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170 TRAINING THE SINGING VOICE
heard farther than one of larger frame who shouts on forced breath." {Jessica Dragonette 146]
2. What we call a small voice is simply tone produced by means of undeveloped resonance. [Louis Graveure 208]
3. Using diaphragmatic breath pressure is a grave error. Instead of augmenting the tone, "such forcing robs it of both color and volume." [Lily Pons 450]
4. Forcing the voice for either volume or range by means of breath pressure or in any other way "is the surest way to ruin it.** [Ernestine Schumann-Heink 499]
Breaih pressure as. a controlling factor. Intensity of tone in any wind instrument always depends upon the pressure of wind applied to the generator of the sound, whether it be the reed of a clarinet, the lips of the trombone player or the vocal cords in the human voice. The amplitude of the vibratory swing of the vocal cords, and therefore the intensity of vocal sound, is thus affected. [Redfield 462, p. 267; Curry 124, p. 47; Hemery 238, p. 54] This acoustical principle gives rise to a theory of breath support advocated by 18 authors. As Wilcox explains it, loudness or softness of tone depends upon the rate at which the diaphragm sends the breath against the vocal cords. That is to say, "breath energy must always be commensurate with the intensity of the tone." [Wilcox 667; also Stanley 578] Clark maintains that "getting the force of singing exclusively determined" by the force of breathing is a certain way of remedying "many physical faults of singing." [102]
Great singers accomplish an intensified vocal utterance by means of intensified breath pressure, according to Henley. "The 'diaphragmatic push* must be held continuously," he says. [251] Sir Henry Coward refers to "high pressure breathing" as a means of "pushing the voice forward with tremendous volume for loud passages." [122, p. 17] Scott warns that "the larynx must not give way before the breath pressure." It (larynx) must be firmly held or the voice will 'Crack. [502, p. 20]
Breath pressure is equally important for loud or soft singing, according to Hok. "The soft tone is produced exactly like the big one, only there is less of it." [278, p. 26] In this opinion he is supported by five others. Stanley adds that soft singing requires even more breath pressure than loud singing since the glottis is slightly separated in soft tones. Hence, more work is done for soft singing. [577, p. 313; Samuels 487, p. 33] "A real pianissimo can be produced only by strong breathing muscles," says Metz-ger [398], and he is seconded by Philip, who adds, "the singer should never deprive the vocal tone, however soft it may be, of adequate breath |
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