Primary and Secondary Passaggi

When many voice experts refer to the "passaggio", they are commenting on the last bridge before entering the high voice; e,f, and g. This concept is applied for roughly all their lower or higher voiced singers. I was taught in my vocal pedagogy class, that there are two passaggi, a primary and secondary passaggio. I have found it interesting that the relationship could actually have some bearing on the concepts of developing the voice and is representative of the way the voice really works. It has brought me to what I think are interesting conclusions. For instance, how to dependably tell whether a student is a tenor or a baritone, or soprano or alto. Many singers after years are still wondering about whether they are a this (low) or a that (high) vocally. Understanding the passaggi in the voice can completely draw definte and applicable lines of determining the voice part or fach of a given singer.

To make application you have to accept the concept of the thyro-arytenoids as behaving like a vibrating string; having nodes, and harmonic interplay based on the frequency or pitch and its mass. With the help of the crico-thyroids, our voices are capable of producing all pitches in our 3 to 5 octave ranges. In light of this, every voice has natural weak points based on the various sizes of a person's thoraxic and pharyngeal cavities and other oddly shaped spaces that make up the interior of the body of a singer. This in combination of the individual's vocal cords, and the particular shape and thickness of the each cord, add to this the varieties as to the varying lengths of peoples necks, how tall or how long or short waist-ed, how low might ones larynx seat, the size of tongue etc. For instance, the width of the cheek must affect the interior dimensions of the pharyngeal spaces. All of these variations make up the individual voice of ones particular whole body. Based on these variances, and in combination with the size and thickness of the vocal chords, the voice will develop around its own string behavior and harmonics, causing a middle voiced pitch to develop in such a way that it will become the lower passaggio; naturally weak pitch that behaves in an unpredictable way due to its behavior as a node on a string (not to be confused with the vocal malady, an example of the node I reference is the point on a string where violinist or guitarist gently rests their finger to produce the super high harmonic series of the instrument. I think this also has bearing on why expert singers are able to shift octaves with such speed and accuracy.

If you are a baritone, and this note is b flat, you are a bass-baritone, or a mezzo-soprano if female. One whole step higher and you have spinto tenore, and soprano dramatica, both exhibiting a break at a c sharp in the middle. This application is obvious. A flat; contralto, or basso profundo, A natural; lyric bass, and alto, B flat; bass-baritone, dramatic mezzo soprano, B natural; mezzo or baritone, C; lyric baritone, lyric mezzo, C sharp; spinto soprano/tenor, or dramatic (some may believe their is a distinction between the two), D Lyric Soprano/Tenor, D; E flat; Coloratura/ Leggiero, and so forth, we have all varieties of coloraturi.

This is all very tedious to attempt writing or, reading, for anyone I am sure, but its dependability is very helpful as teachers search out the proper voice classification for their students. Especially if you teach young singers. The primary passaggio will not reveal itself if diaphragmatic pressure is used in the approach. If the note is overblown it will create a pressed harmonic that negatively impacts the development of the vocal cords buy distorting the natural and undeveloped registration already presenting itself in that adult or adolescent singer. This is the case with most singers as it is a note low enough to dependably hit and it is used as a leverage point for the upper voice. Abdominal breath pressure disguises the note that is an individuals lower passaggio. The extra pressure builds an overly thickened part of the vocal cords and becomes a mixed registration, as coined by the late Cornelius Reid, God rest his soul. Once properly exposed and isolated, and while the student learns to not crescendo to ascend the scale, you will begin to notice that the perfect fourths above and below the lower passagio, have similar distortion, a note that is fuzzy, that the student usually presses this "easy to get to" note to try to overcome its natural dullness, (which is why diaphragmatic pressure is so sinister, it combines with the extra effort of the student to build and strengthen the voice in a mal-coordinated production (knots). The incorrect gesture becomes crystallized if you will, and will required serious and tedious work to overcome. Even with no pressure on the voice the primary break is difficult for singers to keep on pitch, it is a little slippery in both ways, it either leans upward or squats down (the crack and the fearful press that follows) You will find these notes in perfect fourths throughout the range. And they all behave largely the same way. The half step above the break is breathy or falsetto(y), the half step below is too chesty and weighty. These passaggi can be found all the way through the range, top to bottom.

To develop these weak notes I use spoken sounds as glottal strokes (no diaphragmatic support at all, as if spoken casually). A student of mine will sing the letters of the vowel series. Singing as if speaking the vowels as letters a, e,i o, and u. What singing vowel sounds are these? Day, may, spade, see me the eve, Lee. My by Thai spy, go know stove grove,you Sue,too blue. The natural huskiness of the primary passaggio begins to grow amber and make the voice drip deep dark honey, because its middle note is vibrating intensely while not being pressed by the far too accessible and breath pressure of the over zealous singers.

This perfect equilibrium allows the vocal cords to vibrate like a string in the balance of poised physics, and is optimized because of the dynamic play of tension and relaxation as the vocal folds vibrate in the breath pressure loop of something similar to a cat's purr. This is when you can know what proper breath support is, the Italians called it appoggiare You just lean gently on and pulse this vibrating tone loop that is in balance between your vocal cords and the top of the diaphragm. Wild power practically without having to stir the body. All registers are accessible with perfect ease and variance of timbres as one learns that a singer doesn't have to get louder to go higher. You simply excite the harmonics. Then the overtone harmonics of the voice begin to present themselves and strengthen by adding perceptible harmonics of octaves, dominants, the thirds, drawn off the fundamental pitch. Rather like the variable registrations of a pipe organ with massive power, comfortably achieved, breadth, volume, and perfect intonation.

Working these concepts out will give you full control of your voice allowing you to play the voice like a trumpet in three octaves on any vowel sound (no modification whatsoever). You will also have dazzling vocal power; a very clear light tone to ppp while still being clearly understood and present in any hall; agility; and vocal freshness after performing.

If you get through all of this, your a camper.