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1?s TRAINING THE SINGING VOICE
6. "Breath restraint as in soft singing requires more muscular effort than breath release as in loud singing. That is why soft singing should be studied last. [Brown 78]
7. "We believe that the practice of inducing young people to sing in a way commonly and inaccurately described as soft which should be termed devitalized will result in the presence rather than in the absence of strain." [American Academy of Teachers of Singing 10]
8. An overdose of soft singing tires and deteriorates the voice. [Ha-gara220, p. 114]
9. "Soft singing itself leads to the most vicious errors in vocal action." [Mursell and Glenn 413, p. 285]
Soft singing practice is favored by authors and professional singers in a ratio of more than 2 to 1. Greta Stueckgold, artist soprano, for instance, tales an emphatic stand that is directly opposed to some of the opinions expressed above. She declares that nobody who is still building his voice should sing forte. "A voice that sings forte entirely will soon wear itself out through lack of proper control." [593] Lawrence Tibbett is equally emphatic in affirming that "most beginners are slaves of the big tone habit." It is better to test your voice with the lightest pianissimo when practicing. This is an infallible guide to correct tone production. Teachers should never allow a pupil to sing in full voice until he has first acquired a good pianissimo. [§13] *T sing all my exercises mezza voce/' says Lily Pons. "Never do I practice in full voice." [450] That "loud singing rains the voice" is also the conviction of Zinka Milanov, noted soprano. "Everyone can produce loud tones without practice." But the art of singing Hes in developing the finer and subtler dynamic shadings. [397] Jar-mila Novotna also holds this opinion [431] Jose Mojica adds that "most practicing should be done in half-voice," and forte passages should never be included in the day's periiminary practicing. [401; also Emilio de Gogorza 134]
Other typical concepts on this subject support the view that the singer learns to measure his own vocal strength by practicing at first in soft voice, then, in gradual intermediate steps, progressing toward his full voice. According to Shakespeare, this idea is over a hundred years old. It can be found in Manstein's, History of Song, published in 1845. [51?* P-86] KMngstedt quotes the authority of Tosi (1730 A.D.) in stating that it k best always to-practice slowly with a light vocal quality. [320, p. 21] According to Marafiod, the minutest feeble sound which the vocal cords can produce is the embryo from which all vocal growth evolves. [368, p. 76] Strauss holds that it is better not to strive for excessively loud tones, but |
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