Vocalist.org archive


From:  RALUCOB@a...
RALUCOB@a...
Date:  Sun Dec 10, 2000  4:30 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist-temporary] Physical Scaling, was women singing in head voice


michael gordon typed:

<<
COMMENT: Tako has several times mentioned his neurological wiring
theory about the ability of certain males to sing high. It is an
interesting theory. From my experiences as a motor control theorist
for human movement (walking, etc.), I believe there is a good bit of
evidence to back up a different theory, namely that the intrinsic
mechanical behavior of the system being controlled determines
significantly what motor strategies the nervous system utilizes.
Said another way, I would be less inclined to attribute the ability of
certain males to sing high to "neurological wiring" and more inclined
to say that for some physical reason, owing to the 3-dimensional
geometry and physical characteristics of the vocal mechanism, the
physical apparatus of certain males more readily operates in a manner
to allow these high notes. >>

michael and tako,

there is ample evidence to suggest that the human voice is capable of
many things. and it is capable of doing many things without having a clue
as to how. if you have an alto and a high tenor with roughly the same
length and guage of vocal folds, and if that alto is able to soar up to A5,
as tako, you had suggested, and the tenor is not, you have to look at how
each one is attempting to do so. if the alto gets to A5 she will probably
be praised for her beautifully modulated 'head' voice. if the tenor gets to
A5 the same way, he be criticized for singing in falsetto (unless he's morten
harket). if he tries to sing in a way that is acceptable for a classical
tenor, he won't make it. classical standards allow for one type of sound
in women but not in men.

michael,

if, in tako's example of tenor and alto, the size of their vocal folds
are roughly the same, where does physical scaling apply?

mike


  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date Size
7518 Re: Physical Scaling, was women singing in head v chosdad@c...   Mon  12/11/2000   3 KB
7519 Re: Physical Scaling, was women singing in head v Tako Oda   Mon  12/11/2000   3 KB
7522 Comparison of female and male singers Lloyd W. Hanson   Mon  12/11/2000   5 KB
7523 Re: Comparison of female and male singers Tako Oda   Mon  12/11/2000   4 KB
7537 Registers, was: Comparison of female and male sin w.ritzerfeld@c...   Tue  12/12/2000   5 KB
7539 Re: Registers,was: Comparison of female and male Lloyd W. Hanson   Tue  12/12/2000   3 KB
7521 Physical Scaling, was women singing in head voice Tako Oda   Mon  12/11/2000   2 KB

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