Lloyd wrote:
>In addition to this, the > falsetto use I am suggestion is at least mezzo forte in volume with a > resultant substantial sub-glottal pressure and the chest voice which > appears does not have as strong a sense of sub-glottal pressure.
Dear Lloyd, Randy, and Reg
I really enjoyed the posts on lower register guys! I would like to add a few things to the good stuff already said. The falsetto which Lloyd mentions above is what I would term the "singy falsetto" or closed chink falsetto. However, that falsetto is not the same type of falsetto which Garica advocated. We must keep in mind that contemporary pedagogy considers the "falsetto" to be merely a "pitch" related event. With regards to historical practice, this was simply NOT the case. Falsetto was regarded primarily as a "registrational" event. Check out Garcia's brilliant register model from his Treatise and notice that Garcia places the falsetto IN THE MIDDLE of the chest and head register....not, for example near the top of the male register, which is where we place it today. Garcia's likens the falsetto voice to "the low tones of a flute." Furthermore, he believes that the falsetto extends in the male voice to A (below mid C) and perhaps below. Try this: Sing five tones down from say, tenor High G and use a very breathy, non-vibrant, "AH" vowel to do so...and do not add any chest register. Then take this exercise all the way down to maybe G below middle C as the bottom pitch. Doesn't the sound which comes out resemble the falsetto which Garcia likens to the low tones of a flute?....to my ear it certainly does. The problem we have today is with terminology....and unfortunately until people dive into the historical literature...these problems simply will not go away. The "yodeling" exercise which Lloyd spoke of is an excellent way to practice the switch between the registers. This practice which Steve Austin called "breaking-out", was a major part of my work with him. Also, this practice was written about in a book by a voice teacher of the 19th century named Bassini. I actually have some actual exercises from this book. They are primarily based on this yodeling idea. There will be a book coming out on Bassini's vocal method and how it relates to historical pedagogy within the next few years. All is going well at the Vocology Institute. Oren Brown will be arriving soon. Dr. Titze is currently helping me tweak a manuscript of mine which is currently in review for publication and I'm very thankful for his input.
Keep these posts coming gents!
Taylor L. Ferranti DMA Candidate in Voice Science/Performance Louisiana State University
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