Why the “SNARL” may be better than the “YAWN”

[@Delectatio]

As soon as you start thinking that Jose's advice was the best, how he suddenly offers something even better! 😀👍

[@CHEEFZ090]

An amazing insight! My Singer SLP suggeted that upper lip engagement to me for a certain vocal situation (I cant remember exactly what) and explained that those upper-lip muscles have a connection to the soft pallete, and help them- in his words- "engage". I noticed he never used the phrase "RAISE the soft pallete" only "engage". Clearly they see the same pattern you do, of an over-anchoring, which this "snarl" is an amazing answer/addition to. I think this lines up pretty perfectly with the discoveries you share in this great video. Another modern example: Juan Diego Flórez on Ah Mes Amis. Those top teeth are present the entire time!

[@iammarcodorian]

The yawning position has compromised all my vocal development during my first years of singing. The smiling position instead has helped hugely with finding brightness and clarity in my sound, referring specifically to pop singing, and making me achieve e more powerful belting and resonance.

[@boraozcakaroffical1261]

how compromised, can you explain? I am in my first year too

[@AnnaIrisGiannaka]

I've actually felt that when I'm singing but I didn't know what it is and how to do it intentionally! It also helps me with keeping my tongue down much better than the yawn!

[@jojoco6737]

Omg. Jose my savior. Lately I’ve been struggling with Voice breaks and a wobbly vibrato for a long time and wanted to quit. This video reminded me the impact of Yawn and now snarl, to keep the tone as clear as possible.. effortless. Super happy , I can’t stop singing .. neighbors are complaining .. lol. 🤗

[@VIDEOHEREBOB]

With all due respect to the Opera singers, may I just say I can absolutely see myself employing this in my Rock, Motown, and Oldies rep. Thanks very much Jose!

[@VeronicaBellSoprano]

Of course! I teach this technique to my (rare) rock and metal students, and it makes a world of difference!

[@ClassicalSongTracks]

You explain and demonstrate the concepts very well. I'm so glad that I found your channel. Thanks!

[@RGillis]

Thank you for so generously sharing your knowledge

[@Tenor_Simerilla]

@@RGillis ❤️🙏 thanks for the support!

[@rosshalper6708]

Yes! The snarl is true mask. It can be applied lightly to the lower half of the voice, but should not be physically visible. Just the sound of the snarl and the mask tickle can be done purely by the mind. And it then allows the singer to do nothing on the high notes, but observe them blossoming. The trick is to make sure it's not nasal. Again, I suggest using it in the easy range and do as little as possible on high notes.Ezio Pinza said "Do nothing on high notes" and this is key.

[@anotherlover6954]

I just learned this yawn thing and I was belting my head off driving around today and doing a WHOLE LOT on the high notes -- and my voice was pretty taxed pretty quickly. I'm glad old Ezio was giving advice, and for you, too! Thanks!

[@JS64120]

This might turn out to be the most helpful opera video I've seen - I can't wait to try this today. Thanks, Jose!

[@dominiclorange]

You're right! What a difference it makes!!

[@karinwolfsbauer5206]

Compliments Jose. This is a very good thought. In a lesson with Nicolai GEDDA he showed me that he inhaled with a kind a snarl which gives the sensation of opening the throat without the deepening of the yawn or beginning of the yawn

[@mew668]

Hi Jose, I just wanted to give a huge thank you for how much you've changed the way I approach my voice. My vocal professor always asked me sing with an "ingolata" approach and I could do it but it just didn't feel right for me. The moment I started applying your techniques about a week ago, I started sounding so much more brighter, less artificial and more resonant. I found you while I was trying to learn more about passagios and ended up watching your "TENOR TALK" series which helped me approach singing from a perspective I actually enjoy. Thereby, I just wanted to say, thanks so much Jose and please keep making these videos. You've made me fall in love with singing again. The internet will certainly benefit a lot because of your videos. Take care! Ciao! Regards, SL

[@OperaDaddy]

And one baffled baritone☝️Really love these videos Jose. Brilliant ideas explored by a brilliant singer 👏

[@RiyazLearnSinging]

This video is pure gold! Keeping the clarity and brightness without going too dark is something I've struggled with. Your advice on the snarl makes so much sense!

[@Dynamofoe]

Michael Trimble talks about the “Happy Surprise” position - thanks for this! I’m going to snarl more! 🫡👍🏼

[@Arythmnmaker1]

MR. TRIMBLE IS QUITE THE GENUIS DUE TO HIS EXTENSIVE SINGING PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES

[@DeyanVatchkov]

Dear Jose, you are a an exceptional singer and tracher. I am amazed how young you have found and feeled this sensations and techniques and applied them on you so well. Now helping so many sibgers around the world with these videos. Keep the good work, enthusiasm and carrer to the Top. All the best from Bulgaria!

[@Rowboaty]

Soprano here - super helpful and this puts words to and gives me further scope to develop something I’ve been playing with - thank you 🙏

[@Ivyctoria]

Just coming from your "yawn " video and was gonna say that anytime I use the " yawn" in teaching I just get students who strangle, over cover or over compressed their sound with absolutely no chance to get high notes. I got taught like that but it never gave an actual open throat, it just created a strangle position and absolute frustration. In the meantime of belcanto studies I studied belting and twang and realize that it was more efficient to lead classical singer to look for a twang feeling with a little coperto so they wouldn't fell in the throat but stay in between hard and soft palate without over pushing the back of the tongue or their larynx down. Sounds to me that this "snarl" thing is what we call " squillo" with a focus of overtones in the mask. And this position is to me pretty close to the one I would teach with twang. Just a thought .

[@guille____]

I yawned so many times during this video lol. Great advice Jose!

[@richardmccowenclark2412]

Call me crazy but the SNARL is also very helpful for the low notes as I've discoverd!!! This has saved me many times!!!

[@jefolson6989]

Raising the cheekbones ( an image since it isnt possible) helps a lot. But showing the upper teeth actually send the voice farther back in the throat. If you scratch the little bumb behind your front teeth and direct the sound there.

[@GleamingRake]

FINALLY someone says it. I've been always wondering why, both in the middle range and the top, old tenors used to sound fuller, more metallic, but in an effortless and natural way. It seems that the sound was closer to speaking than the one we hear nowadays. And I think it's precisely because the yawn lowers the larynx too much and the resonance gets a bit stuck in the back and gets muddy. I think the correct to way to breath is by using the smile so that the area near the ears, where the cheekbones attach to the skull, opens up. It also makes singing mezzo forte and piano much easier, because the sound and the pronunciation is much clearer. This is something I picked up from Michael Trimble and if you listen to this clip you'll hear exactly what I mean when I talk about a full, metallic but effortless and natural (almost like speaking) sound. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zny8Yoppmt5nqsksi=oLsVvl4wPuo4U9O7 I belive you have figured out something key and I wish you all the fortune and success as singer. A bit of an advice is try to lift a little bit more the corner of the mouth and the cheekbones. Not excessively, just a little bit and see how that feels.

[@brianconnolly8246]

Only been singing a year, understandably the yawn works for some people, but not for me.. it causes tongue tension turning my “ah” to a woofy nasal “uh.” I’ve been finding the open throat and soft pallet lift through the ah vowel itself. Smile has helped enormously!! PS thank you Again for sharing all this information it is immensely helpful

[@Sentibravo45]

My first voice teacher always used to say you start by biting the apple 🍎. Simple . Easiest way for instant " snarl " . I love how we continue to try and reinvent the wheel . Old time singing concepts reworked are fun to see evolve into our modern complicated ways .

[@Heart2HeartMusic]

Gracias Joseeee un geniooooo! sigo aca consumiendo tu sabiduria, graciassssss

[@dwayneluis]

This is just the right time to watch this video! I've started experimenting on my vowels during high notes last two weeks. I didn't know that it was called snarling by then, but in my mind I just told myself to throw the resonance through my upper teeth, and it worked like a charm! I also use snarling exclusively on my "e" to "i" vowels, it holds the sound of the vowels at high notes well, and sound very natural and bright. We all have our own singing mechanisms but snarling works for me too! Great vid, Sir Jose!

[@thanatos4160]

I've been singing so well and better because of you. I can not get enough of your vids it so addictive because I strive to be better at singing. Also, awesome camera.

[@paulinskipukprogressive4903]

Excellent 👍 thanks ☺️

[@francoiskassis5579]

Very Dear Jose! FINALLY, FINALLY someone came to give a great and wonderful idea how the clear beautiful singing of Tenors works! You are really a very good person also! Thank you so much 😊😊😊 François

[@heleneuriguquintana9763]

Gracias por este invaluable video!

[@torgeirlandsend6707]

Grazie mille! Thank you very much! You are a very kind person to share this wisdom.! This is gold and the way for the voice to be free to express the feelings in a natural way. I will implement this in my voice and look forward to seeing what will happen. Hope to meet you some day.

[@olavisuominen9328]

Fantastic way to find the right stretching. Bravo!

[@dasarkas]

Yeah, my bel canto trained teacher taught me that. Also, Renee Fleming mentioned this in her book as a feeling of having toothpicks holding upper lip up. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@SteveL2012]

After some of those examples, thank you for soothing my ears by ending with Bjorling! 😂 The snarl seems to produce what I hear as squillo . . . Oh, you said this later in the video.

[@er12144]

Great show, Jose! These clips are treasure! You are 100% right!

[@rlaflamme865]

Thank you Jose!

[@william91786]

Thank you for continuing to share with us! Awesome content!

[@carlosullan2512]

Es admirable tú pasión querido José. Gracias por esa entrega. Siento exactamente lo mismo. Realmemte el canto es fascinante . La búsqueda de "ese sonido" . Las infinitas variables, que además cambian con la edad y la evolución de nuestro instrumento. Como así también influyen tanto los aspectos anímicos. Te envío un gran abrazo y mi admiración. 🎉

[@harshakotuwegedara]

Waited for the new video. Thank you so much as I'm starting out these teachings are very helpful and valuable for me. This is from Sri Lanka.

[@redlab3488]

If you read the very interesting book from Richard Miller "On the art of singing", this is what you can find : "Yawning is beneficial to the vocal mechanism as a momentary action, distending the pharyngeal wall in much the same manner that the musculature of the arms and the pectoral region is distended during stretching. Yawning and stretching are often combined. These actions are not constituted to be maintained over periods of time. Just as one can only with difficulty lift a heavy object while stretching the muscles of the arms, so one cannot speak without distortion while yawning. The benefit of the yawn and of the muscular stretch is experienced at their termination, not through holding the distended postures they induce... It is not possible to yawn without putting into a state of tension many of the muscles of the mandibular-lingual (jaw/tongue) complex." An other good book from Jérôme Hines, "great singers on great singing" with Nicolai Gedda interviewed (among many other famous ones) : "By inhaling properly, as when you yawn, your Adam' s apple automatically goes into a low position. - Would you agree, I probed, that we are only speaking of the beginning of the yawn? - Yes! Yes!". Same book from Pavarotti : ""A while ago you mentioned a relaxed sensation, like yawning, when you sing. Now, some singers speak of the beginning of a yawn ... -Si!'. And so on and so on in this book. Just the beginning of the yawn not a complete yawning.

[@Mr_and_Mrs.Wheelman]

Fan tas ti co !!! Grazie mille Jose ! Così semplice e così preciso ! I tuoi esempi sono tutti così ! Guarda ogni tuo video con grande piacere ! Hai rivoluzionato la mia mente canora ! Grazie mille per il tuo lavoro ! In attesa di nuovi video !👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@roomiumstore8280]

Thank you for this ! I was trying to lower the larynx to the max and it didn't feel right or sustainable this really helps !

[@borodel619]

Last time I had a video of a young tenor that was trying to sound like the very old classic tenors but I can not find it anymore......

[@sreeves1676]

Brilliant!

[@michaelangel7712]

Always delightful your advises ! Grazie!!!❤

[@RunJohnyRun]

Hi Jose, would you consider making a video discussing certain foods or drinks that can either harm or help the vocal cords? According to your experience, of course 😅

[@anthonystuartmason]

Thank you for another great video! 🙂

[@alejandroorjuela3504]

Gracias por estos vídeos Jose 🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@elainenagano2735]

Hi do you know a soprano who is online that you respect? Please let me know.!

[@ns1official]

Awesome you mentioned this! This is what I have been taught. Goal of the snarl is to get the voice forward. If you do it right, you'll feel the voice leave between your nose and upper lip. This is also the moment - if you need to sing a higher note for example - to use the "belly tuck". For me probably not as dominant as you do, since for me it relies most on the abdomen.

[@Nihl3375]

4:34 yes , with Jack often in Lesson he say « the lowest is the lightest » to get the only good part of the Yawn

[@angalmeida29]

You are such a blessing Jose 🙏🏽thank you from mumbai india

[@Ronpaulians]

Maestro!

[@henryvermeer7816]

These videos are also helpful for baritones that need to sing gs lol

[@iuutoob]

My (amateur) experience is to avoid the "muddied, over-darkened" sound by sticking to the AH vowel. At 7:40 he illustrates the mud by using the UH vowel. Not a fair diagnosis. The AH is the energy channel for the voice; all vowels are derived from AH by movement of the tongue. Compare Bhagavad Gita X:33, "Of letters (phonemes) I am 'A'."

[@tenormarcos]

Muito bom!

[@razaqhussain8631]

Very good concept and well explained. Does this technique apply to classical and other genres?

[@Kebf69]

increible nunca pense q llegaria a cantar opera

[@blu3not3]

Dear Jose, could you clarify two things (1) in another video, you said the mouth should not be too open in the passagio (you used a bottle cap as an example), but this seems to be much more open (2) when you do the siren at 17:30, it looks to me like your larynx is going up/inward. Shouldn't it be the opposite, or am I fundamentally misunderstanding the concept of tilting?

[@jimbuxton2187]

Thank you so much. I was trained as baritone and i think it messed me up. I shoved everything down. Also I never use the term onset............yuck....in becanto it is always "attack" soft attack hard attack....clean attack . I also thought like you lifting the soft palatte was to LOCK it. Finding that middle spot is so hard!!! As also ..drinking in the tone.....back and UP....Never back and down.

[@keithtran7958]

so honored to see him describe my voice in the video description!

[@Tenor_Simerilla]

@@keithtran7958 😂

[@hiuwo]

basically bringing placement at lower back of throat to placement at higher back of throat.

[@ach0645]

You're very great, I like you. Because my opinion is very alike to yours. Actually I'm quite a beginner just get in touch with bel canto for few month. After finding a teacher and looking for the advise for master/ Phd from music school, I gave up and starting to learn by myself. Because I have kind of intuition or aesthetic. No matter everyone saying it's correct way, or they have much more experience than me, but I would think they're teaching me in to a way that I don't want to. Yes it is pretty arrogant to say, so I just study my own without telling others, after saw your videos. Most of the opera male singer, whether from the old masters till now, I found most of them singing in the yawn way. it gives me sort of a 'laziness' sound, I would wonder why are they clapping their hands for this. Then I tried to do some research & observations, and I realise they have been impact a lot from the Melocchi method, they give too much focus on lower the larynx. But then I found some of the good opera singer with good sound, their vowel is clear and have much more clarity with their tone, then I know this is the sound I want. I would describe the sound as 'the bomb falling from an army helicopter.' Franco Corelli is one of the good singer that I was saying, 2 of the things that he had mentioned which I follow till now is, "don't always lower your larynx, it should be like a ping pong ball floating on water, it should be more freedom, not to darken your voice." and "the sound should come out from your front teeth, but not to concentrate the teeth to make the sound." but his voice getting yawn when he is older, so I do observations on him only while he is younger. Fraus also make the sound while in high notes that I think he is good. When he doing the Snarl which you have said. And I found out some of the singer, i, they're great in high notes and in a good position with snarl sound. But when they sing low, the yawn sound which is very annoying as well. A dark sound is not wrong, but I think it's only when you are acting an irritable granpdpa or a demon in an opera that would absolutely great. But normal singing just try to find our own sound that would be better for a lot of the singers. So your videos really helpful to me, including the steps-by-steps it gives me more clarity on it. Very Appreciate

[@jancedricmicheler6122]

This is like very similar to the tecnical Part from Giacomo Lauri -Volpi or from Franco Bonisolli..

[@matteomangialetti]

Totally agree. Singing today is too far back… Snarl and the rest takes care of itself. This is bel canto.

[@dominiclorange]

You're right! And today's singing with the ingolata sound makes us wonder what are the words being sung.

[@eliseofumaroni4210]

Gracias José probé el gruñido. Es increíble.Morder el sonido. Bravo!!!😊

[@migueljr7374]

Awesome video, as the rest you upload, Jose. Truly a gift to have found your channel (I think with that "snarl" you activate the aryepiglottic sphincter, the one used for the "twang" sound. Although the sound is not nasal though, but I think that what gives that extra squillo). Btw, I was wondering one thing: Where do you think your focus point (if you ever think about this)? Where the sound is originated and remains. Fisichella mentions that he finds it in the larynx, descending to the sternum as he goes higher. How can you apply this and also focus at the same time in that "yawn + snarl"? Or am I missing /missunderstanding something? 😅 Thanks again for everything, Jose!

[@jefolson6989]

Rosa Ponselle said she thought of a square in her throat which changes into a cube as she went up in pitch. I imagine that gave her the yawn effect

[@josanbabu]

Fisichella is a great example of showing the top teeth. Here's one with Pavarotti on a C#. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3KwZ4iOrqucl8ksi=YvPptqr-zYiEhoba

[@lmf5299]

¡Oye José estás sonando espectacular en esos shorts de Mefistófeles! Tienes una voz muy bella y elegante y muy bien trabajada. Me atreveré a decirte algo. Si eliminas la jota entre las vocales en un 100% sonarás aún más espectacular y súper legato, y eso le añadirá aún más belleza a tu sonido, te lo aseguro. Pruébalo y verás. Igual que esa jota entre vocales no no se usa en el repertorio francés que yo sepa. ¡Te deseo la mejor de las suertes y un gran triunfo en Mefistófeles y sé que serán de clase mundial tanto tu sonido como tu actuación!

[@kralvltavin9173]

Yeah... snarl is the key. No need for vowel modification, keeps the sound bright, makes navigation through passagio almost effortless.

[@chipbarfield62]

I had one of the greatest vocal teachers in the country that starred in The metropolitan Opera of New York 40s 50s and 60s then she ended up teaching at juilliard Manhattan School of music and Indiana State and she told me that what I had was a gift that she was not messing with that all she would do is to teach me how to cheat a little here and there with vowels when hitting high C's and D"s and that was it that she was not going to mess with what God made unlike a male voice teacher that tried to change my technique that did not feel right and I'm so glad that I found her.

[@Arythmnmaker1]

WOW SOUNDS LIKE GREAT TRAIIING WHAT DID YOU ACCOMPLISH AFTER HER TEACHING?

[@chipbarfield62]

@@Arythmnmaker1 I was in the Atlanta lyric Opera company under the direction of William Noel at the age of 17 that I did not have to audition for. Nikolai Gedda we're going to fly me and my family to New York to bypass all the met auditions. I don't want to give any more details because my life is my own but in the early nineties when I was in New York I was not interested in living that kind of lifestyle and I'll just leave it at that.

[@OluremiOgunde]

"...artificially fake". I love it!

[@marcobaratta]

Jose piensas tal vez que Kraus exagero el snarl?, el enseñaba mucho esta maniobra pero la voz era un tanto aplanada sin redondez.

[@masham7197]

The yawn feels like you’re supposed to pull in and to sing like that feels like you’re opposing what’s natural, but the snarl feels like you're meant to push out so singing like that feels more natural

[@LeeJCander]

I think the yawn may work better for lower ranges. Ensuring good chest (TA Participation). The snarl makes it easier to access head resonances though.

[@dominiclorange]

Maestro, would you say that breathing with the SNARL helps to create the place where the voice will resonate while helping to set all the structures at the right place (tongue, larynx, etc.)? Would you say that has to be used in conjunction with good cord closure to make sure that the "open throat" concept remains a resonance concept?

[@roseroyaltyy]

I feel like this will work for mezzos/sopranos as well? When I did my vocal degree I feel like I darkened my sound

[@deaddarkones1089]

cant believe it, i was just doing this today without knowing, haha!!

[@dennislacunza8671]

I feel that the snarl gives me natural laryngeal tilt 😮

[@dystopia2386]

Also search for the video "Resonance and the Soft Palate Explained (In Pictures!)" on channel "The Weekly Warmup - Vocal Exercises for Singers".

[@lukeleone615]

I am a proud member of the Confused Tenor Society.

[@franciscoortega1749]

Graciaaas!!!!

[@EverythingIsConnections]

I’m a trainee tenor and I’m really struggling with incorporating the yawn technique, could anyone point me to the right exercises to help learn this please?

[@HubertStolarski]

I think old Italian school calls it "a gancio" ?

[@TheArtofBlues]

You know whats crazy is that you see this same thing in the vintage Vicente Fernandez live video of Volver Volver. When he hits the chorus the snarl is there. It's wild how those guys from mexico have operatic tendencies.

[@PaaPaap-j6p]

🙏🙏🙏

[@VladYatsentiukTenor]

Maestro Fisichella always telling me: “Per gli acuti, da La-bemolle, La-naturale e dopo, abbassa la laringe, giro, MA SUONO SEMPRE ALTO e CHIARO, e la bocca come un coniglio.” And we can see this on this video with him and other Great tenors. Thanks you Jose, for raising such important issues

[@Tenor_Simerilla]

@@VladYatsentiukTenor 💯

[@EspressoBear59]

This yawn/snarl sounds like a variation on your contrast of Sponge Bob / Patrick

[@somerandomguy84]

I’ve done some professional tenoring. Not on your level Jose, haha. I think I’m a bit of both. I inhale in position and then just “talk.” I think a lot of folks either exaggerate the inhale or underbake their attack. Both of which are dulling. Likewise, many singers search for blade out of position which gets the voice squeezed and makes the high notes difficult. Of course, I also find that any adjustment can get exaggerated. Sometimes I get too steely, sometimes I get very heavy. All that said, I think every singer, even great ones, will have moments of inefficiency or suboptimal coordination, but that doesn’t make them an inefficient singer.

[@caninbar]

Is this only for tenors? I'm not a tenor, but rounding the vowels is always emphasized here in Italy. Opening the vowel can lead to a strident tone. There has to be some roundness in the sound! Width of the pharynx and the pillars of the fauces is also necessary. In fact, when you sang the vowels, they were rounded. It's easy to misinterpret what you say, but you are thorough and give examples, so it's very clear.

[@Tenor_Simerilla]

@@caninbar not at all, I have alot of baritone colleagues who apply the snarl

[@vallewabbel9690]

good to hear your insights, but the camera following your every move is making it pretty hard to watch the video :(

[@MrGodallascowboys]

Chiaroscuro. Yawn = Oscuro Snarl = Chiaro Snarl in the low register and upper register. Yawn in the lower-middle through the passaggio.

[@ratherthanme]

hey Jose, hope all good. Do you teach vocal classes?

[@RunJohnyRun]

Welcome to the Snarl society 😂❤❤

[@mrjj-s6e]

Elvis Presley invented the half snarl so give him credit!

[@pawesawicki5921]

❤

[@ayrtonfreitas159]

👏👏👏👏👏

[@jesperjee]

I would love to be able to do this. But Im almost 50 and yeah....the air and stamina I fear will never be there.

[@elainenagano2735]

I am a soprano, a light lyric. How does that apply to me?

[@MrHealthLife]

What about baritone? Is it the same?

[@Delectatio]

Some teachers say that dark timbre gradually wears voice out, and the light one doesn't. Is it true, Jose🤔?

[@Nihl3375]

Actualy all the exemple in the video are balanced between both. Which is true is that singing with a fake or overdarken sound can makes your sound very heavy , so instead of streaching the folds to go up you use a lot of stress and too mutch pressure

[@Tenor_Simerilla]

@@Nihl3375 what he said. It about singing with your natural timbre. If you’re artificially coloring the sound to get a darker or brighter it will always come at a cost and that is gonna be fatigue since you’re doing something muscular to corrupt your natural timbre. The common cause is singer over darkening and over spacing, to give a false sense of a more “dramatic” in the sound. you’re gonna find that not only is doing that less resonant and cuts less but you will find it harder to take that position up. You can muscle it for a few years but gradually it will indeed take its wear and tear. A natural balance approach is best. The snarl gives me the same depth and open throat as a yawn but adds in keeping the voice in the correct impostazione 👍

[@Nihl3375]

@@Tenor_Simerilla exactly , i’m experimenting this in one side then the other after , what a pain ah ah