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From:  Chris Berensen <bandb@n...>
Date:  Tue Apr 11, 2000  5:42 am
Subject:  Support V Tension!



> From Karen....
>The question was about *tension*. Of course you don't want flaccidity in
>the ribcage area - the epigastral and the intercostals should feel
>stretched. But there's a long distance between stretched and tense. What
>I feel when I sing correctly is a sense of "aliveness" all through the
>torso, but no actual tension - rather a "flexible tautness".

Dear Karen,
It's not my intention to get into a discussion on semantics
except if it's necessary to arrive at a common understanding of our written
words. So, I have carefully read the above and applied it to my feelings
when singing well. As judged by my teacher. I can 'feel' everything in your
description especially the last, but, I have _no_ consciousness of what is
happening in the abdominal area. I presume it's doing as required. My
ultimate check is 'Du bist wie eine Blume' of Schumann.
But I must ask you to reconsider the problems of the subject.
The phrase 'like a startled gazelle' does not imply that the tendons are at
extremus or the muscles locked. On the contrary they are, as you say,
alive and ready for anything. Tensed is not locked.
In light of that, assuming you accept what I write, it
appears that you may be unjustifiably directing your attention to your
stomach muscles instead of letting it happen???

>Tension implies that the ribs are actually *locked*, making it impossible
>for the lungs to expand freely, or for the diaphragm to descend.

For me the best example of tension is as I suggested before.
The unnecessary anticipation of vowel closure. That destroyer of
pure tone and vowel, and the real intention of the other thread
wherein the concern is ' pure vowels '. Now that's tension of the
tongue lips, mouth and God spare us, throat. But if we're to escape
it's dreadful effects we'd better clearly understand where the GOOD
tension slash support is to be applied and how much. My intake
of breath is as an all round intercostal expansion followed by the
concentration on _non-interference with the sung vowel_ and seems
to lead the _tension_ to be self adjusting yet real and _supportive._
(Also vocal colour becomes my slave.)

>To breathe correctly I must first *release* any tensions that have
>accumulated while I was singing the phrase prior to the new breath.

Then we do agree. Now isn't that strange. As Miller says that's
the essential of ending the phrase by taking the next breath.
"How do you end a phrase?" "Take a relaxed breath."
The relaxation prior to the re-establishment of the essential
tension, (support) for the new onset.

[One last remark. It's my aim to not have any tensions accumulate
during the phrase!]

I love this list. Regards Reg.


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