Sing Yourself Free

Advice for the Redevelopment Of Natural Phonation

© Dr. Jaan Karl Klasmann

All rights reserved

Translation: Serena van Sickle

www.sich-frei-singen.at
 My gratitude goes out

to my singing teachers Charlotte Sentous, Hugh Beresford, Marie-

Thérèse Escribano and Számosi Edvin (in order of their appearance in
my biography) who all contributed to my present understanding of
what singing is;

to the many masters and pioneers of physical, emotional, mental and

spiritual healing which I was blessed to meet and to learn from;

and above all to my foremost spiritual teacher Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan
who by music and silence taught dimensions far beyond words.

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 In Search for “Gold in the Throat.“
A True Anecdote

The world famous tenor Francesco Tamagno (1850-1905) was known to have an
amazing voice. He was also known as Verdi’s first Otello. After his death, a
team of doctors dissected his larynx to find out what was unusual about it. They
were under the impression that in order to produce such beautiful sounds, it must
be different from those of “normal” people. The results were surprising: “The
vocal organ is only unusual in the sense that there are lots of cold induced scars
on the pharynx wall.”1

The vocal miracle Francesco Tamagno was physically no different

from anyone else!

In terms of his basic vocal equipment, there was nothing extraordinary about
Francesco Tamagno. The only difference was in the way he used his body when
he sang. He did not push his voice to sing. Nor did he “have” a “good voice.”
Voice is simply vibrating air. And nobody can “have” vibrating air. All we can
do is inhale and exhale. The way we exhale determines the quality of the
vibration of air heard as the sound of our voice. Tamango simply allowed the air
to flow into song without obstructing or manipulating it. In other words, he sang
freely and in a way that was natural to the body.

We can all (re)learn this. It is never too late to start.

1 quoted from Hustler/Rodd-Marling: “ Singing: The Physical Nature of the Vocal

Organ”, Schott Mainz 1965

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 How to Recognize Natural Singing

• With singing freely or naturally, the voice is carried on the breath.

(Cantare sul fiato).
• The stream of breath flows out without interruption or manipulation. (One
cannot push a river.) The voice is carried on it like a paper sailing boat on
a river. An example of this singing is given by Fritz Wunderlich and Toti
Dal Monte. Acid test: Glissando.
• When breath flows without being held on to, sound can rise and fall with
no effort from the muscles. For example, Amelita Galli Gurci; the young
Giuseppe di Stefano.
• With singing freely, the transition between chest voice and head voice is
smooth and occurs without sudden changes.
• A freely sung note occurs without the glottis closing completely and can
also fade away without suddenly being cut off. As exemplary there might
be certain certain Sephardic songs sung by Marie-Thérèse Escribano.
• What feels comfortable and effortless for the singer is a sign that he is
on the right path. Pain or physical discomfort indicates the opposite. The
singer should pay attention to areas of tension in the body. They show
where the flow of sound is being blocked by too much pressure and effort.

(The examples given refer to the discography given on p. 18)

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 Principles of Singing Freely

• Voice is vibrating air. Singing is simply breathing out. No more than this.
• If singing involves a great deal of effort, then there are mental and
physical blocks preventing the breath from flowing out naturally.
• Therefore, singing freely does not involve “doing” anything such as
pushing one’s body and breathing to create certain results with the voice.
It simply means allowing oneself to breathe out freely.
• Apart from the pitch, the quality of sound produced by the singer is not
determined and adjusted by what the singer hears, but by feelings of
physical and spiritual wellbeing while singing. Therefore it is important to
focus on these instead of trying to achieve results.

In detail:

• Singing is a natural physical ability bestowed upon every human being

from the very first breath. Ontogenetically we are singers before we can
speak.
• The best possible form of singing involves the maximum vocal sound
produced with the least effort and without any strain on the vocal chords.
Ideally, this would occur from the infant’s first scream onwards if the
body was able to continue to use its own inherent phonation programme
without interference.
• Not being able to sing “well”, “beautifully”, or “right” is the result of self-
imposed restrictions which can be discarded at any time.
• The diaphragm is the main muscle involved in breathing, and also the
place where all phonation programmes are stored. All other muscular
systems involved in the production of vocal sound are controlled by the
diaphragm; they do not have a “will of their own”.
• Any unphysiological tension of the body between the head and the toes
will hinder the diaphragm’s function and therefore also the production of
vocal sound.
• To sing oneself free involves paying attention to these areas of tension
and slowly breathing out to relax them.

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 The Path towards Freedom

• The path towards singing freely involves freeing one’s breathing.

• Breath is life energy. The body’s autoregulation organizes itself to create
optimum results in as far as life energy can flow freely and work
according to its own intelligence.
• Physiologically this is measurable, e.g. through heart rate variability and
electromagnetic potentials in the acupuncture meridians.
• Our breath is freed when we identify and release all unphysiological
forms of tension by which we hold back our energy.
• This does not mean that we have to “do the right thing,” but we simply
allow our bodies the space to do it themselves. For example, we don’t
have to focus on forcing breath into the belly, but we should release the
tension which prevents our breathing from reaching the abdominal region
by itself, into which it flows naturally when it is not hindered to do so by
unconscious muscle activity on our part.
• Fear is the greatest obstacle while letting go of tension. We repress our
energies (and therefore also our breathing) in order to conform to what is
acceptable in society. We must release this fear.
• Positively stated: We need the courage to consciously let something
happen that we can’t control or predict. Luciano Pavarotti said:
“I never know whether I will reach a high C; I am always curious to see
whether it comes!”
• For school teachers this involves creating an emotionally supportive and
encouraging environment where no mocking or exclusionary behaviour is
allowed.
• Authenticity comes before beauty and the result will be beautiful.

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 The Physiologically Pre-determined Sequence of Steps

The basic foundation of singing oneself free correlates with Wilhelm Reich’s
principles of body work: The letting go of unphysiological tension frees the
breathing so that our true selves (will, emotions, intuition…) can emerge. At the
same time, this enables the body’s self-regulatory system to regain control and
re-establish balance wherever needed in the organism, including phonation.

However, in contrast to the psychotherapeutic application of these principles,

this process of regaining freedom from former conditionings and distortions
must occur in a certain sequence of steps when applied to the redevelopment of
singing freely: We have to follow the physiological logics of the phonation
process.

The First Step: Throat, Tongue, Jaws

The freeing of tension must first occur where sound originates. This is in the
throat. There are two reasons for this:

A highly energetic stream of breath as for example triggered by the release of

blocked energy in the belly region, can damage the vocal chords when pushed
against a closed throat.

A healthy voice depends on the functioning of the so-called “upper mechanic”, a

subtle activity of the muscles surrounding the throat which stabilize the larynx
and enables the tone reach the upper cavities of the nose, the cheeks and the
forehead. When it reaches this region, it becomes enriched with overtones which
make the voice “carry”. This mechanism can only work when the throat and
surrounding muscles are relaxed.

The Second Step: Chest

We have a fear-induced tendency to control our breathing. This means that we

take a breath and keep it in our chest without exhaling properly. We have to
become aware of this in order to let a stream of breath flow freely all through the
body. A relaxed chest is crucial to continuous, freely flowing exhalation and
longer, deeper breaths.
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The Third Step: Legs and Pelvis

The “grounding” of a person and therefore also of his/her voice takes place
in this region of the body.

Issues such as lack of trust and fear of being different in the eyes of other people
also manifest themselves here. With singing oneself free, it is important to let go
of these and not worry about looking “odd” or “silly”.

This is also the region where the “masculine” and “ feminine” manifest
themselves to give expression in the voice.

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 1) Throat, Tongue, Jaw

Motto: “The most beautiful voice cannot come out if the mouth is closed.”

This is the most important area for freeing one’s singing and yet we constantly
block breathing and voice through the following:

• Grinding our teeth. This causes tension of the jaw muscles,

making the voice sound too hard. .
• Swallowing downwards, so that the tongue is pulled back, making
the singer sound like he has a lump in his throat.
• Tension of the throat, which includes the muscles surrounding the
voice box. The sound that comes out is forced out and flat.

Muscles which must remain free of tension during singing:

Flexible suspension of the throat Tongue and surrounding attachments

(Illustrations from: “Singing - The Physiological Nature of the Vocal Organ“, by Husler
/Rodd Marling)

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Practice Exercises

• Open your mouth. The higher the notes you wish to reach, the wider open
it should be. However, it should remain relaxed.
• Stick your tongue out. Although this may seem strange, it is an excellent
warm-up exercise because it loosens the mouth and jaw.
• Gently massage your throat muscles. They should remain equally relaxed
at every pitch.

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2) Chest

Motto: It’s good to die with a hero’s chest but bad to have one in life.

Or:
“Give the air away, Fritz! Don’t keep it in! With air it is the same as with
love. The more you give, the more you receive!” (Margarethe von
Winterfeldt to Fritz Wunderlich.)

• Most people take a breath and hold it in their chests without releasing
it. This is caused by feelings of vulnerability and fear of self-
expression when our heart is open. We restrict our energies according
to what society considers acceptable forms of expression, but in doing
so we create barriers around our hearts which restrict the flow of
energy and feelings to and from them.

Muscles which should remain free of tension during singing:

Muscles which “raise” the ribcage The intercostal muscles and their
and should remain passive after healthy reflex-controlled functions.
inhalation.

(Illustration left, from Hustler/Rodd-Marling, see above; illustration right, East Tennessee
State University.)

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The arrows show areas in the upper body crucial
for loosening tensions in the chest.

Practice Exercises:

• Do not hold your breath after inhaling. Continue to breathe.

• Sigh, and out of sighing, slowly begin to sing without pushing your breath
out or making it go faster. Don’t worry if you feel that you are using too
much air. This is part of the transition between sighing and singing.
• Ask yourself what you are tempted to change or manipulate during this
transition and resist doing it.
• Tap your chest, paying particular attention to the upper end of the breast
bone, the outer ends of the collarbones, and the intercostal muscles. This
will help loosen any stiffness in this region.
• Make wing beats by swinging your arms open and closed in front of your
chest. Do this is in a different rhythm from that of the music. This
exercise helps loosen the chest muscles so that breath can flow more
freely.

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 3) Pelvis and Legs

Motto: „You have to sing from your pussy!“ (This was the advice of a
female black gospel singer to one of my (male…) clients.)

The point is that the entire body must be involved in the process of singing. Any
unphysiological (unnatural) tension between head and toe will inhibit it. The
pelvic region is where feelings of basic self-worth and acceptance in the world
manifest themselves. We are often only valued according to the things we have
achieved or whether we fit in. Little respect is achieved from simply “being
there.” Therefore, energy blocks are common in this area. The pelvic area is
often closed off from receiving breath and freedom of expression. This comes
from a feeling of being unwelcome on earth, and also from being taught that
sexuality, the primal energy from which all life originates, is inappropriate or
dirty. This belief materializes itself in a stiffness or heaviness which makes the
person stand with too much pressure on his/her knees.

Practice Exercises

• The arch (see illustration) involves standing with legs shoulder width
apart, fists touching the back at the height of the solar plexus, knees bent,

(Illustration from “Bioenergetics” by Alexander Lowen. )

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 and head and neck tilted back slightly. Then breathe freely. Your body
may start to tremble or feeling uncomfortable at many spots. This is OK
and inevitable for the first weeks of this exercise: Whatever pulls or
causes discomfort in this position is the repressed energy this exercise is
designed to release. Caution must be taken not to take a breath and then
hold onto it. Let it out again, and in, and out, let it pervade your body and
do it’s job of “chimney sweeping”.

• Imagining roots. Stand with your legs shoulder width apart, with knees
slightly bent, pelvis vertical, (not leaning backwards or forwards,) and
free your breathing. Imagine tree roots reaching from the soles of your
feet to the middle of the earth. Then bend your knees until you feel your
thighs pulling. With every inhalation, visualize raising warm, reddish-
brown energy up through your imaginary roots to your feet and legs, and
then into your pelvis and lower stomach. Breathing should remain free
and deep. You should also picture the tension in these regions growing
warm and dissolving into energy flowing all around the body.

• Lie on your back with your knees raised with and your feet close to each
other on the ground. Then allow your knees to part. Breathe deeply into
your pelvis, then pull your knees up to your chest, and once again breathe
deeply into your pelvis.

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 Sequence of Exercises for Warming Up
(To be understood as an example, subject to adaptation according to the concrete
needs and situation):

1) Releasing the load of the daily grind: Stand with your legs shoulder
width apart, slowly bend your knees and then slowy straighten them
again until you feel a trembling which, if allowed, will travel through
your whole body. Let your head hang relaxed and allow this trembling
to occur for 3 to 5 minutes.
2) Grounding (“The Arc”): Stand with your legs shoulder width apart,
place your fists on your back at the height of your solar plexus. Then
bend your knees and push your pelvis forward. Your back should be
slightly arched. Breathe freely. Trembling also often occurs in this
position. The sensation of pulling in the muscles shows where tension is
being released. (See illustration, page 10)
3) Opening mouth, jaws and throat: With your mouth open and your
tongue hanging out, you should talk to your exercise partner, or a mirror
about your day. (Your mouth should only open downwards, but not
wider!) Gently massage your throat with your hand to check for tension.
Direct your breathing to where it feels tight. A loud and free breath
usually springs forth. (For most people this exercise automatically
encourages breathing into the belly.)
4) From sighing to a tone: Breathe in deeply several times, and then
without stopping, sigh out. Shake your upper body slightly to make sure
you breathe out fully. Then gradually turn the sigh into a note without
changing the outward stream of breath.
5) From a tone to toning: Allow this note to gently drift up and down on
your breath. This should be done with ease and without straining your
diaphragm.
6) From toning to singing: With ease, start to vocalize these notes.
Consonants such as “p”, “s”, “t”, “m”, innervate the diaphragm, but
while pronouncing them, it takes some practice to keep the glottis open
while. Exercises to help this are vocalizations of the following: “ Chra-
chra-chra,” ,chre-chre-chre-“, “chro- chro- chro”.

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 Learning to sing freely involves regaining a natural ability by allowing it to
develop according to its own laws. It is similar to planting a seed and letting it
grow. Would you pull or wrench a sprout to make it grow faster?

Or would you provide it with space, light, nourishment and love?

PATIENCE
accelerates.

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Literature on the freeing of repressed biological energy, for example breathing:

• Alexander Lowen: “Bioenergetics”, Paperback, Penguin Arcana NY 1994,

ISBN 0140194711

• Alexander Lowen: “The way to vibrant health – A manual of bioenergetic

exercises “, The International Institute for Bioenergetic Analysis 1992, ISBN
0963303406

(In addition, everything that Alexander Lowen has written: “The Betrayal of the
Body”, “Joy”, “Fear of Life”...)

Literature specifically on natural physiology, such as free phonation:

• Paul Bruns: “Minimalluft und Stütze” Press Walter Göritz, Berlin 1929

• Louis Bachner: “Dynamic Singing – A New Approach to Free Voice

Production”, Dennis Dobson London, 1944

• Frederick Husler, Yvonne Rodd-Marling: “Singing – The Physical Nature of

the Vocal Organ. A Guide to the Unlocking of the Singing Voice”, Hutchinson
1976, ISBN 0091268605

• Kristin Linklater: “Freeing the Natural Voice”, Quite Specific Media Group,
Canada 1976, ISBN 0-89676-071-5

• Romeo Alavi Kia: „Stimme – Spiegel meines Selbst“, Aurum Braunschweig

1991, ISBN 3-591-08297-X

• Maria Höller-Zangenfeind: “Stimme von Fuß bis Kopf”, Studienverlag

Innsbruck 2004, 3-7065-1933-X

At greater depth:

• Wilhelm Reich: “The Discovery of the Orgone I; The function of the orgasm”
Paperback, Pocket Books New York 1975, 0671788647

• Wilhelm Reich: “The Discovery of the Orgone 2 – The Cancer Biopathy”

Welcome Rain Publishers 2000, ISBN 1566491290

• Wilhelm Reich: “Character Analysis”, Paperback, Pocket Books New York

2000, ISBN 0671802593

Film: “As it is in Heaven”, Director Kay Pollak, Paramount Pictures

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 A small discographic choice of exemplary singing:

(in alphabetic order)

„La Gloria D’Italia - Mattia Battistini“, Vol. 1, Pearl GEMM CD 9936

„Giuseppe di Stefano – The Unreleased Treasures; 1944: His First Recordings“,

Grammofono 2000, AB 78635

„The Art of Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender“ Austro Mechana Historic Recordings 89228

„Amelita Galli Curci - The unforgettable recordings“, Vol.1, Vocal Archives VA

1103)

„Cantigas Sefardíes – Gruppe Alondra“ (Marie Thérèse Escribano u.a.), Extraplatte

EX 4312

„Toti dal Monte - the most famous recordings“, Vocal Archives VA 1191

„Grandi voci - Cesare Siepi“, Decca 440 418-2

„Cesare Siepi sings Cole Porter and Italian Songs“, Myto Records MCD 983.188

„Francesco Tamagno - the complete recordings“, Opal CD 9846

„Luisa Tetrazzini - the London recordings“, Vocal Archives VA 1122

„Fritz Wunderlich - Lieder“, Deutsche Grammophon 429 933-2

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