< | From: "Lea Ann" <LeaAnn@k...> Date: Fri Dec 7, 2001 10:31 pm Subject: Head tone and Vibrato
| Hi everyone!
I am studying opera, and as a novice I find that even with lessons each week I am still having terrible problems with head tone. I spend at least half of each 30 minute lesson doing exercises to get into head tone. My teacher has instructed me to try and exagerate that nasal sound to the point that it sounds comical just to get an idea and a feel for how head tone happens. She says the soft pallete is lifted and I must learn to control the lifting. I have been reading Seth Riggs' book singing for the stars and he describes head tone coming from "behind" the soft palette. Even while doing his head tone exercises..."Nay nay nay" I find that I am STILL in the contralto range and I am thinking that I won't make it in a mezzo range anytime soon. My voice teacher has also said "contralto" Could this be because my tone isn't "freed up" enough? I have done EVERY head tone exercise I could find...I have taken notes on every suggestion. When I do produce head tone it's shrill and very nasal.
I have no vibrato to speak of...sometimes a throat vibrato (and I know that's not a good thing) My voice teacher tells me that vibrato comes from the "gut" well....if that's so I sure don't have a vibrato.
I am sort of discouraged, my voice teacher tells me I have a keen sense of pitch but she really doesn't have anything else really great to say (other than I have a sexy sound), I tell her the head tone concept is really hard for me and I asked if other people just naturally have head tone, her reply made me feel sort of lousy she said "some people just have naturally wonderful voices" to me this meant *you are not one of those people* In the past she has told me that I have a dark sexy kind of tone...I truly believe that she prefers brighter more shrill sounding tone. She and I discussed this and she did say that as a young adult her model was Julie Andrews and that she indeed favor that sort of tone. She did admit that everyone has different preferences. I myself prefer Cecilia Bartoli because her sound is so dark and rich. How does one produce head tone and still sound rich?
I guess in a nutshell I am getting the feeling that because I cannot master head tone that in the opinion of my voice teacher "I can't sing" I am older than a majority of her students, I am too old for school age competitions, I am not studying for a music degree...my goal was to learn opera technique and to sing for friends at parties and other functions and to be a part of the local opera groups in my area. I have had voice lessons as a teenager, I am 31 now and I am fairly sure I actually CAN sing as a great majority of the people I know insist I have a gorgeous voice. Mind you they are NOT voice teachers.
I don't know what to do about the lack of vibrato, I am mindful of keeping a relaxed throat...I am mindful of tensions. The only thing I have produced thus far is a vibrato my teacher says originates in the throat.
Maybe I should just take a lesson or two from someone else and get their opinion. I pay the same price as the other "music majors and teenagers" but I get the feeling that I am sort of all washed up. I am very serious about wanting to learn, I practice everyday for at least 2 hours, I am ALWAYS vocalized and ready to go at lessons...I feel that if I could get a grasp of head tone and vibrato that I could be someone who's "got it" and not one of those "that don't" (ha ha ha) I have been taking lessons for two months where should I be now? What should I be able to master at this point?
Lea Ann
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