Michael Trimble Vocal Method LECTURE 5: "Abdomen 2-Clarification"

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Internationally renowned Tenor and Master Voice Teacher, Michael Trimble. 62 years of expertise/performing, teaching and Artist training/acclaimed vocal pedagogue. Career building, vocal literature for aspiring students and experienced professionals.

[@inabambina1338]

What a tremendous person you are mister Trimble! Those videos are pure gold once more. I’m still working on that abdominal looseness..but my voice is already completely transformed because of you and ONLY you! many many hugs and greetings your way!

[@Olga_dadishkiliani]

The moment I move to the us I wanna become Your student!) I’ve finally realized what the appoggio is and how to breathe! I spent 10 years on studying! College+conservatory! And you explained it in 21 minutes....!!! That’s something incredibly unbelievable! Thank you so much!!! Tears of happiness!

[@giorgiojvladiqt6060]

BRAVO MAESTRO

[@ivanmatkowski737]

Hi, are you still into singing?

[@ElectronicCity715]

I love listening to you explain these concepts Michael. It's a lot of fun exploring the techniques that are proven to work. Hope you're well

[@giorgiojvladiqt6060]

I AM A TENOR FOR MY SELF AND, I LIKE HIM HE IS A GREAT PROFESSIONAL MAESTRO, GOD BLESS YOU.

[@alexjohnsrud6224]

Thank you my friend!! I finally got a feeling of true support today. I drew in on the inhale, & the relaxation on the exhale felt almost forceful in nature!so natural & powerful! Meanwhile my throat feels better then ever

[@cindylelea4555]

Lol, there's nothing to dislike about your voice!

[@raynardi7243]

Tks a lot for existing....

[@kirkhustle7596]

Mr. Trimble, thank you so much! The progress i made in the past 3 days by applying this method is pretty incredible! I think im finally starting to understand/ feel appogio, all thanks to you! No idea now why everyone always wants me to push out the abdomen when breathing in when i can pretty breathe as deep as into my butt this way! lmao! Also everything above my waist automatically becomes so much more relaxed, because my body now understands that it doesnt need to do much of anything anymore. Also i understand how "internal" the lean feels. Im so excited to practice it more! I just bought your e-book and cant wait to read it! Thanks again! Much love from germany

[@Fidelio79]

I want to ask you: is wrong to keep the abdomen inward during singing? To keep the abdomen closed to spine during exhalation, as Amelita Gali curci recomend. I have observed it helps in order to keep the voice in the mask an advoid cracking the high notes. Also keeping the abdomen inward helps if i wanna sing high notes piano or pianissimo. Could you give an advice regarding this practice?

[@juanma.arabia]

I'd like you to talk about the "inflating the belly" method to have a clear contrast.

[@juanma.arabia]

I'm reading Iyengar book on Pranayama and he also talks about pulling the lower abdomen muscles during breathing

[@caninbar]

Pulling your abdomen in while inhaling is contrary to natural breathing and appoggio. It creates tension in the larynx which is very dangerous, especially for beginners. Your abdomen should expand outwards while inhaling and re-enter while exhaling. Anyway, he's right about the differing views about mouth position while singing, and that, sadly and tragically, people who hire singers, as well as many voice teachers, can lead the poor singer astray. One very important aspect of Mr Trimble's vocal production is that he doesn't let the consonants interfere with the vowel sound. This is key to vocal freedom.

[@coltonruscheinsky7863]

He makes it pretty clear you don't have to use this technique. It's one of many.

[@user-of4kk4in9f]

Wrong. So very wrong. Outward abdomen expansion on inhaling creates nasality. I mean you cant even DO appogio with outward belly exhaling. Theres nothing to lean against!! The focus should be on back breathing NOT belly breathing. Do it and see. Pulling the abdomen in releases tension and vertically opens the throat. Pulling in the abdomen on exhale FORCES air up into the vocal chords which destroys ring and leads to nodules. You are absolutely wrong. Us singers know the truth of how the body works.

[@coltonruscheinsky7863]

I agree. I feel what is working best for me is everything Michael says about diagonal appoggio except pulling your stomach in on an inhale. But I think he was just describing how some singers have done it and giving that as an option. I don't know about re-entering though. Unless you mean without actually pulling in the muscles of the belly by putting tension in them but letting them remain relaxed.

[@user-of4kk4in9f]

@@coltonruscheinsky7863 I find the "Breath jerk" helps move that diaphragm back out of the way but the stomach muscles are loose as its a jerk that is immediately dropped when you start to sing. I feel practicing breath of fire also keeps abdomen loose. Try keeping abdomen still and flat if you dont want to jerk it in. The key is lower back action.

[@coltonruscheinsky7863]

@@user-of4kk4in9f Well, maybe I'll give it a try. I've never really attempted it. But I think I'm going to give the breath jerk a shot, see how it goes.

[@volldillo]

Tighten the belly is of course wrong, because if fixes and clamps the diaphragm. However, it is possible to tense the very very low muscles (which already happens when you explain your method of inhaling "inside"), in German it's "Beckenbodenmuskulatur", in the sexual region. These muscles tire inside backwards and can be actively tensed. This then helps to stay relaxed in the rest of the abdomen. That's the physiological effect that a muscle can be relaxed by tensing its antagonist. This then also helps for what you call the "countermotion". I'd bet, that with your countermotion, these very low "Beckenbodenmuskeln" are tensed while you are singing. But of course not the belly, the belly region must be relaxed, and rather taken some kind of "inside".

[@justust4872]

Thanks

[@p83otfan]

I need help with a unique problem. I routinely sing D5 and back down the scale. One day I reached for the D# and felt a pop in my hyoid bone area on my right side of neck. It didn’t hurt enough to stop the note, and once the snap happened , it didn’t hurt anymore and I could go to the E5. It wasn’t a pain, but rather a hurt. Now, every time I go there it happens. If I concentrate very very hard I can get a D# without the pop, but I really have to work hard to produce a dopey enough sound not to let that snap/pop happen. I think it involves my hyoid bone and a muscle near there. Any insight at all? P83otfan’

[@ahagen2025]

Excellent!

[@alfredobelloni3258]

The idea of the abdominal muscles not doing anything goes against everything i have been ever thaught... and ive been at this for, like 6 years.

[@alfredobelloni3258]

Michael, thank you for your response. Its the drawing inward what really shocks me, i do try to breath from the back, but also the front and the sides, like an expanding belt. And no, im not a happy tenor, you got me there. I will be experimenting with these concepts, thank you again for your work. Cheers.

[@MehlindaHeartt]

do you have a book? Thank you for these videos

[@manfredlion]

I just got your book and am very excited to read it. This video is very intriguing! When the abdomen moves in during inhalation, is it in a horizontal direction towards the back or more of a diagonal direction.? Thanks!

[@manfredlion]

@@Tenoretrimble Wow, thanks so much for the response! Makes sense. I just watched your videos on "Postures" and talk about the most "Bang" for watching a set of videos. The body position makes it so much easier to do this type of inhalation ! And what a change. The vibrancy just appears. In addition, I feel like the ability to control the voice is expanded. Soft, loud you can control it all. You're the best!

[@CwjrB3]

I love your videos. I'm a huge fan of the old Italian school of singing. I wonder if you could do another video like this about the proper staccato. I notice with the videos of some of your students they performed the staccato and nothing moved but the diaphragm inside. Today they want you moving the abdomen to do it. Can you clarify this as well.

[@CwjrB3]

Michael Trimble Thank you. I hope to master the old Italian way someday. Maybe even sing with the same brilliance.

[@harrylund4081]

Wonderful videos Michael. Sorry I am a bit slow on this but do you completly release the abdomen before you start singing or is it a gradual release while you sing? I was also wondering if you can sing ok if you pull your abdomen all the way in (in a relaxed way) and keep it there while singing or would that create tension or to much preasure? Hope you have the time to answer me on this.

[@harrylund4081]

Thank you very much for the clarification Michael

[@kylevelaz]

Can these principles be applied to speech? Everything with the abdomen, phonation, leaning, breath, mask, no breath leak etc.

[@juanma.arabia]

Michael your videos are amazing. They are changing my way of thinking and feeling breathing a in a new freer way. Thanks a lot, really. As regards the video, I have two questions. When you pull in the abdomen during the inhalation, how low do you go as regards the muscles of the abdomen (there are quiet a few) And the second (and the most important) one is, after you take a breath, should we loose the abdomen as if letting it go? or what? I don't get it, yet. Warm greetings.

[@juanma.arabia]

I have seen the comments now, and you have answered similar questions. If you consider it there's nothing more to add, please conserve your energy. Thanks

[@harrylund4081]

Hi Michael. Hope you have time to answer a Q. Can you breathe to low in the back/body? I am breathing lower than I ever have before, felt like I suddenly went through a floor and can feel the air pressure all the way down in the bottom of my hips when I breed in. I can feel the larynx being pulled down (just by the breath) But I can`t breed that low if I pull in the abdomen. So I keep the abdomen stabil, breed this low and lean on the diafragma. It gives an incredible strenght and stabilety/control to the voice but it feels strange to breed this low. I normaly breed down in the flanks/ lower back but this feels way lower somehow. It don`t feel like it makes the voice to dark but it makes it darker, not a bad thing realy when you are a bass-bass/baritone. But it feels extreme somehow, perhaps it is to low. You talk about breathing down in your buttocks but is that just an expression? Should I breed down in the flanks and just below the lower ribs or does this low breeding sound right to you? Hope you understand what I mean :-)

[@harrylund4081]

Thank you for the reply Michael. Perhaps it it just a new feeling for me, breathing relaxed and very deep. I am having some problem with the Caruso method with pulling in your stumach and releasing it when starting to sing, feels like I loose a lot of compression and strength when I release the stumach, even tho I lean on the diafragma but perhaps I need to work at it more, was thinking that perhaps the Pavarotti method whith a firm steady stumach could work better for me, feels like I can breath deeper that way and the voice seems fuller, stronger and I am in better control that way. But I will work on the Caruso way and see how it goes. Thanks :-)

[@harrylund4081]

You are probalby right. I have trained for many years with the lifting of soft pallete and abdomenal support. Ending up with a forced/tensed low larynx and a lot of compression, way to much, and very uncomfortabel way of singing. Have a lot to unlearn and it feels strange to make such big changes but I will get there. Your liptrills exercise is helping to relese the larynx and tensions in jaw and tongue. Hard to change what you have been doing for many years and the sound you are used to but I will focus on the Caruso method. Thank you for very helpfull tips :-)

[@jenspflug7473]

Are you in any way German, cause your German sounds pretty native so you speak? I've got a burning question and that is: what's your take on Signore Angelo Loforese, a 98 year old Italian singer who can be found here on youtube and his unbelievable voice? My impression is, that it is to a large extent due to a genetic predisposition. Would you agree or do you see it as a perfect example for the "right" singing technique?

[@jenspflug7473]

@@Tenoretrimble Hello Michael, thanks for the answer. I take it that you are not of German origin but have adopted the language perfectly well. I can say that because I am German. Anyway, a lot of what you are saying about singing I can see in Luciano Pavarotti, especially his mouth control. He never really yanked his mouth open when he sang high notes as opposed to Jose Carreras or like Rolando Villazon. Bergonzi, a former bariton, is another good example of "old school" singing..And yes, I have listened to Ivan Koslowsky long time before I came across Angelo Loforese. But as I said earlier, both seemed to have inherited light voices (genetic predisposition) , although I am not quite sure with Loforese as he sang Turridu, Vesti la giubba, and that enables them to sing well at their age now. They sing a lot in their head resonance and that cuts through like in Loforese's case. In one of your videos you mentioned that you were singing as a bass-bariton and then made it to a tenor. Funny, how you describe it: another singer told you to stand straight and lift the head and out came a tenor voice! Was it really that easy? And how about your singing capabilities as a bass-bariton? Were they gone from that day on? I doubt it which in return means that you should have had an enormous range from very low up to high C/D. Wish you a great day!

[@gunterjauch9051]

Hallo Jens bist du ein Tenor

[@jenspflug7473]

@@gunterjauch9051 Ja.

[@ARTEMIYNIK]

When I inhale this way, I literally start to choke with the amount of air, it's too much

[@MarkBennett007]

Can rock and pop be sung with this technique?

[@Tenoretrimble]

Yes, Mark. It is the best way to avoid any vocal damage or problems when doing a lot of gigs or rehearsals. I made a video called "For Contemporary Singers". Look it up and get the idea that phonation or how we pronounce and form the sounds we make in our throats causes the effects we want. Breathing can form or shape the throat to almost any color or dialect you want to use in a particular song. The secret is to breathe consistently into the lower back and allow the throat to respond vertically by relaxing. If the throat is relaxed, you can use any dialect that your imagination can identify or imitate. Of course, you want your voice to always sound like you and not allow any unnatural sounds in the throat caused by tension. to occur, learn to breathe the throat totally free and relaxed and sing without any action in the throat whatsoever. Many singers get into serious vocal trouble because the breathing is too shallow and it becomes impossible to sing without muscular action in the throat.. Look at Adele or Lionel Richie (very bad breathers!) ,and Sting and Paul McCartney (very good breathers) and figure out the differences in how they breathed and how the throat responded when they sang. I'm 84 and I sing all day every day, and i use the old fashioned way of breathing like a laughing baby and not like a sleeping baby. Do not use the nasal resonance at all if possible. I sang rock and folk and pop and country when I was young, and ended up an opera singer. In the opera, it is often necessary to sing for hours over a full orchestra in an auditorium that seats 5000 people without any form of Electronic enhancement.. I've sung in several theaters that had 5500 seats (Dallas, Toronto, etc.) and one. that had 6400 seats. I never used or needed microphones, but used deep breathing into the lower back with the belly moving inward and then letting the belly go out when singing without allowing the chest to sink or collapse. As the belly relaxes outward, the lower ribs in the lower back close and sometimes actually squeeze together on long phrases. This process will cause a slight pressure of the breath to occur against the upper belly or lower chest. This is called "leaning the breath". This approach has always worked like. charm,. Remember a couple of things.... The bigger the drum, the more powerful and resonant the sound becomes. The nest thing to remember is that babies can cry or laugh all day and sometimes all night (I've had four....2 girls and 2 boys. They are all in their 50's now. Oh, Lordy, how they could cry and scream and laugh and their voices always stayed clear and healthy!! Pavarotti said to sing "like a baby laughing or crying. Never like a sleeping baby". He did all right!! I hope this clarifies things for you. Never scream or yell. if you want more sound, breathe deeper and get a bigger pair of drums (called lungs by normal people). Good luck, Michael t

[@MarkBennett007]

@@Tenoretrimble Thank you Michael…….God Bless You…

[@VIDEOHEREBOB]

So Mike, do what works for you?

[@gerlindemayer9645]

I have to say that pulling the abdomen when breathing in is really the strangest thing I have ever heart. The opposite is how it works. Sorry, but if you watch great singers they do actually nothing of all that. They take a deep breath and sing. I assuste that the breath is very low down there in the abdominal region. And only with that your jaw relaxes ir better loosens. And there is no German or Italian or Chinese breathing. There is one correct breathing. And I do not really understand every word you are singing. The articulation is just too loose. One has to use his diaphragm to speak.

[@fake10hourentertainment17]

It might be because breathing during singing is different than other types of breathing. Even though it would normally be seen as a paradoxical breathing disorder it could help some people achieve appogio, in which case it would be helpful.