Structure of Singing: System and Art of Vocal Technique / Edition 1

by Richard Miller

Overview

For the beginning or intermediate student, in class or individual study, this book provides a fresh and thorough introduction to vocal technique and repertoire relevant to today's student. Its anthology contains 15 folk songs, 15 art songs, and 15 songs from the musical theatre. Illustrations and a glossary accompany the text, which features chapter discussions on practicing, vocalizing, breathing, learning a song, the theatrics of singing, and music reading.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	2900534255359
Publisher:	Cengage Learning
Publication date:	10/21/1986
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)

Table of Contents

	Preface	xv
	Acknowledgments	xvii
	Introduction	xix
1.	The Coordinated Vocal Onset and Release: Establishing Dynamic Muscle Equilibrium through Onset and Release	1
	The Varieties of Onset	1
	The Hard Attack	2
	The Soft Onset	3
	The Balanced Onset (Dynamic Muscle Equilibrium)	4
	Exercises for Achieving the Balanced Onset	4
	Uses of the Aspirated Onset	7
	Uses of the Glottal Attack	8
	Physiological Benefits of the Coordinated Onset	8
	Onset Vocalises which Induce Dynamic Equilibrium	9
	Group 1 Exercises	11
	Staccato and Onset	12
	Group 2 Exercises	13
	Group 3 Exercises	15
	The Release	18
	The Soft Release	18
	The Hard Release	18
	The Balanced Release	19
2.	The Supported Singing Voice: Breath Management in Singing	20
	Subglottic Pressure and Glottal Activity	21
	The Technique of appoggio	23
	Breath Management Exercises without Phonation	29
	Breath Management Exercises with Sibilants and Fricatives	32
	Breath Management Exercises Involving Phonation	34
	Breath-pacing versus "More Support"	37
3.	Agility in Singing: Flexible Application of Breath Power	40
	Exercises for the Acquisition of Agility	42
4.	The Resonant Voice: Supraglottic Considerations in Singing	48
	Vowel Formants	50
	The Singer's Formant	55
	The Singer's Perception of Timbre	56
	The Open Throat (gola aperta)	58
	"Placement" of the Voice (impostazione della voce)	60
	Exercises for Establishing Resonance Balance (impostazione) in Singing	62
	Velopharyngeal Closure	63
5.	The Well-balanced Vowel: Vowel Differentiation in Singing	69
	The Acoustic At-rest Posture	69
	The Vowel Postures	70
	Formation of the Neutral Vowels [[characters not reproducible] and [[characters not reproducible]	70
	Formation of the Vowel [a]	71
	Formation of the Vowel [i]	71
	Formation of the Vowel [e]	72
	Formation of the Vowel [[characters not reproducible]	72
	Formation of the Vowel [[characters not reproducible]	73
	Formation of the Vowel [o]	73
	Formation of the Vowel [u]	73
	Mouth Position for Vowels in Singing	73
	Exercises for Vowel Differentiation	76
	Group 1 Exercises	76
	Group 2 Exercises	77
6.	Resonance Balancing through Nasal Consonants: The Influences of Nasal Continuants on Resonator Adjustment	79
	Pedagogical Uses of Consonantal Phonemes in General	79
	Use of the Nasals in Balancing Resonator Coupling	80
	Some Uses of the Voiced Bilabial Stop [m]	81
	Uses of the Alveolar-nasal Continuant [n]	84
	Some Uses of the Voiced Linguavelar Stop [[characters not reproducible]	85
	Some Uses of the Lingua-palatal-nasal Continuant [[characters not reproducible]	86
	Some General Considerations on the Nasal Continuants	88
7.	Resonance Balancing through Non-nasal Consonants: The Influence of Non-nasal Consonants on Resonator Adjustment	90
	Uses of the Voiced Lingua-anterior-palatal Continuant [j]	90
	Uses of the Lingua-alveolar Continuant [l]	91
	Uses of the Alveolar Single [r] and the Alveolar Rolled [[characters not reproducible]	93
	Uses of the Voiced Labiodental Fricative Continuant [v] and the Voiceless Labiodental Fricative Continuant [f]	95
	Uses of the Voiced Bilabial Stop Plosive [b] and the Voiceless Bilabial Stop Plosive [p]	96
	Use of the Voiced Lingua-alveolar Fricative Continuant [z] and the Voiceless Lingua-alveolar Fricative Continuant [s]	98
	Uses of the Voiced Linguadental Fricative Continuant [[characters not reproducible] and the Voiceless Linguadental Fricative Continuant [[characters not reproducible]	99
	Uses of the Voiced Lingua-alveolar Stop Plosive [d] and the Voiceless Lingua-alveolar Stop Plosive [t]	100
	Uses of the Voiced Linguavelar Stop Plosive [g] and the Voiceless Linguavelar Stop Plosive [k]	103
	Uses of Voiceless Consonants in General	104
	Useful Pitch Patterns	105
	Vowel and Diphthong Patterns	106
	Coupled Consonants	106
8.	Sustaining the Voice: Sostenuto	108
	Exercises for Developing Sostenuto	109
	Group 1 Exercises	109
	Group 2 Exercises	111
	Group 3 Exercises	112
	Group 4 Exercises	112
	Group 5 Exercises	114
9.	Unifying the Registers of Male Voices	115
	Register Terminology	115
	Primo passaggio (First Register Transition)	116
	Secondo passaggio (Second Register Transition)	116
	Zona di passaggio (zona intermedia) (The Passage Zone)	116
	Registration Events of Male Voices	116
	Voce di petto (Chest Voice)	117
	Voce Mista (Mixed Voice)	118
	Voce di testa (Head Voice)	118
	Voce finta (Feigned Voice)	119
	Falsetto	119
	The Male Falsettist	123
	Strohbass	125
	Exercises for Achieving an Evenly Registered Scale in Lower and Middle Voice	126
Group 1	Exercises	127
	Exercises for Achieving an Evenly Registered Scale in Upper and Middle Voice	129
Group 2	Exercises	129
10.	Unifying the Registers of the Female Voice	132
	Registers of the Female Speaking Voice	133
	Combining Female Singing Registers	133
	Registration Events of Female Voices	134
	Chest in Female Voices	136
	Open Chest	136
	Chest Mixture	136
	Exercises for the Development of the Lower Range	137
	Head Mixture in Female Lower Range	140
	Head Mixture in Female Middle Range	142
	Exercises for Inducing Head Mixture in Middle Voice	142
	Female voce di testa	143
	Exercises for Inducing voce di testa Sensations Throughout the Voice	144
	Flageolet Register	147
	Exercises for Developing the Flageolet Range	149
11.	Vowel Modification in Singing: aggiustamento	150
	Timbre Terminology	155
	The Technique of aggiustamento (The Vowel Series in Modification)	157
	Exercises for Achieving aggiustamento	159
12.	Range Extension and Stabilization in Singing	161
	Range and Voice Categorization	163
	Extending the Vocal Range	167
	Exercises for Extending and Stabilizing the Vocal Range	167
13.	Messa di voce and Dynamic Control	171
	Exercises for Developing Dynamic Control	173
	Determining Dynamic Levels	176
14.	Vibrancy in Singing: Vibrato and Vocal Timbre	182
	Physical Causes of Vibrato	183
	Uses of the Vibrato	185
	Correcting Oscillation ("Wobble")	186
	Eliminating Straight-tone Intrusion	187
	Correcting the Vibratoless Voice	189
	Correcting Tremolo ("Shake")	191
	Vibrato and Velocity	193
	Pedagogical Uses of Straight-tone	194
	Uses of the Trill	195
15.	Coordinating Technique and Communication	197
16.	Pedagogical Attitudes: The Aesthetics of Vocal Timbre	205
	The New Student	207
	Compensatory Methods of Singing	208
	The Technically Intense Teacher	209
	The Interpretation-oriented Teacher	210
	The Technique-mystique Teacher	211
	The One-aspect Teacher	212
	Pedagogical Balance	212
	Teaching Oneself	214
17.	Healthy Singing	218
	Conditioning for Performance Readiness	220
	Performance-day Routine	221
	When Not to Sing	224
	What to Sing	226
	The Teacher-performer	228
	The Question of Complete Vocal Rest	229
	The Question of Medication	230
	Dry Throat	231
	"Clearing" the Throat	231
	Fighting the Cough	232
	Chewing	233
	Singers and the Laryngologist	235
	Weight and the Singing Voice	236
	Diet and the Singer	237
	Physical Exercise and Singing	238
	Longevity and the Voice	238
	The Optimistic Performer	239
Appendix 1.	Laryngeal Structure and Function	241
	Cartilaginous Structure of the Larynx	242
	The Single or Unpaired Laryngeal Cartilages	242
	The Paired Laryngeal Cartilages	245
	Ligaments and Membranes of the Larynx	246
	The Interior of the Larynx	248
	Muscles of the Larynx and their Function	248
	Extrinsic Muscles	249
	Intrinsic Muscles	252
	The Muscles of Adduction	253
	The Muscles of Elongation	255
	Summary of Intrinsic Laryngeal Action	256
Appendix 2.	The Structure and Mechanics of the Breath Apparatus	259
	The Thoracic Cage	259
	The Region of the Sternum	259
	The Intercostal Muscles	262
	The Diaphragm	262
	The Lungs and the Pleurae	267
	Muscles of the Neck	270
	Muscles of the Upper Torso	273
	Muscles of the Anterolateral Abdominal Wall	275
	Systems of Breath Control	278
Appendix 3.	The Physiology of the Vocal Tract Resonator System	281
Appendix 4.	The Physical Factors of Vocal Registration	287
	Cricothyroid Action in Registration	287
	External Frame Function	291
	Damping	291
	Summary of Physical Aspects of Registration	292
Appendix 5.	Influences of Various Voiced and Unvoiced Consonants on Resonator Adjustment	293
Appendix 6.	International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) Symbols	297
	A Concise Correlative Pronunciation Guide	297
	IPA Symbols for Vowels, Semi-vowels, and French Vowel Sounds	298
	International Phonetic Alphabet Symbols for Consonant Sounds	299
	Glossary of Nonmusical Terms	301
	Glossary of Vocal Terms	311
	Bibliography	315
	Articles	315
	Books	350
	Index	367