Passaggio Problems!
Arguably the most vexing of singer’s issues, the passaggio justifiably earns its hard-to-handle reputation.
It all comes down to delicately navigating your way around the point in the voice where there is a ‘register’ change - typically around E-F above middle C ... but even that varies of course!
What’s it all about?
What singers must do to avoid those tell-tale wobbly-sounding gear-changing areas in the voice, is to concentrate 100% on body-alignment, keeping the throat open, correctly balancing the airflow from the lungs to the point of contact with the vocal folds, which are brought together with a HIGH degree of sensitivity and control ... all in the moment of delivery, and then simply to maintain it.
That’s all. Yep - just do all of the above and then, rinse and repeat, get out of our own way, without tensing up. Crikey! No wonder we poor singers struggle with passaggio, eh?
Don’t panic - help is at hand.
Here are some helpful links to posts rich with further vocal technique information that will help:
More A-Z of Vocal Technique posts to include: Larynx, Jaw, Tongue to help get you started.
Other usefully related blog posts:
Connection is a feeling, not a sound
Free the neck & balanced alignment
