Ooh, I was trying to stay out of this one, but it's a subject near and dear
to my heart, so I'll add a couple of thoughts.
I feel very strongly that voice students should have a clear understanding
of the physiology of the singing voice, and I can't think of an element of
the voice that does not contribute to or is not affected by the breathing
process. I have had teachers who talked about what was going on with this
muscle or that and teachers who taught almost exclusively through the use of
imagery. I can tell you that I think the former is the only sound way to
teach.
This is not to say that I think that every word that a teacher utters has to
be about the mechanics of singing, but I think it is the basis of teaching.
A student who does not understand how the parts of his instrument
interrelate will have no idea what adjustments to make or why if he finds
himself in vocal trouble. Certainly the use of an image or a well-chosen
adjective can be key to getting a singer to achieve a certain kind of color
in the voice or a particular mood, but it is generally a much more
hit-and-miss way to address a technical issue.
There have been times during my years of singing when I didn't have to think
about breathing at all, because everything in that area was working fine.
Other times, maybe something else went out of balance, or some tension
developed somewhere in the system, and I needed to focus on the breathing as
a step toward getting things lined up again. If I didn't understand how it
all worked, I wouldn't have this option.
It's one thing to say that breathing is completely natural and automatic,
and it is. But singing does not use the breath the way it is used during
sleeping or walking or even speaking, and it does require conscious
intervention. To sustain a high pitch with the ring and the volume that
will be heard over an orchestra is an extraordinary feat, and it requires
extraordinary management of the breath. By this I do not mean that it needs
to be difficult, or take even close to all of one's attention while singing,
but the luxury of being able to just let the breath do what it will and
still successfully produce that sound occurs only when all the major
components of the instrument are working properly and cooperatively. This
is generally only after the breath has had conscious attention put on it and
the student has strengthened the necessary muscles and learned to make
facile adjustments with them.
Of course, as with any other aspect of technique, this can be taken to
extremes, and students can get themselves tied up in knots of muscular
tension and mental confusion. But that is not a reason not to discuss the
principles of breathing in the first place and also as a remedy for that
tension and confusion.
There are many sources of good advice about breathing, some of them found
here. I won't add to that advice now, or I'll never get my Christmas
shopping done. But I feel strongly that it is essential for students of
singing to be aware of the anatomy that underlies their singing and to learn
fine control over its various parts from the standpoint of that awareness.
Then, and only then, can they forget all about it.
Whew. Is anybody still reading this thread? ;-) Good night.
Robin Lynne Frye
Mezzo-Soprano
Voice and Piano Teacher
New York, New York
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