Sarah Boucher McKinney Ch. 5

Sarah Boucher McKinney Ch. 5

What are the 2 functions of the larynx?

-serve as a valve that keeps food and drink out of the lungs

-phonation

The thyroarytenoid muscle has two folds.  What does each fold form?

The true vocal folds and the false vocal folds

 

When larynx functions as valve, which folds close?

both sets of folds close

 

What 8 characteristics of good vocal sound does McKinney list?

1. freely produced

2. pleasant to listen to

3. loud enough to be heard easily

4. rich, ringing, and resonant

5. energy flows smoothly from note to note

6. consistently produced

7. vibrant, dynamic, and alive

8. flexibly expressive

 

What 8 negative characteristics does he list?

1. constricted, forced, or strained

2. strident or rasping

3. too loud, resembling shouting or yelling

4. hoarse

5. breathy

6. weak, colorless, or devitalized

7. inconsistently produced

8. shaky or wobbly

What does McKinney have to say about thinking and sound production?

"if you cannot think a beautiful sound, it is an accident if you make one" The sound needs to be pictured and heard before it is produced.

 

How does he suggest you develop a mental image of a beautiful sound?

listening intelligently to lots of different artists

 

What is the danger in modeling your sound after a single artist?

because we have different bodies, more mature singers have more experience and it takes away our individuality

Describe the 3 phases of a musical tone.

1. attack phase: originates in the mind of the singer before the physical act takes place; it includes preparation for the correct pitch, the correct tone quality and the correct dynamic level

2. sustention phase: lasts from the instant of attack to the instant of release

3. release phase

 

What are the four instructions quoted by McKinney from Van Christy?

1. the chest never collapses, nor do the shoulders move up or down when singing even the longest phrase

2. don't attempt to sing too long phrases on one breath

3. efficient tone is basic for efficient breath control

4. under no circumstance should the singer try to pull in the diaphragm or control its action consciously

 

Summarize the corrective procedures for hypofunctional singing.

-asking the student to sing louder

-perform gentle lifting motions

-"put on the image of..."

-good posture and breathing habits

-laugh like Santa

-asking students to sing "as if they are tryin to be heard on the last row of a large auditorium

-use non breathy sounds: vocalize on forward vowels, nasal consonants

-record the student

-going to the extreme opposite: tight and tense

 

Summarize corrective procedures for hyperfunctional singing.

-elimination of excessive laryngeal tension

-relaxation of general body tension

-check breath support

-develop a proper attack

-yawning

-back vowels

-vocalize on consonants that release the jaw

-go to extremes: ask for a breathy sound ( ask the student to sigh)