The Sound of Thunder 大地一聲雷

Lessons Learned from Maestro Ren on Bel Canto Voice Technique, compiled by Bevin Chu

Lower Your Jaw!
When it comes time to sing the high notes, lower your jaw! The instinct is to attempt to “maintain control” by closing up. Don’t!

Tense Your Cheeks!
If you’re having trouble with your high notes, make sure you have tensed your cheeks! This ensures that you are focusing your sound.

Don’t Move!
Once you find the proper position that produces the proper resonance, don’t move!

Mee hee hee! Yo ho ho!
If you’re having trouble finding the proper mouth position to create the proper resonance, make the sound “Mee hee hee! Yo ho ho!” then sing the note again.

Springboard!
Transition to higher passages by “springboarding” from lower passages. Notes in a continuous musical passage are never sung individually. They are sung as part of a unbroken continuum, like a good tennis or golf swing.

Take Breaths When Required!
Take breaths when required. In fact, take breaths every chance you get. Never pass up a chance to take a breath. No one can sing on and on without taking breaths. The pros take more breaths than you imagine. Listen carefully and you will be surprised how many breaths they take.