Dear Delia, "Cuperto" is the Itaian word for "Cover". As with most singing terms, there is lots of confusion about its precise meaning. To my best knowledge, cover is generally a device used mainly by male singers when traversing their passagio to give them access to higher notes. The vowel is modified by raising the soft palate. The terms "lift", "yawn-feel" and "Darkening" are sometimes used as well. I believe there is also an association with the term "imposto" or "impostazione" (a sort of pre-sneeze pre-positioning of the vocal apparatus).
There are several cover exercises and none of them are secret as far as I can tell. My description BTW is not an endorsement. Any exercise should be used in its proper context with a good teacher who knows your voice and your aspirations for it.
Nguh, nguh, nguh, nguh, nguh (5 notes down-scale diatonically) i.e., 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 to the tonic then repeating the pattern moving down by half steps (the starting pitch of course depends on the voice). The "nguh" is a sort of reverse "ung" (as in "lung") but the student just approximates the ng part of it not producing a hard "g" sound.
The descending yawn-sigh exercise is used too, starting above the break and "adding" yawn-feel through the passagio while bringing intensity way down through the zone until safely past without breaking.
This technique is only good for more formal kinds of singing and should be avoided when doing anything less formal, otherwise you'll sound too operatic, woofy, yawny, Burt Lahr-y.
For more info, try the term "cover". Regards, Les
|