Refining your articulation and vowel formation with Heidi Vass
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Two Week Intensive on refining your articulation and vowel formation. In the next two weeks, you will be asked to read, watch, practice and post! One of the best features of the two week intensive is your ability to get actionable feedback! As you are working your way through the course, take advantage of the interactive features of the TWI, by posting videos of yourself and asking questions in the forum. I am happy to respond with written and sometimes even filmed advice that is specific to YOU! There will also be an opportunity to hop on a ZOOM session with me on July 1st at 11am PST. I will be there to answer any questions you may have about the assignments and your vocal music journey, in general.
DAY 1: Introduction
Goal: Define and understand the terms, anatomy and process.
Watch: TWI: Introduction
Read: TWI: Refining Your Articulation and Vowel Formation Concepts
Day 2: Clarifying Vowel Sounds
Watch: TWI: Clarifying Vowel Sounds
IPA Italian Vowel Chart:
Curwen Hand Signs for Solfege (as mentioned in the video)
Practice:
Work on your formation for the [a] vowel.
Vocalize 1: 5-note pentatonic scale (1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1) on the [a] vowel.
Record yourself singing the vocalize and check your work.
Post your recording to this forum for feedback!
BONUS: practice curwen hand signs for solfege
Day 3: The Closed Tongue Position [i] vowel
Watch: TWI: a-i
Practice:
Work on your formation for the [i] vowel.
Vocalize 1: 5-note pentatonic scale (1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1) on the [i] vowel.
Vocalize 2: Double 5-note pentatonic scale (1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1) on the [i] vowel first, then on the [a] vowel
note: you can take a breath between vowels or challenge yourself to do the entire thing in one breath.
To make the exercise more challenging slow it down.
Vocalize 3: 1-2-3-2-1 with an [a-i] vowel switch on each pitch
note: concentrate on keeping the vowels pure and distinct from one another.
Record yourself singing the vocalizes and check your work.
Post your recording to this forum for personalized feedback!
Day 4: PRACTICE
Take time today to review the shifts between the [a] and the [i] vowel.
Sing the exercises from day 3 and add the following:
Vocalize 4: Sing each vowel on a sustained tone in your middle voice (choose a pitch that is comfortable)
Alternate between the [a] and [i] vowels on your sustained notes.
Record yourself
Listen back and see if you maintained the same vowel.
TIP! as you are singing your sustained tone, rethink the vowel over and over again - mentally restating the vowel as you "hold" "grow", "engage," "develop..." the note.
Day 5: The Intermediary Vowel [e]
Watch: TWI: The Intermediary Vowel
Practice:
Review vocalizes 1-4
Move the tongue through the [i-e-a], [a-e-i] positions.
Vocalize 5: Sing the descending pentatonic scale (5-4-3-2-1) three times singing through the [i], then [e], then[a] positions.
note: if you are an advanced singer, you can multi-task with this exercise and add a challenge for the breath by including appoggio work (keep the rib cage out the whole time and only release through the abs for the breaths in between the vowels). We will cover this in the live ZOOM session.
Day 6: Practice
Take time today to review the shifts between the [a], [e] and [i] vowels.
Sing Vocalizes 1-5
Record yourself singing the vocalizes and check your work.
Post your recording to this forum for personalized feedback!
Day 7: The Lip Vowels
Watch: TWI: Lip Vowels
Practice:
Move the Lips through the [u- o- Ɔ], [Ɔ -o- u] positions.
Vocalize 6: Sing the descending pentatonic scale (5-4-3-2-1) three times singing through the [u], then [o], then [Ɔ] positions.
Vocalize 7: Octave leaps (1-8-1) [u-Ɔ-u]
Experiment with the closed-open-closed lip and tongue vowel movements
Day 8: Practice
Take time today to review the shifts between the tongue [i,e,a] and lip [u- o- Ɔ] vowels.
Sing Vocalizes 1-7
Record yourself singing the vocalizes and check your work.
Post your recording to this forum for personalized feedback!
Day 9: Mixing Vowels
Watch: TWI: Mixing Vowels
Practice:
Review vocalizes 1-7
Vocalize 8: sing the following pattern 1-3, 2-4, 3-5, 4-2, 1 on [i- e- a- o- u]
TIP! As with the Basic Vowel Switches, this exercise works best in the middle-range.
Day 10: Practice
Find a piece in Italian that you want to work on for the application
Take time today to review the shifts between the tongue [i,e,a] and lip [u- o- Ɔ] vowels.
Sing Vocalizes 1-8
Record yourself singing the vocalizes and check your work.
Post your recording to this forum for personalized feedback!
Day 11: ZOOM CHECK IN!!
Hop into the zoom call at 11amPST to go through a live demonstration and group diction workout. Be prepared with any questions you may have!
Topic: TWI: Refining your articulation and vowel formation with Heidi Vass Check-In Time: Jul 1, 2024 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89709667959
Meeting ID: 897 0966 7959
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Meeting ID: 897 0966 7959
Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kzbICWNf5
Day 12: Application
Watch: TWI: Application
P
Practice:
1. Choose a piece of music in Italian.
2. Write in the IPA for the vowels
3. sing vowel-to-vowel on each phrase (omitting the consonants)
Day 13: Record and Post
Record a sample of your technical work on your application piece (like "Amarilli" in the application video)
Post it to the forum
Compliment your colleagues on the wonderful work they are doing in this course!!
Day 14: Tips for Training
Watch: TWI: Tips for Training
In our last day of this challenge, learn how vowels and vowel-consonant combinations can help you define your resonance space and train your intonation.
Congratulations on completing this Two Week Intensive. I hope you have enjoyed the process and learned about the formation and importance of pure vowels. As always, if you have any questions or are looking for direct feedback on your work, do not hesitate to post questions or videos and in the practice diary or general questions of the forum. I am always here to help and encourage you on your musical journey. Happy Singing!
- Heidi
113 replies
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Day 9, a longer take:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W7qwOXqGsz7QdIxEQsrj69O9bFzC5UTW/view?usp=sharing
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Hi guys! Here is my Vocalise 8!
In this video, I was really focusing on letting my tongue be more flexible in the transition between [ i ] and [ e ] . I think at first I lacked some clarity in the e because, my tongue was originally staying too rigid between these two. Noticed some improvement by the end of my practice session. The other thing I had been working on was not letting my tongue react to the [u] lips. I had noticed that during this vowel my tongue was spreading a lot, instead of keeping the tongue vowel in the same relaxed and neutral [a] position. I put extra attention on keeping it lined up with the last two vowels, and I noticed a bit difference on how this impacted my airflow. It helped me sing through the whole exercise without getting too weak at the end.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Margaret
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Day 10!
Here are the vocalises I recorded today:
[a-i] 1,2,3 and sustain
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18B1ukjYkGytMijNiCS8ehtFAhLPUULhJ/view?usp=sharing
[i, e, a]
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JN48UnKa9GGXIQNrrBGyO770qkfX1shP/view?usp=sharing
[u, o, ɔ] & [u-ɔ] octaves
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14ReTzLf-rykjUZFiFZwFKt801Ok21Nul/view?usp=sharing
[i, e, a, o, u] 1,3, 2,4, 3,5, 4,2, 1
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uykb1XKMWqAyvkXVfzoRITViffgTe0yr/view?usp=sharing
I experimented with going over my break in the last two.
Please let me know what you think!
— John-Eric
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Hello! Could you please record the live Zoom meeting? I’ve got a Masterclass on Tonebase Piano at that time! Thank you so much!
Ciao! 🌞😎✌🏻
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For those that missed the ZOOM today, here is a LINK to the recording.
Passcode: #0FY@zU. -
That Zoom session was so helpful! Thank you!
I was just reviewing the way the [a] differs from the [ɔ]: I can really only tell by watching my mouth in the mirror or on video.
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Hello,
I have linked my attempt for the [a] vowel.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14lo-tIxVcGW2AgbvhhcHVReGtPh7p3J3
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Hi everyone!
I saw the recording of the zoom meeting.
you must consider that I watch all the material available here on Tonebase, especially TWI.
Even if I don't actively participate live, I always watch lessons and other people's work, so I'm happy that meetings can be recorded.
Living in Italy, I have a very different time than in the US, and generally I prefer to manage my time with recordings, also because I am also busy with Tonebase piano events at the same time.
The reason I don't post is that I do my exercises while doing other things, and it wouldn't be recommended to watch a video of me in those conditions 😅 but the next TWI will be on a topic on which I have really received no valid guidance in my life... so I will probably be more active and "presentable".
Consider that I am always there, seeing and hearing: the present or the future me!
Ciao! 🌞😎✌🏻
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About the subject of this TWI, I had to do a fairly though job on not using the facial muscles with too much tension and not bringing forward the jaw.
I spent several years in an ancient music choir up to Palestrina, and the teacher was not a singer. She taught me to make the vowels completely wrong: all with the shape of a U and the muscles of the lips, including the I, which should have been like an Ü. Then I watched Cecilia Bartoli, and I understood that it was wrong to use my lips even for the Is and Es.
But I continued to lower my jaw for every single note, because they told me that I had to open my mouth as wide as possible and pull my jaw forward to get "support".
Now I finally have some material to correct myself and to look back on over time!
Thank you! 🌞😎✌🏻
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Thank you so much for your answers! Given your boundless preparation, I ask you a question regarding the TWI I'm doing with Tonebase piano.
I have to sing the central part of Chopin, Fantasie-Impromptu with my voice while playing the piano only the left hand. The range of the melody is right for a soprano, because it goes to High C, but the directions say "sotto voce"... and I'm having trouble singing those high notes more than pianissimo. How you do it?
Are we going to do a TWI on how to sing dynamics?
Thank you! 🌞😎✌🏻