Sam Meredith SS Ch.7 Summary

Sam
Chapter 7 Summary-Our fourth invention is known as spontaneous combustion and deals with our onset or how we begin singing a note. The purpose of this exercise is to achieve good balance between chiaro and oscuro from the very beginning of the note. The exercise is done by singing 5 detached 'ah' vowels. Since we start this exercise on a vowel these are glottal onsets. Many believe glottal onsets to be damaging to the voice, but that is only the case when a singer performs these onsets incorrectly by adducting the vocal folds too much. Many singers try to avoid the glottal onset by starting with an aspirate consonant such as [h]. This practice, however, separates the vocal folds and makes starting with a fully balanced sound impossible. The exercise should be done in the middle range and the singer should only repeat the exercise within the range of about an octave (a fifth down or a fifth up from the middle of the voice) because range extension is not the purpose of this exercise. The 'ah' vowel is used for this exercise because it is the only vowel that requires good positioning from the articulators in order for the purity of the vowel to be maintained. When we do this exercise properly we find a proper balance between a harsh glottal onset and a breathy, aspirated onset. Another benefit to mastering this exercise is that it gives us a way to recognize unnecessary pressure in our throat. When we do this exercise without that tension there will be a clear difference. Although this exercise focuses on improving the onset the release, or termination of the pitch is also important. Many singers release by smashing the vocal folds together and stopping the flow of air. We can, however, perform a natural, stress-free release by simply inhaling. It is important, however, that this inhalation doesn't affect the inhalation that should serve as preparation for the next note or phrase. To maintain continuous airflow and prepare for the next note or phrase we can release through a quick decrescendo that leads to a well-prepared breath.
Key Concept-Although a glottal onset can sometimes be damaging when it is done properly it allows us to achieve a balanced sound right from the beginning of each note. We can practice this by singing 5 detached 'ah' vowels in the middle of our range. We can healthily release the sound by simply inhaling.
Key Terms-Spontaneous Combustion, Onset, Release, Glottal Onset
Making Connections-One big problem my singing has right now is too much tension in the throat. So, I want to use this exercise to relieve that tension and also more purity in my 'ah' vowels so that I can more easily perceive that tension and then get rid of it.