David:
This is an idea from G.B Lamperti that I didn't understand until I
heard the teacher Alan Lindquest using it with a student. By thinking
of starting with the air in the mouth you won't overblow the cords
apart by thinking of putting air through the glottis from below.
There is also the subtle act of the cords approximating more cleanly
before the start of tone. This is not just an image either. If the
air in the mouth moves it has to be replaced by air below it which
escapes through the glottis. (You want to let the voice to take the
breath it needs, not impose your own ideas upon it) This is a very
useful idea to achieve balance between breath flow and vocal fold
vibration. It is important to remember that the folds instinctivly
separate with exhalation, and go close together for phonation. You
can't do both at the same time. Yet the throat should feel as free
during phonation as it does in easy breathing. I think of it as
pulling a thread of breath though the glottis rather than just a
regular exhalation. If there is too much breath the throat will
unconsciously constrict to keep the cords close to phonate. Then you
have a constricted throat with the corresponding tonal quality. That
is why many times when a student tries to use more breath to release
the throat, the problem gets worse. The throat constricts because of
too much breath as well as too little. Tough situation. It is a very
fine tuned act that requires a high level of coordination, much like
tight-rope walking. Whistling is a similar act in that if you use to
much wild air it will disturb the tone, and it seems as if you are
starting with the air already in your mouth. Caruso and Pavarotti are
two singers I know of that are notorious whistlers. Perhap bacause of
the breath coordination and balance it requires. It seems to
slenderize the breath stream to achieve the thread of tone that makes
singing easy. I hope this helps clairify my meaning. Thank you for
your reply.
Michael Mayer
--- In vocalist-temporary@y..., "David Grogan" < --- In vocalist-temporary@y..., "David Grogan" < > Michael M said:
> "If you start your tone with just the air already in your mouth,
smoothly,
> you will not use too much."
>
> Michael, I agreed with much of what you said in your post, but I
can't agree
> with the statement above. The tone we make as singers occurs as
air passes
> through the glottis. There is no way that the air in your mouth
could
> initiate a singing tone.
>
> Thanks for the post...I am looking forward to visiting your site!
>
> David Grogan
> East Texas Baptist University
> Marshall, Texas
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