Support

Have you ever sung in a choir, and had the director yell at you: "Support that tone!" and wondered what on earth they were going on about? Well, I'm going to try and make it a little less clear. (Yup, that's what I said.)

In earlier posts, I've spoken about the importance of stance and breathing. Support is related to both of these. You're going to have a very difficult time supporting a tone without good posture or breath control, but there is much more to it than that.

This is Sarah Brightman singing Henry Mancini's Moon River. There is SO much wrong with this that I almost don't know where to start. I could mention the stupid crowny-thing in her hair, or ask why her pants are see-through, or even wonder if she's working her abs sitting on the huge ball. But, instead, I'm going to talk about her complete and total lack of focus, breath control and support. 

Let's start with the breath control. She cannot sustain any phrasing at all. I happen to have sheet music for Moon River. (It's from when the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's came out. Cost a whopping $1.25, if you're interested.) She holds out nothing longer than 1 1/2 measures. Nothing. 5 notes is the longest phrase. And these don't make sense in the context of the song. It is simply that she cannot hold out anything longer. She's letting out huge amounts of air with each and every single note. You can hear the air escaping in the breathy quality of her voice. 

Focus. There is none. That can be heard, once again, in the air rushing out, the breathiness to her voice. The tones aren't clear, they are cloudy with all the air. The lack of focus can also be heard in the constant scooping.  She doesn't have the air for longer phrases, and this makes some of the notes a little bit more difficult to reach. To make up for that, she scoops. (Yes, I know. Scooping can be a stylistic thing, but should still be used sparingly. Not every other note! That's just sloppy.)

Support. Its very difficult to support anything sitting on a giant ball with your legs stuck out in front of you like that. (In some cultures, it is considered rude to show people the soles of your feet, even your shoes. Apparently, she's never heard that, as she's showing the soles of her boots to a multitude of people.) When singers think about support, we usually think of just the abdominal muscles. We pooch out the tummy, forcing the diaphragm to flatten. And, viola! support! (On a craft show on PBS, I recently  heard the host pronounce that vie-la. Just for the record - it is vwah-la. Don't complain to me - it's French.) Actually, there is a lot more to it than just the abdominal muscles, although they are vitally important to the process. 

Also involved are, the thigh muscles, inner thigh muscles and the gluteus maximus (Butt cheeks). All of these muscles need to be engaged. What do I mean by this? Check out this video. It's a coach showing how to free throw in basketball. He has a young volunteer demonstrating what he's talking about.

  Throughout this video, you can see the kid getting ready to make the shot. All of his muscles are ready, time and time again, to throw the ball, if only the plump coach would shut up and let him do it! Every muscle in his young body is ready. That's what a singer's muscles should feel like. Engaged, energized and ready for anything. Without that, it's difficult to support the tone properly. (Poor kid, he almost looks like he's performing the 'potty dance')

Another Sarah Brightman example. I found this and went there expecting another train wreck. And I was not disappointed. She has no idea what the lyrics are about. (Glancing at the lyrics, I'm not sure I know, but I'm not the one who chose to sing the song. Here's what Wikipedia had to say on the subject :The author of Procol Harum: beyond the pale, Claes Johansen, suggests that the song "deals in metaphorical form with a male/female relationship which after some negotiation ends in a sexual act." This is supported by Tim de Lisle in Lives of the Great Songs, who remarks that the lyrics concern a drunken seduction, which is described through references to sex as a form of travel, usually nautical, using mythical and literary journeys. And I am NOT going to talk about Chaucer's Miller's Tale!)

 
Pay close attention at 1:21. I'll wait while you make it to that point in the video. Her voice is breathy, unfocused, unsupported. Then when she's ready for the high note, on "was" her knees visibly push straight, and suddenly, her voice has power and clarity! (That's why she likes sheer skirts! Just for these teaching points! How thoughtful.) 

Now, for contrast, here's John Barrowman singing Moon River. (Yes, Cap't Jack Harkness can sing!) He has very good focus. And just listen to those clear tones! And the phrasing is beautiful. Those notes are all supported. (And I think he's better looking than Ms Brightman, too! And no stupid crowny-thing!)


I had planned on giving you Procul Harem singing A Whiter Shade of Pale.  But, they don't sing anywhere near as good as Mr. Barrowman, so if you want to hear them, you'll have to go to Youtube yourself. So there.


Next week?