Gerald Eskelin - Components of Vocal Blend Plus Expressive Tuning

COMPONENTS OF
VOCAL BLEND
Plus "Expressive Tuning"
Gerald Eskelin, DM.E .
. Stage 3 Publishing
Woodland Hills, California
COMPONENTS OF VOCAL BLEND

By Gerald Eskelin, D.M.E
Manufactured in the United States of America
Library of Congress Control Number: 2004097966

ISBN 1-886209-30-8: $8.95 Softcover
11
Contents
About the Author
Acknowledgements
Prelude
lV
v
Vll
Chapter 1
Blend and Blendability
Chapter 2
Approach and Method
Chapter 3
Vocal Concepts and Vocabulary
Chapter4
Vowel
13
Chapter 5
Brightness
23
Chapter 6
Resonance
27
Chapter 7
Nasality
31
Chapter 8
Pitch
35
Chapter 9
Density
43
Chapter 10
Loudness
45
Chapter 11
Phrasing
47
Chapter 12
Consensus
51
Addendum
"Expressive Tuning"
55
111
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The musical career of Gerald Eskelin is multi-faceted, span

ning five decades of conducting, singing, composing, writing, and
teaching. He has received two Grammy nominations for recordings
with the L.A. Jazz Choir, which he founded in 1980. The group has
performed and/or recorded with such notables as Rosemary
Clooney, Steve Allen, and Al Jarreau.
The Gerald Eskelin Singers have been featured in a number of
German television series, performing there with many well-known
performers such as Glen Campbell, Frank Sinatra Jr. , Herb
Jefferies, and Tex Beneke. They have performed on various
recording projects, most recently "Amazonia," a work by Bebu
Silvetti, dedicated to the preservation of the rainforest. The singers
have recorded hundreds of choral demos for a number of music
publishers, including Hal Leonard, Shawnee Press and Warner
Brothers.
Dr. Eskelin is equally at home in both classical and popular
musical genres. His conducting experience includes almost
everything from symphony orchestra to marching band and master
chorale to pop choir. He has sung opera, show music, jazz,
barbershop and even a bit of southern gospel.
Gerald Eskelin's academic credits include a Doctor of Music
Education and Master of Arts degrees from Indiana University and
a B achelor of Arts degree from Florida Southern College. He
recently retired from his position on the music faculty of Pierce
College in Woodland Hills, California. Prior to his thirty-year
tenure there, he taught at the University of Southern California and
California Institute of the Arts.
IV
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Over the decades, many choral artists have ignited my imag

ination and broadened my musical horizons. First among them is
Fred Waring, whose weekly radio broadcasts during, the 1940s
would often bring tears of enjoyment to my young eyes. More
recently, groups such as the Four Freshmen, the HiLo' s, Manhattan
Transfer and Take Six helped pave my personal pathway toward
achieving my own measure of musical artistry. As a member of the
American Choral Directors Association, I have attended a great
many conventions where I heard the best of the best thrilling
audiences with moving choral performances.
Also, I am deeply grateful to a great many gifted choral
conductors in whose groups I was fortunate enough to sing during
my formative years. I have particular fondness for Bruce Feighner,
my a cappella choir teacher at Royal Oak High School in
)
Michigan. Through my college years, I was able to observe an
interesting mix of choral conductors, many of whom showed the
way and some of whom were still searching for it. In both cases, I
learned something valuable-what to do and what not to do.
I would love to be able to credit authors of books that system
atically discussed the "secrets" of vocal blend. Unfortunately, I
don't remember reading any. As a result, much of the credit for
whatever wisdom is contained in these pages is due to the many
hundreds of singers who have sung in my choral ensembles. They
collectively provided an incredible workshop in which to hone the
ideas and techniques described here.
The early drafts of this material go back to the mid- 1980s,
when it occurred to me that if I put down in writing some of the
basic ideas I wanted my new singers to know, I wouldn't have to
repeat them at the beginning of every semester, likely taxing the
patience of my returning singers. As a result, I benefited from
some of my more literate singer/readers who suggested better ways
of expressing my points. Of particular help was Connie Marshall,
who marked up my pages like a college English teacher.
v
My friend and colleague Scott Fredrickson, a talented and

innovative college music teacher, also took considerable time in
1987 to evaluate the early draft. I have saved Connie's and Scott's
suggestions in my "get to" files all these years and found them
most valuable in shaping the final form of this writing.
Then, for more reasons than we have time to consider here, I
put the draft aside until recently. Probably out of equal amounts of
guilt and continuing enthusiasm for the project, I devoted most of
2004 to developing the book you are reading. I enlisted the help of
a number of people to look over the later drafts and offer
comments and suggestions. Some are people who have sung in my
groups, some are people who have inquired as to when this book
would be published, and some are people who are in neither
category but whose opinion I hold in high regard.
Those readers who have sung with me and understand very
well what I am trying to say include Linda Mays (Church of Our
Saviour), Randy Ward (Air Force Academy Band) and Elin
Carlson (Sixth Wave). When Peter Abood (Central Christian
Church, Wichita KS), Jerry Pollard (musician) and Elizabeth Trice
(graduate student) inquired about the availability of this book, it
seemed like a good idea to ask them to check the draft for clarity.
As it turns out, it was. My respected colleagues who agreed to look
over the draft include Roger Duffer (Riverside College and Inland
Master Chorale), Rollie Maxson (Arcadia High School), Mary
Rago (Burroughs High School), Florence Riggs (voice teacher),
Gene Townsell (church choral director and composer), Debbie
Watkins (Weber State University, UT), and John Wilson (choral
adjudicator).
The feedback I received from my readers proved most helpful
in shaping the final text. I am grateful for their many suggestions
for improvement and clarity as well as for their reinforcement of
what they found helpful and informative. Finally, thanks to
Stephanie Vitale for her editing, further improving my best efforts.
Gerald Eskelin
Vl
Prelude
As an adjudicator of high school and college choral festivals,
I'm always thrilled to hear a student group that has it all-vibrant
dynamic sound, elegant phrasing, and artistic musical expression.
In such cases, it is evident that the director provided an environ
ment in which the singers were able to develop excellent vocal
techniques, impressive ensemble unity and expressive musicality.
"Judging" such a group is largely a matter of complimenting the
obvious.
On the other hand, I have heard many groups whose sheer
enthusiasm for choral singing proves inadequate by itself to
produce the performance level described above. Often, singers in
such groups have had little or no exposure to fine choral singing.
Given the meager offerings of quality choral music we find in the
media, this is not surprising. And while local high school football
games often appear on television, local high school choral concerts
rarely do. In fact, choral music of any kind is virtually absent in the
popular media except during the holiday season.
It would appear, then, that the primary responsibility for pro
viding positive and gratifying choral experiences for singers with
limited exposure rests with the choral music teacher. Playing
recorded examples of fine singing is an obvious part of the solu
.tion, and is relatively easy to accomplish. More challenging,
however, is teaching singers how to achieve the results they may
have come to admire.
I have sometimes observed choral teachers focusing more on
the imaginary music in their heads, than on the actual sound
produced by their singers. They create a type of delusional "self
defense" that blinds them to the actual condition of their choir.
Some teachers are in this predicament, ironically, because they
themselves had excellent choral experiences. Quite likely, they
Vll
were attracted to choral directing because of an inspiring music

teacher. Large numbers of similarly enthusiastic future teachers
flock to the best colleges to be further inspired by the finest choral
directors academia has to offer. Since top-level collegiate choral
ensembles normally consist of auditioned singers, there is often
little need to "cover the basics." Spoiled by their own "Cadillac"
choral experiences, they are often ill prepared for the shock when
they encounter the "jalopy" sounds produced by their first high
school choir.
Lacking skills to improve the sound of their choirs, many
neophyte directors retreat into the hallucinatory state described
above. They could easily escape this condition if they better
understood the elements that lead to choral success.
When adjudicating choral groups, my primary responsibility is
to provide encouragement and helpful suggestions. Whenever
possible, I record my evaluation "live" so the director and singers
can later review the audiotape and hear the performance charac
teristics that prompted each comment.
It has concerned me that such brief remarks on tape may not be
thorough enough to be useful or fully understood by student sing
ers, or even by many directors. This is largely why I decided to
write this book. At the very least, it will help clarify my comments
to the singers and directors whose performances I have adjudi
cated. At best, it will interest other choral directors and singers
who wish to explore every possible means to a better performance.
As one might expect, most choral festival performances fall
somewhere between perfect and embarrassing. Interestingly, I find
myself making similar suggestions at nearly all of them. It
occurred to me that my repetitiveness might simply be a result of a
need to reiterate and reinforce my particular point of view; and, to
some extent, this is probably true. On the other hand, since my
scores have been generally in line with other judges, it may also be
due to directors' general unawareness of certain factors that con
tribute to fine choral performance and how those factors can be
successfully implemented.
Vlll
Can vocal groups with assorted talent levels achieve a stunning

blend? In my opinion, it is not differences in vocal training that
prevent vocal blend, but rather an actual disregard for blend and/or
the lack of awareness of the techniques necessary to achieve it. The
primary purpose of this book, then, is to identify the elements that
contribute to a beautiful choral sound and to provide methods and
exercises by which to help actualize it.
The ideas and exercises herein are largely based on my own
practical experiences working with singing groups-both amateur
and professional. They are applicable to a wide variety of musical
styles-from barbershop quartet to opera chorus-from the theater
to the cathedral. Solo singers, as well, may find techniques here to
enhance their artistry and professional cachet.
Most of the concepts in this book were originally contained in
a "Read Me" supplied to singers who joined the L.A. Jazz Choir
workshop, a training group that often led to a position in the
professional group. Given that nearly all the members were experi
enced and accomplished singers, many with music degrees, their
frequent remarks that these concepts were uniquely helpful to them
seemed especially significant to me. It suggests that some of these
views are not widely shared, in either the professional or academic
world. In the event this is true, I am pleased to offer the ideas and
practices that have proven helpful to my singers. I hope they prove
helpful to yours, as well.
Gerald Eskelin
IX
Components
of
Vocal Blend
C H A PTER
ONE
Blend and
Blendability
Opinions vary among vocal authorities in regard to matching
vocal sounds. Some believe that in order to blend one must remove
all or most of the natural characteristics from individual voices.
Some believe that a choral group should blend when singing in
certain styles-Renaissance, jazz or modern, for example-but
need not blend when singing in other styles-including Baroque,
Classical and Romantic. Others believe that when ensembles
consist of sensitive and talented singers, blend will occur naturally,
regardless of the musical style.
Some voice teachers and choral directors seem to fear even the
notion of "vocal blend." Many directors are reluctant to "manip
ulate" singers' voices, and therefore tend to select singers who
already have a voice appropriate to the sound they envision for
their groups. Voice teachers who do not want their students
exposed to "harmful practices" would likely support this approach.
On the other hand, some teachers forbid their voice students to sing
in a choir-any choir.
Singers themselves are sometimes quite unaware of the notion
of vocal blend. More than a few singers, probably for a variety of
reasons, accept the idea that their voice is their voice and they are
more or less stuck with it. Some who have studied for years sing
"the way I was taught" no matter what the ensemble environment.
Some consider themselves to be "classical" singers, "pop" singers,
"jazz" or "folk" singers.
On the other hand, there are singers who can blend with almost
any vocal group, easily and quickly adjusting to the sound of a
particular ensemble. Like chameleons, they virtually disappear into
it. Such singers can enter a recording studio and become whatever
the producer wants.
Are such flexible singers some kind of super breed, or can

anyone do this? Is it advisable to aspire to become such a singer?
Will singing n a variety of styles ultimately limit one's ability to
excel in a single style? Answers to these questions are diverse, and
I will not attempt to justify any of them. I will simply offer my
opinion about vocal blending and you are welcome to any ideas
here that you find practical.
I suspect that a significant part of anti-blend thinking arises
from nebulous concepts of how vocal blend is achieved. I also
believe that a reasonably intelligent singer can learn to perform
well (and with healthy technique) in a wide variety of vocal styles
and sound concepts. I have sung professionally in styles ranging
from opera to bluegrass. To me, it is simply a matter of modifying
"components" rather than changing basic voc.al production.
Healthy vocal sounds can be produced in many styles, just as
unhealthy vocal sounds can be produced in any style.
What Vocal Blend is Not
Contrary to a popular belief, achieving vocal blend is not about

eliminating individual vocal characteristics. Though it is generally
easier to produce a blended choral sound while singing softly, it
does not follow that a choir will necessarily sing less blended
while singing loudly. On the contrary, component modification can
promote blend in either circumstance.
Commonly, an ensemble singer exhibiting poor blending skills
is asked to sing more quietly in order to minimize his or her
offending sound. However, this does not really solve the problem.
It simply results in a sound product that contains a quiet flaw. The
hapless singer still injures the overall sound, particularly when all
the other singers are producing a transparent blend.
Learning Vocal Concepts
Some singers appear to be "naturals" and exhibit an inherent

knack for stylistic flexibility. Often with little or no formal
training, they instinctively experiment with diverse vocal styles,
sometimes developing remarkable sensitivity to sound varieties.
BLEND AND BLENDABILITY
They can hear a particular sound characteristic and somehow

automatically make appropriate vocal adjustments to simulate it.
Very likely, our own earliest attempts at human speech
probably utilized this process. Once we heard the sound "ma-ma"
enough times to conceptualize it, we discovered by experimenting
that we could actually recreate that sound ourselves. We also
learned that doing so earned the reward of parental delight.
Thereafter, we developed language skills to whatever level
satisfied our needs.
As we grew older, we settled into sound-skill habits that we
came to regard as "my voice." We were told (directly or by
inference) that we have a "great," "good," "fair" or "terrible" one.
Believing this condition to be more or less set in stone, many
singers tend to accept skills "appropriate" to their self concept.
Some choral directors seem to buy into this misconception when
they conclude that a certain singer "doesn't blend" and they simply
leave it at that.
As suggested above, a common obstacle to achieving vocal
flexibility occurs when a singer assumes that his or her teacher
taught the "correct" way to sing. (Whether the student actually
understood the teacher is another matter.) As a result, many
ensemble singers are completely unaware that they might affect the
sound adversely. When faced with this situation, choral directors
often assume that careful diplomacy is the only means of relief.
A Better Way
However, diplomacy can be more effectively applied when the

director is armed with helpful and effective suggestions for ex
ploring change. In fact, individual diplomacy may not be needed at
all when the suggestions are made to the group as a whole.
Exercises in which singers are asked to imitate one another's
voices-modeling both good and poor examples-is an excellent
means of demonstrating that the human voice is a very flexible
instrument.
Once singers experience the thrill of hearing the voices merge
into a marvelous "oneness," new vocal self-images begin to
emerge. The crusts that encased the old ones are shattered and,
from that point on, the struggle is essentially over.
Once a singer abandons the "my voice" concept, development
of vocal flexibility and sensitivity becomes possible. One needs
only to reactivate the process of exploring and acquiring new
sound concepts. When singers experiment systematically with the
various components of vocal sound, their aural-to-vocal associative
processes are reawakened. Whether or not a singer has a "good"
voice, awareness of vocal sound components can make any singer
a better blender-indeed, a better singer. And, if blending voices is
a value shared by director and singers, the group thereby becomes
a better ensemble.
It also becomes a more stylistically flexible ensemble. The
group can readily modify its sound to accommodate a variety of
choral traditions from opera to jazz and from the past to the
present-indeed to the future. In my view, the key to this artistic
kaleidoscope lies in understanding the vocal components that
provide a rational and practical basis for achieving choral
flexibility. Ultimately, it is this flexibility-guided by experience
and taste-that opens a wide spectrum of possibilities in choral
artistry.
C H A PT ER
TWO
Approach and
Method
Voice teachers generally agree that asking a singer to directly
engage specific muscles to modify vocal sounds can sometimes
induce tension and, as a result, can reap constricted and unpleasant
results. Of even more concern is that applying such practices can
sometimes give a singer a false sense of "rightness." In the worst
of cases, succeeding generations of teachers may continue to pass
along these "right things to do" without really understanding what
they were intended to accomplish.
I believe the safest and most effective way to train singers is to
provide good vocal examples and to encourage students to emulate
them. It is amazing how much can be accomplished simply by
filling students' ears with good sounds. We all learned to speak by
listening to others. There is every reason to believe that the same
brain that figured out speech characteristics can learn to explore
and imitate the sounds of good vocal production.
The Ears Have It
Fortunately, the ear can learn to hear and distinguish sound

variations and to act as an automatic controller of the physical
vocal apparatus. When this function is performed by the ear rather
than by following verbal instructions, the voice responds with
minimal conscious control of vocal muscles. The process can be
expedited, of course, when a good teacher provides suggestions
and reinforcement along the way.
Another premise on which this approach is based is that
humans tend to think in terms of concepts attached to words and
other symbols. This can be both a help and hindrance in assisting
singers to develop vocal skills. Unfortunately, the terminology of
vocal pedagogy often lacks consistency and precision. One teacher
will use a term in one way while others use the same term to mean
something else.
My intention here is not to settle questions of correct vocal
terminology, rather, to remind us that a word is not equal to the
concept it is intended to represent. The critical point here is that a
student of vocal techniques be fully aware of the difference be
tween words and perceptual information.
What's,in a Word?
While words are very useful tools in general communication,

they are quite inadequate in themselves to lead a singer toward
improving his or her vocal skills. A vocalist who thinks he or she
understands the words pertaining to vocal production may be in
danger of stopping short of real insight into the sounds of vocal
production. I fear that memorizing vocal terms and their definitions
without having experienced their meanings does not lead to vocal
success.
The word "cat" would make no sense to a child who has never
seen one. That is why we have picture books to help youngsters
build a practical vocabulary. But even a picture is not as helpful as
experiencing a real cat. Similarly, a vocal term used to instruct a
student who has not experienced its reference is equally
meaningless. Yet some choral directors and teachers routinely ask
their singers to "support," "focus the tone" or "sing in the mask"
and assume they understand what to do.
To prevent a vocabulary of meaningless terms, words should
be introduced only when the word's reference is being experi
enced. In effect, the new word helps to "point to" a sound
characteristic while it is evident. In a sense, it really doesn't matter
whether the term used is scientifically accurate or not. One could
use "resonance," "placement," "ooga-booga," "george," or
anything else, provided the student is focusing on the vocal com
ponent under consideration. On the other hand, it also wouldn't
matter what word is used when the student hasn't focused on the
experience.
APPROACH AND METHOD
Identifying Vocal Components
My purpose here is to help emerging vocalists to become

familiar with the components, or variables, that are available to
them, and to help them discover how they can modify vocal sounds
by seemingly automatic physical adjustments directed by the ear.
Once these skills are learned, there is little need for words anyway,
since the singer will make intuitive adjustments according to what
the ear reports to the brain.
Of course, a vocabulary of terms will be very practical when a
director wants his or her singers to modify a particular sound
component that was previously identified. Sometimes the request
will be a reminder to singers who have wandered from the con
sensus. At other times the request might be addressed to the group
as a whole toward modifying a certain component for the sake of
artistic or stylistic considerations. In such cases, words can be
effective tools of communication provided all of the singers are
aware of both their meaning and their application to the sound.
My intention here is to describe my own experience with these
components (as I have defined them) and to show how one can use
these ideas to develop vocal sound awareness in singers. I am not
particularly concerned here with systematic or scientific
verification, although that might be an interesting pursuit. I am
only reporting here what has worked for me. And why shouldn't it
work? It simply relies on the basic and natural function of
acquiring vocal sound skills through the use of that marvelous
piece of machinery-the human ear.
In this book, I have named the various components using terms
that seemed practical to me. As you may now realize, I would have
no problem if you elected to use different terms with your singers
when you feel a better term is applicable. In fact, you might
consider a completely different organization of perceptual compo
nents if you feel mine are not practical for you.
The important thing is to offer singers an opportunity to
become more aware of the variety of sounds available to them and
how to use that variety for enhancing artistic expression. Naturally,
the direction of exploration and the artistic result will vary accord-
ing to the stylistic preferences of the singers and director. That is

as it should be. Nevertheless, the process is the same-letting the
ear perform its essential function of discriminating between sounds
that contribute to a specific blend and those that tend to injure it.
C H A PTER
T HREE
Vocal Concepts and

Vocabulary
Words are surely the most helpful tools we have for conducting
and organizing our daily lives. We commonly use words taking lit
tle thought for their literal and separate meanings, and easily
combine them into complex expressions. "I'll be a little late, so go
ahead and start without me," incorporates nearly a dozen separate
concepts, and successful communication requires that the users
both speaker and listener-share similar meanings for these
phrases.
However, words can actually obscure communication when
users haven't connected them to similar concepts. For example,
when a music appreciation student was asked to describe a
recorded passage heard in class, he said, "The music went up."
Given my own sense of the word "up" used in a musical context, I
naturally assumed he was referring to pitch. Since the passage
actmilly did not rise in pitch, I had the options of assuming that he
had poor pitch perception or that he was using the word "up" to
represent a different sound concept.
With a bit of probing, I discovered the problem consisted
mostly of the latter but not totally excluding the former. The
student had referred to increased loudness (an accurate obser
vation) as "up," but also had not yet focused on "loudness" and
"pitch" as independent perceptual concepts. Evidently, the musical
passage was experienced as "having some sort of increasing
intensity."
Since that experience, I have discovered that many people
suffer from this same verbal/conceptual confusion. Because they
have not isolated and "conceived" these two very different
perceptual experiences, they lack the ability to refer to them using
10
meaningful vocabulary. No amount of verbal lecturing or careful

defining can rescue the sufferer from this condition. Dissertations
on decibels or cycles per second will not do it. Only by experi
encing and focusing on each perception-separately-can a
student discover the difference.
We teachers can and should borrow a very helpful tool from
researchers called "the scientific method." In order to gain
information about what goes on inside a complex process, the
researcher isolates individual variables by holding constant all
qualities but one, and observing changes in that one when affected
by changing circumstances. Once isolated, a variable can be named
and treated as a separate concept even though it cannot physically
exist apart from the experience as a whole.
Using this technique, teaching perceptual concepts consists of
providing experiences in which irrelevant data is held constant
while varying only the feature to be learned. The student's
attention can then focus on the "moving" attribute. It's simply a
matter of continuity and contrast-the basis of all human
knowledge. Once the student vividly experiences a given feature,
the teacher needs only to name it. Thereafter, that vocabulary is
properly attached to that specific attribute.
This teaching technique is vital in helping singers gain insight
regarding the factors that affect vocal sounds. For example, in
order to isolate the vocal quality "brightness," all other factors
such as "pitch," "vowel," "resonance," and "density" must be held
constant. While experimenting with various muscle movements
-directed by the ear-one learns which movements seem to affect
"brightness" and how they affect it.
Exploring the range of "brightness" facilitates a singer's use of
that variable to modify the sound. Similar experimentation and
practice with other variables increases the ability to use more and
more factors, some of which remain unnamed. Eventually, the
vocal artist applies modifications automatically and without
conscious effort. The soloist has increased the number of tools
available to modify vocal sounds for expressive effect. The
VOCAL CONCEPTS AND VOCABULARY
11
ensemble singer, through careful listening, has increased

experience in matching sounds with other sensitive singers.
Components and Terminology
While this may sound simple in theory, there are at least two
factors that make learning "vocal components" somewhat
problematic. One of these is that the variables are not physically
independent of one another. Some vowel sounds are naturally
brighter than others, therefore, a singer must learn to adjust
brightness appropriately as the vowel changes in order to maintain
a uniform brightness in the phrase. This inter-relationship of vocal
sound components frequently results in difficulty in isolating them.
A novice singer will often change brightness when asked to adjust
vowel. In order to break through this obstacle, one needs to be
diligent while conceptualizing the two separate variables and learn
to recognize their unique quality.
Another factor that impedes learning vocal components is that
the terminology of vocal practice is often a tangled web of
miscommunication. What some people call "vowel focus", others
call "resonance," "placement" or something else. I suspect that
when voice teachers warn students about considering another voice
teacher's "method," the differences may be only a matter of
terminology.
There actually may be more agreement in practice than this
apparent disagreement of terminology would suggest. Or perhaps
talented students are intuitive enough to succeed in spite of
terminology. In either case, it is important to remember that the
object of this book is not to standardize vocal terms. Rather, it is to
describe a technique by which singers can get in touch with the
components of vocal sound, regardless of specific terminology,
and thereby achieve results they can hear for themselves.
For our purposes, I will use the terms "vowel," "brightness,"
"resonance," "nasality," "pitch," "density," "loudness," and
"phra.sing" to represent what I see as the basic components of
vocal blend. Some of these topics will require considerable pages
12
in order to share the suggestions I have to make. Others will

require very few pages.
You may have noticed that I did not include a chapter on
"vibrato," a rather common consideration in regard to vocal blend.
The reason is that I have little or no suggestions on that topic;
although I believe vibrato can be modified by the same process as
other components, namely, experimenting with physical adjust
ments guided by the ear.
C H A PTER
FOUR
Vowel
If there is one component more important to vocal blend than
all the others, it is surely vowel. While good intonation is vital to
good blend, pitch agreement is very difficult to achieve when
singers disagree on vowel focus. Once vowel is in agreement,
intonation improves with little effort. Therefore, understanding
vowel would seem the best way to begin exploring the compo
nents.
You may have noticed that the title of this chapter is
"Vowel''-not "Vowels." That choice was made for a very import
ant reason. The traditional concept of "five vowels" ("ay-ee," "ee,"
"ah,- ee," "oh-oo" and "ee-oo") has caused countless "trained"
singers to become encrusted in vocal habits that limit flexibility
and sensitivity to the full spectrum of vowel possibilities. Just as
"loudness," "pitch," and other components can be modified
gradually, so can vowel be adjusted in a seamless continuum.
The use of the symbols pp, p, mp, mj, f and if do not cause
singers to leap from one degree of loudness to another as if they
were absolute values. Singers generally flow through musical
dynamics with flexibility and sensitivity, using the symbols as
approximations and letting the ear indicate the specific loudness
needed to achieve an artistic performance. But when focusing
vowel, many singers ignore what they hear from their fellow
singers and simply make sounds they assume are correct. The
result is all too frequently a battle of conflicting sounds.
Vowel as Timbre
From a vocal standpoint, "vowel" is simply another name for

"timbre." We are able to recognize the sounds of musical
instruments by differences in their acoustic timbral patterns. These
differences are caused by changes in relative strengths of acoustic
partials-sometimes called overtones. A similar phenomenon takes
place when vowel is changed vocally. The sound of a pure "ee" is
14
very different from the sound of a pure "oo." In a sense, they are
simply "different instruments" created by changing the relative
strengths o partials.
Watching patterns of partials change on an oscilloscope is not
required for learning vowel focus. Although that would
undoubtedly be interesting and informative, simple listening can
do the job very well when combined with vocal exploration. In
short, one must participate in the process. By experimenting with
vowel sounds, one can discover the physical movements that cause
vocal tone to modify the timbre toward a particular vowel focus.
The chart below represents a spatial relationship of vowel
sounds. It is not unlike other such charts in that it reflects the
spectrum of common vowel sounds found in acoustical analysis of
speech. It places the sounds in terms of front/back and high/low
relationships. These relative locations transfer easily and logically
to physical vocal adjustments, helping singers to visualize the
spatial relationships as they explore the sound relationships.
seen
sit
soon
took
earth
sofa
SQ
such
fther
front
back
The words on this chart are to be considered reference points

along a continuum, not as "correct" placements. Each reference
word locates a point of vowel sound relative to other points. Since
spoken language uses a great number of subtle vowel adjustments,
the number of reference words used on the chart is quite arbitrary.
VOWEL
15
Many more "standard" words could be added but this might tend to
clutter rather than clarify.
For example, standard phonetic alphabets use the same symbol
for the vowel sounds in the words "sit" and "sing." Yet, the
commonly used vowel location for the word "sing" is slightly
higher than for the word "sit." Try this experiment to see whether
this is your preference. Say the word "sit" and repeat the vowel
sound a few times to let it register in your memory. Then use that
same vowel sound while saying the word "sing." Did t sound
somewhat unnatural and uncomfortable? Now tum the experiment
around and start with "sing" and use that vowel while saying "sit."
Do you see what I mean about subtle vowel adjustments?
The vowel chart shown above does not contain both "sit" and
"sing" since the difference is subtle. However, once a singer
becomes proficient in gradually moving through the spectrum of
vowel locations, smaller degrees of difference become more vivid.
If you did not sense a difference in vowel sound while saying
"sit" and "sing," that doesn't mean you are "wrong," even if most
singers tend to focus the two words differently. Singing a given
vowel "correctly" is not the point. The purpose here is to explore
the full spectrum of vowel sounds in order to make appropriate
spontaneous adjustments for the sake of vocal blend. All of this is
aimed at preparing singers to match-by ear-the vowel location
of any and every variety of singing style and speech dialect.
The Concept "Vowel"
Before learning to identify various vowel locations, one should

first learn to isolate the characteristic of vocal sound we call
"vowel." As mentioned earlier, vowel is not physically separate
from some other vocal characteristics-primarily "brightness."
Some vowel sounds are naturally brighter than others, which
makes it difficult to demonstrate vowel separate from brightness
and vice versa. For now, it will be best to let brightness occur as it
will as we focus on vowel locations. Later, we will talk about
varying one characteristic without varying the other.
16
Abstracting separate concepts from the "real world" is not

unusual. We do it all the time. For example, in order to see an
object, we t:{Xperience light, color and shadow simultaneously; yet
we have little difficulty separating these three concepts for practi
cal reference. That is essentially what we are doing here. By using
concepts "vowel" and "brightness" we can learn to focus on each
one separately even though vocal sound must contain both in order
to exist.
Tongue Position
Experts generally agree that tongue movement is largely

responsible for differences in vowel sounds. I remember reading
about vowels being "formed in the pharynx," but that idea never
made practical sense to me so I will not comment on it. On the
other hand, I found the "tongue movement" idea both practical and
effective.
Here is a simple exercise to help singers isolate "vowel" from
other components. Place one hand lightly around the jaw with the
index finger turned upward across the open lips and sing "ah."
Then change the vowel to "ee," relying on the hand to help avoid
moving the jaw and lips. Notice that the tongue moves up and
forward while singing "ee" and then back down into the lower jaw
for the return to "ah." Repeat the movement, singing "ah-ee-ah-ee
ah," in order to absorb the physical "feedback" regarding the kind
of movement that produces the difference in the sounds "ah" and
"ee."
When performing this exercise with a group, singers can
practice imitating what they hear around them. At this point, they
needn't be concerned about the "correctness" of the vowel (even
though in the future a director will likely request specific
modifications according to stylistic considerations or personal
preferences). A consensus of agreement, even among beginning
singers, is usually more than adequate for making the point.
During these early drills, emphasis on listening is important in
that the ear is primarily responsible for monitoring vocal
VOWEL
17
adjustments. This makes muscle movement an apparent result

rather than a cause, thus minimizing vocal tension.
Next, sing "ah-oo-ah," again with the hand monitoring for
unwanted lip and jaw movement. In this case, since a natural
sounding "oo" requires participation of the lips, one may feel
awkward when hearing the rather strange result. At this point, it
should be clear that the tongue is largely responsible for vowel
focus. Therefore, it is important to avoid moving anything other
than the tongue in order to isolate its effect on vowel.
Again,, group singers should be encouraged to listen to one
another and imitate the group sound no matter how "bad" they
consider it. When they hear agreement, they will also realize how
it was accomplished. Later, when poor vowel focus appears
-particularly on an "oh" or "oo" vowel-the singers will be more
likely to examine tongue position as the likely culprit.
Once the role of the tongue is understood in creating vowel
focus, 'the prohibition against lip movement can and should be
relaxed. Ultimately, the ear needs to have total freedom to adjust
whatever physical element will produce the desired result.
Vowel Location
The vowel chart is a helpful tool for practicing the relative

locations of vowel sounds. Now, while pointing to a reference
word on the outer rim of the chart, sing its vowel (not the whole
word). Then move the pointer to other reference words and sing
those vowels. Notice what the tongue does in order to focus each
vowel sound. Using a pointer with the chart is helpful, I believe,
even when used by a single singer. Moving the pointer helps to
reinforce direction and distance in tongue movement, especially
for novice singers.
The vowel sound "ah" (f_gther) is a good starting point since it
uses an open and relaxed tongue position. By singing such
combinations as "ah-a-ah" (f_gther-s_gt-f_gther), "ah-aw-ah" (f_gther
saw-f_gther) or "ah-i-ah" (f_gther-sit-f_gther), the singer develops a
sense of distance and direction. In group sessions, singers can
18
listen to one another and attempt to agree on the location by

adjusting their individual sounds.
Once this skill is developed, the terms "front vowel," "back
vowel," " high vowel" and "low vowel" have clear and practical
meaning. A request by a director to move a vowel "slightly higher"
not only can be understood by the singers but now they also have
the experience by which to grant the request. When a vowel
discrepancy persists, simply reminding singers to listen to one
another can frequently solve it. A singer's ear is often able to intuit
the solution more easily and dearly than his or her brain is able to
understand it "intellectually."
The Most Frequently Misplaced Vowel
I have found that the most difficult vowel sound for singers to
locate is the vowel "eh," as in "st." Curieusly, many singers who
clearly speak the vowel do not use it while singing. Instead, they
sing a vowel nearer to "st." When this is sung with other singers
who are producing a well placed "eh," the result is rather jarring.
Are you one of those singers? Let's find out. Say aloud the
word "Amen." Did your second-syllable vowel match the one in
"set"? Now sing the word "Amen." Did you sing "A-man" (as in
"sf!,t'')? If so, try raising your tongue position. If you sang it
correctly, you are one of the few singers who do not place it too
low.
I suspect that teaching singers to drop the jaw into the "singing
position" may have inadvertently caused this common disability.
The jaw goes down and the tongue goes with it. That works well
for the vowel "ah," but not for the vowel "eh." Evidently, it takes
considerable conscious effort to overcome this habit and to sep
arate tongue movement from jaw movement. The hand-on-the-jaw
technique (described above) can be a great help in curing this
ailment.
Yes, I realize that some may consider this discussion a matter
of taste. However, I consider it important that singers be able to
sing lyrics in a manner corresponding to standard speech. If one
chooses to perform lyrics differently for singing than for speaking,
VOWEL
19
that is another matter. We will have more to say about that in

Chapter 11.
The Missing American Vowel
In many American dialects, the words "sat" and "ask" are

pronounced using the same vowel location. Therefore, some
singers are confused when they see these two words in different
locations on the chart. Standard American broadcast practice,
however, places the vowel in "ask" closer to the "ah" in "father."
Dictionaries usually show the "sat" vowel with a "short" mark
over the letter "a" and show the "ask" vowel with a dot over the
letter "a. ' ' The vowel in "father" is usually shown with two dots
over the letter "a." To find this "missing" vowel, move slowly
between "sat" and "father." The "ask" vowel is located about half
way between them. But again, fine-tuning is up to a consensus
among the users.
Shades of Vowel
The ultimate solution to these and many other vowel-matching

problems lies in developing the ability to produce fine shades of
vowel all the way around the outside arc of the chart-from "ee" to
"oo" and back again. By very gradually changing vowel location
between one reference word and a neighboring word, one can learn
to fill in those "blank" places (where many singers have never
been). A good exercise for developing this skill is to have singers
respond to a pointer moving very slowly from one reference word
to a neighboring word, filling in the space by gradually sliding
vowel location.
During the early stages of learning this skill, some singers "get
stuck" on a reference word and then leap suddenly to the neigh
boring reference word. When that happens, focusing on gradually
changing sound-not the reference words themselves-can be
helpful. Once the feeling of gradually changing locations is
experienced, one can then explore the "missing" vowel area
between reference words and experience the physical movements
that control those areas.
20
COMPONENTS OF VOCAL B LEND
After successfully filling in all the spaces between reference

words, mastery can be demonstrated by moving gradually around
the entire perippery of the chart. Begin at "ee" and move gradually
through all the shades of vowel around the arc to "ooh." Then
move gradually in the other direction starting with "ooh." Be sure
that there are no places where the vowel focus jumps from one
reference word to the next. Practicing this skill in unison with other
singers will help develop the ability to match vowel focus no
matter what the language or dialect.
While tongue placement is the primary factor in forming vowel
sounds, lips, jaw, and sometimes other mouthparts such as cheeks,
are also required for forming some sounds. For example, the
umlaut sound used in French and German requires a combination
of tongue and lips that does not occur in English. At some point,
adjustment of these additional physical factors can also be placed
under intuitive control of the ear for fine-tuning. Once the
techniques of forming the "easy" vowels are acquired, the
groundwork for exploring the less common ones is already in
place. At each new step in the process, the singer should continue
to be influenced by the aural environment and respond, as in earlier
practice, by attempting to match the group sound.
The Neutral Vowel
The portion of the chart inside the arc contains a reference

word-sof (not sofah)-for the "neutral" vowel sound. If you
haven't identified this vowel location, you can find it easily by
relaxing the face, jaw and tongue, then parting the lips slightly and
activating the vocal cords. This sound is the vowel we commonly
,
use for unaccented syllables in speech, as in "porti!ble,' . "th best,''
and "gone way." (Say them casually, without exaggerating, or
you won't get the point.)
While most people use this sound easily and gracefully in
speech, a great many singers exclude it from singing. It is a
perfectly good and legitimate vowel (symbolized by an upside
down "e" in the international phonetic alphabet) and its use can
add immensely to the rhythmic elegance of a sung phrase. More
VOWEL
21
will be said about this later in the chapter on phrasing, but for now
it is sufficient to simply identify and experience the neutral
vowel-in singing as well as speaking.
Inside Vowels
Three other reference locations appear on the inside area of the

chart. "Sgch" can be found below the neutral vowel (toward
"ff!,ther"), "earth" is up and forward (toward "seen") and "took" is
up and backward (toward "soon"). It is quite worth the effort to
loca(e these areas by isolating tongue movement before modifying
them with lips and cheeks. As with the other vowel locations, these
are flexible and subject to fine-tuning according to style, taste and
ensemble blend.
Mastery
Mastery of vowel skills is evidenced by the ability to move

gracefully and with clear focus to any location on the chart,
including the spaces between reference words. Application, on the
other hand, will require two additional skills: the ability to match
by ear any prevailing vowel location produced by one's fellow
singers in ensemble, and the ability to modify vowel location when
requested by a choral director or vocal coach.
I have found that working with individuals within the group
setting is extremely productive. My favorite technique is to
establish vowel agreement with two or three singers and then add
one singer at a time to the sound. As each singer enters the sound,
the group hears the added sound as agreeing or conflicting. When
the latter occurs, I identify the problem and suggest the remedy.
When the adjustment repairs the disagreement, all have learned
something about vowel focus.
Whether to work with individuals or only with the group as a
whole is a matter that teachers and directors will have to judge for
themselves. However, the likelihood that some singers will not
realize they are "offenders" must be considered when making that
decision. In my experience, once singers hear the difference that
success offers, they are more than willing to make sure they are
"doing it right." Fear of being made an example is further
22
minimized when singers have been weaned from the concept "my
voice" and have accepted the idea that their voice is a versatile and
flexible instrum,ent.
C H A PTER
F I VE
Brightness
The vowel spectrum has an inherent natural variation in bright
ness; for example, "seen" is much brighter than "soon." However,
the brightness component can be modulated independently as a
separate variable. The vowel can be held constant (largely by
maintaining tongue position) while other parts of the vocal
apparatus can be modified to vary the brightness.
It is important that singers separate the concepts of vowel and
brightness. When asked to raise an incorrect "sat" vowel focus to
"set," singers often widen the lips (which brightens the sound) but
fail to move the tongue (which would change the vowel focus).
The confusion is understandable since "set" is naturally brighter
than "sat," but it is evident that these singers do not understand the
differehce between the two components.
In order to concentrate specifically on brightness, singers must
first be secure in their understanding of vowel location and focus.
Ill-defined concepts and tentative skills will only lead to increased
confusion, both in sound sensitivity and in terminology. Just as
learning about musical meter relies on a solid grasp of basic pulse,
learning brightness modification is fully dependent on mastering
basic vowel focus.
Change in the size and shape of the mouth appears to be the
main factor in modifying brightness, however, other factors likely
contribute. Knowing the causal functions of all the specific mouth
parts is not particularly critical to identifying the brightness
variable since the adjustments can be governed directly by what
the ear hears. As with the other components, one can learn the
"moves" that cause changes in brightness simply by listening to
and experimenting with darker and brighter sounds.
The tongue, of course, must remain in the prevailing vowel
position in order to isolate changes in the brightness component.
As one explores the brightness component in all parts of the vowel
24
spectrum, the concept of brightness becomes more vivid and

distinct.
Brightness Drills
It would seem logical to begin brightness drills with the "ah"

vowel focus. Since the tongue is basically at rest there, it is easier
to maintain the vowel while experimenting with brightness. Once
the idea (and the feeling) is secure, other parts of the vowel
spectrum can be explored with less likelihood of tongue move
ment.
Drills can be conducted visually by pointing to reference words
on the vowel chart. Sliding the pointer under a reference w:ord can
indicate changes in brightness. The singers, of course, must be
instructed that the focus of this drill is on brightness, not vowel. As
the pointer slides forward (to the left) under a word, singers
respond by brightening the sound. As the pointer slides backward
(to the right), they darken the sound. In ensemble practice, singers
have the added reinforcement of matching the group's sound.
Although these vowel and brightness drills are designed to
isolate the two components as separate concepts, keep in mind that
the physical sounds of vowel and brightness are not necessarily
acoustically different. In fact, some vowel sounds are brought into
focus using some of the same anatomical adjustments used to
create brightness modifications. For example, in order to achieve a
well-focused "ooh" vowel, the tongue requires help from ' the
cheeks and mouth. Also, one can move between the "ah" and "aw"
vowels by moving either the tongue or cheeks. So, there is not a
one-to-one relationship between tongue and vowel and between
brightness and other mouthparts.
That realization, however, does not invalidate the value of
examining the role of the tongue in creating basic vowel focus and
the role of other mouthparts in modifying those vowel sounds.
Remember that it is the formation of concepts that allows us to
organize our experiences of physical reality. Consider that "pitch"
and "pulse" are essentially made of the same stuff-regularly
BRIGHTNESS
25
recurrent physical events-yet we have no difficulty identifying

them as very different perceptual concepts.
The point here is that we think of vowel and brightness as
different concepts, having abstracted those concepts from our
experience of physical sound. Our purpose then is simply to
experience the anatomical adjustments that produce sound modi
fication appropriate to each separate concept. It is not particularly
important to totally analyze every physical movement that
produces every sound modification. We can simply leave that up to
the ear and its direct connection to the brain to accomplish the job.
Once a singer or ensemble becomes familiar with the technique
of modifying vowel with shades of brightness, a world of artistic
possibilities is opened. If the mood requires a somber tone, the
singers are prepared to deliver well-matched phrases, instinctively
adjusting the natural brightness of every vowel in order to present
a consistent flow of vocal color. When brighter shades are needed,
the singers are equally prepared to create the appropriate sound.
Once these skills are honed, it all happens without conscious
thought. One's whole attention is devoted to making music.
26
C H A PTER
SIX
Resonance
Some singers produce a beautiful, full sound with seemingly
little effort, while others produce a dull, lifeless, weak tone,
sometimes in spite of great physical effort. The difference is often
attributed to "natural talent" (or lack of it) which too often gives
the poorer singer reason to accept his or her instrument "as is."
After years of struggling with "breath support," "vowel
placement," "singing in the mask" and other good practices, many
singers still seem unable to break through the barrier that inhibits
them from singing with a free and beautiful tone.
Lack of resonance may appear to be a less critical factor than
other components in larger choral groups, since poorly resonated
vocal sound does not contribute much to the total choral product.
The best that can be said for singers lacking resonance is that they
"don't get in the way" vocally while helping fill the stage with
bodies. Needless to say, social participation has its own reward,
but this alone cannot match the satisfaction of actually contributing
to an elegant ensemble sound.
On the other hand, singers having poor resonance often resort
to shouting when the dynamic level rises. When singers "push" the
sound, they not only injure the ensemble' s blend but risk injuring
their own vocal instrument. Very often, the suggestion offered to
such singers is to "support" the sound with good breathing
techniques. This advice, while good in itself, can easily lead to
more tension and simply add to the problem. "Supporting" a
poorly resonated tone is largely a wasted effort.
Understanding the nature of "noisy tone" may help to find a
cure. Actually, this phrase is an oxymoron, since by definition tone
is "regular vibrations" and noise is "irregular vibrations." Poorly
resonated loud vocal sound contains considerable "noise," thus
blurring pitch (which requires regular vibrations). Also, the tension
required to produce noisy sound inhibits vocal flexibility. As a
result, such sounds are nearly impossible to tune.
28
Therefore, "supporting" noise in the tone is counterproductive

in the quest for vocal blend. How, then, can a choral director
develop a roJ:mst and artistically flexible ensemble sound that
minimizes vocal noise, maximizes vocal tone and resonates to the
farthest reaches of the concert hall with minimal effort?
Seeking Resonance
A likely clue to understanding resonance can be found in a

rather unlikely place-the shower. Every shower singer knows that
when a certain pitch is sung, the whble room seems to vibrate. On
that pitch, the voice is amplified many times louder than on other
pitches. Singing with a robust free tone on that particular pitch is
easy. The voice sounds great with little effort.
When the frequency of sound waves "matches" the dimensions
of the shower, the waves reflect off the hard shower wall and
arrive back at the source just in time to be in sync with new sound
waves just starting out-thus doubling and redoubling the sound.
This phenomenon is called resonance, or re-sounding,
Fortunately, we don't need to take the shower with us to the
concert stage. Actually, we would need an enormous number of
showers of different sizes and shapes in order to accommodate the
variety of pitch/vowel combinations needed for a performance.
Happily, nature has provided us with adjustable "shower walls"
within the vocal apparatus. One can learn to control the resonance
component automatically, like other components, based on
information received by the ear. All that is needed is the concept of
resonance as remembered from the shower experience and the
willingness to explore vocal sounds to discover what adjustments
will produce that result.
Unlike the shower, the vocal apparatus changes shape with
every variety of pitch/vowel combination. The singers' challenge,
then, is to maintain resonant sound while other components
change. The singer who produces rich and vibrant tone throughout
a performance has discovered (consciously or intuitively) the
physical adjustments that cause all combinations of pitch and
vowel to sound rich and full without undue physical effort.
RESONANCE
29
Just as physical brightness is not fully separate from physical

vowel, physical resonance is not fully separate from physical
vowel. Neither is resonance separate from pitch (as one might
expect, considering the "shower walls" analogy).
Nevertheless, all of these components can be abstracted and
experienced as conceptually separate variables by controlled ex
perimentation. Experiencing the resonance component is most
easily accomplished by holding pitch constant and adjusting
vowel. This is analogous to varying the "shower walls" instead of
the pitch. When resonance "pops" into focus the difference is
immediately evident, much like the shower walls experience.
Ringing Vowels
The "lazy" vowels we normally use for everyday speech are

not the same as the "energized" ones needed for good singing.
Therefore, singers suffering from poor resonance should attempt to
explore places in the vowel spectrum they have never visited. As
we all know, old habits are persistent, particularly when one has
lived with the concept of "my voice" for many years.
While a group approach is probably sufficient for teaching
vowel, pitch and other components, teaching resonance is best
done individually. Focusing on resonance is difficult for singers
who have never experienced it in any way. In fact, some singers
may not realize they haven' t identified it. For these singers,
personal outside input is critical.
In my experience, teaching resonance is most effectively ac
complished by demonstration. By hearing a skilled singer move
resonance in and out of focus, one can learn what to listen for. The
singer can then experiment to discover the "shower walls" adjust
ment for that same pitch/vowel combination. After finding success
with a few different combinations, the singer will discover the
process and will find that it can be applied similarly to any
pitch/vowel combination.
The resonance "hot spot" is much more evident when singing
the "outside" (relative to the chart) vowel sounds, as opposed to
the more neutral "inside" vowel sounds. Front vowels (left side of
30
the chart) generally seem to "ring" by moving the focus forward

toward (and beyond) the teeth. The sustaining vowel in "say" is a
good sound . to begin with since it contains considerable natural
brightness. Likewise, back vowels (right side of the chart) seem to
"ring" when the focus is moved back toward the throat.
Resonance focus can be found in the middle vowels in a
similar manner. As with the "outside vowels," the idea is to
discover the adjustments that cause these vowels to "ring" in the
best possible way. Even the neutral vowel can be significantly
enhanced by giving attention to resonance focus, although not
nearly as much as the "outside" vowel sounds.
Once these skills are in evidence, singers can explore the
challenge of maintaining resonance whil changing vowel and
pitch-first separately and then together. Eventually, resonance
will magnify every combination of pitch and vowel the singer
encounters. The payoff can be dramatic.
The ultimate in vocal resonance occurs when a singer is able to
imagine the sound existing completely outside the body. At this
performance level, the vocal artist is no longer focusing on the
details of vocal technique, but rather is totally absorbed in
generating and shaping the sound as it fills the auditorium. The
experience is quite like sending signals to a radio controlled
spacecraft soaring through the heavens.
Can any singer achieve that level of vocal artistry? I don't
know, of course. But, I do think it is a goal worth striving for.
C H A PTER
SEVEN
Nasality
Like other components, nasality can be adjusted by moving the
appropriate vocal muscles. As the air column passes through the
throat, it can be directed entirely through the nose by touching the
back of the tongue to the soft palate (as when singing "ng"), thus
closing off the mouth. By gradually separating the soft palate away
from the tongue, increased amounts of air are split off and directed
through the mouth. When the soft palate and tongue move to the
point where they are farthest apart, nearly all of the flow is directed
through the mouth.
Vocal sound is generally rather pleasant when about half the
sound is directed toward nasal resonance. From that neutral point,
quite a range of musical results are possible by shifting the
predominance to either the mouth or nasal cavities. "Correctness"
of a particular adjustment is largely a matter of musical taste and
style, and like other components is controlled by what the ear
wants to hear. A full-throated operatic performer or hard rock
vocalist might favor mouth resonance while a typical "bluegrass"
singer or jazz artist might favor nasal resonance.
To produce a slick commercial or jazz sound, a vocal group
might combine a considerably nasalized mixture (roughly 70%)
moderately compressed (using breath support) into a rather
straight, vibrato-less tone. For a high gloss "stainless steel" effect,
a vocal group might increase nasality to maximum and compress
the tone until the individual pitches virtually disappear into the
chord.
Background Effects
One of the "secrets" of blending homophonic jazz harmonies is

to nasalize the harmony parts in contrast to the lead. While the lead
singer, or singers, perform(s) the melody in a more or less solo
style, other singers emphasize nasal resonance and compress the
tone into a simple "pitch and vowel" sound. This creates a
32
"homogenized" vocal that might be described as a "harmonically

colored melody" a la The Manhattan Transfer, Take Six or The
Real Group.
Nasalized resonance is also useful for creating a sustained
choral background to solo or soli melodic lines. Instead of singing
a normal "ah" or "ooh" (as commonly prescribed in choral scores),
it is often effective to neutralize a vowel and warm it by increasing
nasal resonance. This provides a natural contrast to the focused
vowels and balanced resonance of the melody. Suggesting the
singers imitate a synthesizer sound helps them to abandon the
normally-focused vowel and to modify it toward a sound appro
priate to the musical selection.
The choice of vowel for a background is sometimes key to
finding a satisfying musical result. In the L.A. Jazz Choir's
recording of Miles Davis's "Blue In Green;'' the a cappella
background to Vicki McClure's haunting solo was largely based
on nasalized/neutralized "ooh's" and "ah's." Her final sustained
lyric was the word "seems." The "ooh"-based background simply
didn't work with that vowel. It shattered the mood and fought with
Vicki's sensitive closing. When we changed the background vowel
to "ee" and applied appropriate brightness modification, the effect
was perfect. I would think one would not normally consider "ee"
for use as a background vowel; yet, when warmed by neutralizing
and nasal resonance, it worked very nicely.
Another consideration in this regard has to do with choral
scores that prescribe humming as a background. A common
problem is that closed-mouth humming often does not provide
sufficient sound and, when forced, can cause vocal tigptness. A
practical solution is to sing such passages on the neutral vowel
with considerable nasal resonance. In other words, hum with the
l i ps slightly parted. The sound is much more rich and vibrant and
vocal freedom is less likely to be constricted. The audience will
st i I J hear the passage as humming-but the point is that they will
hear it.
NASALITY
33
A Cure-all?
From the previous discussion, one might get the impression

that nasality is little more than a means of producing stylistic and
artistic color preferences. Actually, this component can be used
effectively in a variety of styles for maximizing choral blend. One
might even consider it a panacea for a variety of ills.
During my early years as a choral director, I would often
struggle with a blend problem-adjusting vowel, fine-tuning pitch,
focusing resonance, etc. To my surprise, when I asked the singers
to increase the nasal tone and minimize mouth tone, the blend
problem disappeared, almost magically.
The reason may be that the nasal passage is less subject to
individual_ singer variations since its shape cannot be manipulated
as can the mouth. But whatever the reason, I found that increasing
nasality can often be a useful "quick fix" for achieving choral
blend, provided that sort of tone is appropriate to the vocal style.
Imagery Does It
Control of this component, like others, is best left to the ear.

While it is possible to manipulate the tongue and glottis by direct
physical thought, it is always better to use imagery in order to
avoid vocal tension. Traditionally, this value has been expressed
by the phrase "singing in the mask." Of course, we know that
sound does not emanate from the eyes. Yet, imagining that it does
helps singers to open the gate to nasal resonance (the soft palate)
without really thinking about the physical adjustment needed to
accomplish it.
To help singers experience this feeling, ask them to hold an
open hand about an inch in front of the mouth, but below the nose,
and to "sing over the fence." Since the "fence" would seem to
block much of the mouth sounds, singers intuitively direct the
energy of the sound "through the eyes." It works very well and the
vocal result is usually quite stunning. Once the group gets the idea
and hears the result, the "fence" can, of course, be discarded.
Thereafter, a simple request for "more eyes," or something similar,
should produce the desired result.
34
C H A PTER
E I G HT
Pitch
The phrase "singing in tune" has at least two general meanings.
One has to do with melodic tuning-singing pitches one after the
other that relate to a single central pitch (sounded or imagined).
The other has to do with harmonic tuning-singing related pitches
simultaneously with other performers. Despite that distinction,' the
two are not totally unrelated. Experience with good harmonic
tuning very likely contributes to the development of good melodic
tuning.
Since vocal tuning in both contexts is relational, the phrase
"singing in tune" prompts the question: "Singing in tune with
what?" To some singers, the phrase means singing in tune with a
piano, or other fixed pitch instrument. To others, the phrase means
singing pitches that relate directly to one another regardless of
what a keyboard might play. If that distinction comes as a surprise,
you may not be aware that the tuning used in our modern
keyboards is not the same as nature's tuning.
A Little History
Centuries ago, singers and string players very likely adjusted

pitches "on the fly" to fit the harmonic context. When chords and
keys changed, they moved their pitches slightly in order to
preserve harmonic agreement. When keyboards became an
essential part of seventeenth-century music making, a problem
arose in that keyboards tuned in one key would have to retune to
play in another key. Some attempts were made to add extra strings
and digitals; however, this became very cumbersome and was
eventually abandoned. Instead, keyboard makers opted for
compromised tunings that would allow the keyboard to "get by."
Singers and string players largely tuned as before while keyboard
players did the best they could.
36

The Problem
The modern practice of keyboard tuning divides the octave into

twelve equal half steps, which distributes the compromise equally
among all keys. This solution-called equal temperament- was
unquestionably a practical one, enabling keyboardists to play in
any key without retuning. But the gain to keyboardists has
contributed to an unfortunate setback for vocalists. Performing
with modern keyboards has taught singers to hear those tunings as
"correct," and as a result many singers-even experienced
ones-have some difficulty singing in tune with one another.
The problem is magnified when singers "learn their notes" by
listening to them played on a keyboard. Commonly, whole sections
of choral singers sing their individual parts while the accompanist
supplies the tuning as well as "the notes." Then, after all sections
have practiced in the keyboard' s compromised tuning, they sing
their learned music together, frequently with little regard for the
overall tuning of the combined voices. The long-held assumption
has been that, as long as the parts are in tune with the piano, the
parts will be in tune with one another.
The reality is that such practice seldom leads to "in tune"
choral performances. While keyboards get by with compromised
tuning, singers cannot hope to do so. The difference, as I see it, is
twofold. First, the well-tuned keyboard' s degree of compromise is
fixed; it cannot get any better or worse. In contrast, a singer's sense
of tuning is constantly subject to correction. Good singers correct
well; poor singers are often at sea. Secondly, the keyboard's timbre
is also fixed, while vocal tone is continually changing timbre
(vowel) as well as other variables.
As a result, a cappella performances by choirs who habitually
learn their tuning from a keyboard are potentially disastrous. As
soon as the piano withdraws its support, any sense of tonality sinks
into oblivion (if indeed it was there before the keyboard stopped
playing). In some cases, difficulty maintaining tonality is evident
even when the piano is present. For such choirs, tuning is a con
stant problem and is always tentative and approximate.
PITCH
37
Vocal tuning problems inherited from the keyboard's

compromise are not limited to choral singers. Many soloists find it
uncomfortable to perform without hearing the vocal melody played
by the accompanist. Of course, that insecurity often has to do with
singing the right pitches, regardless of tuning. A good example of
this is the often awkward result when someone with a so-called
"good voice" is asked to sing at a friend's wedding. Sadly, many
soloists continue to depend on the keyboard's melodic support
even after many years of performing. One must only assume that
these singers are unaware of the keyboard's tuning limitations.
The Solution
At the other extreme, experienced soloists often request that a

keyboardist not play the vocal melody, leaving them to sing the
melody freely- in regard to both tuning and rhythm. The musical
result is often much more expressive. Very likely, these soloist are
not only aware of the keyboard's limitations but have developed a
level of performance skills that produces secure and artistic tuning.
Let it be clear that the point here is not to denigrate keyboards,
rather to suggest that vocalists and choral directors be aware of the
tempered-tuned keyboard' s inability to produce acoustically true
harmonic and melodic tunings. That, of course, raises some
obvious questions. Can we adjust our firmly ingrained musical
habits to accommodate this information? Can we teach our
amateur choirs to sing the "right notes" without playing them on
the keyboard? Is it worth the trouble? Is it really that important?
Learning to sing with acoustic tuning is actually not difficult,
particularly for novice singers who have few or no "bad" tuning
habits to overcome. Some of my professional workshop singers, on
the other hand, would appear to be stuck on the "piano fifth," while
attempting to tune a perfect fifth (G above C, for example). When
asked to raise their fifth until it tunes to a sounding root they
appear puzzled and ask, "But aren't I already in tune?" When
asked to risk being sharp to see what happens, they begin
exploring. After a few attempts to break out of the tempered-tuning
habit, they find they are able to slide the pitch up until it "locks"
38
acoustically. Their eyes light up as though they have discovered a

new world. The truth is, they have.
Occasionally, one of these explorers would say, "But isn't my
pitch now sharp?" My reply would be, "If you mean, 'Is it higher
than the pitch you're used to?' the answer is 'yes, ' but if you mean,
'Does it acoustically "disagree with" the lower tone,' then the
answer is clearly 'no. ' The ear tells us it is in tune."
Some Suggestions
Here are some ideas for demonstrating what acoustic tuning

sounds and feels like. It is important to begin with basic tuning at
the unison. This concept is usually quickly evident since it is not
unlike what singers learn to do while imitating keyboard models.
Play or sing a single sustained tone (without vibrato) and slowly
move another voice in and out of tune with it. The perceivable
difference between the "in tune" condition (smooth and agreeable)
and the "out of tune" condition (rough and disagreeable) is usually
vivid.
Invite individual singers to perform the demonstration to
ensure that all grasp the idea and the skill. Eventually, have all the
singers together tune to various model pitches, tuning instantly to
each new pitch. For this exercise, it is not important that the model
pitches be "in tune" melodically with previous model pitches. In
fact, it is probably better if they are not, requiring the singers to
listen carefully to the model pitch itself, not to any imagined
harmonic context.
Always match timbre while performing these demonstrations.
When using a voice or voices as the model pitch, have the moving
voice use the same vowel or humming tone. If using an electric
keyboard or organ for the model pitch, select a flute or string
sound if possible and ask the singer to imitate that timbre. If using
a piano, ask the player to re-strike the tone frequently to simulate a
sustained sound, and have the moving voice match it by singing a
nasalized neutral vowel
A good transitional exercise for harmonic tuning is to practice
singing octaves. Octaves, of course, are commonly thought of as
PITCH
39
"the same pitch" higher or lower. In this exercise, play or sing a

sustained low pitch and slowly move another voice in and out of
tune with it at a pitch one or more octaves higher. This is only
slightly more challenging than the unison drill, and is usually
accomplished with very little additional practice.
Thanks to nature's gift of harmonic perception, the same tuning
discrimination can be experienced when two different (but
acoustically related) pitches are performed "in tune" and "out of
tune." By making the same adjustments experienced in the unison
and octave tuning exercise, one can learn to locate accurate tuning
of harmonically related pitches.
The next most consonant (harmonically agreeable) interval
after the octave is the perfect fifth. Therefore, it is the logical one
to practice next. Like the unison and octave drills, the area just
outside of the "in tune" focus is quite noisy, or dissonant.
Therefore, it is almost as easy to perceive accurate tuning of the
fifth as it is the tuning of the unison and octave. The perfect fourth,
which is the inversion of the perfect fifth (G-C, for example), is the
next most consonant interval.
The next most consonant set of intervals is the major third and
its inversion, the minor sixth. Tuning these intervals is somewhat
less obvious to the ear than the fifth/fourth set. Nevertheless, the
idea is the same as before-to simply locate the tuning that seems
most "locked." Likewise for the next set of intervals-the minor
third and major sixth.
Next, tune the combined three pitches that constitute the major
triad (for example, C-E-G). These three pitches occur "naturally"
as a root, fifth and major third in the acoustic partials series,
therefore they are quite easy to tune, even by beginners.
With practice, even the more dissonant major and minor
sevenths and seconds can be experienced as locked intonations.
Eventually, four-note chords can be tuned acoustically. At each
stage, the principle is the same -to listen for the adjustments that
cause the pitches to sound most in agreement.
40

Retuning "On the Fly"
While tuning by ear is simple in principle, it is important to

realize that as harmonic contexts change during the course of a
musical composition, the optimal tuning of individual pitches is
likely to change as well. For example, scale step 4 (F in the key of
C) tuned in the context of a IV chord (F-A-C) will change to a
considerably lower pitch when tuned in the context of a V7 chord
(G-B-D-F).
Fortunately, knowing the theory is not required for successful
spontaneous tuning. Simply keeping one's ear vigilant to locate the
"best" adjustment for every prevailing context will do the job very
nicely. Obviously, these adjustments are best made without a
keyboard's help. On the other hand, having a keyboard play roots
(only) may help singers hear where adjustments of chord members
should be placed.
(If you would like to know more about these kinds of exercises,
our publications Natural Ear Training and The Sounds of Music:
Perception and Notation elaborate on the topic. Ordering infor
mation can be found in the final pages of this book.)
Warm-ups Without a Keyboard
Because tempered tuning habits are so strong in our general

musical environment, a tuning warm-up exercise at the beginning
of every rehearsal is essential to remind singers to use acoustic
tuning. For example, have half the singers sustain a reference
pitch, and the other half move on cue, slowly and carefully, up and
down a major scale, acoustically tuning each scale step before
moving to the next. Signal when to move and in wht direction,
constantly monitoring success and repeating steps that need more
attention. Then shift responsibilities by having the other half of the
group provide the sustained reference pitch.
Such exercises develop a sense of accurate scale-step intervals
and demonstrate how very small the half steps are between 3-4 and
7- 1 in the major mode. By using this information while singing
melodically, not only will chords be more in tune, but melodies
PITCH
41
(both soli and solo) will take on a new freshness and sparkle. The
difference is really quite remarkable.
Consider that the location of the half steps is the identifying
feature of any tonality. A singer who has learned to hear and
recognize half steps is well on the way to developing a strong
sense of tonality and harmonic function. Not a bad payoff for a
simple exercise, I would say
Here is an exercise for practicing flexible tuning while moving
from one chord to another. One's signals might be as simple as a
hand signal indicating a "I" chord by holding up one finger or a
"V" chord by holding up five fingers. That, of course, requires that
the singers know which scale steps are contained in which
chord-information that is not difficult to supply. Alternatively,
one might show the scale steps contained in each primary chord on
a blackboard or projection screen and point to the chord to be sung
and tuned. In the early stages, the basses should always sing roots.
(The charts in "Natural Ear Training" are well suited for this
purpose.)
Rehearsal Tuning Techniques
In rehearsal, it is often helpful to sustain important chords out

of rhythm (and without keyboard assistance), giving singers ample
opportunity to explore pitch adjustments. In chordal passages,
where all the singers sing the same syllables at the same time, this
technique is easily applied by simply gesturing when to change to
the next syllable. In contrapuntal passages, pausing at various
positions within the conducting beat pattern will work, provided
the singers are familiar with rhythm notation. In mixed texture
passages, occasional passing tones can be cued with left hand
gestures, provided the singers observe the entire score in order to
know when not to move.
Finally, allow singers sufficient time during rehearsals to
"season" their tuning choices. Repeat chromatic passages suffi
ciently enough until the harmonic focus is so sparkling that the
listener will be compelled to follow the harmonic logic. Even non
musicians can perceive sparkling intonation, even when they don't
42
realize what they are hearing. At the very least, an audience will
notice that there is something very different and exciting about the
performance.
Meanwhile, Back at the Keyboard
One other point should be mentioned before leaving this topic.

In answer to one of the most "frequently asked questions," it is not
a problem to use piano accompaniment to support well-tuned
singing provided the pianist does not literally duplicate the pitches
being sung. Since the sound of a piano, acoustic guitar or harp
decays in loudness, these do not interfere with the sustained sound
of voices. On the other hand, when accompanied by an organ,
singers should tune to the instrument, particularly when perform
ing purely homophonic music such as a Bach chorale. It is most
important to be aware of and well practiced in acoustic tuning and
to use good judgment regarding its application.
Having excellent tuning skills is probably the most vital asset a
singer can possess. I'm not talking about singing "right notes," but
rather the ability to adjust those right notes harmonically when
performing iri ensemble and to use pitch creatively for expressive
solo singing. When a choral group is largely comprised of such
singers -be they amateur or professional - there is seldom concern
about "going flat." That leaves the performers free to concentrate
on producing expressive music.
C H A PTER
N I NE
Density
"Density" is used here to mean the amount of breathiness in
the tone. The full spectrum of density ranges between a closed
glottis (no air and no phonated sound) and a completely open
glottis (all air and no phonated sound). A skillful singer moves
through that range by adjusting the glottal and breathing muscles.
As with other vocal variables, density adjustments are best
controlled by automatic responses to what the ear wants to hear
rather than by direct voluntary muscle control. This helps to
minimize tension and avoid vocal fatigue or injury.
Many singers perform with one shade of density - commonly a
pleasing one, but sometimes with a tone too breathy or too tight for
general use. While the main purpose of this discussion has to do
with developingjlexibility in density for artistic use, exploring this
component should provide insight for singers whose tone suffers
from either "breathiness" or "necktie tone,"
In order to explore density in singing, it is important to
understand- or more precisely, to get the feel of- the relationship
between the breath and the glottis. To demonstrate this relation
ship, ask the singers to say very vigorously, "huck-huck-huck," not
exploding the final consonant, but instead stopping the sound by
containing the breath against the closed tongue and soft palate.
Then, ask them to do it again with the tongue relaxed, stopping the
airflow further back in the throat. While maintaining the breath
pressure, have them move the tongue freely, thus giving evidence
that it is the glottis that is stopping the sound.
Next, ask the singers to relax (open) the glottis very gradually
until it begins to vibrate, first with a thin, crackling sound, then
progressively through shades of singing tone and ultimately to a
toneless flow of air. Once this is successfully accomplished,
singers can go on to explore the sound and feel of various shades
of density.
44
Indirect control of this component can be practiced by asking

one singer to perform a melodic phrase using various shades of
density and as,king other singers to match it. Artistic application of
this component can be practiced by asking a singer (or singers) to
apply appropriate amounts of density to various phrases having
contrasting emotional meaning. For example, the lyric "down with
the enemy" would likely be sung with far more density than the
phrase "fairer than the loveliest rose."
Of course, such contrasting phrases are likely to be sung with
different loudness as well as with different density. To ensure that
the variable being practiced is density and not loudness, it might be
helpful to sing the phrases alternately with "inappropriate"
loudness and density.
With sufficient experimentation and practice, one can learn to
control density and apply it as needed. This skill will not only help
singers match the sounds of other singers in ensemble, but will also
help them modify vocal sounds for artistic and sty listie
expression -both in ensemble and in solo performance.
C H A PTER
TEN
Loudness
I once considered loudness to be the most critical factor in
maintaining choral blend, and would attempt to quiet stronger
voices to prevent them from "sticking out." I now believe that
loudness is actually one of the least important factors in creating
choral blend. In fact, singers who sing too timidly probably injure
the blend as often as those who sing too loudly.
As long as a section of singers blends in regard to pitch, vowel,
brightness, density, etc., it doesn't much matter if some individual
singers are slightly louder than others. Loudness matters only
insofar as a section of blended singers relates to another section of
blended singers, in which case it becomes a matter of the director's
artistic judgment of musical balance.
That point of view, however, does not offer a license for louder
singers to "take the lead" and to dominate the sound within a
section. The common practice of hiring "paid soloists" to help
bolster a local church choir should not create a solo quartet battling
it out on Sunday mornings for vocal supremacy. In such choirs, the
"average" singers might just as well join the congregation.
The main problem with the overly loud singer is that he or she
can't hear the characteristics of the prevailing blend. It goes with
out saying that a singer who intends to blend must of necessity
hear what he or she is attempting to blend with . The logical
standard then is to sing no louder than will allow for good
listening. That will not in itself provide for good blend, but at least
it will provide for its possibility.
From the individual singer's point of view, the goal is to match
the consensus of sound by adjusting the variables discussed above
until one's own voice virtually disappears into it. However, singing
more quietly won't disguise a poorly focused vowel or forgive an
under-pitch third. All singers must be committed to mai nta i n i ng all
components of the prevailing vocal blend or the sound w i 11 be
injured, no matter how quietly the wound is inflicted.
46
It is true, concerning loudness, that not all singers are created

equal. Some voices are simply louder than others. While a
naturally loud singer can adjust to a softer sound level, the
,
naturally soft singer cannot always increase the sound to match
that of the group. As noted above, this is not necessarily a problem.
However, as mentioned in Chapter 6, improving his or her skills in
resonance can increase a singer's vocal power. There is no reason
for a "naturally" small voice to be totally left out of grand
climaxes .
O n the other hand, i t i s important t o remember that shouting
during a loud passage in music does not contribute positively to its
impact. Spewing raw emotion may inspire a football team, but it
does nothing toward expressing artistic meaning in choral perform
ances. Raucous tone breaks the continuity and mood of a musical
expression, offending the sound and diminishing its emotional
impact on the listener.
Musical variations in loudness are referred to as "dynam
ics" - literally "in motion," or "changes." The word is well suited,
I believe. It is the changes and nuances in our life experiences that
lend meaning to our human existence. Likewise, it is largely the
dynamics in an effective musical performance that move us to
respond with emotion.
CHAPTE R
E L EV E N
Phrasing
One might consider phrasing to be outside the topic of vocal
blend, having more to do with style and interpretation. However,
elegant phrasing requires that all ensemble members are equipped
to produce it, and in that sense, phrasing is just as important to
vocal blend as any of the topics previously discussed.
Vocal phrasing involves more than simply deciding where to
breathe. Well-formed and rhythmic phrasing infuses life into
music. Consider the difference in viewing a flat horizon or viewing
the contours of a majestic mountain range. In the latter, the eye is
invited to explore the energy of the sight, moving rhythmically
over the foothills, metaphorically struggling up the steep slopes
and relaxing gracefully into the valleys.
That aspect of phrasing, however, is shared by both vocal and
instrumental performance and is not the primary focus of this
discussion. Vocal phrasing has another dimension. In addition to
the general contour and energy of a phrase, singers access the
"nooks and crannies" of phrasing by means of lyrics. This added
dimension can be either an asset or a liability, depending on how
singers treat it.
A Singer's Most Expressive Tool
Natural speech, particularly in languages of the Western world,

contains accents and un-accents that enhance its intelligibility.
When lyrics are sung with the natural flow of speech, the audience
more easily understands them. On the other hand, when lyrics are
sung like a train of boxcars (all syllables having equal stress),
listeners are less likely to comprehend them.
I am reminded of a Midwestern university that proudly sings
all of its opera performances in English. Ironically, the lyrics are
often no more intelligible than if they were sung in their original
language. When every syllable is fired at the audience with the
same intensity, the result is aural confusion. Sadly, many choral
48
performances are presented this way, thereby preventing the

audience from enjoying the full impact of the lyrics.
Perhaps an, even more important benefit of singing lyrics in a
natural way is the internal rhythm that is brought to the phrase.
When sung with natural speech inflections, a phrase takes on a
kind of "third dimension" of artistic beauty. When a lyric is sung
gracefully, the music itself becomes more attractive and alive.
The factor that provides this added dimension- as it does in all
artistic endeavors - is contrast. One level of contrast results from
the kaleidoscope of vowel colors inherent in words themselves.
This level is very important to the poet who chooses words not
only for their literal meanings but also for their sounds. "The
Bells," by Edgar Allen Poe, is an excellent example of this
concept.
Natural Speech Rhythms
Another level - and likely a more important one rhythmic

ally - is created by stressed and unstressed syllables. This has little
or nothing to do directly with syllables occurring on a strong or
weak metric beat. Rather, it has to do with neutralizing vowels in
appropriate places as suggested by the natural flow of language.
When we speak, we accomplish this without thinking. When
speaking the phrase "go to the store," we commonly say "go t' th'
store." We don't actually leave out the unaccented vowels ; we
simply "neutralize" them. (See page 20.)
However, many singers use different modes of language for
speaking and singing, imposing a "dah-dah-dah" character on the
music that sounds very much like a second grader reading aloud.
Such singers ignore the neutralized vowels they use very naturally
in normal speech, replacing "go t' th' store" with "go too thah
store."
So, What's the Problem?
Why do so many singers distort the language? A number of

possibilities come to mind. First, consider the suggestion com
monly given to voice students to open the mouth (two fingers
wide, as I remember) while singing. This advice may be approp-
PHRASING
49
riate, up to a point. But rigidly maintaining a wide-open singing

position leads to distorted vowels, lifeless phrasing, unintelligible
lyrics and ultimately boring music. Even more offensive is
phrasing in which the j aw pops down on every syllable like a
ventriloquist's dummy.
Another possible reason that singers perform wooden phrases
is that they frequently learn their music imitating the sounds of a
rehearsal piano "thumping out" their notes. By the time the concert
arrives, these lifeless phrasing habits are well engrained, leaving
little hope of natural lyric phrasing. Multiply this practice by years
of experience, multitudes of singers, generations of teachers, and it
is fairly evident that imitating piano sound- which cannot possibly
allow for neutralized vowels - contributes to ugly vocal phrasing.
Somewhat surprisingly, it appears that some singers actually
believe they sometimes should sing lyrics without neutralizing un
stressed vowels. In a vocal j azz workshop, after achieving a
particularly well- shaped phrase by means of neutralizing
unaccented syllables, a singer remarked on how different j azz
phrasing is from classical phrasing. As you might expect, I
capitalized on this opportunity and took a moment to demonstrate
elegant phrasing in a number of "classical" styles. Unfortunately,
too many singers assume they are expected to sing classical music
in a stiff and lifeless manner.
Could this be why so many people refuse to attend "boring"
choral concerts? May I suggest this is why classical performances
are often attractive only to a few historically minded devotees who
feel compelled to "keep it alive." When music of any style is
performed in a vital and dynamic manner it will come to life,
appealing to larger and more enthusiastic audiences.
To be sure, certain historical performance practices dictate
traditions such as terraced dynamics, evenness of scale and the
like. But consider that Bach and Handel could not have played a
crescendo or an accent if they had wanted to, since keyboard
instruments then were not capable of doing so. Singers and string
players, who could easily have done so, followed the keyboard' s
lead and simply did not do it.
50
No doubt singers were influenced by instrumental styles in

those days as they are today, but then we don't know for sure that
some lyrically sensitive singers didn 't sing "hah 1' loo y"' rather
than "hah lay ' loo yah." In any case, today' s performances of
period choral music can be brought to life by neutralizing the
vowels in unaccented syllables.
It's Not a Matter of Loudness
It is important to realize that a neutralized syllable need not be

sung softer than other syllables. The effect occurs as naturally in
singing as it does in speaking. Because the mouth cavity is smaller
when producing a neutralized vowel sound, it does not resonate as
loudly as normally focused vowels. Thus, singers need not attempt
to sing neutral vowels quieter. They simply are quieter. This
allows the singer to maintain energy throughout a phrase with
steady breath support, an important element in producing artistic
and emotional phrasing.
One other point on this topic may be helpful. It has to do with
singing neutralized vowels that occur on the highest pitch in a
phrase. There is a tendency to sing higher-pitched syllables with a
focused vowel rather than a neutraUzed one, even by singers who
generally understand the value of neutralizing. Consider the phrase
contained in the song Over the Rainbow on the lyric "once in a
lullaby." The tendency to sing "lul lah by" with a stressed middle
syllable may seem practical in order to fully execute the arch of the
phrase, however, one might find it more elegant to neutralize it,
treating the high pitch as an embellishment of the preceding pitch
("lui") that is on its way downward to the final pitch ("by").
Returning to the topic of vocal blend, when one or a few
singers fail to neutralize, they nullify any elegant phrasing sung by
the rest of the group. Because artistic phrasing has more to do with
unaccents (neutral vowels) than with accents, the louder open
vowels of a few can obliterate the quieter neutralized vowels of the
others. In order to maintain the integrity of a well-blended
ensemble it is essential that all singers be aware of and sensitive to
uniform phrasing.
C HAPT E R
TW E L V E
Consensus
"Attitude" is unquestionably an important component of vocal
blend. Without singers who agree to strive for vocal blend, there is
little chance of achieving it. Every singer must constantly be aware
of the consensus of sound in the ensemble and adjust to it,
regardless of their personal preferences. Lacking that, producing
vocal blend is unlikely.
While that goal may appear logical and practical, there are
some commonplace obstacles that can impede consensus. One of
these can be the professional singer brought into the group to give
substance to the sound. It is certainly desirable to have some
trained singers in an amateur ensemble, but it can be a mixed
blessing when such singers are unprepared to modify their sounds
in the interest of vocal blend. You may remember the previous
discussion regarding the many experienced singers who had little
prior knowledge of the concepts taught in the L.A. Jazz Choir
workshop. It would be a mistake to assume that a hired profess
sional would automatically know or practice the skills described in
this book.
Another commonplace impediment to consensus can be the
average singer' s concept of "my voice," described earlier. This
psychological limitation can inhibit a novice singer just as much as
"training" can inhibit an experienced one. Vocal habits are often
very persistent and can easily become part and parcel of one ' s
vocal self-image. Frequently, this concept i s perpetuated by the
assumption that change is not necessary or possible.
We noted earlier that some singers, after having spent small
fortunes on vocal training, feel that modification for the sake of
blend would compromise the integrity of their training. They also
may believe that since their own sound is already well-produced,
other singers should be the ones to make any needed modi
fications. There is considerable truth to this argument, and
52
directors themselves often take it for granted when they hire

professional singers to perform as section leaders.
Discovering Common Ground
Frequently, such conflicts can be resolved by clarifying the

nature of vocal blend and the specific skills needed to achieve it.
When a trained singer understands that modifications leading to
choral blend are well within the boundaries of healthy vocal pro
duction, he or she may be more amenable to exploring them. On
the other hand, the refusal or inability of a singer to explore blend
components will ultimately render ensemble blend impossible. It
really is a matter of all or nothing. Faced with this situation, a
director will need to make the hard decision.
In this regard, a director interviewing professional singers for a
section leader position would do well to explore a candidate ' s
flexibility regarding vocal styles before hiring. A candidate show
ing tonal flexibility and sensitivity can't help but become a positive
influence on the ensemble' s style and blend. Such a singer will
provide an excellent model for other section members to emulate.
Actually, these problems tend to disappear painlessly when
such singers are persuaded to explore the components of vocal
blend. Gradually, singers discover that the various skills required
to improve vocal blend are the same skills that improve vocal
production. It also becomes evident that these skills are achievable
by the average person and are not limited to an elite few. These
realizations, combined with a conscious effort to emulate the good
tone of other singers, will open up a whole new horizon of vocal
versatility and artistic satisfaction. Eventually, the limiting concept
of "my voice" is replaced by the liberating idea of ''my voices."
Logically, singers agreeing to strive for vocal blend sometimes
have to modify some aspect of a vocal habit. Often, what singers
give up in order to blend is the noisy part of their tone, sometimes
referred to as an "edge. " Some soloists tend to like this sound
because it gives the voice individuality and carrying power,
particularly when performing in a Broadway style. In some cases,
an impressively rich or distinctive vibrato must be temporarily
CONSENSUS
53
relinquished for the sake of the sound. Any extraneous quality that
is not shared by the other singers in the ensemble should be
surrendered in order to create vocal blend.
On the other hand, a choral group might choose to collectively
incorporate any of these distinctive qualities in order to produce a
particular style or vocal effect. Again, the requirement is that all
singers produce it. The director, of course, must decide when a
particular vocal quality is appropriate and whether it is consistent
with healthy vocal production.
Thousands of fine choral organizations offer extensive
evidence that a mix of trained and average voices can produce
well-blended choral sounds. Excellent singers need not com
promise vocal integrity and average singers need not detract from
an artistic product when all agree on vowel, brightness, pitch, etc.
As stated earlier, it is not so much the difference in vocal training
that prevents vocal blend, but rather the mutual disregard for blend
and the lack of technique necessary to achieve it.
The younger the choir members, the less likely that conflicting
preconceived notions will inhibit consensus. Vocal habits are less
fixed, and a willingness to explore ways of improving the group' s
sound i s more o r less a given (provided the teacher secures the
children' s attention). This flexibility suggests that younger singing
groups, given sufficient rehearsal time and talented direction, are
likely to acquire the skills of good vocal blend more readily than
most adult choirs.
In my own experience, I have found that my entry-level non
auditioned college choir members (mostly beginners) tend to learn
the skills of vocal blend more effortlessly than my auditioned
chamber singers (mostly experienced singers). Some degree of
"rethinking" is usually required in the advanced group. As you
realistically evaluate your own situation, perhaps this will help you
to plan an approach that will ensure success with your singers.
54

Agreement of Goals
It is critical to determine whether your singers are striving to

achieve true choral excellence or whether they are participating
just for "recreation" or "fun." If most of them are in the latter
category, you may have a real sales job on your hands. But as you
continue to demonstrate what can be achieved if they keep an open
mind and apply these vocal concepts, the group will eventually
arrive at consensus as it realizes its potential and gets a taste of
success.
In a sense, consensus in choral singing is like consensus in a
democratic society in which citizens at times agree to relinquish
parts of their own individuality for the common good of the group.
Only by consensus can certain mutually beneficial goals be
reached, both social and artistic. And in both cases, these goals are
more pleasantly and effectively achieved when the consensus is
voluntary.
So, whatever the experience level and overall goals of your
choral ensemble, I wish you well in your pursuit of improved vocal
blend, should you decide to undertake the challenge. I also hope
some of the ideas contained in this book will prove of value to you
in that pursuit. Keep in mind that while fine orchestras, bands and
other instrumental groups often thrill audiences with moving
performances, nothing compares to the intrinsic human emotional
response to beautiful voices artistically combined in concert.
Ad d e n d u m
Expressive Tuning
Far too many singers believe that performing the "right notes"
is the ultimate goal of accurate singing, particularly those who
model their tuning on the keyboard. That belief inevitably prevents
them from taking advantage of one of the most expressive
elements in musical performance - namely, flexible tuning. Since
traditional music education has largely fixated on the "twelve
tones" of the modern keyboard, many, if not most, singers never
consider flexible tuning as an expressive element.
Some singers have so much trouble finding the piano' s version
of the twelve scale steps that they are content to accept any pitch
that is in the vicinity. This is not surprising, since hearing the
"system" of piano pitch is far more difficult than discovering
nature' s system of tuning.
Artistic Meaning
Whatever the art form, meaning is achieved through the artistic

control of continuity and contrast. In musical tuning, the process
operates in terms of expectation (the listener's) and deviation (the
performer' s). That should not suggest that sloppy intonation is
therefore artistic. On the contrary, an artistic singer is obliged to
establish a continuity of accurate tuning in order for an expressive
(deviant) pitch to be heard in contrast to it.
This expressive performance technique can be successfully
practiced whether a singer prefers keyboard or natural tuning. The
essential elements remain the same -establishing tonal continuity
and then adjusting selected pitches for expressive meaning. As you
might expect, I prefer that the tonality be established in natural
tuning since that continuity is far easier for listeners to apprehend,
therefore enhancing the contrast of any modified tunings. Equal
56
tempered tunings are perceptually imprecise and therefore provide

a less clear basis for contrast
Actually, D:atural tuning is itself in meaningful contrast to the
prevalence (continuity) of keyboard-based tuning. The character
less nature of equal half steps pales when compared to the
sparkling relationships of real perfect fifths and fourths , for
example. Even the novice listener can sense something special
when a singer' s pitches relate to one another harmonically in a
perceptibly cohesive manner.
Common Practices of Flexible Tuning
Perhaps the most frequently heard example of expressive

tuning is the "blue" note. There is some difference of opinion as to
whether the blue third is properly performed slightly lower than the
minor third or slightly higher (between the major and minor
thirds). While I prefer the former, it really doesn't make much
difference in this discussion, since either one represents a deviation
from "normal" thirds. In the opening phrase of Saint Louis Blues
("I hate to see . . . ") one might hear both types: the higher on the
word "I" and the lower on the word "to."
A blue note appears in two or three places in traditional blues
styles: in blue-third relationships to the tonic ( l - b 3), to the
dominant (5-b 7) and to the blue third itself (roughly b 3_b s). In
some cases, the blues style includes "raised" pitches that lean
upward into a more stable target note, such as the "grace note" #2
sliding upward on the word "I" in the example above. Although the
piano would have to use the same digital to play these notes, a
singer can adjust them according to their different contexts.
The amount of "blueness" (deviation) is, of course, up to the
performer' s artistic taste. While transcribing music as a forensic
musicologist, I have heard blue thirds performed so low that they
are closer to the scale step below than to the normal minor third. In
one case, a colleague insisted that his "perfect-pitched" assistant
preferred calling the note in question a second scale step instead of
a blue third. I felt, given the blues nature of the song and the
EXPRESSIVE TUNING
57
pentatonic characteristic of the melody, that it was simply a very

low blue third.
Another common deviation from "expected" tuning is the high
third. Many experienced singers and string players commonly
perform the major third (of a major chord) somewhat higher than
in both acoustic and tempered-tuning. I observed quite early that
"my" major third was clearly higher than the keyboard' s and I
assumed that I was simply hearing the acoustic third. I had been
teaching college music for several years before I discovered that
the acoustic major third is actually lower than the keyboard' s
version.
This shocking news prompted me to research the matter to try
to find out why so many musicians seem to favor the high third.
After much effort, including the help of a group of on-line
microtonalists, the matter is still a mystery. Is the high third caused
by some psychoacoustic phenomenon or is it simply a matter of
personal taste, perhaps used to "brighten" certain major chords?
(For further discussion, go to www.stage3music.com and click on
"Mystery of the High Third.")
Like the blue note, this deviation tends to appear in specific
scale locations in the performance of major/minor music. Perhaps
the most prominent place is on final tonic maj or chords,
particularly loud and climactic ones. In this case, the deviation is
applied to scale step 3, creating brilliance and excitement.
The high third also frequently appears in the dominant chord,
emphasizing the magnetic pull of the leading tone (scale step 7)
toward the tonic. When the dominant seventh pitch (scale step 4) is
also present, the "squeezed" (or "stretched," depending on the
inversion) tritone combination creates an even more urgent drive
toward resolution.
Interestingly, these common tuning deviations are often per
formed by singers who have not 'given much thought to flexible
tuning. It seems unlikely that directors of amateur choral groups
commonly ask their singers to raise major thirds. Evidently, the
practice can be instinctive, given appropriate musical contexts. In
my experience, I have found this to be the case.
58
Guidelines for Flexible Melodic Tuning
#
Which is higher in pitch - F or ob ? Keyboardists, of course,
need not be ' concerned. Singers, on the other hand, can gain
considerable artistic advantage by exploring this question. To my
surprise, I found that my microtonalist friends were quite
unanimous in agreeing that G b , being a variant of G, was closer to
#
G; and F is closer to F. To me, this arrangement is arbitrary and
probably has little to do with the expressive performance of
major/minor music.
In contrast to that view, I tend to agree with the great cellist
Pablo Casals, who taught his students to "lean" an accidental
toward its destination (or sponsoring) pitch. More specifically, a
raised chromatic note is generally more expressive when tuned
closer to the next higher scale step and a lowered chromatic note is
generally more expressive when tuned closer to the next lower
#
scale step. It follows, then, that a well-tuned F would be con
siderably higher then a well-tuned ob .
The chromatic upper or lower neighbor is one context in which
this tuning. principle can be applied. For example, the opening
phrase of the song Beautiful Dreamer offers two such oppor
tunities for bringing freshness and life to the melody.
r r l l 1a
1 r
Beau
ti
ful
Dream - er,
wake
J J
13
un
to
me.
In this context, the B (even though it is a "regular" scale step)

can be tuned as a chromatic lower neighbor to the repeated C. In
#
that sense, the lower neighbor D-C -D figure heard a few notes
later can be considered a reflection of the C-B-C figure. By tuning
both lower neighbors just slightly below their sponsoring pitches
(in contrast to a keyboard half step) , the melody floats over the
accompaniment with a fresh elegance.
The emotional first phrase of Franz Schubert' s famous Sere
nade can be made even more so by tuning the opening upper
chromatic neighbor closer to the sponsoring pitch.
EXPRESSIVE TuNING
r----- 3
; 1J J J
59
Adjusting the tuning of chromatic appoggiaturas often

enhances the elegance of an expressive phrase. The title phrase in
Maria from Leonard Bernstein's "Westside Story" offers a case in
point.
I' Jl#A JJ Jl#J
r--- 3
J J J J J I fJ_;J
Ma - ri - a.
just kissed
r-- 3 -----,
a girl named Ma - ri
a.
The p # , when tuned closely to the target G, enhances the ex

pressive lyric much more than a keyboard half step could ever
dream of doing.
Modulatory chromatics are often expressively enhanced by
adjusting their tuning toward the destination pitch. In a real sense,
higher chromatic leading tones (scale step 7) serve to point the
listener toward the new (or temporary) key. Similarly, lowered
dominant seventh pitches (scale step 4) can reinforce the energy of
the dominant function.
5
0
7
0
2
0
4
0
-6
The main reason these tuning adjustments enhance tonality is

that the tritone relationship (between scale steps 7 and 4)
constitutes the "motor" that drives tonal relations in major/minor
music. By enhancing that energy through adjusted tuning, the
possibilities for creating exciting music are increased many times
over.
(For further discussion of the tritone's role in helping to define
and shape tonality, see the The Sounds of Music: Perception and
60
Notation or Lies My Music Teacher Told Me, both offered by Stage

3 Publishing.)
Guidelines for Flexible Harmonic Tuning
As chords and keys change in the course of a choral

composition, optimum natural tuning of "notes" changes as well.
The "A" in an F chord does not tune the same as an "A" in a G9
chord or in a C6 chord. Not only does the "A" adjust to a different
root in each case but to every other pitch in that chord as well.
In my first book, Lies My Music Teacher Told Me, I suggested
that the ear naturally senses acoustic consonance of small-number
ratios and can guide the voice to emulate those relationships.
Perhaps the most vivid example of this process is the difference in
tuning of scale step 4 (F in the key of C) in the contexts of a
subdominant chord and a dominant seventh chord.
higher "F"
<-------J
2:3
lower "F"
2:3
In the subdominant chord, tuning the "F" is largely determined

by its relationship to the tonic C - a perfect fifth 2 : 3 ratio. In the
dominant seventh chord, tuning the "F" is largely determined by its
relationship to the dominant root G - a "small" minor seventh 4:7
ratio.
To experience this tuning difference, try singing this simple
exercise. First, play a C root in bass range and sing a well-tuned
major third (E) an octave or two above it. From this tuning,
alternately move to the two different tunings of "F." Play the root
in each case in order to tune the voice to it. As you will hear,
moving to the dominant seventh chord (G root) requires a very
small adjustment to the "F," while moving to the subdominant
chord (F root) requires a much larger adjustment.
EXPRESSIVE TuNING
61
This difference i n tuning is even more vivid when the roots are
sung rather than played on a keyboard. A fine-tuning exercise such
as this is an excellent warm-up for choral rehearsals and helps to
remind singers to tune flexibly.
Another example of flexible tuning is to observe the influence
of major and minor thirds on the tuning of a chord seventh.
lower "F"
higher "F"
When the third of the chord is major, the natural acoustics of

the pitch relationships (4:5 :6:7) influence the seventh to be sung
lower, emphasizing the active nature of the tritone (5 :7). When the
third of the chord is minor, there is no tritone. In this case the
chord seventh tunes to the minor third as a perfect fifth (2:3 ratio)
resulting in a higher tuning of the seventh.
Let me emphasize that pitch-sensitive singers may know little
or nothing about math, yet they can still take advantage of flexible
tuning. No matter how complex the chord, the ear guides the singer
to the "best possible" adjustment of the pitch. The process is not
unlike a photographer adjusting focus in order to achieve the
sharpest image possible.
Teaching Expressive Tuning
The design of the human auditory system is quite remarkable.

To take full advantage of it, a singer must be aware (consciously or
intuitively) that vocal tuning is not achieved by matching the
keyboard' s pitches. Given the chance, the ear will import and
process the information - first by example, and then by experi
mentation.
Nevertheless, formal music education, as commonly practiced,
often frustrates this natural process. Playing singers ' "notes" on a
keyboard is probably the most troubling practice in this regard.
Educators might instead develop techniques that provide experi
ences whereby their singers can discover for themselves natural
and expressive vocal tuning
62
For more information and suggestions for learning and

teaching these skills, see "Natural Ear Training" on our website at
www.stage3msic.com. Click on "Publishing," then on "Natural
Ear Training." This publication is not a sight-singing method. In
fact, it does not require music reading. It is simply designed to help
music students experience well-tuned pitch relationships.
Once the sounds of well-tuned harmonic and melodic
structures become familiar and habitual, the task of applying that
information to notation is infinitely easier and, as a result, more
meaningful. It is as logical as learning to speak a language before
learning to read and write it. The big payoff, of course, is that
tuning then can become a significant element in an artistic vocal
performance.
Notes
Notes
Can vocal groups having a mixture of talent levels achieve a stunning blend?
In Gerald Eskelin's opinion, it is not so much a difference in vocal training
that prevents vocal blend but rather the mutual disregard for blend and/or the lack
of techniques necessary to achieve it. The primary purpose of this book, then,
is to identity the elements that contribute to a beautiful choral sound and
to provide methods and exercises by which to explore them.
The suggestions and ideas are based on Dr. Eskelin's five decades of experience
working with singing groups - both amateur and professional. The exercises are
applicable to a wide variety of musical styles -from barbershop quartet to
opera chorus - from the theater to the cathedral. Solo singers, as well, will find
techniques here to enhance the artistry and professionalism of their performances .
The value of this book lies in the way each "component" is addressed individually
and discussed in a conversational manner that is easy to understand, yet not over-simplified.
After reading "Components,t',l have found myself much more aware of vocal blend
as I work with my 100-voice choir here at Central.
Ror('h lJ~. f1lUdrd, 1J~In~awi71lcu-t&b C~ma~e,. R~. C~

/like this book a lot! I especially like the chapter on "8/endabi/ity, " in which the author
clarifies what it is and what it is not. "Components of Vocal Blend" should be
required reading for every choral director everywhere.
mtVf Raro-. B~ l-ltf fla~toot.

Bunbade.C~
This little book packs a punch. Succinct, different,
.thoughtful, inspiring. ffgve the way Eskelin's brain works.

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COMPONENTS OF

Gerald Eskelin, DM.E .

COMPONENTS OF VOCAL BLEND

Manufactured in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number: 2004097966

Blend and Blendability

Approach and Method

Vocal Concepts and Vocabulary

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The musical career of Gerald Eskelin is multi-faceted, span

Over the decades, many choral artists have ignited my imag

My friend and colleague Scott Fredrickson, a talented and

were attracted to choral directing because of an inspiring music

Can vocal groups with assorted talent levels achieve a stunning

COMPONENTS OF VOCAL BLEND

Are such flexible singers some kind of super breed, or can

Contrary to a popular belief, achieving vocal blend is not about

Some singers appear to be "naturals" and exhibit an inherent

BLEND AND BLENDABILITY

They can hear a particular sound characteristic and somehow

However, diplomacy can be more effectively applied when the

COMPONENTS OF VOCAL BLEND

Fortunately, the ear can learn to hear and distinguish sound

COMPONENTS OF VOCAL BLEND

While words are very useful tools in general communication,

APPROACH AND METHOD

Identifying Vocal Components

My purpose here is to help emerging vocalists to become

COMPONENTS OF VOCAL BLEND

ing to the stylistic preferences of the singers and director. That is

Vocal Concepts and

COMPONENTS OF VOCAL BLEND

meaningful vocabulary. No amount of verbal lecturing or careful

VOCAL CONCEPTS AND VOCABULARY

ensemble singer, through careful listening, has increased

COMPONENTS OF VOCAL BLEND

in order to share the suggestions I have to make. Others will

From a vocal standpoint, "vowel" is simply another name for

COMPONENTS OF VOCAL BLEND

The words on this chart are to be considered reference points

Before learning to identify various vowel locations, one should

COMPONENTS OF VOCAL BLEND

Abstracting separate concepts from the "real world" is not

Experts generally agree that tongue movement is largely

adjustments. This makes muscle movement an apparent result

The vowel chart is a helpful tool for practicing the relative

COMPONENTS OF VOCAL BLEND

listen to one another and attempt to agree on the location by

that is another matter. We will have more to say about that in

In many American dialects, the words "sat" and "ask" are

The ultimate solution to these and many other vowel-matching

COMPONENTS OF VOCAL B LEND

After successfully filling in all the spaces between reference

The portion of the chart inside the arc contains a reference

Three other reference locations appear on the inside area of the

Mastery of vowel skills is evidenced by the ability to move

COMPONENTS OF VOCAL BLEND

COMPONENTS OF VOCAL BLEND

spectrum, the concept of brightness becomes more vivid and

It would seem logical to begin brightness drills with the "ah"