Post by derrik on Jul 28, 2010 11:40:47 GMT 10
The voice is truly a unique instrument. It is the only instrument:
•
whose quality of sound and the name of the instrument are both identified by the same
word
•
that must be built by its owner
•
whose structure is mostly hidden in the human body
•
that contains within itself not one, but three separate mechanisms
•
that is constructed of muscle, cartilage and bone
•
whose component parts perform many different functions that are unrelated to singing
•
that can produce words
•
that is capable of developing either good or bad habits
•
whose muscular components react to their environment
•
that is directly connected to a brain
•
that is naturally imitative — in the sense that, with the aid of hearing, the voice will
respond culturally in a recognizable fashion
•
that must not make a sound while it is learning to make sounds
•
that has two horns
•
The voice is the only instrument that is identified by the same word used to describe its
sound.
When someone is singing it is quite acceptable to say, "That vocalist has a beautiful voice." When a violinist is
playing it would sound strange to hear someone say, "That violinist has a beautiful violin." Voice is commonly used to
identify both the sounds produced by the act of singing and the instrument producing the sounds; violin identifies only the
instrument.
The Oxford Universal Dictionary defines instrument as: "A contrivance for producing musical sounds." According to
that definition the voice is certainly an instrument. However, the same dictionary defines voice as: "Sound, or the whole
body of sounds, made or produced by the vocal organs of man or animals; formed in or emitted from the human larynx,. . .
concretely, the organs by which it is produced." Re-read what I have italicized and you will find that just one word is
used to describe the physical characteristics of the instrument — "concretely, the organs by which it is produced" — and
the result of the activation of the physical characteristics — "sound."
For our purposes we must avoid this ambiguity. The distinction between cause — activating the vocal organs — and
effect — sound — must be definitely established in the student's mind in order to clearly understand all that is to follow.
When the terms "voice" or "vocal equipment" or "vocal instrument" are used in this book they will mean the physical parts of
the instrument. The result of the activation of the physical parts will be identified as "tone," "sound," "vocal quality" or "tone
quality."
• The voice is the only instrument that must be built by its owner.
I would like to give my personal definition of the word singer: The instrument-maker and player of the voice. In
my opinion the definition must be broken down into these two independent elements — instrument-maker and
player. We cannot assume that the physical vocal instrument — the instrument that can sing well — already exists.
If this were true, everyone would sound good naturally. Only the parts (the organs) out of which the instrument
is structured are naturally present. Everyone does not sound good naturally because not everyone is using the
parts correctly. The first thing the student of the voice must learn is to structure the vocal instrument. That is why
my definition of singer begins with "the instrument-maker." Only after the instrument is structured can you begin to
play it.
We are dealing with an instrument — the voice — which exists quite apart from and independent of the sounds
it can or cannot produce. The voice — the physical contrivance
- is the cause. The sound — the result of activating this physical contrivance — is the effect.
• The voice is the only instrument whose structure is mostly hidden in the human body.
All musical instruments except the voice can be seen in toto. They are foreign bodies and when in use are simply
extensions of the player. Wind instruments become extensions of the player's lips and fingers. The piano becomes an
extension of the pianist's hands, and one foot—for sustained pedalling. The only parts of the voice that can be seen
on the outside are the Adam's apple protruding from the throat, the jaw, the teeth, and part of the tongue.
Why is it important to mention this characteristic of the voice? Because an instrument that is a foreign body
does not involve the student's ego during the developmental process. The student of the piano, for instance, can see,
directly, his precise level of development. The voice student, on the other hand, usually relies mainly on his
hearing to assess his development—either he sounds better, and so feels better, or he sounds worse and feels worse.
In the exercise section of this book I have tried to take the voice, as much as possible, "out" of the body and thus
allow the student the opportunity to "see" the voice as if it too were a foreign body, consequently avoiding ego
involvement.
howtosingspeechlevelsinging.blogspot.com
•
whose quality of sound and the name of the instrument are both identified by the same
word
•
that must be built by its owner
•
whose structure is mostly hidden in the human body
•
that contains within itself not one, but three separate mechanisms
•
that is constructed of muscle, cartilage and bone
•
whose component parts perform many different functions that are unrelated to singing
•
that can produce words
•
that is capable of developing either good or bad habits
•
whose muscular components react to their environment
•
that is directly connected to a brain
•
that is naturally imitative — in the sense that, with the aid of hearing, the voice will
respond culturally in a recognizable fashion
•
that must not make a sound while it is learning to make sounds
•
that has two horns
•
The voice is the only instrument that is identified by the same word used to describe its
sound.
When someone is singing it is quite acceptable to say, "That vocalist has a beautiful voice." When a violinist is
playing it would sound strange to hear someone say, "That violinist has a beautiful violin." Voice is commonly used to
identify both the sounds produced by the act of singing and the instrument producing the sounds; violin identifies only the
instrument.
The Oxford Universal Dictionary defines instrument as: "A contrivance for producing musical sounds." According to
that definition the voice is certainly an instrument. However, the same dictionary defines voice as: "Sound, or the whole
body of sounds, made or produced by the vocal organs of man or animals; formed in or emitted from the human larynx,. . .
concretely, the organs by which it is produced." Re-read what I have italicized and you will find that just one word is
used to describe the physical characteristics of the instrument — "concretely, the organs by which it is produced" — and
the result of the activation of the physical characteristics — "sound."
For our purposes we must avoid this ambiguity. The distinction between cause — activating the vocal organs — and
effect — sound — must be definitely established in the student's mind in order to clearly understand all that is to follow.
When the terms "voice" or "vocal equipment" or "vocal instrument" are used in this book they will mean the physical parts of
the instrument. The result of the activation of the physical parts will be identified as "tone," "sound," "vocal quality" or "tone
quality."
• The voice is the only instrument that must be built by its owner.
I would like to give my personal definition of the word singer: The instrument-maker and player of the voice. In
my opinion the definition must be broken down into these two independent elements — instrument-maker and
player. We cannot assume that the physical vocal instrument — the instrument that can sing well — already exists.
If this were true, everyone would sound good naturally. Only the parts (the organs) out of which the instrument
is structured are naturally present. Everyone does not sound good naturally because not everyone is using the
parts correctly. The first thing the student of the voice must learn is to structure the vocal instrument. That is why
my definition of singer begins with "the instrument-maker." Only after the instrument is structured can you begin to
play it.
We are dealing with an instrument — the voice — which exists quite apart from and independent of the sounds
it can or cannot produce. The voice — the physical contrivance
- is the cause. The sound — the result of activating this physical contrivance — is the effect.
• The voice is the only instrument whose structure is mostly hidden in the human body.
All musical instruments except the voice can be seen in toto. They are foreign bodies and when in use are simply
extensions of the player. Wind instruments become extensions of the player's lips and fingers. The piano becomes an
extension of the pianist's hands, and one foot—for sustained pedalling. The only parts of the voice that can be seen
on the outside are the Adam's apple protruding from the throat, the jaw, the teeth, and part of the tongue.
Why is it important to mention this characteristic of the voice? Because an instrument that is a foreign body
does not involve the student's ego during the developmental process. The student of the piano, for instance, can see,
directly, his precise level of development. The voice student, on the other hand, usually relies mainly on his
hearing to assess his development—either he sounds better, and so feels better, or he sounds worse and feels worse.
In the exercise section of this book I have tried to take the voice, as much as possible, "out" of the body and thus
allow the student the opportunity to "see" the voice as if it too were a foreign body, consequently avoiding ego
involvement.
howtosingspeechlevelsinging.blogspot.com
