Singing

The resonating chambers

Depending on the pitch, the sound enters different cavities. From lowest to highest:

• U — the lowest, in the mouth/lips.
• O — a little higher, in the pharynx/larynx.
• A — a middle pitch, in the centre of the larynx.
• E — in the mouth, near the sinuses.
• I — the highest sound, with its resonating chamber in the centre of the forehead.

Vocal cord problems

Speaking or shouting at an excessively high pitch rubs the vocal cords together and can cause small calluses (nodes or nodules), lowering the voice. Singing without control dries them out and makes them stiff, causing pain. This is why people who use their voices a lot need to drink plenty of water.

The right way to breathe for singing

There are three types of breathing:

• Costal: the chest and sometimes the shoulders rise — this is not the right way to breathe for singing.
• Abdominal: the lungs inflate too much, the abdomen is pressed too hard and the diaphragm works too much — useful after physical effort, but not for singing.
• Mixed or costo-diaphragmatic: this is the right way. Start relaxed and breathe in as if smelling a flower, without raising your shoulders; the ribs and diaphragm expand forwards to let the air through. Air enters through the nose, passes through the larynx and trachea, and reaches the lungs, which expand as the diaphragm moves down.

Before singing

You can train your voice with vocal exercises: short patterns of 4-5 notes repeated going up and down, using vowel sounds. Before each exercise, breathe deeply and correctly; produce the sound in a relaxed, natural way, paying attention to singing exactly in tune.

The seven Italian vowels

The alphabet has 5 vowel letters, but Italian uses 7 vowel sounds: e and o have both a close and an open version. In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), each sound has just one symbol, so pronunciation can be read without ambiguity.

How to read the vowel chart

The chart is a map of the mouth seen from the side. The columns show how far the tongue is towards the front (front vowels) or back (back vowels); the levels show how high o low. The vowel i is at the top and front, with the tongue raised high; u is at the top and back, with rounded lips; a is at the bottom and centre, with the mouth open and the tongue low.

When you sing, the position of your tongue changes the tone colour: this is why an «a» sung on a high note is not the same as an «a» spoken on the phone, and an «i» that is too tight becomes thin and piercing.

Vowels in singing

• The vowel carries the sound: stay on the same vowel for the full length of the note, without sliding towards another one.
• Italian vowels are pure: do not add a glide at the end (the English «go» sounds like «gou-ou», while the Italian «solo» stays «sɔlo»).
• On high notes, close vowels (i, e, u, o) tend to open, and open vowels (ɛ, ɔ, a) tend to close: aim for a focused sound, not a strained one.
• Do not add a vowel at the end of shortened words: sing «cantar», not «cantar-a».

Consonants: how they are formed

Consonants are formed when parts of the mouth (lips, teeth, tongue, palate, uvula) come close together or close off the airflow. The IPA chart arranges them by place — where the obstruction occurs — and by manner — how it happens: plosives block the air and release it suddenly (p, t, k), nasals let it pass through the nose (m, n, gn), fricatives let it pass with friction (f, s), affricates combine the two actions (ts, c in «cena»), and the trill makes the tip of the tongue vibrate (r).

Within the same cell, the symbol on the left is voiceless (the vocal cords do not vibrate: p, t, k, f, s), while the one on the right is voiced (they vibrate: b, d, g, v, z). Try placing your fingers on your larynx and saying «sss», then «zzz»: with the second sound, you can feel the buzzing.

Sounds, letters, examples

In Italian, the same letter can represent different sounds: the c in «casa» (/k/) is not the same as the c in «cena» (/tʃ/), and the s in «sole» (/s/) is not the same as in «sveglio» (/z/); gn e gl each represent a single sound (/ɲ/ and /ʎ/). The IPA removes any doubt.

The chart does not include the semiconsonant w (the u in «uomo», «uovo», «guerra»), which in Italian forms a pair with j (the i in «piede», «miele»).

Consonants in singing

• Consonants are very brief interruptions: make them quick and percussive, then return immediately to the vowel.
• Double consonants must really be doubled, with a clear stop: «ar-resto», «bel-la», «som-ma».
• Shortened words end with their final consonant: «andré», «cantâr».
• For nasal consonants (m, n, gn), move your lips and tongue only at the very last moment, to keep the vowel sound clear.