MATTHEW EDWARDS explores the use of voice placement charts, like the one pictured from
Lilli Leghmann’s
book “How to Sing“, as a way for voice teachers to communicate with their students. He goes on to say in his article, “while some students may find placement charts such as the one above useful, many others will not. If you are getting good results with all of your students using placement terminology – great. However, if a student fails to respond, it is likely because their perceptions of resonance are different than yours or the creator of the charts they are using. For those students, focusing on vocal function will yield much better results than continuing to force the voice into a place it does not want to go. If you feel like your description of placement is not working for a student, try making adjustments to the vocal folds and vocal tract instead. When you get the sound you are looking for, ask them what they are experiencing; the answer may surprise you. They may describe a sensation of placement or they may give you a color or aural description. It is also very possible that they may say the sounds is going out of the back of their head while to you it appears to be coming through the mask. Take note of what the student experiences and use it. You will likely be surprised how quickly they progress compared to when they attempt to force
another singer’s placement on their body.”
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