| Share page | Visit Us On FB |
|
CONCEPTS OF VOCAL PEDAGOGY 67
used consistently, the benefits of practice should apply with cumulative effect to each succeeding lesson. Formal exercise is the singer's "daily dozen." It helps to warm up the vocal instrument and builds habits of coordination and response.
b) Most pupils, left to themselves, unwittingly practice a fault, rather than its correction, even with the best of intentions. Because had vocal habits are concealed and elusive, their correction should never be arrogated by the pupil. They require the expert attention of the teacher himself, until they are completely routed. There is a single dissenting opinion, however. Teachers owe it to their pupils to make them self-reliant as soon as possible. To this end, vocal habits must be trained with such certainty that a degree of vocal independence can be established early in the student's training program.
c) An interesting suggestion is offered, that silent or mental practicing is a salutary forerunner of audible vocal exercise. Silent exercises are used for laryngeal muscular gymnastics, for memorizing songs, and to promote visualization and musical thinking. It can be practiced inconspicuously and in any environment. Its benefits accrue to the student in any later performance of the same exercise, since it tends to familiarize him with strange technical combinations and prepares him mentally with an accurate prevision of his finished performance. (See also Chapter VIII.)
d) By a law of exercise, when either a faculty or a function of the body is used often, it will tend to develop strength and stability; conversely, when it is neglected through disuse, it will tend to weaken and waste away. It follows, then, that the student's constant dependency upon re*ady-made pitch guidance in the use of piano accompaniments while practicing, might conceivably weaken his own pitch sense for attacking tones. This argument, although tenuous, is supported by some experimental data. While he is practicing, the vocal student needs to awaken and stimulate his own powers of aural visualization. Strong tonal preconceptions are valuable in singing. Good hearing acuity guarantees precision and self reliance in the vocal attack. These are virtues and values that need to be protected and nourished by the student during his practice period.
e) Finally, various ways of practicing the singing voice are briefly discussed. Suggestions include: mental aids to learning; the simplification of practice procedures; the importance of expression, mood and a spontaneous manner when practicing exercises; the values of slow tempo, humming, use of a mirror, standing position and outdoor environment; the stultifying effect of rote repetition, need for short practice periods and the use of moderation in all practice work.
Throughout the foregoing discussions of vocal pedagogy, little distinc- |
||