Sam Meredith Mckinney Ch. 9

Rewrite in your own words the 5 identifying characteristics of consonants. essentially they are restricted speech sounds, they make a conspicuous noise, they aren't as sonorous as vowels, they form the edges of syllables, they interrupt sound between vowels and separate a vocal sound into different units, thus creating meaning.

How are consonants divided into two primary groups. by whether or not their production requires the vibration of the vocal folds

Describe the 3 movement categories for consonants. Continuants: consonants that can be sustained as long as there is air, Stops: consonants which bring the flow of the air stream to a complete stop, Glides: vowels sounds which function as consonants

Describe the 2 other systems used for classifying consonants. 1) by the way the sound is produced, 2) by the place or articulatory position in which it is formed

Rewrite in your own words the 5 identifying characteristics of vowels. they are unrestricted sounds of speech, they can be sustained as long as there is breath flow, normally they are voiced but they can also be whispered, they are the foundation of a vocal tone, their shape and sound is determined by the articulator

Which articulator is of primary importance in the making of vowel sounds?  Why? The tongue because it is the primary determinate of the relationship between the oral and pharyngeal cavity

Describe how vowels are grouped. By the position of the arch of the tongue in the mouth, by the cavity texture produced by tension of the muscles of the mouth and throat, by the level of stress they receive

What are the four levels of stress? primary, secondary, tertiary, and weak

What are the 5 Singer’s Vowels? [i], [e], [a], [o], [u]

What is a phoneme? one of the set of speech sounds in any given language that serve to distinguish one word from another

What is an allophone? a distinct articulation that can be substituted for another one

Which articulators are under the direct control of the singer. the lips, the lower jaw, and the tongue

Which articulators must be trained indirectly? the soft palate, the glottis, the epiglottis, and the larynx

What are the 2 basic principles which contribute to the effective use of the articulators? 1) All movements of the articulators should be quick, precise, and positive, ending in a position which is free of unnecessary tension 2) in singing, articulatory movements must be exaggerated especially with beginning students, if the words are to be consistently understood

What does McKinney suggest imagining as a first step? It will help insure clarity and distinctness

What are suggestions that are made for use/position of lips? they must be free and ready to move, be slightly off the teeth as if you are about to smile, and should feel like they could bounce off of each other upon contact

What suggestions are made for your lower (yikes) jaw? Must be free from tension and ready to move, be in the beginning of a yawn posture, feel like it's dropping open of its own weight, drop down then back, increase in space as you sing higher, decrease in space as you sing lower, and be free from rigidity or locking

What suggestions are made for your tongue? Must be free of unnecessary tension and ready to move, it is the most important articulator, a singer sould have a point of reference which it occupies for vowels and to which it returns after consonants, movements must be quick, precise, and positive; the tip of the tongue should remain in a consistent position for the articulation of all vowels

Why is tongue considered most important articulator? Because it is involved in the production of all vowels and many consonants

Define/describe consonants in general. A consonant is a subordinate sound which is used with a vowel to form a syllable; it does not form the nucleus of a syllable, but can define its borders. Some are voice, some are not. All consonants, however, place some sort of obstruction or restriction in the path of sound, causing noise

Why does McKinney suggest firm consonants? 1) consonants are suboirdinte to vowels in sonority and do not carry as well, 2) firm consonants help the singer to establish and maintain good, solid tone production on the vowels

Define vowels. Vowels are voiced, unrestricted speech sounds which are capable of being sustained and thereby of becoming the basic building material of vocal tone

What is the function of vowels? to carry the tone

What is the function of consonants? to break up the tone into distinct, comprehensible units

What is the problem that inexperienced singers have with vowels? Inability to establish and maintain steady states of vowel posture

How are the concepts of vowel purity and phonemic identity different? Maintaining vowel purity would mean to articulate every vowel the exact same way each time that vowel occurs. Maintaining phonemic identity, however, implies always making each vowel sound as intelligible as possible even if the manner or articulation changes slightly bases on pitch, dynamic level, etc.

What are the problems that occur when singers insist on singing “pure” vowels in the upper voice? loss of quality, tight phonation, elevated larynx, vocal strain

What are the different approaches to vowel migration or vowel modification? 1) allowing for more internal and external space while still thinking the same basic vowel, 2) think the vowel to which you are modifying, 3) color vowels in the upper voice with 'ah' or 'uh'

What is the critical factor in all systems of vowel migration/modification? to retain enough phonemic identity for the word to be recognized

In studying professional female singers, upon what is jaw opening dependent? the phonation frequency