Breathing Techniques For Singers
BREATH
How to Sing, While Only Slightly Overthinking It
The singer’s endeavors, consequently, must be directed to keeping the breath as long as possible sounding and vibrating not only forward but back in the mouth, since the resonance of the tone is spread upon and above the entire palate, extends from the front teeth to the wall of the throat. He must concern himself with preparing for the vibrations, pliantly and with mobility, a powerful, elastic, almost floating envelope, which must be filled entirely, with the help of a continuous vocal mixture, — a mixture of which the components are indistinguishable.
To attack a tone, the breath must be directed to a focal point on the palate, which lies under the critical point for each different tone; this must be done with a certain decisiveness. There must, however, be no pressure on this place; for the overtones must be able to soar above, and sound with, the tone. The palate has to furnish, besides, the top cover against which the breath strikes, also an extremely elastic floor for the breath sounding above it against the hard palate or in the nose.
This breath, by forming the overtones, makes certain the connection with the resonance of the head cavities.
In order to bring out the color of the tone the whirling currents must vivify all the vowel sounds that enter into it, and draw them into their circles with an ever-increasing, soaring tide of sound.
The duration of the tone must be assured by the gentle but uninterrupted outpouring of the breath behind it. Its strength must be gained by the breath pressure and the focal point on the palate, by the complete utilization of the palatal resonance; without, however, injuring the resonance of the head cavities. (See plate, representing the attack.)
[…]
The head tone signifies, for all voices, from the deepest bass to the highest soprano, — excepting for the fact that it furnishes the overtones for each single tone of the whole vocal gamut, — youth. A voice without vibrancy is an old voice. The magic of youth, freshness, is given by the overtones that sound with every tone.
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Should You Use Static Stretching to Improve Flexibility?
What Factors Could Affect Flexibility, if not Quantity of Stretching?
Static joint position: A habitual posture you can’t get out of, joints compressing to provide support and proprioception to your body and you don’t want to leave that “happy place”.
Nervous system putting on the the brakes. Your brain perceives something might be unsafe to move into and adds extra tension at rest as a protective measure. You can’t just “stretch away” this type of increased muscle tone.
Either stuff gets compressed, stuck short, and you can’t move out of or go further into that position because it feels unsafe,
OR
Stuff is already stretched out, stuck long, and under high tension, so you can’t move out of or go further into that position because it feels unsafe.
Which leads us to a very important myth we need to stop perpetuating: “If it feels tight, stretch it.”
Photograph by October songs.
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How To Train Your Voice
Dance Is Your Breathing
Dancing Out Of Poverty In South Africa
The school where Dane Hurst, star of Rambert dance company, learned to dance was eaten by termites and burned down by children. Thirteen years after he left South Africa, he has returned to the junction of Gelvandale and Helenvale in Port Elizabeth to show me where it was.
What does a child do in all this volatility? Well Dane, he danced. He tells Justin he wants to share this with other young people who want to escape the streets. I’ve recently bought a dance floor over in London and right now as we speak it’s on a ship being sent back here.
In the dance studio what colour you are means nothing. When music plays there are no barriers.
Gobisa believes: “If you are angry or sad or you’re feeling emotional, when you dance those things go.” This is Dane’s aim: to give them a way to survive that isn’t violent, because that’s what saved him.
Photograph by Karl Schoemaker.
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The “Power Breath” Is Better Than Deep Breathing for Relaxing Mind and Body
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