in a vocal 'crack'
when the TA gets to its limit.
Raised larynx This is when the larynx rises excessively with the
pitch. If the larynx goes too high then we are geeng
into the strained/yelled scenario, the 'swallowing
process' starts to engage. The voice struggles to get
a good quality or controlled sound. A rising Adam’s
Apple is a telltale sign.

Lacking lower/chest resonance/no chest This is the archetypal female 'soprano voice'. It is
breathy and lacks presence. Can occur in male voices
(e.g., contemporary R&B/soul singers). The chest
resonance is missing; oOen the singer will speak
normally but sing in this condi5on. In men, think
Dame Edna or any female impersonator.
Flip/falseLo This is when the vocal folds pop open, either
completely or par5ally. May be due to vocal fold
muscle weakness, poor co-ordina5on or straining/
pulling chest through the transi5on.

!47
 Place your hand on your upper abdomen To ensure the singing is taking the correct breath for
singing. To connect to correct intake place top hand
against the mouth and suck in air against the skin,
feel the abdomen, sides and back pull out. This is a
deep abdominal breath good for sustained singing.
Make sure the shoulders or upper chest aren't rising.

Add your own!

MALE & FEMALE TRANSITIONS

These are the approximate starSng points for transiSons:

Female Male
Adults
Low voice Eb-F#4 A-B3
General Ab-Bb4 D-E4

Children As for female general or not evident

NB: Be aware each voice is individual and transiSon points may be affected by the singer’s
experience level, vocal health, music style, vowels and melodic approach.

!48
Your Notes

WEEK 7 SELF STUDY

Make a list of the gear you already have and need to get to set up your
teaching studio
Find a guinea pig student and run a full 1 hour first lesson. Make sure you
have a clock with you and aim to do all the steps within the required =me
for a 1 hour lesson. Print the Teaching Tools Helpsheet to have by your side
as a guide
Do the VAK Self-Assessment Ques=onnaire (in week 8) in the handbook as
prepara=on for next week
Hope you’re prac=cing those keyboard scales!
Pop Quiz Week 7

!49
WEEK 8

Content

• Review: Week 7
• Goal seFng: The SMART way
• Mo)va)on: How to maintain it
• Learning & teaching styles: Learning models, VAK and understanding student
centred learning
• Other teaching strategies: To help you give a great lesson
• Personality types: The types of people who may come through your door
• Repertoire: Applying the tools into song, choosing repertoire
• Prac)cal Applica)on

VAK SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE

Circle or Kck the answer that most represents how you generally behave.

(It is best to complete the quesKonnaire before reading the accompanying
explanaKon.)

1. When I operate new equipment I generally:

a) read the instruc5ons first
b) listen to an explana5on from someone who has used it before
c) go ahead and have a go, I can figure it out as I use it

2. When I need direc>ons for travelling I usually:

a) look at a map
b) ask for spoken direc5ons
c) follow my nose and maybe use a compass

3. When I cook a new dish, I like to:


a) follow a wriMen recipe

b) call a friend for an explana5on

c) follow my ins5ncts, tes5ng as I cook

4. If I am teaching someone something new, I tend to:

a) write instruc5ons down for them

b) give them a verbal explana5on

c) demonstrate first and then let them have a go

5. I tend to say:
a) watch how I do it
b) listen to me explain
c) you have a go

!50
6. During my free >me I most enjoy:

a) going to museums and galleries

b) listening to music and talking to my friends
c) playing sport or doing DIY

7. When I go shopping for clothes, I tend to:

a) imagine what they would look like on
b) discuss them with the shop staff

c) try them on and test them out

8. When I am choosing a holiday I usually:

a) read lots of brochures
b) listen to recommenda5ons from friends
c) imagine what it would be like to be there

9. If I was buying a new car, I would:


a) read reviews in newspapers and magazines
b) discuss what I need with my friends

c) test-drive lots of different types

10. When I am learning a new skill, I am most comfortable:


a) watching what the teacher is doing

b) talking through with the teacher exactly what I’m supposed to do
c) giving it a try myself and work it out as I go

11. If I am choosing food off a menu, I tend to:


a) imagine what the food will look like

b) talk through the op5ons in my head or with my partner
c) imagine what the food will taste like

12. When I listen to a band, I can’t help:


a) watching the band members and other people in the audience
b) listening to the lyrics and the beats

c) moving in 5me with the music

13. When I concentrate, I most oPen:

a) focus on the words or the pictures in front of me
b) discuss the problem and the possible solu5ons in my head
c) move around a lot, fiddle with pens and pencils and touch things

14. I choose household furnishings because I like:

a) their colours and how they look
b) the descrip5ons the sales-people give me
c) their textures and what it feels like to touch them

!51
15. My first memory is of:
a) looking at something
b) being spoken to
c) doing something

16. When I am anxious, I:

a) visualise the worst-case scenarios
b) talk over in my head what worries me most
c) can’t sit s5ll, fiddle and move around constantly

17. I feel especially connected to other people because of:

a) how they look

b) what they say to me

c) how they make me feel

18. When I have to revise for an exam, I generally:


a) write lots of revision notes and diagrams

b) talk over my notes, alone or with other people

c) imagine making the movement or crea5ng the formula

19. If I am explaining to someone I tend to:


a) show them what I mean

b) explain to them in different ways un5l they understand

c) encourage them to try and talk them through my idea as they do it

20. I really love:


a) watching films, photography, looking at art or people watching

b) listening to music, the radio or talking to friends

c) taking part in spor5ng ac5vi5es, ea5ng fine foods and wines or dancing

21. Most of my free >me is spent:


a) watching television

b) talking to friends

c) doing physical ac5vity or making things

22. When I first contact a new person, I usually:

a) arrange a face to face mee5ng
b) talk to them on the telephone
c) try to get together whilst doing something else, such as an ac5vity or a meal

23. I first no>ce how people:

a) look and dress
b) sound and speak
c) stand and move

!52
24. If I am angry, I tend to:
a) keep replaying in my mind what it is that has upset me
b) raise my voice and tell people how I feel
c) stamp about, slam doors and physically demonstrate my anger

25. I find it easiest to remember:

a) faces
b) names

c) things I have done

26. I think that you can tell if someone is lying if:

a) they avoid looking at you

b) their voice changes

c) they give me funny vibes

27. When I meet an old friend:


a) I say “it’s great to see you!”

b) I say “it’s great to hear from you!”
c) I give them a hug or a handshake

28. I remember things best by:


a) wri5ng notes or keeping printed details

b) saying them aloud or repea5ng words and key points in my head
c) doing and prac5sing the ac5vity or imagining it being done

29. If I have to complain about faulty goods, I am most comfortable:

a) wri5ng a leMer

b) complaining over the phone

c) taking the item back to the store or pos5ng it to head office

30. I tend to say:


a) I see what you mean

b) I hear what you are saying
c) I know how you feel

Now add up how many A’s, B’s and C’s you selected.


A’s = _________ B’s = __________ C’s = _________

If you chose mostly A’s you have a VISUAL learning style.


If you chose mostly B’s you have an AUDITORY learning style.

If you chose mostly C’s you have a KINAESTHETIC learning style.

Some people find that their learning style may be a blend of two or three styles, in
this case read about the styles that apply to you in the explana5on below.
When you have iden5fied your learning style(s), read the learning styles explana5ons
and consider how this might help you to iden5fy learning and development that best
meets your preference(s).

!53
VAK LEARNING STYLES EXPLANATION

The VAK learning styles model suggests that most people can be divided into one of
three preferred styles of learning. These three styles are as follows, (and there is no
right or wrong learning style):

• Someone with a Visual learning style has a preference for seen or observed
things, including pictures, diagrams, demonstra5ons, displays, handouts, films,
flip-chart, etc. These people will use phrases such as ‘show me’, ‘let’s have a
look at that’ and will be best able to perform a new task aOer reading the
instruc5ons or watching someone else do it first. These are the people who will
work from lists and wriMen direc5ons and instruc5ons.
• Someone with an Auditory learning style has a preference for the transfer of
informa5on through listening: to the spoken word, of self or others, of sounds
and noises. These people will use phrases such as ‘tell me’, ‘let’s talk it over’
and will be best able to perform a new task aOer listening to instruc5ons from
an expert. These are the people who are happy being given spoken instruc5ons
over the telephone, and can remember all the words to songs that they hear!
• Someone with a Kinaesthe5c learning style has a preference for physical
experience — touching, feeling, holding, doing, prac5cal hands-on
experiences. These people will use phrases such as ‘let me try’, ‘how do you
feel?’ and will be best able to perform a new task by going ahead and trying it
out, learning as they go. These are the people who like to experiment, hands-
on, and never look at the instruc5ons first!

People commonly have a main preferred learning style, but this will be part of a blend
of all three. Some people have a very strong preference; other people have a more
even mixture of two or less commonly, three styles.
When you know your preferred learning style(s) you understand the type of learning
that best suits you. This enables you to choose the types of learning that work best
for you.

There is no right or wrong learning style. The point is that there are types of learning
that are right for your own preferred learning style.

Please note that this is not a scien5fically validated tes5ng instrument – it is a free
assessment tool designed to give a broad indica5on of preferred learning style(s).
More informa5on about learning styles, personality, and personal development is at
[Link].

With acknowledgements to Victoria ChisleM for developing this assessment.

Victoria ChisleM specialises in performance psychology and its applica5on within
organisa5ons, and can be contacted via email: performancepsychologist@[Link]

© V Chisleb MSc & A Chapman 2005. From [Link]

!54
TIPS FOR SETTING SMART GOALS

Below are components required to create effec5ve “SMART” goals. It describes

performance benchmarks that will guide us to fully understand what a goal looks,
feels and sounds like, and the behaviour that will confirm it has been achieved.

• Specific: The goal should iden5fy a specific ac5on or event that will take place.
The who, what, where, when, which, why?
• Measurable: The goal and its benefits should be quan5fiable. How much? how
many? How will I know when it’s accomplished?
• Achievable: The goal should be aMainable given available resources. Breaking it
up in to smaller goals. Also realis5c with 5meframes, resources, funds , etc.
• Relevant: The goal should be relevant to your life and work, and the final
objec5ve. Goal needs to be worthwhile and match other requirements or
needs.
• Time-based: The goal should state the 5me period in which it will be
accomplished. Set a date.

Tips to help you set and achieve goals:

1. Break a larger more long-term goal into several smaller short and medium-term
goals. Find approximately five to seven incremental goals, which you work on over a
period of 5me and that help you achieve the long-term goal.

2. State goals as declara5ons of inten5on, not items on a wish list. "I want to find 10
students" lacks power. "I will find 10 students," is inten5onal and powerful.

3. AMach strong emo5ons, such as, how you will feel as you perform behaviour
related to your goal and how you will feel when you reach it. “I feel excited every 5me
a new student books in”

4. Be specific. "I need to find a peripate5c school job" is too general; "I will find and
research five suitable schools that use peri teachers before the end of the month" is
beMer.

5. Share your goals with someone who cares if you reach them. Sharing your
inten5ons with your spouse, parents, your best friend, your community (e.g. BAST) or
a mentor will help ensure success.

6. Write down your goals and put them where you will see them every day. Read
them out loud regularly (start with daily). This helps your brain to remember and
accept the goals as inevitable. It will help your subconscious to support your dreams
and desires.

7. Review and revise your list. Experiment with different ways of sta5ng your goals.
Goal seeng improves with prac5ce, don’t be afraid to play around with it.
!55
WRITING AN EFFECTIVE GOAL STATEMENT

1. Use clear, specific language.

2. Start your goal statement with TO + a VERB
3. Write your goal statement using SMART Goal Criteria
4. Avoid nega5ve language. Use posi5ve wording and expressions!

An example of a goal statement:

“To teach as a peripate5c singing teacher for a full day earn £250 from one whole
teaching day at the local high school, (insert name), star5ng next September.”

No5ce how the above example begins with the word “To”, includes the verb “teach”,
and tells us what (peripate5c teaching) where (the local high school), why (to earn)
and when (September).

Use this worksheet to iden5fy the specific SMART criteria you will use to write your
goal statement.

MY GOAL STATEMENT WORKSHEET

What is your basic goal?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Write out your goal statement:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
Check list:

1. Is it specific? (Who? What? Where? When? Why?)

2. Is it measurable? How will I measure progress? (How many? How much?)
3. Is it achievable? (Can this really happen? AMainable with enough effort? What
steps are involved?)
4. Is it relevant? (What knowledge, skills, and abili5es are necessary to reach this
goal?)
5. Is it 5me-based? (Can I set fixed deadlines? What are the deadlines?)

!56
Your Notes

WEEK 8 SELF STUDY

No5ce the way your friends and acquaintances communicate, see how they fit
into a VAKR style. Alter your language to suit their VAKR style. See if it makes any
difference to ease and success of communica5on.
See if you can find a child, teen and adult to teach and no5ce the challenges,
differences and similari5es. For instance do you need to alter your language, the
focus of the lesson, the repertoire? The length of the lesson?
For next lesson: get hold of a few cocktail size straws (3-4mm) if possible
Pop Quiz Week 8

!57
WEEK 9

Content

• Review: Week 8
• Intro to vocal pathology: common vocal injuries in singers
• Other things that impact on the voice: common factors that affect the voice.
• Vocal health advice: Top 5ps to share with your students.
• SOVT Exercises: Vocal warm ups and cool downs
• Class Exercise
• Prac)cal Applica)on

VOCAL EXERCISE WORKSHEET

Suggest a diagnosis based on the scenario described. Then suggest the opKmum
consonant, vowel, scale and instrucKon you might give the singer to combat the issues
they are experiencing. Feel free to suggest more than one of each.

1. Exercises that help address a strained transi0on, this may include a crack due to
too much muscle engagement. THE AIM: To assist the singer to find vocal ‘release’
and to access their range and full sound without straining as they move through the
transi5on.

Diagnosis: ____________________________________________________________
Consonant: _________________________________________________________
Vowel: ______________________________________________________________
Scale: ________________________________________________________________
Instruc)ons: __________________________________________________________

2. Exercises that help increase chest resonance in the voice. THE AIM: To assist the
singer to incorporate chest resonance effec5vely, to access a full sound especially at
the lower end of the range.

Diagnosis: ____________________________________________________________
Consonant: _________________________________________________________
Vowel: ______________________________________________________________
Scale: ________________________________________________________________
Instruc)ons: __________________________________________________________

!58
3. Exercises that help address a flip due to poor muscle coordina0on. THE AIM: To
assist the singer to close the vocal folds (adduct) effec5vely through out the range and
maintain a consistent full sound as they transi5on.

Diagnosis: ____________________________________________________________
Consonant: _________________________________________________________
Vowel: ______________________________________________________________
Scale: ________________________________________________________________
Instruc)ons: __________________________________________________________

4. Exercises that help to strengthen the transi0on. THE AIM: to move smoothly,
confidently and effec5vely through the passaggio, whenever they want it.

Diagnosis: ____________________________________________________________
Consonant: _________________________________________________________
Vowel: ______________________________________________________________
Scale: ________________________________________________________________
Instruc)ons: __________________________________________________________

!59
Your Notes

WEEK 9 SELF STUDY

Find a guinea pig student and after giving them a warm up run a song using
some of the strategies you learnt this week.
More on vocal health: [Link]
More pics of vocal pathology: [Link]/larynx_videos.htm
Great extract from Incredible Human Machine on the voice, we get to see
Aerosmith’s Steve Tyler and his vocal folds: [Link]/watch?
v=9MDn5GgyxyU
Check the PDF file Vocal Pathology for the extra notes on each condition
covered this week
Check the Resource folder and watch the video interviews with artists who have
had vocal injury
Pop Quiz Week 9

!60
WEEK 10

Content

• Review Week 9
• GeFng students through the door: Geeng started with marke5ng and other
considera5ons
• Good prac)ce guidelines: Policies and processes that will help you run a great
teaching studio
• Con)nuous professional development: Learning doesn't stop here! Achieving your
goals
• Prac)cal Applica)on

ZOOMING IN EXERCISE

1. Who do you want to teach?

______________________________________________________________________

2. Where do you want to teach?

______________________________________________________________________

3. When do you want to teach?

______________________________________________________________________

NEXT STEP EXERCISE

1. What one marke5ng strategy will get you started?

______________________________________________________________________

2. Where are your target market hanging out?

______________________________________________________________________

3. Who could you partner with?

______________________________________________________________________

!61
THAT’S IT!

On comple5on of the course, and assuming you’ve aMended the minimum 90% of
classes you will receive an email from BAST Training asking you for the name you’d
like on your cer5ficate and confirming your postal address. The cer5ficate will be
posted within 3-4 weeks of comple5on of the course. It will have your name,
comple5on date and your trainer’s signature.

You will also receive login details for the BAST membership. Here you will have access
to all past webinars, 12 months of future webinars, the monthly podcast, “Teachers
On Teaching”, Teaching Clinic videos, the online monthly Troubleshoo5ng Clinic,
partner and event discounts, a private Facebook group for members only plus more.

We will send you a survey to complete and would appreciate your honest feedback,
thins is how we can improve the course and our service to you, the singing teacher.

!62
Your Notes

WEEK 10 SELF STUDY

Consider developing a business plan with goals and objec5ves. Template:

[Link]
Plan your website if you haven’t already. This are some a popular pla‚orms:
[Link], [Link] , [Link].
Find online sites that adver5se singing/music teachers. Source some good places
to place a poster/leaflet with your services.
Get your studio policies in order. There are many online examples of ‘Good
Business Prac5ce’, policy crea5on and money collec5on processes. Think about
your cancella5on policy, how many hours/days no5ce do you want, will you
charge for missed lessons? Will you make up missed lessons? What kind of
lesson package discounts do you want to offer? What will your base rate per
hour be?
Check the Resource Folder for music teacher advice leaflets
Pop Quiz Week 10
Good luck with your first official teaching day if you haven’t already had it!
!63


URL: [Link] | E: info@[Link]

FB: [Link]/basttraining | TW: [Link]/basttraining

©Singline Ltd 2019

!64