Opera Singers: Choose Sides in the PLACEMENT WAR!
Вставка
- Опубліковано 26 чер 2024
- Everyone talks about chiaroscuro, but how come very few singers achieve such a skilled level of balance in their singing? It seems there are bright/forward singers that have a lot of tension and nasality. Then there are the back/throaty singers who have a different type of tension. Where are the dark & clear voices?!?
Luckily, there is another way to study operatic technique. The old-school method that avoids all the confusion about placement in the first place.
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
And yes, there are vibrations that singers feel. The issue is that if you feel the vibration a certain way, you might inadvertently assume that all singers should feel it the same way you do. That is why trying to "place" the voice in the body is an ineffective way to teach. Teaching a student how to develop muscles will be more helpful and then they can learn how they feel the vibrations in their own way!
Modern teaching has misinterpreted the term chiaroscuro for dark and bright, a balance of the two, when in reality, it refers to the voice having clarity/core AND depth, proper darkness because of the resonance in the throat. No nasality/brightness, no throaty, depressed larynx, etc.
EXACTLY! It can be very confusing when we all use the same/similar terms, but mean them in different ways. But that is a very succinct way of describing it!
The facial gestures you post are SO true.
A facial gesture definitely does not EQUAL a specific sound, but it can definitely INFLUENCE a sound!
If only it were as simple as you make it sound!
Right?!?! 😭 Singing is SOOOOO hard to learn. But it can be a joyful process as well. One of self-discovery! I hope you are finding joy in your singing journey 🥰
Nice video! Yes I agree ! The correct way is in the middle. Free singing with loose lips, no tension, a slight smile, then the voice finds its correct place without having to mess too much with it. The tongue should be high in the back of the throat and the tip loosely down in front close to if not touching the bottom teeth ( which should really be unseen!) Those old singers sang on resonance and not force! Thank you again for your very wonderful videos. I wish i could meet you in person and hear your examples live because you even hear some things i might be missing.
Thanks for your vote of confidence! You have such knowledge, I'd love to hear you sing sometime!
Wonderful video! I notice these differences when you describe each approach. Grace Moore is delightful! A video on timbre would be so neat also.
Thank you for your kind words and feedback. And yes, Grace Moore is a gem 😍
This is a wonderful channel that pursues a natural sound overall. The mouth, nasal cavity, and mask should all remain relaxed. I completely agree with this approach. However, I have some opinions about your description. Her voice (breath) is not directed to the face, and the facial muscles do not contract to bring the sound back to the correct position. This description is somewhat like the human concept of covering the sound. Pavarotti often said that the sound should not be above the vocal cords, that the vowel 'a' does not sound good when sung openly, so he suggested that students, like him, direct the sound to the nasal cavity and forehead to make it softer. This is fundamentally incorrect. My description is that, at the 0:33 mark, she does not use any facial muscles but mixes the sound below the vocal cords and then sends it out. This is the method advocated by Caruso.
I watched your channel, and within less than a minute, I could see that you are very professional and knowledgeable. I admire you greatly. I suggest that today’s tenors should watch your channel because most of them are using incorrect singing methods.
Thank you so much for your support! And thanks for your detailed comment 😍
If any singer today sang like the last example I am 100% that people would say she is screaming, or belting. I’m not saying she is, I love that sound, it’s just not todays taste, I believe. Then I guess my question would be: with taste changing, should vocal technique be following it?
Good video. However I think it is important to note that placement as a whole doesn't exactly exist. You can't 'place' the voice. Placement as a concept is a visual tool for students to understand complex ways of coordinating the voice easier. Mental trick in a sense.
Thanks for your comment. That is exactly right! Placement doesn't exist except as a mental tool. Mental tools (or tricks) can be helpful at times, but it can only be helpful in the long run if the student knows why it is helpful. Thanks for being here!
If your breathing is correct (deep into the lower back), the larynx lowers and mask resonance happens automatically. The goal shouldn't be conscious "placement" of the voice. You should be establishing the conditions for optimal resonance on the inhale.
I completely agree about starting from the breath! Thanks for your comment!
I still think that the concept of mask resonance is only peripherally helpful for many singers. Thinking of tone in the mask is basically a trick, and doesn't help the singer to know physiologically what is happening or what they can do. It is a sensation, and a sensation that all singers experience in different ways. If teachers aren't VERY CLEAR about how to achieve resonance, as opposed to how to feel resonance, singers can get very confused.
@@evan-dunn I've definitely used it with good success in the past. It's just all too easy to get sloppy and have the larynx start riding up. Anchoring the voice in the sternum has worked wonders for me, honestly.
@@deathrattle216 That's awesome! Congrats on all your hard work with your voice. I hope you are finding so much joy in your singing ❤
Lack of depth making the voice sound metallic. 🤯 Never knew that caused metallic sound. Wow!
Right?!?!
I like Florez's Version he is a lovely Tosca.........
😍A leggiero/spinto countertenoprano! 🤣
The explanation of knödel could be clearer. I thought there was nasality involved with knödel.
There is! It is essentially tongue tension, but I like to think of it as blending fake darkness with fake clarity. Some people tend to hear a knödel as very bright, others hear it as very dark. But the sound in the video is nasal!
You mean that the singer is pressing down their larynx (not throat), yes?
I think I meant pressing the tongue down into the throat, but that equates to a depressed larynx, yes. Thanks for clarifying!
What is "thick"?
Absence of core, fake darkness, woofiness
What is vocal "warmth"? That term seems so relative.
Great question, you could equate it with depth if that resonates with you! Some people think of warmth as a sort of fake darkness like a sound with no core.
@@evan-dunn for instance, opera critics classify Nilsson's Turandot as icy/cold, the opposite of "warm".
@@danielhanson3200 There are definitely different timbres for sure! Those are more natural to an individual.
They say Tebaldi had a warmer voice than Callas, and both had a lot of balance and clarity, just different timbres.
But EVERY voice should be clear and dark (warm???) regardless of their natural timbre.
You lose all credibility when you use Radvanovsky and Gheorghiu as 2 singers who did not have "operatic technique."
Thanks for your comment! It is my job as a teacher to help my students hear the difference between all types of singers, even the most successful ones. All professional singers have gifted instruments, but they all have varying levels of technique. Some are better trained than others!
That being said, all singers have lovely things to offer and I applaud them all for their bravery in taking the stage and sharing their artistic voices with us. So I am not afraid to critique any person's technique if it will help me or my students to discover more vocal freedom.
And while I might have lost credibility in your eyes, there are many people who view me as more credible because of the technique I teach. Sorry my content wasn't helpful for you! I hope you have a lovely week!