Vocalist.org archive


<
From:  Greypins@a...
Greypins@a...
Date:  Sat Dec 8, 2001  9:05 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] balanced onset; does it really exist?


In a message dated 12/8/2001 3:06:24 AM Eastern Standard Time,
lloyd.hanson@n... writes:
lloyd.hanson@n... writes:

<< The idea is a bit daunting and researchers have spent no little
amount of time trying to determine exactly how such a beginning of
tone can occur. In fact, at one time a well respected voice
scientist (Husson) proposed an unusual hypothesis known as the
neurochronaxic theory that postulated the vocal vocal folds are set
into oscillation by neural impulses and thus are not dependent on air
flow at all! >>

lloyd,

i am assuming husson was unable to prove his hypothesis? at any rate,
for a 'balanced onset', using 'balance' in the true sense of the word, there
would have to be a simultaneous start of the breath and an independent start
to the oscillation of the folds (in that case, to be thourough, we'd have to
know at which point the breath took over the oscillation of the folds and how
that turnover affected the sound).

<< For singers there is no need to be so archly concerned. The
simultaneous beginning of breath and tone is their goal if they are
to obtain the most efficient and healthy oscillation of the vocal
folds for singing. >>

i agree singers need not concern themselves so. additionally, as much
of the control of the laryngeal muscles exists on a sub-proprioceptive level,
the singer can only use such information to target a feel. and, when put in
simple terms like 'see if you can start the sound and the breath at the same
time', most students can understand the task fairly easily. putting it into
practice, in my experience, is not always immediate for them and a minority
seem to have difficulty with it. this minority who have the difficulty,
almost always, seem to err on the side of an aspirated attack. (in
anticipation of the question; the only time i work on such an onset with my
students is when they are doing exercises that start on a vowel. otherwise,
when working on a song, the model for the onset, generally, is how the
student would speak the word.)

'efficient' and 'healthy' are seperate, though not necessarily different,
concerns from artistic satisfaction. 'efficient' and 'healthy' are also
seperate concerns (kerry wood, for example). although, i tend to think of
'efficient' as relative to the 'artistic' goal, as in, was the chosen method
the most efficient way to accomplish the artistic goals. i don't think of
any vocalism as an absolute with regard to efficiency.

'healthy' is a little closer to being an absolute if we think of healthy
as having longevity with less decline in the condition of the voice than is
even inevitable with age. again, 'healthy' can sometimes be the direct
opposite to artistic satifaction. some fires burn so brilliantly, they can
only last a very short time, while others are boring as hell forever.

mike

emusic.com