Seminar in Vocal Pedagogy

Breathing

Vennard begins his book from the very beginning: an academic discussion on the physics of sound. He does this to lay a basis for the physical foundation for any production study, leading up to a discussion of the voice as simply another (albeit complex) musical instrument. Miller never touches this issue of scientific and physical undergirding of acoustics outside of the direct application to a specific vocal technique, and since the purpose of this study is to compare the two, neither will we.

Vennard holds that attention to the breathing process is best kept minimal. Teachers need to spend more time working on the actual phonation, only addressing matters regarding breathing as it becomes absolutely necessary. He does not recommend keeping the student ignorant or uninformed regarding the matter, but taking up lesson time with it is discouraged; certainly not more than a lesson or two should focus on breathing. The point is to develop good breathing habits quickly and early, and relying on the body's memory to pave the way for improvement in other technical facets.

He further discusses that similar excessive attention to posture is unwarranted, if for no other reason than to avoid boring the student. (They come to the teacher to learn to sing, not to hear how much he knows about physiology.) For the teacher, however, it is necessary to have knowledge of correct posture, the framework of the respiratory system, and the muscles of the ribs, belly, and shoulders. Attention to dysfunctions of singing necessitates some understanding of human anatomy, and Vennard is exhaustive in his diagnosis. He categorizes breathing regions--clavicular/chest/ shoulder, costal/rib, and diaphragmatic-abdominal (or "belly") breathing--and offers copious suggestions on how to determine and correct the problems.

To lay the foundation for his concept of "bouncing epigastrium," Vennard proposes that first and foremost it is a primary result of deep inhalation and exhalation, and as such indicates at least the basis of sound vocal technique. He suggests a "panting exercise" to call attention to this activity. Building from this is his argument that "breath control" and "support" are not the same thing (or, at least, are not truly interchangeable concepts). It is more important to place the air on the diaphragm, keeping the chest in a high position. This provides a steady basis of support for the tone that Miller calls "breath pacing."

Miller spends a good bit of time establishing the concept of the appoggio, the old Italian school philosophy of using the breath as a "prop" for the airstream rather than a foundation upon which to "squat" the tone. It involves the correct coordination of all the relevant "muscles and organs of the trunk and neck, controlling their relationship to the supraglottal resonators, so that no exaggerated function of any one of them upsets the whole." (Miller, 23) More than simply breath "support," he suggests it "includes resonance factors as well as breath management;" the old Italian school never separated the two, and neither does he.

Miller does seem to agree with Vennard that the posture to keep in mind is the one assumed at the beginning of the breath cycle, and they both are adamant that suspension of the breath is controlled by the diaphragm in intercostals muscles, but never by the larynx. They agree on the use of the "imaginary h" sound to alleviate the tendency to place hard attack on the opening of the tone as well as excessive aspiration to get the vocal cords vibrating.

Miller differs in terminology: he prefers "pacing of the breath" to "more support," emphasizing the ability to maintain the speed of the exhalation rather than some concept of breath capacity. Barring unusually physiological circumstances, the correctly inhaled and suspended breath will always provide constant sostenuto, "the culmination of all the technical aspects of singing." (109) It is achieved by starting with phrases of capable length, patiently developing the endurance of the body with exercises of short duration (108). It is essential to developing freedom at the glottis, but should not be addressed until basic techniques have been established. Miller quotes Lamperti on this matter: "Power either builds or destroys" (109). Additionally, sostenuto may be at the opposing end of proficiency from agility, but they both are produced in essentially the same way. It alone provides the necessary vibrancy for both slow and melismatic passages, tying the whole artistic spectrum into a unified vocal package.

Miller offers a few final notes of warning. The most useful expansion is not in the lower abdominal regions, as some techniques demand, but in the lateral plains. He does not prohibit swelling in the diaphragmatic region over the belly, but insists that attempts to push too far out or too far down are of less significance. These can lead to "crowding" the lungs, which will lead to lower breath efficiency. "The singer who takes an 'easy' breath, who thereby merely 'replenishes' the breath that has been used, will have a longer breath supply than the singer who crowds the lungs with breath." (28).