The New Voice: How to Sing and Speak Properly Paperback – January 1, 1981

If you're looking for a book that is just as good at COMMUNICATING what you need to do as telling you what to do (with poor articulation how to do it) this book stands well above the crowd. - - People who intuitively pick up the concepts in the book might not need it, but my experience prior to reading this book was "general advice" from music teachers who probably were only repeating what their teachers were telling them, but didn't understand it themselves, "Don't sing through your nose... sing from the stomach!" (True, but what does that mean... I don't have a mouth, lips and throat in my stomach!)As for the approach, Greene presents the physiology of singing and shows you how to feel the different muscles and parts of your anatomy and use them... some of the advice helped me almost instantly, others took time to develop. - - An example includes pretending to yawn when you produce a tone (without yawning) or sighing rather than forcefully expelling the air (this gets your adam's apple into the position it needs to be to sing. He even suggests wearing a bow tie to feel where the adam's apple is... though, of course, nowadays few people actually have bow ties. - - This physical approach really gets to the point.All in all, I have recorded as a pro musican, but haven't done a vocal CD... recently through I've been sharing my singing with other musicians and they've been REQUESTING that I do more singing... not complimenting me, but ASKING me to sing... that says a lot, especially for a person who up until a few years ago couldn't carry a tune or try to sing without coughing and gasping for air.A one of a kind publication... Seems dated with a forward from Harry Belafonte and Walter Matthau - - hope it will not fall by the wayside... deserves immortality! - - Not a gimmick, but full of techniques that are so good they almost seem like magical gimmicks, except for one thing... They really do work !

If you follow the instructions (Carefully) and take as much information as you can from this book it will do wonders for you! I have noticed my voice get naturally deeper and louder from repeated practice of the exercises in the book. For anyone seriously interesting in singing (or having a strong voice overall), I'd recommend this book.

I am into Felenkrais and felt I still needed some more help with getting a softer voice. Over the years, I think I have gotten shriller voice and I know I needed help with softening my throat, tongue, and lip muscles. This book does address those problems ( as does Feldenkrais.) My particular problem was a tight throat, and the book did help. The Bow tie exercises are useless to a women. That particular exercise is all over the Internet for free. Still, as old fashion as this book is ( it was written a long time ago) it does point you to some helpful findings and exercises. It's one of those "you don't know what you don't know" deals, and this gives you some thoughts you haven't even thought about before. That is the spark to get help, and for me it may take more then this book, but I at least know where to start.

Whenever I practice this "perfect shape" my throat gets all swollen. I know that he says my muscles are building.. But the thing is that the irritating feeling won't go away until I stop trying to make the basic shape for weeks at a time. The tongue thing working for me, but bringing down my larynx like that is killing my throat. I hate it. Over this!!

Practicing the detailed exercises in this book is dramatically improving both my singing and speaking voice. The exercises are described and I appreciate the other verbiage in and around them.

I think this book would have been much better if it came with a CD.

Great book! Very Insightful and learning very much from it - Highly recommended!

I have experienced improvements in the quality of my speaking and singing already - 4 weeks in to it