Voice Culture for Indian Classical Music

Traditionally, Hindustani Classical musicians, especially Dhrupad singers have certain insights into voice culture or voice engineering. There has always been an understanding that a voice has to sound and behave in a certain manner to be able to do justice to the demands of the music. Techniques of training like 'kharaj bharna', 'mandra saptak sadhana', various kinds of 'paltas' are all voice development techniques. Desired qualities in a voice have been identified as optimum resonance (bulandgi), timbral attractiveness (taseer), 'roundness' (golai), tonal continuity over the range, steadiness, maximization of range, volume, ability to modulate volume, ability to articulate vowels (especially akaar) and consonants correctly without distortion, and most of all, the ability to execute techniques, especially virtuoso techniques like taans. 'Kharaj bharna' and 'mandra saptak sadhana' have been uniformly recognized as techniques for 'opening' the voice, opening up the range and volume, optimizing tonality etc. There have been and continue to be voices in Indian music which can stand the test of audience demands in any culture of the world. Carnatic music interestingly is more demanding in its specificity of gamakas. This ability is inculcated progressively through the lengthy abhyasa gana system. But, the voice in that system is expected to do the needful, not do wonders.

Now, in spite of these basic insights, the oral traditions have never had any knowledge of the actual anatomy and physiology of the singing voice. The Shastra traditions, such as Sangeet Ratnakar, do speak of physiology, but it is obvious that they draw from Yoga traditions and do not reflect insights within the oral musical traditions.

The Western world has studied voice in relation to both, the music as well as anatomy and physiology. There is at least a two hundred year solid tradition of rationalized voice engineering, with various schools of thought. In the 20th century, musicologists like Prof B.R.Deodhar had studied voice engineering and made an attempt to work with Indian musicians. Many vocalists also have reportedly had chance encounters with Western vocalists or voice teachers and have perhaps benefited from some tips and techniques. However, there has been no proper and substantial cross cultural work, with tangible and publicized results in the form of techniques.

My personal background : I joined ITC's Sangeet Research Academy in 1980 as a Scholar. I was trained earlier in Carnatic music. I started training in Hindustani music and within six months developed voice problems. I was advised to sing softly and in hindsight that started the problem because I was singing in what I now know to be a 'collapsed voice'. I shortly lost even my speaking voice.

In 1983, Pt Sunil Bose of the Academy taught me a technique which brought back my voice immediately. The instant result was a revelation to me that the voice works in ways which we do not normally understand. I thought I had no voice, but just pushing the muscles in a certain way revealed a full voice!!

But that was not too musical a voice. This started a long and painful journey of trying to understand how the singing voice actually works. I studied a lot of Western literature but was not able to translate the theories into action. I was particularly stumped (as others before me) by the issue of registers. Western music uses the voice very differently, opening up the higher registers.

In 1990 I got a Ford Foundation grant and in '91 traveled around Europe in search of a good trainer. I found Prof Peter Calatin and his teacher Prof Fredirick Bruckner Ruggerberg, Germans settled in Rep of Ireland. They had spent their lives finding the right voice techniques and had finally found them in the late Prof Fredirick Husler, a genius of great merit. They had been teaching this technique and Smt Rukmini Devi Arundale had also invited them to India in the early 80's. I brought Prof Peter Calatin to India in '93 and '94 for three months each year. I took him around the country to meet different top professional musicians for interactions and counseling sessions. A lot of valuable work was done in the Carnatic field where musicians were keen to have some techniques of voice improvement.

I immediately started performing again (after a 12 year gap) and by end of '94 was singing to rave reviews. I subsequently fell seriously ill and had to discontinue professional concert singing. I continued to teach and research into voice. I also expanded the terms of reference to non classical genres like film music. The needs of studio recording are very distinct and different from classical singing. Today I am confident that I have :

1. Understood the techniques of voice culture expounded in Husler's insights to a reasonable degree and
2. Have been able to adapt the techniques to various systems of Indian music - Hindustani classical (which I myself practice), Carnatic classical, film music and other light music genres.

Using Husler's work, I have been able to cure many voices of problems, and insufficiencies. I have been able to bring back voices declared dead even by experts in London. All this only proves that Husler understood the true nature of the singing voice, and we are very lucky to have chanced upon his work.

The broad aspects of the technique and training are as follows :

1. Singing, not speaking, is the nature of the voice. So voice engineering is a process of 'unlocking' the innate abilities in a voice existing by its very anatomical and physiological nature.
2. The anatomical areas which are relevant to the working of the singing voice are
a. The breathing apparatus - abdominal, thoracic and clavicular breathing
b. The suspension system of the larynx - the web of muscles which hold the larynx in place from four different directions and the implications of the consequent positioning of the voice box and the freedom of movement of the vocal chords.
c. The vibration mechanism of the vocal chords - the chords and the membranes, their individual and conjunct working, and the implications on registers, timbre, sheen of the voice etc.
d. The resonating system - abdominal, chest, throat and head resonances.
3. Diagnosing a voice on the above aspects and correcting the basic techniques improves the condition, health and abilities of any voice.
4. Adaptation of the techniques has to be done in accordance with the character and requirements of each singing system.

In the proposed workshop, the methodology I will follow will be :

1. Diagnosis of voices - identification of problems perceived and not perceived by the singer. For example, singers normally want better range, ability to hit higher notes, better tone, flexibility, speed etc. Many singers of course come with a 'jammed up' voice, which truncates the career possibilities. Apart from these aspects, they may not be aware that they can have better timbre (e.g. elimination of breathy tone), better articulation, better execution of phrases, etc. In fact their entire view of what is possible in their own voice can change.
2. Developing an action plan with agreed upon results.
3. Teaching techniques of breathing, attack, vocalization, registration etc. which will achieve the desired results. Evolving practice methods suitable to each voice. Monitoring results.
4. Finalizing a set of practice methods for a reasonable period - say, a few months.

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