Vocalist.org archive


From:  Reg Boyle <bandb@n...>
Reg Boyle <bandb@n...>
Date:  Sun Oct 1, 2000  1:12 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist-temporary] Ian's Vocal Fortuity


At 02:37 AM 01-10-00 -0400, you wrote:
> hines discussed, i think, nine different ways to support. the one
> that
>i use and the one ian probably uses is the one hines compares to breathing
>while speaking. he says, roughly, that when we speak, we don't inhale
>first, we speak on residual air. at the end of phonation, we relax and as a
>result, take in another breath (this is similar to Qi Gong breathing, as i
>understand it). this is the type of breathing i once heard bergonzi say he
>used.
>
>mike

Dear Mike,
I seem to recall having read something similar, but are they
really different, or is it merely the terms and the way they are described?
In my own time I've used three, but I've no doubt that the
present one is far more 'efficient' than the others. But efficiency as I use
it here, means more than just conversion efficiency, it's quality of tone
and the ability to tackle larger vocal works with a greater chance of
succeeding without expecting the audience to compromise or gasp
about how good the lighting or sets were instead.
Another important point in my opinion, is that speech
has a very low duty cycle compared to that of sustained tonal singing,
though of course most people are very wasteful of breath during
speech. Still I'd venture a guess that you are a slower speaker
and therefore probably more tonal during the process, in contrast to
the machine gun speaker as some tend to be.

Getting to the bottom line ( where-ever that lies in the
anatomical process) I cannot imagine, that whether male to female, the
most efficient and effective method of producing the tonal product will
be any different Dimension and strength?? Equality :8)

Of course just as the dynamic requirements of speech and
open tonal singing differ, there will be commensurate dynamic changes
for singing into a microphone and just as with speech, that change will
produce different results. Oh, and now it seems I've fallen into the trap
of implying that the first two are ' real world ' and the other is
contrived : )

Regards Reg.

PS Just to try and keep on track, the original concern was specifically
the application of the support system at song openings and on off days.
That was on the principle that it can be messy to get a sail boat started,
but much easier once it's under way: especially if we know how it's done.


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