But when the breath in exhaling presses in regularly increasing
strength against the vocal chords, and one wishes to pass quickly
to a higher tone and back again, as is required in trills, while
the aerial stream continues to flow on with unintermitted force,
it is evident that the changed movement of the glottis, even
within the limits of a register, demands more time and muscular
force than a beautiful trill or run admits of. But at the same
time the limits of the tones become, by the uninterrupted stream
of air, obliterated, and embellishments sung in this way, with
unmoved larynx, indistinct. But ornamentation is now practised
only in this latter way, and if pupils do not naturally move
their throats correctly, the gift of flexibility is denied them.
A quite prevalent and likewise incorrect way of using the throat is
moving the epiglottis with the larynx, which renders the formation
of a clear, pure tone impossible, and _fiorituri_ sung in this way
are limp and indistinct. The only correct movement shows itself very
plainly externally, so that with the tolerably strong movement of
the larynx up and down, there can be seen also a slighter movement
of the windpipe far below in the neck, about the breadth of two
fingers above the breast-bone. The mouth and tongue, however,
must be perfectly quiet.
But the cultivation of vocal flexibility in singing is the
easiest and most grateful part of the education of the voice, for
with ordinary industry on the part of the pupil results are here
obtained most speedily. In the very first lessons I teach my
pupils the motions of the vocal organ in trills, and if they do
not learn them by imitation, I give them simple exercises on the
syllable _koo_ to practice for a while. The _k_ is produced by
a pulse of the breath, and the _oo_ is, as we have seen, the best
vowel sound with which to direct the breath as it is expired.
Thus, by singing _staccato_ the syllable _koo_, slowly at first
and gradually quicker, with a movement of the larynx and windpipe
that is both seen and felt; and with the tongue and lips at rest
and motionless, the right movement is given to the organ in
trills and all other embellishments, and by continued practice
the movement becomes more rapid. Those who need to be taught this
movement must never practice continuously for any length of time,
for we must avoid fatiguing the organs. When pupils have become
accustomed, by rapidly singing the syllable _koo_ on each tone of
the trill, to the movement of the larynx, then they can practice
upon another syllable, and in the following way: Let the trill be
at first always sung _piano_, with an accenting of the higher
tone every time and a gradual increasing of the rapidity thus:
a¹ accented-b¹ a¹ accented-b¹, and repeat this figure, halving the
note lengths every four beats; also in half and whole tones, and
then in minor thirds. But the most beautiful trill will be formed
by practising triplets in the compass of a whole tone, then of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account