Vocal Technique: A Guide to Classical and Contemporary Styles for Conductors, Teachers, and Singers PDF
Preview Vocal Technique: A Guide to Classical and Contemporary Styles for Conductors, Teachers, and Singers
Julia Davids & Stephen LaTour VOCAL TECHNIQUE Second Edition A guide to classical and contemporary styles for conductors, teachers, and singers ! ! ! ! ! ! VOCAL TECHNIQUE Second'Edition' !! ! VOCAL TECHNIQUE A"Guide"to"Classical"and"Contemporary" Styles"for"Conductors,"Teachers,"and"Singers" Second!Edition! Julia"Davids,"D.M.A." Stephen"LaTour,"Ph.D." For information about this book, contact: Waveland Press, Inc. 4180 IL Route 83, Suite 101 Long Grove, Illinois 60047-9580 (847) 634-0081 [email protected] www.waveland.com Illustrations and cover design by Evelyn LaTour Copyright © 2021 by Stephen LaTour and Julia Davids 10-digit ISBN 1-4786-4022-7 1A3ll- driigghitt sIS rBeNse 9rv7e8d-.1 -N4o7 8p6a-r4t 0o2f2 t-h6is book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America Second Edition 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Table of Contents Second Edition Acknowledgements ------------------------------------- xi Introduction: A guide to stylistically flexible vocal technique -----------1 Contemporary styles encompass CCM and musical theatre ..........................1 Second edition coverage .....................................................................................2 Benefits of improved vocal technique ................................................................3 Intentional use of exercises is essential to vocal development ........................4 Importance of attention to vocal technique in the choral setting ..................5 Improving communication among singers of different styles and between voice teachers and conductors.............................................6 A note about symbols used in this book ..............................................................7 A word about terminology ....................................................................................8 Chapter 1: Posture/Alignment ---------------------------------------------9 Essentials of proper posture/body alignment .....................................................9 Important aspects of body alignment ..............................................................12 Common alignment problems ...........................................................................14 Avoid extraneous body movement ...................................................................14 Sitting posture and seat types ............................................................................16 Exercises for body alignment ..............................................................................17 Chapter 2: Breath Control -------------------------------------------------19 Phases of the breathing cycle ............................................................................19 Inhalation ..............................................................................................................19 Very brief suspension ...........................................................................................24 Exhalation ..............................................................................................................25 Additional points about exhalation ...................................................................29 Recovery ...............................................................................................................30 Timing of breathing ..............................................................................................31 Breathing in contemporary styles—limitations imposed by dancing .............31 Respiratory muscle training .................................................................................32 Breathing exercises ..............................................................................................32 Chapter 3: Initiation, Creation, and Release of Sound ------------------37 How sound is initiated and created ...................................................................37 Good hydration is critical for proper vocal fold vibration ...............................38 Components of the singer’s instrument .............................................................39 Muscles affecting pitch .......................................................................................41 Sound level and timbre affected by firmness of vocal fold closure ..............45 v vi Vocal Technique: A Guide to Classical and Contemporary Styles Method of initiating sound affects glottal tension ...........................................49 Coordinated onset should be used for most singing .......................................49 Some glottal onsets are useful ............................................................................50 Is belting less healthy than classical/legit vocal production? ........................51 Breathy onset is generally undesirable ..............................................................53 Onset and younger singers .................................................................................53 Release of sound ..................................................................................................54 Semi-occluded vocal tract (SOVT) exercises assist vocal fold vibration .......54 Onset and release exercises ...............................................................................60 Chapter 4: Resonance -----------------------------------------------------63 Superior resonance improves tonal quality and vocal efficiency .................63 Fundamental frequency and higher harmonics ..............................................64 Structure of the vocal tract .................................................................................65 Resonance and formants ...................................................................................67 Adjusting the larynx ..............................................................................................78 Adjusting the oral pharynx ..................................................................................79 Adjusting the mouth.............................................................................................81 Classical versus contemporary resonance and vocal tract shape ...............83 Good resonance helps intonation .....................................................................85 Resonance and the concepts of “chest voice” and “head voice” .............85 Resonance and “placement” ............................................................................86 Exercises for enhancing resonance ...................................................................89 Chapter 5: Vowels ---------------------------------------------------------93 Tip of the tongue should rest at the base of the lower front teeth ................93 Basic vowel production for classical/legit styles ...............................................94 Perceptions of vowels as “bright” versus “dark” ............................................100 Vowels in contemporary styles .........................................................................101 Vowel consistency for intonation and ensemble blending ..........................102 Problematic vowels ............................................................................................102 Modification of vowels for higher pitches .......................................................107 Diphthongs, triphthongs, and glides ................................................................114 Altering the tonal color of vowels ....................................................................116 A summary philosophy of vowel formation ....................................................118 Vowel exercises ..................................................................................................119 Chapter 6: Consonants --------------------------------------------------123 The articulators ...................................................................................................123 Quick, efficient consonant formation in classical singing .............................123 Consonant length is often extended in contemporary styles ......................124 Classical/legit singers should be judicious about exaggeration ..................124 Consonants requiring special consideration ..................................................125 Jaw position when singing l, k, g, t, d, m, n, ng ..............................................126 Contents vii Think of [w] and “y” in terms of the vowels [u] and [i] ..................................127 Voiced versus unvoiced consonants ...............................................................127 Final consonants .................................................................................................131 Adding “uh” or “ah” to final consonants versus elision .................................131 Sometimes consonants should precede the beat.........................................132 Consonant exercises ..........................................................................................133 Chapter 7: Vibrato -------------------------------------------------------135 Vibrato is a natural phenomenon ....................................................................135 Desirable vibrato rate and extent ....................................................................136 Style implications for vibrato .............................................................................139 Solving vibrato problems ...................................................................................140 Modifying vibrato ...............................................................................................145 Vibrato in choral singing ....................................................................................147 Vibrato in early music ........................................................................................150 Vibrato exercises ................................................................................................154 Chapter 8: Negotiation of the Vocal Registers ------------------------157 What are vocal registers? .................................................................................157 Two main (modal) registers ...............................................................................158 Middle register (mixed voice) ...........................................................................160 Children’s registers .............................................................................................161 Differences in chest and head voice use in classical and contemporary styles ......................................................................................162 Modern singers most likely to struggle with the upper register .....................164 Transitions between registers (passaggi) .........................................................164 Negotiating the register transitions ..................................................................167 Special registers ..................................................................................................170 Register exercises ...............................................................................................173 Chapter 9: Voice Classification and Improving Range ---------------177 Distribution and classification of voice types ..................................................177 Tessitura versus range ........................................................................................180 Classification of voices in contemporary styles ..............................................181 Singing higher pitches........................................................................................182 Accessing lower pitches for female singers ....................................................184 Handling leaps in pitch ......................................................................................185 Exercises to increase range ..............................................................................186 Chapter 10: Improving Intonation --------------------------------------189 Causes of poor intonation ................................................................................189 Repertoire-specific intonation issues ................................................................192 Extraneous factors affecting intonation ..........................................................194 Concluding thoughts about intonation ..........................................................196 Exercises to improve intonation ........................................................................196 viii Vocal Technique: A Guide to Classical and Contemporary Styles Chapter 11: Legato, Staccato, Accents, Melismas/Riffs, Dynamic Control, and Special Vocal Effects -----------------------199 Legato involves vowel-to-vowel continuity ....................................................199 Staccato..............................................................................................................202 Accents ...............................................................................................................203 Vocal ornaments and embellishments ............................................................203 Dynamic control .................................................................................................206 Special vocal effects .........................................................................................208 Exercises for legato, staccato, accents, melismas, and dynamics .............209 Chapter 12: Improving Choral Blend -----------------------------------213 Blend philosophies..............................................................................................213 Choral sound ......................................................................................................214 Keys to a blended sound ..................................................................................214 The role of timbre in blending ...........................................................................218 Voice positioning ................................................................................................219 Concluding thoughts on blend ........................................................................222 Chapter 13: Changing Voices ------------------------------------------223 Overview of voice change during childhood and puberty .........................223 Voices are changing at younger ages ...........................................................224 Vocal development in adolescent males ......................................................227 Vocal development in adolescent females ...................................................229 Part assignment during vocal change ............................................................232 Vocal technique issues in child and adolescent voices ...............................233 Vocal exercise issues specific to adolescents ................................................237 Transgender singers ............................................................................................238 Aging voices .......................................................................................................241 Chapter 14: Reducing Tension ------------------------------------------245 Larynx and neck/pharynx tension ....................................................................245 Jaw tension .........................................................................................................247 Tongue tension ...................................................................................................249 Tongue groove—is it a sign of tension? ...........................................................251 Lip tension ...........................................................................................................252 Shoulders .............................................................................................................252 Legs ......................................................................................................................253 Concluding thoughts on tension ......................................................................253 Exercises to reduce tension ...............................................................................254 Chapter 15: Guarding Singers’ Vocal Health --------------------------257 Hydration .............................................................................................................258 Vocal stamina and fatigue ...............................................................................260 Stress, anxiety, and vocal health ......................................................................261 Contents ix Meal consumption prior to singing ...................................................................262 Mucus ..................................................................................................................262 Gastric reflux .......................................................................................................263 Singing and the common cold ........................................................................264 Medications with the potential to cause vocal fold bleeding .....................267 Hormonal factors affecting the voice .............................................................268 Additional medication considerations ............................................................271 If surgery is contemplated .................................................................................271 Vocal health concerns of professional singers ...............................................274 Vocal health of amateur singers ......................................................................275 Choral conductor’s role in maintaining vocal health ...................................276 Chapter 16: A Productive Warm-Up ------------------------------------281 Why are warm-ups important? .........................................................................281 Specific benefits of a thoughtful warm-up sequence ...................................282 Warm-up sequence ...........................................................................................283 Sample warm-up sequences ............................................................................286 Vocal cool-down ...............................................................................................287 Compendium of suggested exercises for warm-up ......................................288 Appendix: IPA Symbols for Important Vowels and Consonants ------297 References ---------------------------------------------------------------299 Index ----------------------------------------------------------------------323
The list of books you might like
