On Mon, 10 Apr 2000, Lloyd Hanson wrote:
> However, it is still common to observe students who have been taught > to release the muscles in their lower abdomen on the inhale and pull > these muscles back into their normally firm position on the exhale. > This extraneous activity is not necessary for singing and it has not > been taught in the traditional, Italianate school of voice. The > diaphragm descends only to a flat position at the bottom of the rib > cage during the inhale. It is not able to actively descend below > this level. For this reason, there is no advantage to releasing the > lower abdominal muscle wall (commonly called "belly" breathing) to > make more room for the diaphragm or to attempt to take a larger > breath. Breath capacity studies have shown that this release of > lower abdominal muscles actually reduces the breath capacity because > it tends to encourage the rib cage to sag slightly. > > Generally there should be nothing about breathing for singing that is > much different than normal active breathing except that it is done at > will and with a great deal of awareness because it is used to > activate the vocal process. The most important achievement that > singers must accomplish is an awareness of how they use the breath > and how to maintain that use.
Dear Lloyd and Vocalist:
A beautifully written post, Lloyd, and I'm adding it to my "Best of Hanson" collection!
I have a question about "belly breathing." I took some lessons with Gilda Cruz-Romo one summer at UT-Austin, and she was trying to teach me the Italianate technique you mention, Lloyd. She kept saying to me "you breathe too low," which was a new one for me at the time! I felt I had successfully learned low breathing and beaten the problem of clavicular breathing with my regular teacher, and Miss Cruz-Romo's teaching was an interesting contrast. She was suggesting that I was going too far with the concept of "low/abdominal breathing." We had many lessons in which she kept a hand on my abs, to restrict movement in the lower abdominal area.
When I sang using Miss Cruz-Romo's technique, my top notes became instantly smaller, more refined perhaps, but not tense. I found it extremely useful when attempting high pianissimos, as in "Ach, ich fuhl's," which I was preparing at the time. When I returned to the low/abdominal breathing technique, the resulting tone was instantly fuller. I find this technique extremely useful in singing "bigger" repertoire, provided I don't push or force with the lower abdominal muscles. I also feel that I'm pretty successful at keeping the ribs from collapsing, but I'll monitor that and think about it some more.
What do you think? I'd love to read the breath capacity studies you mentioned, by the way. I'm always trying to learn more about the process of breathing.
Thanks again for an excellent post--
Cheers!
Jana -- Jana Holzmeier Dept. of Music Nebraska Wesleyan University 5000 Saint Paul Ave. Lincoln, NE 68504 jjh@n... 402-465-2284 Visit the Music Department website at http://music.nebrwesleyan.edu/
|