How to Sing Part 9

The best position of the mouth, the means of securing the proper use of the muscles of speech and of the vocal organs, is established by p.r.o.nouncing the vowel _[=a]_, not too sharply, in the middle range of the voice, and trying to retain the position of the muscles after the sound has ceased.

This cannot be done without a _smiling_ position of the mouth, consequently with a strong contraction of the muscles of the mouth, tongue, and throat, which can be felt to be drawn up as far as the ears.

In doing so the tongue--as far as the tip--lies of a pretty nearly even height to the back [Ill.u.s.tration], the soft palate soars without arching, but rather somewhat depressed over it.

In p.r.o.nouncing the vowels _[=a]_ and _[=e]_, the bright vowels, the full stream of the breath, in the given position, can only partly pa.s.s between the tongue and the palate. The other part is forced--unless the larynx stands too high and can choke it off--above the palate into the nasal cavities, to seek its opportunity for resonance.

The path for _[=a]_ and _[=e]_ above the palate is worthy of all attention as a place for the overtones of the middle voice. If the soft palate, in the lower middle tones, is forced too far toward the hard palate, the covered tones are without vibrancy. One must needs secure the help of the nose especially, when the palate is sunk beneath the nose, by inflating the nostrils and letting air stream in and out of them.

I repeat the warning, not to force several tones upon the same resonating point, but to see that upon each tone the form necessary for succeeding tones is prepared. Neglect of this will sooner or later be paid for dearly.

Notwithstanding the strong muscular contraction that the vocal organs must undergo in p.r.o.nouncing the vowel _[=a]_, the breath must be able to flow gently and without hindrance through its form, in order completely to fill up its resonance chambers. Again, and always, attention must be given that in singing, and in speaking as well, nothing shall be cramped or held tense, except the pressure of the breath against the chest. It is of the utmost importance to maintain this position for _all_ vowels, with the least possible perceptible modifications.

How can this be done? _A_ and _e_ are bright vowels, must be sung with a pleasant, almost smiling, position of the mouth. _U_ and _o_, on the contrary, are dark vowels, for which the lips must be drawn into a sort of spout. Look at the position of the throat in these vowels: (1) as they are usually sung and spoken; (2) as I feel it, in singing, as I sing them, and as they must be sung and felt.

SECTION XXV

CONNECTION OF VOWELS

How do I connect them with each other? If I wish to connect closely together two vowels that lie near to or far from each other, I must first establish the muscular contractions for _[=a]_, and introduce between the two vowels, whether they lie near together or far apart, a very well-defined _y_. Then (supposing, for instance, that I want to connect _[=a]_ and _[=e]_) I must join the _[=a]_ closely to the _y_, and the _y_ closely to the _[=e]_, so that there is not the least resonating s.p.a.ce between the two that is not filled during the changes in the position of the organs, however carefully this is undertaken.

There must be no empty s.p.a.ce, no useless escape of breath, between any two of the sounds.

[Ill.u.s.tration:

oo [=e] o [=a] ah

oo o [=e] y ah y [=a] y]

[Ill.u.s.tration:

Bad. oo [=e] o [=a] ah

Good. oo o [=e] ah [=a]]

[Ill.u.s.tration:

Wrong. oo [=e] o [=a] ah

Right. oo o [=e] ah [=a]]

At first only two, then three and four, and then all the vowels in succession must be so practised:--

_A-ye, a-ye-yu, a-ye-yoo-yu, a-ye-yo-yu-yu-ye-yah._

But there must be never more than so much breath at hand as is needed to make the vowel and the tone perfect. The more closely the vowels are connected with the help of the _y_, the less breath is emitted from the mouth unused, the more intimate is the connection of tone, and the less noticeable are the changes of the position of the organs in relation to each other.

When I pa.s.s from _y[=a]-y[=e]_ to _yoo_, I am compelled to develop very strongly the muscular contraction of the lips, which are formed into a long projecting spout; and this movement cannot be sufficiently exaggerated. With every new _y_ I must produce renewed muscular contractions of the vocal organs, which gradually, through continuous practice, are trained to become almost like the finest, most pliable steel, upon which the fullest reliance may be placed. From _yoo_ it is best to go to _yu_, that lies still farther forward and requires of the lips an iron firmness; then to _yo_, touching slightly on the _e_ that lies above the _o_; then return to _y[=a]_, and not till then going to _ye-ah_, which must then feel thus:--

e oo-o ah-[=a]

y

The _y_ is taken under the _ah_, that the word may not slide under; for usually the thought of _ah_ relaxes all the organs: the tongue lies flat, the larynx becomes unsteady, is without definite position, and the palate is not arched and is without firmness. In this way _ah_ becomes the most colorless and empty vowel of the whole list.

With every change of vowel, or of any other letter, there are changes in the position of the organs, since tongue, palate, and larynx must take different positions for different sounds.

With _[=a]_ and _[=e]_ the larynx stands higher, the palate is sunk, or in its normal position.

With _oo_, _o_, and _ah_ the larynx stands low, the palate is arched.

With _a_, _e_, and _ah_ the lips are drawn back.

With _oo_, _o_, _u_, and _o_ they are extended far forward.

The auxiliary sound _y_ connects them all with each other, so that the transitions are made quite imperceptibly. Since it is p.r.o.nounced with the tongue drawn high against the palate, it prevents the base of the tongue from falling down again.

This should be practised very slowly, that the sensations may be clearly discerned, and that no vibration that gives the vowel its pitch and duration may escape attention.

The muscular contraction described comprises the chief functions of the vocal organs, and is as necessary for singing as the breath is for the tone. Year in and year out every singer and pupil must practise it in daily exercises as much as possible, on every tone of the vocal compa.s.s.

In the lowest as well as in the highest range the sharpness of the _a_ is lost, as well as the clear definition of all single vowels. _A_ should be mingled with _oo_, _ah_, and _e_. In the highest range, the vowels are merged in each other, because then the princ.i.p.al thing is not the vowel, but the high sound.

Even the _thought_ of _[=a]_ and _[=e]_, the latter especially, raises the pitch of the tone. The explanation of this is that _[=a]_ and _[=e]_ possess sympathetic sounds above the palate that lead the breath to the resonance of the head cavities.

For this reason tenors often, in high notes, resort to the device of changing words with dark vowels to words with the bright vowel _e_.

They could attain the same end, without changing the whole word, by simply _thinking_ of an _e_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: p.r.o.nounce in English [=a] [=e] uoo oah[=e]]

Without over-exertion, the singer can practise the exercises given above twenty times a day, in periods of ten to fifteen minutes each, and will soon appreciate the advantage of the muscular strengthening they give. They make the voice fresh, not weary, as doubtless many will suppose.

What, then, can be expected of an untrained organ? Nothing!

Without daily vocal gymnastics no power of endurance in the muscles can be gained. They must be so strong that a great operatic role can be repeated ten times in succession, in order that the singer may become able to endure the strain of singing in opera houses, in great auditoriums, and make himself heard above a great orchestra, without suffering for it.

When I, for instance, was learning the part of _Isolde_, I could without weariness sing the first act alone six times in succession, with expression, action, and a full voice. That was my practice with all my roles. After I had rehea.r.s.ed a role a thousand times in my own room, I would go into the empty theatre and rehea.r.s.e single scenes, as well as the whole opera, for hours at a time. That gave me the certainty of being mistress of my resonances down to the last note; and very often I felt able to begin it all over again. So must it be, if one wishes to accomplish anything worth while.

Another end also is attained by the same exercise,--the connection, not only of the vowels, but of all letters, syllables, words, and phrases. By this exercise the form for the breath, tone, and word, in which all the organs are adjusted to each other with perfect elasticity, is gradually established. Slowly but surely it a.s.sures greatest endurance in all the organs concerned in speaking and singing, the inseparable connection of the palatal resonance with the resonance of the head cavities. In this way is gained perfection in the art of singing, which is based, not on chance, but on knowledge; and this slow but sure way is the only way to gain it.

By the above-described method all other alphabetical sounds can be connected, and exercises can be invented to use with it, which are best adapted to correct the mistakes of pupils, at first on one, then step by step on two and three connected tones, etc.

At the same time it is necessary to learn to move the tongue freely, and with the utmost quickness, by jerking it back, after p.r.o.nouncing consonants, as quick as a flash, into the position in which it conducts the breath to the resonating chambers for the vowels. With all these movements is connected the power of elastically contracting and relaxing the muscles.