Great singers are chary of giving out vocal exercises which they have
discovered, evolved, or have used so constantly as to consider them a
part of their own personal equipment, for reasons stated earlier in this
chapter. However, a few artists have indicated certain forms which they
use. Mme. d'Alvarez remarks: "When I begin to study in the morning, I
give the voice what I call a massage. This consists of humming
exercises, with closed lips. Humming is the sunshine of the voice. One
exercise is a short figure of four consecutive notes of the diatonic
scale, ascending and descending several times; on each repetition of the
group of phrases, the new set begins on the next higher note of the
scale. This exercise brings the tone fully forward."
Lehmann counsels the young voice to begin in the middle and work both
ways. Begin single tones piano, make a long crescendo and return to
piano. Another exercise employs two connecting half tones, using one or
two vowels. During practice stand before a mirror.
Raisa assures us she works at technic every day. "Vocalizes, scales,
broken thirds, long, slow tones in mezza di voce--that is beginning
softly, swelling to loud, then diminuendo to soft, are part of the daily
régime." Farrar works on scales and single tones daily. Muzio says: "I
sing all the scales, one octave each, once slow and once fast--all in
one breath. Then I sing triplets on each tone, as many as I can in one
breath. Another exercise is to take one tone softly, then go to the
octave above; this tone is always sung softly, but there is a large
crescendo between the two soft tones." Kingston says: "As for technical
material, I have never used a great quantity. I do scales and vocalizes
each day. I also make daily use of about a dozen exercises by Rubini.
Beyond these I make technical exercises out of the pieces." De Luca
sings scales in full power, then each tone alone, softly, then swelling
to full strength and dying away. Bispham: "I give many vocalizes and
exercises, which I invent to fit the need of each student. They are not
written down, simply remembered. I also make exercises out of familiar
tunes or themes from opera. Thus, while the student is studying technic,
he is acquiring much beautiful material."
Oscar Saenger: "We begin by uniting two tones smoothly and evenly, then
three in the same way; afterwards four and five. Then the scale of one
octave. Arpeggios are also most important. The trill is the most
difficult of all vocal exercises. We begin with quarter notes, then
eighths and sixteenths. The trill is taken on each tone of the voice, in
major seconds." Werrenrath: "I do a lot of gymnastics each day, to
exercise the voice and limber up the anatomy. These act as a massage for
the voice; they are in the nature of humming, mingled with grunts,
calls, exclamations, shouts, and many kinds of sounds. They put the
voice in condition, so there is no need for all these other exercises
which most singers find so essential to their vocal well being."
Duval asserts: "Long, sustained tones are too difficult for the young
voice. One should sing medium fast scales at first."