Isabelle's post made me wonder about another issue.
From a singer's standpoint, is it okay to be muscular-
at least in the abdominal area? I've heard that
getting a washboard stomach would make the diaphragm
less inclined to work well. Is this true? I know it
isn't good to carry a large stomach, but is it equally
as bad to have a sculpted stomach?
--- Isabelle Bracamonte <ibracamonte@y...> wrote:
>
> I've found that singers generally have three methods
> of support -- "in and up," "down and out," or
> "appoggio" as defined by Dr. Hanson (since, like
> "bel
> canto," most teachers call their method appoggio,
> whatever it happens to be).
>
> It seems to me, just from talking to people and
> reading, that more women use "in and up" and more
> men
> use "down and out," and that the appoggio technique
> is
> spread evenly across the board. I have heard
> fabulous
> singers who do all three -- some started out with
> appoggio but found it too "still," or found the
> inhalation feeling carried too much tension, and
> improved tremendously by applying abdominal support
> one way or another. Some get into the habit of
> abusing the first two ways in rigorous, punchy ways,
> and so find freedom when they switch to the
> appoggio.
>
> How to define them? From my own experience and
> experimentation, I feel like "in and up" involves
> pulling the lower abs in, then breathing down low
> and
> expanding the ribs and back out in all directions,
> then singing -- keeping the abs firm and pulled in
> (almost like you're wringing a towel) and (this is
> the
> hard part) keeping the ribs expanded as you sing. I
> feel like "down and out" is when you breath deeply
> (relaxed), belly expands with breath, and then you
> feel a steady push outward of the lower abs as you
> sing. I feel like the appoggio method is about
> taking
> a moderately-full breath, then concentrating on the
> stillness of the position (not moving the muscles
> either in or out), and feeling like you're sucking
> the
> air back in, as you sing. It does feel remarkably
> like a soft, moist breath.
>
> I personally, at this stage in my development, find
> the appoggio method works best in my middle range,
> and
> the "in and up" method gives me the needed breath
> pressure in forte top notes.
>
> Maybe as I develop more, I will switch around. But
> good singers use all three approaches (and I'm sure
> there are combinations and other ideas), so I
> wouldn't
> say that one is definitive and the others will serve
> you less.
>
> Isabelle B.
>
> =====
> Isabelle Bracamonte
> San Francisco, CA
> ibracamonte@y...
>
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________
>
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