SINGING AND VOCAL TECHNIQUE by David Wright

1. Introduction
2. General information
3. A Brief Introduction to the anatomy of the voice and how we breathe
4. Ranges and register; Diction and expression
5: Style and interpretation

 

2. General information

It is vital that anyone who aspires to be a singer must study with a sound teacher. And it has to be remembered that singing involves the whole of the person and the whole of the body . The exposure in singing is unparalleled in the arts.

The voice always presents problems and the fear of losing it is never far from the singer's mind. Going to a teacher who is unqualified and one who promises you success and the promise that they can make you sing high notes or complicated songs will be disastrous.

Do not go to a teacher who makes such promises.

There are many textbooks on the art of singing some of which contradict each other. As Dr Alfred Alexander points out, "There are teachers who are charlatans. They can ruin voices and cause psychological damage to the singer."

There is one vital and critical piece of information that must be realised and accepted by everybody. No singing teacher can add to the voice; all the qualities needed in singing already exist, or do not exist, within it. To give a comparison: an expert gardener can do all that is necessary in preparing the soil, caring for the seeds, planting them at the right time and caring for them but he can draw nothing out of the seed or plant that is not already there.

It follows that smoking is undesirable for singers, although, at one time, Caruso smoked 60 a day! A good diet and when to eat before singing is also an important consideration.

Forcing the voice damages the vocal chords and by forcing we mean singing too loudly and trying to reach top notes. You should only sing notes that are comfortable and natural.

As Sir Adrian Boult told us, "If you are straining you are not singing."

The singer must have a sound teacher and be willing to trust that singer and take on board all instruction. The singer must also study sonognosy, the consciousness of one's own voice.

The proper attitude of any singer is not to be a showman or showwoman but to give intense delight and pleasure to others. The singer should be concerned with making a beautiful sound and experiencing a sense of fulfilment by the happiness it gives to others. It is the applause that makes the singer feel good not a cracked top note. The successful singer is a slave to good technique, detail and accuracy rather to self enchantment. Any fool can sing a song incorrectly and in their own way.

Don't be deceived. An audience of ordinary people is not stupid. They can recognise wrong notes and when the singer is not up to the song. Most can hear a dreadful out of tune top note or a low note that is unclear. No singer wants to just to sing, but also to give pleasure and feel good about the performance and the response to it.

There are , basically, two types of singing voice namely the lyric and the dramatic. The lyric singer has a light voice with less power and some amateurs are only suitable for a drawing room or small hall. Usually the range of a lyric voice is small and this is the way nature has made it. To attempt to sing more powerfully or to attempt to achieve high notes will always end in tears. The dramatic singer has a more powerful voice and, usually, a greater range. Some dramatic singers can only sing in a lyric style but it does not work the other way round. Some lyric singers, knowing, but not admitting the smallness of their voice use amplification, use microphones which should tell them their limitations. An amplified voice is not a natural voice.

There are three requirements for any singer :

1. First, a sonorous voice

2. Second, enunciation to make each word and note clear and to enable the sense of it to be understood

3. Third, the ability to adapt the voice to the expression of different sentiments and passions.

There are two basic things for the singer to consider namely the physical and the aesthetic. Singing is physical. Aesthetics refers to the appreciation of and the communication of beauty. This does not change. Fashions change and some singers feel they have have to adjust to meet current trends. But beauty and the principles of singing are constant. They do not change.

Don't trust a teacher who contradicts this!

The principles of singing do not change. Singing must have volume. You can't be a singer with a whisper of a voice. The voice must have quality, intensity and expression and passion throughout its range. The breath must be in complete control but the act of breathing should be comparatively unnoticed. Then we talk about the attack in a song. That does not mean that we are aggressive or bellicose. It means the approach, the vigorous application to enunciation must be eloquent where each word and note counts and, incidentally, every rest and pause counts as well. Detail is essential and the louds and softs , the tone colour, must be observed. Songs at a uniform volume can be tedious. Intonation must be impeccable. Notes that are "off" are self-afflicted wounds and a personal disgrace. Rhythm is also important. Rhythm is an all-embracing word. It refers to the right tempo of a song (the correct speed at which it is sung), the right value of all notes and rests, the pulse of the song with a slight emphasis on the first beat of the bar and the measured flow of the music. It has to do with stress not only on the first beat or any other accented notes but essential words but it must sound natural.

There is a curious trait among some female singers. They think that they are not good singers unless they can sing very high notes, namely those above the stave. They have this other false notion that a soprano gets, and must get these top notes!

This glamorous quest for high notes is a vanity seldom found among male singers.

However, it is vital that a singer looks good at a public concert. Men have a limited wardrobe and a smart suit and tie suffices but, as with female singers, they should not wear anything that is tight particulalry if it affects the breathing and poise.

The matter of poise should be briefly mentioned here. How do we stand? We need to stand with our feet about nine inches apart so that the balance is equally distributed on both legs. This means that if someone pushed you you would remain standing. The upper body should be very slightly forward . The idea of standing straight as if you are in the army is nonsense. Hands should be across the body above the waist, straight and at 90 degrees to the elbows. One hand should be lightly resting on the other but there should be no contact with the body. The head should be at 90 degrees with the body and never tilted upwards. You should fix your gaze slightly above the audience's head for posture purposes only. You should look confident and as well as being confident.

A female singer should dress elegantly but avoid too much make-up. In a warm hall it can run. Jewellery should also be at a minimum and if one item should be discarded it is earrings since certain metals can by vibration and resonance add to the voice. Skirts and dresses are always preferable although they should be modest and not revealing. The attention should always be on the song and its performance.

We have rightly emphasised the high notes. Low notes are also important. If it is a strain to get them one should not attempt the song publicly. Many believe to transpose the song , that is to write it in a different key to make the pitch suit the voice is acceptable. But a song, albeit the same, in a different key can sound very wrong.

1. Introduction
2. General information
3. A Brief Introduction to the anatomy of the voice and how we breathe
4. Ranges and register; Diction and expression
5: Style and interpretation