"Eeeeew! They're singing through their nose!"
That phrase right there is s sure-fire way to NOT help someone stop singing through their nose and to risk giving them a complex that could stop them ever singing in public again.
I've heard lot of people say things like this - especially non-singers or people who don't understand how the human voice works. I've never heard it said in complimentary tones except during singing lessons when the aim is to sound nasally.
What you probably don't know about nasal singing is that it is actually a technique. Of course we don't sing purely through our noses when we use this technique but the air and the sound is focused towards the nasal cavities.
In this article you will learn how to modify your sound if you feel it's too nasal.
How Our Voices Work
In healthy voices, when we sing, air passes between our vocal cords and, simultaneously, our vocal cords move towards each other, tighten and lengthen, creating faster vibrations that create a sound on pitch. That sound is then carried up into certain cavities that create the tone and timbre of our voice. If the sound is focused heavily around and through our nasal cavities this can cause that buzzing or compressed sound that people often describe as nasally. Amy Winehouse, Noel Gallagher and Britney Spears all use this type of resonance when they sing.
We can use vocal techniques to learn to manipulate where the air and sound resonate to create different tones and timbres like belting, head voice and twang.
Twang
Twang is a technique that focuses the air and sound towards the front of our facial cavities, including the nasal cavities. As well as helping us to project our voices, twang can also be utilised to navigate the break or crack in our voices and create a stronger, sharper sound.
Modifying the Sound
Follow this video to learn how you can modify the level of nasal resonance and sound less nasally when you sing.
Adapting to your natural voice
With modification, you can play around with the different sounds you are able to make and allow a more natural sound to come to the fore.
What of you don't learn to control your vocal resonance?
Of course, if you like the sound of your voice and don't think it will impede your success as a singer - and there's no reason why it should - it's sill a good idea to learn to control the level of nasal resonance you use when you sing. Mastering this will enable you to utilise the different areas of your voice: tone, timbre, dynamics, and create more interesting vocal lines as well as your vocal health.
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