Law of the Cone

By Tim Russell

For many vocal styles, it is important to direct your sound energy through a "cone" - an oval  shape in your throat/mouth AND a triangle in front of your mouth/lips. 

To find the oval shape, think of the beginning of a SNEEZE or YAWN and allow your air to move  through. 

To find the triangle shape, use a slight protrusion of lips, as if talking to a baby. PRACTICE: the key is to use these shapes in conjunction and not in isolation. Either one on their  own can cause either squeezing (no oval) or a muffled, unfocused sound (no triangle). Say the  months of the year or days of the week with the CONE set up and compare those sensations  with no cone. Then try this exercise on your song of choice. 

WHY THIS WORKS: this style of singing was born from the Bel Canto technique in the 1800's,  when the Italians discovered that the voice is most acoustically efficient when shaped like a  "reverse megaphone". This vocal mechanism allows for easy and healthy singing and can be  used as a platform for any genre. 

Happy singing!