One of the things I find myself doing is swallowing down on certain sound combinations, which she said is from letting my palate down or something like that. It happens on -ar sounds, like the part that goes, "De un momento, dar retta a cento" and when I get to "dar" I sort of swallow it and it comes out a little nasally for the rest of the line. She kept telling me to imagine a peppermint feeling opening up my throat. I wasn't quite connecting to that so I tried to think it forward, and I sang it forward, which essentially did the same thing - it kept things open in the back of my throat and let the sound resonate out. She also said to sing it like I'm saying it. I have to practice that because she said it afterwards and then we moved on to the next thing.
I'm excited to think of how much progress I've made since I started lessons in the fall of 2007. Seriously. I could carry a tune just fine but it was all chest voice and belty. I never imagined in a million years that I was a soprano. I never in a trillion years imagined that I'd ever be able to sing opera. I do recognize that I don't have that full, I don't know, you know how good singers produce a sound that resonates through your body when you listen? I don't think I can produce that... but then again, I never thought I'd be able to sing the way I do now, so who knows?
Next week we'll touch Una Donna one more time and then jump back to the Tipsy Waltz. Starting to think about something from Nozze, seeing as how I'm sort of obsessed with it right now.
And now, take a look! I had it cut and straighted (blow dry and iron) today. Short!!!!
5 comments:
Sweetheart, you and I have a very different definition of short. You look great, though.
Thanks darlin'.
Wait until it curls back up. BOING it'll be short. But by March (ahem) it'll be long again if/when I need to work it.
Uh, forget I said that.
You should sing "L'ho Perduto"--Barbarina's aria at the beginning of act IV
Hey Susan,
You should try to sing on the A vowel and not anticipate the R. That will help you not swallow the R and the A will be more pure. The voice sounds on the vowels, and thus, the vowels have to be pure. The consonants are only passing sounds that are made by the mouth. Try singing all of your songs only with vowels and without the consonants. This will help line up all of the vowels and thus, a good vocal line. Then, sing it again, thinking about the vowels, but adding the consonants.
What do you think?
Johnny O
Thanks John! I forgot all about that technique.
Kaitebon - I think I'm going to try one of Susanna's first.
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