>If you use an approach similar to this, for how long >do you repeat the exercise? > >It also appears to me seems that singing much >above forte in these exercised is unnecessary >and unproductive. This brings me to another part >of the daily routine. When you're learning music, >do you sing it very quietly until you establish the >vowel and rhythm or do you have some other >approach? > >I imagine that repeatable technique begins with >repeated routine, at least that's what I have >found. What do the professionals do? >Thanks.
Great question! I agree with your observation that the quality of the day's singing depends very much on the first approach of the day.
My morning routine consists of stretching and yoga practice before I even think of singing. After the body work there might be several intervening hours, depending on what other things are on my plate that day. Eventually I proceed to humming (sometimes in the shower), usually starting in the upper middle range and progressing downward. Once I'm at the piano and starting in earnest, the humming may be interspersed with more body work -- the Alexander directions, a yoga posture, a breathing exercise. When I feel the coordination is working for me, only then do I start doing vocalises, again starting in the upper middle and moving down. (I love my upper passaggio!)
If something goes wrong or I am interrupted, I take a long break, do something else entirely, and then start over as if I hadn't done any of it.
NGL
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