First, concentrate on NOT starting the sound in the throat. Avoid using a
glottal "stroke" to start the sound.
Instead, think about starting the sound by having the diaphragm push down.
Alternately (or in addition) try slightly compressing the buttocks right
between your thighs (a kind of "flick" of the muscle is all you need). If
this doesn't help, think about slightly pulling in and up on the lower
abdomen, just above the pubic bone - just a little "tuck" to "launch" the
sound.
At the same time, focus on keeping the mouth as closed as possible. If
it's the lower "break" you're singing on, the mouth should be able to be
very closed and still produce the "ah" vowel (the lower you sing, the
narrower your idea of the vowel sound should be). Also think about
"aiming" the sound at your front teeth, so you feel it vibrating there and
in your nose, rather than farther back under the soft palate (which is
where the dark "ah" loves to lurk). From a diction perspective, think
about brightening the "ah" to be less Italianate and more French.
Also concentrate on how you take the breath: or more accurately, how you
*allow* the breath in. Time your release (relaxation of jaw, abdomen, etc.
to allow the breath to fill the vacuum) according to the pulse in the
music and the length of the phrase you're about to sing, for example, if
the piece is in 4/4, with the first note on the first beat of the
you might plan your breath as follows:
1-2-3-4, 1-2-release-fill, sing-2-3-4
What you must avoid is breathing too early, so that you're sitting there
holding onto the breath waiting to start singing - which will encourage a
kind of breathy release. Alternately, you mustn't breathe too late because
you will tend to gulp the breath in throatily, which will also encourage a
breathy release on the first note.
Karen Mercedes
............................
NEIL SHICOFF pages
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/shicoff/shicoff.html
My Own Website
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Singers are often so fired up after a +
+ a performance, they want sex instantly. +
+ - Jilly Cooper, SCORE! +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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