Breath support or "appoggio" according to A. Melocchi
Let's delve into the topic of breathing and support, a subject that often sparks discussions among singers. Firstly, it's essential to distinguish between the two functions of the breathing mechanism. The inhalation phase involves the expansion of the entire rib cage and the lowering of the diaphragm. The most significant expansion should occur in the solar plexus region, around the lower ribs. Singers should not aim for expansion in the umbilical and hypogastric regions. Attempting to take an extremely low abdominal breath may restrict the singer from comfortably taking a deep breath. Anatomically, the diaphragm stretches and reaches the zone of the lower ribs without going below them, making it impossible to take a breath as low as the lower abdomen.
After the singer takes a breath, it needs to be controlled using two opposing muscle groups. The first is the abdominal muscle group responsible for pushing the breath out, and the second is the intercostal muscles that help the diaphragm stay tense and maintain the inhalation position. Balancing these two functions allows the singer to achieve good control of the breath.
Now, we come to a question that divides different schools of singing: Is the correct use of breath a cause of correct sound production, or does correct sound production lead to the proper use of breathing mechanics? In various historical schools, the emphasis was on mastering breath coordination, with the belief that correct breathing would result in a free and supported sound. However, in the Melocchi school, less emphasis was placed on breath support because the right sound naturally engaged the support muscles. The image used was leaning not on the breath but on the larynx. When the larynx reaches its lowest position, the singer feels that it is seated or leaned on the chest, automatically engaging the support muscles, as a bigger sound requires more breath pressure.
At the initial phase of a singers training only the inhalation phase was taken into consideration, making sure that the singer takes an abdominal-diaphragmatic breath, expanding the zone of the solar plexus and all around the lower ribs. To summarize, breath support was seen as a result of correct sound production rather than the other way around.
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