RED BOAT TROUPES AND CANTONESE ... - University of Georgia

those in former days. He said that most people today, especially amateurs, cannot reach ranges
as high as professionals who used to reach. Modulation is sometimes employed, and it is usually
a perfect fifth or perfect fourth away.
The scale in Cantonese opera is close to the Western major scale except the 4 th degree is
slightly higher (somewhere between F and F-sharp in C major), and the 7 th degree is slightly
lower (somewhere between B and B-flat). The degree of microtone deviation on the 4 th and 7 th is
dependent upon the preference of the player and singer. 112 Because just one person plays the
melody, there is no problem regarding uniformity of tone. Many siu kuk are actually in a
Western major scale. These are the predecessors of popular Canto pop today—songs that are
loved by Cantonese, Chinese, and second generation Chinese in the diasporas.
Performance Practice
Most Western voice teachers encourage students to loosen the jaws and drop the chin
while singing. Hence the mouth is open horizontally, or in a “north- south” position. Cantonese
opera teachers tell students to sing with good poise. They are not supposed to show the teeth.
The students end up opening the mouth in an “east-west” horizontal position. The words need to
be enunciated as clearly as possible. Therefore, the jaws cannot be as loose as in Western aria
singing. Cantonese opera singer Yuen Siu Fai told me that the breathing method is similar to
western singing. The muscle in the lower abdomen is tightened as air is expelled, but in
Cantonese opera singing the rib-cage is not expanded while inhaling. 113 The process is a shallow
breathing that creates a very bright sound, especially when the mouth is opened horizontally.
112
Only one instrumentalist plays the tau gaa in the orchestra, and seldom do many people sing a line together
simultaneously.
113 rd
Interview with Yuen Siu Fai in March 3 , 2008.
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