CLASS VOICE 1 QUIZ; CHAPTERS 2,4,6,7,8, AND BREATH HANDOUT

FALL 2017 NAME: TERRY LASUT

1. List/describe three vocal warm-ups (spoken or sung) one might use to get the voice activated
after doing preliminary stretches in the body.
a. Lip trills or motor boats going from the middle of your voice and as high as you can go,
and then from the middle of your voice and as low as you can go.
b. Yawn Sigh a sustained downward sigh starting at a higher spoken pitch with the
mouth in shape of an ah as in beginning of a yawn.
c. Hiss/Panting exercise A sustained hissing or panting sound keeping the air in motion
while maintaining good costal muscle extension.
2. Outline the steps one should take to efficiently learn a song. Address text, rhythm, and melody.
a. First, learn the words. The text is the message that you are communicating to an
audience, it is important. Learn the words in their own natural rhythm and dramatize
them as prose or poetry until they make sense to someone else.
b. Second, learn the rhythm. Everything has its own rhythm, and all you have to do is tap
into it. Do not try to make the rhythm, that will only cause your body to tense and you
will get slower and slower. Consider the rhythm as the underlying heartbeat of the music.
You dont make it happen, it just happens. There is a natural rhythm in the text alone and
a basic rhythm set by the composer. Also, each language has its own rhythm. When
learning a foreign language, it is not the pronunciation that usually makes it difficult; it is
the rhythm of the language. Rhythm, or pulse, is the foundation of music. Using your
entire body to feel the rhythm is very useful.
c. Third, learn the melody. With the words and rhythm firmly in place, put them together to
learn the melody. Feel the melody and phrasing and shape it with your arms and use an
easy and relaxed syllable to sing the melody. Then, when you are confident with that,
add the words.
d. Finally, put it all together. All the pieces are now in place and you can finally put
everything together. If you have successfully built a strong foundation, you will find that
it will all come together more accurately. By using this process, you save time and create
accuracy, and most importantly, consistency.
3. Is the breathing process below the level of consciousness or not? What three misconceptions by
the singer might interfere with the process potentially undermining a singers intent?
a. Breath is the essence of life and sound, and normally breathing is a subconscious process.
The perceived need to control air, the fear of running out of breath, and a sense of near
panic or nervousness have caused the greatest breathing problems for singers.
4. According to your text, what are the 7 characteristics of efficient breath management?
a. The body is physically balanced and poised for action.
b. The intake of air is silent No Gasps!
c. There is no visible muscle tension especially not in the face, mouth, neck, shoulders, or
chest.
d. The feeling of breath begins deep in the lower part of the body.
e. The focus is on sensing the action of the lowest ribs in the back and the lower part of the
abdomen in the front.
f. The abdomen and ribs are flexible and available to respond to the demands of singing.
 g. The muscles of the abdomen are able to work with reasonable effort to help the air flow
out without interference by the chest or neck.
5. What are the levator costarum and what part do they play in the breathing process?
a. Twelve pair of small muscles elevate the ribs from behind and help the diaphragm. Each
of these muscles runs from projections on the sides of the vertebrae down to the angle
of the rib below. They make up what are called the levator costarum. This puts them in a
good position to raise the ribs slightly and swing them outward. The effectiveness of this
movement relies on the freedom and flexibility of the back. A ridged back will hinder
these muscles from doing their job.
6. Name the muscles that make up the abdominal girdle.
a. Transversus Abdominis
b. Internal and external obliques
c. Rectus abdominis
7. List three physical pressures a singer might feel or experience that indicate the vocal apparatus is
well coordinated.
a. The most efficient area is the lowest one near the pelvis. Contracting the muscles in this
area sends pressure toward the diaphragm and lower back ribs from below. Using the
middle or the top abs tends to cut the singer in the middle and send energy up and down
at the same time. In efficient use of the muscles of exhalation can cause unwanted
tensions to transfer to the neck, throat, and jaw. The better you maintain your
alignment, the easier it will be to use the more effective lower part of the abdomen for
exhaling. Collapsing the body will cause the air to release too quickly and you will pay the
price by running out of breath.
8. Describe good posture for singing. Include all 8 areas of the body which are important.
a. Feet placed about 1 foot apart or shoulder width, one foot slightly ahead of the other,
weight on the balls of the feet for good balance
b. Knees flexible, not locked into position
c. Hips tucked in
d. Arms relaxed at your side or properly holding a score high and in front of you, never
held behind the back
e. Spine stand tall with the natural curve in spine in alignment
f. Sternum comfortably high, feel open and proud
g. Shoulders level, slightly back but not too much, never forward or hunched over
h. Head level, resting tall on neck/spine, avoid raising chin or lowering chin too much,
focus eyes ahead on a point out in front of you on a level plain.
9. Give two reasons why good posture is necessary for proper singing.
a. Good posture helps you stand tall, be confident, project to your audience, and get rid of
any unnecessary tensions
10. Match the terms clavicular, intercostal, and diaphragmatic/abdominal with the three breath
management systems listed below. Which two are used in combination for proper singing?
a. Low torso breathing Abdominal
b. Mid-torso breathing diaphragmatic
c. High torso breathing clavicular
d. The 2 which are combined diaphragmatic/abdominal
11. TRUE OR FALSE
a. True
b. False
c. True
d. True
e. True
f. True
g. False
h. True
i. True
j. True
k. False
l. True
m. False
12. FILL IN THE BLANKS
a. All singers strive to begin a pitch with a clear, precise onset.
b. It is important to breathe off on each release keeping the vowel intact.
c. The proper name for the voice box is the larynx
d. Inhalation should be slow and low, never quick and shallow
e. During inhalation, the rib muscles or intercostal muscles expand laterally while the
abdominal muscles expand outward and downward
f. The term phonation refers to the act of speaking or singing
g. An onset that is too tight and harsh sounding is called glottal.
h. The expression breath support refers to the resistance of the intercostal muscles to the
abdominal muscles during the process of exhalation.