Singing Vocal Technique
We can compare a professional lyric
singer to a high-level sportsman. He is a “voice athlete “. Singing
demands very good health and breathing
conditions as well as huge endurance. A
singer must master his own instrument as vocal endurance may vary from one to
another.
Two or three 30mn sessions of vocal
technique every day seems ideal to develop the instrument and maintain it in
prime condition. A singer should not be tired and may try not to perform more
than three times a week. He should not shout, should not over-use his voice and
should sing within his range (tessitura). It is commonly admitted that one
voice out of four is wrongly classified.
It is essential to acquire a healthy
vocal technique in the early learning stages. Too many singers take
interpretation classes before their instrument is sufficiently prepared to
respond to composers’ demands.
The best musical ideas are
impossible to achieve without a perfected technique. This vocal technique may
take two or three years to learn. After this, the singer may continue to
develop his instrument throughout the
duration of his career.
Various Aspects of Vocal Technique
The vocal coach must guide the
singer in his learning of technique.
Every angle of the vocal technique
must be considered.
Posture
Knees are slightly bent. Spinal
column is stretched. Shoulders are low. The head is in the axis of the spinal
column.
Management and support of breath
Caruso used to say that you
shouldn’t need more breath to sing an aria than to have a talk with friends.
A singer must learn to manage the
sub-glottis pressure.
The rib cage is sustained by the
intercostal muscles. This causes the lowering of the diaphragm. It is the
pressure of the abdominal muscles (internal oblique, external oblique and cross
functional muscles) that raises the diaphragm and creates the pressure needed
for the formation of sound.
If the inhalation is not excessive,
the singer can open his rib cage
slightly at the moment of “attack” of a sound and when he rises in the
tessitura.
This careful management of the
sub-glottis pressure keeps the larynx lowered when producing a sound.
Safe onset of vocal cords
Subtle muscular pressure allows for
the safe onset of vocal cords.
Position of the soft palate.
The sensation is difficult to
master.
The mouth forms an ovoid and the
zygomatic muscles are tensed slightly allowing one to maintain a soft, raised,
palate.
It creates the necessary space for
vowels formation.
The Formation and
Homogeneity of vowels
The position of the tongue within
the mouth determines the vowel. These are formed in the pharynx at the place
where the consonant “G” is formed. They can be “visualized” by the ears.
In order to obtain homogenous
vowels, we will use the space of the vowel sound “OO“ to create all of the
other vowels.
Dissociation of tongue and Jaw.
In order to keep
the pharynx open in the “OO” position the young singer will learn to dissociate
the tongue and the jaw.
In the vocal art, the jaw is
slightly lowered and set back (the lower teeth are slightly set back from the
upper teeth).The tongue and the front of the pharynx must not be in contact.
Moreover, the tip of the tongue will
be in contact with the lower teeth when creating vowels and it should not
retract so that its base presses down on
the larynx.
Consonant formation
Consonants are
created closer to the front of the mouth than the vowels, with the lips and the
tip of the tongue. The consonants “K” and “ G” are formed closer to the back of
the mouth.
Applying technique to the repertoire
When the singer begins to work with
the repertoire, he will have to use the concepts learned in the exercises.
He/she may vocalize the piece on the
“NG” position ( also called moïto), or using the vowel OO , and then using the
other vowels of the piece.
Only after this he/she may
reincorporate the consonants.
The notion of projection is dangerous
The word projection” is dangerous for a singer. It is
important to keep in mind that we must
not project the voice but let it develop by itself.
When a singer wants to “project “his
voice, he stresses (or strains) his instrument and tightens his throat muscles.
