- Sing often. Sing in church, with the radio, in the
shower, while commuting to school or work--any time or place where singing is appropriate and you are relaxed. Voices are
muscle-controlled and get stronger when they are used.
- Open your mouth and keep the mouth opening tall
and narrow. The corners of your mouth need to be close to the center rather than spread wide. The sound you
hear will not be as good, because a closed mouth is "selfish" with the sound, but other people will hear a much bigger
and better sound.
- Drop your jaw. The jaw only gets in the way of a good sound.
(Be sure that the mouth and throat are still relaxed.)
- Your instrument is your body; the voice works better when the entire
body is also kept in shape. Regular cardio-pulmonary exercise will increase total lung capacity.
- Breathe silently. Audible breathing is a result
of air forcing the vocal cords open; breathing audibly will give the singer a sore throat.
- Neck and shoulders should stay relaxed. Tight muscles
around the throat will create a "pinched" vocal sound. Anything that relaxes the neck and shoulders (stretching, deep breathing,
neck and back rubs)will improve your vocal sound.
- The stomach wall should expand when you breathe. The
diaphragm--which controls lung expansion--cannot be controlled voluntarily. The only voluntary muscles available to control
breathing are the stomach wall mucsles.
- Gradually tighten the stomach wall after
a stomach-controlled breath intake, to control the amount of air being released with singing. This can
also be practiced with a sustained "Ssssss" sound--thus strengthening the abdominal muscles and gaining breath control.
- Sing nonsense syllables in short scale or arpeggio passages
to expand the vocal range. Gradually, over weeks or months, add higher and lower notes than usual, supporting the sound
with the stomach muscles.
- Never force either tone or pitch. If the throat is uncomfortable,
slightly bow your head, drop your jaw, relax your neck and shoulders, tighten the stomach muscles and try again.
|
 |
- Listen! If you can't hear the singer beside you, your singing is
too loud. Covering one ear can help you hear better.
- Learn your part--and the music around it--well enough that you can
watch the conductor. If you wait until you hear the note, you will be late. Start and end each syllable and phrase exactly
with the director.
- Keep a mental beat going all the time (with the conductor's beat). The right note in the wrong
place is a wrong note. Even professional musicians count-sing; it's the quickest way to be sure your rhythm is correct.
Sing on the vowel. Consonants must either be before
or after the note. If the consonant is on the beat, the note will
be late because the note doesn't start until the vowel is sung. Conversely, the consonant will end the note, so it should
not be sung until the note is supposed to be over.
Everyone should pronounce vowels the same way. Even the
correct notes will sound out of tune if vowel pronunciation varies.
Diphthong vowels should use the first vowel sound for most of the
note's duration and only add the second vowel sound at the very end of the note. (long A=eh---ee, long I=ah---ee,
long O=aw---oo, OU=ah---oo.)
Watch the conductor! Work (Count!) to keep all your consonants
exactly together with the director and the rest of the choir.
Avoid singing the "R" sound at the end of a syllable. The ending "R"
changes the shape of the mouth and throat and creates a harsh sound that is much worse when sung by a group
of people. You can substitute an "uh" sound for the "R" and listeners will hear the correct word anyway.
Syllables ending in "L" should also be treated with care. Because
the "L" closes the throat, it should never be voiced until the duration of the note is complete, even though
it is possible to sing an "L" sound on pitch.
"M's" and "N's" are voiced consonants which can be sung on pitch,
but should only be hummed when and where the director has designated. Otherwise, they should be treated just like the
other consonants--placed at the appropriate ends of the note.
|
|
|
|
More Efficient Rehearsals.
- Listen carefully to all directions. The correct page and measure
numbers are as important as the notes, the musical style and correct dynamics.
- Learn your part ahead of time. If you read music, practice
your parts on your own. If you don't read music, at least learn the words.
- Learn the music (preludes, interludes, other vocal parts)
that comes before your own entrances. That way you can be watching the director instead of your music.
- Advanced musicians: you are needed.
You may not need all the practices, but those less talented than you will learn more quickly and accurately if
you are there to help them.
- Mentally rehearse your own parts while the director is rehearsing other sections
that harmonize with your own. If that section of music doesn't include yours, listen anyway. As you learn more,
your capacity to learn will increase.
- Attend every rehearsal. If everyone is at every
rehearsal, the choir director won't have to waste time repeating things for the benefit of last week's absentees.
- Be on time. Rehearsal time is limited and if you are tardy, it interrupts
the whole group when you come in late.
- Save socializing for later. Even if another part is being rehearsed
separately, you can mentally rehearse your own part along with theirs. Also, conversation during another part's
separate work distracts them and can increase the amount of time it takes them to learn the passage.
|
|
|
|
|
