Short "a", as in "father." When singing, ideally the throat is open for all vowels.
For "ah" the mouth is also wide open and the tongue flat. Gradually raising the tongue causes "ah" to become "a" as it "cat", then "eh", a sound which doesn't really exist in English and is instead usually mangled into what's known as a vanishing diphthong, followed by "i" as in "hit" and finally ending in "ee" as in "feet." Closing the mouth changes "ah" into "aw", then "oh", another sound not really present in spoken English, then finally "oo" as in "boot." In languages other than American English, some combinations of a raised tongue and a closed mouth may be found, e.g., Goethe (properly written with an umlaut 'o' which I don't know how to do on my American keyboard), "u" with an umlaut as in the German word for "brother," most famously remembered by me as part of Goethe's text in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony's final movement. Lest the most important concept be lost in the diction soliloquy above, let me repeat: When singing, ideally the throat is open for all vowels. -S- > -----Original Message----- > From: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > du] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Saturday, April 09, 2005 7:35 PM > To: horn@music.memphis.edu > Subject: [Hornlist] Open Throat > > What is is good vowel to say to open the throat? > _______________________________________________ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/steve%40fridaysc > omputer.com > _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
