Another singer, who is probably considered the best lyric tenor to sing from the early 1990's, with clear tongue retraction. In his prime he was fantastic, only later to lose it most likely due to bad coaching and inappropriate role selection. There is a consistent space between the bottom teeth and tip of the tongue which is properly retracted. Again, this flies in the face of voice teachers who proclaim the tip of the tongue should be held behind the bottom teeth such as David Jones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWq5OWYaXDw
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Skype Lessons
At first I was highly skeptical about skype and refused to have lessons over skype for many years. Some students finally convinced me to try it and since then I have had tremendous success with many different students all over the world. This was a pleasant surprise since I cannot be everywhere nor can students afford to travel to me all the time. Some of my before and after recordings have been from lessons given mainly on skype.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Tongue Retraction and the Dangers of Holding the Tongue Forward
Whoever claims that the retracted tongue is not important is claiming false science and fact. The tongue retraction helps keep the larynx low and also, when done correctly, the hyoid bone stable. That is crucial. It also opens up the pharyngeal space.
Ignorance about the correct use of the tongue abounds. That is so unfortunate because getting the tongue functioning correctly is *CRUCIAL* to getting the most efficient and beautiful chiaroscuro sound. Some of the most respected voice teachers are telling students that the retracted tongue tip is wrong. They are limiting if not damaging voices.
The retracted tongue is natural. You will see it in young children when they sing. And sing well. Manipulating it forward or behind the teeth lifts the larynx up and forward which goes against the proper functioning of the hyoglossus muscle. The hyoglossus muscle retracts the tongue making it more convex. The hyoglossus connects the tongue to hyoid bone. The the larynx is connected to the hyoid bone.
Also the geniohyoid will pull the hyoid bone up and forward. This muscle connects the chin to the hyoid bone. So it lifts the hyoid bone which lifts the larynx up and forward. You will notice that many singers that hold the tip of the tongue behind the bottom teeth have a protruding chin. This is because of the wrong functioning of the hyoglossus effecting the geniohyoid.
This also makes dropping the jaw cause tension in the mandibular area which is one of the causes of TMJ. If someone doesn't get TMJ fully it will make that area sore and tense.
Here are some examples of singers retracting the tongue. Some of these singers I think are talented, but need work on other things. However, this is about the tongue in particular:
Watch from 2:57
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px0H0rD2L2E
Hadley, who was taught by my teacher, watch at 2:26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_iB3n4wxrU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbsmmT6RmUE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST_NBgJqlyA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxLz4gAmfuM
In Jerome Hines book 'Great Singers on Great Singing' Birgit Nilsson, the Swedish Wagnerian who said outright she does not hold the tip of the tongue behind the teeth. Watch at 2:30. You see the tip of her tongue retract away from the bottom teeth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhJzbsrkhVs
The same thing with Melchior. Watch at 55 seconds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMoXf9DR52g
Juan Diego Florez is not my personal favorite because of other vocal issues, but he does this as well.
Watch from 1:20:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2HVAL1MRJE
Also not my favorite tenor, but he retracts also:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLmutKOkqbc
And one of the top rated singers today Jonas Kaufmann, who has a ton of vocal issues, but at least does this correctly. Watch from 3:12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVEEYDJ9qDc
Ignorance about the correct use of the tongue abounds. That is so unfortunate because getting the tongue functioning correctly is *CRUCIAL* to getting the most efficient and beautiful chiaroscuro sound. Some of the most respected voice teachers are telling students that the retracted tongue tip is wrong. They are limiting if not damaging voices.
The retracted tongue is natural. You will see it in young children when they sing. And sing well. Manipulating it forward or behind the teeth lifts the larynx up and forward which goes against the proper functioning of the hyoglossus muscle. The hyoglossus muscle retracts the tongue making it more convex. The hyoglossus connects the tongue to hyoid bone. The the larynx is connected to the hyoid bone.
Also the geniohyoid will pull the hyoid bone up and forward. This muscle connects the chin to the hyoid bone. So it lifts the hyoid bone which lifts the larynx up and forward. You will notice that many singers that hold the tip of the tongue behind the bottom teeth have a protruding chin. This is because of the wrong functioning of the hyoglossus effecting the geniohyoid.
This also makes dropping the jaw cause tension in the mandibular area which is one of the causes of TMJ. If someone doesn't get TMJ fully it will make that area sore and tense.
Here are some examples of singers retracting the tongue. Some of these singers I think are talented, but need work on other things. However, this is about the tongue in particular:
Watch from 2:57
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px0H0rD2L2E
Hadley, who was taught by my teacher, watch at 2:26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_iB3n4wxrU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbsmmT6RmUE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST_NBgJqlyA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxLz4gAmfuM
In Jerome Hines book 'Great Singers on Great Singing' Birgit Nilsson, the Swedish Wagnerian who said outright she does not hold the tip of the tongue behind the teeth. Watch at 2:30. You see the tip of her tongue retract away from the bottom teeth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhJzbsrkhVs
The same thing with Melchior. Watch at 55 seconds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMoXf9DR52g
Juan Diego Florez is not my personal favorite because of other vocal issues, but he does this as well.
Watch from 1:20:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2HVAL1MRJE
Also not my favorite tenor, but he retracts also:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLmutKOkqbc
And one of the top rated singers today Jonas Kaufmann, who has a ton of vocal issues, but at least does this correctly. Watch from 3:12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVEEYDJ9qDc
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Vocal Science Cannot Teach You How to Sing
It is important to remember the "science" behind singing is ONLY to figure out and understand how the greatest singers were able to do what they did. That does ABSOLUTELY NOT mean you can read the science and know how to sing like they did.
Numerous people write all kinds of "scientific" information of singing and how the voice functions. Much of it is only partly right. Some of it is correct. However, if they do not know the corresponding sounds that go along with the scientific terms it is 10000% utterly useless. Unfortunately, none of them do. At least none that I have come across - and I have heard many of the "top" voice teachers and what they teach. Some know a little and then throw in bad. Some do basically nothing. It is sad.
You have to have studied with someone who could explain the sounds - including the wrong sounds - and what physical function corresponds to those sounds. What is the sound of constriction/glottal closure? People use these terms but have no clue what that sound is when listening to a singer. And the worst part is they think they do. So they address the wrong thing and skip over the very thing they actually are referencing. Moreover, a teacher should also be able to demonstrate the sounds of the old singers. The sound of the great singers, not some other sound that does not have anything to do with the great singers.
Lastly, no one can feel their vocal folds yet I hear these quasi scientists telling students they need to do this or that with their cords. There are no nerve endings in the vocal fold, but these teachers tell students to feel this or that in the cords. That is completely misguided and patently wrong. What they do feel instead, 99% of the time, are constrictive tensions (ironically the very things they cannot hear either). They are trying to feel something in the throat/laryngeal area so they have to grip something. That grip is constriction which blocks vocal efficiency. Then they try to look at what some old singers said such as, "I sing from the throat" or the "coupe de glotte" that Garcia wrote about. They wrongly think that it backs up their ideas. Unfortunately it is a completely lack of knowledge. That is why they cannot sing with a sound in line with the greats. Instead we hear wobbles, light and white toned, no core (voce squillante), no high notes of any value etc. And they cannot figure out why this is. That is why it is imperative that a teacher is evaluated on their results. Period. And before and after results in particular. That shows the effectiveness of a schooling. Not how well they write.
Numerous people write all kinds of "scientific" information of singing and how the voice functions. Much of it is only partly right. Some of it is correct. However, if they do not know the corresponding sounds that go along with the scientific terms it is 10000% utterly useless. Unfortunately, none of them do. At least none that I have come across - and I have heard many of the "top" voice teachers and what they teach. Some know a little and then throw in bad. Some do basically nothing. It is sad.
You have to have studied with someone who could explain the sounds - including the wrong sounds - and what physical function corresponds to those sounds. What is the sound of constriction/glottal closure? People use these terms but have no clue what that sound is when listening to a singer. And the worst part is they think they do. So they address the wrong thing and skip over the very thing they actually are referencing. Moreover, a teacher should also be able to demonstrate the sounds of the old singers. The sound of the great singers, not some other sound that does not have anything to do with the great singers.
Lastly, no one can feel their vocal folds yet I hear these quasi scientists telling students they need to do this or that with their cords. There are no nerve endings in the vocal fold, but these teachers tell students to feel this or that in the cords. That is completely misguided and patently wrong. What they do feel instead, 99% of the time, are constrictive tensions (ironically the very things they cannot hear either). They are trying to feel something in the throat/laryngeal area so they have to grip something. That grip is constriction which blocks vocal efficiency. Then they try to look at what some old singers said such as, "I sing from the throat" or the "coupe de glotte" that Garcia wrote about. They wrongly think that it backs up their ideas. Unfortunately it is a completely lack of knowledge. That is why they cannot sing with a sound in line with the greats. Instead we hear wobbles, light and white toned, no core (voce squillante), no high notes of any value etc. And they cannot figure out why this is. That is why it is imperative that a teacher is evaluated on their results. Period. And before and after results in particular. That shows the effectiveness of a schooling. Not how well they write.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
My Evaluation of the Problems with Swedish/Italian Vocal Technique
I have recently come across some recordings of voice lessons being taught by some of the most prominent teachers of today. David Jones in particular. After listening to these lessons, and also reading some technical information that these teachers have written about, I feel that the technical instructions given by these teachers should be addressed. Many exercises and concepts are completely misguided. Not only do these methods adversely effect a student's singing ability, but they also distort the singer's idea of the right sound; the sound which gives the most efficient use of the voice. This efficiency is paramount to having a full, free, beautiful instrument.
Now, I will not post the recordings of those lessons here, but I certainly would like to. They are lessons of David Jones teaching. I would rather that these teachers post some examples of the results of their teaching to back up their claims. I would also be open to a joint master class where several pedagogues work on the same singers in the master class in order to show the results of their approach. We could all present our ideas on technique and singing and then proceed to demonstrate those ideas. Perhaps we could learn something?
Many of these methods have become popular through very smart business men who market themselves and their technique in a very clever and eloquent way. It is most baffling to me that they are able to dupe some of the seemingly most talented professionals in the business. As I have stated in previous blog posts, the only way to validate the effectiveness of a teacher's method is by hearing their before and after results. Additionally, I find it very difficult to comprehend how these teachers, who cannot sing well or at all themselves, think they are able to teach on a high level. A teacher, whether they are famous or not, must be able to sing well in order to demonstrate the sounds a student should be making. This is how the old masters taught voice. It is the only way one can achieve a high level of results. If you are going to a teacher who cannot demonstrate the right sounds and/or cannot sing well then you should simply look elsewhere; no matter how nice the teacher seems to be or how regarded they are. Being held in high regard in a period of the worst singing in history is hardly an endorsement. I was very disappointed when I heard the teacher of this Swedish/Italian school demonstrate. He could not sing and what little bit he tried to demonstrate were completely wrong sounds. At one point telling a tenor to make and UHL sound instead of a nice OH sound he was making. Completely driving the center of the tongue onto the hyoid bone.
http://www.silvervoicestudio.blogspot.com/2013/04/before-and-after-recordings-only-way-to.html
http://www.silvervoicestudio.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-great-teacher-must-be-great-singer.html
Now let us look at some of these methods:
The Swedish/Italian Method
The alleged and highly promoted "Swedish/Italian" method of singing by David Jones. I must say when I hear that title I immediately question the validity of this schooling. The "Italian School" is one thing. It was established by the teaching of an Italian lineage of great pedagogues. The "Swedish School", I would assume, is a teaching based on a lineage of Swedish/Nordic pedagogues. The two, therefore, cannot be combined. Additionally, the referenced singers developed by this Swedish/Italian method are non Italians; i.e. Flagstad, Bjoerling etc.
Mentioning Enrico Caruso in conjunction with this method is invalid. Caruso did not study with any Swedish/Nordic/Germanic teacher. I must also add that I am not quite sure that the teacher of this method studied with any great Italian pedagogues. Again, I could be wrong, but from what I have read the main tenets of the teaching are from the non Italian pedagogues. Also, a student does not necessarily understand the technique of a teacher enough to be able to teach it themselves. I know student's of my teacher who admit they could not teach the technique. They only sing. And when things are passed down over several generations there are so many distortions that the original teaching is all, but lost.
Also, there is the claim that his teacher, who he only studied with for a summer, was taught by Manuel Garcia's (who was Spanish) students - not by Garcia.. A summer of training is nowhere near enough time to develop your voice much less learn a technique. And then his teacher, Lindquest, also observed ONE coaching with Caruso. One coaching when you are a young singer would tell you nothing about technique. I assume the coaching was with Romani. So, having heard some lessons given by the teacher(s)of this Swedish/Italian approach, and having heard him teach in a room next to the room I was teaching in, I feel compelled to address specific things I heard being taught in those lessons. We can also look at the writings of Manuel Garcia and he does not talk about the NG or any of the things I heard being taught in the recorded lessons. So mentioning Garcia is also irrelevant to me.
I also find it interesting that this Swedish/Italian school teacher brings up Birgit Nilsson as someone who was "coached" by his teacher. Birgit Nilsson said several times that she did not like any of the teachers that she studied with. In a discussion with Jerome Hine's in his book, "Great Singers on Great Singing", Birgit Nilsson also does not say anything about this NG when asked about the tongue. Additionally, Nilsson says that she does not hold the tip of the tongue behind the bottom teeth. This is strange since Mr. Jones teaches this as part of the schooling.
1) The use of the "NG" exercise. It seems one of the main claims about the validity of this exercise is that it was used by the teacher of Kirsten Flagstad. I have never read anything written by her which verifies that she used this exercise. Nor have I ever heard an interview where she does. Now, I could be wrong here, but I don't believe there is any writing of her teacher which verifies that he used this exercise either. So I find presenting Flagstad as an endorsement for using this exercise questionable.
Additionally, there are physiological problems with the use of this exercise. I will start with the fact that no one sings in the position created by the "NG". The mouth is closed and the front third of the tongue is shoved up to the front of the mouth behind the bottom teeth. The tongue should never be used in this position. I will not go on at length about this now, but you can get an idea of how the tongue should function properly by reading my blog article on it:
http://silvervoicestudio.blogspot.com/2011/11/tongue.html
This "NG" position also causes extra tension on the muscles that pull the larynx up. The suprahyoid muscles. This lifts the hyoid bone up and consequently the larynx also. Since proper singing, and in particular operatic singing, requires a lowered larynx, the exercising of the muscles which pull the larynx up is not desirable. Not only that, but this up pull also exacerbates constrictive tension which closes the throat while making the sound nasal. The last thing I will mention, and I could go on further, is that in this "NG" position, which pulls the larynx up, it is very difficult to produce a chest/lower register sound. The the lower register is one of the foundations of all great singing and this exercise decreases its function.
2) The raising of the solar plexis. The solar plexus, also known as the celiac plexus, is in the abdomen behind the stomach. Some people describe this as the "pit of the stomach". Engaging this area for singing is not really useful. It sounds good when someone gives the technical jargon, but it does not address the fundamental aspects of correct breathing. I have written about that here:
http://silvervoicestudio.blogspot.com/2012/05/breathing-importance-of-inspiratory.html
Also, the idea of "lifting" in breathing tends to cause the student to bring in tension from the upper chest. This exacerbates constrictive tension which closes the throat. The upper chest region should be completely relaxed. Ideally, there should be no lifting of the chest. Lifting tends to also creep up into using shoulder tension. Many of these tensions are connected and one induces the other.
3) The use of the back ribs for breathing. I already posted one of my blog articles on breathing which should help to address this issue as well. However, I will add that focusing the the back ribs takes attention away from where the real focus should be. The proper coordination of the breathing muscles is the hold of the inspiratory muscles against the expiratory muscles. Since the expiratory muscles are the abdominal muscles, and they are located in the abdomen, then the concentration must be holding against them with the inspiratory muscles that expand the abdomen out. The use of the diaphragm and the expansion of the ribs happens automatically when this coordination is established.
4) The use of the bottom lip over the bottom teeth in order to get a pharyngeal stretch/opening. Well, I will start by saying that referring to a term such as pharyngeal opening - and the resonance achieved by that opening - and recognizing the correct sound that is generated by that are two different things. I listening as the teacher using this exercise with basically no change in the singer's resonance. Oddly enough, the teacher expressed how great the change was. It made me wonder if this person had ever heard the old singers and what that sound was really like? And if he did how he can possibly think the results he is getting is even in the ball park of the sound of the old singers. The sounds are diametrically opposed.
Moreover, the use of the bottom lip over the bottom teeth causes a substantial increase in jaw tension. In particular the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). It goes without saying that this tension is not wanted in singing. There are proper ways to get pharyngeal opening which including the lowering the larynx, inspiratory tension - which deals with the opening of that space - as well as the tongue position which directly effects it. Again, the NG also effects this negatively by shifting the tongue forward and pulling the hyoid bone and larynx up which narrows the pharyngeal space. These things create small, nasal voices which lack lower register development. They often have vibrato issues, issues getting voce squillante and nasal qualities.
5) The "meow" exercise. This exercise was completely useless. It addressed absolutely nothing and did nothing for the student's voice, but cause nasality.
6) Some exercise on dibby dibby, repeated quickly over a rapid succession of notes. Supposedly to loosen up the tongue. It does nothing for the tongue whatsoever. Someone could do this exercise all day long and as soon as they go to sing immediately tense the tongue. These are exercises given to seem like the teacher is doing something, but in all actuality they are doing nothing, but tricks. And those don't even work.
7) A faletto type "Swedish" EE. First, this sound caused tongue girding. And by that I mean that it stiffens the tongue. Ironically the same tension that exercise 6 was trying to get rid of. This tongue stiffening made the sound thick and also make the EE distorted with an incipient "R" to the sound. As if you are saying the word "ear" and you combine the EE and R. Not only did this exercise cause the tongue issues it also did not address how to go into the covered notes for the high voice. The teacher was completely unaware of this voice and how to get it. And the cover is vitally important for a man to develop. It is a muscular switch that starts in the passaggio. None of that was addressed as the tenor repeatedly failed to go through the passaggio and up. Over and over the tenor made sounds that were blowing the cords open, causing a static sound, and the teacher just kept telling him it was mucous. No, it was his cords blasting apart. Not only that, but the sounds the tenor was making that were not right this teacher kept saying were good. This is a huge problem. To not even know the right sounds. It doesn't matter what you know of physiology or exercises if you do not know the right sounds.
I would also be very, very leary of anyone selling CD's and products which give you exercises that are supposed to improve your voice. This is highly irresponsible. A teacher MUST guide a student through any exercises. Any student can do an exercise wrong without this guidance. Most students has do not know what the right sounds are. And attempting exercises on their own can cause them to exercise the wrong muscles, creating the wrong sounds. Also, not all exercises are appropriate for all students. An exercise which might be good for one student could be disastrous for another student. For example, if a student comes to me with a depressed larynx; meaning that their larynx is shoved down with improper tension, then it would be a disaster for me to have them use an exercise such as lifting the soft palette. That exercise lowers the larynx more. So this idea that you can sell exercises to people without supervision is corrupt.
In conclusion, I believe this Swedish/Italian school is vocally limiting for singers. Something which sounds good on paper might not be so good in all practicality. The exercises and instructions used in this method cause inefficiency which leads to many vocal problems. And again, I must stress the importance of hearing the results of a teacher. No matter how well they write, no matter what they claim their results to be. In particular, before and after results. If they cannot provide such results then there must be a reason why. If they refuse to provide results be very cautious.
Now, I will not post the recordings of those lessons here, but I certainly would like to. They are lessons of David Jones teaching. I would rather that these teachers post some examples of the results of their teaching to back up their claims. I would also be open to a joint master class where several pedagogues work on the same singers in the master class in order to show the results of their approach. We could all present our ideas on technique and singing and then proceed to demonstrate those ideas. Perhaps we could learn something?
Many of these methods have become popular through very smart business men who market themselves and their technique in a very clever and eloquent way. It is most baffling to me that they are able to dupe some of the seemingly most talented professionals in the business. As I have stated in previous blog posts, the only way to validate the effectiveness of a teacher's method is by hearing their before and after results. Additionally, I find it very difficult to comprehend how these teachers, who cannot sing well or at all themselves, think they are able to teach on a high level. A teacher, whether they are famous or not, must be able to sing well in order to demonstrate the sounds a student should be making. This is how the old masters taught voice. It is the only way one can achieve a high level of results. If you are going to a teacher who cannot demonstrate the right sounds and/or cannot sing well then you should simply look elsewhere; no matter how nice the teacher seems to be or how regarded they are. Being held in high regard in a period of the worst singing in history is hardly an endorsement. I was very disappointed when I heard the teacher of this Swedish/Italian school demonstrate. He could not sing and what little bit he tried to demonstrate were completely wrong sounds. At one point telling a tenor to make and UHL sound instead of a nice OH sound he was making. Completely driving the center of the tongue onto the hyoid bone.
http://www.silvervoicestudio.blogspot.com/2013/04/before-and-after-recordings-only-way-to.html
http://www.silvervoicestudio.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-great-teacher-must-be-great-singer.html
Now let us look at some of these methods:
The Swedish/Italian Method
The alleged and highly promoted "Swedish/Italian" method of singing by David Jones. I must say when I hear that title I immediately question the validity of this schooling. The "Italian School" is one thing. It was established by the teaching of an Italian lineage of great pedagogues. The "Swedish School", I would assume, is a teaching based on a lineage of Swedish/Nordic pedagogues. The two, therefore, cannot be combined. Additionally, the referenced singers developed by this Swedish/Italian method are non Italians; i.e. Flagstad, Bjoerling etc.
Mentioning Enrico Caruso in conjunction with this method is invalid. Caruso did not study with any Swedish/Nordic/Germanic teacher. I must also add that I am not quite sure that the teacher of this method studied with any great Italian pedagogues. Again, I could be wrong, but from what I have read the main tenets of the teaching are from the non Italian pedagogues. Also, a student does not necessarily understand the technique of a teacher enough to be able to teach it themselves. I know student's of my teacher who admit they could not teach the technique. They only sing. And when things are passed down over several generations there are so many distortions that the original teaching is all, but lost.
Also, there is the claim that his teacher, who he only studied with for a summer, was taught by Manuel Garcia's (who was Spanish) students - not by Garcia.. A summer of training is nowhere near enough time to develop your voice much less learn a technique. And then his teacher, Lindquest, also observed ONE coaching with Caruso. One coaching when you are a young singer would tell you nothing about technique. I assume the coaching was with Romani. So, having heard some lessons given by the teacher(s)of this Swedish/Italian approach, and having heard him teach in a room next to the room I was teaching in, I feel compelled to address specific things I heard being taught in those lessons. We can also look at the writings of Manuel Garcia and he does not talk about the NG or any of the things I heard being taught in the recorded lessons. So mentioning Garcia is also irrelevant to me.
I also find it interesting that this Swedish/Italian school teacher brings up Birgit Nilsson as someone who was "coached" by his teacher. Birgit Nilsson said several times that she did not like any of the teachers that she studied with. In a discussion with Jerome Hine's in his book, "Great Singers on Great Singing", Birgit Nilsson also does not say anything about this NG when asked about the tongue. Additionally, Nilsson says that she does not hold the tip of the tongue behind the bottom teeth. This is strange since Mr. Jones teaches this as part of the schooling.
1) The use of the "NG" exercise. It seems one of the main claims about the validity of this exercise is that it was used by the teacher of Kirsten Flagstad. I have never read anything written by her which verifies that she used this exercise. Nor have I ever heard an interview where she does. Now, I could be wrong here, but I don't believe there is any writing of her teacher which verifies that he used this exercise either. So I find presenting Flagstad as an endorsement for using this exercise questionable.
Additionally, there are physiological problems with the use of this exercise. I will start with the fact that no one sings in the position created by the "NG". The mouth is closed and the front third of the tongue is shoved up to the front of the mouth behind the bottom teeth. The tongue should never be used in this position. I will not go on at length about this now, but you can get an idea of how the tongue should function properly by reading my blog article on it:
http://silvervoicestudio.blogspot.com/2011/11/tongue.html
This "NG" position also causes extra tension on the muscles that pull the larynx up. The suprahyoid muscles. This lifts the hyoid bone up and consequently the larynx also. Since proper singing, and in particular operatic singing, requires a lowered larynx, the exercising of the muscles which pull the larynx up is not desirable. Not only that, but this up pull also exacerbates constrictive tension which closes the throat while making the sound nasal. The last thing I will mention, and I could go on further, is that in this "NG" position, which pulls the larynx up, it is very difficult to produce a chest/lower register sound. The the lower register is one of the foundations of all great singing and this exercise decreases its function.
2) The raising of the solar plexis. The solar plexus, also known as the celiac plexus, is in the abdomen behind the stomach. Some people describe this as the "pit of the stomach". Engaging this area for singing is not really useful. It sounds good when someone gives the technical jargon, but it does not address the fundamental aspects of correct breathing. I have written about that here:
http://silvervoicestudio.blogspot.com/2012/05/breathing-importance-of-inspiratory.html
Also, the idea of "lifting" in breathing tends to cause the student to bring in tension from the upper chest. This exacerbates constrictive tension which closes the throat. The upper chest region should be completely relaxed. Ideally, there should be no lifting of the chest. Lifting tends to also creep up into using shoulder tension. Many of these tensions are connected and one induces the other.
3) The use of the back ribs for breathing. I already posted one of my blog articles on breathing which should help to address this issue as well. However, I will add that focusing the the back ribs takes attention away from where the real focus should be. The proper coordination of the breathing muscles is the hold of the inspiratory muscles against the expiratory muscles. Since the expiratory muscles are the abdominal muscles, and they are located in the abdomen, then the concentration must be holding against them with the inspiratory muscles that expand the abdomen out. The use of the diaphragm and the expansion of the ribs happens automatically when this coordination is established.
4) The use of the bottom lip over the bottom teeth in order to get a pharyngeal stretch/opening. Well, I will start by saying that referring to a term such as pharyngeal opening - and the resonance achieved by that opening - and recognizing the correct sound that is generated by that are two different things. I listening as the teacher using this exercise with basically no change in the singer's resonance. Oddly enough, the teacher expressed how great the change was. It made me wonder if this person had ever heard the old singers and what that sound was really like? And if he did how he can possibly think the results he is getting is even in the ball park of the sound of the old singers. The sounds are diametrically opposed.
Moreover, the use of the bottom lip over the bottom teeth causes a substantial increase in jaw tension. In particular the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). It goes without saying that this tension is not wanted in singing. There are proper ways to get pharyngeal opening which including the lowering the larynx, inspiratory tension - which deals with the opening of that space - as well as the tongue position which directly effects it. Again, the NG also effects this negatively by shifting the tongue forward and pulling the hyoid bone and larynx up which narrows the pharyngeal space. These things create small, nasal voices which lack lower register development. They often have vibrato issues, issues getting voce squillante and nasal qualities.
5) The "meow" exercise. This exercise was completely useless. It addressed absolutely nothing and did nothing for the student's voice, but cause nasality.
6) Some exercise on dibby dibby, repeated quickly over a rapid succession of notes. Supposedly to loosen up the tongue. It does nothing for the tongue whatsoever. Someone could do this exercise all day long and as soon as they go to sing immediately tense the tongue. These are exercises given to seem like the teacher is doing something, but in all actuality they are doing nothing, but tricks. And those don't even work.
7) A faletto type "Swedish" EE. First, this sound caused tongue girding. And by that I mean that it stiffens the tongue. Ironically the same tension that exercise 6 was trying to get rid of. This tongue stiffening made the sound thick and also make the EE distorted with an incipient "R" to the sound. As if you are saying the word "ear" and you combine the EE and R. Not only did this exercise cause the tongue issues it also did not address how to go into the covered notes for the high voice. The teacher was completely unaware of this voice and how to get it. And the cover is vitally important for a man to develop. It is a muscular switch that starts in the passaggio. None of that was addressed as the tenor repeatedly failed to go through the passaggio and up. Over and over the tenor made sounds that were blowing the cords open, causing a static sound, and the teacher just kept telling him it was mucous. No, it was his cords blasting apart. Not only that, but the sounds the tenor was making that were not right this teacher kept saying were good. This is a huge problem. To not even know the right sounds. It doesn't matter what you know of physiology or exercises if you do not know the right sounds.
I would also be very, very leary of anyone selling CD's and products which give you exercises that are supposed to improve your voice. This is highly irresponsible. A teacher MUST guide a student through any exercises. Any student can do an exercise wrong without this guidance. Most students has do not know what the right sounds are. And attempting exercises on their own can cause them to exercise the wrong muscles, creating the wrong sounds. Also, not all exercises are appropriate for all students. An exercise which might be good for one student could be disastrous for another student. For example, if a student comes to me with a depressed larynx; meaning that their larynx is shoved down with improper tension, then it would be a disaster for me to have them use an exercise such as lifting the soft palette. That exercise lowers the larynx more. So this idea that you can sell exercises to people without supervision is corrupt.
In conclusion, I believe this Swedish/Italian school is vocally limiting for singers. Something which sounds good on paper might not be so good in all practicality. The exercises and instructions used in this method cause inefficiency which leads to many vocal problems. And again, I must stress the importance of hearing the results of a teacher. No matter how well they write, no matter what they claim their results to be. In particular, before and after results. If they cannot provide such results then there must be a reason why. If they refuse to provide results be very cautious.
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