Richard Miller: Training the amateur voice through warm-ups and exercises "Technique and expression must be the supporting pillars of vocal art…Technique is of no value except as it makes communication possible…Unless the emotional experiences and sentiments of a performer can be externalized, they have no value beyond personal therapeutic ones." - Richard Richard Miller Miller Training Voices in the Choral Rehearsal Systematic Application of Exercises in 4 Main Areas
Posture
Breath Management: 5 Areas
Free Laryngeal Function: efficient coordination of breath with tone
Resonance Balancing: harmonic partial relationships
Noble & Axial
Inhalation
Aided by agility exercises
Vowel differentiation
Garcia position
Onset
Aided by sostenuto exercises
Vowel exercises
Phonation
Vibrant voices
Release
Immediate renewal of breath
I.
II.
Posture a. Nob Noble & axial 1. Sternu Sternum m is is rela relativ tively ely elevat elevated ed 2. Shoulders Shoulders are are comforta comfortably bly back back & down, down, milita military ry stance stance is is avoided 3. Rib cage cage remai remains ns statio stationar nary y during during all phase phasess b. b. Garc Garcia ia posi positi tion on 1. Cross hands, palms outward, outward, at the the lower lower back area, just just below below th the 12 rib 2. Induces Induces “quietude “quietude of the torso” torso” and and allows allows the the rib cage to to remain in the position of inspiration (Solutions for Singers, p. 41) Breath Management a. 5-part cycle; cycle; can be be practiced practiced with with onset onset vocali vocalizes; zes; vocal vocal freedom freedom is is determined by the onset of vocal sound 1. Sile Silent nt inh inhal alat atio ion n 2. Onset begins with a vibrant vibrant tone centered centered on pitch (never hold the breath) 3. Dura Durati tion on of phon phonat atio ion n 4. Conclu Conclusio sion n of phonat phonation ion (the (the rele release ase)) a. Energi Energize ze the tone tone through through the enti entire re phras phrasee 5. Immediate Immediate quiet quiet renewal renewal of breath breath and same quiet quiet thoraci thoracicccage posture b. Onset Onset exerci exercises ses (see (see exam example ples) s) 1. I-IV-V-I I-IV-V-I series series from from lower-m lower-middle iddle to to upper-mid upper-middle dle ranges, ranges, alternating cardinal vowels
Richard Miller: Training the amateur voice through warm-ups and exercises
III.
IV.
a. Avoi Avoid d glo glott ttal al onse onsett b. Use fri fricat cative ive conson consonant antss (h, sh, sh, th, th, f…) c. Breath Breathee through through the the vowel vowel you are are prepari preparing ng to sing sing (reduces tension and the likelihood of taking in too much air) 2. With repetition repetition,, the singer singer produces produces healthy healthy vocal-fo vocal-fold ld approximation that is neither pressed nor breathy, ensures efficient breath management, and establishes a proper resonance balance 3. Exercises Exercises can can be gradually gradually elongated elongated and and should should vary vary in in difficulty 4. 4-5 minutes minutes of each each session session should should be be devoted devoted to onset onset traini training ng if a free well-balanced tone without early e arly rib-cage collapse is to be achieved 5. Repetition Repetition also also strengt strengthens hens the the anterolat anterolateral eral abdomin abdominal al wall wall through the use of the appoggio technique a. Neithe Neitherr pulling pulling inwar inward d nor pressi pressing ng outward outward at onset onset b. Short notes may cause a small small change change in in the abdominal abdominal wall c. In sustai sustained ned phonatio phonation, n, the position position of inspirati inspiration on is maintained until just before the end of the phrase Free laryngeal function a. Aide Aided d by agi agili lity ty exer exerci cise sess 1. Short Short laug laughin hing g patter patterns ns (5-4(5-4-3-2 3-2-1) -1) 2. Abdomin Abdominal al wall wall remain remainss flexibl flexiblee yet stabl stablee b. Aided by sostenuto exercises 1. Move to to simple simple articul articulated ated legato legato passage passagess in middle middle range 2. In combin combinati ation on with with onset onset exercis exercises, es, develo develops ps appoggio technique without long explanations 3. Exerci Exercises ses for for practic practicing ing onset, onset, agili agility, ty, and sostenuto and sostenuto (see Figures 9.2, 9.3, 9.4) 4. Excerpts Excerpts from from the the literatu literature re provide provide many many opportuni opportunities ties for for developing onset, agility, and sostenuto and sostenuto as well as musicality Resonance ba balancing a. Vowel Vowel defini definitio tion: n: “trac “trackin king g the vowel vowel”” 1. Changing Changing shapes shapes of lips, tongue, tongue, mouth, mouth, and jaw for for each each vowel 2. Vocal tract tract is is not a fixed fixed resonat resonator, or, but rather a flexible flexible system system 3. Raise zygomatic zygomatic arch arch (upper (upper cheekbones) cheekbones) to to assist assist with resonance, vibrancy, and pitch 4. Upper Upper teeth teeth shou should ld show show in singin singing g voice voice 5. Tongue should should be in contact contact with lower front teeth 6. Vowels should should never loose integrity integrity;; over-modi over-modifyin fying g them should be avoided 7. Additional Additional 5 minutes minutes should should be spent on vowel vowel differen differentiati tiation on
Richard Miller: Training the amateur voice through warm-ups and exercises in each session b. b. Vowel Vowel defin definit itio ion n voca vocali lize zess 1. Lateral Lateral to rounded then back back to the origina originall lateral lateral vowel vowel a. [i-e-a-e-i [i-e-a-e-i]] (ee-ay(ee-ay-ah-ayah-ay-ee) ee) then in in reverse reverse [a-e-i [a-e-i-e-a] -e-a] (ah-ay-ee-ay-ah) b. Amateur Amateur singers singers will will retain retain the more more open open position position once once they sing the (ah) vowel, and the last two will be distorted 2. Changing Changing pitch pitch along along with with alternati alternating ng round & lateral lateral vowels vowels a. 1-3-21-3-2-4-3 4-3-5-5-4-2 4-2-1 -1 (ay-aw) (ay-aw) sequen sequence, ce, then revers reversee will change (fixed dropped jaw will cause b. b. Jaw Jaw pos posit itiion will change problems in vowel differentiation, it causes tension in the jaw and throat, and interferes with proper tongue placement) 3. Changing Changing vowels vowels follows follows cleanly cleanly alterna alternating ting between between round and lateral vowels a. 1-3-51-3-5-3-1 3-1 [a-o[a-o-ii-o-e o-e]] (ah-oh(ah-oh-eeee-ohoh-ay) ay) b. Repeat until no timbr timbree distorti distortion on accompani accompanies es vowel vowel change, then proceed to other exercises c. 1-3-51-3-5-3-1 3-1 [i-o[i-o-a-o a-o-e] -e] (ee-o (ee-oh-a h-ah-o h-oh-a h-ay) y) d. Extend the patter patterns: ns: 1-3-51-3-5-8-5-3 8-5-3-1 -1 or 3-1-5-3-83-1-5-3-8-5-3-55-3-5-1 1 e. Add harmony harmony on I-IVI-IV-V-I V-I [i-e-a-e[i-e-a-e-i] i] & [a-e-i [a-e-i-e-a] -e-a] c. Vibrat Vibrato o is necess necessary ary for for a freely freely produc produced ed sound sound 1. Less vibrant vibrant voices voices should should be trained, trained, through through onset and agility agility exercises to induced natural vibrancy 2. Balance Balance of upper upper and lower partials; partials; the the light/da light/dark rk tone tone is balanced 3. Solo singers singers will will no longer longer be be aliens aliens in the ensembl ensemblee if less less vibrant voices become more so
Richard Miller: Training the amateur voice through warm-ups and exercises Onset Exercises & Instructions • •
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Work to balance each onset Sing each note with energy and vitality (and a lack of straight tone) until the offset Balance the offset as you did the onset Alternate vowels [a e i o u] If you have problems with unbalanced unbalanced onsets, use a voiced consonant [v z m n] (vocal "training wheels"). When your onsets become more skillfully balanced, you can remove the training wheels and sing on vowels only. Where indicated in the score, take a complete, small, and absolutely silent inhalation. inhalation. This helps you you prepare for the next onset with the minimum muscular involvement, and therefore helps you balance the next onset! Repeat up or down by 1/2 or whole steps, going only as low as comfortable. These exercises do not work well well above the register register transition in either males or females.
From “On the Art of Singing”, pp. 59, 60, 62
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Richard Miller: Training the amateur voice through warm-ups and exercises Adapted from Miller’s Structure for Singing
Richard Miller: Training the amateur voice through warm-ups and exercises
Richard Miller: Training the amateur voice through warm-ups and exercises
Figure 9.1 (Miller’s Training Soprano Voices)
Figure 9.2 (Miller’s Training Soprano Voices)
Figure 9.3 (Miller’s Training Soprano Voices)
Richard Miller: Training the amateur voice through warm-ups and exercises References Miller, R (1996). (1996). On the art art of singing. Oxford University Press US. US. ISBN 0195098250, 9780195098259 Miller, R (2008). Securing baritone, bass-baritone, and bass v oices. Oxford University Press US. ISBN 0195322657, 9780195322651 Miller, R (2004). Solutions for singers: tools for performers and teachers. Oxford University Press US. ISBN 0195160053, 9780195160055 Miller, R. (1986). (1986). Structure of singing. Schirmer. ISBN 0534255353, 9780534255350 Miller, R (2000). Training Training soprano voices. Oxford University Press US. ISBN ISBN 0195130189, 9780195130188
