CHAPTER VI.

VOWELS, CONSONANTS, ARTICULATION.

Sound-vibrations generated at the larynx are modified as to their form, by the size and shape of the resonating cavities of the mouth and pharynx. Through the movements of the soft-palate, tongue, lower jaw and lips, the shape and size of the mouth can, within certain limits, be changed at will. As every vowel-sound requires a peculiar form of the resonating cavity for its production, it will be easily understood that each vowel-sound of which the human voice is capable can be made by a proper adjustment of the movable parts of the vocal organs. As all singing-tone is vocal or vowel in its character, the production of the various vowel-sounds takes precedence in the study of vocal music. Just how much of this study can be carried on in school music will depend upon circumstances, the chief of which is the time assigned for music. It is very easy to suggest that if the time given is not enough, that longer lesson periods be demanded; but it is quite probable that, owing to the pressure of elaborate courses of study, the request would be seldom granted. It remains, then, for those in charge of school music to expedite their work by means of simple and direct methods.

Each division of the music work must be carried so as to secure unity of result. The vocal drill, oral or written, will train the eye and ear for sight-singing, and the sight-singing be a practical application of correct vocal drill.

The study and practice of the different vowel-sounds must then _fit in_ with the scheme of study. The practice of singing the vowels by name as, _a_, _e_, _i_, _o_, _u_, is not to be recommended, as only one, namely _e_, stands for a single sound-element; nor is it probable that the results will justify extensive drill upon the more obscure vowel-elements, if the term may be applied to those sounds which are differentiated only slightly from the more pronounced vowel-sounds.

There are some twenty vowel-sounds that are used in English speech, but for various reasons a less number are employed in song. For, while it is desirable to give to each word and syllable its correct vowel-sound in singing, those which are unfavorable to good tone are usually approximated to the sound of those more favorable to good tone.

If too marked distinctions in the vowel-sounds are made by the singer, the result is disagreeable; while if the voice preserves a similar hue or tone-color throughout, the effect is pleasing.

The listener is unaware of the slight deviations from the spoken vowel-sound which the singer makes, that the requirements of tonal beauty may be met.

It is advisable in vowel-practice to avoid letters or symbols which represent two sounds, an initial and a vanish; and to use simple vowel elements instead. The combinations of different elements represented by certain letters and diphthongs may easily be explained when they appear in the words of a song, if, indeed, the study of phonics has not already cleared away all difficulties.

In singing, however, it is necessary to understand which of the two sounds, the initial or the vanish, is to be sustained. In _[-a]_, for instance, which is _eh_+_e_, if the vanish _e_ is sustained in a word like _day_ the effect is _deh-ee_. The first sound should be sustained, and the vanish _e_ be heard only slightly as the mouth partly closes at the end of the tone. _[-I]_, again, which is equivalent to _ah_+_e_, is often sung by prolonging the _e_ instead of the initial _ah_, as _light--li-eet_. _[-O]_ is a compound sound _[-o]_+_[-o][-o]_, but the tendency to sing the first sound short and prolong the second is very slight usually. _O_, then, can be used to represent a simple element. _[-U]_, which equals _e_+_oo_, is best sung by making the initial sound short and the vanish the longer tone.

It will thus be seen that of the five vowel names, _a_, _e_, _i_, _o_, _u_, _e_ only stands for one sound, though the two sounds of _o_ are so closely allied that the vanish is often imperceptible. The sound of [-a] in [)a]t is the most unfavorable sound for song in the language, and those extremely consistent singers who wish to use it can do so.

The nasal twang of Yankeedom is a plant that needs no nourishing. Its roots are grown wide and deep; so much so, that those who love it need not fear that it will pine away and die, if it bears no fruit of song, but only that of speech.

The sound of _[)a]_ will survive even if it is unused in song. It should in singing be broadened nearly to the sound of _ah_.

A number of simple elements are suggested which may be used in various ways in vocal drill. They are _[-e]_, _[)i]_, _[)e]_, _[:a]_, _[a:]_, _[-o]_, _[)oo]_. Or _[-e]_ (as in _be_), _[)i]_ (as in _it_), _eh_, _ah_, _aw_, _[-o]_ (as in _go_), _[)oo]_. The vowel-elements remaining are each so closely allied to some of those indicated that the attempt to differentiate them from the above in vowel-drill is hardly worth while. In fact, the use of _[)i]_-- _i_ as in _it_-- may be omitted if pupils have learned to sing _[-e]_ with fair breadth of sound, and _oo_ may be dropped in grades above the primary. It is the final sound of _[-o]_, as before said. This leaves five vowel-elements.

_E._

This vowel is often badly sung, and its form is none too favorable to good tone even when made as large as distinctness will allow. The lips must be drawn a little away from the teeth as in a smile, _but don't overdo it_, and the teeth slightly parted. The lips should not be drawn back, exposing the teeth and gums, nor should they be contracted and pressed against the teeth. In _e_ and in all vowel singing the lips should be relaxed, not contracted, and kept about as far from the teeth as they are in repose. If the opening of the mouth, that is, if the cavity back of the teeth is kept too small and narrow, the tone will be nasal and twangy. The mouth must be opened enough to permit purity of tone and free emission. The sound should verge toward _i_ in _it_.

_I._

This sound is _[-e]_ broadened. The teeth may be a little farther apart than when _[-e]_ is sung.

_[)E] or EH._

This is the sound of _e_ in the word _get_. It is also the initial sound of the vowel _[-a]_ or long _a_. It is true that this sound is not usually so given, but if _[-a]_ is sung with this sound as its initial sound, and the one to be prolonged, the very best vocal results can be obtained. The vowel _[)a]_ is more often poorly sung than otherwise. This is, perhaps, for the reason that comparatively few singers recognize that long _a_ stands for two sounds, and that the first, which may be spelled _eh_, can be sung with large form and placed well forward in the mouth, while the second sound _[-e]_ is small in form, and not adapted to the finest tone-effects. In singing this element, the jaw should drop much lower than for _[)i]_ and nearly as low as for _ah_.

_[:A] or AH._

This is the tone universally accepted as the best for voice-development; but in school-singing it is not permissible to use the voice except in the lightest manner, therefore purity of tone must content our ambitions; power can come later in life. The mouth opens widely for this tone and the whole throat is expanded.

_[A:] or AW._

This element is formed very much like _ah_. It is _ah_ broadened a little. The jaw drops to a lower point and the mouth-cavity deepens, while at the same time the extension from side to side narrows a little.

_[-O] and OO._

These sounds are better adapted to securing the use of the thin voice, where pupils have been accustomed to the use of the thick voice, than any other vowel-element. The mouth is well opened back of the lips, which should not be puckered as if to whistle, but relaxed instead.

In actual practice there may be observed a tendency, more or less marked, but pretty sure to manifest itself if practice on one sound is continued too long at a time, to deviate from any one toward some other vowel-element, as _[)i]_ to _[-e]_, _eh_ to _[)i]_, _ah_ to _er_ or _er_ or _uh_, _aw_ to _uh_, _[-o]_ to _oo_.

If this tendency to deviate from the right tone be permitted, the most slovenly habits will be formed, and all distinctions in vowel-sound disappear. Vowel-practice had better be omitted from class-work unless carefully and conscientiously taught.

If the course of music embraces drill upon scales, vowel-practice may be incorporated into the course easily. For instance, the drill outlined upon p. 70 may one day be given with _e_ for a few moments, then with _o_. On another day the drill may be upon _ah_, followed by _eh_, and so on. It is unnecessary to particularize. Every teacher will at once see how to apply practically vowel-singing to his music course. The exercises and songs may be sung with vowel-sounds. Nearly all books advise the use of _la_, _lo_, etc., in vocal exercises; but while that method of singing is unobjectionable, the vocalization of solfeggii, it may be observed, is established by the sanction of time and the experience of thousands of voice-trainers the world over.

The advantages which flow from vocalizing exercises and songs on a single vowel-sound are too many to be described in a word. No supervisor or teacher of music can afford to use _do_, _re_, _mi_, exclusively.

Another class of exercises is now suggested which may be sung upon one breath. They will be found especially adapted to develop flexibility and a ready adjustment of the movable parts of the vocal tube to the positions suited to the formation of the different vowel-sounds. If three sounds are used as here given, they must be sung quite slowly, the change from one sound to the next being made by a quick, easy change of position of the jaw, tongue, etc., but without interrupting the continuity of the tone.

Sufficient pause to obtain a new breath must be made at the end of each group, and the mouth opened properly for the production of the first sound of the next group before it is attacked. The time should be

[Music: f' f' f' {sung on o, e, o}]

quite slow and as in illustration, or the breath will not be used, and at each succeeding group of tones the lungs will become too full of air. The attack will then be explosive, and the tone too loud, if, indeed, the effort to control the breath does not contract and pinch the throat.

Eight groups are given for ascending a scale and eight for descending:

[-o] [-e] [-o] [-o] [-e] [)i] [-o] [)i] [-o] [-o] [-e] oo [-o] ah [-o] _o_ ah _e_ [-o] eh [-o] [-o] ah eh [-o] aw [-o] [-o] ah aw [-o] [-e] eh [-o] ah [)i] [-o] [-e] ah [-o] ah oo [-o] [-e] aw [-o] eh [-e]

It will be observed that a certain system of arrangement of the vowel-elements is followed. First, there are five groups, of which _o_ is the first and last sound, the others being placed between. Then _o_ is the first tone with _e_ as the second, the other sounds in turn ending the group. Next _ah_ is the second sound, then _eh_, _i_, _oo_ and _ah_ might be used as the second vowel-element, making thirty-five combinations with _o_ as the initial sound of each group. The same number of combinations can be made with _ah_ as the first tone, and so on with each of the seven vowel-elements.

Sixteen of these groups, changed from time to time as may be desired, can be written upon the blackboard and sung by the class in the way set forth, the teacher meanwhile keeping time for and directing the class.

It may be observed in this connection, that, as the voice ascends in pitch, there is a tendency to blend the various vowel-sounds into one sound. As the tones grow higher the sound-waves are focused at higher points upon the hard-palate, the sounding-board of the resonance cavities, and more difficulty is experienced in moulding these sound-waves into the forms characteristic of the different vowel-elements. As the parts concerned in tone-formation gain in flexibility, the result appears in the ease with which the alterations in shape of the resonance tube are made at higher pitches.

Fads and devices which divert attention from the subject and retard rather than accelerate the progress of pupils are common enough in schools, but the following simple illustrations of different vowel-forms may be found useful:

The base line represents the floor or base of the mouth-cavity, and the arch, the height and width of the mouth for each sound; the depth is not indicated. The width of the mouth from side to side is represented as greatest in _[-e]_, _[)i]_ and _eh_, while the height is greater in _ah_ and _aw_, _o_ is pictured as nearly round, and _oo_ the same, only small.

It is not contended that these diagrams picture the actual form assumed by the resonance cavities very accurately. The various positions which the tongue and the soft-palate assume are not shown at all, nor, perhaps, is it necessary; for if the pupil is taught to drop the lower jaw to the right position for each sound, and to keep the tongue prone in the mouth, a mental picture of each tone will be formed, and the thought will regulate the action. When the pupil can think the sound desired, the conditions for its formation will be met by the vocal organs. The usefulness of diagrams will then cease.

_Consonants and Articulation._

"Consonants are the bones of speech. By means of consonants we articulate our words; that is, we give them joints. We utter vowels, we articulate consonants. If we utter a single vowel-sound and interrupt it by a consonant, we get an articulation. Consonants, then, not only give speech its articulation or joints, but they help words to stand and have form, just as a skeleton keeps the animal from falling into a shapeless mass of flesh; therefore, consonants are the bones of speech. The consonant is the distinguishing element of human speech. Man has been defined in various ways according to various attributes, functions and habits. He might well be called the consonant-using animal. He alone of all animals uses consonants. It is the consonant which makes the chief difference between the cries of beasts and the speech of man." --_Richard Grant White_.

Consonants are not to be sung. The effort so common among singers to pronounce, by sustaining consonant sounds, is entirely misdirected. _M_, _n_ and _ng_, which are made by shutting off the escape of the air-current at either the lips or the hard-palate, and so forcing it through the nose, are often sustained to the detriment of beauty of tone and clear pronunciation as well.

Articulation, which is the pronunciation of a consonantal sound, is accomplished by interrupting the air-current, whether vibratory or not, at certain points. The interruptions are made by the meeting of the lips with each other or with the teeth, by the tongue with the teeth or hard-palate, and the root of the tongue with the soft-palate. The interruption may be complete, as in _p_ or _t_, or only partial, as in _th_. The sound of the consonant results from the slight explosion or puff which follows the recoil of the movable parts from the point of contact.

All consonants may for singing purposes be considered as preceding or following some vowel-sound. If preceding, then after the sound is made the vocal organs must be adjusted at once for the proper formation of the succeeding vowel. If the consonant sound follows a vowel-tone, the movement of the vocal organs to the interrupting point must be quick and vocalization at once cease; for if the vowel-sound is prolonged after the production of the consonant, the effect will be an added syllable to the word as _at-at-er_, _up-up-pah_, etc. The movements of the organs of speech for both contact and recoil must be more rapid in singing to produce distinct articulation than in spoken language.

Slovenly habits of articulation in speech will reappear in song, and the converse is also true. The study and practice of phonics, which is now general in schools, is of the highest practical importance in singing, as well as in reading or speaking. As consonant sounds cannot be sung, they are best taught in spoken language. The application of the knowledge and skill thus gained is readily applied to the pronunciation of words in singing. If the vowel-elements have been carefully practiced in vocalizes, there will be little effort required to secure the correct formation of all the vowel-sounds of words.

The nasal twang must, however, be ruthlessly suppressed. As before suggested, this will frequently appear in words containing the sound of _a_ as in _at, past, fast_, etc. It is recommended that such words be sung with _a_ as in _father_, or if not quite as broadly, at least approaching the sound of _ah_.

If the movements of the vocal organs are quick, flexible and without muscular tension or stiffness, and if the mouth opens neither too much nor too little for each vowel-sound, words may be sung and understood while beauty of tone is not sacrificed.