Practical Pedagogy Lecture 5 Balanced Onset and Release Richard Miller The Structure of Singing Wadsworth Publishing Co Inc (20 Nov. 1986)

Essentials of a musical instrument An instrument must have three things: Actuator – the source of energy Vibrator – the part of the instrument that turns the energy into oscillation Resonator – the space the reinforces the primary vibration In voice: Actuator is the respiratory system The vibrator is the vocal cords in the larynx The resonator is the laryngeal pharynx Note voice is unique in that the vibrator is below the level of consciousness so we can only approach it via indirect means

The Nature of Sound The air around us is made up of submicroscopic units of matter called molecules. They move about independently but tend to stay a certain distance apart, other conditions remaining the same. If they are forced together they fly apart and vice versa. This property of matter is called elasticity. The pressure changes set up by these waves (caused by the moving molecules) create sound when they strike your ear drum. Establishing Dynamic Muscle Equilibrium through Onset and Release.   The coordinated vocal onset and release. Refer to Bernoulli effect

The Hard Attack   Glottal attack, glottal catch, glottal click, glottal plosive, stroke of the glottis, coup de glotte, colpo di glottides etc. All terms used to describe the resultant vocal sound when the vocal folds are adducted (approximated) prior to phonation. Electromyography shows that in the glottal attack activity begins early in the vocal muscles and is significantly greater than in the other two forms of onset. Because the glottis closes firmly before phonation in the hard attack, there is a greater degree of pressure below the folds. When phonation begins the suddenness of the release of this pressure produces the glottal attack.  

The Soft Onset If you consciously feel the flow of breath before vocal sound then you are making use of the soft onset. Just as the hard attack produces conditions favourable to hyper-function on the part of the participating muscles, so the soft onset may result in hypo-function in those same muscles. Neither the hard attack nor the soft onset may be endorsed as pedagogical practises for standard use. They result from two opposing errors in phonation.

The Balanced Onset Here a more balanced laryngeal action is present throughout the phase. ‘Pre-phonatory tuning’ takes place (not achieved through conscious effort or laryngeal sensation) This pre-phonatory tuning process involves not only the intrinsic laryngeal muscles, but also the intercostal and abdominal muscles and the external laryngeal muscles….as well as the middle ear…and the oropharyngeal musculature…and is set in train immediately after each inter-phrase inhalation

Staccato The goal is clean approximation and involves the principle of quick alternation between vocal fold adduction and abduction on single pitches and then on longer patterns. The must be no excess of airflow (whisper factor) and no excess of subglottic pressure (grunt factor).

Guidelines for exercises Keep exercises within comfortable register range. Start using only vowel A. May proceed to use front vowels I and E but avoid back vowels O and U for the moment. The onset should be balanced. Singer should feel that the aspirate sound has been eliminated and that the flow of breath and the emergence of tone occur simultaneously. In cases where vocal fold approximation is slack, with resultant breathiness, the attack might include a slight glottal stroke (only as a temporary corrective device) In cases where conditions of vocal tension impair freedom in the onset, the aspirate [h] may be consciously introduced (again as a temporary corrective device)   Exercises for achieving the balanced onset: From Miller, page 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15.

The Release Even for singers who can initiate a balanced onset, the release of sound may cause technical complications. The proper release of any phonation is as important as the balanced onset. Oftentimes the character of the vocal release will contribute to the response the mechanism will make on the subsequent onset

The Soft Release When the glottis is gradually opened at termination of phonation breathiness will characterise the vocal timbre. It can represent insufficient breath coordination below the glottis and often can be seen by a physical collapse of the torso. This insufficient release is known as the soft release.

The Hard Release Suddenly increasing the degree of glottal closure (vocal fold approximation) at the termination of phonation will produce an effect reminiscent of a grunt. This hard release requires a difficult readjustment if freedom in singing is to be regained; the subsequent onset will have little opportunity of being anything other than ‘hard’ because of the prevailing hyper-function.

Exercises from Richard Miller The Structure of Singing pages 11-15 The Balanced Release In the properly executed onset-release cycle the quality of vocal sound will be consistent from beginning to end. The glottis neither tightens nor remains in any of the whispering postures at the onset of phonation, nor does it assume those postures at phrase termination. Freedom in sustained singing and in agility is a direct outgrowth of the free onset and release. Exercises from Richard Miller The Structure of Singing pages 11-15