Recitation Training Guidance

Author: Wu Zhen Guo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Perhaps you've only heard the term "Dantian Qi" but don't understand its meaning; or you have a superficial understanding but haven't grasped the true techniques. Otherwise, why do some people feel short of breath and their voices lack resonance after learning for a long time? It's clear that the techniques of breathing and using breath are not something that can be mastered overnight. Of course, once you grasp it and find the key, it will enable you to soar in the artistic space of recitation.
Why does air flowing in the universe produce wind sounds? It is because it rubs against mountains, trees, buildings, the ground, and water surfaces as it moves. The human voice is produced by the vibration of the vocal cords caused by the airflow exhaled from the lungs.
Language techniques, like vocal techniques, are inseparable from the support and flow of breath. Some people say, "Breath is the leader of sound, and voice production cannot be without it." This analogy is very apt.
Why do many friends feel that they don't have enough breath when reciting or singing, and their voices not only don't carry far but also sound weak and airy? Because in everyday speech, the volume is small, and the breath used is shallow, resulting in steady breathing. When reciting or singing, the volume needs to be larger, and the intensity needs to be increased; there are also the extension and expansion of sentences or lines, all of which require controlled breath to express the rich connotations of the work. All of this relies on the support of breath, so actors must master the artistic method of breathing and scientifically utilize their breath.
To ensure that actors have enough breath in their lungs during recitation, simply relying on the movement of the chest is not enough. Even if one excessively emphasizes lung expansion by pushing the chest in and drawing the abdomen in, hunching the neck and raising the shoulders, feeling as though they've inhaled all the way to the throat—why is it still not enough? Because when you draw the abdomen in, you lift the five internal organs and the six bowels upward, pressing the lungs so they cannot expand. The breath hovers at the chest, unable to support long sentences—this is what is commonly referred to as "speaking without a solid foundation." The so-called "foundation" is Dantian Qi. When practicing Dantian Qi, we must ensure that the lower abdomen, both sides of the ribs, and the lower back are filled with breath. Only by letting the diaphragm sink, making the ribs and lower abdomen expand, and fully opening the back and lower back can we achieve the goal of increasing lung capacity and having a solid foundation.