Some good vocalise books are:
Estelle Liebling Vocal Course, edited by Barnard Whitefield
Sieber 36 Eight measure vocalises (for elementary vocal teaching)
Vacchai Vocalises
These books are a good place to start. The Arias that you are learning to sing right now are excellent to learn a solid technique. Singing in Italian will also give you a wonderful foundation for singing pure vowel sounds. If you aren't interested in these vocal courses, and your teacher won't write any vocalises out on staff paper, begin with singing scales and triads. Go up and down the keyboard, using the breathing techniques you've acquired. When you are singing the scales and triads, try singing on the pure Italian vowel sounds you're learning in the arias. It sounds like you're getting a good foundation. Just don't give up and don't be too hard on yourself. You didn't learn the rules of composition overnight and you won't learn to sing beautifully overnight either. Both take a lot of hard work and dedication to the art form. It might not be today or tomorrow, but slowly and surely you will hear improvement in your voice. Taping yourself while practicing is an excellent practice to get into. When you're feeling sad that you aren't getting anywhere, put in an old tape and listen to how much you've improved. It will make you feel better and it's always a good idea to go back and listen to the tapes after you're done practicing. They will let you hear things that you weren't paying attention to while you were sining because you were putting more concentration into the act of singing than the act of listening. When you are listening to the recording later, you will only be listening and will be able to concentrate on what you'd like to improve on with your singing. The journey to singing beautifully is a long and slow one, but the rewards will be great if you stick to it.
Have a wonderful journey, Trevor
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