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The Free Voice: A Guide to Natural Singing
This 225 page book is a comprehensive guide to vocal training using the method founded by Cornelius L. Reid which uses equal parts of Italian methods and modern concepts of physiology and psychology; "it undercuts some of the most cherished prinicples of widespread current practice, and goes to the heart of the functional processes of singing."
- GenresNonfiction
225 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 11, 2025
This is my 3rd reading of this book and I’ve been slowly and mindfully working my way through this book for the 3rd time now over the past year (well, actually I GR has July 2020 as the date I started rereading it, but I only read about 15% of it then through 2023, but never mind).
It’s been really rewarding and exciting. Finally, I feel like I have enough experience (ear training) to really understand it and recognize the concepts presented here by my own singing and that of my students. I am so grateful to Cornelius for having brought these ideas to the world of singing and through the singers that worked with him. Every voice/singing teacher should read this book carefully and learn to apply the concepts to their own teaching. This is difficult but rewarding work and requires time, patience and perseverance. Same as it does to learn to sing skillfully, musically and emotionally.
It’s been really rewarding and exciting. Finally, I feel like I have enough experience (ear training) to really understand it and recognize the concepts presented here by my own singing and that of my students. I am so grateful to Cornelius for having brought these ideas to the world of singing and through the singers that worked with him. Every voice/singing teacher should read this book carefully and learn to apply the concepts to their own teaching. This is difficult but rewarding work and requires time, patience and perseverance. Same as it does to learn to sing skillfully, musically and emotionally.
April 15, 2013
For anyone who is a singer this book is a must read. I may not have read too much on the voice yet, but I am only half way through this book and it has already answered the majority of my questions about my voice.
The one thing that I would critique about this book thus far, is that it spends a long time talking about how there is no such thing as a "head" voice, and deconstucting many terms used by vocal instructors, only to continue using them thorughout the rest of the book...
This book is not only excellent for the vocal student, but also for any pedagog of voice. At the same time I am reading this, I am taking voice lessons with Bradley Franklin, a master student here at Redlands, and he is teaching almost exactly how the book explains it should be done, and the improvments I am hearing in myslef surpass anything I have achieved by other methods.
This is definetelly a book that I will be refering back to offten, and my copy is filled with notes.
One section that I found particularly helpful is the chart of where the human voice changes registers as seen on a staff. Given my own experience and this explanation, I am gaining a much better understanding of my own break and am learing to appreciate it for what it is.
This book, along with Brad, also confims that I want to be able to sing in any style. Although opera is not my goal, I now do want to have the ability to sing operatically. While before I was worried that learing vibrato and singing operatically would inhibit my ability so sing in other styles, I understand that this is not true, if one does it correctly. Jainie is a great example of such a singer here at Redlands.
The one thing that I would critique about this book thus far, is that it spends a long time talking about how there is no such thing as a "head" voice, and deconstucting many terms used by vocal instructors, only to continue using them thorughout the rest of the book...
This book is not only excellent for the vocal student, but also for any pedagog of voice. At the same time I am reading this, I am taking voice lessons with Bradley Franklin, a master student here at Redlands, and he is teaching almost exactly how the book explains it should be done, and the improvments I am hearing in myslef surpass anything I have achieved by other methods.
This is definetelly a book that I will be refering back to offten, and my copy is filled with notes.
One section that I found particularly helpful is the chart of where the human voice changes registers as seen on a staff. Given my own experience and this explanation, I am gaining a much better understanding of my own break and am learing to appreciate it for what it is.
This book, along with Brad, also confims that I want to be able to sing in any style. Although opera is not my goal, I now do want to have the ability to sing operatically. While before I was worried that learing vibrato and singing operatically would inhibit my ability so sing in other styles, I understand that this is not true, if one does it correctly. Jainie is a great example of such a singer here at Redlands.
July 18, 2020
The One book that a singer needs.
This book cuts the process of singing down to it's most basic practical principles - the bare essentials. Frighteningly simple for some :D
For quickest results, apply them with the help of someone with a discerning ear and familiarity with the basic principles outlined in this book.
The Free Voice can lead you to your full creative potential as a singer by teaching you how to access to your functionally free voice.
This book cuts the process of singing down to it's most basic practical principles - the bare essentials. Frighteningly simple for some :D
For quickest results, apply them with the help of someone with a discerning ear and familiarity with the basic principles outlined in this book.
The Free Voice can lead you to your full creative potential as a singer by teaching you how to access to your functionally free voice.
May 2, 2020
The concepts in this book are groundbreaking. All singing teachers would be worth the time and effort of their students if they would follow the guidance found here. As a singer, I found the ideas and methods presented to be a revelation for my practice and performance. The discourse relates in a fairly easy to follow manner, and inspires with each chapter. I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend this book to all singers and singing teachers.
December 3, 2021
Simultaneously more interesting and more boring than anticipated. It has some great moments - "Breathing isn't something we do, it's something we are." - and very redundant and slow parts. Overall- worth the read but don't expect a page turner.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews