The Singing Success Program is primarily an audio-based course. Start by listening to the firstCD. Then, as you progress with the CDs, you will periodically be referred to the book and DVDfor visual examples of the techniques being described.

Pace yourself! The Singing Success Program is intensive and it will take time to master. Practicebetween 3 and 6 days a week depending on the intensity of your workouts, being careful not tooverwork your vocal cords. Don’t push too hard! If your voice begins feeling tired or strained,cut back on your practice schedule.

Take your time mastering the techniques as well. Just because you have listened to a lesson onceor twice doesn’t necessarily mean that you are ready to move on to the next one. Continuerepeating the lesson until you are confident that you are ready to move on to the next one.However, if you come to a lesson that is particularly difficult for you and you just can’t seem toget past it - move on! You can continue to work on that technique during your practice times, butdon’t allow yourself to get completely hung up on one spot in the course.

When singing, as with any physical activity, there is a risk of injury. Do not attempt to sing if youare sick or if your throat or vocal cords feel sore or tired. If you have or suspect any kind ofvocal disorder, consult with your physician before using this program.

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How to Use This Program

Congratulations! You have in your hands the most effective, comprehensive, and practi-cal self-improvement program ever published. With its 12 CDs, DVD, and this booklet, BrettManning’s Singing Success will systematically teach you the same world renowned techniqueused by more recording artists and entertainers than any other. No other singing technique evencomes close!

How does Singing Success differ from other techniques?

- It is based on fact, not tradition- It is not based on subjective imagery or unusual mouth and body positions- It promotes individuality and artistic expression- Singers get results in weeks, not years. While vocal study is a lifetime pursuit, most singersexperience dramatic improvements right away

- IT DELIVERS! With this technique, you will dramatically improve your range (high and low),be more consistent, confident and stylistically versatile.

About the Author

Brett Manning has been teaching voice for over fifteen years. Nowwidely regarded as America's top vocal coach, Brett Manninginstructs some of the world's best singers from Nashville toBroadway, as well as the general public at seminars and workshopsnationwide. Top vocalists from Europe, Asia, and Australia come tothe United States to study with him and frequently take lessons overthe phone. Brett Manning's client list contains winners of the world'smost prestigious vocal awards, including the Grammies, the Doves,and the CMA Awards. Despite having an incredible five octaverange himself, Brett continues to claim "all my students eventuallyout-sing me!"

Brett Manning is the President and founder of Singing Success.

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Introduction

We are so confident that you are going to experience dramatic improvements that we thought itbest to provide a place for you to keep track of your progress. Otherwise you might not believeit! So work through the 17 sessions on the CDs, watch the DVD, learn how your voice works,and enjoy the journey! Don’t be in a hurry to build a “big” voice. Remember, a strong voiceand a wide range are both gained by healthy, balanced technique, not by pushing.

Date you began Brett Manning’s Singing Success: __________________

Range: From low _____ to high _____ How many octaves? _____

List the styles in which you are comfortable performing (i.e. R & B, Pop...)

What areas would you most like to improve vocally (i.e. range, style...)?

Notes: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Date you finished Session 17 of Brett Manning’s Singing Success ___________

Range: From low _____ to high _____ How many octaves? _____

List the styles in which you are comfortable performing.

Write down several things that you love about your voice.

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The Journal Page

The vocal cords are two muscular folds that connect from the inside front to the inside back ofyour larynx. The larynx, made up of cartilage, ligaments and muscle, rest on top of the trachea(windpipe). Your vocal cords are designed to execute different coordinations to accommodatethe different registers. When you sing in chest, for example, your cords are at their longest andthickest position. As you ascend, your cords should zip up, making the vibrating surface shorterand thinner. That’s how the high notes are accessed—not by stretching, straining or pushing thechest voice.

ChestThis is your heaviest register; the cords are vibrating alongtheir entire length. It’s called “chest” simply because youshould feel the resonance predominantly in the chest. Placeyour hand on your sternum and sing a rich, full “ahh.”

HeadThis is the highest part of your natural range. The cordszip up about 2/3 of their length, leaving 1/3 to vibrate.You should feel the resonance primarily in you head. Placea hand on the back of your head near the neck and sing alight, hooty “hoo.”

WhistleWhile found primarily in the female voice, whistle (or flageolet) register can be developedin both male and female voices. You can see here that the vocal cords zip up nearly theirentire length, leaving just a small opening free to vibrate.

FalsettoThis is the lightest of all vocal coordinations. The cords are long and only the outerborders vibrate, thus producing a “false voice.” Falsetto differs from head voice in thatit lacks depth and color.

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Anatomy of the Vocal Cords

This “zipping up”action is great newsfor singers who arefrustrated with theirrange, want to singwith greater freedom,or whose voices tiretoo quickly. In otherwords, pretty mucheveryone! Remember,your singing range -both high and low - islimited much more bythe lack of knowledgethan by lack of talent.

““Genius is the ability to reduce the complicated to the simple.”C.W. Ceran

The soft palate hangs down as a natu-ral divider between the mouth andsinus cavity. If it hangs too low, the tonemay be too nasal. If it is lifted too high,preference is shown to the mouth as a res-onator, making it difficult to sing in yourhead voice. Try this: raise your softpalate (like you’re swallowing an egg)and read this paragraph out loud. Yep.You sound pretty goofy. That’s not yournatural voice - it sounds too “hooty” andphony. If you don't use a phonysound when you speak, would itmake sense to do so when yousing?

Before the sound formed by your vocal cords reaches the ears of your audience, it is transformed andamplified by the spaces above your larynx - namely, the pharynx (throat), the mouth and the sinuses(nasal cavities). These three areas that make up your vocal tract form a resonant trinity with eachspace favoring certain frequencies. Because the shape of your resonance system is unique, yourvoice is different from that of anyone else.

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Resonators

Hard Palate

Soft Palate

Nasal Cavity

Epiglottis

Thyroid Cartilage(Adams Apple)

Vocal Cords

Pharynx

““It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”John Wooden

Singer’s Breathing

It seems that many traditional schools of singing teach breathing as some harrowing, complexevent. You’ve probably heard “sing from your diaphragm,” “flex your bottom,” “support withyour stomach,” “expand your back,” and so on. All of these concepts set the singer up forunnecessary distraction and tension. Stand up straight and breathe! When you breathe in, theviscera (your belly) falls forward. When you breathe out, it falls back into place. That's it!Here’s what it looks like:

Correct:Inhale Exhale

Incorrect:Inhale

(too rigid)

PostureIt’s simple. Stand up straight and relax. Washing your cat is difficult - standing and breathing is easy.

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Technique

Exhale

(Trying to press air out withthe rib cage)

Correct

Loose Facial Muscles on Vowels a (face), oh (gold), ah (father)

Incorrect

Tight Facial Muscles on Vowels a (face), oh (gold), ah (father)

Tight facial muscles equal a tight throat. The longer you sing in this condition, the weaker themuscles inside the larynx become. This gives preference to the development of the outer musclesof the larynx causing numerous vocal dysfunctions.

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aa oohh aahh

aa oohh aahh

1. Jaw JuttingJaw jutting is the act of protruding the jaw for-ward creating excess tension and introducingthe outer muscles of the larynx into tone pro-duction (see BOX A). To fix this habit, do theexercises on an open “ah” sound while gentlyholding the jaw back as in BOX B.

3. Larynx Positions

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Exercises: Fixing Outer Muscles2. Digrastic MusclesThese are the muscles under the chin (seeBOX C). They, along with several othermuscles, are activated in the process ofswallowing, but should never be used in thetone making process. The fingers should beplaced under the chin with moderate pres-sure to give a slight resistance against thedigrastic muscles. This should be done verygently and you should never press so hardthat you actually feel pain.

IInnccoorrrreecctt CCoorrrreecctt IInnccoorrrreeccttHigh (swallowing) Medium Low (yawning)

(normal resting position)

BBOOXX AA BBOOXX BB BBOOXX CC

PostureYour posture should not be rigid. If you wereto lie flat on your back on the floor, in a com-fortable manner, that would also be how goodposture looks when you are standing up.

Bending over for high notes

TongueA. Tip of Tongue resting on the back of the bottom front teeth.B. Tongue resting somewhat flat with slight groove on vowels “a” (cat), “eh” and “ah.”

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Exercises

SSttaarrtt HHaallffwwaayy DDoowwnn ffoorr HHiigghh NNoottee

CCoorrrreecctt IInnccoorrrreecctt

Because your voice is an instrument of flesh and blood, diet is more important for singers than itis for other types of musicians. In other words, you need to pay special attention to what you putin your body - especially on the days before a performance. A bad diet could be causing theproduction of too much phlegm (mucous), or it could be drying you out, causing damage to thetissues inside your larynx. Below is a “singer-tested” list of foods that have been found beneficialor harmful to the voice. While this list as a whole has not been clinically tested, the myriad oftestimonies from singers concerning these foods are significant. Take into account that we allhave different body chemistry. Some people I know are completely unaffected by anything theyeat, while others can’t even think about certain foods without their voices locking it up and callingit quits.

Singer Friendly Foods: Singer Deadly Foodsherbal teas lean meats milk products excessive alcoholnon-citrus fruits water MSG smokingvegetables water refined sugars caffeineeggs water! junk food artificial sweetenerspasta

Singer’s Smoothie RecipeTry this to revive a tired or hoarse voice:5 large carrots, 2 celery sticks, 2 apples, 1 tbs parsley, 4 radishes, 4 cloves of garlic and a 3-inch ginger root. Run through a juicer, then enjoy (?) with a piece of wheat bread.

Also: Some allergy medicines can save or sink a singer - you'll have to experiment.

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Singer’s Nutrition

CCAALLLLOOUUTT

Helpful Teas & Throat Sprays

There are a variety of throat sprays andherbal teas available that are specificallydesigned for singers, treating everythingfrom allergies to vocal fatigue. The onesrecommended by Brett Manning, includingSunny Fresh and Entertainers Secret, areavailable on our website atwww.SingingSuccess.com/vocal-health

You know when you have one of those days when you can’t sing anything well? The truth is thatthere are few performers in the world who can boast complete vocal and technical consistency.However, being aware of the issues listed in this section can dramatically increase your battingaverage. Run through this list of “Check Points” to see if there is some simple aspect that youmight be overlooking.

Technique

Another set of ears

Ears that are not on your head hear your voice much differently than you do.

Discipline

Building and maintaining your voice requires that you spend a lot of time singing and listening.Tape yourself periodically and listen critically.

Do you abuse your voice?

If you are pushing your chest voice, singing too airy or just too much, your chances of improvingyour technique are pretty slim. Yelling at sporting events, talking loudly in smoky clubs, cheer-leading, etc. are not options for the serious vocalist.

Over-working the voice

How much your voice can take is discovered by experimentation and guided by the thickness ofyour vocal cords. And yes, it is possible to have great technique and still tire your voice out. Trya cycle of thirty minutes with a ten minute rest or even ten minutes of singing with twenty minutesrest. The thinner the voice, the more rest you need to bounce back.

Under-working the voice

You cannot realistically expect to sing a fifty minute set without working up to it. You can’t evenexpect your voice to hold together through one demanding song without living with your newtechnique for a while.

Physical problems - See your Physician

If you suspect health issues are the problem, don’t procrastinate. Really. Singing on ill cords cancause serious, even permanent damage.

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Check Points

Health and Happiness

Lacking sleep

This is the quickest way to overwork your voice, causing the cords to thicken up resulting inedema (swelling or puffy cords).

Proper exercise

Your voice is obviously going to work best when your body is in shape. Also you’ll be amazedat how exercise will lower your stress level.

Balanced personal life

Did you know that you can develop vocal dysfunctions from stress? It is very true! Serious prob-lems in our personal life can have adverse effects on your singing.

Healthy spiritual life

We are both physical and spiritual. My personal belief system in the Lord Jesus Christ brings megreat peace and gives me marvelous purpose for developing my gifts.

Vitamins, Herbs and Supplements

Many nutritionists will recommend B vitamins for their reputation as being the “stress-relieving vita-mins.” We’ve had a great deal of success with certain herbal formulas for balancing out thebody’s five systems - immune, circulatory, digestive, endocrine and respiratory. Visitwww.SingingSuccess.com/vocal-health to learn more.

Reflux

Reflux is a back-flow of acid from the stomach into the esophagus. Burping up even a tinyamount of acid can burn the delicate vocal folds. Symptoms include heart burn, chest pain, andwaking up with a sore throat. If you suspect this is an issue for you, your doctor can prescribemedications. Non-medical options include avoiding spicy foods, avoiding eating anything after8:00 in the evening, and raising the head of your bed about 4 inches.

Allergies

This worrisome issue, in most cases, can be controlled with diet, supplements and medications. Ifallergies are an issue for you, start by eliminating milk products from your diet (it’s really not ashard to do as it sounds) as they encourage excessive mucous production. Also,ask your doctor to prescribe a non-drying allergy treatment such as Allegra or Claritin. Visitwww.SingingSuccess.com/vocal-health for more singer-specific options.

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The Human Element

Some days you have it...

...some days you don’t. When all other checkpoints fail to solve your dilemma, this is the harshreality. However, with great technique and passionate delivery, even your bad days will soundgreat to your audience.

Inexperience

Consistency comes with time and practice. Sing in front of people as often as possible. You willlearn how your voice will react in different settings, and how you can be more in control.

Nerves

Did you know that some of the greatest performers in the business suffer from stage fright? Whilebeta-blockers can be prescribed for severe cases, the best defense against a case of the jitters issimply to SING ANYWAY! The truth is you may never perform nerve-free, and that's just fine.An overly-calm performer usually appears to be aloof and lacking passion.

The Turtle and the Rabbit

“I have passed up many of my friends who are exceptionally gifted, even though my own singinggift is merely average. I worked harder, smarter and more consistently than most of my peers. Ilooked up to them and aspired to be as good as them. And this turtle caught up with those rab-bits while they were sleeping and found myself able to do vocal coordinations that they can onlydream of.” -Brett Manning

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Below is a visual example of how every vowel proceeds from either ‘oo’ or ‘ee.’ The expla-natin of the significance of this fact is contained on CD #7.

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Vowel Tree

While this list is far from exhaustive, it contains brief and practical explanations of the terms usedin this program.

Adam’s apple - common term for thyroid cartilage; the part of the larynx which protrudes fromthe front of the neck.

break or disconnect - any sudden change, interruption, or shift in tone usually from chest tofalsetto, falsetto to chest, and sometimes form chest to head voice i.e. in yodeling, and some R&Bstyles. However, many breaks are accidental or are used to hide the singer’s lack of ability toconnect vocal registers.

bridge or passage area - commonly referred to as the “break,” this is the place in yourrange where you start to blend registers. The common first bridges are:

basses: A-Bb-B below middle Cbaritones: C#-D-D# above middle Ctenor/alto: E-F-F# above middle Cmezzo soprano: G-G#-Asoprano: A-Bb-B

delineation - the approach to singing notes in a separated manner without singing staccato,especially in trills.

epiglottis - the leaf-like cartilage that separates the functioning of your esophagus from the func-tioning of your trachea.

larynx - commonly known as the voice box; the organ at the top of the wind pipe or trachea.The vocal cords and their corresponding muscles are found inside the larynx. The muscles usedfor swallowing are found outside the larynx.

licks, trills and runs - scales or parts of scales sung dynamically.

legato - long, smooth, connected notes.

nasal/head cavity - resonating area in the upper half of your head.

resonance - the amplification of sound in the cavities of the mouth and head. Since everyoneis unique in their anatomical design, the resonance is unique as well.

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Terminology

slides - singing from note to note stylistically, without any delineation; most common in bluesand country music.

soft palate - the soft fleshy back part of the roof of your mouth. This can be felt by placing thetip of the tongue to the roof of the mouth, which is the hard palate, and then roll your tonguebackwards. This is your soft palate.

staccato - short, disconnected notes

style - a personalized approach or mannerism to singing or any other human activity.

timbre - a person's particular vocal color or tone quality

timing - a particular approach to rhythmic singing

vibrato - a natural oscillation or pitch variant that is the result of the dynamic balancing of air-flow and vocal cord approximation. Vibrato is not hereditary! It is simply a sign of a healthyvoice.

vocal cords - two muscular folds located inside the larynx. Like air escaping through a balloonwhile someone is pinching the opening, the vocal cords vibrate as air passes by them, creatingsound.

vocal register - a grouping of adjacent notes made with the same coordination:chest voice - This voice resonates primarily in the chest. Marked by a rich, deep timber,

this is the register in which we normally speak. The vocal cords are vibratingacross their entire length.

head voice - This voice resonates primarily in the head. It is the highest part of your natu-ral range, sometimes producing a softer, hooty sound. The vocal cords zipup about 2/3 or their length leaving 1/3 free to vibrate.

falsetto - This is the lightest of all vocal coordinations. It tends to be airy and lacks volumeand depth of sound.

vocal fry - Though this register is uncommon, it is used by some bass singers to producethe lowest possible sound. The vocal cords vibrate extremely slow. (It soundskind of like Elmer Fudd.)

whistle register - Another uncommon register found primarily in the female voice, the vocalcords zip up almost their entire length leaving just a small opening free tovibrate.

middle/mixed register - A blend of head and chest registers referred to in this series as“THE MIX.”

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BRETT WISHES TO THANK...

...the many contributors to the Singing Success project. I could write another book just acknowl-edging my contributors. I would like to thank my two sons, Brennon and Christian for giving meinspiration and motivation, and for their precious love for their daddy. I thank my parents whohad the wisdom to keep on encouraging me, while other parents tended to spout off, "Get areal job, son!". You both are rare jewels in a gutless world. Thanks to all my wonderful influ-ences throughout the years. To the rest of my family: Mike, Kristie, Duane, Brian, Sheila andRyan. I love you all. To the many coaches, authors and artists who have influenced me: E.Herbert Ceasari, Seth Riggs, Richard Miller, Take 6, Matthew Ward and Jeff Buckley. To GregEnriquez for hours of "tech-talk". You're an amazing teacher, Greg. To my close friend andassociate Jamie Wigginton: your commitment to Singing Success has taken it to a whole newlevel. You are a huge blessing. Thanks so much to my incredible staff at Singing Success:Jamie Wigginton, the creative Rebekah Law, the sensible Michele Anderson, the ever-steadyCurt McKorkel who kept Singing Success going in the early days, my new-found brotherJordan Callaway, and Amanda Fields for amazing video production. Special thanks to all theincredible ENT's in the country. You are making a difference! To Vanderbilt Voice Center. Toall our investors, without you this project would have been impossible. To Majorie Roundy,Stacy Baldree, Roy and Nellie Depolitte, and Robb Webb for 15 years of friendship, to SheilaChristiensen, and to Justin Dock for being a true friend. To my engineer Mike Pederson--you areso gifted. Michael Candelaria, you're a great songwriter with a great heart. To Dave andGretchen Figge, Tony Garica, Collette Manning for your hard work and dedication to thisproject and for your exceptional vocal talent. To Dave Brooks for your valuable contributions;my interior designer Annelise LeCheminant; Marissa Porritt; and Morgan Cryar, you are thedefinition of a loyal friend. God bless you, brother. To Lyndon Allen, "David callingJonathan"... I crave fellowship with you. To Scat Springs, my brother in soooul!! Thank youBilly Duvall, Jr. for sharing your epic voice. To Joslyn Petty, I love you, sis. To James Prigmore,for your musical genius and inspiring my musical beginnings. The Utah Jazz. To everyone whopurchased the first printing of this program. To all the great singers who perform on this project.Finally, Iwant to thank you Lord for being the best vocal teacher I've encountered. You've madesense out of the mysteries of singing. You've been my strength and have given me far morethan I could deserve.

"I will not offer you sacrifice that cost me nothing."-II Samuel 24:24

Brett Manning 1177

Acknowledgments

Author: Brett ManningContributing Authors: James R. Wigginton, Dave Brooks and Stacey BaldreeAudio Narration: Brett Manning, Collette Manning and Dave BrooksMusicians: Michael Pederson, Michael Candelaria, Brett ManningSingers: Brett Manning, Collette Manning, Dave Brooks, Stacey Baldree, Michael Candelaria,

Michael Pederson, Tony Garcia, Stephanie Petty, Melissa Pace, Jessica Giauque,Marissa Porritt, Jen Lugo, Hilary Wood, Elizabeth Engis, Shawntelle Bartlette, Joe Hale,Natalie Morgan, Joslyn Petty, Sarah Rogerson, Jasmine Rice, James R. Wigginton, BillyDuvall, Jr., B.J. Strautman, Rebecca Catlett, Jeremy Brasher, Rebekah Law, NealCoomer, and Hope Owens.

Studio Participants: Brett Manning, James R. Wigginton, B.J. Strautman, Billy Duvall, Jr., HopeOwnes, Alana Smith, Kelly King, Rebekah Law, Shi-Anne Ragsdale,Rebecca Catlett, Michael Inge, and Amber Clark

Video Production: Amanda FieldsEngineering: Brett Manning, Michael Pederson, Stacey Baldree, Collette Manning, Dave Figge,

and Tony GarciaGraphic Design: Jared McDaniel, Studio430.comModels: Marabeth Hough and Brett ManningMarketing and Promotions: L. Gabriel Smith

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Credits

www.SingingSuccess.com