Singing Technique: Speech Level Singing vs Estill vs Complete Vocal Technique

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Singing Technique: How to Choose Between Speech Level Singing vs Estill Voice Training vs Complete Vocal Technique

I love to say that for every voice teacher there is a different vocal technique.

That's because as voice teachers, we're always coming up with new innovative ways of approaching the voice.

But there are a few massively popular techniques that tend to produce results very quickly.

I wanted to take some time today to discuss the 3 most popular singing techniques: Speech Level Singing, Estill Voice Training and Complete Vocal Technique.

First, we'll talk about some of the hallmarks of each of these techniques. Then we'll talk about the end goal of vocal training and how that may or may not align with what you want to accomplish as a singer.

Let's get into it!

1. Speech Level Singing Technique

Speech Level Singing or SLS was pioneered by Seth Riggs, a classically educated voice teacher in California.

Mr. Riggs first became inspired to teach vocal technique after learning about the Schola Cantorum and Bel Canto eras of Italian singing.

Basically, both of these Italian schools of singing were renowned for the beautiful singers they produced.

Seth Riggs wondered why contemporary singers did not follow the vocal aesthetic set out in the Bel Canto era.

After a few failed attempts at teaching in the University system, Mr. Riggs began teaching private singing lessons in Los Angeles. Around this time, he began a teacher training system based on his vocal technique called Speech Level Singing.

What is Speech Level Singing?

Speech Level Singing is a vocal technique that seeks to create a balanced registration from the bottom to the top of a singer's range. All while keeping a resting larynx.

What the heck does that mean?

Basically, SLS holds that when you speak there is no tension in your voice because your motivation is to communicate. The same should be true when you're singing. No matter how high the note.

Often when a singer is singing from the bottom to the top of their voice there is an audible "break" or "disconnect" into falsetto.

Speech Level Singing believes that this break is the result of strain from joining the different vocal registers.

As a result, SLS prescribes exercises designed to help singers overcome this break into falsetto, keeping all the notes in the range at "speech-level". I.e. NO STRAIN!

The end result is one unified voice in which the registers are so well blended, there is no break or strain.

Speech Level Singing calls this blending of registers a mix.

Mr. Riggs believes that it is crucial to achieve this mix while maintaining a resting larynx.

The larynx, or voice box, is the hollow muscular organ that contains the vocal folds (or cords). In an untrained singer, the larynx will typically rise as the singer's pitch rises.

Seth Riggs believes that this rising larynx is responsible for vocal strain and lowers the quality of the singing.

So a large part of Speech Level Singing training is dedicated to keeping the larynx down.

The Goal of Speech Level Singing

The end goal of Speech Level Singing vocal training is to balances the registers so well that the singer can hit any note they want to without a noticeable change in quality.

This means that SLS is specifically designed to help a singer hit higher notes without falsetto or strain.

If you'd like to learn more about the other two techniques mentioned in this video, visit: http://www.octavehighereast.com/singi...