Answerbag: Wim Thomas's answers

Answer to I am studying to be a opera singer. I am a coloratura, yet I can sing bass and tenor quite easily. My range is from Bflat-3 to Eflat-6. Most people think I am an alto when I speak. So would I still be considered a coloratura?

Tue, 08 Mar 2005 06:24:14 -0800

I am studying to be a opera singer. I am a coloratura, yet I can sing bass and tenor quite easily. My range is from Bflat-3 to Eflat-6. Most people think I am an alto when I speak. So would I still be considered a coloratura?

My range is Bflat 3 - Eflat 7, up to eflat 6 would classify me as a mezzo. But it is Eflat 7 i can reach. cheers, sparrow

Answer to Does phlegm diminish your singing range?

Tue, 08 Mar 2005 02:18:41 -0800

Does phlegm diminish your singing range?

Phlegm is a natural nasty phenomenon in the throat. It coats your vocal folds in mucous and therefore causes one not to sing well. An easy way to get rid of this is to incoporate around a half gallon of water into your diet everyday. Water washes away everything on the cords, keeps them moist,...

Answer to What were the titles of all of Mozart's operas? When and where did each premier?

Tue, 08 Mar 2005 02:15:33 -0800

What were the titles of all of Mozart's operas? When and where did each premier?

Idomeneo (1781) Die Entf�hrung aus dem Serail (1782) Le Nozze di Figaro (1786) Don Giovanni (1787) Cosi Fan Tutte (1790) La Clemenza di Tito (1791) Die Zauberfl�te (1792) I really couldn't find where they premiered although I was thinking that most of...

Answer to How do sound waves change as different notes are played? How are different pitches achieved?

Tue, 08 Mar 2005 02:10:09 -0800

How do sound waves change as different notes are played? How are different pitches achieved?

Low notes produce larger and longer sound waves (meaning there is more distance between the crest and trough of each wave). High notes have a much faster pulse than lower notes and shorter sound waves.

Answer to What is the highest note playable and what instrument is it on?

Tue, 08 Mar 2005 02:08:51 -0800

What is the highest note playable and what instrument is it on?

I would say it's on piano, but piccolo should be able to hit it also.

Answer to Which instruments are normally in a marching band?

Tue, 08 Mar 2005 02:08:07 -0800

Which instruments are normally in a marching band?

Depending on what style of marching band you are in: Normal Brass: Trumpets, Mellophones, Marching Baritones, Trombones, Sousas. Woodwinds: Tenor Saxes, Saxes, Flutes, Piccolos, Clarinets, and Bass Clarinets Bassoons, Oboes, Contrabass clarinets, and Bari-saxes don't march...

Answer to Which operas have been produced as films? Which are available on DVD?

Tue, 08 Mar 2005 02:01:59 -0800

Which operas have been produced as films? Which are available on DVD?

Amahl and the Night Visitors Tosca Baby Doe

Answer to I am a mezzo and very comfortable in middle range, but I am trying to develop my high register. I get a very tired sore throat after I practice, is this normal?

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 05:07:47 -0800

I am a mezzo and very comfortable in middle range, but I am trying to develop my high register. I get a very tired sore throat after I practice, is this normal?

No, you are straining and thus, you are hurting your voice. You might not have learned the break between registers. For example, my actual speaking voice is alot lower than my soprano voice. It sounds like I would sing alto (I can sing bass, tenor, and alto quite easily - but I am using a version...

Answer to At what age is a woman's singing voice fully developed?

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 05:05:11 -0800

At what age is a woman's singing voice fully developed?

I was told a woman's singing voice is fully developed in her late twenties.

Answer to What is the difference between "breathy voice" and "falsetto"?

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 05:04:23 -0800

What is the difference between "breathy voice" and "falsetto"?

Breathy voice comes from the throat and most singers who have breathy voices breathe in the way of clavicular breathing. Their shoulders and chest often rise whilst they're breathing, only filling the top part of the lungs. Falsetto is supported by the diaphragm but with the notion of...

Answer to Are there any foods or drugs that can improve your singing voice?

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 05:02:31 -0800

Are there any foods or drugs that can improve your singing voice?

1. Avoid dairy. You can have an ice cream every now and then, but never before a gig. 2. Make water the drink of your soul. Not only is it great for the voice, but great for your health also. People say singers lose weight because they're always toning the muscles of the diaphragm. Well,...

Answer to Are there any exercises or warm-ups I can do to improve my singing voice?

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 04:58:34 -0800

Are there any exercises or warm-ups I can do to improve my singing voice?

There is a lip roll that is really good. It opens the throat and flattens the tounge. Put your index fingers in the corners of your cheeks and first roll the lips. Then start on middle C, while rolling the lips, and roll up the scale. I do this usually before I start warmups. Sparrow

Answer to How can I relieve a hoarse throat?

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 04:56:09 -0800

How can I relieve a hoarse throat?

Vodka. This actually does work. I bought a Smirnoff Ice at the store the other day because my big sis, a doctor, recommended either vodka or whiskey. Just make sure you chug water afterwards to moisten your throat. Sparrow

Answer to What vocal warmups/exercises do professional singers use?

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 04:54:48 -0800

What vocal warmups/exercises do professional singers use?

I don't drink milk any more for that main purpose. I am a coloratura, or almost one, and am studying to be a classical singer. Milk may make your voice sounds smooth, but it makes it less clear. That's because it basically coats the cords in phlegm and mucus. Stick with water! It's...

Answer to I participate in musicals on a large stage. How can I be louder on higher notes that I sing in my head voice?

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 04:53:05 -0800

I participate in musicals on a large stage. How can I be louder on higher notes that I sing in my head voice?

When you sing, you should always think of your voice as resonating. Expand the diaphragm and vibrate the nasal cavity. Don't produce a nasal tone!!!! Do a "nnnnn" sound like you were a bumblebee. You feel the vibration? You should point the sound down the naval cavity. This is how...

Answer to Is there a term to define a soloist's choice to sing a piece in his own style and not sing it exactly as written?

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 04:50:29 -0800

Is there a term to define a soloist's choice to sing a piece in his own style and not sing it exactly as written?

in one's own style is usually called improvisation

Answer to Is it true that drinking alcohol will hurt your singing voice over time?

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 04:49:27 -0800

Is it true that drinking alcohol will hurt your singing voice over time?

What alcohol actually does is it makes you lose control of your voice. Instead of singing a steady tone, you would wobble all over the place. Plus, it dries your throat out.

Answer to How many octaves can the average person sing? How many for professional singers?

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 04:48:21 -0800

How many octaves can the average person sing? How many for professional singers?

I've heard that 2-3 octaves is the normal range for sopranos and high sops, and that a 4 octave range is extremely rare.