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From:  taylor23f@h...
taylor23f@h...
Date:  Sat Jul 14, 2001  7:42 pm
Subject:  [vocalist] Re: falsetto (was lower register)



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




  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date Size
13170 Re: falsetto (was lower register) Lloyd W. Hanson   Sat  7/14/2001   7 KB

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