[presbystrat]

Originally Posted by AXguitar

I honestly think that you could be a bass... I think that you should probably find a vocal instructor.

I suspect that he is a baritone but with some vocal training he should be able to sing all of the notes in the song he posted without straining.

[Adam B]

Actually, I already have an instructor - I've been taking lessons since about October, and my instructor seems to think that I'm a baritone. I can't really go low enough to be considered a bass, I think. I know that singing as a bass in songsters isn't any easier than tenor - actually, I find it harder, because if the notes go below about a G, it really starts to get uncomfortable - when it gets high, you can always use head voice, but what is there below your chest voice?? One thing that I really would like to do is to try to make my voice a little bit lighter. What my instructor keeps telling me is the same thing - I need to keep my throat open (I've never been able to figure out how to do that), and to use breath support (again, I haven't been able to master that either). Maybe I just need to give it more time eh?

[Ax]

Originally Posted by Adam B

Actually, I already have an instructor - I've been taking lessons since about October, and my instructor seems to think that I'm a baritone. I can't really go low enough to be considered a bass, I think. I know that singing as a bass in songsters isn't any easier than tenor - actually, I find it harder, because if the notes go below about a G, it really starts to get uncomfortable - when it gets high, you can always use head voice, but what is there below your chest voice?? One thing that I really would like to do is to try to make my voice a little bit lighter. What my instructor keeps telling me is the same thing - I need to keep my throat open (I've never been able to figure out how to do that), and to use breath support (again, I haven't been able to master that either). Maybe I just need to give it more time eh?

Try keeping your tongue forward and a loose jaw.

[presbystrat]

Originally Posted by Adam B

Actually, I already have an instructor - I've been taking lessons since about October, and my instructor seems to think that I'm a baritone. I can't really go low enough to be considered a bass, I think. I know that singing as a bass in songsters isn't any easier than tenor - actually, I find it harder, because if the notes go below about a G, it really starts to get uncomfortable - when it gets high, you can always use head voice, but what is there below your chest voice?? One thing that I really would like to do is to try to make my voice a little bit lighter. What my instructor keeps telling me is the same thing - I need to keep my throat open (I've never been able to figure out how to do that), and to use breath support (again, I haven't been able to master that either). Maybe I just need to give it more time eh?

Do you feel like you have made any progress since you have been taking lessons? If not and he just keeps telling you the same thing, maybe it's time for a new instructor. Maybe he has helped you with some things but not others. I have had 5 different people give me vocal coaching and each one was able to help me in a different way. Just telling you to keep your throat open may not be helpful. Has he given you any exercises for this? Some of the stuff we need to do to sing correctly is not directly under our conscious control. We often need exercises and visualizations to get everything to do what it needs to do for us to sing correctly. It does take a lot of time to learn good vocal technique. Proper breath support and an open relaxed throat are the two main ingredients to good singing technique; it can take years to master them. I still have to work at those things.

One thing you might try is to make sure your larynx (adam's apple) is staying in a lower position. When the larynx is raised, the throat is more constricted. You can also check to make sure the area underneath your chin stays soft while you are singing. Practice doing these things with lower notes and then gradually try doing it on higher notes.