The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2007 1 Session III Voice Building: The Onset Stephen F. Austin, M.M.,...

The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2007The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2007 11

Session IIISession IIIVoice Building: The OnsetVoice Building: The Onset

Stephen F. Austin, M.M., Ph.D.Stephen F. Austin, M.M., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of VoiceAssociate Professor of Voice

University of North TexasUniversity of North Texas


The The coup de la glottecoup de la glotte

• No one prior to Garcia described the No one prior to Garcia described the onsetonset

• His description included:His description included:– PosturePosture– RelaxationRelaxation– ‘‘soften the throat’soften the throat’– ‘‘Inhale slowly and for a long time’Inhale slowly and for a long time’



His description included:His description included:– ““When lungs are full of air, without When lungs are full of air, without

stiffening either the phonator or any stiffening either the phonator or any part of the body, but calmly and easily, part of the body, but calmly and easily, attack the tones very distinctly with a attack the tones very distinctly with a light stroke of the glottis on a very clear light stroke of the glottis on a very clear [a] vowel.”[a] vowel.”

– ““In these conditions the tone should In these conditions the tone should come out with ring and with roundness.”come out with ring and with roundness.”



– Resulted in immediate controversyResulted in immediate controversy– Defended his position for the next 60 Defended his position for the next 60

yearsyears– ““One must guard against confusing the One must guard against confusing the

stroke of the glottis with the stroke of stroke of the glottis with the stroke of the chest, which resembles a cough.”the chest, which resembles a cough.”



– By end of 19By end of 19thth C critics were vehemently C critics were vehemently opposed to the conceptopposed to the concept

– It was understood to be something that It was understood to be something that it was not: a violent eruption of breath it was not: a violent eruption of breath from tightly adducted vocal foldsfrom tightly adducted vocal folds

– If misapplied, could lead to vocal If misapplied, could lead to vocal problemsproblems



– ““Hints on Singing” - almost 60 years Hints on Singing” - almost 60 years later:later:

Q. What do you mean by the stroke Q. What do you mean by the stroke of the glottis?of the glottis?

A. The neat articulation of the A. The neat articulation of the glottis that gives a precise and clean glottis that gives a precise and clean start to the sound.start to the sound.



– Herman Klein:Herman Klein:

““It is of the utmost importance that It is of the utmost importance that these observations should be studied these observations should be studied and correctly understood. The meaning and correctly understood. The meaning of the term “stroke of the glottis,” of the term “stroke of the glottis,” which was invented by the author, has which was invented by the author, has been seriously misrepresented, and its been seriously misrepresented, and its misuse has done a great deal of harm”misuse has done a great deal of harm”

Hints on SingingHints on Singing, , 18941894



– This battle was fought in the public This battle was fought in the public arenaarena

– Critic/writer George Bernard Shaw was Critic/writer George Bernard Shaw was a dedicated anti-a dedicated anti-coupe de la glottecoupe de la glotte

– Jean de Reszke:Jean de Reszke:

““The shock, or The shock, or coup de la glottecoup de la glotte, is , is death to the voice; it is born of death to the voice; it is born of ignorance, and to teach or allow its ignorance, and to teach or allow its continuance is a crime.”continuance is a crime.”



– Blanche Marchesi - a former student:Blanche Marchesi - a former student:

““They could not distinguish between They could not distinguish between the hitting and closing of the glottis, the hitting and closing of the glottis, and at once decided to condemn and at once decided to condemn every method that allowed singers to every method that allowed singers to make their vocal cords meet when make their vocal cords meet when emitting sounds”emitting sounds”

Singers’ Singers’ PilgrimagePilgrimage, 1923, 1923



– Garcia wrote to Charles Lunn:Garcia wrote to Charles Lunn:““I do insist on the attack; but I do insist on the attack; but

it must be the delicate, precise action it must be the delicate, precise action of the glottis, not the brutal pushing of of the glottis, not the brutal pushing of the breath that goes by that name, fit the breath that goes by that name, fit only to tear the glottis, not to rectify only to tear the glottis, not to rectify and regulate its movements. . . (My and regulate its movements. . . (My merit or demerit consists in having merit or demerit consists in having noticed it and given it a name). noticed it and given it a name). The The Voice: Its Downfall, Its Training, and Its UseVoice: Its Downfall, Its Training, and Its Use, 1904, 1904



– Lunn was in agreement:Lunn was in agreement:

““Now this, small though it be, is the one Now this, small though it be, is the one important principle of training that has important principle of training that has been successful in results; by it great been successful in results; by it great singers have been made; without it, singers have been made; without it, many possessing all other requirements many possessing all other requirements have failed, and it served its purpose have failed, and it served its purpose before the introduction of the before the introduction of the laryngoscope.”laryngoscope.”

The Philosophy of VoiceThe Philosophy of Voice, 1886, 1886



– Why did Garcia persist?Why did Garcia persist?

““Various simultaneous Various simultaneous causes can modify the timbres of the causes can modify the timbres of the voice . . . According as the glottis voice . . . According as the glottis narrows or partially opens, it produces narrows or partially opens, it produces ringing or lustreless tones.”ringing or lustreless tones.”



– Breathy voices are dull:Breathy voices are dull:

““Consequently it is Consequently it is necessary to conclude that the necessary to conclude that the brilliance of the voice results from brilliance of the voice results from the firm closure of the glottis after the firm closure of the glottis after each pulsation.”each pulsation.”



– Lamperti inLamperti in““Agility should be studied Agility should be studied

slowly. The example should be slowly. The example should be executed so that the intervals are executed so that the intervals are clearly distinguishable. The breath clearly distinguishable. The breath should be held steady in the passage should be held steady in the passage from one note to the other, and the from one note to the other, and the notes should be produced clearly with notes should be produced clearly with a shock of the glottis.” a shock of the glottis.” Art of Singing, Art of Singing, 19161916



– Misunderstood AND ill defined:Misunderstood AND ill defined:““When correctly done, this When correctly done, this

attack is crisp, clear and without attack is crisp, clear and without tension. The exact terminology tension. The exact terminology relating to the attack is confusing. relating to the attack is confusing. Garcia called it the Garcia called it the coup de la glottecoup de la glotte, , Vennard has called it the ‘imaginary Vennard has called it the ‘imaginary aspirate” aspirate” Meribeth Bunch Meribeth Bunch Dynamics of the Singing Dynamics of the Singing VoiceVoice, 1995, 1995



– Reiteration of error put forth by Reiteration of error put forth by Browne and Behnke in 1904:Browne and Behnke in 1904:

““The vocal ligaments meet The vocal ligaments meet just at the very moment when the air just at the very moment when the air strikes against them; they are, strikes against them; they are, moreover, not pressed together more moreover, not pressed together more tightly than is necessary. No tightly than is necessary. No preliminary escape takes place. . . And preliminary escape takes place. . . And no obstacle has to be overcome. . .no obstacle has to be overcome. . .



““. . . but the attack is clear . . . but the attack is clear and decisive, and the tone and decisive, and the tone consequently gets a proper start. The consequently gets a proper start. The mechanism by which this is done is the mechanism by which this is done is the ““coup de glottecoup de glotte” or “shock of the ” or “shock of the glottis” glottis” Voice, Speech and SongVoice, Speech and Song, 1904, 1904



Vennard:Vennard:

““I am convinced that Garcia I am convinced that Garcia did not mean the glottal plosive when did not mean the glottal plosive when he coined the expression he coined the expression coup de la coup de la glotteglotte. The term has since been . The term has since been corrupted, and would best not be used. corrupted, and would best not be used. It is probably impossible to restore the It is probably impossible to restore the original meaning.original meaning.



Vennard:Vennard:. . . “The best we can do is to . . . “The best we can do is to

absolve Garcia from the responsibility absolve Garcia from the responsibility for its present usage. The expression for its present usage. The expression “imaginary h” or “imaginary aspirate” “imaginary h” or “imaginary aspirate” is recommended as pedagogically is recommended as pedagogically useful and accurately descriptive of useful and accurately descriptive of the desirable attack.”the desirable attack.”

Singing: The Mechanism and the Singing: The Mechanism and the TechniqueTechnique, 1967, 1967



Barbara Doscher:Barbara Doscher:

““The glottal plosive is The glottal plosive is destructive, however, and may lead to destructive, however, and may lead to vocal nodules.”vocal nodules.”

Functional Unity of the Functional Unity of the Singing VoiceSinging Voice



Garcia:Garcia:– ““As a matter of fact, the two

little lips which, in the larynx, form between them a passage for the breath (the glottis), adhere to each other and cause a certain accumulation of air. That air by virtue of the elasticity which it acquires due to the pressure exerted upon it, separates the lips of the glottis, and, expanding, exits with a burst.”



Garcia:Garcia:– “But, at the same instant, relieved of

the pressure from below and pulled by their own elasticity, the lips meet again to give rise to a new explosion. From this series of successive and regular contractions and expansions or explosions is born the emission of the voice.”

–



“In general physiologists are against the coup de la glotte . . . Yet great singers and teachers often hold the opposite view: Garcia, Carulli, Duprez, Viardot-Garcia, Faure, Lablache . . .”

Frederick Hustler and Frederick Hustler and Yvonne Rodd-Marling, Yvonne Rodd-Marling, Singing: The Physical Nature of Singing: The Physical Nature of

the Organthe Organ



– No research can be found that shows No research can be found that shows that the that the coup de la glottecoup de la glotte results in results in vocal nodulesvocal nodules

– Most voice professionals decry itMost voice professionals decry it– Many 19Many 19thth C teachers supported its use C teachers supported its use– Few 20Few 20thth C teachers do C teachers do



– Franklyn Kelsey (1950)Franklyn Kelsey (1950)

““The establishment and maintenance of a perfect approximation of the vocal cords is the key problem in singing . . . he who cannot teach it cannot teach true singing, for it is the sole means which the singer has at his disposal for launching a tone which has not an undesirable content of unphonated air.”

Foundations of Singing, 1950



– There is an acoustic advantage to firm There is an acoustic advantage to firm closureclosure

– The ‘firm’, ‘clean’ onset is not the The ‘firm’, ‘clean’ onset is not the same as the ‘well-coordinated’ onsetsame as the ‘well-coordinated’ onset

– Must be used within a context of Must be used within a context of freedomfreedom

– Vennard ‘singing can be dangerous’Vennard ‘singing can be dangerous’

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The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2007 1 Session III Voice Building: The Onset Stephen F. Austin, M.M.,...

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