Dear Dre,
I really cannot see where is the problem you seem to care about! You
describe exactly the same different possibilities as I did on June 25th in
the thread "Re: [vocalist-temporary] Height/Range (was pitch differences,
bach and basses)"
Only, you choose to call "0a" my "1" and "1" my "2", for reasons I ignore,
since the matter is already confusing enough.
Also, changing the thread title may make things clearer, but it doesn't make
it easy to follow!
What you call "0" could be chest voice (mode 1) carried to the top end of
its possibilites, which can be dangerous indeed.
What you call "0a" could be a legitimate so-called "tenor head voice", that
is a light mode 1 vocal production.
What you call "1" could be mode 2 vocal production (male falsetto or female
"head voice").
You still have all of those possibilities, which is a very good point! From
that point, what you choose is up to you!
IMO, your "0" is a dead end. But OTOH, if you go up to high C only by using
your "1", you may never access it in your "0a" (since it needs lots of will
and work!), which would be more legitimate in standard "end of 19th century
and beginning of 20th century" repertoire, or in inaccurate modern
renditions of bel canto repertoire.
If I were you, I would go on mastering each mechanism and improve my
capacities to go from one to another, essentially through messa di voce
exercises.
But I would also try to access directly my "tenor head voice" with the kind
of exercises that start from the "ng" sound or where you pinch your nostrils
and sing first with an very nasty nasality, then open it into a non-nasal
sound with a good ring.
<< Should not I be a heavy tenor when I have such low notes?>>
I don't think so. A heavy tenor would sound very close to a lyric baritone.
Do you? I had a classmate once who was a heavy tenor, while I was a
baritone. At several occasions, our common voice teacher mistook one for the
other! For example when we sang the Oreste/Pylade duet from "Iphigénie en
Tauride", our teacher would correct one of us on a phrase that the other had
sung...
<< But singing heavy does not sound good in my case, and singing light can
generate very nice tones.>>
So why bother singing heavy, if it is uncomfortable, tiring and potentially
ugly - if it is only a bit off the target.
<< Am I right assuming that heavier tenors use method 0, and some lighter
tenors use method 1?>>
Yes. Your "1" would fit the "haute-contre à la française" repertoire. Not to
be confused with "contre-tenor" of course.
<< Is my method 1, Alains method 1, or is it the normal way to sing high
notes for a tenor?>>
No, as written above, your "1" is my "2". But my "1" is the usual heavy way
to sing for tenors who don't need to sing TOO high nor with nuances nor to
have a TOO long career. Otherwise, they would use your "0a".
<< Is it dangerous the use either one of those methods, could I loose my
chest voice by using method 1?>>
I have never heard of a tenor losing his chest voice by singing falsetto!
;-)
<< My main question is maybe: can a high c be easy? >>
In falsetto, yes. ;-)
<<Oh, I almost forgot: I can also hum all notes I can sing.>>
So what? ;-)
You can also learn to mix your humming, so that the transition to falsetto
is unnoticeable. This is a good exercise to keep your breath support steady
through the passaggio and higher.
| Alain Zürcher, Paris, France
| L'Atelier du Chanteur :
| http://chanteur.net
|
