Perfect support for opera singers-Appoggio in sensations and action-Singing in one register

[abracadabranque]

La voix n'est pas appuyée sur le diaphragme,mais sur la gorge:Une hérésie totale et dangeureuse.Au demeurant,c'est très laid!..

[prog112]

What if I feel like I 'don't have room in my stomach' to support higher notes [by higher I mean above C4 >.>]. Will this feeling ever disappear and my strength will improve? Or limit is a limit?

[bbnice]

Your technique is amazing. I started your exercise and started to feel the work in the abs.

I would love to experience it with all the sounds I can do.

I am not an opera singer but I was looking to learn the operatic technique to enhance the quality of my vocal performances. Great job! thanks for posting this!

[JulianComeau]

@TenelliVoiceGuru I am 15 years old and I'm a high baritone/low tenor. I've been singing "seriously" for about 7 months without any operatic training whatsoever.

I was singing along with you, and at first I was really annoyed by how I couldn't keep my larynx down. When you sang the C, I sang along and hit a perfect C5. I felt no strain and the tone was good (I recorded it to make sure).

THANK YOU! I think I'll subscribe and watch your other videos. I'm really excited. Keep up the good work :).

[martinlgreen]

Your theory is sound, but it is very frustrating wading through all your descriptions of what is not correct and all the other irrelevant rambling. It is 15 minutes into the video before we receive any coherent advice. Consider having someone else write your text first before you try to explain the concepts.

[TenelliVoiceGuru]

@martinlgreen Thans for an advice. Writing the text for me would be useless, beause I never speak from written texts:) for more examples and coherent advice I have plenty of free videos on youtube.

I don't like the word concept, because it's dead. This is my style, if you don't like it, you don't have to take it:)

find more coherent teachers for your taste

Franco

[MrAndredekock]

@TenelliVoiceGuru I believe you are teaching the same thing as I now do myself and that my two teachers taught me, except that I INCLUDE keeping the larynx held down and the lifting of the soft palate in the mouth and opening the pharynx. However you do scoop to most of your notes and that portamento is (to me that is) extremely ugly in that it is UNnecessary and notes can and SHOULD be started cleanly. I use exactly the same breathing technique as you describe including the perceived sensation.

[TenelliVoiceGuru]

@MrAndredekock Good for you. I don't find extremely ugly things I do, otherwise I would not do them.

Here is the list of extremely ugly singers who scooped:

Caruso, Gigli, Corelli, Di Stefano. Scoop is the style that was regected by German coaches and imposed on the whole world including Italians.

My advice, don't hurt yourself listening to my extremely ugly voice

[MrAndredekock]

@TenelliVoiceGuru Lol. You can give instruction but don't like any criticism. Oh well, God bless you and take care.

[aryankhah]

@TenelliVoiceGuru (continued)

It seems that you rightly emphasize the 1 and 2 but pretty overlook the 3 that is seen in your own voice and IMHO if you make some cord adjustment your vibrato becomes a little faster and voice gets more pleasant quality because your natural voice is immense.

[aryankhah]

@TenelliVoiceGuru dear franco

please don't consider insulting what I am saying here because I just talk about your voice and not you as a human.

classical singing as far as I understand is comprised of three essential parts:

1)Appoggio or dynamic support

2)proper adjustment of vocal tract( lowering the larynx,rising palat, elongating pharynx ,..)

3)Vocal fold adduction that causes a briliant voice, pretty fast vibrato and penetrating quality

[TenelliVoiceGuru]

@MrAndredekock I hope you are intelligent enough to understand that what you are writing is not a critisism("like I find it extremely ugly") but a self promotion of a novice teacher, saying "you're doing everything like me but better". I find that ugly and funny at the same time:) God bless!!!

[MrAndredekock]

@TenelliVoiceGuru My apologies if what I said was in any way hurtful or insulting. I have listened to your concerts and actually appreciated your voice. I find the use of portamenti or scooping annoying and unnecessary, but my previous description was not apt and my apologies. God bless you and take care.

[Rosannasfriend]

@martinlgreen just ffwd until halfway in the video for each video, lol. Go back a little bit if you missed something.

[mojopum]

Do you have some breathing exercises that one can do without singing, lying down or standing! Thank you for this free knowledge. May you be blessed in many ways!!!

[TenelliVoiceGuru]

@mojopum Yoga breathing is the best but breathing without phonation gives you only 10% of a total sensation and experience. To each student I apply an individual approach to give him that experience.

I, mysef, do not excersize support without singing, but I breath only diaphragmicaly and that alone gives the D. agility and strenth.

[mojopum]

Mr Tenelli- thank you so much for this. Do you ever come to Germany??

[124235346]

mr tenelli in the practical exercises you said that the Middle C just needed passive opposition of the diaphragm, while the low C needed active opposition. I thought it was the opposite, that the low register just needs abdominal pressure.. i thought the dyn.op. of the diaph. was needed for the middle and high register. I can easily sing in my low register, I only start forcing around A - B flat below middle C!

[Robbby76]

in italiano no eh???..

[KarineRibbens]

You see I sing the Queen of the night Arias/role...What about those stacatti Fs etc push down or kick with diaphragm lower abs? What is your opinion Maestro?

Tx

[TenelliVoiceGuru]

@KarineRibbens Kick rather:)

[KarineRibbens]

@TenelliVoiceGuru Thank you!! Kick with the diaghrahm i understand and ALSO does the lower abs actively or conciously contract...I mean do you just focus on the diaphragm when you, yourself sing or do you also actively engage or use the lower abs/abs....and abs up or down? Thank you

[KarineRibbens]

@KarineRibbens Sorry to keep on Nagging and asking But what I mean is do the abs' upward push happen by itself or do you also contract the lower abs against the diaghragm....To me it feels as if you lean ito the whole body downward, even down into the pelvis (that is for legato.. :)

[KarineRibbens]

What about the lower abs and pelvis do you breathe that low and into the pelvis relaxed or do you contract and actively use the pelvis muscles and lower abs to actively oppose the diaphragm when singing as teached by for instance Caballe??

[sallpario]

сделайте пожал пост на эту тему.

[yongsua1989]

@TenelliVoiceGuru Hi,I saw your appggio technique is quite simple.What is the difference between your appggio with another appggio that needs high strenum,sideway inhalation....etc?

[TenelliVoiceGuru]

@yongsua1989 sideway inhalation? define and tell who uses that 

[yongsua1989]

@TenelliVoiceGuru Alright.I found this at a website.Please take a look. ( Your effort should be focused on finding a high sternum position, without relying on inhaling for help. Lift both arms above your head, pointing to the sky. Then, careful to leave the chest where the high arms put it, lower your arms.This high-chest, ribs-expanded, shoulders-relaxed position is the one you want to maintain at all times.)This is the first procedure.

[yongsua1989]

@TenelliVoiceGuru 1. Before inhaling, raise the sternum without breathing in. Then, stop thinking how low the breath must be. Stop thinking about how much air you must take in. Stop thinking about whether you want your abdomen to bulge out or tuck in. All of these things will automatically take place in the proper manner providing that you can manage not to move your chest up and down and providing that you inhale sideways.

[jamesgatward1985]

@yongsua1989 I agree with this, much easier than worrying about how everything moves larynx belly etc just lift sternum and keep it lifted. makes a Big difference

[TenelliVoiceGuru]

@yongsua1989 It goes witout saying that one needs a raised sternum, but some singers have high sternum naturaly:) Appoggio needs diaphragmical breathing. Diaphragm plays the role of a ballancer.

why make it more complicated? those who make complicated are hiding behind the words and even more importantly, action. Those who say these things, I bet are not singers, or at least accomplished ones. They talk, but they cannot show, isn't that weird? they know theory, but but they have no expirience

[124235346]

@TenelliVoiceGuru mr tenelli, please help me. I also read that thing about sideway inhalation bla bla at this website w w w. shirlee-emmons (dot) com/breath_management.html remove spaces to enter. Well, what do you think about keeping an "inhalation" position while exhaling? because, first I was told one should only bulge your stomach out. now i read that you should raise your sternum and expand ribcage even before inhaling! its confusing, can you tell us the kind of feeling you get? --->

[124235346]

@TenelliVoiceGuru i mean, do you make a force similar to the one for evacuating your bowels? Or do you tuck your abominal muscles in? also, do you think ill pass through my bridge just by getting a good appoggio? but how is that? you mean that u get so relaxed that you dont push at all and just pass through your bridge freely?

[TenelliVoiceGuru]

@124235346 Yes. Never tuck abdomenals in.

[jamesgatward1985]

@TenelliVoiceGuru

If i may interject i believe the sideways inhalation is similar to the 'sandwich' feeling you describe, preventig the belly from going out but still breathing low(strenum raised) you can feel the stretch in the lower ribs. I'm finding your posts very helpful Mr Tenelli!

[yongsua1989]

@TenelliVoiceGuru ( 2. Yes, that’s what I said. Inhale sideways, not frontwards. Put your hands around your waist with the thumbs in the back, four fingers in the front. Your index finger should tuck under the bottom rib, and the little finger should touch your hipbone if possible.Breathe sideways where your hands are. You will feel the expansion of your side walls and your back .)What do you think about these procedure?Yours far more easier :) I like yours.

[jamesgatward1985]

@yongsua1989

You really are starting to sound like my teacher lol.

Tenelli here is trying to describe the sensations that we feel if we have appoggio.

I believe the Two of you are saying the same thing, differently if that makes any sense.

[TenelliVoiceGuru]

@infernalphast9 Riggs studied, as he claims, with one of the best liric tenors of his time, Tito Schipa:)

Vowel "U" or "OO" is very good to open the throat and develope better resonance. I personaly don't do lip roll,

but I'm not against it:) I have my own ways of warm ups(I call them pre-warm ups).

What bothers me about Riggs is that he created so called "Method" and certified teachers along. Methods in it's tight stuctures don't work in voice. Voice teacher needs a great vocal ear

[TenelliVoiceGuru]

@infernalphast9 sure, Lip Roll also warms up appoggio muscle if one does it right:)

I love rock n metal musicians, they hate establishments and corruption in the world of music.

Pop music is money making industry like any mass production arts and there is a little or no freedom of expression. It's like an expensive slavery, they do what ever market wants, not the soul :)

[TenelliVoiceGuru]

@infernalphast9 It would be wrong for me to suggest without realy knowing your voice.

mask sensations are not bad at all if they don't disconnect registers and doesn't cause nasality.

Degree of nasality varies with style(even within the opera singers): more dramatic singing causes ugly results if nasality is used and in more lyric styles it doesn't.

as for crooners, Frank Sinatra used to call Pavarotti for vocal advice:). Madonna, Mickael Jackson studied with classicly trained maestri:)

[TenelliVoiceGuru]

@infernalphast9 I have sung almost any style except Hard Metal one(Blues, Jazz, Crooning, Broadway, Opera, Art songs, Folk). I'm also a fusion guitarist:) so I know that u use distorted sounds as an effect(screem). Opera singers also scream but we have less distortion in our voices(though crooneres call that opera production as unnatural distortion of the voice) Support is essensial in any voice producion

[TenelliVoiceGuru]

@infernalphast9 Thank you:)

appoggio is not meant just for Opera. It's a perfect, most balaced support for any voice production.

as for your feelings(sensations):

Do u meant easy like falsetto? or breathy like falsetto?

[KarineRibbens]

Dear Maestro! 2 Questions:

Can a singer have abs that are too strong-from Gym and pilates and yoga? You say Maria Callas did Not use Appoggio-How do you know-Did she say so and Is that why she lost her voice, or one of the reasons?

[TenelliVoiceGuru]

@KarineRibbens Appoggio is not just a diapgragmical support. Appoggio is 100% support with one register throughout.

Maria went againts all the natural laws of singing taking versatile roles that one soprano couldn't sing possibly.

Maria had registral division in her voice, therefore she was not an appoggio singer, but she was a true genious nevertheless...

[EmilyGreene1984]

Mr. Tenelli, when trying to find a voice teacher that teaches a healthy, natural or appoggio techinque - what should a student look for? Because many teachers will say they might say that they teach either one, but they might end up teaching the opposite of what they claim.

[jolandamusic]

Thank you so much for this interesting post!

[SabbiShake]

is appoggio what beyonce uses?

[MustacheVerra]

@SabbiShake No!

[tenor220]

@SabbiShake Was that a joke?

[SabbiShake]

@tenor220 no i was just wondering as her breath support seems good!

[MustacheVerra]

Thank you for the video lesson.

[RocktheStageNYC]

could this also be described as "intercostal breathing"? I know Caruso often referred to "intercostal breathing" in terms of his own support technique.

[RocktheStageNYC]

So few teachers know this technique and even fewer teach it properly. I have had great success in introducing this kind of compression to my students. To a lot of people the sensation in the body can feel very strange but once you get used to it, the sensation fades into the background.

[aryankhah]

dear franco

I don't argue about placement technique but I'm one of people that started my learning process virtually with you through the net and even changed my teacher because I found that his teachings based on mask placement are in contrast with your appoggio technique....now after 4 years of training I have a good amount of appoggio and so called cavita in my voice but my voice has become overly dark and back and lacks resonance and penetrating ability.

what could you advice me?

[TenelliVoiceGuru]

@aryankhah That's why one needs a live teacher:) When one experiments with finding support and N.Placement there is always a possibility to over do it, since one doesn't have an external ear(teacher)

If you get woofy sounds that means larinx is suppressed. Two solutions:

1 Try to find a different D.ballance

2Change placement:find more natural placement, more squillante position(but don't move to much:it's a fine point between the woofy and too much maschera sound. The truth lies right in Midl

[aryankhah]

@TenelliVoiceGuru thanks for reply. I study in Baku conservatory( very near to your home town tbilisi) and do have teacher but because I don't find the conservatory instructions enough I lean from best teachers on the net like yourself. BTW can you have a masterclass in Baku if someday you come to Tbilisi????

[TenelliVoiceGuru]

@aryankhah For those who don't have acual teachers, they need to record themselves constantly and listen to recordings as aften as possible. Ideas don't make great singers:experience does.

Teacher is there to point out on fine things that actual singer never feels or hears himself.

When one follows just ideas, without understanding the proccess as a whole, might be in danger.

In your case find good natural chiaro scuro timber and develope it without a compromise, but you need someone to tell

[MustacheVerra]

@aryankhah If i may suggest that you add more expression while singing. WAY more if you have too like smiling should brighten the voice. And perhaps you could go back to mask placement a little like 5 minutes a day and try to remember what it feels like and sounds like and do it with support. What ever works...

[aryankhah]

@MustacheVerra thanks a lot I'll try suggestions..

[GameJourney]

Having confidence is 50% of singing.