Dear Mike and Vocalists:
I agree with you that consonants tend to "contaminate" vowels and vowels can change the way in which consonants are pronounced. That is an important point when working with beginning singers because they must at an early stage learn to isolate the vowel that should be sung. This is a real problem for English speaking singers because, as you point out, English has few if any single vowels and many diphthongs or triphongs. As you know, the rule of thumb in singing diphthongs or triphongs is to always sustain the initial vowel and treat the exit vowel sounds as one would treat an ending consonant (or combine the exit vowel with the ending consonant if the word has one).
Pops singing of any kind does not necessarily adhere to this rule and instead allows a migration from the initial vowel sound to the exit vowel sound within a sustained note. But classical singing in English normally expects the initial vowel to be sustained in order to obtain a pure tone that is not in a state of change. English speaking singers often have difficult with the concept of vowel glides which are found in Italian because they tend to treat them like diphthongs (initial vowel has the length) and create vowel lengths that is not inherent to Italian.
To Isabelle , I agree that it is quite easy for any form of the AH vowel to be experienced either backward or forward as regards the idea of placement. For example, "Shun" with a smile feels quite different than "Shun" with a frown. It is, however, less a matter of the feel of the vowel forward or backward that gives the voice its particular maximum efficient resonance. It is the position of the tongue mostly, plus the raising of the soft palate (how that should be done is another matter) the opening of the pharyngeal space etc. all of which is required to achieve any given vowel sound. That is true of speech as well as singing. Within that formation the sense of front and back can be added to some extent for a slight change in desired color.
Because each vowel sound creates two emphasized frequencies above the fundamental being sung which are the vowels unique qualities, it these two emphasized frequencies or vowel formants which must be given consideration. If one is singing a fundamental whose partials do not match the required formants for a given vowel, that vowel is not a good choice for that particular pitch and must be modified in some way. The most accurate manner of altering a vowel is to simply change it to a neighboring vowel which has formants that will match the partials of the sung pitch. It is for this reason that an understanding of the differences in vowels is so important and that the vocal tract be flexible and immediately adjustable to accommodate the necessary changes of vowels. These changes are more or less automatic once learned and natural singers do these changes without being aware of doing so.
A good discussion.
-- Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA Professor of Voice, Pedagogy School of Performing Arts Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ 86011
|