Vocalist.org archive


From:  "Margaret L. Harrison"<peggyh@i...>
Date:  Wed Jan 8, 2003  7:16 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] RE: Soprano Question

On Tue, 07 Jan 2003 22:22:37 -0500 Barb Roberts <mikebarb@n...> wrote:


> We however are terrible with quiet pieces.
> Soft ,delicate, etc. we don't do. I don't even try to take the vibrato
out of my voice
> anymore. (It's not large.) When I try to sing
> straight tone I think that I sound flat.

Tell me about it!

Similarly, there's one director I've sung with on occasion (not my regular
director) who likes to yell out his instructions (not a style to my taste to
start with), and whenever he yells out "PIANO!!!!!", I tighten up and can't do
it, even if it's only an octave above middle C!

> Sopranos do sing high enough in pitch that
> vowel sounds are modified when sung. Hmm. I bet you that individual choir
sopranos are doing
> different things with vowel sounds in the
> higher register. I am not sure of what vowels could be sung, for I have
been trained to sing a
> neutral vowel (a schwa sound) on F sharp and
> higher. Told to do so or else. And, well, MAYBE that is not what others are
doing.

I don't find singing on a neutral vowel on all high vowels to be helpful. If
only because the different vowels work differently at different parts of one's
voice. On the "i" vowel, the thought that works the best for me (discovered
after exploring a variety of approaches with my voice teacher) is the idea,
allow the "i" vowel to modify to "I", as I go up the scale. (for me, going
down the scale, the modification happens on it's own, so a specific thought
isn't needed.) This way I'm able to maintain the vocal efficiency that comes
from a specific vowel thought, but allow the vowel to modify to where it wants
to go, given where in my voice I'm singing. For me, "A" vowels don't need any
modification thoughts, and "O" vowels I don't have to think about modification
until much highter than "i" vowels.

Peggy





Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA.



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