SINGING AS AN AET 683 



As an aid to the freedom necessary to this perfect vowel the student 

 was wont to practice a rapid tongue movement before the ah, and 

 the consonant I was generally adopted on account of its demanding a 

 free movement of the whole of the tongue. On singing lah rapidly 

 the inclination to stiffen the instrument was overcome. This sudden 

 tongue movement, when done with entire absence of hesitation, and 

 in conjunction with a proper breath control, became the foundation, 

 for the attack of the note, and the freedom and richness of the ah was 

 found to depend on its daring and spontaneity. The value of lah as 

 a foundation study cannot be over-estimated by the student, who 

 through it will discover freedom of throat. The sudden, rapid move- 

 ment of the tongue in reiterated lahs was the device used by the old 

 Masters for bringing about the freedom of the tongue and jaw which 

 invariably accompanies good singing. 



Sing with frank and fearless attack lah, lah, lah, lah, lah, on the 

 same note. Was the tune commenced in. the very centre of the 

 sound intended ? Was there no hesitation at the commencement ? 

 Was the jaw in repose and independent of the movement of the tongue? 

 Another mode of finding the perfect ah is to repeat it in a slow, 

 staccato manner on the same note in the same breath. If we tune 

 with absolute accuracy, and if we open the throat so as to emit a pure 

 ah, we shall be compelled to control the breath rightly. These exer- 

 cises each produce in the end precisely the same result, viz., the fullest 

 natural tone. 



Let us now take a step forward and vary the vowel sounds used 

 in the exercise, while strictly regarding the rules just laid down for 

 naturalness of tone. We will sing, lah, leh, lee, ah, eh, ee. Can we 

 change the position of the tongue (which rises somewhat in the 

 centre for eh, and still more for ee), without moving the jaw, or 

 allowing the breath to slip and the throat to close ? 



We have now arrived at the last test of good singing, which I must 

 insist upon. When we sing two or more notes on the same syllable 

 do they join in the legato style? Dare we sing with unerring tuning? 

 We have arrived very nearly at the goal of voice production if we can 

 do this on consecutive notes on all the intervals. 



Lastly, if we can sing in the legato style we have arrived at a state 

 of freedom which will permit, with practice, the execution of the 

 most rapid passages. 



A word about registers. In Italy the stops of the organ are called 

 the registers. Now because of this, the three different characteristic 

 series of tones which exist in every voice have been named the three 

 registers. One might say these three stops are the grand stop, the 

 brilliant stop, and the flute stop. 



We have all heard of the chest voice. This simply means that the 

 lowest notes of the voice when produced naturally in a certain way 



