23 August, 2006

technique of the week

I will now attempt to describe the magic that occured in my lessons today and yesterday- the first in two months since this summer program.

1. On a supported 'ng', sing a note with one nostril blocked. Feel that point right in the middle of the forehead? And that buzzing in the top of the nose? And how the eyes are engaged?
Now sing any vowel, word, note, etc. It shall thenceforth sound as resonant and supported and free as it will ever be.

note to self: stop cheating and making up voices to try to achieve that same sound- because you can achieve that same sound, but not that feeling of ring/buzz/freedom any other way but the right way.

2. Starting on an A below middle C, sing in speaking voice: Ah, eh, Ee, Oh, Oo (on C, D,C,D,C) just the last Ooh. Go up lightly by halfsteps to the F above middle C, slowly adding the "singing" voice into the "spoken" voice.
From nowforth warming up low will completely make the extreme high Q's and the usually weird passagio middle seem like angel food cake melting in my mouth.

There were about 4 more that did the trick as well, but in the end it was me who realized that there are no tricks, there is just singing freely, and understanding what that feeling is. I can oversupport, undersupport, oversing, undersing, chew words, have lazy vowels- and I do all of these things for the sound that I think my head is what is coming out of my mouth. But what I have to do is totally trust in that original free sound first, not what I think I have to do to make it.
What I really have to do is nothing- just let the voice be, smile in the eyes, and love what I do.

g

1 comment:

Gregory said...

Don't you hate it when bitches don't comment on your breakthrough!!!

I've been trying out some of your stuff this week, and No. 1 has been a great help. I have to be beaten over and over into rememebering that supported and free doesn't necessarily mean loud in my head. Just so long as it's loud out there, right?

GP