Estimated reading time 5 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Is there a difference in difficulty in singing specific vowels? Yes, some vowels will be easier to sing in tune, and others will be easier to sing with a strong tone. Read more to understand why there is a difference in difficulty for singing specific vowels, and how to do something about it.
In the post Sing in Tune with Vowels, we looked at the difference in difficulty level for singing specific vowels in tune. For example, vocalists found it harder to sing /u:/ than /a:/ in tune.
In today’s post, we’ll look at the vowels that’ll be difficult to produce with a strong tone. However, these two factors won’t be easy to separate, because they work together. Good tuning helps with good tone and vice versa.
This post uses some music terms. See the Glossary below for definitions.
There is a Difference in Difficulty for Singing Specific Vowels: How Vowels Work
Introducing the Vowels
Is there a difference in difficulty in singing specific vowels? Yes, and we need to talk about why this happens. Start by clicking on the link for a chart of vowels that has sound samples of each vowel.
In the chart that the link above brings up, click on the outside-right samples on the chart. From bottom to top you have the vowels: ah, aw, oh (flow), oh (yawn in standard British English), and oo. We call them lip vowels, because the sound changes mainly by changing the shape of the lips.
Now, click on the outside-left samples on the chart. From bottom to top you have the vowels: a (bath in New England English), a (bat), eh, ih, ay, and ee. We call them tongue vowels, because the sound changes mainly by changing the height of the tongue.
On both sides of the chart the vowels ascend from open to close. Try singing the vowel oo. You’ll probably find it more difficult to get a nice open tone than for ah. Likewise, you’ll probably find a easier to sing than ee. Then, we have the neutral vowels.
In the middle of the chart you’ll see a letter that looks like an upside-down e. Click on the sample to hear the schwa vowel (uh). The schwa, being a neutral vowel, can be difficult to produce with a strong tone. Likewise, the R vowel (earth) is so difficult that my singing teachers suggested avoiding singing it with a sustained tone.
Open and Close Vowels
There is a difference in difficulty for singing specific vowels, and it has to do with how open or closed your mouth is when singing.
The vowels oo, ee, and R all have the tongue high up in the mouth. This makes them more difficult to sing with a strong tone. Conversely, the vowels ah, oh, and a have the tongue low in the mouth, making them easier to sing.
In the next section we’ll talk about a trick that’ll help you sing close vowels with a strong tone.
The Trick that Helps with the Difference in Difficulty for Singing Specific Vowels
There is a difference in difficulty for singing specific vowels, and the trick to singing them well has to do with the soft pallet.
Sadly, the phonetic term close vowel can confuse vocal students, leading to collapsed soft pallets. The term “close” refers to the tongue height, not the soft pallet.
To understand how to produce good quality close vowels, you need to explore the back of your mouth. Let your tongue travel along the roof of your mouth. You’ll find a bony part in front and a fleshy part at the back of the roof of your mouth. We call the bony part the hard pallet and the softer part the soft pallet.
When singing any vowels, you need your soft pallet to be high and relaxed, so that you have a big space where your mouth meets your throat. This, along with singing into the mask, will help you produce close vowels with good tone
Vowel Production Video
Concluding Thoughts to “Is There a Difference in Difficulty for Singing Specific Vowels?”
Is there a difference in difficulty in singing specific vowels? Yes. However, with proper technique you can sing them with no problems.
For practical exercises with sing-along soundtracks designed to help you learn how to sing vowels in tune and with a strong tone, read:
Have fun singing!
© 2023 Geoffrey Keith
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