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T t T
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The Dampen & Release onset (D&R) is the most important strength building

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onset of them all. No other onset has resulted in more personal gains for
myself and TVS students then the D&R onset. If executed properly, it will
configure the larynx and intrinsic musculature perfectly for a dampened position

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and configuration for belting. After practicing this onset for a few months
inside of melodic 5th and octave sirens, as well as other workouts, your
voice will noticeably become more “beefy” and stable.

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As is the case with many of the onsets, the key to the D&R onset is

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understanding how to harness the energy that exists in plosive consonants

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which define the D&R onset. The technique orients around the plosive

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energy from plosive consonants, (/b/, /p/, /t/, /k/, /g/, /k/).

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T t
The D&R onset, and its other plosive variants, do one thing really well; they

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configure the larynx into the perfect position for larynx dampening and build
strength for belting. Because of the larynx dampening properties, they also

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configure the larynx for bridging stability and formant tunings that are rounder
and warmer in sound color and take you firmly forward toward strong chesty
belts.

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As great as the dampen & release onset is, I do not want to confuse the

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messaging around one point. It is important to remember that all onsets should

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be practiced and mastered. However, the D&R onset seems to produce the

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quickest result for coordinating the musculature required for larynx dampening

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and healthy chest pulling for building the strength for belting.of Bernoulli fold
closure, the voice will squeeze and you will sound like a choking duck!
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The D&R Onset Table S t S
ONSET
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MUSCULATURE & COORDINATION

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TROUBLE-SHOOTS THESE USED IN USED IN
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BENEFITS PROBLEMS

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TRAINING SINGING

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DAMPEN &

RELEASE
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DEVELOPS GOOD LARYNX DAMPENING.

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FIXES HIGH LARYNX

CONFIGURATIONS THAT
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PRODUCE FORMANT

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T T T
 h S t h
T t T
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WORKS THE INTRINSIC MUSCULATURE TUNINGS WHICH ARE TOO

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REQUIRED FOR ‘LATE BRIDGING’

TECHNIQUES (I.E. PULLING BELT

BRIGHT OR ‘QUACKY’ IN

THEIR SOUND COLOR.

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MUSCULATURE) FOR NOTES ABOVE THE

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ENGAGES THE INTRINSIC

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PASSAGGIO.

MUSCULATURE NEEDED

e w STRENGTHENS THE

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TO BUILD STABILITY

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CRICOARYTENOID (CT), THROUGH THE

h THYROARYTENIOD (TA), SUPRAHYOID

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PASSAGGIO AND LOWER

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AND STRAP MUSCLES, AND FACILITATES HEAD VOICE PHONATIONS.

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HYPER ADDUCTION OF THE GLOTTIS FOR

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THE PURPOSE OF EXTENDING THE M1 ADDS A ROUNDER, MORE

“BOOMY”, BLUESY AND

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(CHEST) MUSCULATURE INTO HIGHER

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FREQUENCIES (HEAD VOICE). “SOULFUL” SOUND COLOR

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TO THE HEAD VOICE.

TUNES TO THE FORMANT TUNING OF

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F1/H2 (FIRST FORMANT, 2ND HARMONIC

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SPECIFICALLY BUILDS

“BOTTOM-UP”, BELTING

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AMPLIFIED) BETTER THAN OTHER

e w ONSETS.

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MUSCULAR STRENGTH

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AND COORDINATION.

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Th DEVELOPS GREAT ‘CURBING’ VOWELS

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(I.E. BACK RESONANT VOWELS THAT

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‘COVER’).

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HELPS REMOVE QUAKY SOUND COLOR

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FROM SINGING AND TRAINING.

V o Training D&R Onsets

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The Dampen & Release Onset is one of the ‘resistance’ training onsets. It
is great for working the TA and vocalis musculature.

h e h e h e
T T T
 h S t h
T t T
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Practice individual notes from your low voice through your Passaggio. It is

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important to note the Dampen & Release Onset will begin to become more and
more challenging as you approach your Passaggio. Remember, that just
because the Dampen & Release Onset has plosive energy, that doesn’t mean

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that it is a heavy mass phonation! It should have finesse’.

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ONSET = “BABE, BABE, BABE”. OR USING ANY OF THE PLOSIVE CONSONANTS; /B/, /P/, /D/, /T/,

e w/G/, FOLLOWED BY YOUR CHOSEN VOWEL.

u d e
h S t h
T
SIRENS = PRACTICE D&R ONSETS AS YOU SIREN MELODIC 3RDS, 5THS AND OCTAVES IN BOTH

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DIRECTIONS. TRY THE FOLLOWING ROUTINE;
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BOTTOM ONSETS:

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REPEAT 5 D&P ONSETS, “BABE” X 5 AND THEN SIREN UPWARD.

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TOP ONSETS:

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“BEH” > SIREN TO THE BOTTOM NOTE AND POP A 2ND D&R, “BEH”.

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HOLD THE HORIZONTAL EMBOUCHURE WHEN PRACTICING THE DAMPEN & RELEASE ONSET

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Th S
AND FOCUS ON THROAT SHAPING THE VOWEL MODIFICATIONS WITH A STATIC JAW.

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THE “VINNIE PULL”:

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USING PLOSIVE CONSONANTS IN YOUR TEXT/LYRICS, START LOW, ANCHOR/DAMPEN AND

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PULL. WHEN YOU GET TO THE TOP DESTINATION NOTE, CITE THE FOLLOWING TEXT.

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“DOEBEE, DOEBEE, DOEBEE, WHERE IS MY PIZZA!”

“GUIDO, GUIDO, GUIDO, YOU A BAD BOY!” V o

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Th Th Th
 h S t h
T t T
OR
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USE ANY LYRIC OR COMBINATION OF TEXT. TRY A MELODY/LYRICS FROM ONE OF YOUR

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SONGS THAT ARE GIVING YOU A HARD TIME.

V i o
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Additional Training Notes

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PAY ATTENTION TO HOLDING A STATIC EMBOUCHURE AND THROAT SHAPE YOUR VOWEL

S h
T
MODIFICATIONS.

T t
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IF THE D&R ONSET BEGINS TO CONSTRICT AROUND THE PASSAGGIO, IT IS OK TO ALTERNATE

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TO A W&R ONSET TO RELEASE THE CONSTRICTION. IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO ALTERNATE

BETWEEN THE W&R ONSET AND THE D&R ONSET, BACK AND FORTH.

V o
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BE CAREFUL TO NOT DUMP THE LARYNX, OR LOWER IT TOO LOW. DAMPEN, DON’T DUMP!

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h S t S t
T t t
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V o V o
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Th Th Th