c.nelson

I want to start a thread on the role of the body in projection and tone.
I would welcome any comments or thoughts relative.

I would like to start with some fun esoterica of my own.
hope you enjoy it.

One theory of why the best operatic soprano singers have such massive projection has been proposed by Mame Barberoux-Perry in her book"Vocal resonance: its source and command"she proposes that there are hollow spaces in our sculls called "inter-osseous spaces" They are spaces in the bone on top of your head, that when young and growing, are filled with a sort of marrow.
but around the age of puberty,begin to "ossify"or harden into a sort of bony matrix.It is these areas that resonate sympathetic, increasing projection and tone, and can be tuned
by the use of "vocal formats". hode hood hawed had heed. Sound familiar? we use vowel sounds/oral cavity shapes to help the air columb, but are we also sending some energy to these resonant areas of the skull?
naturally, one would only assume this phenomenon be acsessable to the most experienced and skilled.
They are the only ones who can play without tension, and can control the body resonance.They have also probably been playing
since early childhood.

I'd like to submit, on the basis of this theory, that if these inter-osseous spaces are subjected to proper resonances, ie singing in tune, or playing the trumpet in in tune, BEFORE OSSIFICATION, these spaces will take on "set" resonance.Much the same way
a violin gets "played in". If a fine violinist plays an instument for 30 or 40 yrs, the resonances that get set in, benefit the sound.
A trumpet student,begining before puberty, may be setting in proper resonance through environmental adaptation.

so much fo those of us who didn't grow up playing the trumpet.

I think my resonance set is that of an Emaj through marshall stacks! (hahaha...what?)

rowuk

So it is true........ where the other voices have brain material, basses have "resonance".
I don't think we need to call any of this esoteric. Music well played contributes to our overall well being.
As far as body use goes, that is the major difference between players. The brass in front of us is fairly consistent, but the body structures could not be more different. We have people of all shapes and sizes doing an excellent job in every musical genre, so the stereotyped "optimum players" don't exist.
The human body is subject to many influences when growing up. The kids that start with music earlier are usually brighter (which doesn't always mean better grades....), and even if ossification is not "tunable", the cerebral development will be to great advantage.
When we are young, we just PLAY, without a lot of thought as to why. As we mature, we are able to "tap" more of our bodies resources on purpose.
This allows us to do things to optimize a "resonance" that is complementary to the instrument being played. In the case of the "classical" trumpet player, this would be to open all of the cavities to get the biggest possible "volume" of air behind the lips. The lead trumpet player needs a different set of breathing skills that involve the big breath, but not necessarily the "opening" of all cavities (tongue higher in the oral cavity to increase pressure/speed for instance).
A violin is made of wood and that is "dead" long before it can be turned into a fine instrument. There is the theory that sympathetic vibration improves the instrument. Maybe it is just like a trumpet though, over a period of time, the "tension" built initially into the instrument spreads out more evenly through the instrument..........
Everything affects everything else. That is why it is important to get started today! Every day not playing is a loss!

p.s. Ossification is a term that lacks political correctness in Germany. We (fondly?!) call our east German citizens OSSIs. Naturally the stereotyped OSSI did not only have "positive" traits. Ossification would be the assimilation of those negatives in a WESSI (a citizen of west germany).......... Maybe Mr. Nelson has found the source of "thick-headedness" though.

Vulgano Brother

"Als Dickkopf bezeichnet man:eigensinnige oder starrsinnige Menschen." I believe it is more of a German trait than a politlical one. But then the French must be German too, I guess.

The theory of ossification and trumpet playing is interesting, though. It used to be said that singer's voices didn't truly develop until they were thirty. Anybody out there do any studies on this yet?

stchasking

The lady is talking about "Head voice". This is the art in which the singer keeps the pallet open so that air can travel out the nose at the same time one sings. The sinuses act as sound boards or Helmholtz oscillators and make the sound amplify and project. Not many young people are taught this. It usually takes private lessons or university level to train a person to head sing. Think of your sinuses as the body on a guitar or violin. It is the same principal.

I have a book on singing I bought at Powell's books in Portland. I have been reading it and applying it to trumpet playing. I'll try to post the title and information on the book.

Also, my mother was a professional singer and taught in our home. She would work on her high school age students to learn how to use the "head voice" and once she got them there they could really project.

If you do a search on "head voice" on the internet you'll get a pile of information.

rowuk

This would probably not work the same way on the trumpet as the generator is our lips "in front of" vs the vocal chords that are "behind" the sinuses. The amplitude of our vibrating lips without the trumpets amplification would probably snot be significant. If it was, the tone color would be perhaps more "fluid" than what came out of the bell!

c.nelson

Thanks for the props schtasking.I think a study of vocal resonance can only help wind players,even if it only to help with
opening up and breathing better.I my own experience, I can direct some resonance to the sinuses,and in the extreme, to the point of pain!(I'm not blowing air through my nose, well mabey a TINY BIT) I have found this usefull only to take the edge off upper register stuff.kind of a filter I guess.of course with reduced
projection. Energy directed elsewere is not coming out of the bell, so it is energy lost, after all.
or mabey I AM TOO THICK HEADED.





[quote=

p.s. Ossification is a term that lacks political correctness in Germany. We (fondly?!) call our east German citizens OSSIs. Naturally the stereotyped OSSI did not only have "positive" traits. Ossification would be the assimilation of those negatives in a WESSI (a citizen of west germany).......... Maybe Mr. Nelson has found the source of "thick-headedness" though.[/QUOTE]
MABEY ITS GENETIC! Half of my family tree is cut off and untraceable.My greatgrandmother would only say "they were a bunch
of blackhearted germans you wouldn't want to know about."

c.nelson

Howzabout tossing multiphonics into the mix?

stchasking

Nelson,

Back in the olden days instrumentalists had to study voice. Maybe they still do? I enjoy listening to the St. Olaf choir.
My mother taught three point breathing to her vocal students. It has been around a long time. Maynard perfected it for the brass instrument players.

stchasking

Vulgano Brother

Hey, I've played under this guy!