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From:  gwyee@r...
gwyee@r...
Date:  Thu Feb 1, 2001  6:44 am
Subject:  PED--The upper break


Dear List,

While it's very quiet out there in Vocalist-land, perhaps it is a good time
to ask my question regarding the upper passagio. As I recall from several
previous posts, it's certain there are some whose voices are completely
"seamless" from bottom to top with only one register spanning the entire
vocal range. Unfortunately, I am not one of those lucky people but have a
definite "zona" between approx C#4 to the F#-G above it. Going up through
it doesn't seem to be a problem; but descending down through the upper
passagio point, especially repeatedly and rapidly, has been the cause of a
great deal of work. ie.,--"yodel-city".

At one lesson when I was tired of struggling with a melisma that went up and
down over and over through my upper passagio, and feeling more than a little
whiney about it, my teacher said to me "You must keep working on this;
because if you don't master this, I'll have to start training you as a
baritone!" A week later, the morning of my next lesson I woke up suddenly
able to siren down through the upper break without a single hitch. Not
wanting to lose this I practiced it over and over...for 3 hours. [I guess I
got a little obsessed with it]. That afternoon, at the beginning of the
lesson, I showed my teacher. Said I: "See what I can do now?!" Said he:
"Good!-but I think you've trashed your voice. Go home and don't sing for 4
days."

For me, it seemed I had to tilt my larynx forward and to modify the vowel to
a brighter more forward sound. Paradoxically, it feels a little like the
first half of a swallowing motion. Not sure if this makes sense. It seems
the converse of what I had thought one was supposed to do. So I was
wondering what experience(s) other singers have had; and what the Pedagogues
think. What exercises can one do to ensure that the upper break transition
remains smooth seamless under any conditions? Thanks for reading this and
sorry if it's an old topic, but I can't seem to access the old Vocalist
archives anymore.

GWendel





  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date Size
8962 Re: PED--The upper break buzzcen@a...   Thu  2/1/2001   3 KB
8964 Re: PED--The upper break Gina   Thu  2/1/2001   5 KB
8965 Re: PED--The upper break Greypins@a...   Thu  2/1/2001   3 KB
8966 Re: PED--The upper break Reg Boyle   Thu  2/1/2001   2 KB
8970 Re: PED--The upper break gwyee@r...   Fri  2/2/2001   3 KB
8971 Re: PED--The upper break Gina   Fri  2/2/2001   2 KB
8975 Re: PED--The upper break gwyee@r...   Fri  2/2/2001   4 KB
8980 Re: PED--The upper break Greypins@a...   Fri  2/2/2001   2 KB
8993 Re: PED--The upper break Mezzoid@a...   Fri  2/2/2001   3 KB

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