Vocalist.org archive


From:  "Sharon Szymanski" <szy@n...>
Date:  Tue Apr 9, 2002  6:03 pm
Subject:  RE: [vocalist] Re: Male/Female registers (was: how do you define 'head voice'?)

This current trend has been
widely embraced by current pedagogies which is why we rarely hear a
female voice, especially a high soprano, who can execute a chesty low
G for example.

I feel that many teachers disregard the chest-register in females and
label it as bad, ugly. I've even heard famous teachers say, "I don't
teach my females to sing in the chest voice." From what I have
learned about voice science and pedagogy...if you DON'T teach the
female chest-voice, you're missing a valuable part to the puzzle.

Hello - I'm way behind on my mail, but thought I'd put in my two cents
worth here.

Two things:
1. I am a full lyric soprano who can hit a C3 any day of the week
(though no one would pay to hear it!) and who regularly exercises most
of her soprano students down below C4 on a regular basis, as part of
developing a complete and viable voice with a mix of registers
throughout. I can't imagine being satisfied with the sound of only the
high register in ANY voice type; a mix (to me) adds such depth, core,
and richness to the voice. That having been said..
2. When I am singing below middle C, I don't completely eschew the
higher register either. I keep a subtle mix all the way down to
maintain ring, vibrancy, flexibility and easy facility in leaps and
runs. The percentages of each register in the mix changes depending on
the range, the piece and the style of singing I am doing.
3. Ok - so there's a third too. I just came back from our
Regional NATS auditions and I heard lots of good singing in which both
registers were evident, in student and teacher singing (the NATSA
competition). While there may be teachers who don't go there, at least
down here, there are many who are advocating the blend of registers
throughout.

Sharon (bring on the low F3 at the end of the Menotti "Lullabye"
anyday!) Szymanski









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