Voice Lessons: Overview of the Course:

Introduction:

The human voice is a means of communication; when used in singing it is also a musical instrument. To combine these two functions to best effect the student of voice needs to develop complete technical control of the instrument and attain an understanding of relevant aspects of music theory. To combine the functions of communication and musicality it is necessary to develop a sensitive ear and a knowledge of the techniques for the convincing expression of the emotion of a song. Similar considerations apply to the use of the voice in acting. Techniques for the placement of the voice in such a way as to set up resonances (formants) give a clarity to the voice and a cutting edge which enables the words to be heard and understood above other ambient sounds (orchestra, sound effects etc). This is especially important in both a music theatre context and in oratorio as the communication of the text to the audience is a major aspect of these art forms. Oratorio can be regarded as a type of Music Theatre production as can some operas, notably the Singspiel of Mozart.

Although the same basic techniques of voice production are useful in all kinds of singing, there are distinctly different aims for the end result in opera seria as opposed to music theatre and popular styles. The tradition in opera has long been that tone is paramount whereas conveying the text by clear diction is even more important in music theatre. Some of the worlds most famous opera singers have voices with tone quality of a fine musical instrument and yet the words are barely comprehensible. This will not do in music theatre, vocal tone is important but all the words must be clearly understandable.

The main points covered in the initial stages:

Developing an even tone over a two to three octave range or beyond, the exact range depending on the individual student's natural range and voice type. Smoothing the transition between registers and extending the range.

Ear training to enable the student to sing intervals, scales and arpeggio passages in tune.

Development of focussed tone and the Singers Formant. This is a high frequency peak which helps the voice to project in large spaces.

Breath control. The use of diaphragmal breathing to achieve good control of the power source.

The use of technical exercises and vocalise passages to achieve the above objectives.

Introducing the student as early as possible to a repertoire of Music Theatre and popular songs or operetta, according to individual preferences, with an emphasis always on the maintenance of correct voice production techniques.

Score reading and interpretation. Rhythm and sight-singing exercises. Gestures (and when not to use them!).

Public performance, solo and in groups, eg at Eisteddfods and Music Festivals. Control of nervousness.

Repertoire:

When learning a new piece of vocal music, the order of importance of the main aspects can be summarized as follows:

1. Rhythm (precise timing)
2. Pitch (precise intonation)
3. Text (the words of a song)
4. The subtext (reading between the lines)
5. Expression (conveying the meaning and emotion to an audience)

Vowel sounds:

• a as in father
  
• e as in let
  
• i as in keen
  
• o as in lot
  
• u as in foot

Presentation skills:

Format of the lessons:

Producing a good tone over the range of the voice:

The main factors that contribute to the production of an even tone are:

• Retraction of the False Vocal Folds (FVF) and breathe silently;
• Learning the three basic types of voice onsets and how to produce them;
• Use of exactly the right amount of muscular effort in appropriate places;
• Support from the diaphragm (Control of air supply by control of the diaphragm);
• Learning to produce the basic voice qualities on command (Conscious control of components of the larynx);
• A braced and upright posture (Stand feet slightly apart, head aligned, back straight.);
• Learning how to combine basic voice qualities to produce the desired style.

The Diaphragm:

The diaphragm controls the air flow that is the power behind the singing voice. Its control is an important factor in developing strength in the singing voice and especially in controlling soft singing. Soft singing requires more support from the diaphragm than does loud singing.

The throat, larynx and vocal folds:

The vocal folds are probably the most misunderstood item in the above list. The sound is produced by the vibration of these two folds of tissue and mucous membrane supported by a cartilaginous structure. The pitch (particular note produced) is controlled by controlling the tension in these structures by altering the effort in muscles which stretch or slacken, thin or thicken the vocal folds. One can think a note and then sing it but the mechanism for translating the thought into the reality is not fully under conscious control until appropriate techniques are learnt.

The jaw and space in the mouth:

The jaw itself must be relaxed although muscles close to it need to be tensioned. One of the most common problems for students of singing is excessive tightness of the jaw muscles. When opening the mouth to sing, the jaw should be allowed to fall open and not pushed open by tensing the facial muscles. Some tension in this region is needed to retract the false vocal folds but excessive tension adversely affects the tone quality.

The tongue:

The margins of the tongue should be raised to the upper molars as in producing the vowel i (ee) so as not to restrict movement of the larynx.

Placement of the voice:

The point at which the top of the vibrating column of air impinges on the roof of the mouth will vary according to the pitch of the note and the vowel sound being used. At this point it is possible to feel a vibration or a buzzing sensation. Generally the voice should be placed as far forward in the mouth as possible. The vibration should be felt on the palate behind the upper lip. This produces a voice rich in resonances and having good projection qualities. Such a voice is said to be focused. The effect is that the voice can be heard clearly at considerable distance without the need for loud volume. This is because higher notes carry further than low ones and a properly focused voice is rich in overtones or harmonics of higher frequency than the actual note being used. These harmonics, around 3 to 4 Khz form the Singers Formant.

When singing certain vowel sounds, the focus position of the voice goes further back in the mouth and this also occurs as the note being sung goes higher in frequency. The development of an even tone over the range depends on mastering techniques to keep the voice as far forward as possible.

Posture:

An upright posture is necessary to give full freedom to the diaphragm. Stand with the feet slightly apart (perhaps one foot slightly in front of the other). The shoulders should be relaxed and the arms completely relaxed and generally straight down by the sides. The spine should be straight and the posture generally upright with the head held high in a noble posture. Of course special body postures, hand gestures and facial expressions may be necessary in performance (especially music theatre or opera) to portray particular characters. When practicing technical work, any such special postures are to be avoided unless specifically directed by the teacher to correct particular vocal problems. Special attention will be given to posture during the lessons.

Breath Control:

Proper control of the breath is an important factor in producing good intonation over a range of pitches and dynamics. Many untrained singers breathe by using the intercostal muscle. In school sports training we are all taught the importance of developing a good chest expansion. This may be why some students have difficulty in abandoning the idea of breathing with the chest in favour of the more natural method of breathing with the diaphragm. The diaphragm always does contribute in breathing but the singer must re-train the diaphragm to take on the main functions of breath control and firm support for the voice.

Consonants:

Consonants are produced by making a percussive sound, unlike vowels that are formed by shaping a steady tone.

There are various methods of production of consonants and they may differ in different languages. In the initial stages we will consider only the common English language consonants. Although this may seem inconsistent with the use of pure Italian vowel sounds there are logical reasons for both choices. Italian vowels are the easiest sounds with which to produce a very pure tone and are used exclusively for pure vocalising. English consonants are most appropriate for singing Music Theatre repertoire in English. The reasons for introducing consonants at this stage are:

• To impart a good technique for a clean start and end of each vowel sound and
• As a preparation for learning to sing simple songs in the English language.

1. By striking the lips together momentarily
2. By striking the tongue against the palate or teeth
3. By giving a sudden impulse to the diaphragm (eg the sound h)
4. By making a stroke with the glottis. (glottal stroke or stop).

The abrupt silence at the end of a vowel sound is known as a cut-off and might be regarded as a silent consonant. It should normally be done with the diaphragm and like all final consonants placed exactly on the beat following the vowel sound. This is easier to explain by example and will be dealt with thoroughly in the practical sessions.

Classification of Consonants:

There are many ways to classify consonants. Linguists and speech pathologists use a detailed classification system and use the phonetic alphabet. For our present purpose a more simplistic system will be used. Consonants may be hard (strong and sudden) or soft (more gentle), voiced (with a tonal component) or unvoiced (devoid of any sound other than breath and percussion). They may also be classified by the method of production (lips, tongue or diaphragm). For the present purpose we will use a straightforward method of classification directly related to the use of consonants in singing in English.

The following table shows the relationship between pairs of voiced and unvoiced consonants:

Voiced	b	d	g	j	l	m	n	q	r	v	-	-	w	y	z
Unvoiced	p	t	c,k	ch	-	-	-	k	-	f	x	h	-	-	s,sh

It will be noted that some voiced consonants do not have unvoiced equivalents and that two of the unvoiced consonants, h and x, have no voiced equivalent. More than one equivalent is shown in cases where the sound may differ in common English words. An example is z (voiced s) in Zoo and z (voiced sh) in Azure. Note also that s can sometimes be voiced as in Pleasure where it acts more like z. Unfortunately English is a language full of exceptions to the rules of both grammar and pronunciation but the above table is a reasonable guide for most normal singing purposes.

Gestures and Expression:

Movement on stage must always have a purpose. Nervous movements or personal mannerisms have no place in the presentation of a song. Stylized gestures to highlight certain words can easily become cliche. Movement appropriate to what is being said or sung must always be totally under the control of the performer and clearly conveyed to the audience. This is best achieved by using minimal gestures and those that are used large, slow and sustained. This will be explained fully during the course.

Acting with the Voice:

A surprisingly large amount of meaning can be conveyed without any gestures simply by relevant inflections of the voice, changes of tone quality and dynamic effects. This technique is called word-painting and will be fully explored. Coupled with this is characterizations. This is the expression of a particular character in a play by inflections of the voice, and by the use of special accents and dialects.

Despite previous comments about purity and evenness of tone, it will often be necessary, in popular and Music Theatre styles, to vary the voice production technique to produce special character styles. To this end the advanced singer must be prepared to break the rules and change voice production at will, sometimes even within one song. This must be borne in mind throughout training so as not to stifle the flexibility required to attain these effects. Many classically trained singers sound out of character in Music Theatre roles. First learn the rules and then learn when to break them.

Last revised 10 December 2006.