James Platt Contriubting Author

Chapter Four – Breathing and Support – Janice L. Chapman, Ron Morris, and James Platt

A significant update to breathing and support pedagogy including:

• Re-interpreting historic vocal pedagogy considering modern findings
• Defining the appoggio and the lutte vocale
• Defining the co-contracting diaphragm technique, the support diamond, and the role of diaphragmatic breaking. 
• Stabilising the torso and the role of the quadratus lumborum, latissimus dorsi, and serratus anterior in supported singing
• The Muscles of Forced Exhalation and the role of the diaphragm and the transversus abdominis
• Epigastric Locking 
• From Accent Method Breathing into Supported Singing
• the link between the transversus abdominis muscle and the pelvic floor and the role of the pelvic floor in breath management for singing
• The SPLAT in-breath and the degrees of SPLAT (Singers Please Loosen Abdominal Tension)
• The role of the LAPS and the Pelvic Floor in breath management training
• New exercises in Breathing into Supported Singing

Chapter Five – Phonation and the Speaking Voice – Janice L. Chapman, Ron Morris, and James Platt

Updates

• Actions of the vocal folds
• The stages of phonation (prephonation, onset, vibration, offset)
• Onsets and Offsets Updated. 
• Glottal adduction and the Phonatory Adductory Range
• An update on the myoelastic-aerodynamic theory of singing
• An updated body-cover model (ligament, body, cover) with the mapping of the laryngeal mechanisms: M1, Mx1, Mx2, M2, M3
• The Mucosal Wave
• An updated definition of vocal fold vibration by Chen (2016) refining Hirano’s original model.
• Phonation Types (Breathy, Flow, Pressed)
• New sections on the Phonatory Adductory Range and Vocal Fold Closure and Medial Compression
• The False Vocal Folds

Chapter Six – Laryngeal Registration – Janice L. Chapman, Ron Morris, and James Platt

• A new chapter on laryngeal registration which defines the laryngeal mechanism of the laryngeal mechanisms (M0, M1, M2, M3 etc.)
• The Vocal Folds: Body-Cover Conditions
• An introduction to laryngeal mechanisms (M0, M1, M2, M3) and their common pedagogical descriptors (vocal fry, chest, falsetto, whistle)
• The voix mixte and defining Mx1 and Mx2
• An update of the Singing Voice Registers with the edition of Mx1 and Mx2
• New sections on Laryngeal Register Overlap Areas (Voix Mixte) and Higher Range Training for Sopranos
• High-speed cinematography images of the vocal folds in M1, Mx1 and M2, Mx2
• New sections on Lower Range Training for the Female and Countertenor Voice and Upper Range Training for Male Voices

Chapter Seven – Resonance – Janice L. Chapman, Ron Morris, and James Platt

• The Singer’s Formant Cluster, Squillo and Twang
• The Open Throat and Collar Connection
  
  • A wide pharynx and a raised tongue dorsum
  • A high soft palate
  • A Low Larynx combined with a high soft palate
  • Maintaining Pharyngeal Width
  • Breath Management, Semi-Occluded Vocal Tracts, and the Open Throat
  • The Open Throat and the Importance of Pharyngeal Tuning
  • Exercises to achieve the various open-throat components

Chapter Eight – Articulation – Ron Morris and Janice L. Chapman; James Platt contributed to the section on Pedagogical Application.

• A new schematic of the vocal tract vowel locations by James Platt
• Inability to Role an “R”
• The Gross Oral Posture for Singing
• Tongue Twister Exercises

Chapter Nine – Applied Vocal Acoustics and Acoustic Registration – James Platt and David M. Howard

A new chapter reviewing the pedagogical applications of vocal acoustics.

• An introduction to sound production
• Harmonics
• Vocal Tract Resonances (Formants)
• Vocal Tract Mechanics
• The Vowel Formants
• The Vowel Space
• Formant Tuning
• Vowel Identification
• Psychoacoustics
  
  • Auditory Roughness
  • Pitch
  • Absolute Spectral Tone Color
  • Under-Vowel, Over-Vowel, and Singer’s Formant Cluster
• The Piriform Sinuses
• Acoustic Pedagogy
  
  • Acoustic Registration
  • Formant-Harmonic Interactions
• Vowel Modification
  
  • Passive
  • Active
• Acoustic Registers
  
  • Open Timbre
  • Close Timbre
  • Yell Timbre
  • Whoop Timbre
• Male Upper Voice Training
  
  • Negotiating the Upper Male Range: “The Turn”
  • Vowel Turning Points
• Negotiating the Female and Countertenor Upper Range
  
  • Vowel Opening for Pitch Ascent in Female and Countertenor Voices
• Whoop Timbre and Beyond – An Acoustic Analysis
• Acoustic Register Charts (Bass, Baritone, Tenor, Alto, Soprano)

Chapter Ten – The Exercises – Janice L. Chapman, Ron Morris, and James Platt

A new chapter included all of our current exercises and a description of their pedagogical application. 

• The Singing Lesson
  
  • The Lesson Format
  • The Warm-Up
  • Voice Building: Technical and Voice Function Exercises
  • From Exercises to Repertoire
  • The Cool Down
  • The Dreaded “P” Word: Practice
• Breathing & Support Exercises
• Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Exercises
  
  • Steady and Fluctuating SOVTs
  • Combined SOVT Exercises
  • SOVTs and Pitch Change
  • SOVTs and Airflow
  • SOVTs and Singing Repertoire
• Collar Connection
• The “ng” Exercise
• The Puffy Lips/Cheeks Exercises (updated)
• Exercises for the closing of the velar port
• Onsets and Offsets
• Resonance and Articulation Exercises
  
  • Dial-a-Vowel (updated)
    
    • Finding the tongue’s “sweet spot”
    • The Vowels, Pharyngeal Shape, and Larynx Height
  • The Retroflex “r”: An additional approach for Finding the Tongue’s Resonant Sweet Spot 
  • Tongue Twisters (updated)
    
    • Tongue Twisters: Part Two: Optimal Articulation with Legato
    • The Advanced Use of Tongue Twisters
  • Monitor of Tongue Root Tension (TRT)
  • Monitor for Pharyngeal Tension
  • Finding Squillo
    
    • Finding Pure Twang or Squillo
    • Finding Twang in the Classical Voice
    • Twang with a Lower Larynx
  • The Ultimate Release for a Retracted Tongue: The Anti-Gag Tongue Pull
• Effort Levels
  
  • Staccato Exercises
• Laryngeal Registration Exercises
  
  • The Yodel Exercise (M1 to Mx2)
  • Laryngeal Register Transitions
    
    • Female Voices [Modal to Middle (M1-Mx2)] and Countertenor Voices [Modal-Falsetto] (M1/Mx1-M2)
    • Chromatic Voix Mixte (M1/Mx2) Exercise
• Bass, Baritone, and Tenor Register Transition Exercises
  
  • Modal/Chest Register (M1) to Head Register (Mx1)
  • The French “oo” Exercise
  • Mx1 (Head Register) to M2 (Falsetto)
  • Exercises to reduce Jaw Dependancy in the Upper Range (Male Voices)
  • Jaw Dependancy in Treble Voices (Soprano, Mezzo, and Countertenor) 
  • Upper Passaggio Training in Male and Female Voices
• Vowel Modification
  
  • Passive and Active Vowel Modification
• Coloratura Techniques
  
  • Coloratura Runs
    
    • Articulated and Legato Coloratura
  • The Trill
  • Leaps

Appendix. Glossary of Terms – James Platt

A new glossary is added to this addition which also includes common pedagogical, anatomical, scientific and medical terms. Pedagogical terms are related to the SATS pedagogy. I have also explained historical pedagogical terms using SATS pedagogy.