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Lecture 1

Learning to sing in a foreign language focuses primarily on diction, articulation and vocal delivery of lyrics rather than fully mastering the language's grammar, syntax and comprehension. Lyric diction refers to the pronunciation, enunciation and expression of words in singing. To practice, singers should produce vowels in isolation, speak words before singing, sing on a comfortable pitch while articulating correctly, practice in front of a mirror, keep the tongue relaxed, and actively listen to themselves.

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81 views3 pages

Lecture 1

Learning to sing in a foreign language focuses primarily on diction, articulation and vocal delivery of lyrics rather than fully mastering the language's grammar, syntax and comprehension. Lyric diction refers to the pronunciation, enunciation and expression of words in singing. To practice, singers should produce vowels in isolation, speak words before singing, sing on a comfortable pitch while articulating correctly, practice in front of a mirror, keep the tongue relaxed, and actively listen to themselves.

Uploaded by

lexy connolly
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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What is Lyric Diction?

The difference between studying a foreign language and learning to sing it.

Mastering a foreign language one must:


1. Be able to speak and understand the language
2. Read and write it
3. Develop the skill of comprehension. Which requires a knowledge of :
a. Vocabulary
b. Grammar
c. Syntax
d. Pronunciation
e. Intonation

Learning to sing a foreign language is much simpler. The singer will focus
mostly on the diction, articulation and vocal delivery of the song.

What is lyric diction? “…it is the rendition of words in singing with regard
to pronunciation, enunciation and expression”
(Colorni, Evelina. Singers Italian. Shirmer, 1996. Websters Dictionary)

DEFINITIONS:
Pronunciation: proper choice of sounds in speaking the words
Enunciation: accurately uttering the sounds
Expression: conveying the full meaning of the song through the words
Phonetics: the scientific study of the speech sounds and their
formation
PHONEME - A phoneme may consist of several phonetically
distinct articulations, which are regarded as identical by native speakers,
since one articulation may be substituted for another without any change of
meaning. Thus /p/ and /b/ are separate phonemes in English because they
distinguish such words as pet and bet, whereas the light and dark /l/ sounds
in little are not separate phonemes since they may be transposed without
changing meaning.
ARTICULATORS - a movable organ, as the tongue, lips, or
uvula, which is involved in the production of speech sounds.

VOWEL - William G. Moulton defines them as “sounds articulated in


such a way that the breath stream flows essentially unhindered along the
median line of the vocal tract.” The vocal chords are always vibrating.

CONSONANT- The sounds articulated in such a way that the air


used is either partially or totally obstructed. (pg. 3, Moriarty. Diction)

International Phonetic Alphabet - IPA


In 1888 the International Phonetic Association was founded in order to
establish a “pronouncing alphabet”. This became known as the International
Phonetic Alphabet or IPA.
Each letter of the IPA represents one sound only, regardless of the language.
The set of symbols and modifiers designed, principally on the basis of
articulation considerations, to provide a consistent and universally
understood system for transcribing the speech sounds of any language.

How to practice
1. Produce each vowel in isolation.
2. Speak the words before singing them, making sure to articulate the
vowels correctly.
3. Sing the words on a comfortable pitch or scale. It can be on a
monotone or any notes that feel comfortable.
4. Practice in front of a mirror, making sure that the tip of your tongue is
always touching the back of the lower teeth.
5. Keep your tongue relaxed at all times. A tight tongue position will
affect the vowel you are trying to articulate.
6. Actively listen to the vowel and word you are articulating. If you do
not hear it correctly you will not be able to sing it correctly. The
sound is learned by hearing it.

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