Swish!
Today’s exercise is an easy maneuver for a simple, clean vocal onset (the moment when vibration begins in the vocal cords).
Sweeping the hand gets your air moving outward, carrying the voice with it, and avoiding the harsh glottal stops and breathy “h” sounds that often accompany the first notes we sing.
To do the Hand Sweep:
- Hold one hand in front of you, palm upward.
- Move the other hand up toward the opposite shoulder and then sweep it across the palm, as if you’re sweeping crumbs off of it.
- Now try singing, inhaling as you move the hand up toward the shoulder and then sweeping it across the other hand, starting an “ah” at the exact moment the hands touch one another.
- You can take this technique right into repertoire or try it on an exercise: sing “A-lle-lu-ia” on a downward arpeggiated octave, starting each time with a sweep of the hand.
Let your hand control the vocal onset instead of trying to control in the throat.
You’ll get a simplified, outward moving flow as you start to sing!
Thanks for practicing!
