Tensionness
Sorry for taking so long to update, but I got back rather late both Friday and Saturday evenings.
I had just about the worst lesson I've ever had on Friday. It probably didn't help that my accompanist had to catch a flight and couldn't make it. I've known for quite a while that tension is the name of the game--i.e., relieving it. (Well, there's breath support, too, but they're related.) I was singing various exercises for him, and he was seeing some shoulder tension. So he had me essentially slouch and keep my arms at my sides, where they started to fall asleep. And he wanted me to sing high with the same grounding / depth as when I sing low/ middle. When I'd get to a C or so, I'd get some wicked throat tension optimized by my new posture. When I pointed it out, he responded, "That's OK for now. We can work that out later." Correct me if I'm wrong (please), but massive vocal tract tension seems like a step back from shoulder tension and a tiny bit of throat tension. Now, he did say he'd have to "break me down" before he "build me up" because of the tension I've apparently accumulated, but ... that approach really worries me. Particularly when he hasn't heard me sing my best, or even a song / aria all the way through (much less one I already know well). I don't know what it is, but I never sound in lessons like I do in practice. Is it because I'm in front of someone (problematic for performance ...) or because I sit at the piano when I'm practicing? Also, he was utterly mystified when I mentioned something about raising the sternum for high notes, in particular. I'm not the only one who calls it that, right?
At the end, I was having a particularly frustrating time pronouncing "et sangloter d'extase." It's [e.sa~.glo.te.ɾeks.ta.zə], right? (The syllabification might be a bit off.) He said to combine the /r/ and /d/ into [ɾ]. I was having the hardest time keeping the second [e] high enough and not dropping it down to [ɛ] in anticipation of /r/. I thought he was letting much larger, more significant mistakes go, but I suppose I should be slightly flattered he would bother so much with this subtlety. Well, it is somewhat important, and I do want to sound French. I don't know why I wasn't making the right sound for so long--I'm usually much better at that. Oh well. C'est la vie.
I was preoccupied by the posture thing continuously for at least 24 hours afterwards. I finally got to a practice room today. And while I could feel a bit of tension creeping up my neck above a D, the sound would just be absolutely squelched if I "slouched" (or whatever you want to call that position change--sort of like "relaxed," but not where it counts most). Sure, I could force some sound out that was connected and rooted deep down, but it was chokey and did not feel healthy even if he had said it was "OK for now." I'm going to have to get some consistent good singing with less tension while standing up this week in practice with the new pieces so I can show him more of what I'm all about. Because my sound is about a third the size it should be in lessons, even if the practice rooms are smaller. Even though I am not vocally "finished' (who is?), it comes down to the fact that he hasn't heard an accurate representation / sampling of my voice. And I'll have to try to give him that this week.
So, inspired by an episode of Family Guy (the one in which Peter plays piano proficiently while drunk), I found some sheet music for the X-Files theme. It's so awesome. Also, I stumbled across a transcription / arrangement of the Imperial March, but when I started playing it, I was sorely disappointed. I may have to write in some notes over it to fill in the chords (though the rhythms still aren't complex enough). Then it might be acceptable to play at full volume.
I've decided to attempt to get through all of Wagner's Ring this week. I may have to take it an act at a time for Siegfried and Götterdämmerung (I'm nearing the end of Walküre right now), but I haven't listened to my marvelous Krauss 1953 Bayreuth ring with Varnay, Windgassen, Hotter, Resnik, Vinay, Streich, etc. nearly enough. And it's taking up all that space on my iPod--13 CDs' worth. So that'll be fun. I was going to do a cycle earlier the summer (I had aimed to do it when I was housesitting for my sister), but the way things fell, it just never happened. So, here we go! Ho-jo-to-ho!
I always fail so miserably when I try to transcribe that, but it's fun to try anyway. (I purposefully cut out some measures, btw.) At least I know all the notes. But, tschau!
I had just about the worst lesson I've ever had on Friday. It probably didn't help that my accompanist had to catch a flight and couldn't make it. I've known for quite a while that tension is the name of the game--i.e., relieving it. (Well, there's breath support, too, but they're related.) I was singing various exercises for him, and he was seeing some shoulder tension. So he had me essentially slouch and keep my arms at my sides, where they started to fall asleep. And he wanted me to sing high with the same grounding / depth as when I sing low/ middle. When I'd get to a C or so, I'd get some wicked throat tension optimized by my new posture. When I pointed it out, he responded, "That's OK for now. We can work that out later." Correct me if I'm wrong (please), but massive vocal tract tension seems like a step back from shoulder tension and a tiny bit of throat tension. Now, he did say he'd have to "break me down" before he "build me up" because of the tension I've apparently accumulated, but ... that approach really worries me. Particularly when he hasn't heard me sing my best, or even a song / aria all the way through (much less one I already know well). I don't know what it is, but I never sound in lessons like I do in practice. Is it because I'm in front of someone (problematic for performance ...) or because I sit at the piano when I'm practicing? Also, he was utterly mystified when I mentioned something about raising the sternum for high notes, in particular. I'm not the only one who calls it that, right?
At the end, I was having a particularly frustrating time pronouncing "et sangloter d'extase." It's [e.sa~.glo.te.ɾeks.ta.zə], right? (The syllabification might be a bit off.) He said to combine the /r/ and /d/ into [ɾ]. I was having the hardest time keeping the second [e] high enough and not dropping it down to [ɛ] in anticipation of /r/. I thought he was letting much larger, more significant mistakes go, but I suppose I should be slightly flattered he would bother so much with this subtlety. Well, it is somewhat important, and I do want to sound French. I don't know why I wasn't making the right sound for so long--I'm usually much better at that. Oh well. C'est la vie.
I was preoccupied by the posture thing continuously for at least 24 hours afterwards. I finally got to a practice room today. And while I could feel a bit of tension creeping up my neck above a D, the sound would just be absolutely squelched if I "slouched" (or whatever you want to call that position change--sort of like "relaxed," but not where it counts most). Sure, I could force some sound out that was connected and rooted deep down, but it was chokey and did not feel healthy even if he had said it was "OK for now." I'm going to have to get some consistent good singing with less tension while standing up this week in practice with the new pieces so I can show him more of what I'm all about. Because my sound is about a third the size it should be in lessons, even if the practice rooms are smaller. Even though I am not vocally "finished' (who is?), it comes down to the fact that he hasn't heard an accurate representation / sampling of my voice. And I'll have to try to give him that this week.
So, inspired by an episode of Family Guy (the one in which Peter plays piano proficiently while drunk), I found some sheet music for the X-Files theme. It's so awesome. Also, I stumbled across a transcription / arrangement of the Imperial March, but when I started playing it, I was sorely disappointed. I may have to write in some notes over it to fill in the chords (though the rhythms still aren't complex enough). Then it might be acceptable to play at full volume.
I've decided to attempt to get through all of Wagner's Ring this week. I may have to take it an act at a time for Siegfried and Götterdämmerung (I'm nearing the end of Walküre right now), but I haven't listened to my marvelous Krauss 1953 Bayreuth ring with Varnay, Windgassen, Hotter, Resnik, Vinay, Streich, etc. nearly enough. And it's taking up all that space on my iPod--13 CDs' worth. So that'll be fun. I was going to do a cycle earlier the summer (I had aimed to do it when I was housesitting for my sister), but the way things fell, it just never happened. So, here we go! Ho-jo-to-ho!
I always fail so miserably when I try to transcribe that, but it's fun to try anyway. (I purposefully cut out some measures, btw.) At least I know all the notes. But, tschau!