Dear Mr. Edwards:

 

Rather than look for a quick fix, why don't you begin to teach

your singers about vowel modification--it is a simple concept,

and the only one that leads to achieving a consistently artistic

sound.

 

You can include some exercises in your warmups, then reinforce

the specifics throughout your rehearsal--the results are immediate--

the singers will love how they sound--and you will soon be venerated

as a vocal expert.

 

If I can be of any further help, please write.

 

 

Cordially,

 

 

 

Stephen,

  There are no quick fixes except those which focus on three things: Breathing, Focus and Resonance. Each of these is of equal importance which I envision as a tetrahedron (three-sided pyramid).

  I never viewed warm-ups as just a way to start a rehearsal. The role of these vocalizes was to be the Daily or in your case, Weekly voice lesson.

At this time, you should devote at least 10 minutes for these vocalizes. You should be able to explain and demonstrate each of these, what I called them, THREE THINGS to your singers so chech your technique.

 Deep abdominal breathing is the most important. If they breathe well, nearly all or the problems take care of themselves. Tension, hoever, is the great killer. I do not believe that a woman's range should stop at F. That is the usual register "break" ( I have begun reusing that term because it is proper to speak of in woodwinds).

  Tension is found in many places but predominately in the tongue. Not just the part that wiggles but the mass of it cradled from the chin to the neck.

I would often illustrate this on the first day by telling a new singing that I was going to grab his/her tongue. Some would stick out their tongue others would flee in terror but what I grabbed was that mass of muscle from chin to neck. THAT is where the tension is and which is telegraphed to the rest of the tongue and also acts as a mute to the tone, volume and easy production in general. These tension hold the tone inside!

  Hove your singers sing ah on treble e and have them (or you) look at each other's tongues and to tell eachother what they see. If there is a groove up the middle, there is tension. if the tongue bunches back, there is tension, if the tip is curled up or down, there is tension which needs to be released.

 Demonstrate to the singers your good technique and explain and show them that the tongue should be held slightly over the teeth and the tongue should be relaxed and naturally curved side to side. Have them pant like puppies while keeping the tip of the tongue lightly on the teeth or slightly beyond.

  I also have grossed out my singers by telling them about the whole beef tongue which used to show up regularly in meat departments. some had but but most of them went euuuuuw! but I went on to explain that the human tongue is much bigger that what you can see in the mouth and that the greater part was this huge tense muscle which can be like a cup mute in a horn holding back most of their tone.

  Good breathing and relieving undo tensions which get in the way of good tone production and achieveing a release of tension will go a long way and may work over a few weeks of rehearsals IF you can identify it, sell it, explain it and demonstrate correctly. and to give your singers courage and the ability to overcome years and years of "just singing".

  Focus is not so hard to find but it is avoided, often, because it runs counter to popular wisdom passed down from grandmother, "don't sing in your nose", which may be followed by the well ment, "sing from your stomach" which does nothing but confuse the poor little thing. One good,

healthy cry of, "O, Mom" should prove the point. This cry of anquish, the shout across the parking lot to Jenny a block away, or a hearty, "Stop that!" is the essence of focus. A pirate "ARRRRRGH" or a stiring "Yohoho" or even "Yoohoooooooooo" finds the focal point, the point at which the singer can feel how much physical force is needed to make the tone work which IS NOT INVOLVING those muscles of the tongue and the muscles wrapping around the glottis.

 Three things, three little things which make the entire difference. Your ladies will hum and ding in pretty short order. Those high A's will amaze those sopranos who baulk at a D. Those alto will be able to sing low without crass sounds. YOU, YOU with you vocal, musical and pedigocial can lead them into being singers, REAL singers.

 I will suggest to you Larra Browning Henderson's How to Train Singers which, I believe , you can order from Amazon and from JWPepper.com.

You have discussion and pictures and recorded examples of the vocalizes which I have used for 30 years.

 Have courage, get your explanations and ears together and make a choir of singers who will fight you and disbelieve they can better singers despite your best effort but, overtime, those behaviors which get in the way will disappear but the will then realize that they do not feel the tension they have carried around for all of their lives will be gone. And YOU gave them this gift. Get too it!

S

 

 

Dear Stephen,

 

I agree whole-heartedly with Dr. Sheets. Rather than looking for a quick fix, work with the entire group on sustained, easy, free breath flow. Long "loose" hisses and whispered vowels (making sure the whole mechanism is released--no tensing jaw or lips) are a great place to start. Build from there into your vowels, and work with your whole group (sopranos and altos) on vowel modification toward the top end of the range. Always 'cheat' toward the freest most open vowel ("Ah" usually). Modeling a loose, free jaw, throat and face is important... musclar tension and a forced breath will cause them to have the sharping effect you've mentioned.

 

Regarding losing the work you accomplish in warm-ups, try working backwards--construct warmups based on the repertoire, so it is immediately applicable.

 

This way may take longer than a "quick fix," but you'll be building sound for years to come. I've been with my community women's chorus for  about four years, and have seen the results of slow, sustained group voice building work. Keep at it and have fun!

 

Best wishes,

 

Meagan Smith

Music Director, Amasong

You seem to have received some very detailed responses! I hope you will take advantage of these lengthy, long range tips; my advice would be for a bit more immediate application/results.

While I agree with the above suggestions, I do have some 'quick fixes' which will also be the basis for long-term vocal development. I guest conducted a high school group whose sopranos were untrained last fall for just a few sessions, and these vocalises did yield some instant results. I think my own demonstration was a factor, one which as a man unfortunately you cannot utilize. However, I learned these techniques from a male teacher, who used them successfully.

I believe the key is in the passaggio range. I started with open-jaw humming, keeping the face relaxed through  mock chewing or cheek massage. Point out the feeling of resonance in the front of the face. Then a series of 5 note scales up to f2 using forward consonants and sounds: lip and tongue trills, z, v, voiced th, m, n (being careful about nasality), combining them with first the foward vowels on the descent,or in 2-note groups. Demonstrate a hearty "yoo-hoo" or better yet have a woman demonstrate. Expand this to a descending 5-note scale in the upper range.
To bridge vocalise and repertoire, try using lip or tongue trills on the repertoire, or zee, vee, etc. to get the sound focused and out of the throat. All this combined with good posture, breathing, etc. should put them on the right path.

Hope this helps!