One of the most common issues heard in choirs is singers “attacking” a note from the glottis rather than allowing the sound to begin naturally on the breath. The result is often a harsh onset, poor intonation, and a tendency to scoop up to the pitch from below.
If you’ve ever heard a choir entry that sounds uncertain or unfocused, glottal attack is often part of the problem.
In most cases, the issue is not simply vocal technique. It is usually a combination of three factors:
- A hard glottal onset
- Poor breath preparation
- Failure to hear the pitch internally before singing
The solution is surprisingly simple in principle: prepare the breath, hear the pitch, and allow the tone to ride on the airflow.
The Note Must Exist Before the Sound
One of my favourite sayings to singers is:
“The note must already exist in your mind before it exists in your voice.”
Many singers try to find the pitch after they begin singing. The result is a slide or scoop into the note. Instead, the pitch should be clearly imagined before any sound is made.
A simple exercise is:
Breathe – Think – Sing
- Take a silent breath.
- Hear the note clearly in your mind.
- Sing a single “ah” exactly on pitch.
Record yourself and listen critically. Any slide into the note means the pitch was not fully established in your mind before singing.
The Helpful Temporary “H”
For singers who consistently attack from the glottis, a temporary aspirate can help.
Sing:
ha – ha – ha – ha
on a single pitch.
The “h” encourages airflow and prevents the vocal folds from slamming together. Once the onset becomes cleaner, gradually remove the “h” while keeping the same sensation:
ha → a
The goal is not a breathy sound, but a clean, balanced onset.
Use Lip Trills to Encourage Airflow
Lip trills are remarkably effective for singers who sing from the throat.
Try:
brrr… brrr… brrr…
on a single pitch, then move to:
brrr-ah
Because the trill requires continuous airflow, it makes a glottal attack almost impossible.
Establish the Pitch Before the Vowel
Another useful exercise is:
ng-ah
(using the “ng” sound at the end of the word sing).
The pitch is already established on the nasal consonant before the vowel appears. This teaches singers:
- Pitch first
- Vowel second
rather than launching directly into the vowel.
Staccato Precision
Short repeated notes help eliminate scooping.
Try:
doo doo doo doo doo
or
goo goo goo goo goo
on a comfortable pitch.
The consonant provides clear coordination, making it much harder to slide into the note. Once accuracy improves, repeat the exercise on a pure vowel:
ah ah ah ah ah
while maintaining the same precision.
Start with Descending Patterns
Many singers who scoop find ascending intervals particularly difficult because they instinctively approach the pitch from below.
A useful pattern is:
5–4–3–2–1
(solfa: sol-fa-mi-re-do)
using “doo” or “noo”.
Descending patterns naturally encourage accurate pitch placement. Once accuracy is established, ascending exercises can be introduced.
The Power of Audiation
Perhaps the most effective long-term solution is developing audiation — the ability to hear music internally before singing it.
Try this exercise:
- Play a pitch.
- Ask singers to hear it internally.
- Wait three seconds.
- Sing the note without piano support.
Many intonation problems are actually audiation problems. The voice can only find a pitch consistently if the brain knows exactly where it is.
Imagery That Works
Technical explanations are important, but imagery often produces faster results.
Try phrases such as:
- “Don’t climb onto the note. Arrive there.”
- “The pitch is a chair. Sit on it directly; don’t crawl up the legs.”
- “Imagine an archer hitting the bullseye, not a plane circling the airport.”
Singers often respond immediately to these visual concepts.
A Rehearsal Drill Worth Trying
When working on a difficult choral entry:
- Sing the phrase on ng.
- Sing it on hoo.
- Sing it on the actual text.
- Any singer who scoops returns to ng.
Within a few repetitions, most choirs become noticeably cleaner and more accurate because both the glottal attack and pitch uncertainty have been removed.
The Missing Piece: Singing on the Breath
Many singers improve dramatically when they understand the concept of singing on the breath.
Instead of trying to “make a sound”, encourage them to feel the breath moving first and allow the tone to ride on that airflow. The voice becomes freer, the onset cleaner, and the pitch more secure.
For choirs, the benefits are immediate: better intonation, greater blend, and a more unified sound.
The next time your choir struggles with scooping or harsh entries, don’t focus only on the note itself. Focus on what happens before the note. In many cases, the solution begins with a breath, a thought, and then a beautifully placed pitch.