I am drawing inspiration from a conversation I was having with a friend. I am certain that there is not just one single correct piano technique, and in fact, there are almost as many as there are pianists. Now, a friend who is an expert in vocals assures me that instead there are only two ways of singing (within the scope of opera singing, but also Lieder): one right and one wrong. That is to say, that there exists ONLY one possible correct technique, based on support. Not being a singer, I am asking in this section if it is truly like this.
The expert friend of vocalism, like many singers, thinks according to dogmas.
No, there is not just one singing technique and there is no single "right" singing technique. If you approach the issue from a historical point of view, it can only be so: artistic singing has developed over centuries and in different geographical locations; this gives us reasonable confirmation of the fact that there have been and there are different but equally authoritative techniques. It would make sense, however, to also speak of "schools," as well as "techniques." There are technical principles that many schools share, but each school has its own particularities, whether they be didactic or substantial.
Specifically, speaking of "technique based on support" means saying everything and nothing. Every school defines support in different ways, teaches it in different ways, and applies it to repertoires in different ways.
C
CanCan
Member
Reply 4 by CanCan
Posts
46
I agree with Thallo... vague definition. Above all, technique is only a means to achieve a certain result... technique cannot be the result, at most it influences it...
It is a glimpse into how much the world of singing is still tied to personalities, slogans, dogmatisms, and so on. It is always interesting how little these articles deal with music proper. Juvarra tries, but in reality, he doesn't provide real alternatives; he is only criticizing. But the real problems that a technique should solve are others: does it allow you to be in tune? To cover a reasonable vocal range with uniformity? To possess a reasonably large and modulatable volume? To possess reasonably fast and precise agility? To articulate all the consonants and vowels of the major languages in the repertoire? To perform all this without damaging the phonatory organ? Practically no vocal technique maximizes all these requirements, but almost every vocal technique allows you to reach an acceptable minimum. I think that, in the end, everyone who undergoes vocal studies is capable of pursuing a professional career. If we limit ourselves to this, we should have a welcoming, liberal, and non-dogmatic attitude toward everyone. The problem is that many singers and very many teachers experience vocalism (which is not music) as an initiatory path. The goal is not professionalism but perfection, and this leads to real religious wars between those who bring "the truth" and those who bring "the lie."
