Voca Technique A Physioogic Approach Second Edition
Voca Technique A Physioogic Approach Second Edition Jan E. Bicke, D.M.A.
5521 Ruffin Road San Diego, CA 92123 e-mai: info@purapubishing.com Website: http://www.purapubishing.com Copyright 2017 by Pura Pubishing, Inc. Text iustrations by and copyright Dougas C. Kauba. Typeset in 10.5/13 Garamond by Fanagan s Pubishing Services, Inc. Printed in the United States of America by McNaughton & Gunn, Inc. A rights, incuding that of transation, reserved. No part of this pubication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieva system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, eectronic, mechanica, recording, or otherwise, incuding photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution, or information storage and retrieva systems without the prior written consent of the pubisher. For permission to use materia from this text, contact us by Teephone: (866) 758-7251 Fax: (888) 758-7255 e-mai: permissions@purapubishing.com Every attempt has been made to contact the copyright hoders for materia originay printed in another source. If any have been inadvertenty overooked, the pubishers wi gady make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity. Library of Congress Cataoging-in-Pubication Data: Names: Bicke, Jan E., author. Tite: Voca technique : a physioogic approach / Jan E. Bicke, D.M.A. Description: Second edition. San Diego,CA : Pura, [2017] Incudes bibiographica references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2016029616 ISBN 9781944883331 (ak. paper) ISBN 1944883339 (ak. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Singing--Physioogica aspects. Singing Instruction and study. Voice Care and hygiene. Cassification: LCC MT821.B53 2018 DDC 783/.043 dc23 LC record avaiabe at https://ccn.oc.gov/2016029616
Contents Preface. How to Use This Book Effectivey Acknowedgments Singer Information Sheet vii ix xi 1 Some Answers to Questions Before We Begin Deveoping a Voca Technique 1 2 Anatomy of the Singer s Instrument: Design and Function 15 3 Estabishing Correct Posture for Singing 31 4 Breath Management for Singers 45 5 The Physioogy of Voca Tone Production 59 6 An Introduction to Articuation and Lyric Diction for Singers 91 7 Deveoping Beautifu Tone Quaity, Resonance, and Freedom 127 8 Keeping Your Voice Heathy 137 9 Beyond Voca Technique: Becoming an Artistic Performer 165 10 Science and Technoogy in the Voice Studio 183 Appendix I. Musica Terminoogy for the Voice Student 191 Appendix II. Music Reading Skis for Beginning Singers/Musicians 195 Appendix III. Voca Performance Evauation 203 Appendix IV. Practice Record Sheet for Voice Students 207 Appendix V. Sources for Art Song and Aria Repertoire for the Singer 211 Bibiography of Seected Reference Materias 215 Index 219 v
Preface How to Use This Book Effectivey As a university voice teacher for more than 30 years, I worked with many students with varying interests regarding the technica aspects of singing. Most of my students have had graduate schoo and professiona singing goas in mind when beginning studies at the undergraduate eve; some have wanted to become professiona teachers of singing, and others ony to improve their voca technique so they coud find more persona fufiment from their endeavors as singers. This book is appropriate for a of them! I am of the opinion that a singer must know and understand the anatomic and physioogic functions connected with the speaking and singing process in order to fee in contro of that process. In addition, this knowedge wi enabe the singer to maintain optimum technica ski and voca heath throughout a ong singing and/or teaching career. A singer who knows and understands his or her own body wi necessariy be a better singer and a better teacher of singing. This book is based on that premise. Knowedge is power! This book is intended for use in in voice essons or a voice cass at the coege or university eve. Portions of it may aso be suitabe for teaching voice at the high schoo eve, where students are interested and dedicated to earning a strong voca technica foundation. As you read this book, do not hesitate to utiize the exercises given here as we as those assigned by your voice teacher. Practicing reguary what you are earning in voice essons or a voice cass is the ony way to improve dramaticay! You must come to know your voice intimatey in order to utiize it to its fuest potentia. You can ony do this with many hours of practice in the privacy of your own home or practice space. I have found, over the years, that voca progress is somewhat different than the progress made by instrumentaists studying technique. Singers seem to make great strides as they initiay earn about and begin to understand the technica aspects of the process, and then the growth process sows somewhat whie the brain and musce connection catches up. Do not be frustrated by seeming pateaus in your earning. As the musces earn to obey the commands of the educated brain, the compex inter-workings of the anatomic system wi begin to come aive and work for you. It takes time, patience, and perseverance! Use this book to gain as much knowedge as you possiby can in regard to the technica aspects of singing; that is, anatomy, posture, breath management, physioogy, articuation, and resonance. Use it aso to hep you begin to earn to appy the important Internationa Phonetic Aphabet (IPA) to the anguages typicay used by singers, and to hep you earn about good heath and nutrition for a peope. Take a of these concepts and make them your own. Appy as much information as you can to your own situation and think carefuy about how the information can hep you become the best singer you can be. Then, be a discoverer! Go out and read more books and artices on the subjects contained in this book. Gather more facts and opinions, which wi hep you in estabishing your own persona voca technique. Those who aspire to be professiona singers or teachers of singing shoud pay particuar attention to the heath and nutritiona aspects of this book. You are your instrument, and being a professiona singer or a teacher of singing requires a tremendous amount of energy and exceent heath in order to be successfu. Begin now to study the appropriate eating and exercise suggestions, and begin to make them a habit for the rest of your ife. A heathy body is a necessity for a ife in the professiona word of singing and/or the teaching of singing! vii
viii VOCAL Technique: A Physioogic Approach Foowing a voice cass or initia voice essons, you shoud expect to go on to study privatey with a voice teacher for many years. A cass in voca technique is merey a beginning to a ifeong process that requires daiy practice and study in order to achieve success. After you successfuy compete a voice cass at the high schoo or coegiate eve or a year of voice essons you shoud, however, have a strong foundation on which to base your choice of voice teachers and voca technique. There are probaby as many voca techniques as there are voice teachers, and choosing the right teacher and technique for you is very important. Use the body of information you gain from this book to make decisions in this regard, but aso continue to read books on technique and interpretation, as we as poetry and foreign anguages. You wi want to read other books in the area of music as we if you wish to become a professiona musician. Begin now to be a ifeong earner! I wish you we in your voca studies and hope you gain much knowedge and insight from using this book! A Note to Voice Teachers Jan Bicke There are a variety of ways to use this book in your teaching. If you use it for a voice cass, I suggest that you assign Chapters 1, 3, and 4 very eary in the earning period. Teaching posture and breath management is essentia to every other aspect of the course. Since you wi want to have your students singing voca repertoire throughout the entire earning period, it might be hepfu to teach the information in Chapter 6 An Introduction to Articuation and Lyric Diction for Singers, in sections; that is, teach the genera Internationa Phonetic Aphabet as it appies to the speaking anguage of your students first, and then deveop one anguage at a time, beginning with Engish, Itaian, or Spanish, and then moving on to the more difficut German and French anguages. You may aso choose to have your students sing ony in Engish and Itaian in a beginning voice cass, and save the other anguages for ater in their deveopment. I have found it hepfu to teach posture and breath management first, and then return to Chapter 2 Anatomy of the Singer s Instrument: Design and Function. If you use the correct anatomic and physioogic terms when teaching posture and breath management, your students wi find Chapter 2 much easier to understand and remember because they wi have heard much of the terminoogy before they read Chapter 2. Then you can proceed to any of the other chapters that seem appropriate for your particuar students. Some voice teachers ike to teach the information on keeping the voice heathy very eary in the semester, which is a very good idea. Pease fee free to move around the chapters of the book as they seem to fit your teaching stye and the earning stye of your voice students. The chapters do not necessariy need to be taught in the order presented here. If you have questions, pease do not hesitate to contact me via the companion website for this book. I wi be happy to assist in any way that I can.
5 The Physioogy of Voca Tone Production It is widey understood by singers and singing teachers in this century that increased knowedge of how the voca instrument functions wi enabe a singer to sing more beautifuy both technicay and interpretivey. With this increased knowedge comes a greater understanding and appreciation of the singer s art. The singer s instrument is inside the body and therefore requires great contro mentay and physicay. A carefu study of how the voca fods and resonators function in conjunction with breath management wi enabe the singer to exert more contro over how the most beautifu, vibrant voca tone is produced. Of course, there are some singers who sing quite we without this knowedge, but, in genera, a student of voca technique wi improve more quicky with this knowedge than without it. The Physioogy of Phonation (Creating Voca Tone) If you genty put your finger on your Adam s appe (the somewhat prominent protrusion in the front of your neck), you are touching the most physicay obvious or prominent part of the externa aryngea structure: the thyroid cartiage. This is the argest of the three arge cartiages that comprise the voice box or arynx aong with two pairs of smaer cartiages. Pease refer to Figure 2 8 for iustrations of the arynx anatomy and the companion website for this book for 3-D visuaizations. Swaow and notice that the Adam s appe rises and then fas approximatey three-quarters of an inch. The fexibiity necessary for this motion is present in the arynx because it is made up primariy of cartiagetransucent eastic tissue. Hum or sing a phrase in the midde or ower part of your range as you touch your Adam s appe and you wi notice both motion and vibrations being produced here. This is where the singing tone begins. As we have aready seen in our study of the anatomy of the voca instrument (Chapter 2), inside the arynx or voice box are two tiny musces that are attached front to back and on the sides of the voice box at the top of the windpipe (trachea). These are the voca fods or voca cords. When a person merey thinks about making sound, these two tiny voca fods come together amost competey cosing over the top of the windpipe. When air is aowed to pass from the ungs through the trachea and against the voca fods, they begin to vibrate producing the sounds we associate with speaking or singing. There is ony a sight difference between singing and speaking. Singing is an extension of speech that aows each voca vibration to continue for a onger period of time. Speaking requires short puffs of air and generay ess breath support than singing, as singing requires the sustaining of tone for a onger period of time. Much of this process of phonation or voca tone production is beow the eve of consciousness. In earning to sing correcty, however, we earn to contro more of the process than the average person wi ever need for the act of speaking. 59
60 VOCAL Technique: A Physioogic Approach Both speaking and singing are earned functions of the arynx for which it was not originay intended. The arynx and, particuary, the voca fods function as a vave to open and cose the windpipe to aow air to pass in and out of the ungs, protecting the airway from choking on materia in the throat, and reguating the fow of air into our ungs. When additiona strength is needed for heavy ifting or pushing, the vave coses to hep create pressure in the thoracic cavity and thus enabe the human body to utiize increased energy eves. Humans have earned to use this vave to create advanced sounds of communication as we as for its intended purposes. For a review of the structure of the arynx, pease read the section in Chapter 2 entited, The Larynx or Voice Box. Making voca sound within the human arynx is a compex function, much of which takes pace beow the eve of consciousness. The action of the mutiayered structure that makes up the voca fods causes the vibrations that produce what we know and define as voca tone. Through a compex interworking of a the musces and cartiages connected to the arynx and breathing mechanism, the voca fods are abe to change ength, thickness, and tension in order to create a wide variety of sounds that are thought of as peasant to the human ear. The coordination of these musces either bring the voca fods together (adduction) or aow them to ie back inactivey against the sidewas of the arynx (abduction). Add to the compex musce coordination of the arynx an appropriate suppy of breath pressure, and sound is produced. This entire process is referred to as phonation. The arynx is capabe, through a compex coordination of muscuature, cartiage, and bone of performing the various necessary functions of singing incuding: 1. Starting and stopping tones 2. Estabishing particuar pitches 3. Changing voume eves (dynamics) in varying degrees from soft to oud 4. Changing timbre or tone coor of a particuar pitch. Each of these functions is discussed separatey in the foowing paragraphs. Starting and Stopping a Tone The initiation of a voca tone is generay referred to as the attack or the onset of that tone. Ending or stopping the tone is referred to as the reease of that tone. At the onset of voca tone, the voca fods come together amost competey across the top of the windpipe, stretching the musces to form a neary compete cosure over the gottis: the space between the voca fods. When the tone is reeased, the musces are reaxed so that once again air may pass through the windpipe freey in an unobstructed manner. When the voca fods are mentay prepared for the onset of the tone, they obstruct the fow of air by cosing the passage through the windpipe. The air then moves against the voca fods causing them to vibrate. It is this action that produces voca tone. The process, athough seemingy simpe, must be very carefuy and consciousy coordinated (particuary in the earning stages of voca technique) by the ear and brain in order for the best voca tone quaity to be produced. For a competey coordinated voca onset to take pace, the inhaation process must be compete and without tension so that breath management may be propery coordinated with the phonation process. What Happens if the Coordination Is Not Precise? If air goes through the voca fods before they have been mentay prepared to vibrate, the sound produced wi initiay be breathy. This is known as an aspirated onset, and is undesirabe for the singer because the tone wi ack carity and focus. An exampe of this type of attack can be experienced if the singer wi attempt to sing any word beginning with the etter h (ha, ho, hey). The breathy quaity is caused by air escaping before the gottis (the space between the open voca fods) is cosed. This type of uncoordinated onset can usuay be adjusted by having the singer mentay hear himsef singing the tone before aowing the process to happen physicay. This aows the brain and aryngea
5. The Physioogy of Voca Tone Production 61 muscuature to consciousy cose the gottis before the onset of voca vibrations. If the gottis is tighty cosed before the breath reaches the voca fods, causing a buidup of subgotta (beow the voca fods) pressure, the voca fods expode open, producing an undesirabe chif or scraping sound. This is known as a gotta onset, and shoud generay be avoided by singers. Not ony can a gotta onset be harmfu to the voca fods but it aso produces a rather ugy tone quaity. True gotta onsets are used rarey by professiona singers and then ony in a text requiring a highy dramatic or emotiona outcry. This type of attack can be experienced by preparing to sing an ah vowe but not etting go of the breath unti after a feeing of pressure has buit up in the voice box. The feeing is much the same as hoding one s breath and then etting go suddeny with a cry. There are different degrees of gotta onset, the esser of which are used carefuy and in a consciousy controed manner when singing in some foreign anguages, such as German, and some Savic anguages. Even in these cases, the singer must take care to avoid unnecessary subgotta pressure at a times. The coordinated onset is the desired and correct way to begin a tone. In this instance, the reease of the breath and the cosure of the voca fods over the gottis are perfecty coordinated foowing the deep and reaxed inhaation process. The resut is a smooth and beautifu beginning to a tone and vowe sound that is free of extraneous noises and muscuar tension. Deveoping a Coordinated Onset Deveoping a coordinated onset is a very important aspect of earning a voca technique that wi serve you through many years of fine singing. It requires, first, knowedge of what the feeing and sound of a coordinated onset ought to be, and then a conscious and determined effort to produce each new tone in this way unti the process becomes subconscious. Experiment with each of the three types of onset so that you have a good fee for which is the correct one. Foowing is an exercise that wi hep you earn to produce a coordinated onset each time you begin to produce a singing tone. Be aware of the use of gotta onsets or breathiness in your speaking voice as we, remembering that singing is an extension of your speech process. Use of the Initia [], [m], and [n] to Achieve a Coordinated Onset Using the consonant [m] or [n] at the initiation of a tone, rather than beginning a tone on a pure vowe such as [ɑ] or [o], has generay proven hepfu for singers attempting to produce a coordinated onset. Try speaking the syabe [nɑ], and be sure the [n] is produced by pacing the tip of your tongue genty on the ridge behind your upper teeth. There shoud be no feeing of tongue pressure against the ridge of the gum ine. Aow the voca tone to resonate freey in your nose on the consonant, and fee how genty the tone begins. Now try singing a five-note downward scae on this syabe. Try to fee the same freedom of vibration as on the spoken exampe. Attempt to memorize this feeing of freedom and voca tone vibration. Do this severa times at different pitch eves to be sure of the correct feeing. Now, imagine feeing and producing the [n], but do not physicay speak or sing it, to determine if the tone wi start as genty and smoothy as before. This shoud hep you to bring the voca fods together in order to cose the gottis and prepare the voca fods for vibration before the breath begins to actuay vibrate the voca fods. Be sure to consciousy take a deep and reaxed breath before trying to speak or sing the sound. The consonants [] and [m] can be used in the same way. It is amost impossibe to create a gotta onset when beginning with an [], [m] or [n] consonant. Figures 5 1A and 5 1B contain a series of voca exercises to hep you deveop a coordinated onset. The deveopment of a smoothy coordinated onset takes time and practice, but wi pay off in more beautifu tone quaity and a heathy set of voca fods, which wi serve you for a ong and productive singing ife.
œ œ œ ˆ_«œ œ ˆ_«œ ˆ_«œ œ ˆ_«œ _ œ _ _ # # # «««««««=============================== & c «. Œ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ «ˆ ˆ ˆ «. Œ [mi me ma mo mu mi me ma mo mu] ß=============================== & # # # ««««««««c «ˆ_ œ «. Œ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ «. Œ _. Í ===============================? # # # c œ œ ˆ_ ««. Œ «««. Œ ««=============================== & # # # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ «[mi ni me na mi ni me na mi ne ma] [a me ni nu a me ni nu o ni nu] [i e o i e o i e u] [a e i u a e i u a i u] ß=============================== & # # # ««««ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ «««ˆ «ˆ ««««««ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ «ˆ ˆ ˆ «Í ===============================? # # # _ œ_ œ =============================== & # # # ««««««««. Œ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ «ˆ ˆ ˆ «. Œ [mi e ma o mu mi e ma o mu] [i me a mo u i me a mo u] [i e a o u i e a o u] ß=============================== & # # # ˆ_ œ «««««««. Œ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ «ˆ «. Œ _«. Í ===============================? # # # _ _ _. œ œ ˆ_ «. _. «. Œ Œ A Figure 5 1. A. Exercise for deveoping a coordinated onset (attack). Begin each new pitch with an [], [m], or [n] in this exercise to hep you become aware of the correct sensation at the onset of each voca tone. It is very difficut, if not impossibe, to begin a tone with a gotta or aspirated onset when beginning with a voiced consonant. Perform these exercises at ow, medium, and high pitch eves. Once you have an understanding of the correct sensation of a coordinated onset, begin to remove some of the voiced consonants and continue doing the exercise unti you can begin each tone with a coordinated onset on the vowe aone. (continues) 62
œ œ 5. The Physioogy of Voca Tone Production 63 ======================= & c œ ˆ_«ˆ_«ˆ_«[u no mi a u no i a u o i a] œ œ œ «««===================== & ˆ ˆ ˆ «««««ˆ ˆ ˆ_ ˆ_ ˆ_ B ===================== & Œ _«. # Œ «. C mi I [a] [o] [u] [e] [i] ni i mum u mi I ni i mum u Figure 5 1. (continued) B. Additiona exercises for deveoping a coordinated onset/attack. In these additiona exercises, be sure to aow enough airfow to vibrate the voiced consonants. Then, using the same amount of airfow, sing the phrases at ow, medium, and high pitch eves with and without the initia consonants. C. Exercise for deveoping the coordinated reease. To practice a coordinated reease, perform the foowing five note downward pattern, hoding the ast note for three fu beats. On the fourth beat, stop the breath and sound at the same time, imagining that this stopping process happens out in front of you rather than inside your throat or mouth. The ending of a tone shoud be just as smooth and easy as the onset. Turn off the air and tone simutaneousy. mi I [a] [o] [u] [e] [i] ni i mum u mi I nimum i u Deveoping a Coordinated Reease The reease of a tone is as important as the onset, and can be thought of in a simiar way. Here aso the singer must be carefu to coordinate the action of the voca fods with the breath pressure. Reeasing the voca fods before stopping the fow of breath wi aow the tone to become breathy, just as it did in the aspirated onset, and wi not give soid cosure to a phrase. Stopping the breath fow before reeasing the voca fod cosure wi give a choked quaity to the end of a phrase, which is simiar to the chif heard on a gotta onset. You may find it hepfu to think of reeasing the tone severa feet in front of your body so that the breath and voca fod vibrations have traveed away from you rather than being stopped inside. This wi hep you to estabish the coordination of breath and muscuature necessary
64 VOCAL Technique: A Physioogic Approach for ending the voca fod vibrations and the breath simutaneousy. As in an appropriate onset, the reease of the tone must be appropriate to the underying meaning and emotiona content of the text and music you are singing. Thus, on occasion, a breathy or dramatic opening or cosure to a phrase might be appropriate, but generay a smooth onset and reease are desired. In a smooth reease, the voca fods reax at the same time the breath pressure is reeased and thus the tone quaity remains consistent to the end of the phrase. It is not necessary to crescendo or decrescendo to the cose of a phrase to achieve a cean and beautifu tona reease. If this dynamic change is appropriate for musica and/or dramatic reasons, the singer must continue to work carefuy to reease the phrase endings at the new dynamic eve without over or underusing the voca muscuature or breath pressure. The singer must be aware that estabishing a correct reease of the fina tone of a phrase wi aow for a deep and reaxed inhaation as we as a coordinated onset for the next phrase. The reease of the tone at the end of one phrase physicay prepares the singing mechanism for the onset of the next phrase. The same exercises used for deveoping a coordinated voca onset may be utiized for estabishing a coordinated voca reease. In addition, an exercise is provided specificay for practicing your voca reease (Figure 5 1C). The singer need ony be aware of consciousy controing the reease of the breath and voca fod vibrations at the end of each phrase. Practice both ong and short rhythmic durations whie attempting to achieve coordinated onsets and reeases. Estabishing Particuar Pitches To create or change pitch, the voca fods work in conjunction with breath pressure and the resonance process. Primariy, however, change of pitch is due to a change in the ength, thickness, and tension of the voca fods. This process is primariy subconscious and connected to the auditory or hearing process. It is a highy compex neurophysica process, which in simpe terms might be expained as foows: the ear hears the specific pitch to be produced, sends a signa to the brain, which then sends the proper signa to the arynx to set the correct tension, ength, and thickness of the voca fods. When the air pressure sets the voca fods in motion, they are aready in the proper position to produce the desired pitch as heard. This is a subconscious process that is amost impossibe to contro physicay. In a few ucky individuas, this neurophysica process is so highy skied that they are said to have perfect pitch. Each of these fortunate individuas is abe to identify any pitch by etter name and then sing that pitch without having heard the pitch physicay. This is quite rare and is considered a musica gift for those who have it. A student may acquire good reative pitch by memorizing certain pitch sensations and then reating a other pitches to those memorized. It is thought to be neary impossibe to deveop perfect pitch, but most peope can deveop exceent reative pitch. Musicians who have been fortunate enough to have had a strong musica foundation within their famiy ife, or during their forma education, wi have estabished a good sense of aura pitch memory before they come to a voice cass or initia voice essons. This means they have had the opportunity to isten to music and/or participate in musica organizations such as a schoo, community, or church choir; band, orchestra; or chamber music ensembes. Those who have not been so fortunate may have probems matching pitches sung for them or payed on a piano or another instrument. This can be corrected but requires concentration and deveopment of good istening skis. The student who has not had a strong musica background may need to have extra hep in the area of deveopment of adequate istening skis. Casses in sight-singing and aura ski deveopment are generay offered at most coeges and universities in the music department, and wi aid greaty in this endeavor. Above a, the voice student who fees it is difficut to hear specific pitches and reproduce them with her own voice must remain reaxed and comfortabe enough to be abe to concentrate on hearing the pitches correcty. Experience is the best teacher in this instance and practice in matching pitch is essentia to making progress in this area. Don t give up! It is possibe for anyone with normay functioning ears and voca fods to earn to match pitch and sing.