How to Sing Part 11

Like the auxiliary verbs "will" and "have," _[=a]_, _[=e]_, and _oo_ are auxiliary vowels, of whose aid we are constantly compelled to avail ourselves. It will perhaps sound exaggerated when I present an example of this, but as a matter of fact p.r.o.nunciation is consummated in this way; only, it must not become noticeable. The method seems singular, but its object is to prevent the leaving of any empty resonance s.p.a.ce, and to obviate any interruptions that could affect the perfection of the tone.

For example, when I wish to sing the word "Fraulein," I must first, and before all else, think of the pitch of the tone, before I attack the _f_. With the _f_, the tone must be there already, _before_ I have p.r.o.nounced it; to pa.s.s from the _f_ to the _r_ I must summon to my aid the auxiliary vowel _oo_, in order to prevent the formation of any unvocalized interstices in the sound. The _r_ must not now drop off, but must in turn be joined to the _oo_, while the tongue should not drop down behind, [Ill.u.s.tration] but should complete the vibrations thus, [Ill.u.s.tration] in a straight line. (See plate.)

[Ill.u.s.tration]

It is very interesting to note how much a word can gain or lose in fulness and beauty of tone. Without the use of auxiliary vowels no connection of the resonance in words can be effected; there is then no beautiful tone in singing, only a kind of hacking. Since it must be quite imperceptible, the use of auxiliary vowels must be very artistically managed, and is best practised in the beginning very slowly on single tones and words, then proceeding with great care to two tones, two syllables, and so on. In this way the pupil learns to _hear_. But he must learn to hear very slowly and for a long time, until there is no failure of vibration in the tone and word, and it is all so impressed upon his memory that it can never be lost. The auxiliary vowels must always be present, but the listener should be able to hear, from the a.s.sistance of the _oo_, only the warmth and n.o.bility of the tone, from the _a_ and _e_ only the carrying power and brilliancy of it.

SECTION x.x.x

RESONANT CONSONANTS

_K_, _l_, _m_, _n_, _p_, _s_, and _r_ at the end of a word or syllable must be made resonant by joining to the end of the word or syllable a rather audible _[)e]_ (_eh_); for instance, Wandel^e, Gretel^e, etc.

A thing that no one teaches any longer, or knows or is able to do, a thing that only Betz and I knew, and with me will probably disappear entirely, is the dividing and ending of syllables that must be effected under certain conditions. It may have originated with the Italian school.

I was taught it especially upon double consonants. When two come together, they must be divided; the first, as in Him-mel, being sounded dull, and without resonance, the syllable and tone being kept as nasal as possible, the lips closed, and a pause being made between the two syllables; not till then is the second syllable p.r.o.nounced, with a new formation of the second consonant.

And this is done, not only in case of a doubling of one consonant, but whenever two consonants come together to close the syllable; for instance, win-ter, dring-en, kling-en, bind-en; in these the nasal sound plays a specially important part.

The tediousness of singing without proper separation of the syllables is not appreciated till it has been learned how to divide the consonants. The nasal close of itself brings a new color into the singing, which must be taken into account; and moreover, the word is much more clearly intelligible, especially in large auditoriums, where an appreciable length of time is needed for it to reach the listener.

By the nasal close, also, an uninterrupted connection is a.s.sured between the consonant and the tone, even if the latter has to cease, apparently, for an instant.

I teach all my pupils thus. But since most of them consider it something unheard of to be forced to p.r.o.nounce in this way, they very rarely bring it to the artistic perfection which alone can make it effective. Except from Betz, I have never heard it from any one. After me no one will teach it any more. I shall probably be the last one. A pity!

SECTION x.x.xI

PRACTICAL EXERCISES

The practical study of singing is best begun with single sustained tones, and with preparation on the sound of _ah_ alone, mingled with _o_ and _oo_. A position as if one were about to yawn helps the tongue to lie in the right place.

In order not to weary young voices too much, it is best to begin in the middle range, going upward first, by semitones, and then, starting again with the same tone, going downward. All other exercises begin in the lower range and go upward.

The pupil must first be able to make a single tone good, and judge it correctly, before he should be allowed to proceed to a second. Later, single syllables or words can be used as exercises for this.

The position of the mouth and tongue must be watched in the mirror.

The vowel _ah_ must be mingled with _o_ and _oo_, and care must be taken that the breath is forced strongly against the chest, and felt attacking here and on the palate at the same time. Begin _piano_, make a long _crescendo_, and gradually return and end on a well-controlled _piano_. My feeling at the attack is as shown in the plate.

At the same instant that I force the breath against the chest, I place the tone _under_ its highest point on the palate, and let the overtones soar above the palate--the two united in one thought. Only in the lowest range can the overtones, and in the highest range the undertones (resonance of the head cavities and of the palate), be dispensed with.

With me the throat never comes into consideration; I feel absolutely nothing of it, at most only the breath gently streaming through it. A tone should never be forced; _never press_ the breath against the resonating chambers, but only against the chest; and NEVER hold it back. The organs should not be cramped, but should be allowed to perform their functions elastically.

The contraction of the muscles should never exceed their power to relax. A tone must always be sung, whether strong or soft, with an easy, conscious power. Further, before all things, sing always with due regard to the pitch.

In this way the control of the ear is exercised over the pitch, strength, and duration of the tone, and over the singer's strength and weakness, of which we are often forced to make a virtue. In short, one learns to recognize and to produce a perfect tone.

[Ill.u.s.tration:

Attack.

Red lines denote that with the inspiration of breath: I, the diaphragm is sensibly stretched backward; II, enlarges the capacity of the chest by the drawing down of its floor; III, and so forms the supply chamber for the breath; IV, indicates the pressure of the breath against the chest tension muscles; V, the attack.]

In all exercises go as low and as high as the voice will allow without straining, and always make little pauses to rest between them, even if you are not tired, in order to be all the fresher for the next one.

With a certain amount of skill and steady purpose the voice increases its compa.s.s, and takes the proper range, easiest to it by nature.

The pupil can see then how greatly the compa.s.s of a voice can be extended. For amateurs it is not necessary; but it is for every one who practises the profession of a singer in public.

For a second exercise, sing connectedly two half-tones, slowly, on one or two vowels, bridging them with the auxiliary vowels and the _y_ as the support of the tongue, etc.

Every tone must seek its best results from all the organs concerned in its production; must possess power, brilliancy, and mellowness in order to be able to produce, before leaving each tone, the propagation form for the next tone, ascending as well as descending, and make it certain.

No exercise should be dropped till every vibration of every tone has clearly approved itself to the ear, not only of the teacher, but also of the pupil, as _perfect_.

It takes a long time to reach the full consciousness of a tone. After it has pa.s.sed the lips it must be diffused outside, before it can come to the consciousness of the listener as well as to that of the singer himself. So practise _singing_ slowly and _hearing_ slowly.

SECTION x.x.xII

THE GREAT SCALE

This is the most necessary exercise for all kinds of voices. It was taught to my mother; she taught it to all her pupils and to us. But _I_ am probably the only one of them all who practises it faithfully!

I do not trust the others. As a pupil one must practise it twice a day, as a professional singer at least once.

[Music ill.u.s.tration]

The breath must be well prepared, the expiration still better, for the duration of these five and four long tones is greater than would be supposed. The first tone must be attacked not too _piano_, and sung only so strongly as is necessary to reach the next one easily without further crescendo, while the propagation form for the next tone is produced, and the breath wisely husbanded till the end of the phrase.

The first of each of the phrases ends nasally in the middle range, the second toward the forehead and the cavities of the head. The lowest tone must already be prepared to favor the resonance of the head cavities, by thinking of _[=a]_, consequently placing the larynx high and maintaining the resonating organs in a _very_ supple and elastic state. In the middle range, _ah_ is mingled particularly with _oo_, that the nose may be reached; further, the auxiliary vowel _e_ is added to it, which guides the tone to the head cavities. In descending the attack must be more concentrated, as the tone is slowly directed toward the nose on _oo_ or _o_, to the end of the figure.

When _oo_, _a_, and _e_ are auxiliary vowels, they need not be plainly p.r.o.nounced. (They form an exception in the diphthongs, "Trauuum,"

"Leiiid," "Lauuune," "Feuyer," etc.) As auxiliary vowels they are only means to an end, a bridge, a connection from one thing to another.

They can be taken anywhere with any other sound; and thence it may be seen how elastic the organs can be when they are skilfully managed.

The chief object of the great scale is to secure the pliant, sustained use of the breath, precision in the preparation of the propagation form, the proper mixture of the vowels which aid in placing the organs in the right position for the tone, to be changed for every different tone, although imperceptibly; further, the intelligent use of the resonance of the palate and head cavities, especially the latter, whose tones, soaring above everything else, form the connection with the nasal quality for the whole scale.

The scale must be practised without too strenuous exertion, but not without power, gradually extending over the entire compa.s.s of the voice; and that is, if it is to be perfect, over a compa.s.s of two octaves. These two octaves will have been covered, when, advancing the starting-point by semitones, the scale has been carried up through an entire octave. So much every voice can finally accomplish, even if the high notes must be very feeble.

The great scale, properly elaborated in practice, accomplishes wonders: it equalizes the voice, makes it flexible and n.o.ble, gives strength to all weak places, operates to repair all faults and breaks that exist, and controls the voice to the very heart. Nothing escapes it.