I told Cindy that I've been refluxing throughout the week. I've been able to sing fine after some warming up, but onsets for quiet/high notes are delayed and my notes sound fuzzier than usual.
We started by examining the head/neck relationship, shortening in the back and front and finding the place in between and just letting the head balance on the A-O joint. We did the same with the shoulders, finding that place of balance.
Afterwards, we just let some air out, allowing the voice to touch it at some point without stopping the air/altering the airflow. We then allowed the voice to touch it twice. Put your hands on your upper chest, simply letting out air without moving the chest, allowing the abdominal wall to give way, not the chest. While doing this same thing, we did the double "voice touch" again. We did the same thing on a lip trill then, seeing if we can add voice without changing the airflow. There is never a stopping of sound.
Open-mouthed sigh, we let out air and eventually add pitch-thought and allow the voice to join in. You can either do voice at the very beginning or after your let your air start to flow. Do this without letting the chest collapse. The initial sound doesn't slow/trip up the air.
On the way down, we did the sigh then added putting lips together on a sort of hum. It just feels like releasing, not being careful. After a bit, we did the same thing where the lips come together on the way down, but instead of humming downward, we keep on the same pitch; it doesn't matter what pitch--it's just air with pitch-thought added. It doesn't even feel like the vocal chords are coming together. After that, we did the same thing, but after the hum, we continued down on [a]. Remember to keep your posture, and gradually increase the sigh.
Add pitch on the piano on 54321 on the [a] section of this exercise after a bit. The sigh doesn't have to keep getting higher as the pitch goes up, just come in where it's comfortable. (THIS FEELS SO GOOD.) Don't care what you sound like; just think about not getting in the way of the airflow. Don't be careful with your breath; just let it happen.
8531 [yawning yelling yodeling] Remember the same sensation you had when you were doing the sighs. The shaping may be different, but keep the same sense, and we don't give away our posture. Feel like you're tumbling down onto the pitch. It doesn't matter the pitch, the gesture is always the same. When you're going from the "ng" to the next vowel, it should feel the same. The air never ever stops! In the sigh exercises, there are only three shapes, not three utterances, air never stopping.
Keep returning to that first exercise on the sigh-mm-ah to remind yourself of what that sensation feels like. Remember the simple "letting air out/silent sigh" without vocalization feeling while you're singing.
(We spent about 12 minutes in this area.)
Next, we did "shy" on 1-53-85-31-538531-53-85-31 (alternating speeds between each "flip" area). Don't stop the air to change pitch. On the top note, you may be tempted to cut off the air/hiccup, but "temptation is not the same as sin." Sometimes it may not be in tune, but just allow your brain to calibrate for you while you keep practicing without stopping the air. Keep the tumble feeling, regardless of the notes. The throat feels so steady! Don't be concerned if there isn't sound at the top/notes aren't in tune.
8-7654321-3-5-87654321... [shi e a o u] Shape change doesn't interrupt the flow of the air. Remind yourself by going back to that original vocalize! Sometimes I had a hard time just allowing my body to let the air out; I felt like I would tighten up slightly. Cindy said I'm not running out of air, but I'm just tightening in a way that I feel like I can't access it. Remember to keep the sternum up and allow the abdominal wall to do its thing; there will be moments when it feels like it can't "contract" any more, but that doesn't mean you can't keep the sensation of activation (that made no sense when I typed it out, but just remember that it's like stretching your arm; even when it's fully extended, you can have that sensation of stretch still). Allow the abdomen to do what it wants, which is to recede; that's completely okay. It may not have a feeling it can go in anymore, but you should feel as if you could still even without the additional movement.
We worked on the Ghosts of Versailles quartet, especially on the area where I have to go to the E5. I thought the problem was with that note itself, but it turns out that it was probably just that I was anticipating the consonant too much, so I sang as if the consonant wasn't there. I also altered the vowel in "and" to "eh--." Remember to feel the flow of the air; sing as if that vowel change wasn't there and gradually add it back in once you've become familiar with the good sensation.
Drill "We're in the Garden of Earthly Delights" notes, and do the same thing that we did for "and."
Don't try to fix what's wrong, just remember the [good] experience. Watch the "n" and "r" and "l." Have a very soft/supple mouth as you sing this. Remember your posture. As you go up, open vertically, down and up.
When you're singing freely, it's going to feel as though there's less substance. It feels fuzzier, and we have to go to that place before we can ask for a more focused sound. It's not the strongest sound, but it's not objectionable and it doesn't put you on edge.
I have this perpetual fear that I'm going to go flat, and as a result, I tend to tighten/close off the space, which makes me go flat (go figure). Fear is what holds you back. Keep the space open, and you won't have to worry about intonation. When practicing really text-filled passages, try relishing in the vowel for as long as you can before adding in the consonants at the very last minute. Let the air go; don't worry about ever running out.
We worked on "Che faro senza Euridice." Sing as if the air is already present and the tone is just catching on to that. (What really helped here was singing on the gesture of the inhale; I sort of tricked myself into doing that by breathing in calmly until I had to phonate...) Really work on "Euridice" and the onsets. Don't be afraid to go into chest voice for dramatic effect on notes below E4.
Take your time!! Utilize your consonants to transition from head to chest voice on the lower notes, maintaining the good vowel space even while the mouth is closed. Be generous with your air and feel the space in the air before singing the note (particular high notes). Feel the sense of flow before adding all consonant sounds.
Good singing centers you and calms you. :)
Take-Aways
- Don't get in the way of the air; keep that same gesture of the sigh throughout.
- Sing with sternum up; allow the abdominal wall to do its thing.
- "When you're singing freely, it's going to feel as though there's less substance. It feels fuzzier, and we have to go to that place before we can ask for a more focused sound. It's not the strongest sound, but it's not objectionable and it doesn't put you on edge."
- Open vertically; make space for high notes before you get there.
- Take your time.
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