At 12:29 PM 8/26/01 +0000, you wrote: >Subject: Strohbass--was Fach this Vocal Identity Crisis! > >At 06:45 PM 8/24/01 -0000, Tako Oda wrote: > >When I started out, I aggresively trained my low range, not realizing > >that the low notes were not really mine, but just a very strong > >strohbass. Wasted several years doing that! Turns out I don't have > >much of a legitimate low range at all, but instead have an extended > >upper range. > >Dear Tako and Listmates, > >Please tell me what "strohbass" means. My German dictionary defines "stroh" >as straw. My music dictionary defines "strohfidel" as xylophone [as the >pitchboards were originally suspended on straw ropes]. Is the strohbass a >baritone "suspended by ropes" :-) ?
That certainly evokes a humorous image ;-) I *think* I know what Tako is talking about...in fact there are several techniques I've used (as a rank amateur, mind) at various times to hit low pitches. When a bass line descends to the very bottom of my range at forte dynamic (e.g. Verdi Req. "Rex Tremendae"), I will often consciously narrow or "sharpen" my chest voice to a very bright buzzy timbre with lots of overtones to project it through. I can also make sort of an intermittent "creaky" sound below my lowest chest tones by setting up for a glottal attack and then forcing air through very lightly. Finally, I can roughly approximate "profundo" tones in the A1-C2 range by opening my throat and relaxing the cords, then forcing more air. It's kind of a rumbly wheeze that irritates my larynx if I do it much. Neither of these latter two methods is anything close to "strong", though--the only time they're useful is in pianissimo cadences. I'm betting one of these qualifies as "strohbass".
Adam indeterminate baritone?
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