Vocalist.org archive


From:  "Lloyd W. Hanson" <lloyd.hanson@n...>
"Lloyd W. Hanson" <lloyd.hanson@n...>
Date:  Wed Nov 29, 2000  3:40 am
Subject:  Re: Breathing question (or HELP ME, IAN!!)


Hello Sandra

This is a short reply and I do not pretend that it will solve all of your
problems but for what it is worth:

You obviously are maintaining a substantial amount of tension during your
exhale as you sing. Try to be concerned only with taking an easy inhale
with some sense of a slight elevation of the rib cage. This can be done
with your arms raised over the head to help you establish the feeling of a
raising of the sternum and rib cage. As you then lower the arms to your
sides try to maintain the elevated position of the rib cage that results
from your raising your arms.

You are now in maximum inhalation position and you have a substantial supply
of air. As you begin singing imagine that you are only trying to expel
warm moist air through your throat. Check for this small amount of warm
moist air with your fingers almost touching your lips. It is this air that
is best for the proper natural function of the vocal folds.

If you do this you will discover that you are still in an inhalation
position of the rib cage and thorax. This is the position that you should
want to maintain during the balance of your sung phrase without the need to
ever have to "squeeze" the air out during singing.

I would also develop the skill of a correct onset of tone that is neither
breathy nor glottal but simply a clear, well defined beginning of tone.
This should be followed with a definite offset of tone which will set up
the correct breath response for the next inhale. Onset and offset
exercises are the most time honored and efficient method of learning both
breath management and correct phonation and have been used by singers for
over 300 years. If you wish to find exercises for these methods I strongly
suggest Millers' Structure of singing.

The point at which you find a new inhalation difficult can be helped greatly
if you provide a strong offset for your final note of the phrase before the
breath. This offset will set you up for the correct inhalation of breath
and will remove the need for other manipulation that you describe in your
e-mail

Good luck on this venture and let me know how you fare with it all.


Regards
--
Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA
Professor of Voice, Vocal Pedagogy
School of Performing Arts
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011


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