Jennifer wrote:
> > Nobody *has* to
> > feel severe register changes, with a low (but not
> > depressed larynx) and
> > appoggio, and proper cover.
> > I have exercises to help with the above issues.
>
> Could you please share your exercises?
I'll do my best to write this out clearly and if you have any questions,
just let me know.
First I will explain the terminology I will use, since not everyone has
the same background.
For pitches, I will use scale degrees. That makes Do - 1, Re - 2, Mi -
3, Fa - 4, etc. Major scales are used.
For example:
In C Major
Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do
C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8(1)
I will use Italian vowels for these exercises. I don't have any IPA
fonts on my system.
/i/ would sound like the stressed vowel in the italian word io and the
vowel in the English words feet, street, greet
/e/ sounds like segno or the first vowel in the English words fate,
hate, gate, hey
/E/ sounds like petto or wet, get, bet, set
/a/ sounds like Amarilli or father
/o/ sounds like dove or boat, goat, moat
/O/ sounds like orribile or cough, upon, awesome
/u/ sounds like muto or truth, fruit, through
Okay. So, to combine these things and write a vocalise, I will put them
together like this:
1-2-3-4-5----6-7-8-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
/i/---------------------------------------
This indicates the scale pattern on the top and the vowel which you sing
on the exercise on the bottom.
The key with these exercises, which are not extraordinary in and of
themselves, is the way that they are done.
When you sing the above exercise, it must be done so that you sing up to
the 5th moderately slowly, sustain and crescendo and then continue
through the rest of the scale faster than the first part. The key is
that *nothing moves* during the rest of the scale after the 5th.
Everything you need for the top is present in the notes before. You
stay in the position of the 5th. You feel the top already in the 5th.
The space is there, the forward quality is there, the breath is under
you in a buoyant manner and you go... no change, no switch, no
manipulation. Try to feel nothing in the throat, but imagine that the
sound originates from the ridge just behind the front teeth. The larynx
is low and stable. *If you are male, I believe that you must cover in
the passaggio or you will not have a top. Sorry to those who don't
believe in it, but I believe it is a fact of life. If you sing wide
open all the way up you will spread and get into vocal problems. I have
never seen or heard anyone who successfully managed to sing wide open
and have a reliable top. I have seen first hand the destruction of a
professional tenor who did not cover and had to back out of contracts
with major opera companies in order to go off and fix his voice.*
Tenors can try /i/ in the top if it helps them.
Here we go.
1-2-3-4-5-----6-7-8-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
i -------- i,e,a----------------------------
When changing vowels on a sustained note, each vowel must be very, very
close to the other. Tiny changes occur from i to e to a. Some find it
easier to sing i e O, because it stays in line better. "Morph" the
vowels one into the next.
If you open your mouth too far in the middle of your voice, you will
lose some of the resonance of the i vowel. See how much you can get the
i vowel to seem pointed, condensed, laser beam while keeping the jaw
relaxed and uninvolved in the sound.
A word about the jaw: Let it go, don't hold it. You don't need it to
be tight to make vowels. If you can literally let it hang there like
the "idiot jaw" and sing, then your true sound will emerge. It is not
involved.
The scales above can be extended so that you go to the 11th but only
after you master the concept that nothing changes drastically in the
throat as you ascend. You are not forcing the larynx down either.
You can repeat the 5th and trick yourself into staying low and stable as
you ascend. Keep it the same.
1-2-3-4-5, 1-2-3-4-5, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
i --------a i---------a i--------a----------------------------
You can mix up the vowels, too. Do it all on i. Do i, e. Do just a.
Do i, o etc. etc.
The key is to set up everything in a low, comfortable, stable way and
keep doing what you do for the top.
If you are a singer who covers, do it early. Don't wait to do it on the
last note.
Done correctly, these scales sung in this manner will feel extremely
easy. You will be surprised because all of the sudden you will be at
your former trouble spot and think... woah, that felt low and easy.
Sopranos may want to try the /ae/ vowel as in "cat" on the very top.
A great exercise which helps you find your whole range is where you sing
first on a very loose dropped jaw NG and then repeat the same pattern on
/a/
For example:
Bb major arpeggio Bb D F Bb D F Eb C A F Eb C Bb
Breath support: For a great description, go to
http://www.voiceperformance.com/Technq3.htm
Thank you for your time.
As always, if you are interested, you can call me and I am willing to
demonstrate. Let me know and I'll email individually.
Gina
|
|
|  |
