Articulation and diction
- Develop an awareness of how to use the tongue, teeth, lips and palate in the clear articulation of words, including those with diphthongs
Ask learners to sing scales to words like ‘pepperoni’, ‘margarita’ and ‘chocolate’.
To develop legato singing, ask learners to sing phrases from songs, taking out the consonants, i.e. only singing the vowel sounds.
For staccato singing, show learners how to practise short ‘bursts of steam’ with an ‘s’ sound. Then ask them to sing the same length of notes on open-vowel sounds and finally on voiced consonants, e.g. j (pronounced ‘jhe’).
Remember that when singing English in a classical style most of the emphasis and length in diphthongs are on the first vowel, with some notable exceptions, e.g. ‘music’.
Ensure good legato singing before introducing staccato. This aspect of singing also links closely to breathing and the development of control of the diaphragm.
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