Vocalist.org archive


From:  Gina <classicalsinger@e...>
Gina <classicalsinger@e...>
Date:  Fri Jan 26, 2001  3:38 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] chest voice exercises and rep specifics


These are great, Isabelle. Thanks for posting them.
My former teacher gave me some chest voice exercises which are also on a
1-2-3-2-1 pattern but you do it twice, first on /ae/ and then /a/. He
also had me do an octave leap /a/ to /u/ back down on /a/, checking to
make sure the larynx doesn't pop up on the octave... naughty little
devil. We generally at that time never took chest past a D just above
middle C.

I typically use chest two ways.
1. For effect. When I sing "Tu, che le vanità" I use chest like this:
In the following section, ALL of the C#s will be in chest voice (not
open, raw chest, it is still a mix!)

Tu, che le vanità conoscesti del mondo
e godi nell'avel il riposo profondo

I choose to do it that way because my teacher and coach suggest I do it
like I am almost demanding to be heard. Very trumpet like.

In the section that follows, I use a lighter, headier mix on the C#'s
because it is more imploring and vulnerable.

The text is:
S'ancor si piange in cielo,
piangi sul mio dolore,
e porta il pianto mio
al trono del Signor

2. I use chest voice strategically depending on where the phrase is
going.

If it is ascending, most likely I won't use a heavy chest mix.
If it lands right on it, and it's emotionally charged, I will use a
heavier chest mix.
If part of the line is very low but it goes higher, I will mix head
voice in and switch early.
If it is parlando and low, I will use it.
If it is parlando and higher than D or Eb, E is pushing it so probably
not... otherwise too dangerous for the voice (IMO)

On the Aida arias, like Ritorna Vincitor, the first line will have no
chest voice.
Ritorna vincitor...
e dal mio labbro usci l'empia parola!
(chest voice can be used here depending on the singer. Leontine Price
uses it but others don't.)
Vincitor del padre mio - di lui che impugna l'armi per me
(That line is going up and it is more tender because she is thinking of
her beloved daddy, so I don't use chest.)

Arpeggiated figures are easy to chest the bottom. Fiordiligi can and
should use chest voice in her arias... even Donna Anna can use chest
voice at key points in the drama. No higher than E natural, though...
Donna Elvira - I don't think that her aria "Ah, che mi dici mai quel
barbaro dov'è..." ever goes low enough to warrant the use of heavy chest
mix... I will have to check the score.

In Dich, theure Halle, I don't actually use much chest. It really isn't
the style, even when it goes to a D on "zog aus mir."

The key to coordinating the transition between chest mix and middle mix
is to be able to take the head voice - the lighter mechanism - down as
low as possible. Then the light mechanism is present in the sound and
can even dominate the sound when you have to ascend, minimizing or
eliminating the glitch/gear shift. Lifting the upper lip off the front
teeth may help this, as Isabelle mentioned.

Gina







  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date Size
8818 Re: chest voice exercises and rep specifics Peter Louis van Dijk   Sat  1/27/2001   3 KB
8819 Verdi thomas mark montgomery   Sat  1/27/2001   2 KB
8820 Re: Verdi Lisa M. Nuske   Sat  1/27/2001   3 KB
8822 Re: Verdi thomas mark montgomery   Sat  1/27/2001   2 KB
8873 Verdi, a personal view John Alexander Blyth   Mon  1/29/2001   3 KB
8830 Re: Verdi Lee Morgan   Sat  1/27/2001   3 KB
8831 Re: Verdi Lee Morgan   Sat  1/27/2001   25 KB
8867 Re: Verdi Karen Mercedes   Mon  1/29/2001   4 KB
8823 Re: chest voice exercises and rep specifics Lloyd W. Hanson   Sat  1/27/2001   5 KB

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