from Leslie Jones....Contralto extraordinaire : )
>Anyway, I do believe in the female use of chest voice, both in
>pure form and mix, but I don't believe that carrying the pure form that far
>above middle C is particularly advisable (or even possible in my case,
>unless you want to see blood on the floor!). Perhaps the problem with this
>discussion *has* been the terminology - which *form* of chest voice are we
>talking about - analogous with the discussion of two types of tenor head
>voice, perhaps?
Dear Leslie and Listers,
This I feel is another area for clarification and agree
very much
with what Leslie has written. The only actual feedback we all have is the sound
that emerges and the bodily feelings. Where there is an apparent lack of upper
harmonics relative to the lower pitch, we seem to define it as chest voice.
Of course for me, such a sound is no more than a failure
to ensure
that the balance of the tonal mix has been retained. May I suggest also that
under this tonally imbalanced quality, we have a greater perception of
activity
in the chest area. Thus the term.
While I cling to a description of Lloyd's modes of musculature
activity in the various chest, mix and head voices, they are unfortunately
of very
little assistance when it comes to ensuring that the quality in the lower
range does not tonally slump. Of course there seems no doubt that what Lloyd
is speaking of is at the root of the activity and therefore defines quite
objectively the physical origins of the terminology, but in the final
result, if the
particular "voices" can be so clearly identified in the singer, then the
balance
of the scale would appear to need attention.
I'm still confused that these "Voice" modes of vibration can
exist simultaneously and so I guess somehow the definitions are being tied
to the activity of the various fold muscles??
If so, is someone suggesting that women only sing on one of these
two major groups??
Sorry if I've covered ground already traversed but I
haven't been
following the thread until Leslie's note struck a chord. Which reminds me,
I recently heard a famous female US singer drop into her lower register and
sound so much like a tenor that I nearly collided with the car in front. In
spite
of her fame it seemed very obvious that the alteration of her tonal balance
was not acceptable, but I'd imagine she'd have explained it as "chest voice."
If the balance exists, surely it is far LESS obvious to
both the
singer and the listener that "he" or "she" is currently singing in "chest"?
Regards Reg.
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