Onset Choices: Balanced Starts Without Breathiness or Glottal Pressure

What “Onset” Means in Singing

An onset is the way a sung tone begins: the exact coordination between airflow from the lungs, vocal fold closure in the larynx, and the shaping of the vocal tract (tongue, jaw, lips, soft palate) at the moment sound starts. In practice, onset is the “first frame” of the note. If that first frame is coordinated, the rest of the note is easier to sustain, tune, and color. If it is uncoordinated, you often compensate later with extra breath, extra squeeze, or jaw/tongue tension.

This chapter focuses on onset choices that create a balanced start—neither breathy (too much air leaking before the folds meet) nor pressed (too much closure and collision at the start). Balanced onsets are not a single “one-size” sound; they are a family of coordinated starts that can be slightly softer or slightly firmer depending on style, pitch, and vowel, while still staying efficient and healthy.

Three Common Onset Patterns (and Why Two Cause Problems)

1) Breathy onset (aspirate onset)

A breathy onset happens when airflow begins first and the vocal folds come together late. You hear a little “h” or airy fuzz before the pitch locks in. This can be used as a stylistic effect, but when it becomes your default, it often leads to: difficulty sustaining phrases, pitch instability at the beginning of notes, and a habit of pushing more air to “make it work.”

Typical signs: the note starts late, consonants feel weak, you run out of air quickly, and the sound is consistently airy even when you want clarity.

2) Hard/pressed onset (glottal attack)

A pressed onset happens when the vocal folds close firmly before airflow is allowed to flow through, creating a “pop,” “click,” or abrupt start. Some singers describe it as “hitting” the note. This can feel powerful in the moment, but repeated pressed onsets increase collision forces at the folds and often recruit extra neck and tongue tension.

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Typical signs: the start of the note feels like a punch, the throat feels tight, high notes feel like they require force, and you may feel vocal fatigue sooner.

3) Balanced onset (coordinated onset)

A balanced onset happens when airflow and vocal fold closure meet at the same time, producing a clean, immediate tone without an airy lead-in and without a slammed closure. It can be gentle or energetic, but it remains coordinated. Balanced onsets usually feel easy, predictable, and repeatable across vowels and pitches.

Typical signs: the note starts exactly when you intend, consonants feel crisp without strain, the tone is clear without forcing, and you can vary volume without changing into breathiness or squeeze.

What Balanced Onset Feels Like (Sensations You Can Trust)

Because you cannot directly “feel” your vocal folds, it helps to use reliable external cues. Balanced onset often comes with these sensations:

• Immediate tone: the pitch appears right away, without a delay or airy pre-sound.
• Quiet effort: you don’t need a big physical “move” in the throat to start the note.
• Stable vowel: the vowel shape feels set before the sound begins, so the note doesn’t “search” for the vowel.
• Even pressure: you don’t feel a sudden spike of pressure in the throat at the start.
• Clear consonants: consonants like “m,” “n,” “v,” “z,” “b,” and “d” can lead into the vowel without a gasp or a punch.

A key idea: balanced onset is not created by “trying to close the folds.” It is created by coordinating the start of phonation with a stable vowel shape and an appropriate, steady airflow. If you chase closure directly, you often overshoot into pressing.

Why Onset Problems Happen (Common Causes)

Breathy onset causes

• Habitual “h” initiation: speaking or singing with a lot of airy lead-in.
• Over-light adduction: the folds don’t meet efficiently at the start.
• Unstable vowel setup: the mouth/tongue is still moving when you try to start the note, so the system delays.
• Style confusion: using a pop “airy” aesthetic on every note, even when clarity is needed.

Pressed onset causes

• Over-driving volume: trying to be loud at the very first millisecond of the note.
• “Hold then release” habit: bracing the throat and then letting sound burst out.
• Consonant choices: starting with hard glottalized vowels or overly percussive consonants.
• Pitch fear: anticipating a high note and “grabbing” it with the throat.

Step-by-Step: Building a Balanced Onset (Core Drill)

This sequence trains coordination without relying on breathiness or pressure. Use a comfortable pitch (mid-range) and a medium-soft volume.

Step 1: Set the vowel silently

Choose a vowel like “oo” or “ee” (often easiest for clean starts). Shape it silently first: lips/tongue in place, jaw released. The goal is to remove last-second reshaping that can destabilize onset.

Step 2: Start with a voiced consonant bridge

Use a consonant that encourages steady voicing without a hard attack: “mm,” “nn,” “vv,” or “zz.” These consonants help you begin vibration smoothly.

Try: “mm-oo” on one pitch. Keep it connected, not punched.

Step 3: Make the onset “clean and small”

Start the sound as if you are turning on a dimmer switch, not flipping a breaker. The note should appear immediately, but with a modest volume. If you need volume, add it after the onset is stable.

Step 4: Repeat with a tiny pause

Do 5–8 repetitions: “mm-oo” (pause) “mm-oo” (pause). The pause prevents you from relying on momentum from the previous note.

Step 5: Remove the consonant gradually

Once “mm-oo” is clean, shorten the “mm” until it is almost nothing, then try starting directly on “oo” while keeping the same coordination. If direct vowel starts trigger breathiness or a pop, return to the consonant bridge and reduce it more slowly.

Practical Drill Set: Fixing Breathy Onsets

Use these drills if your notes often start with an “h,” or if the pitch takes a moment to lock in.

Drill A: “V” onset for immediate tone

“V” encourages continuous voicing and a focused start.

• Choose a comfortable pitch.
• Sing: “vvv-eh” (as in “bed”) for 2–3 seconds.
• Keep the “v” gentle; it should not be a hard bite.
• Repeat 6 times, then try “eh” alone with the same clean start.

Drill B: “Z” onset for clarity without push

“Z” is a strong tool for singers who leak too much air.

• Sing: “zzz-ah” on a single pitch.
• Feel a steady buzz at the lips/teeth.
• Keep the onset immediate; avoid letting air escape before the buzz begins.

Drill C: Two-note repeats to prevent “air loading”

Breathy singers often inhale and then “dump” air into the start. This drill teaches you to start without a gust.

• On “mm-oo,” sing two short notes on the same pitch: “mm-oo, mm-oo”.
• Keep both starts equally clean.
• If the first is clean and the second gets airy, you are likely letting the setup collapse between notes.

Common mistake to avoid

Do not try to fix breathiness by squeezing the throat. The goal is earlier, cleaner coordination—not force. If you feel throat tightness increasing, reduce volume and return to “v” or “z.”

Practical Drill Set: Fixing Pressed/Hard Onsets

Use these drills if your notes start with a “kick,” if you feel a jab in the throat, or if your voice feels tired quickly.

Drill D: “H” as a temporary reset (controlled aspirate)

This may sound surprising: a tiny, controlled “h” can help you stop slamming the folds. The key is that it is a training tool, not your final onset.

• Sing: “hoo” very softly.
• Keep the “h” minimal—just enough to prevent a pop.
• Repeat 5 times, then switch to “oo” alone, keeping the same softness.

Drill E: “NG” to reduce throat punch

“NG” (as in “sing”) helps many singers avoid a hard glottal start because the tongue position and resonance encourage a smoother onset.

• Sing: “ng-oo” or “ng-ah”.
• Keep the jaw loose; do not jam the tongue back.
• Repeat slowly, listening for a clean start without a click.

Drill F: “Messa di voce” onset control (micro version)

This trains you to start gently and then add intensity after the note is established.

• Start a note on “oo” at a very soft volume for 1 second.
• Gradually increase to medium over 1–2 seconds.
• Return to soft over 1–2 seconds.
• Repeat 3–5 times on comfortable pitches.

If you cannot start softly without a pop, return to “ng-oo” or “hoo” and then try again.

Choosing Onsets for Different Musical Situations

When you want clarity (most contemporary and classical starts)

Use a balanced onset with a clean vowel start or a light voiced consonant lead-in. Examples: “me,” “no,” “love,” “day.” Practice starting on the vowel cleanly after the consonant: the consonant should not become a throat trigger.

When you want softness or intimacy

You can use a slightly softer onset (still coordinated) by reducing volume and letting the note bloom after it starts. This is different from a breathy onset: the tone should still appear immediately, just quietly.

When you want an edgy or percussive effect

Some styles use a more aggressive start, but you can often get the effect with articulation (consonants) and resonance choices rather than slamming the folds. If you choose a firmer onset for style, keep it occasional, not constant, and avoid doing it at high volume on every phrase.

Direct Vowel Onsets Without Trouble

Many singers struggle when a word begins with a vowel (e.g., “I,” “all,” “over”). Without a consonant, you may default to either an “h” leak (breathy) or a glottal pop (pressed). Train direct vowel onsets deliberately.

Step-by-step: clean vowel start

• Step 1: Choose “oo” or “ee” on a comfortable pitch.
• Step 2: Prepare the vowel shape silently.
• Step 3: Imagine the sound starting “inside” the vowel shape, not pushed from the throat.
• Step 4: Start at medium-soft volume. Listen for immediate tone with no “h” and no click.
• Step 5: Repeat 8 times, then switch vowels: “oh,” “eh,” “ah.”

If “ah” triggers pressing, return to “oo” or “ee,” then approach “ah” through a bridge like “vv-ah” or “ng-ah.”

Troubleshooting: What to Change When It Still Doesn’t Work

If the onset is still breathy

• Reduce the pre-sound inhale noise: a noisy inhale often pairs with an airy onset habit.
• Use “z” or “v”: they encourage earlier voicing.
• Check vowel stability: set the vowel first; avoid starting while the jaw is still moving.
• Shorten the phrase goal: practice single notes and two-note patterns before full lyrics.

If the onset is still pressed

• Start softer: if you can only start loud, you are likely bracing.
• Add a temporary “h”: “hoo” can reset the habit, then remove the “h.”
• Use “ng”: it often prevents the throat from “grabbing.”
• Watch consonant overkill: overly hard “b,” “d,” “g” can trigger a punch if you treat them like impacts.

If you feel throat irritation after onset practice

Stop and reset with gentle, short repetitions at lower volume. Irritation is a sign you are either leaking too much air (drying) or pressing (collision). Balanced onset work should feel easier over time, not more abrasive.

Applying Onset Work to Real Lyrics

Onset training matters most when you can apply it to words. Pick a short lyric line and mark the starts of each word. Identify which words begin with vowels and which begin with consonants that might trigger breathiness or pressure.

Exercise: lyric mapping

• Choose one line (8–12 syllables).
• Speak it clearly at a comfortable pace.
• Now sing it on one pitch (a monotone) to focus only on onsets.
• For vowel-start words, practice three versions: “(h) + vowel” (tiny “h”), “ng + vowel”, and direct vowel.
• Keep the best version and repeat the line 5 times.

Exercise: onset consistency across pitch changes

Once monotone is clean, add a simple two-note melody (up then down). Many singers have clean onsets on repeated pitches but press when going up or get airy when going down.

• Sing “mm-oo” on a note, then step up one or two notes and repeat.
• Keep the onset identical in quality on both pitches.
• Then apply to a lyric fragment (e.g., “I will” or “all of”).

Mini Practice Plan (10 Minutes)

• 2 minutes: “vv-eh” or “zzz-ah” for clean, immediate tone (breathy fix) or “ng-oo” for smooth starts (pressed fix).
• 3 minutes: Direct vowel onsets on “oo, ee, oh, eh, ah” (8 reps each, medium-soft).
• 3 minutes: Two-note repeats: “mm-oo, mm-oo” and “ng-ah, ng-ah” (keep starts identical).
• 2 minutes: One lyric line on monotone, then on a simple two-note melody, focusing only on clean starts.

Track one measurable outcome: how many starts out of 10 are clean (no airy lead-in, no click). Improving onset is often about consistency more than intensity.