What then is a good singing teacher?
Firstly, he /she should have a firm grasp of the principles of good vocalism which have been taught for nearly 400 years and are still valid today.
These are: -
A clean, precise, non violent beginning to the sound
An individual development of the separate registers, subsequently blending them to result in a seamless join.
An even tone throughout a range of at least two octaves.
A command of crescendo and diminuendo all over the voice, resulting in complete breath control.
Clarity of vowels and good consonant enunciation to give perfect diction without loss of tonal bloom.
A combination of good agility and sustaining power.
A perfect legato.
An even and regular trill.
These principles apply to all voices - light, fast voices should be able to sing long slow melodies as well as spectacular coloratura; and strong, powerful voices should be able to move quickly and easily when necessary. Both types should be able to trill. The ability to teach this corpus of technical knowledge should be a must for a competent teacher of voice.
In addition, a complete teacher, the paragon, should be a good and thorough musician, familiar with several languages in order to correct pronunciation, and also should have an in-depth acquaintance with a wide repertoire. A final bonus would be a successful professional career which gives an inner dimension to any advice which a teacher is called upon to give.
So,how should a prospective student make a choice?
Initially, he/she should question other students and if possible be brave enough to ask questions of prospective teachers. A sound one will not resent being asked what he/she teaches, an unsound one usually will. If this happens it can be an extremely revelatory experience. An intelligent student can glean much from other students about their teachers and what is taught, both from conversation and from listening to their singing in relation to what they say. Also, take notice of those teachers whose pupils continue to improve, month on month, year on year. Do not fall into the trap of going to the teachers whose pupils have the best voices, they are always natural and their quality is not due to any teacher. Pay attention to the pupils who continue to improve and whose faults are corrected. Theirs are the teachers who can teach.
Lastly, don’t be cheap. Good sound singing lessons are worth their weight in gold. Don’t learn incorrect technique or be led into sloppy ways which will have to be corrected later from lack of money. Seek out the best teachers and afford them. In the long term you will reap your rewards.
And practise!
A teacher can only guide and advise – you have to do the work!
What is Technique?
There often seems to be considerable confusion when the question of technique is raised; and when it is answered in several different ways, as so often happens, the confusion is further compounded. Most of the muddle stems from the fact that technique divides into two interrelated halves: technique of emission – the method of making the sound; and technique of facility – training to sing difficult musical patterns. Summarising, one could say the first is making the instrument and the second playing it.
Of course, every singer knows that an improvement in one affects the other, and the same goes for a deterioration. A practice regime at every level should include work (exercises) of both types, depending on natural gifts and the level of skill already achieved. Even the most beautiful voice must work continually to maintain the beauty, just as an ugly one must work to eliminate faults.
Commonly, the word ‘production’ is heard for the technique of emission. ‘Voice production’ and ‘voice building’ are perhaps the commonest terms used, but their precise meanings are often misunderstood or misinterpreted. What is not commonly understood is the fact that interpretation itself is largely dependent on how the sound is produced. Interpretation without technique cannot exist.
It must begin, for singers as with all musicians, with an exact realization of the black marks that the composer has put on the page, and must continue with the meaning of the words and their clarity, plus the emotions that lie behind the meaning. The technique of emission therefore includes the correct pronunciation and enunciation of vowels and consonants, volume, resonance and eventually the timbres needed to create colours and emotional changes.
