Speaking out - your letters to 'Communicating Voice'
March 2008
Peter T Harrison writes...
In the report by Cheryl Hawkins on the course entitled The Mechanics of Breathing As Applied To Different Vocal Tasks, which appears in Communicating Voice - Vol.8 Issue 1, August 2007 - page 8, Dr John Costello describes the respiratory system as (amongst other things) 'bellows' for the voice, and later, the Real Time Ultrasound experiments, conducted by Ed Blake and Jane Grey, demonstrated 'exactly which abdominal muscles were firing to generate subglottic pressure or not". Many questions might be raised about the legitimacy or conditions of this kind of experiment, but, as a singing teacher, I would like to restrict my comments to the 'bellows' and 'subglottic pressure', which seem generally to be treated as much the same thing. Elsewhere, it is those abdominal muscles that reputedly provide the 'support' of the voice.
Bellows, subglottic pressure and support applied to the voice all carry misleading if not dangerous connotations, encouraging or reinforcing the already prevalent tendency in those wanting to sing to struggle with their breathing. The fact that when the normal person attempts to sing it is abdominal muscles that most readily 'kick in' is no indication that it is mainly these muscles which we need to employ or develop in order to sing. On the contrary it demonstrates imbalance - i.e. that a good deal of the 'mechanism' of the normal voice is weak or lazy. What then happens is that the abdominal muscles are found wanting and so more breath is felt to be required by way of compensation. It is also a fact that weak or inefficient adduction of the vocal folds instigates an increase of so-called breath support.
The idea of 'support' begs the question 'support of what by what?'. Misunderstanding seems to begin with equating support with breath pressure rather than with the muscles of breathing. It is also erroneous to think of support as a one-way system - i.e. that it is the breath or the breathing which 'supports' the voice or the throat, rather than a mutually supporting system in which the efficiency and strength of the breathing 'mechanism' (and the amount of breath used) is dependent on, or dictated by, the workings of the laryngeal muscles intrinsic as well as extrinsic. The one-way (body-to-throat) system is an illusion based on compensation and explains rather than solves much of the struggle that singers experience.
Many teachers know that the part of the body's structure to which the word 'support' can most usefully be applied is the extensive system of postural muscles which provide a kind of framework or mainframe within which the muscles specific to breathing, and 'called upon' in singing, are housed. And incidentally, in correct, healthy lifting thoracic pressure is lowered, and the vocal folds, rather than being put under pressure, close to prevent the entrance of breath.
The kind of reductionism that the ideas reported above are based upon does nothing to convey the complexity of the singing voice or what is required to train it. Worse, it perpetuates techniques of vocalisation which contradict the organic nature of the instrument.
The British Voice Association's plan to offer instruction to would-be singing teachers (see Course Preview on page 9) is a much-needed and laudable one. In view of what I have been discussing, however, the question arises, 'What facts anatomical and scientific will be imparted?' And, 'Will they provide a holistic basis for practical studio work? As / interpret current teaching trends, it is the ways and means of 'reading' individual voices and discovering and working with their unique propensities, strengths and weaknesses in a viable, effective process of training, where most enlightenment and assistance is needed. Relevant anatomical and scientific information can be gleaned from journals and the many excellent books now available.
Peter T Harrison - October 2007
Janice Chapman replies...
Peter Harrison has raised some important issues in his letter and I applaud him for taking the bull by the horns in this way. Although I struggled to try and understand some of his arguments, I agree that the use of 'bellows' as an analogy for what happens in the lungs during singing is crude and simplistic. This has been largely used by the medical profession as a visual clue to explain the situation and basic shape of the lungs (larger at the bottom), elasticity, and function (that energy is required to compress the air). As a general explanation this obviously fills a basic need for patients to get a picture of what's going on, but for the singing profession this is somewhat inadequate, as our use of this part of the vocal instrument is enormously complex. There is a new book available from the world's leading exponent of breathing for singing Thomas J. Hixon, "Respiratory Function in Singing - A Primer for Singers and Singing Teachers" which gives his view of the latest wisdom on this complex subject backed up by much research. He lists the active and passive forces at work as the pulmonary apparatus, chest wall, rib cage wall, diaphragm, abdominal wall and pulmonary-chest wall unit. I cannot imagine if or how we can find a suitable diagram to suggest this complexity, and although 'bellows' may continue to be used by our medical colleagues and non-singers, I think we should seek a better analogy in singing pedagogy.
Mr Harrison appears to be suggesting that we should train singers from the top down…i.e. start at the larynx and resonators. I can imagine that in the hands of an expert teacher it might be possible to train a singer in this way, using exercises to develop the laryngeal muscles and good use of the resonators. But this could only work if the student had no problems which caused them to lock the air or restrict it in any way: in other words, if their posture was excellent, their abdominal muscles well tuned up, and if there were no emotional problems having a direct effect on the flow or air. Using semi-occluded vowels and fricative consonants such as those from the Accent Method (sh, zh, v, rolled rrs etc.) and involving natural diaphragmatic breathing (i.e. no over-breathing or rib holding) could eventually result in the natural support and breathing systems developing. It is fair to say that Jo Estill, until more recent times, also based her training system largely on working at the level of the vocal folds and resonators, downplaying the importance of air flow and support.
I work from the top down (that is to say making sounds before looking into the other crucial factors involved in singing) only in that I use primal sound as a template for extended voicing, including singing. The use of primal sound stimulates the emotional motor system (which I believe should drive singing of all styles), and engages a whole network of connections within the entire instrument including the torso and abdomen. . The muscles which respond to our desire to make an emotional sound are particularly the lower and lateral abdominals and they not only help to compress the air, but also provide a natural braking system by exerting a secondary control over the diaphragm. This means that the vocal folds are not put under the pressure of 'gusting' and variable air. This system also produces very efficient voicing and the use of primal noises to find the basic connection to emotional voice is a valuable tool for working towards integrated singing.
However, by far the most important work I feel that I do in my studio is to correct the problems related to inadequate or faulty air flow as a priority. Again and again I have found that intervening at the level of the torso to correct breathing and support problems has resulted in the vocal fold and resonance problems either disappearing altogether, or being able to be resolved quickly and easily. For example problems with jaw and tongue root tension are invariably relieved by correcting insufficient and inadequate air flow as a vital first stage. These two problems resolve very quickly (and stay resolved) once a singer has been introduced to some Accent Method work to free up their air followed by work on postural alignment and abdominal support.
The City Lit/BVA course does not set out to tell singing teachers how to teach or to review various pedagogies. What it hopes to do is offer the participants physiological and scientific facts which can underpin their teaching. To train a singing voice is a big responsibility and I firmly believe that teachers (and sometimes students too) need to know as much as possible about the structure and function of the various parts of the mechanism.
Janice Chapman
Nichola Christie writes...
With reference Peter T Harrison’s letter: October 2007
We live in an age of Science and Technology, young singers across all genres have been educated – hardwired – to work with facts, methods, logic and speed; to draw conclusions, to find answers. Add to this the Scientist's desire to understand,explore, and resolve what would seem to be an idiopathic state – the Singing voice – and the instrument that is voice would seem to be merely a structure of muscle and bone, a simplistic device that can be understood, assembled and taught to any aspiring singer…
It is of course valid to know the workings of the voice, added to which there is a security in a structure that fulfils logical expectations, and it is this inherent structure with which the majority of human beings are ‘singing’.
However, the voice goes beyond mere structure, goes beyond absolute science.. When a great voice comes along we are back to the idiopathic state, the amazing being that is the Human – when extraordinary things happen that bely explanation.
The very act of definition,structure,a system, can bring its own problems – suggesting a right or wrong method,specific boundaries, a conveyor belt product… Great singing is more than the sum of its parts…
The true work of the teacher and singer is working together, with and beyond structure, in a space of trust and support where the primal instinct to express through voiced sound is fascilitated..Self knowledge and mastery of the voice ultimately being the journey of each unique indivisul, eventually discovering their own wisdom with the voice. Armed with this knowledge the young singer may stand a chance of survival in what is a tough Industry – whatever the genre – and hopefully can aspire to a long and fruitful career.
Nichola Christie (Actress and Voice Coach – Southampton University)