"Tip Of The Month"
"Love
Is An Open Door"
Howard Richman, Lyrics by Ron Miller
Sung by Richard Fredricks -
LISTEN
>>
(May take a moment to load)
MAY 2010
Sorry to be so
late ... to much
travel and
‘stuff” on my
plate,
apparently.
When last we
‘met,’ I was
again pounding
the importance
of SUPPORT:
the engine that
drives the
machine/voice!
On a daily
basis, I am
reminded by a
few of those who
cross my
threshold of how
important it is
to have the mind
centered/focused
on the job set
before them.
Although I ask
everyone to get
the voice up and
running before
coming in ...
Energy! Had a
tough night,
someone ran over
your toe with a
bicycle? You
just don’t have
the luxury to
make excuses
when you arrive
at the theater
and people are
paying $100 a
ticket or more.
Are you standing
tall, for a pop
- rest, then the
kick in of your
Belly Button to
overcome the
body’s natural
tendency to
remain at rest!
Do you just
stand there,
legs akimbo
waiting for the
first tennis
serve across the
net ... or are
you dancing on
the balls of
your feet,
spinning the
racquet in your
hands, ready to
take a shot with
forehand or
backhand?
Singing is
“work!” As it
would
occasionally
happen, I would
arrive a few
minutes late to
a rehearsal,
throw off my
jacket and begin
a full out scene
of a major
opera. Ya gots
to come in like
a herd of
turtles, no
holds barred.
I always try to
insert my
disclaimer that,
although
‘natural
singers’ usually
have the
‘support thing’
easier by a ton
... most who
really want it
are up to the
task of making
it quasi-natural
in fairly short
order.
Energy! I had a
couple in from
England Saturday
and Sunday and
he simply could
not look at
himself in the
mirror! Most
folk have
trouble with
this initially,
but learn with
time and
practice that
their best
friend, when I’m
not around, is
the bright and
shiny face in
the mirror.
Apart from the
slightly long
and
narrow–oval–shape
of the mouth,
top lip
down–which
dramatically
helps the focus
and consistent
quality of the
tone, it allows
one to see the
power and
“relaxed
intensity” (a
paradox ...
quack quack) of
their
commitment. Most
of all ... it
serves to center
the coordination
which sends the
tone ... WAY
OVER THERE!
Axiom: If the
throat is open
... the flexible
breath support
must be full and
continuous, in
order to keep it
that way
throughout each
phrase!
Following the
pop rest, at the
beginning of
every phrase–the
rest of your
life–the BB
gives a small
crisp kick to
start the
impulse air ...
and continues
the flow,
lifting and
growing with
each high note
... always
finishing the
phrase with a
last kick in ...
to be able to
pop and rest!
(The pop and
rest does three
things; 1. It
reverses the air
through the open
throat that
stops the tone
2. The ‘pop out’
allows for the
rest–the purging
of accumulated
tension and 3.
The lungs are
full ... (See
the footnotes.)
That is the
Fredricks
Breathing
Technique™! You
don’t have
to BREATHE!|
The air comes in
all by itself
... if you pop
your BB out and
let go!
However, most
singers stop the
sound by
slightly closing
their respective
throats, then
open them enough
to pull the air
in through an
approximated
aperture–which
you and the
audience/microphone–hear,
then following
it with the next
phrase. But,
since it was
already time to
sing again ...
were you able to
purge the body
of accumulated
tension. Of
course not!
My technique
makes the lifted
last note of the
phrase stronger,
stops the sound
cleanly, as the
BB pops out and
the lungs fill
all by
themselves,
instantaneously.
Physic 101:
That’s because
there is 14.7
pounds per
square inch of
atmospheric
pressure on
everything in
the world at sea
level. That’s
how you get air
... you don’t
have to pull in
every breath, do
you? Of course
not ... it comes
in as fast as
you need it,
whether you are
sitting, walking
or running, the
diaphragm
lowers, the
bottom of the
lungs open more
... air fills
the increased
space ... and
your lungs are
filled ...
instantaneously!
You don’t have
to pull air in!
Write it down!
But, virtually
all singers do!
I say,
“virtually all”
because my
students use the
extra time saved
... to allow the
body to
quasi-relax,
purging the body
of accumulated
tension.
Accumulated
Tension” is that
thing that has
tightened your
throat and body,
by the time you
try to sing the
high note on
page six of an
aria or song.
Keep this in
mind when
singing ... the
soft palate
should always be
up/high ...
particularly ...
are you ready
for this ...
particularly as
you are singing
down the scale.
This is for the
sopranos with no
low voice of
which to speak!
You are not
aware of it, but
as you sing
lower you
usually are
closing your
mouth as well as
your throat. You
must lengthen
you jaw and
allow the throat
to stay open as
you descend.
“But, but ... I
lose the focus
and the tone
gets all airy!’
I hear you
shouting back at
me. Not if you
keep the vowels
focused in the
honk by nudging
the arch of your
tongue forward,
as you descend.
You must
increase the
upandforward
arch to keep the
vowel pure–where
have I heard
that before? (Oh
yeah ... you
also do that as
you go up
through your
high notes!)
Listen to the
intensity and
quality of the
vowel on the
recording– you
ARE
recording your
works sessions,
aren’t you? If
the pure E with
which you
started your
descent
progresses
through A IH AH
...you weren’t
moving the arch
of the tongue
forward ...
which you must
do to keep the
vowel pure.
Listen for the
buzz the
slightly
metallic spin in
the tone to keep
it pure ... and
you’ll pick up
an extra usable
fifth on the
bottom ...
