Recommended Books

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Resources for Teaching and Learning
DICTION
James F. Daugherty The University of Kansas
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From a musical / artistic perspective
CHORAL MUSIC HAS TEXT
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From a musical / artistic perspective
CHORAL MUSIC HAS TEXT
Question Why, then, are many philosophies of
music education today based exclusively on models
of absolute music, i.e., music alone?
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From an acoustical / scientific perspective
CHORAL MUSIC HAS TEXT
IS
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Articulatory maneuvers produce
UNITS OF SOUND
phonemes
allophones
vowels
consonants
words
phrases
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If a song is sung with poor diction (faulty
articulation of vowels and consonants), much more
than the literary meaning is lost the quality of
the singing voice is also impaired, resulting in
a musical loss --Charles Lindsley, Fundamental
s of Singing, p 62
Good diction is the keystone in producing
distinctive vocal and choral sound. Without good
diction there is little prospect for other choral
virtues such as blend of voices, sectional unity,
variety in tone quality or color, proper use of
resonation and even good intonation.
--Lloyd Pfautsch, English Diction for Singers
(1971), p 3.
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The articulatory capacity of the human voice most
distinguishes it from other wind instruments.
Resonance
Articulation
DICTION
Phonation
Respiration
In its contributions to the human singing voice,
articulation can sometimes be more important even
than phonation (e.g., voiceless consonants) and
resonance (e.g., articulators can block or open
certain resonators)
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Some intuitively define singing as prolonged
speech
Fred Waring Sing all the beauty of all of the
sounds of all of the syllables of all of the
words. Robert Shaw Dont sing words. Sing all
of the sounds of the words.
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The final premise of our choral artis that vocal
(choral) music has words to communicate--as well
as pitches, rhythms, and colors--and that it is
possible most of the time to project them through
and over instrumental collaboration. We do this
by concentrating not upon the words themselves,
but upon the irreducible, individual, and
succession of sounds which form these words, and
we try to allot to each of these sounds its
precise moment of musical time. We amy take our
personal inspiration from the text, but when it
comes to the transmission of that text, its work
gloves, overalls, and sweat. Robert Shaw
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Pence (1994) found that choral teachers surveyed
were neither trained for, nor comfortable in,
teaching diction.
We spend a lot of time on pitches and rhythms,
and we tend to believe that systematic
sight-singing instruction is a means to musical
literacy.
Yet, we rarely consider systematically equipping
our students with articulatory/phonetic tools for
vocal literacy, despite the centrality of
diction for choral sound and its demonstrated
role in vocal/choral pitch and rhythm.
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In choral singing, this essential role of diction
or articulation becomes more complex because of
the CHORUSING EFFECT
Many voices and their reflections create a
quasi-random sound of such complexity that the
normal mechanisms of auditory localization and
fusion are disrupted. Instability of F0 produces
flutter.
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CHORAL SOUND
has properties of both complex tones and
very narrow-band noise
its sonic character is that of a sum of sounds
that are similar, yet not phase coherent
spectral beat (using LTAS) in the region of
500-700 Hz
SPL of choral sound has large, random short-term
variations due to beats
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Scientific studies of human singing find that
people phonate and articulate differently in
choirs than they do as soloists, i.e., solo
singing and choral singing are two distinct modes
of vocal production.
Beyond a certain point, one cannot work with an
ensemble of voices as one would work with a
single voice in a studio.
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Simply put, choruses have to chorus. Matters
such as perceived blend and balance become
important. In chorusing, moreover, the whole is
more than the sum of its parts.
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Put another way, chorusing vowels and chorusing
consonants play somewhat different roles than
solo vowels and solo consonants. Most
importantly in this respect, they have to be
perceived as being in some sense unified.
It is this complex, perceived unity that
determines both choral tone quality and some
aspects of choral intonation.
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Intonation Issues Related to Diction
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Vowels themselves have intrinsic pitch for
example, all else being equal, high front vowels
are generally produced with a higher Fo than low
vowels.
front vowels (like ee and ih) tend to raise
the pitch (Fo)
the ah vowel tends to lower the pitch (Fo)
u (oo) has a relatively low number of harmonics
and is perceived to drop in pitch the louder it
gets, and to sharp in the presence soft reference
tones
translation even given the same frequency at
phonation, the pitch of some vowels will
naturally sound flatter or sharper than the pitch
of some other vowels.
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Certain combinations of vowels are particularly
potent pitch/frequency benders
for example, ee to eh (as in Kyrie Eleison)
can carry a change in Fo of almost 35 cents
cent (a unit of frequency ratio that represents
pitch deviation) one cent 1/100 of a half
step 35 cents about a fifth of step flat or
sharp
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Solo singers typically can check their vowel
tuning by a stable reference, e.g., a piano or an
orchestra.
A cappella choral singers (and to some extent all
choral singers) have as a reference only fellow
singers, who are fighting against the same vowel
intonation tendencies.
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When, in a choral singers ear, the sound of the
choir as a whole overbalances the feedback heard
from ones own voice (as in crowded spacing) a
singer is much less able to modify intrinsic
vowel pitch.
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To complicate matters further two differing
versions of a vowel going on simultaneously in a
choral ensemble can also alter the overtones of
the fundamental pitch produced by vibrations of
the vocal folds.
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Translation Choral singing in tune requires
more than vocal folds phonating at on or around a
certain frequency as indicated by notes in a
score. It also requires articulation savvy.
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YOUR TURN
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So how do we teach the articulation necessary to
sing this canon both beautifully and in tune?
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Four Teaching/Learning Strategies
1. Que sera, sera
whatever will be, will be
2. Modeling/Rote
Perhaps momentarily quicker, but questionable
transfer potential teacher-centered, students eq
uipped only to mimic the teacher
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Four Teaching/Learning Strategies
3. English Phonetic Spelling
similar to the Fred Waring tone syllable system
For example you--bee--lah--teh
Can work more or less successfully for Latin. But
not consistent or accurate for every language
Shteal_lay Nahcht! Hi_lee_gay Nahcht!
Often more than one symbol per sound, cannot
always convey nuance. Still student-passive.

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4.
Established 1886, Paris. Revised 1993. Updated
1996.
Major advantage over other systems one sound,
one symbol.
Learn and teach any language.
Empowers students with a useful tool. More
useful over time.
Major disadvantage Need to learn the system
first. (Not unlike solfegge in this respe
ct).
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Pan (1995), in a study of an intact eighth grade
choir (N62), found that
Both IPA and English Phonetic Spelling were
superior to traditional rote instruction as
measured by individual testing on the correct
pronunciation of a Latin motet the choir had been
rehearsing.
Students receiving instruction in IPA performed
with significantly greater accuracy than students
receiving instruction by phonetic spelling in
being able to pronounce previously unstudied
Latin texts.
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YOUR TURN
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hænd ov ?oz bvt\ns ør ju
mlt !
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Sung Ecclesiastical Latin is a good starting
point for IPA Choral Diction
It has 5 vowel sounds and only 5 vowel sounds
It has no diphthongs
Repeat It has (should have) NO diphthongs
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Question Given the absence of recording devices
and the apparent presence of numerous dialects
(Austro-German Latin, Venetian Latin, etc.), who
determines how Ecclesiastical Latin should be
sung?
Answer The Pope
Papal Decree (1903), Pope Pius X required Roman
pronunciation of Latin universally in the Roman
Catholic Church
This diction is codified in The Rev. Michael de
Angelis, C.R.M., The Correct Pronunciation of
Latin According to Roman Usage. Philadelphia
St. Gregory Guild. Rev. ed. 1937.
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5 Latin Vowels
å

i
ø
u
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5 Latin Vowels
å
ah, as in father

eh, as in met
i
ee, as in seek
ø
aw, as in bought, saw
u
oo, as in soon
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2 Latin Glides
a glide is an unstressed vowel that proceeds
quickly and smoothly to a following vowel
j
i
ju
unstressed
w
kwi
u
unstressed
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ju
bi
la
t
d
ø
l
-
-
-
-
ju
t
d
ø
bi
la
-
-
-
-
a
l
lu
ja
-
-
-
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In terms of developing choral sound, especially
in younger or amateur ensembles
Start with u Most bang for the buck
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• u is the most physically active of the Latin
  vowels

• need to round the lips, open the pharynx,
  release tension

• can incorporate kinesthetic elements in its
  teaching

• teach distinction between Pepto-Bismol u and
  free u

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Teach one at a time the 5 Latin vowels and the 2
Latin glides, along with their IPA symbols
Can begin by incorporating them into daily warm
ups
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Some strategies
1. Teach the Jubilate Deo canon it has them all
(except the w glide), plus it contains the
ubiquitous alleluia
2. During warm up exercises
have the IPA symbol(s) already on the board or
wall and point to them in turn, perhaps adding
one each day both visual and aural
reinforcement
u i å ø
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Strategies, continued
3. focus on a particular vowel in already
familiar exercises,
e.g., I love tu sing anchor or modify with
kinesthetic gestures
4. have on the board a Pronounce That Word or
Pronounce This Phrase challenge (with the word
or phrase written in IPA), similar to Name That
Tune
dIkß\n Iz fvn
ßøn tßæstIn raks !
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Strategies, continued
5. use various IPA symbols for sightsinging or
rehearsing off text
6. download the IPA fonts and replace selected
text with IPA symbols
7. occasional worksheets or online modules
8. gradually begin to use some IPA in memos and
handouts
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YOUR TURN
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More IPA Symbols

• \ neutral unaccented schwa
• U open as in put, book
• åU diphthong, as in cow
• I open as in it, him
• hw unvoiced glide, as in what

• v neutral accented uh, up
• unvoiced th as in think
• æ forward vowel, as in cat
• voiced, nasal consonant, as in sing
• diphthong is dIf ø

? voiced th as in those
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nåU Iz ?\ mvn vv mI

hwn mri lædz år plI
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nåU Iz ?\ mvn vv m - I hwn m -ri
lædz år

pl - I få lå lå lå lå lå
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Altered to fit the context of a particular
ensemble
nåU Iz ?v mvn? åv m-(I) hwn m -ri
læ-dzår

pl - (I) få lå lå lå lå lå
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Altered to fit the context of a particular
ensemble
nåU Iz ?v mvn? åv m-(I) hwn m-ri
læ-dzår

pl - (I) få lå lå lå lå lå
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YOUR TURN
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Still More IPA Symbols

• e high vowel as in chaotic
• ç voiceless, forward ch somewhat as in hue
• x voiceless, back ch somewhat as in a sharply
  whispered ah

• ø close mixed vowel, ö
• y close mixed vowel, ü
• o closed o, as in open

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Ein Feste Burg ist unser
Gott
åIn fst bUrk Ist Unz\r gøtt
ein gute Wehr und waffen
åIn gut ver Unt våff\n
der al-te bö- se Feind
der ål-t bø-z fåInt
mit Ernst ers jetzt meint
mIt rnst ers jtst måInt

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gross macht und viel List
gross måxt Unt fil lIst
sein grausam Rüstung ist

zåIn gråUzåm rystU Ist
auf Erd ist nicht seins
gleichen
åUf ert Ist nIçt zåIns glåIç\n
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åIn fst bUrk Ist Unz\r gøtt
åIn gut ver Unt våff\n
der ål - t bø - z fåInt
mIt rnst ers jtst måInt
gross måxt Unt fil lIst
zåIn gråUzåm rystU Ist
åUf ert Ist nIçt zåIns glåIç\n
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åIn f - st bUrk Ist Un - z\r gøtt
åIn gu-t ver Unt våf - f\n
der ål t bø - z fåInt mIt rnst
ers jtst måInt gross måxt Unt fil lIst
zåIn gråUzåm ry - stU Ist åUf
ert Ist nIçt zåIns glåI - ç \n
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YOUR TURN
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Even More IPA Symbols

• ? voiced consonant, as in azure
• nasalized
• å nasalized å
• o nasalized o
• ß fricative consonant sh, as in ocean and
  sugar
  

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il est ne le divin Enfant
i l ne l\ di-v å -få
Jouez hautbois resonnez musettez
?u-we o-bwa resone my-z-t\
il est ne le divin Enfant
i l ne l\ di-v å -få
Chantons tous son avenement
ßåto tus so nå-vå-n\-må
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i l ne l\ di - v å - få
?u -we o - bwa reso
ne my - z - t\ i l ne l\
di - v å - få ßå to
tus so na - vå -n\ -må
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http//www.chass.utoronto.ca/rogers/fonts.html
Recommended Web Sites
Listed on your handout
Be sure to note
download the IPA fonts for your word processing
program for free..there is a set for Macs and a
set for PCs
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Recommended Books
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KU SUMMER GRADUATE COURSE
CHORAL DICTION (3 credit hours)
June 7 - 25, three weeks, 9am-Noon M-F
for details http//www.ku.edu/memt
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moving the articulators causes shape, size, and
length of vocal tract to change
these changes allow the vocal tract to act as a
filter on the sound produced by the vibrating
vocal folds
this sound source filtering, which includes the
variable resonating frequencies of the vocal
tract, determines the particular quality of a
sound, i.e. which vowel is sounded
different vowels are caused by different
articulatory filtering
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for example, natural resonance frequencies of the
vocal tract modify the signal generated in the
vocal folds to ..
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1. Shteal_lay Nahcht! Hi_lee_gay Nahcht!
Ah_lays shlayft ine_sahm wahcht
Noor dahs trou_tay hi_lee_gay Paar.
Hole_dare Knahb' eem low_kig_ten Haar,
Shlah_fay in him_lish_air Roo!
1. Stille Nacht! Heil'ge Nacht!
Alles schläft einsam wacht Nur das traute heilig
e Paar. Holder Knab' im lockigten Haar, Schla
fe in himmlischer Ruh!