Lloyd Wrote:
>The Garcia falsetto technique might have some value as a > demonstration device to make the singer aware of normal verses the > abnormal functioning of the chest voice but as a training device I > have not found it useful.
Lloyd, we must agree to disagree here. I have worked with the Garcia falsetto in my own voice, used is a great deal with my students, and have seen it put in to use by Cornelius Reid in many lessons. Nearly all of Reid's students can perform a beautiful messa di voce on a high C....that's HIGH C.
Lloyd wrote:
> And, without a doubt, Garcia's definition of falsetto provides a > major confusion when compared to the modern definition of falsetto > (the high male voice that resembles a female voice).
Yes, it does provide a major confusion. However, IMHO Garcia's definition of falsetto has been polluted and for the most part completely disregarded by contemporary pedagogical circles. This is not at all a shock to me considering that much of contemporary pedagogy has little connection to historical vocal practices. As I have stated in many posts, reviewing the historical literature is time consuming and sometimes even extremely boring! But, our field will be laden with confusion and disagreement until we're all on the "same page." Certainly we all agree that the chances of this actually happening are about as slim as Jussi Bjoeling returning from the grave to teach me voice lesson! Also, all of us would not even be on vocalist if we didn't want to LEARN more about what we do as teachers of the "art" of singing. When Reid, Miller, and Oren Brown leave this earth, I hope our field does not simply fall apart. That's why it makes sense to learn all we can- now.
Lloyd, even in your excellent review of falsetto (from the Journal) I don't remember you mentioning Garcia's definition of falsetto, or describing it...perhaps I'm wrong here Lloyd...I don't have your manuscript with me.
I have put this "breathy falsetto" to work in all of my students and have gotten excellent results. Furthermore, the Garcia falsetto is a great way to work on laryngeal position and vowel- without a firm adduction of the folds. Once the laryngeal position and vowel are created by the Garcia falsetto, the student is then much more likely to produce the same type of freedom when executing the same tone in full voice. For students who are heavy TA users (drive the chest), the breathy falsetto is a marvelous pedagogical tool....not merely an ancient practice- to be forgotten.
Take Care All,
Taylor L. Ferranti DMA Candidate in Voice Science/Performance Louisiana State University
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