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That Elevated Rib Cage Again.
Thomas J Hixon defines an elevated rib cage as one held in a higher position than that assumed during relaxation.
Well now, that's a mighty big range I reckon. As some may recall I went on and on about how effective a comfortable and well established rib cage was, when singing? I also observed that when I established this chest-cage, the attitude, or if your like, the engagement of the stomach muscles was automatic.
Well now I read in TJ's book the idea that it's the other way around. This disturbs me greatly. Yes it seems to work as TJ says but it's far more interventionist.
Moving along, I have also discovered, or rather, observed, --since I am not entitled to "discover," that there is a degree of rib-cage establishment that seems to be critical in putting the diaphragm into inhale mode and keeping it there while singing, and I surmise that there is a neurological connection activated by some specific rib-cage elevation. With such an important observation I am not going to disengage this in order to experiment with Thomas J's reverse description.
Still more, TJ proceeds to try and dismantle the possibility of the continually active diaphragm apparently having encountered it before. This is at the top of page 124 in his Respiratory Function in Singing.
I am inclined to the view that as the interaction between the diaphragm, the brain and the inhalation and exhalation function of the rib cage all by themselves, is so complex, there is a combination that could neurologically trick the diaphragm into this continually active inhalation mode. It's a perfectly observable and easily engaged function but in order to find it I had to come away or down from the higher degree of rib-establishment I had initially used. Had I NOT been incrementally reducing the higher rib-cage establishment, I probably would not have discovered the function Lloyd referred to.
No doubt it's always a good idea to have a specific approach to the onset and with this degree of rib-establishment, the engagement of the abs is clear, moderate and precise, leaving the diaphragm as the moderator.
Reg.
Last edited by Reg; 04-06-2012 at 11:00 AM.
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