Rewrite in your own words the 5 identifying characteristics of consonants.
1. Restricted speech sounds
2. Depending on the degree of restriction they can be more or less noticeable
3. They are below vowels in how important they are
4. Define the ends and beginnings of syllables
5. They stop the sound, separating the vocal tone
How are consonants divided into two primary groups?
those which require vocal fold vibration (voiced) and those which do not (voiceless)
Describe the 3 movement categories for consonants.
Continuants: are sounds which can be sustained as long as the breath lasts
Stops: consonants which bring the flow of the air stream to a complete halt
Glides: a vowel sound which functions as a consonant; it starts in the position of one vowel but immediately slides or glides toward whatever vowel follows it
Describe the 2 other systems used to classifying consonants.
1. The way the sound is produced
2. The place or articulatory position in which it is formed
Rewrite in your own words the five identifying characteristics of vowels.
1. Unrestricted
2. Can be sustained
3. normally voiced
4. foundation of tone
5. molded by the articulators
Which articulator is of primary importance in the making of vowel sounds? Why?
the tongue because it is the primary determinant of the relationship between oral and pharyngeal resonators
Describe how vowels are grouped.
front, back, and central; tense and lax vowels; stressed and unstressed vowels; cardinal vowels and the Latin vowels
What are the four levels of stress?
primary, secondary, tertiary and weak
What are the 5 Singer's vowels?
[i] [e] [a] [u] [o]
What is a phoneme?
a family of sounds in a given language
What is an allophone?
phonetically distinct articulations which can be substituted for each other
Which articulators are under the direct control of the singer?
the lips, jaw and the tongue
Which articulators must be trained indirectly?
the soft palate, the glottis, the epiglottis and the larynx
What are the two 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.articulatory movements must be exaggerated
What does McKinney suggest imagining as a first step?
that all your articulatory movements are taking place just in front of your mouth, with everything moving very crisply and precisely, but without tension
What are suggestions that are made for use/position of lips?
helps your face have a pleasant, vital expression as if you are about to smile but also communicates
What suggestions are made for your lower jaw?
beginning a yawn position helps you find that position, free from tensions, drops down and then hangs back
What suggestions are made for your tongue?
"a point of reference", upper surface forming a gentle arch
Why is the tongue considered the most important articulator?
Because it forms vowels and consonants
Define/describe consonants in general.
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
Why does McKinney suggest firm consonants?
1. consonants are subordinate 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 vowels
Define vowels.
Vowels are voices, 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?
the inability to establish and maintain steady states of vowel posture
How are the concepts of vowel purity and phonemic identity different?
phonemic identity different because it is more meaningful, there has to be some change
What are the problems that occur when singers insist on singing "pure" vowels in the upper voice?
loss of quality, tight phonation, elevation of larynx, vocal strain
What are the different approaches to vowel migration or vowel modifications?
-you should recognize that vowels do modify in the upper voice, you should modify by creating more space
-you should migrate by thinking the vowel toward which you are modifying
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?
upon the phonation frequency than on the vowel
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