Thank you for the detailed response to my previous question. It was quite a pleasure to be able to read something of a scientific and analytical approach.
I was wondering if you could give me advice on a more personal vocal problem. It seems that I am unable to sing past my second passagio, quite a frustrating phenomenon! After some careful observation, it seems that if I adopt an open relaxed throat, I consistently flip into my falsetto around the primo passagio. This seems to indicate to me that I have been muscling my way up. This becomes evident the closer and closer I approach my second passagio, as my voice begins to show audible signs of strain until it cannot phonate properly. Is there any advice you can give that possibly can help me sing above the primo passagio and eventually the second passagio with a relaxed throat?
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I'm glad you appreciated my answer. This next question about the passaggio is really the fundamental issue to resolve for all of us. It is the answer to completing our voice throughout the range.
Unfortunately there is no one answer to this issue. It is dependent on the overall coordination. The perfect attack has an important role. As does proper resonance form and breathing coordination. All of these are influenced by our posture as well.
So there is no short answer to your question except to just do everything correctly. A couple things that I can say to explore that can help would be make sure to round your vowel form/mouth as you ascend. This will help to keep the resonance inside, which reinforces the upper register and will help to allow the voice to adjust.
Also, learn to listen to what your body is telling you, like you are starting to do. On the surface it seems like flipping into falsetto is a problem. But really the body is telling you what it needs to do. The voice can't go through the range in just one register. The upper register needs to be strengthened and connected. Otherwise you will have to resort to muscling the lower register up. Which is strenuous and uncomfortable.
In a way it is similar to what other wind instruments have with their register key. I also often compare it to a string instrument in the way they change strings for a new range. We change the adjustment of the voice. This allows us to phonate a new range of pitches without strain. If we don't make the adjustment we will feel discomfort and hit a ceiling.
Another point I want to make is be clear about what you mean by "relaxed throat". Of course we don't want the strain you describe. But we also don't want the larynx to be asleep. There needs to be free activity in all of the parts of the body involved. If something gets lazy it will cause the other parts to have to work harder. That is ultimately what causes strain - inappropriate relaxation.
So make sure your larynx is freely pronouncing the vowel/pitch at all times. Never rely on just the breath to do the work. The breath works with the larynx. Together they create the tone. If the larynx is not active the registers will be unlikely to adjust. That is why the perfect attack - or coup de glotte - is so important. Without it the larynx stays passive and doesn't make its adjustments.
I hope this helps some. I did my best. But we are starting to get into the territory that cannot be answered only through words and descriptions. It has to be experienced with a guide. Best of luck. Let me know if anything doesn't make sense.
Showing posts with label Connection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Connection. Show all posts
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Comment on Renee Fleming
Would you, perfect technicians, explain to me why Mr.Jones wrote this article?
http://www.voiceteacher.com/renee_fleming.html
I don't share your golden ears nor your convinctions and it seems your mentor, Mr. Jones, doesn't join your voices either. I have attended some of Ms. Fleming performances and she is an outstanding singer.
Funny enough, in the quest for perfect singers, Mr.Mayer approves only the dead ones. He never heard Bjorling live. However, he claims relying on his super special aural skills to define who is a perfect technician and who is not. I would love to listen to one of you singing, guys. Really. Especially the master. On his site one cannot find a single song or aria sung by him. It's always easy to play the wise and criticize established artists!
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Here is a comment I received from my post comparing the difference between older singers and modern ones. I expected to get some negative comments from this like I did when talking about Rolando Villazon's difficulties. There is a reason these artists are famous and at the top of the Opera heap. They have many faithful fans that are passionate about their singing. And I think that is great. There is nothing wrong with admiring a singer, that is what keeps the art form alive.
Even though it is often a challenge, I am asking people to be objective when listening to a singer. This is difficult, especially when it is a singer you enjoy and identify with. When I used Renee Fleming as an example of the difference in function between the older and modern singers I tried not to make a judgement about her artistic abilities. In fact I thought I pointed out that she is obviously a wonderful artist. But at the same time she is being very artistic with an inefficient vocal function. Which is what I am trying to illustrate for people who want to learn how to maximize the potential of their voice. I obviously touched a nerve with this person. And I could have used other singers. She is not the only modern singer who we could use as an example. But she is one of the most obvious examples and is of a high enough stature that she can handle the comparison. (I think it might be unfair to use someone who is not an established artist, as this person seems to imply I should do)
The reason I am highlighting her comment, which was rather nasty towards me, is to illustrate how irrational we can be about "our" singers. Being objective is obviously not in this person's skill set. And I admit it is easy to become defensive when someone attacks one of "our" singers. But if we are interested in learning then we need to learn how to differentiate between artistic expression and vocal function. You can make an argument about artistic expression because it is in the realm of personal preference. You can like or dislike what someone does artistically and argue about it with someone else. Vocal function provides less to argue about, if we are able to look at it objectively. This is because function is rooted in the natural design of the body as it is provided to us. Our job is to learn how to recognize that natural design and follow the principles laid forth by nature. There is not much room for opinion or preference when talking about natural function. This is because poor function leads to fatigue, break-down and injury of the voice. If we have the opinion of liking an unhealthy function, that may be fine artistically. But we will always lose that argument with nature. Just ask the rock singers who like their distorted sound, or the pop singers who like the power of their belting, or the opera singers who like the feeling of ease in their breath flow. Eventually the voice will become unsteady and break down.
Here I would like to use Renee Fleming as another example. This time singing "When I have sung my songs to you" from the Joseph Volpe Gala at the Met. I find it a very nice performance that is especially touching because of the setting.
Then for comparison is the same song sung by Kirsten Flagstad and then Rosa Ponselle. Now please recognize that I am not trying to compare the artistry of the singing, because all three are at such a high level that it would be foolish to try and argue who is the best. The point of this comparison is to observe the difference of the vocal function between the modern Fleming and the older singers Flagstad and Ponselle. The Flagstad and Poselle recordings are both from the mid-1930s when recording was essentially a live performance.
http://www.voiceteacher.com/renee_fleming.html
I don't share your golden ears nor your convinctions and it seems your mentor, Mr. Jones, doesn't join your voices either. I have attended some of Ms. Fleming performances and she is an outstanding singer.
Funny enough, in the quest for perfect singers, Mr.Mayer approves only the dead ones. He never heard Bjorling live. However, he claims relying on his super special aural skills to define who is a perfect technician and who is not. I would love to listen to one of you singing, guys. Really. Especially the master. On his site one cannot find a single song or aria sung by him. It's always easy to play the wise and criticize established artists!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is a comment I received from my post comparing the difference between older singers and modern ones. I expected to get some negative comments from this like I did when talking about Rolando Villazon's difficulties. There is a reason these artists are famous and at the top of the Opera heap. They have many faithful fans that are passionate about their singing. And I think that is great. There is nothing wrong with admiring a singer, that is what keeps the art form alive.
Even though it is often a challenge, I am asking people to be objective when listening to a singer. This is difficult, especially when it is a singer you enjoy and identify with. When I used Renee Fleming as an example of the difference in function between the older and modern singers I tried not to make a judgement about her artistic abilities. In fact I thought I pointed out that she is obviously a wonderful artist. But at the same time she is being very artistic with an inefficient vocal function. Which is what I am trying to illustrate for people who want to learn how to maximize the potential of their voice. I obviously touched a nerve with this person. And I could have used other singers. She is not the only modern singer who we could use as an example. But she is one of the most obvious examples and is of a high enough stature that she can handle the comparison. (I think it might be unfair to use someone who is not an established artist, as this person seems to imply I should do)
The reason I am highlighting her comment, which was rather nasty towards me, is to illustrate how irrational we can be about "our" singers. Being objective is obviously not in this person's skill set. And I admit it is easy to become defensive when someone attacks one of "our" singers. But if we are interested in learning then we need to learn how to differentiate between artistic expression and vocal function. You can make an argument about artistic expression because it is in the realm of personal preference. You can like or dislike what someone does artistically and argue about it with someone else. Vocal function provides less to argue about, if we are able to look at it objectively. This is because function is rooted in the natural design of the body as it is provided to us. Our job is to learn how to recognize that natural design and follow the principles laid forth by nature. There is not much room for opinion or preference when talking about natural function. This is because poor function leads to fatigue, break-down and injury of the voice. If we have the opinion of liking an unhealthy function, that may be fine artistically. But we will always lose that argument with nature. Just ask the rock singers who like their distorted sound, or the pop singers who like the power of their belting, or the opera singers who like the feeling of ease in their breath flow. Eventually the voice will become unsteady and break down.
Here I would like to use Renee Fleming as another example. This time singing "When I have sung my songs to you" from the Joseph Volpe Gala at the Met. I find it a very nice performance that is especially touching because of the setting.
Then for comparison is the same song sung by Kirsten Flagstad and then Rosa Ponselle. Now please recognize that I am not trying to compare the artistry of the singing, because all three are at such a high level that it would be foolish to try and argue who is the best. The point of this comparison is to observe the difference of the vocal function between the modern Fleming and the older singers Flagstad and Ponselle. The Flagstad and Poselle recordings are both from the mid-1930s when recording was essentially a live performance.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Question on Body Connection and Singing too Dark
When I feel like I get things right, I feel very "connected" to my body, and there is no pain of any kind. I have done some recordings of me studying, and I was surprised to hear that the voice sounds much richer in tone, and very dark. In fact I am worried it might be a little too dark... I was a little scared, since I got used to the thought of my voice being light and clear...
The connected feeling to your body is a good thing. All voices should have darkness and richness. There should also be a brightness, but it is probably not the kind of brightness you are used to. It can get too dark, and we want to watch out for that. That is why we need to keep a slight lift in the face and upper lip. It is often referred to as a slight smile, like in the Mona Lisa painting. If the voice gets too dark it will feel heavy, and that is not wanted. Even so-called heavy voices should not be heavy. This is a sign that there is not enough resonance in the upper part of the pharynx behind the nose. The lift opens that area allowing the tone to exist there. This is what traditionally was called singing in the mask. It must be done right or it can cause a constricted feeling and/or nasality.
The connected feeling to your body is a good thing. All voices should have darkness and richness. There should also be a brightness, but it is probably not the kind of brightness you are used to. It can get too dark, and we want to watch out for that. That is why we need to keep a slight lift in the face and upper lip. It is often referred to as a slight smile, like in the Mona Lisa painting. If the voice gets too dark it will feel heavy, and that is not wanted. Even so-called heavy voices should not be heavy. This is a sign that there is not enough resonance in the upper part of the pharynx behind the nose. The lift opens that area allowing the tone to exist there. This is what traditionally was called singing in the mask. It must be done right or it can cause a constricted feeling and/or nasality.
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