Day 2, agility of waterfall up and down ...
summary of diy project up to now,
and starting onling singing school with Freya Casey.
I have been watching and reviewing all the songs i have sang in WeSing since 18months ago, (Will check the date to be sure) as of today I have 628 songs sung. Maybe many with at least 100times or more tries. Have deleted many songs as it takes up my phones memory. So now, I only keep songs thats rated SSS or SS, and exceptionally those I have only sang once but just to keep a record because I might go back to them later.
The one I practiced most because of the challenges of the fans of Dimash, I started to see if i could sing Deep Autumn /Qiu Yi Nong. From zero to now, I could see once you do know the song v well, only then you could tweak it at will. Before that, its like sight reading a text, you must do it many many times especially for someone whose instrument has not been formed. I noticed for songs like Moon River, first take is the best, gd feeling gd lightedness once i try to redo to control the different parameters, it doesnt sound as gd, thats because my instrument is ad hoc more of less. It takes a life time to form the instrument.
I see this clip by Sandrine of the fan club, here is Dimash singing at some show, he looked like the pre-China fame Dimash, he shows off his agility - and what agility!! I think if you have mastered your instrument like this, yes, you could sing anything. Here is the clip, of course this is a fast paced sunny song, jumping around etc, so this running water up and down at will thing is good; But in a way liek Chinese calligraphy a lot of people who are gd w their brush works, does a lot of florishing show. It is a bit like that. However, this is singing, if you could do this, like physical exercise, it is something. Depends on how you plug it into a performance, into a song. You would not plug this into any song at any place just because you could do it.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/138537845929098As for the Qiu Yi Nong songs, there are a few that are really v gd, but often the early stages he must add this high florishing thing to all this songs, because people are their to listen to that. Thats "where the money" is. :) Just like Karen Carpenter she said for her case "the money is in the basement", for her, its the low notes that are appreciated thats why we hear so much of that. When in fact, she could sing high notes v well too, she made one album w high notes but not well received.
In Qiu Yi Nong, the Chinese is actually not v precise, but thats not the point; people want to hear him
vocalise his free voclisation. Also for a song like this; should not be sung with such high volume, its not really the feeling content of such a song. But no matter,; in many versions, some w arabic arias are really v gd, I think everyone wants to do the best. I truly am grateful to have his music with me, it gives me targets to go to. Because you know, time and effort is never wasted.
See, I practiced and now, i could clearly see and hear that i have made a lot of progress.
current breath is stronger, high notes are reached much easier, vocalisation smooth much easier; voice is clear not breathy and weak even though i could sing it. But i want to sing the high soft notes with clarity and strength support as well.
(i recorded this lying down, off the cuff so not prepared as a recording. But I feel that many conditions have improved since the begining.)
https://static-play.kg.qq.com/node/eSwAuuIfa2/play_v2?s=ETSSbPEScWmBEEAH&shareuid=619c948526283f8336&abtype=13&shareDescABType=5&topsource=a0_pn201001006_z11_u319035882_l1_t1689338234__&chain_share_id=5h01bMonOqSVLi5muDwx7OsTNz1wpC3JRg0gqOqZ-Ec&pageId=details_of_creations
my voice is clearly more stable and stronger and not so airy as the time at the beginning. Its v easy for me to go through the song now, high and low.
On WeSing a lot of people sing Dimash songs, I would say only 2 or 3 are "good", this is in the general ranking list, I am amongst the top 3 to 5 of most songs, and see I am not that that pro, I am not like the on contract singers at WeSing, these musicians are pro musicians they write partitiions for the songs so people could enjoy singing to them and you cold tell, most are multilingual, and of course their voice is already a beautiful sound instrument. On WeSing there are the pros, and the amateurs. I am not a pro. I am a newbie amateur, but I dont sing popular songs, mainly old contemporary classics from the 60- 80 and maybe some contemporary songs. I dont know that many pop hit tunes of today. A visit to Karaoke bar will confirm my knowledge. I dont know the songs the young people are singing. Even in my 20s, I dont listen so much to pop music, I dont have time. I read a lot, and painted draw and wrote. Learnt Chinese on my own. But even that, by osmosis a lot of tunes from that period I recognise and could hum along bits and pieces.
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Notes
Unshakable foundation by Freya Casey 2023
"There's a common saying that opera
singing requires a low larynx, while pop
singing needs a higher one. While these
generalized statements provide a rough
idea, the truth is not so black and white.
The ideal larynx position isn't fixed and
largely depends on the style of singing, the
singer's physiology, and the specific vocal
demands of a given song. It isn't as
straightforward as having a low larynx for
opera and a high larynx for pop".
work on chest voice, head voice separately then afterwards combine
Remember, you won't master your transitions unless you have fully
mastered the registers first.
Tuning your ears to the differences between the registers and
being certain of which register you're singing in at any given time is
crucial to improving your singing skills.
Chapter 3: The Debate of Laryn
In essence, while the larynx position debate is ongoing, what stands
universally true is the need for awareness and balance. Experiment
with different larynx positions while practicing various styles of music,
observe the changes in your tone, and take note of what feels
comfortable and sustainable. That way, you'll be better equipped to
make sound artistic choices that also prioritize your vocal health.
p7 The head voice, on the other hand, resonates in
the upper part of your vocal range. It's often
described as lighter and more ethereal and is
heavily used in classical singing and certain parts
of pop and musical theatre.
An understanding of these two basic registers is
crucial for a singer. However, what brings color
and nuance to your singing is your ability to
traverse and blend these registers seamlessly.
This brings us to the concept of the mixed voice
or mix.
The mix is not a register itself. It refers to the
'blending zone' where the chest and head voices
meet, enabling you to transition smoothly
between the two. It allows you to access the full
spectrum of your vocal range without noticeable
breaks or shifts in quality. The mixed voice is
often used in styles that require a broad vocal
range, like pop, musical theatre, or gospel.
That largely depends on the song and the specific vocal
effect you want to achieve. A pop song might demand a
powerful chest voice chorus and a delicate head voice verse.
An operatic aria, on the other hand, may require a seamless
blend between the registers to cover its extensive range.
As a rule of thumb, awareness is key. Know when you're
singing in your chest voice, head voice, or mixed voice, and
understand the distinct sound each one produces. Don't
limit yourself to one register. Even if your genre is
predominantly chest voice-heavy or head voice-heavy, the
ability to use and switch between your registers adds
versatility to your singing.
For a book that talks about singing and registers etc, it is important to include sound clips demonstrating the differences.
tested breathing hold duration,
I just tried, 3 times. 3 diff notes output v light volume, middle 30sec , high 30sec , and higher 33sec.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24hR70YVBfQ
Breathing Exercise to Increase Lung Capacity - Follow Along to Guided Breathwork
Videos watched
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwWGLHTrsCM
Unshakable foundation the book
1// avoid white fonts , v hard to read on screen and not gd for printed copies.
Music related issues
Juni has discovered what she needs is a 10 string qin, not a 9 string qin.
Juni to Shuengit Chow if you're building that project of mine anytime soon: Stop the presses and make sure they go out 10-stringed!
reply to Juni L Yeung 
, no, I have not made anything special. Are you coming to London ? And you still need a real qin to do demo or it doesnt matter. If yes, I will still check my existing Large Hand Scroll, to see if its valid to make a reversible qin 7 strings to 10 strings... but if its 10 strings then you have to displace the holes which is a lot more work - and not so "reversible" . However, for demo purpose, you dont need a polished-working-beautifully finished instrument - even though that would be very nice for the final presentation. To demonstrate the principle, you could use a simple qin.
1// get a beginners qin, get the model the widest possible, one that has no holes drilled in, and drill yourself (qin doesnt even need to be lacquered, just nude wood is fine) you could finish it the way you want after the demo. Working model are not finished presentation qins.
2// you could use a simple plank as what prof Chen Changlin did for his travelling small qin. Its basically a plank with bridge and you drill holes accordingly.
3// Make a flat /slightly curved sound rack - like the tool they use for testing normal 7 string qins, but here you put on the number of strings that you want, and you place it on a board approx the size suitable to the number of strings. This way its truly a working model for testing/confirming your ideas.
4// I could 3D print one for you Just the embryo no lacquer. I adjust the virtual model and the printer will do it
