Chapter Summary: Smith introduces his six inventions. He explains that his goal through these inventions is to create a balance between light and dark, speech and airflow. In preparation for the following chapters, Smith gives details of the difference between conversational speech and singing. They are: projection, line, defined vowels, and using the whole instrument. Smith notes that consonants should be "pronounced with minimal sound interruption." When he says whole instrument, he refers to the fact that you need to involve your whole body for singing, even though speech does not require as much.
Key Concepts: The inventions help singers find a balance between light and dark, speech and airflow. Phonation for singing differs from phonation for speech, and we need to be aware of those differences.
Key Terms:
chiaroscuro - "bright-dark" in voice this is a balance between voice and breath...
invention - taking existing material and creating something new out of it
projection - more intensity to the sound which adds volume and strength to high pitches
line - speaking with constant intensity as opposed to percussive speech
defined vowels - refined vowel sounds untainted by regional dialect
Making Connections: I'm not always sure what Smith is talking about. I feel like the concept he is getting at is important, be the way he expresses it can be confusing. For example, how can chiaroscuro be the balance between speech and air? You need air to speak. And speech is not inherently dark, as air is not inherently bright. So I'm confused about that. I liked what he said about opening upward for brighter, ringing resonance. I'm struggling with that. I also liked what he said about making consonants so that they don't interrupt the sound, and about using the whole body as an instrument to avoid localized muscle effort. I'm excited to learn some inventions! I think that seeing the exercises will help me understand what he's saying.
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