Vowels
My real first work with the concepts of vowels was my undergraduate teacher, Dr. Joyce Farwell. I worked with her during my second tour of duty at Baylor University as an undergrad. Dr. Farwell is one of the true accomplished teachers in the US and has a long line of successful singers and teachers to her credit.
My basic technique of working with singers is understanding how the singer concieves vowels in their instrument. For some singers, closed vowels are wonderful and they struggle with the open vowels, or vice versa. So, if it makes sense to a singer, I use one vowel as a concept for structure or space and another vowel to sing or for accoustic. My best example is that for many singers when they are in their top voice, the concept of [uh] space while singing an [ae] vowel is usually quite effective. [uh] is the vowel with the most relaxed and lowest tongue position while [ae] is the vowel with the highest palate position which allows the singer for bettr high partials.
If a singer is having trouble getting a line to go "over" more into the higher register, two "laws" exist in helping them find a better place for that line.
First, closed vowels "go over" sooner in a register. For example, find a note near the beginning of your passaggio and sing mezzo forte on an [a] vowel. Now sing the same note with the same dynamic on an [i] vowel. Notice the difference? The [i] vowel goes over much more easily, almost instinctively while the [a] vowel allows the voice to remain more "open" with more lower partials.
Secondly (in case sopranos lost count) softer dynamics or sotto voce singing allows the voice to go over more naturally. So the louder dynamics are based on the more open position while the softer dynamics cause the voice to go over quickly. So, take the same note you did in the above exercise and sing the [a] vowel forte. Now take the same vowel and note and sing it [mp] or [p]. You can feel that the softer dynamic requires the voice to go over more. There is also a strong sense of "coupling" of the palate or "friendly resistance" from the lower abdominals in this exercise.
OK, "I'll take the Daily Double for $5,000.00, Alex." As all those stupid TV commercials say, "But wait! There's more!" As if I couldn't wait to dail the phone for my new Bass-O-Matic....one more maxim: on falling vocal lines, vowels either:
A) close
or
B) open.........cheesy Jeopardy Music....
That's right Alex, vowels CLOSE! So, to stay in tune (yes, even tenors need to do this) and keep the voice "in line" the vowels need to close when you are descending through the registers. By closing, one must taper the concept of the frontal space while vaulting the soft palate even more. This allows for the breath flow to be maintained in the upper resonance and not fall down into the mouth. It is the old axiom, "think like your going up in the phrase while you are going down in the phrase."
My basic technique of working with singers is understanding how the singer concieves vowels in their instrument. For some singers, closed vowels are wonderful and they struggle with the open vowels, or vice versa. So, if it makes sense to a singer, I use one vowel as a concept for structure or space and another vowel to sing or for accoustic. My best example is that for many singers when they are in their top voice, the concept of [uh] space while singing an [ae] vowel is usually quite effective. [uh] is the vowel with the most relaxed and lowest tongue position while [ae] is the vowel with the highest palate position which allows the singer for bettr high partials.
If a singer is having trouble getting a line to go "over" more into the higher register, two "laws" exist in helping them find a better place for that line.
First, closed vowels "go over" sooner in a register. For example, find a note near the beginning of your passaggio and sing mezzo forte on an [a] vowel. Now sing the same note with the same dynamic on an [i] vowel. Notice the difference? The [i] vowel goes over much more easily, almost instinctively while the [a] vowel allows the voice to remain more "open" with more lower partials.
Secondly (in case sopranos lost count) softer dynamics or sotto voce singing allows the voice to go over more naturally. So the louder dynamics are based on the more open position while the softer dynamics cause the voice to go over quickly. So, take the same note you did in the above exercise and sing the [a] vowel forte. Now take the same vowel and note and sing it [mp] or [p]. You can feel that the softer dynamic requires the voice to go over more. There is also a strong sense of "coupling" of the palate or "friendly resistance" from the lower abdominals in this exercise.
OK, "I'll take the Daily Double for $5,000.00, Alex." As all those stupid TV commercials say, "But wait! There's more!" As if I couldn't wait to dail the phone for my new Bass-O-Matic....one more maxim: on falling vocal lines, vowels either:
A) close
or
B) open.........cheesy Jeopardy Music....
That's right Alex, vowels CLOSE! So, to stay in tune (yes, even tenors need to do this) and keep the voice "in line" the vowels need to close when you are descending through the registers. By closing, one must taper the concept of the frontal space while vaulting the soft palate even more. This allows for the breath flow to be maintained in the upper resonance and not fall down into the mouth. It is the old axiom, "think like your going up in the phrase while you are going down in the phrase."
posted by Rightly Irreverent at 11:01 AM
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