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CONCEPTS OF BREATHING |
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involve local muscular effort or coordinated effort? Opinions on these and other questions are diversified enough to require a grouping of concepts under four theoretical divisions or schools of thought, designated as follows: a) local-effort method; b) pre-vocal training method; c) functional growth method; d) expressional intent method.
a) Local-effort method. From the standpoint of the singer, good breathing spells efficiency in converting breath pressure into intensity of vocal utterance. This means that expiration must be controlled. Those who are grouped in the local-effort school believe that breath control is largely a matter of breath retention and gradual release so that vocal tone may be evenly sustained. They also believe in devising techniques for localizing the control of expiratory movements of the ribs, diaphragm or other parts of the breathing mechanism. Thus, by direct control of these parts, the singer may voluntarily vary his mode of breathing to suit his expressional needs. The voluntary action of the diaphragm is especially featured as a method of breathing control. Other devices are rib distension, spinal elongation, abdominal compression, focusing the breath, mouth breathing. These methods are endorsed without explanation or proof and there is no physiological evidence as to their efficacy or acceptability. In all, 275 out of 370 statements on methods of teaching breathing discuss various technical procedures for localizing breath control. Apparently the preponderance of author opinion favors voluntary breathing controls in singing by a ratio of approximately three to one.
b) Pre-vocal physical training method. Those who favor pre-vocal training offer good reasons for this preference. Breathing is directly affected by posture. Therefore the benefits of physical culture, which is a form of remedial postural training, must accrue to the breathing organs. Why not develop the student's physique, his poise and posture, before he attempts a singing lesson? This type of training will develop breath capacity, flexibility and endurance up to the standards required for artistic singing. Body building exercises of this kind must precede the program of voice culture.
c) Functional growth method. Persons who advocate this method claim that a specialized activity of any function of the body will stimulate the growth and development of those organs and faculties that support it. Thus, by a law of exercise, the activity of singing should stimulate the growth of the breathing organs. Professional singers invariably develop powerful breathing controls for this reason. The student learns to sing immediately, giving little or no attention to breathing, trusting that the organs of breathing will grow through use much as the leg muscks might |
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