Ken Tamplin: Volume One - Video Notes

General Stuff

Chuck out other knowledge, trust in Ken

Even Pros miss basics

Glottal compression is the addition of air or other end of spectrum

extreme brightness, to BLEND (more in Vol. 3)

Do whole audio portion 5-6 days a week, itll grow your voice like MAD

(says Ken) Try like hell to do it correctly, but dont be put off by slower

progress (think about Weightlifter idea lifting 300kg straight away)

Voice has a bio-rhythm (likes to be woken up at same time each day)

Open throat think TOOTHPICK holding open

Posture

Posture is important for proper breath control, although it may be altered

live

Look straight on, stand up straight, ribcage full from bottom up, no spine

tipping or head nodding

Breathing

Ribcage is already expanded! (3/4) (Inhalation sensation)

Breathing comes from lower 3rd, 4th abs right down to groin, chest doesnt

move, no spine tilting

Dont lock down when breathing, see breath out exercise, relax to stomach

out, like accordion

Engine that drives ship, does all work, relaxes chest and throat, strain can

mean lack of proper breathing

Exercises in later volumes

Ribcage and Pillars

Correct use of ribcage develops pillars, a consistent strong tower

Dont think about high note, think about where to place it on vocal chords

Rocket ship has 3 stages: as it goes up support tube the stages of rocket

detach, getting smaller and thinner as it goes up, stopping it from splatting,

locking the larynx down and stopping it from getting higher

Ribcage expansion one of many systems to the whole objective; to

eliminate moving targets (ie. any chance of failure) They are safety

mechanisms

Vowel modifications are an extension of ribcage expansion dropping

weight with each modification

Lip Roll

Lip roll is about warming up easy, lightly, add weight as you warm up

Its for relaxing the face, sinus cavity and displaying breath control (like

when used for old Bel Canto candle blowing without extinguishing flame)

Lose weight and bridge passagio average at F#

Tongue

Tongue exercise closes down sound so it cant explode (over-sing) at high

notes, locks low larynx, keeps throat open

Ball at back of throat, think Ah vowel

Vowel Modifications

All vowel sounds, bar ooooo and eee come from Ah

Ah will be modified up and down scale, to control how big it gets and

create release valves along the way to eliminate tension in chest, neck and

throat

Watch back of throat and jaw in mirror

At the moment we open the jaw as wide as possible, later we can close it

down (once the open-throat mechanism is working)

Tongue must be as flat to the base of jaw as possible, so air is not

constricted in back of throat, choking off chord

Amphi-theatres created with over emphasized open throat, give even more

room for super resonance

No jaw shifting!

Uvula should ascend into head (more chesty stuff I think?)

DONT MASK SOUND, THE BRIGHTER THE SOUND, THE FASTER

THE VOICE GROWTH (RESONANCE)

Ah Vowel

Singing lower on Ah, modifications dont change

All modifications should be subtle, unnatural is probably wrong

First mod is aw from LOFT, around E

Second mod is oo from HOOK, around G/#

Nothing moves, nothing changes visually apart from back of throat

reyawning, remodifying sensation

Everyones mods are different, but are consistent with each person

Wait as long as you can for modification, to leave open space for next

release valve

Another system to eliminate moving targets

Dont sing too hard on bottom, or youll want to carry weight up

Last mod is oo from WHO, around head change

Kens highest note is B5 (one below C6, ridiculous soprano note)

Aa Vowel

Aa from PLAY, uses exact same mods

Mask covers vowel modification to bring back expected sound, smiling is

one way (see volume 2)

Videos are more power than he wants, do them lightly (for more effect it

seems)

Oo Vowel

Oo vowel has different approach

Most people close up on high OO

Keep surface (lips) on OO, but back of throat open like AH

Use least amount of air possible, like all singing

First mod is AW like from LOFT, but comes across as exclamation OH!

due to closed off lip position

Later mods are HOOK and WHO as before

Start ON vowel modification when hitting high note is key

Dont get lazy when descending scale!

Only bridge as loud as you can connect

Ee Vowel

EE vowel is its own animal

Smile like theres no tomorrow, VERY BRIGHT

ONLY mod in this vowel is EH from EIGHT, occurs around E-G# as usual

Not a light switch! Slow gradual, mixed implementation

MORE vowel mods via going back to EE (and possibly EH again on super

notes)

Virtually impossible to go straight to high EE vowel, so EH is usually best

option

Bridging

Bridging should be done very lightly, least amount of air possible

Over-use of air causes hoarseness, polyps, nodes etc.

Stretch chest far out (VOL2), until head connection (VOL3) Two separate

mechanisms of a whole (strengthen one before another)

Dont linger on passagio

When bridged quietly, you can add volume

Add H to cross over and cover bridge if you have to, until you can do it

Two schools of thought on bridging:

KEN: If you stretch mid-chest belt voice as high as you can before you hand

off into head, youll have a much stronger mid voice and create proper

WAIL and BELT

OTHER SCHOOL: R&B singers bring head down to bridge quickly, for

lighter sound

Vibrato

Vibrato is the last release valve and is used to add interest, emotion and

beauty

Just an alternation of two pitches

Feels natural and comfortable