Beginner Course Day 6(Jonathan Estabrooks) Questions

1. 6:24, 'Firm but buoyant, firmness in the breath, but buoyant'. What did he mean by firmness in the breath and buoyancy?

2. 6:36, 'It's not locked,... there's a little bit of buoyancy there'. What did he mean by locked and buoyancy?

3. 6:45, 'lean in to that breath'. What does that mean?

TIA!

Hi Tan, I understood this as meaning what he said about muscle tone and breath. Don't constrict or compress the breath flow by muscular activity, but still have some constant (sort of isometric) muscular activity, not all relaxed and limp because then there would be no controled air flow. Get the breath down in the belly and lower belly and pelvis, and then there was this exercise when you breathe out that air in a constant toned air flow through a straw (having your hand in some and constant distance behind the straw to feel for the constancy of that air flow). So, there is this muscular work by the diaphragm etc., but no constriction that would translate into a tone that sounds constricted. You can experiment with that in producing a constricted tone to feel and hear the difference. The buoyant tone however sounds more or less light and floating, which means buoyant, like a balloon or buoy floating on water, here: on the air flow, but held on a constant level by that air flow which requires some tone and control. Leaning into the breath would mean that that ballon just rests or stays on this constant air flow, passively adapting to the slight changes in that flow ("waves"), and it also means that you just keep the air flow like this without pressing or any further active muscle tension anywhere. It should become clearer when trying to make these sounds yourself, I think he shows the difference in that video? So what you want to have here is a voice that sounds unrestricted and free, almost floating (i.e. buoyant), unforced, not too much (constricted) and not too little (too relaxed). A good example for that voice would be that of Luther Vandross, which has been described as very buoyant, mellow and rich, and the title of his most famous song describes that principle well, too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNj9bXKGOiI So the difference to locked would be like a rock in the waves that always stays there (locked in place, unshaky, unmovable, hold in place, more constricted), while that buoy dances with the waves and always stays on top of them. Obviously there are degress on locked and buoyant.

Great input, Steffen! I agree with what you've said. Adding to that "lean into the breath" I take to mean engaging your low abdomen when you sing, so you have a connection to your breathing muscles. It's a mindset and a sensation - I know it's a bit tough to grasp, but I refer to that same idea as a slight "pushing down and out" with your low abdomen. 

Yes, I understand, thank you Camille. Jonathan Estabrooks also says to have the singing come out of your shining and smiling  eyes, so this could then be the bouyant movement, downwards and upwards at the same time, like a bouy, floating (the eyes are above your mouth, so floating, and as the pelvis is below your lungs, so leaning into that). He also talks about that ever ongoing breath machine which never ceases no matter what which drives it all. I think it becomes clearer and clearer now to me, but it requires practice.

 Hello Steffen and Camille thank you so much for your explainations. While I don't fully understand, I will keep on going with the daily lessons and also daily practice, I think that will help me understand these concepts gradually. 

Tan, if you'd like, you can also try out my beginner course or Jonathan Statham's. It's possible you'll understand our explanations more easily - just an idea! But I do think there are a lot of new terms and ideas you're learning all at once. Eventually, things will click and you'll be using some of those terms like a pro :)