Estimated reading time 3 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Do you have a hard time singing in key? Do you want strong vocal tone? Gaining control of your vowels will help you reach both goals. Today we’ll deal with singing lip vowels, the second major vowel grouping in the vowels series. Read more to learn about singing lip vowels.
This post uses some music terms. See the Glossary below for definitions.
Singing Lip Vowels: Vocal Review
Before we discuss singing lip vowels, you may want to review:
- Sing Schwa Vowels: Deals with the neutral vowel and singing into the mask.
- Sing Tongue Vowels: Complements your lip vowels work.
- The Intonation Flight Simulator: The posts at this link have sing-along song tracks that you can sing along with. The soundtracks’ intonation helps you attain good vocal tuning.
- 10 Elements that Impact Vocal Tuning: This post talks about the most important factors that impact vocal tuning.
What are lip vowels? Tongue vowels change the sound by moving the tongue. Similarly, lip vowels largely change the sound by moving the lips, though you’ll also move your tongue as you work on lip vowels.
- Click here for a review of speaking vs singing vowels.
- Click here for a discussion of how vowels sit on a continuum.
- Click here for a review of shape notes.
As you sing the vocal exercises with the synth vocal track below, the special tuning will help you develop good vocal intonation.
Vocal Exercises for Singing Lip Vowels
Before you start singing the lip vowels exercise, we’ll discuss how the lip vowels work. Click the link for a chart with audio samples of the vowels.
Click each audio sample on the right side of the chart. From top to bottom you get: oo (boon), oo (took – slightly to the left on the chart), o (go), o (domine), aw (calm), ah (father).
Begin by performing the lip vowel oo. Slowly shift from the oo sound to an o sound by changing the shape your lips.
You make the oo sound by rounding your lips as if you have a Hershey’s Kiss in the hole made by the oo vowel. The shape of the vowel o will be similar to oo, but more open. In other words, the hole made by the o vowel will be bigger than oo.
Slowly transition between oo and o so that you can hear all the “vowel” sounds between oo and o. However, try to finish shifting from oo to o before the note changes in measure three. When you stop on the o vowel, shoot for the version of o that works best with the harmony. You’ll know when you’ve hit it when you get a strong tone. Also, don’t change your pitch as you sing the first two bars, just change the vowel.
Now try shifting between oo and aw. Your lips will be even more open for aw than it was for o. Finally, do this drill for all the vowels on the right side of the chart.
Mobile users: for best results reading the example, tilt your screen 90o to the right.
Synth Voice Track:
Concluding Thoughts on Singing Lip Vowels
The sing-along track uses a synth voice rather than actual voices. Science has shown that this helps you to identify and perform absolute pitch information. (For more info, see Why Use a Synth Voice Instead of Real Voices.)
The more you practice singing lips vowels with the song track, the faster you’ll gain the skills you need to sing in tune with a strong vocal tone. In upcoming vowel posts we’ll discuss diphthongs and the R “vowel.” Have fun!
© 2023 Geoffrey Keith
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Glossary
Understanding Basic Diction in Modern Singing
Do you want to know what diction in singing is? In any vocal style, diction is central to a good performance, at least if you want your audience to understand you. However, if you’re not careful, you can overdo it and make your performance sound stiff and artificial. Keep reading “Understanding Basic Diction in Modern Singing” to learn what it is and how it works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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How to Color Code the Elusive Alto Clef
Do you have a child or a student who struggles to read alto clef? Are you confused about how it works? Why is the alto staff so elusive for most musicians? Because instruments rarely use it. In fact, only one instrument reads from it regularly. Even the closely related tenor clef is used by more instruments (sort of). Keep reading to learn how to color code the elusive alto clef. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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Color Coded Quarter Rest Clapping
Do you have a hard time accurately performing rests? (Or are you a music instructor whose students struggle with feeling the rhythm?) You’re not alone! Many musicians struggle with reading rhythm. Read more to learn about color coded quarter rest clapping. Estimated reading time 2 minutes
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The Gifted Dyslexic and Insight Learning (Part 4)
Have you ever wondered if you’re gifted and dyslexic? Or are you a parent of a child who’s gifted and dyslexic and want more information. Sometimes it can be difficult to recognize giftedness. Ronald Davis states, “This would commonly be recognized as daydreaming or simply not paying attention. The student is actually paying attention but has shifted to an imaginary world that is more interesting” (“The Gift of Learning” 38). How is this a sign of giftedness? Keep reading “The Gifted Dyslexic and Insight Learning” to learn about the last of our four dyslexic strengths. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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