Opera Studio
of Dallas, Inc.
Now Available!
The Cold War
Soprano
Memoirs of a Singer-Spy
The Biography of
Sheila Jones Harms
In Memoriam
Sheila Jones Harms
May 29, 1931
December 12, 2004
The International Opera Studio of Dallas, Inc., is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, affirmative action training program for talented artists.
International Opera Studio
of Dallas
HINTS ON HOW TO SING
1. Stand up straight, with a relaxed feeling all over, as if hung by a thread from the ceiling.
2. Tuck in buttocks. Think of a quarter between the cheeks!
3. Raise Chest.
A. Cross arms in front of the chest.
B. Raise crossed arms up parallel to the floor.
C. Drop arms and leave chest raised.
4. Pull shoulders back. Turn palms forward, and then drop arms back.
5. Inhale by relaxing the diaphragm. (Open the cavity and air will flow in.) Do not make a sound while inhaling.
6. Drop jaw and lightly pull backwards.
7. Pull tongue forward so that the tip touches the back of the bottom teeth.
8. Raise palate (back of the throat): smile with your eyes and lift ears.
9. Phonate (make a sound) by allowing the diaphragm to propel the air out through the throat.
10. Lips and tongue should be flexible so as to allow for easy diction.
11. You should feel no pressure in your throat while singing. The only sensation is that of the support, possible vibration in the chest, and the resonance in the head.
12. Let the breath do the work.
VOWELS: A (AH) as in AMEN
E (EH) as in MET
I (EE) as in EAT
O (OH OR OW) as in HOME
U (OO) as in MOON
DIPHTHONG: A complex vowel sound made by gliding continuously from the position of one vowel to that of another within the same syllable. As (OU) in DOWN.
TYPES OF VOWELS:
1. DARK Produced in the back of the mouth with wide open throat and rounded mouth.
2. BRIGHT Produced in the front of the mouth with lips and mouth spread, similar to (AAH).
3. NEUTRAL .Midway between dark and bright.
TYPES OF TONE:
1. ROUND A full, resonant, open sound.
2. COVERED A slightly muffled, very round sound, made by shaping the vowel towards (OH)
3. WHITE A very bright, thin, non-supported sound. Has no resonance.
4. THROATY A sound produced in the throat with no support. Sounds strained
5. CHEST The normal male speaking voice. Named because vibration can be felt in the chest.
6. HEAD The light falsetto voice. The sound a man makes when he mimics the female voice. A "false" voice.
7. MIXED An even distribution of chest and falsetto, so that as you sing higher, the chest gradually gives way to the head voice. Allows for a round, resonant tone in all registers.
PHRASING:
Be sure to maintain support to the end of a phrase. It is easy to go "flabby" at the end of a long phrases.
COLOR:
Keep the same color throughout the entire range. Do not drop the tone on low notes.
