Dear Taylor:
Your description of what Garcia calls "falsetto" as listed below is
the same description of this "falsetto" as found in the writings of
Cornelius Reed with whom, I believe, you did some study. Basically
it is a use of the voice in its middle range with minimal, if any,
medial closure of the vocal folds and a high air flow past the folds
to induce minimal oscillation. Of course the lower one attempts this
kind of phonation, the more likely it will resemble the sound of a
low flute because, basically, the tone is being produced by a
standing wave formation in the vocal tract that is not a result of
vocal fold oscillation at these lower pitches. At high airflow rates
with the cords relaxed as they would be for the low pitch but not in
oscillation, the airway creates a series of eddys that induces the
standing wave.
I have no problem with using this technique to induce a "slam" into
complete vocal fold oscillation from relatively inert vocal fold
function but I find it unnecessary in all but the most tense vocal
production corrections. I applaud you for the clarity of your
explanation of this technique. However it is not the same as my
suggestion of using the modern definition of falsetto (that high male
voice that resembles a female voice) and yodeling two octaves
downward into a complete chest voice as a measure designed to
encourage a more complete release of the vocal folds and the
resultant production of a more resonant low voice.
I am sure you will enjoy your work with Oren Brown as you have with
Ingo Titze and others. The Vocalogy course sounds like a good one.
Brown will show you his techniques for solving most vocal problems by
using the "modern" form of falsetto to reduce vocal tension and
maintain good "flow phonation". I will be interested in your
response to his work.
>Lloyd wrote:
>
>>In addition to this, the
>> falsetto use I am suggestion is at least mezzo forte in volume with
>a
>> resultant substantial sub-glottal pressure and the chest voice
>which
>> appears does not have as strong a sense of sub-glottal pressure.
>
> Dear Lloyd, Randy, and Reg
>
> I really enjoyed the posts on lower register guys! I would like
>to add a few things to the good stuff already said. The falsetto
>which Lloyd mentions above is what I would term the "singy falsetto"
>or closed chink falsetto. However, that falsetto is not the same
>type of falsetto which Garica advocated. We must keep in mind that
>contemporary pedagogy considers the "falsetto" to be merely a "pitch"
>related event. With regards to historical practice, this was simply
>NOT the case. Falsetto was regarded primarily as a "registrational"
>event. Check out Garcia's brilliant register model from his Treatise
>and notice that Garcia places the falsetto IN THE MIDDLE of the chest
>and head register....not, for example near the top of the male
>register, which is where we place it today. Garcia's likens the
>falsetto voice to "the low tones of a flute." Furthermore, he
>believes that the falsetto extends in the male voice to A (below mid
>C) and perhaps below. Try this: Sing five tones down from say,
>tenor High G and use a very breathy, non-vibrant, "AH" vowel to do
>so...and do not add any chest register. Then take this exercise all
>the way down to maybe G below middle C as the bottom pitch. Doesn't
>the sound which comes out resemble the falsetto which Garcia likens
>to the low tones of a flute?....to my ear it certainly does. The
>problem we have today is with terminology....and unfortunately until
>people dive into the historical literature...these problems simply
>will not go away.
> The "yodeling" exercise which Lloyd spoke of is an excellent way
>to practice the switch between the registers. This practice which
>Steve Austin called "breaking-out", was a major part of my work with
>him. Also, this practice was written about in a book by a voice
>teacher of the 19th century named Bassini. I actually have some
>actual exercises from this book. They are primarily based on this
>yodeling idea. There will be a book coming out on Bassini's vocal
>method and how it relates to historical pedagogy within the next few
>years.
> All is going well at the Vocology Institute. Oren Brown will be
>arriving soon. Dr. Titze is currently helping me tweak a manuscript
>of mine which is currently in review for publication and I'm very
>thankful for his input.
>
> Keep these posts coming gents!
>
>Taylor L. Ferranti
>DMA Candidate in Voice Science/Performance
>Louisiana State University
>
>
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the
><http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>Yahoo! Terms of Service.
--
Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA
Professor of Voice and Vocal Pedagogy, Emeritus
Director of Opera-Theatre, 1987-1997
School of Performing Arts
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ
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