What Every Singer Should Know Part 8

Train as tau-rain.

Bright as b-right.

Brown as b-rown.

=After= you have mastered the rolled "r" through the above exercises, p.r.o.nounce them in one syllable as they should be.

Next, take up your consonants before the vowel

[Ill.u.s.tration:

musical notation,

Baw, bay, bee, bo, boo Baw, bay, bee, bo, boo Baw, bay, bee, bo, boo

Daw, day, dee, do, doo Daw, day, dee, do, doo Daw, day, dee, do, doo

Faw, fay, etc. Faw, fay, etc. Faw, fay, etc.

Gaw, gay, etc. Gaw, gay, etc. Gaw, gay, etc.

Haw, hay, etc. Haw, hay, etc. Haw, hay, etc.

J, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, y, z.]

until you have covered all the consonants.

Then your final consonants, as in "late," "date," "light," "bright."

In the word "date," make your "d" and your "a" distinct and =on the tone=, but as you p.r.o.nounce your "t," which must also be distinct, drop the tone so as not to leave an "after-tone." This must be done in all words except those ending with "m" and "n."

Next build sentences from words which seem most difficult to you and sing the entire sentence on one sustained tone.

Example--

[Ill.u.s.tration: musical notation repeating Now the day is over. Now the day is over. Now the day is over.]

In a song where some particular phrase or sentence seems difficult to you, sing the entire phrase or sentence on one sustained tone, p.r.o.nouncing the words distinctly until you have gone down several tones =below= and several tones =above= the pitch in which it is written, singing it over and over on the one sustained tone in all the keys of your range. I cannot tell you of the benefit you will derive from mastering a difficult phrase or sentence in this manner.

For the hardness and muscular contraction under the chin, which has undoubtedly been brought about by "methods" advocating the placing of the tip of the tongue against the back of the lower teeth, put your thumb well up under your chin and see that there is no contraction (hardness). Leave your tongue perfectly limp, and hum first through the nose, gradually turning the humming into an "ao," "ao," "ao," then to "oa," "oa," "oa," sustaining the tone and keeping the thumb pushed well up under the chin to feel that there is no contraction. By using this exercise you will be able to overcome this common fault in a very short time, but you must go at it systematically.

In singing songs p.r.o.nounce your words perfectly and distinctly, letting the palate, glottis and larynx take care of themselves. If your method of singing is good, =nothing= can injure your voice.

As this book voices the sentiment of some of the most brilliant lights in the profession, and contains facts based on years of actual experience, it is not egotistical for me to say that its careful, thoughtful and conscientious perusal will give to the student of voice culture a.s.sistance that will be of =inestimable value= in reaching his goal.

Start with ease and naturalness and the chances are excellent for your pathway to be illumned with =success=.

THE AUTHOR.