Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2005-12-04 15:19
d-oboe writes: "What I am referring to is the actual physics of the sound. It just isn't necessary on high notes to blow a ton of air through the instrument."
Since vboboe has mentioned a background in choral singing, perhaps something I was taught (note: I did not say "something I *learned*") during years of vocal work would help here.
I was taught that the key to geting those lovely, spinning high soprano notes is to start the note very, very small -- as small as it wants to be -- , and "let" it expand from there. My fault as a mezzo trying to extend my range was always that I would try to clobber the high notes with power, with the effect that my high tones would sound forced and spread, rather than focused and spinning free.
The trick, which I could accomplish from time to time, is to start the note small, on the very edge of the sound, and relax into it gradually.
I would say that I have been more successful at this with the oboe than I ever was with my vocal cords. As some of my earlier posts (from a couple of years ago) will attest, I was very distressed with the "thin" quality of my oboe high tones at the outset. Now, they are fine.
I think I just let them be what they were (thin and weak), and over the course of months, they rather miraculously began to fill out and float. The only effort involved on my part was the effort not to overwhelm them with my impatient good intentions.
Susan
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