Q&A How to Eliminate Vocal Fry at the Passagio

Question:

“How can I eliminate vocal fry at my passagio?”

Answer:

This can happen when we get “lazy”. We sort of support, but not really. Not enough to make it through the “tough” spot of the passagio. Depending on your specific voice, your possible medical history, or even which of the two passagios are affected, I would suggest the following:

  1. Make sure you support extra well. That means, turn on that tummy motor, on overdrive. Intercostals and abdominals really working hard. Think martial artist. Your whole power chakra has to be on alert and ready. Why? To support your diaphragm. Why? So your throat can open and relax. Yes, I know, one can overdo it and “push” too much air from down there, and that is not what I mean, clearly. But you better make sure you are totally sitting on your breath. Reliably, firmly, yet flexibly sitting on your breath like in a comfortable, stable grandpa chair.
  2. When that motor is working super well—and that takes constant awareness at first, until it’s automatic (you can even bend your knees slightly)—your throat will open more—think yawn. It can feel like it can relax, because it doesn’t have to work at all hard to “produce” the notes. When your throat is open and relaxed, nothing will catch—IF you also do THIS:
  3. This is soooo important and easily forgotten, as, especially with age, everything goes downwards a bit: Make sure you SMILE! Not out to the sides, like the joker, but upwards, behind your upper molars. Trick is to counter the downward tendency. The result will be that it’s way easier to get into your top notes. You need that lift and openness so nothing catches. Plus you give your voice an extra pointer where it’s supposed to go. Up. At first, try that with a simple slide, remembering steps 1–3!!!, then a slide down and up again, again with your full body underneath.

This should help. Let me know if this does the trick, and how it feels. Good luck and Sing Yourself WELL! 🙂

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