What it takes to sing Opera
Just to let people know who might not be aware, I want to share what it takes to sing Opera. An opera singer must be able to sing over an orchestra and chorus without a microphone and be heard. Most operas are anywhere from 2-3 hours long. Everything in an opera is sung. There is no spoken dialogue at all. So the training that an opera singer gets, teaches him/her to be able to sing very loud and for as long as needed without straining the voice at all.
How is this possible? The most important technique to master is proper breath control. You might have heard people say, "Use your diaphram". Well that is actually not correct. The proper way to support the voice is by using your entire midsection and creating air pressure...not in the upper chest and the neck should be completely relaxed. An opera singer is trained to expand his ribs by working the costal muscles. These muscles are in between the ribs. Also, when you take in the air, the back of your mouth should feel like it does when you yawn. The amazing thing about once you begin to master this technique is that you can take in an enormous amount of air in an instant and it is silent. No one will hear the breathing in. I was told to expand the costal muscles at the same time I open my mouth and not to suck the air in. If I just create the space for the air and open my airway, the air will instantly come in.
It is not easy to do, but when you do it right, it is a strange feeling at first. The next thing you learn to do is to release the air properly while you sing. Your entire midsection should be working very hard at maintaining this expansion even when the air is leaving. This keeps the air pressure more constant. Then all you need to learn (lol...as if) is how to form good consistant vowel sounds and not to let consonents squeeze off the air and sound. The air will utilize your sinus passages to some degree, but you want to avoid a strong nasal sound. The sound that comes out might seem too bright or almost sharp to your ears, but to anyone listening, it does not sound sharp. The sound should feel like it is in the front of your mouth, just behind the lips. Another interesting thing is that you learn to make different vowel sounds without moving the jaw much if at all. The jaw should be dropped most all the time and even the lips are not used much. There are many more aspects to singing opera, but this should give anyone who is unfamiliar a better idea of what is involved and I hope it will help you to have a better appreciation and respect for opera singers.
One last thing I wanted to mention. When I sing, I am using most of the muscles in my body and usually I am very emotionally tied to the expression of the music as well. There is also much concentration involved in trying to use all these techniques correctly and still be expressive. So by the time I am done singing in a recital or a choir concert, or opera...I am just completely exhausted and drained emotionally, physically, and mentally. It takes all I am to perform and I love it so very much.
How is this possible? The most important technique to master is proper breath control. You might have heard people say, "Use your diaphram". Well that is actually not correct. The proper way to support the voice is by using your entire midsection and creating air pressure...not in the upper chest and the neck should be completely relaxed. An opera singer is trained to expand his ribs by working the costal muscles. These muscles are in between the ribs. Also, when you take in the air, the back of your mouth should feel like it does when you yawn. The amazing thing about once you begin to master this technique is that you can take in an enormous amount of air in an instant and it is silent. No one will hear the breathing in. I was told to expand the costal muscles at the same time I open my mouth and not to suck the air in. If I just create the space for the air and open my airway, the air will instantly come in.
It is not easy to do, but when you do it right, it is a strange feeling at first. The next thing you learn to do is to release the air properly while you sing. Your entire midsection should be working very hard at maintaining this expansion even when the air is leaving. This keeps the air pressure more constant. Then all you need to learn (lol...as if) is how to form good consistant vowel sounds and not to let consonents squeeze off the air and sound. The air will utilize your sinus passages to some degree, but you want to avoid a strong nasal sound. The sound that comes out might seem too bright or almost sharp to your ears, but to anyone listening, it does not sound sharp. The sound should feel like it is in the front of your mouth, just behind the lips. Another interesting thing is that you learn to make different vowel sounds without moving the jaw much if at all. The jaw should be dropped most all the time and even the lips are not used much. There are many more aspects to singing opera, but this should give anyone who is unfamiliar a better idea of what is involved and I hope it will help you to have a better appreciation and respect for opera singers.
One last thing I wanted to mention. When I sing, I am using most of the muscles in my body and usually I am very emotionally tied to the expression of the music as well. There is also much concentration involved in trying to use all these techniques correctly and still be expressive. So by the time I am done singing in a recital or a choir concert, or opera...I am just completely exhausted and drained emotionally, physically, and mentally. It takes all I am to perform and I love it so very much.
posted by Unknown at 10:45 PM
1 Comments:
Hey, Thanks a heap for writing this. It had just struck me tonight to try out opera training, and when I googled, I got this; exactly what I was looking for. God bless.
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