I have a newish young male student, aged a little over sixteen. Although his preference is for lighter popular styles and maybe some light classical music, he has come to me for singing lessons to acquire some technical skills, vocal development and the usual thing one expects from a teacher.
His range and its transition are, however, unlike anyone I have taught before. Descending fom middle C produces a pleasant natural tone, with average strength. Ascending from middle C there is more strength and good natural tone up til about G or A - then an essentially imperceptible change into what could best be described a 'boy treble tone' up to the D or E a 9th/10 above middle C. I have gone over this range a number of times (and yes: his voice is changing as much as any 16 yo and physically he looks like a 16 year old maturing male).
Not having had a student with this type of transition/range before I am being very careful with exercises and register transition exercises. A tenor friend tells me that this youth has vocally what many tenors would like to have begun with. My question to other singers/teachers is: if you have had a student with this kind of range - and importantly a negligible change to the 'treble tone' notes - how did you approach training the voice, apart from using the many register transiiton exercises available in the equally numerous books on singing?
Full Version: Male register transition
QUOTE(Hautbois @ Mar 23 2011, 09:31 PM) 
I have a newish young male student, aged a little over sixteen. Although his preference is for lighter popular styles and maybe some light classical music, he has come to me for singing lessons to acquire some technical skills, vocal development and the usual thing one expects from a teacher.
His range and its transition are, however, unlike anyone I have taught before. Descending fom middle C produces a pleasant natural tone, with average strength. Ascending from middle C there is more strength and good natural tone up til about G or A - then an essentially imperceptible change into what could best be described a 'boy treble tone' up to the D or E a 9th/10 above middle C. I have gone over this range a number of times (and yes: his voice is changing as much as any 16 yo and physically he looks like a 16 year old maturing male).
Not having had a student with this type of transition/range before I am being very careful with exercises and register transition exercises. A tenor friend tells me that this youth has vocally what many tenors would like to have begun with. My question to other singers/teachers is: if you have had a student with this kind of range - and importantly a negligible change to the 'treble tone' notes - how did you approach training the voice, apart from using the many register transiiton exercises available in the equally numerous books on singing?
His voice still hasn't fully settled yet so I would monitor where it goes and if it moves. It sounds like he is in stage 3 -4 of transition and because of singing through transition he still has his treble notes. Encourage him to use his emerging voice rather than the treble notes, although if he can access the treble notes with out any noticable "break" or discomfort then he can still use them until they go.
At 16 the male voice is normally settling down but this is not necessarily a done deal and it can take until 20 at least for the emergent adult voice to find its natural level.
This hyperlink The Developing Male Voice by Jenevora Williams contains lots of useful information.
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