|
Here's an interesting and important fact: The lips don't initially form the vowels, the back of the mouth, tongue and vocal cords form the vowels. Try this; close your mouth, leaving only enough opening to let the sound come through. Now, sing or speak Ay -Ee- Ah- Oh- oo without using your lips at all. Try it a few times and you will phonate all the vowels clearly (considering your mouth is muffling the sound) This is how ventriloquists work. Notice what is actually forming the shape of the vowels, and you will discover that the work is being done behind the lips and teeth. This doesn't mean that the lips aren't part of the singing process , but that they are often given too much credit. The lip-vowel formations clarify and define the vowels. but do not actually form the vowels. Of course the lips are very important in making words understandable. Besides finishing the work started at the back of the throat, they produce the consonants, M, B, and P, and the front of the tongue makes the T, D and L. But, again, the primary formation of the vowels is done at the back of the mouth, at the entrance to the throat. Since this all important function is being initiated at the throat (picture a second set of "lips" at the back of your mouth, shaping themselves to make the vowels in much the same way the actual lips do), it is vital that the throat opening (the back of the tongue and the soft palate) be kept comfortably open (a yawny feeling) at all times when singing. If this area closes even a little bit, the vowel formation is limited back there. There must be room for the throat to shape itself to form the vowels well. Ees. Ehs and oos cause problems because there has to be some closed-shaping at the top of the throat to form them. If the "throat-lips" are inhibited by a lazy throat opening, they create vowels which are pinched and dull. (too closed) It's important to understand that Oos are actually Ohs with a little modification. They should feel much like singing an Oh. To practice this, sing an Oh and slowly shape it into an Oo. Use your imagination as much as physically trying to make this happen. The top of the throat shouldn't change much at all. You shouldn't feel it close as it shapes the vowel. Also, we are taught early that an Oo is to be phonated with a small pencil-shaped opening. This puts too much flesh (lips) and boney things (teeth) in the way, muffling and dulling the sound. The lip formation for an Oo should be more open (cigar size) Imagine the sound of the Oo bouncing off the front top of the inside of the mouth. Imagine the sound of the Oo being bright and energetic. Sing and Ee and slowly modify it into an Oo. Does the sound loose its brightness and energy? Keep trying this until it doesn't Try speaking while you are yawning sometime. This is the feeling you should go for when you sing. Just make sure that the feeling is comfortable and not painful or stressful.
Al Koehn has spent over 30 years working with top professionals in all aspects of their careers; voice development, performance, recording, producing and managing. His powerful new FREE ebook called "SINGING IS SERIOUSLY SIMPLE: Important Tips, Tools and Techniques for All Singers" is now available for downloading.
Access the Ebook FREE here http://vocalvision.com/ad1.html
|
