Deborah Wai Kapohe

Nasal

Lilli Lehmann laments that nasal resonance is often neglected. Today I made a sound file of ‘ng’. I practice ‘ng’ throughout my vocal range. If I concentrate on my happy surprise breath, onset and support then I feel what Lilli Lehmann calls ‘whirling currents’. Here are a pair of ‘i’ vowels without nasality and aContinue reading “Nasal”

Vibrazione

Esther Salaman, in her book ‘Unlocking Your Voice’, reminds us that the Bel Canto school of singing is about quality over quantity. Ms Salaman says that Vibrazione is an exercise that develops the core of our vowels. In other words, it develops quality. Today I made a sound file of vibrazione. Vibrazione is a momentContinue reading “Vibrazione”

Pronunciation

“He who knows how to breathe and pronounce well, knows how to sing well” Pacchiarotti (quoted in Francesco Lamperti’s book The Art of Singing). I have written quite a few posts about breathing. Today, I decided to write about pronunciation. Pronunciation, as well as breathing exercises, should precede singing lessons. Oskar Guttmann, in his GymnasticsContinue reading “Pronunciation”

Breathing with Interruption

Here is a fantastic exercise to develop your breath control. Lilli Lehmann approved of Oskar Guttmann’s book ‘Gymnastics for the Voice’. This exercise is taken from his book. Stand in Oskar Guttmann’s base position (I blogged about this in an earlier post). Breathe in through the nose, suspend for 5 seconds and then exhale throughContinue reading “Breathing with Interruption”

The Start of the Note

Esther Salaman’s book ‘Unlocking Your Voice – Freedom to Sing’ describes the start of the note as a ‘caress of the glottis’, a ‘tiny click’ and ‘imploding’. Here are some sound files I made on a, i and u using the mechanism of the larynx. Salaman’s exercise for beginners is to take a ‘happy surprise’Continue reading “The Start of the Note”

Whirling Currents

Lilli Lehmann’s book ‘How to Sing’ describes the sensations of ‘whirling currents’. She writes “[a] mistaken idea of ‘singing it forward’ misleads most to press it forward and thus allow it to be speedily dissipated”. Here is a demo of one of the many ways to train yourself to find and maintain these whirling currentsContinue reading “Whirling Currents”

‘Vi’

Here is a demo of singing ‘vi’ and swelling on every note. It is a great exercise to sing when learning the notes of a new song. Today, I am concentrating on remaining connected to my support and not scooping up to notes.

Sane Judgment

Giambattista Mancini, in his singing manual, “Practical Reflections on the Figurative Art of Singing” 1777 wrote: “Singers must always pay attention not to acquire that common fault of imitating too closely what they see and hear; for instead of improving their natural gifts, they will often lose them. However, I do not mean to excludeContinue reading “Sane Judgment”

Oskar Guttmann’s Breathing Exercises

Concerning the breath and much more besides, there is so much that is excellent in Oscar Guttmann’s ‘Gymnastik der Stimme’ that I can do no better than to refer to it and recommend it strongly to the attention of all earnest students. Lilli Lehmann, How to Sing, 1899/English Version 1914. Lilli Lehmann approved of OskarContinue reading “Oskar Guttmann’s Breathing Exercises”

Coloratura Arias For Soprano

Today, I have great joy in sharing with you one of my Spotify Playlists called ‘Coloratura Arias for Soprano’. The Playlist is based on the G. Shirmer Opera Anthology called by the same name. I am a big fan of the Schirmer anthologies. I appreciate having so many arias in one book, as well asContinue reading “Coloratura Arias For Soprano”