1 – VOWELS AND CONSONANTS 3:32

WHAT IS GOING ON?

When you pay attention to how people speak you can hear who they truly are. Whether shy or scared or any of the strong emotions we feel and express. Then we can be more compassionate.

THE GLOTTAL ATTACK

• We call the glottis the space between the vocal folds so when we say there is a glottal attack it signifies that the folds where slammed together violently by air pushed through the air pipe. Guess how you can ruin your voice
• It is recognizable by a sharp crack when the sound is initiated and gets worst when it continues and there is a grating at the beginning of a phrase or word (Listen to example)
• If you listen carefully to the person cracking, you can distinguish the sound starting or initiated on the vocal cord, right in the throat where it is narrow
• When that occurs, the voice cannot resonate because there is no space for it to do so. This is why we want the air placed lower in the lungs to allow that space between the diaphragm and the vocal folds and keep the space open for vibration.

2 – SUZI SILVA - PART 1 11:59

OBSERVING - A FIRST STEP

Performing the beautiful ballad Misty, Suzi demonstrates her skills of phrasing and range. We hear just a bit of glottal attack but overall it is very good.

THE GLOTTAL ATTACK

• The challenge is greater when we speak the lyric because while we sing, the vowels are continual and because of that, much smoother and easier to keep them round and continual.
• The consonants are just noise, not sound and they propel the vowels back INSIDE the body in order to allow them to resonate more fully.
• Try doing a phrase without the consonants and observe that those vowels connect then add the consonants. Observe to see if the consonant is tied to the vowel… It should not be.



CRACKING AT THE END OF WORDS

• Cracking at the end of a vowel is the most difficult and challending skill to develop. When the end of a word dies, it is an inhibiting aspect of sound for singing but more significant for speaking.
• The feeling of deflating is related to a sensation of pulling back in soooo many ways...

3 – SUZI SILVA - PART 2 15:23

EMOTIONS

Suzi is Portuguese and performs Corcovado so beautifully in her native tongue that is round and smooth where we do not hear any cracking.

• Speaking about herself and the difficult word architect that we change to singer, the challenge is to hold the end of the words full and resonant.
• FA LA DA emphasis on Fa for 3 repetitions, La for 3 then Da for 3
• This seemingly easy exercise is very difficult. Keeping the A round and constant while applying the consonants F, L and D as a slingshot propelling the vowels back in.
• The sound SITS DOWN in your body and NOT propelled OUT
• Have fun with this one and practice practice practice.

4 - Pronounciation 3:10

The so important chapter on pronounciation is touched here but we talk more in detail about this in the speaking voice chapter.

Pronounciation is done without exageration of movement of the lips but with understanding about the role of the consonants.

• Open Space
• The tongue mus be relaxed
• Vowels spacious and beautiful
• Bright eyes
• Open the space in the back of the throat
• Then feel the lyric