Question 3

Hello Mrs. Lang,
I am a soubrette. Could I have singing lessons with you and if so, will I only be able to sing out loud?
U.W.

Dear U.,

thank you very much for your inquiry.

In a way, every voice lives in the body of the person to whom it "belongs". As a singing teacher, one should always take these individual circumstances into account.

You can't make a trombone out of a recorder, and vice versa, you can't make a flute out of a tuba.
First of all, there are the different voice categories of the human voice:

• Soprano
• mezzo/alto
• Tenor
• Baritone
• Bass

These can then be divided, depending on e.g. physical appearance or color and size of the voice, into different "Fächer" which describe the characteristics of their use:

• serious "Fächer"
• play/acting "Fächer"

This division has proven useful in the evaluation and selection of roles for soloists singing in opera. There again there are "subdivisions", depending on the individual sound and individual possibilities of use of each individual voice. The variety of parts of each singer can be individually very wide and interdisciplinary. They can also change in one singer's life from lyric to dramatic or to character "Fach". This development is very individual and often dependent on various factors.

Seriöse Fächer

• Lyrischer Sopran
• Dramatischer Koloratur-Sopran
• Jugendlich-dramatischer Sopran
• Dramatischer Sopran
• Zwischenfach-Sopran
• Hochdramatischer Sopran
• Dramatischer Mezzo-Sopran
• Dramatischer Alt
• Lyrischer Tenor
• Lyrischer Bariton
• Kavalier- Bariton
• Helden-Bariton
• Seriöser Bass

Spiel- und Charakter-Fächer

• Soubrette
• lyrischer Koloratur-Sopran
• lyrischer Mezzo-Sopran
• Spielalt
• Buffo-Tenor (Spiel-Tenor)
• Charakter-Tenor
• Spiel-Bass
• Charakter-Bass
• Schwerer Spiel-Bass

In practice today, each "voice" usually finds "its" place of use. Thus, there are voices that are more suited to concerts, others are at home in baroque music, or others feel comfortable in the bel canto repertoire. Some singers have the potential to develop into a dramatic "Fach" in the course of their career. As an experienced singer and teacher, I naturally hear where a voice might "go" one day. However, I always start from the status quo because a voice is not just a voice that you train. The whole person belongs to it and it is important to respect this person, to show him ways and to give him "his" time to develop.

In the training or better said, the voice formation of each individual I usually proceed as follows:
I pick up the singer where he/she is and suggest improvements with which he/she can facilitate his/her vocal production, optimise his/her vocal sound within the framework of his physical conditions and, above all, help him/her to make the best use of his expressive possibilities. Here, for me, it is important that each singer finds out for him-/herself how not to tire and how to enable the carrying capacity of his/her voice. This can only be achieved by respecting one's existing possibilities. The carrying capacity of a voice can only be achieved through proper focus and a proper balance in the body while singing. In this way, each voice will also find its way into its proper "Fach"

A healthy voice will always have a wide range of colours, and great flexibility. In the course of time, with proper practice or training, the necessary endurance and the "power" that is in harmony with the singer's personality will also emerge, which will enable consciously applied dynamic shadings from piano to forte.

1. sing with joy
2. learn to keep the voice fresh and young
3. be yourself

Yours sincerely

Petra Lang