Hi everybody, I want to start February saying how much I appreciate Deon Unthank and the Southern Gospel News website for allowing me to write each month about one of my favorite topics. My most favorite topic to write about is Jesus. My second favorite topic to write about is my family. Then comes singing technique as one of my favorite topics. Therefore, I am writing about one of my favorite topics. Singing technique is something I have been working on for most of my adult life. I have studied it and I have taught it for over 40 years, and I still learn something new about it every time I sing or listen to someone else sing. Many times I learn something good to do when singing or listening to someone else, and sometimes I learn WHAT NOT TO DO while I am singing or listening to someone else. Because I have studied this so much and taught it for so many years, I have a tendency to analyze (not criticize) every singer’s voice that I hear including my own. I don’t do this to be critical, but to see how to improve my own singing and how to help others improve theirs. It becomes difficult sometimes for me to listen to someone just for the pure enjoyment of it, because I am always listening for strain, pronunciation, enunciation, breathing technique etc. The reason I write a column like this is to try to help keep each of us (me included) from bad habits that will shorten the time in our lives that we are able to sing for the Glory of God. I pray that those of you who read this little column on a monthly basis will gain something from it to help you sing a long time for the Glory of God. He is wonderful, and deserves ALL THE PRAISE!
I mentioned in the previous paragraph two terms that I would like to address in this column.
One is PRONUNCIATION, and the other one is ENUNCIATION of words. The biggest problems that I see in today’s contemporary music interpretations are the problems of POOR PRONUNCIATION and POOR ENUNCIATION of lyrics. This causes me, many times, to not be blessed by what would be a beautiful song with uplifting and powerful lyrics. Many Christian singers today are trying to copy the poor interpretations of words that are used in the pop genre of music. It seems that today many singers in the pop field SLUR and ELIDE their words so much that they are virtually not understandable. WE HAVE A MESSAGE IN CHRISTIAN AND GOSPEL MUSIC. Our message NEEDS TO BE SUNG SO PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT JUST A WANNABE POP SINGER, BUT WE ARE SINGING ABOUT THE MOST IMPORTANT TOPIC THAT HAS EVER BEEN. AND THAT IS THE TOPIC OF JESUS AND THE ATONEMENT He purchased our salvation and we need to pronounce our words and enunciate our message as clearly as possible in order that the WORLD CAN SEE HIM AND NOT US. WE ARE AMBASSADORS, CARRIERS OF A MESSAGE, ENVOYS, WITNESSES, and all the other words that you can think of that mean WE HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY THAT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD FOR THE BETTER. I am preaching,but this is a topic that needs to be addressed in order that we in SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC do not lose sight of our goal, which should always be to LIFT UP JESUS. Jesus said “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me”.
The word PRONUNCIATION means “the act or way of forming sounds to say words”.
The word ENUNCIATION means “to speak or pronounce words clearly”
The word SLUR means “to pass over quickly or carelessly” “to pronounce in an unclear way”
The word ELIDE means “to omit or slur over (a vowel, or syllable) in pronunciation
I could probably write an entire column on each of these words, but for this month I am going to just mention them and try to define them as is appropriate and useful to each of us as GOSPEL SINGERS. PRONUNCIATION “the act or way of forming sounds to say words”. This word is a great starting point for us. The most important part of pronouncing a word correctly is the sound of the VOWEL or VOWELS especially when singing. In order to pronounce vowels correctly you can think that you are forming the particular vowel with your lips. Stop and think, when you are first learning a song, does this vowel sound like it does in normal conversation?
The people who pronounce their words the clearest are the network news casters on TV. That is their business. If you want someone to emulate in pronunciation emulate one of them. It would help if you record your own singing and listen back to see if you are articulating the words in a way that is as understandable as the network news guy that you listen to everyday. Remember vowels, in singing, are most important sounds. Next comes a mixture of consonant sounds, along with strong vowel sounds, that make up the pronunciation of words. Also if you want to study a gospel singer that had great pronunciation, and enunciation, study JAKE HESS or JAMES BLACKWOOD. Both of these legends had a real handle on what good clear pronunciation is. Remember sounds are amplified by the resonators, BUT WORDS ARE FORMED BY THE LIPS. It therefore is a matter of HOW YOU HOLD YOUR MOUTH!!!
ENUNCIATION is the clarity of pronunciation that is caused by forming your words correctly with your lips.
As I alluded to earlier, the pop culture and especially pop singing has brought into our society a plague of SLURRING SOUNDS, and ELIDING SOUNDS. STUDY THE WORDS YOU ARE SINGING, do not pass over them too quickly or carelessly. In other words DON’T SLUR. Also DO NOT ELIDE YOUR WORDS. DO NOT RUN WORDS OR SYLLABLES TOGETHER.
IT MAY BE POPULAR IN THE POP FIELD, WHERE LYRICS TO MANY SONGS ARE HOPELESSLY INANE AND DON’T MAKE SENSE EVEN WHEN THEY ARE PRONOUNCED CLEARLY, BUT WE ARE NOT POP SINGERS. WE ARE SINGING ABOUT THE “GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD” THE STORY OF JESUS.
Until next month, I will sign off as usual. Remember “the Lord is on your side” Psalm 118:6
I appreciate all of you reading this column. God bless each and every one of you in your efforts to minister the message of JESUS.
In Christian Love
Bill Baize
Author: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Written: 02/01/2008
| 
Category: The Vocal Coach
Comments: 3
RSS Feed
| (What's an RSS feed?)
Ads Sponsored by Southern Spin
Thank you for this article. I am planning on showing it to some friends of mine. Maby if they here it from someone besides myself they will listen. I have tried to explain the importence of good diction, and what I hear is. "Well thats just how I sing". Please pay attention to this article if you are in a Quartet. As important as it is for a solo singer, Its FOUR times as important in a Quartet. It will make a HUGE difference in your sound if every person in your group sings the words the same way.
Thanks again for the lesson.
Steve Williams
Thanks Bill,
One thing I hear a lot of singers doing (even the profsionals)is putting a "H" before their words beginning with a vowel ("Hi never will forget" the day or "Ho how hi love Jesus"). I encourage all singers to pay attention to what they say and how they say it. Great article!!
If I had a dollar for the times I have preached this to my boys. They are 10 and 12 and have beautiful singing voices. I have repeatedly sent the message home that folks cannot be blessed by what they cannot understand! Fortunately, the group they love most is easy to understand and they tend to follow their lead.
Good article!
Becky
Psalm 136:26
Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
For His mercy endures forever.
Page 1 of 1 Comment Pages
