{"id":18052,"date":"2026-02-11T10:36:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T10:36:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.londonsinginginstitute.co.uk\/?p=18052"},"modified":"2026-02-12T10:25:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T10:25:24","slug":"vocal-onsets-and-releases-for-tone-intonation-and-vocal-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonsinginginstitute.co.uk\/vocal-onsets-and-releases-for-tone-intonation-and-vocal-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Vocal Onsets and Releases for Tone, Intonation and Vocal Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

Take a deep breath, let yourself yawn, and sigh.<\/p>\n

Now take another breath and simply exhale.<\/p>\n

One more inhale and on your exhale say \u201cmmm\u201d.<\/p>\n

When you make this \u201cmm\u201d sound, this sensation is called phonation. <\/p>\n

Phonating is the production of speech sounds. We will be talking a lot about this today.<\/p>\n

Pay attention to how it feels when you phonate. <\/p>\n

Do you feel pressure on your vocal cords ? Does it feel comfortable? <\/p>\n

Now say a couple words out loud. Say \u201cMother\u201d and then say the word \u201cHand\u201d, how about the word \u201cAttention\u201d. <\/p>\n

When you say these words, what does it feel like for you when the first syllable is spoken? <\/p>\n

Do you feel tension ? Does it feel easy to speak? Do the vowels glide like butter or do they feel like you are suddenly pressing the gas pedal?<\/p>\n

The sensations you are experiencing are what is known as the \u201cVocal Onset\u201d. <\/p>\n

Before singing, we must first create the initial sensation of the vocal chords meeting. <\/p>\n

The first note, and how we treat it, sets the path for the rest to follow in line. <\/p>\n

In German, it\u2019s called the \u201cVokale Ansatz\u201d or the \u201cVocal attack\u201d. <\/p>\n

The beginnings of phrases are like waves, waves can crash on the surface, or merely roll in with the tide on the shore. <\/p>\n

When we sing we can make the active decision to have our vocal attacks be more severe, or hardly noticeable at all.<\/p>\n

\"Lady<\/p>\n

Voiced Consonants and Smooth Vocal Onsets<\/h2>\n

When you say, for example, the word \u201cMother\u201d, did you notice that the letter \u201cm\u201d is a voiced consonants? <\/p>\n

When you say \u201cmmm\u201d you are making noise with your vocal chords . <\/p>\n

Whereas if you were to say \u201cffff\u201d there is merely air coming out of your mouth. <\/p>\n

When you say words that have a consonant, especially voiced consonants like \u201cm\u201d \u201cv\u201d or \u201cr\u201d in the beginning, it is easier to vocalize more smoothly throughout the word. <\/p>\n

You are easing your way into phonating. <\/p>\n

Whereas when you say a word with a vowel in the beginning, like \u201cattention\u201d, the \u201cah\u201d right in the beginning might have a slight glottal, or sudden start. <\/p>\n

But how about \u201chand\u201d ? <\/p>\n

The first vowel is an \u201ca\u201d, but the vowel is said or sung more clearly because the \u201ch\u201d creates air that helps smooth out the attack. <\/p>\n

Say \u201cand\u201d and then \u201chand\u201d, over and over. <\/p>\n

Do you feel the difference ? Do you feel that the \u201ca\u201d in \u201cand\u201d is more sudden than the \u201ca\u201d in \u201chand\u201d?<\/p>\n

\"Lady<\/p>\n

The Four Types of Vocal Onsets and Their Stylistic Use<\/h2>\n

In some songs, singers choose to have more of a severe vocal unset by pushing the vowel. This is a stylistic choice. Just because a song starts with a vowel does not mean that it cannot have a smoother attack. You can choose to soften it by adding a slightly more air.<\/p>\n

There are typically four types of Vocal onsets:<\/p>\n