Bel Canto Rule: Look Ma, No Hands!

This is a big bel canto rule that too few people know about and can be put in the form of a directive.

Keep your hands away from your face!

Why?

The singer singing with their hand near their face tries to hear themselves when they should be feeling what they are doing. And by feeling, I mean the psychological feeling of singing [the singer’s sensation] coupled with the hearing/feeling of bone-conducted tone, which is perceived as coming from the center of the head. Yep. That’s Lamperti for ya.

Guess which hand is too often used? The left hand to the left ear lets the singer perceive the voice as bigger, fuller, and closer. The problem is that this is not how you will be hearing your voice on an acoustically dry stage. There is another reason, one that is even more important.

According to Tomatis, the right ear processes higher frequencies faster than the left ear and needs to be the leading ear for the singer. If it isn’t the leading ear? Are you practicing with the left hand on the left ear? You are short-circuiting your training. I’ve seen many singers do this in a sitzprobe over the years, usually with an anxious look on their faces, looking down as if trying to find something lost on the floor. Perhaps they just learned the score, perhaps they are jet-lagged, perhaps they are simply nervous. Whatever the reason, they know something is wrong and are trying to get a handle on their voice but are stuck in quicksand and sinking.

How do you know which ear is your leading ear? You can take Tomatis’ test, which you can find here. Let’s say you take the test and find that you use your left ear to lead your voice. What should you do? I would advise you to undergo a formal Tomatis listening training course, which I did at the Listening Centre in Toronto in 1999. It will change your life—and your voice.

Meanwhile, Keep your hands away from your face!