Phonetics in the articulation and expression of the language of music

Introduction

At some time or other most of us are faced with an educational task which entails a great deal of responsibility. Here it is most important not to neglect the starting point of the language of music: the articulation. A mistake at this level can have bad consequences for technique and phrasing. Already the word "tongue" (attack) with which we require our pupils to produce a note seems to me to be dangerous from a psychological point of view. Likewise I regard the legendary "tü" attack with great disfavour. Luckily this is gradually dying out. Aggression and fear can be avoided, if the words "attack" and "tü" are banned from our educational language. As is often and mainly to be observed amongst beginners, the physical contact with the mouthpiece produces a certain fear -t- which is purely psychological. Here it is a question of balanced air pressure which is produced from the diaphragm by means of perfect in and exhalation and which is directly connected with the correct position of the mouthpiece on the lips.

We produce the notes as we pronounce them and indeed in different ways according to the mother tongue, habits, upbringing and character. Logopedia has the task of correcting mistakes, and this should be remembered in problem cases.

It is in any case absolutely necessary to approach singing technique. I call to mind an article by E. Saxton: Singing on the horn (Brass Bulletin No. 10) which is worthy of reflection.