19 Dynamics: Exploring Soft & Loud

In this lesson, we’ll learn the art of dynamics! Through vocal exercises and song application, we’ll explore the what, when, why and how of the crescendo and decrescendo… how to get louder and softer to create beauty in your songs (and without your voice cracking on you!).

See the lesson resources below to:

download the lesson notes (in Downloads tab)
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Comments

Dr Stella December 2, 2020

This is one of the most transformative teaching in the course.
This totally shifted my singing and I thank you Charmaine for your commitment to the Worship vocalist.
I am so blessed to have you in my life.

Charmaine Brown December 2, 2020

Wow, thanks for your lovely comment! So glad you enjoyed the lesson so much!

Shelley Larente November 26, 2020

I really liked the WUH to MUH to BUH but the sustained Hum with dynamics was quite a challenge – let’s say that I had a hard time controlling the variances. The song applications were helpful (as usual). Song #1 was a lot easier that Song #2 but I love the challenge of the second one. It really takes a lot of concentration to go from soft to loud. I guess it will take some time for that to be a more natural shift?

Charmaine Brown November 28, 2020

Yes, these are advanced techniques so they take time!

mnhung November 26, 2020

This was a challenging lesson for me, my voice was flipping and cracking everywhere haha. One thing I am confused about is in the transition areas, should I be trying to hold onto about the same ratio mix for ie: the Wuh as when I am singing the Buh? When I get to the transition spot area, if I try to keep my lower resonance engaged in the quiet areas, it gets quite wobbly and unstable. Should I just keep holding onto the lower resonance, and in time the instability will go away?

Or should I be actively experiencing a resonance shift between the Wuh Muh and the Buhs. I had this same question for pretty much all of the exercises. Is there a certain note and after when it should be pretty much all head voice? I find that it’s easy to do dynamics if I just sing in all head voice, but super difficult, if I’m paying attention to keeping my resonance intact. Thanks Charmaine! This was a great lesson because I definitely usually just sing in one dynamic.

Charmaine Brown November 28, 2020

Hey Melody! Dynamics exercises like these are advanced, and will only come together once our mix voice foundations are solid. So there’s no great way to answer those detailed questions—the best thing you can do is keep building your mix, and trust that these more advanced techniques will come together as you do that. Instability cannot be solved by working on dynamics exercises—that needs the more core exercises (like in the resonance lessons). The short answer though is—no, it’s not the same exact mix for WUH/MUH/BUH—the WUH will have more head, the MUH will be more balanced, and the BUH will have more chest.

EmilyJones November 26, 2020

My favorite exercise was the Gee to Yeah and the Tis So Sweet application. Struggling a bit with the doxology and the open vowel 3 note scale… Thinking it might be the open vowels? My voice just ends up sounding splatty and strainy… but LOVE learning these concepts as it adds so much emotion to my songs!!

Charmaine Brown November 28, 2020

Yes, these are so rewarding to work on! It sounds like yes, the more open vowels are a struggle for you because they are less head-dominant. Keep working on them, and make sure they are in a mix (not too heavy in chest voice)!

cbeirnes November 26, 2020

I’ve always thought loud/soft dynamics were up to the musical instruments, not the vocalists, but seeing how they need to align and how it can really create a different atmosphere is eye-opening!

Charmaine Brown November 28, 2020

Yes, it’s up to both musicians and singers!

19 Dynamics: Exploring Soft & Loud

Miracles by Dustin Smith, Stuart Garrard, Josh Silverberg, Chris Quilala

Holy Spirit by Bryan Torwalt, Katie Torwalt

What a Beautiful Name by Ben Fielding, Brooke Ligertwood

’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus by Louisa M. R. Stead, William J. Kirkpatrick

Doxology by Thomas Ken

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