Dear Leslie, Peggy et al,
Leslie (excellent name by the way) asked a very interesting question.
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Leslie: If singers have jaw tension because we use the jaw for
support/articulation, then doesn't it stand to reason that we would
also have jaw tension in our speech? And if so, wouldn't this make it
more difficult to get rid of, since we speak more than we sing(?)
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Of course there are exceptions to anything but I usually find that
what people do intuitively when they speak is pretty relaxed and
often too relaxed. Diane is exactly right when she talks about
stretching (and thus resonating) vowels to maximum effect while using
consonants to launch vowels and crisply articulate speech. But that
though indirectly related does not affect jaw tension that much.
There are other aspects of vocal production that I believe can help
us eliminate non-essential tension (as in jaw tension). In teaching
onsets and breath management, I've found it helpful for the singer to
spend some time getting a feel for what they do naturally when they
speak. Many of the old school Italians say to "sing as you speak" but
other than that very broad and vague statement, don't give us much
detail to go on. I think they're right, but not always and under
every circumstance and that we need to be more specific in
approaching that advice. In any case, we should approach any
challenge with systematically and with good sense.
Awareness:
We must first be aware of a problem in order to do anything about it.
Sometimes a single sense (vision, hearing, tactation) is not enough
to make us aware of how our bodies are really doing something. But if
we confirm what we sense with one form of feedback using another form
of feedback, our chances of understanding are more than doubled.
In matters of body position (posture, tension, etc.) a mirror (full
length) works wonders by providing visual verification of what is or
isn't felt and or heard. Generally speaking, the more kinds of
feedback we use the better as long as we can make sense of them. I
often suggest to people to pay attention to how they do things when
they are un-self-conscious as in normal speech. How do they breathe
when they speak? What are their bodies doing when they start to
speak? What is their body doing when they start to make a sound? What
is their posture - in detail? We should be aware of head, face, jaw,
tongue, neck, shoulders, torso, hips, and leg positions, but only so
that we can maximize their function. Self-awareness and self-
consciousness are not the same things. The goal is to be free to
function and that can often be seen, felt and heard in normal speech.
Regards,
Les.
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