Video transcript
Warm-ups for your choir (secondary) - eClass 3 - Vowels and blending the sound - 01. Vowels - part 1

LIZ SCOTT: When we sing, we all have to sound the same. And, as we all know, in Australia, we have a very wide range of accents. It's the same in any country, but Australia is a particularly good example.

But when we sing together, we're going to try to have all of the same vowels. So, I'm going to just-- we're going to do a little bit of an exercise on vowels. And I'm going to just-- if I could just have a C, please.

[note played on piano]

I just want you all to sing for me (singing) 'noo'. Sing it for me, and--

ALL: (singing) Noo.

LIZ SCOTT: (speaking) Excellent, and your aim is to pretend-- really sorry about this-- but to pretend that I am your image in a mirror. I know that's really scary.

[students laughing]

And if that ever happens to you, then go and see a doctor.

[students laughing]

But, right now, the point of this is, I want you to make sure that your mouth shape is the same as mine. So I can make a (singing) 'noo' (speaking) vowel. I can go (singing) 'nuu,' 'noh,' 'noo,' 'nuh,' 'noo'-- (speaking) I can do a whole range of things, and they're all different. But if we all have the same mouth shape, it will be as similar as it can possibly be. All right?

So imagine that you are looking into a mirror and seeing a really scary ghost. But look for the mouth shape. So here we-- let's actually go a little bit higher. Can we have an E-flat?

[note played on piano]

So--

ALL: (singing) Noo.

LIZ SCOTT: Good. Then listen. (singing) Nah.

ALL: (singing) Nah.

LIZ SCOTT: Good. Listen. (singing) Noh.

ALL: (singing) Noh.

LIZ SCOTT: (singing) Nah.

ALL: (singing) Nah.

LIZ SCOTT: Good. I know that I'm slightly smiling when I do that. (singing) Nah. (speaking) But some of you are going (singing) Noo. (speaking) There's a big difference in the sound. (singing) Nah. Noo. (speaking) And all I'm doing is relaxing these muscles.

So look enthusiastic because your reflection is looking enthusiastic. (singing) Nah, (speaking) and--

ALL: (singing) Nah.

LIZ SCOTT: Good. (singing) Nee.

ALL: (singing) Nee.

LIZ SCOTT: (singing more nasally) Nee.

ALL: (singing more nasally) Nee.

LIZ SCOTT: That's lovely, isn't it? (singing) Nee.

ALL: (singing) Nee.

LIZ SCOTT: Beautiful. Can we do, please, in C major, we're going to go--

[chord played on piano]

(singing) --'noo-ee-noo-ee-noo'. (speaking) Try it.

ALL: (singing) Noo-ee-noo-ee-noo.

LIZ SCOTT: Good. Now do extremes and go, (singing nasally) 'Noo-ee-noo-ee-noo.' (speaking) Go.

ALL: (singing nasally) Noo-ee-noo-ee-noo.

LIZ SCOTT: Amazing. We don't want to sound like that. We want to start very cultured, and we want to go (singing) 'noo-ee-noo-ee-noo'. (speaking) Put your arms, your hands, like this. Just kind of around waist level, and you're going to go (singing) 'noo-ee-noo-ee-noo'. (speaking) Go.

ALL: (singing) Noo-ee-noo-ee-noo.

LIZ SCOTT: Go up a semitone, and--

ALL: (singing) Noo-ee-noo-ee-noo.

LIZ SCOTT: Breathe.

ALL: (singing) Noo-ee-noo-ee-noo. Noo-ee-noo-ee-noo. Noo-ee-noo-ee-noo.

LIZ SCOTT: All right. Why do you think I'm doing this? Yes? Yes, exactly. All right, so let's try it the other way and go (singing) 'noo-ee-noo-ee-noo.' (speaking) Go.

ALL: (singing) Noo-ee-noo-ee-noo.

LIZ SCOTT: Next one?

ALL: (singing) Noo-ee-noo-ee-noo.

LIZ SCOTT: Go vertical, and--

ALL: (singing) Noo-ee-noo-ee-noo. Noo-ee-noo-ee-noo. Noo-ee-noo-ee-noo.

LIZ SCOTT: Right. OK, really good. So, the broader we go, the more our individual voices stick out. Right? And we get those kind of really high overtones that we don't want. We want to try and always think super, super narrow.

Great. We're going to go back down to B-flat major, and this time we're going to do (singing) 'Ee-eh-ee-eh-ee.' (speaking) 'Ee,' 'eh.' So all I'm doing is just dropping my jaw a little bit. (singing) Ee-eh-ee-eh-ee. (speaking) Go.

ALL: (singing) Ee-eh-ee-eh-ee.

LIZ SCOTT: Working your hand, and--

ALL: (singing) Ee-eh-ee-eh-ee. Ee-eh-ee-eh-ee.

LIZ SCOTT: Yeah, beautiful. Really lovely sound. This time, we're going to keep going, but this time I want you to listen to everyone in the room except you. All right? So don't listen to your own voice but listen to all of the people around you. Here's our key.

[chord played on piano]

And--

ALL: (singing) Ee-eh-ee-eh-ee. Ee-eh-ee-eh-ee. Ee-eh-ee-eh-ee. Ee-eh-ee-eh-ee.

LIZ SCOTT: Good. Go back to listening only to your own voice. Ready, go.

ALL: (singing) Ee-eh-ee-eh-ee. Ee-eh-ee-eh-ee.

LIZ SCOTT: Good. Now listen to everybody else except you. Up the key, and--

ALL: (singing) Ee-eh-ee-eh-ee. Ee-eh-ee-eh-ee.

LIZ SCOTT: Good. The effect at the front is really quite beautiful. So when you're listening to everybody else, suddenly there becomes this beautiful blend in the sound that you're all-- you sound as though you're all singing exactly the same thing. When you're listening only to you, it's impossible to blend your sound because you're not listening to anyone else. It's very important that, always, that you're listening to everyone other than you.

All right. We're going to one last vowel thing-- back in B-flat because it's the key of the day.

[chord played on piano]

We're going through the 5 Italian vowels. (singing) Ee, eh, ah, oh, oo. (speaking) Sing it for me?

ALL: (singing) Ee, eh, ah, oh, oo.

LIZ SCOTT: Good. So, same principle. I'm your mirror. So we're not doing (singing broadly) 'Ee, eh, ah, oh, oo'. (speaking) In fact, do it because it's so much fun. Be as Australian as you possibly can. Go.

ALL: (singing broadly) Ee, eh, ah, oh, oo.

LIZ SCOTT: OK, I don't know any Australians that sound like that, but that's OK.

[students laughing]

All right. So, now, go back to your cultured choral selves. (singing) Ee, eh, ah, oh, oo-- (speaking) all vertical. (singing) Ee, eh, ah--

As soon as I start going wide, I get that really bright Australian twang. (singing) Ee, eh, ah, oh, oo. (speaking) Go.

ALL: (singing) Ee, eh, ah, oh, oo.

LIZ SCOTT: Good. And then we go backwards. Backwards. (singing) Oo, eh--

STUDENTS: (singing) Oo, eh, oo--

LIZ SCOTT: No. (singing) Oo, oh, ah, eh, ee. (speaking) So we're going from dark to bright. (singing) Oo, oh, ah, eh, ee. (speaking) Go from the top?

ALL: (singing) Oo, oh, ah, eh, ee.

LIZ SCOTT: Good. Up a semitone. We're going both forward and backwards, and--

ALL: (singing) Ee, eh, ah, oh, oo. Oo, oh, ah, eh, ee.

LIZ SCOTT: Good. The trick is 'oo, oh.' 'Oo, oh,' coming down. Let's just now go in one line. So-- (singing) ee, eh, ah, oh, oo, oh, ah, eh, ee. (speaking) Low breath.

ALL: (singing) Ee, eh, ah, oh, oo, oh, ah, eh, ee.

LIZ SCOTT: Good. Up a semitone. Listen to everyone else.

ALL: (singing) Ee, eh, ah, oh, oo, oh, ah, eh, ee.

LIZ SCOTT: Breathe.

ALL: (singing) Ee, eh, ah, oh, oo, oh, ah, eh, ee. Ee, eh, ah, oh, oo, oh, ah, eh, ee. Ee, eh, ah, oh, oo, oh, ah, eh, ee.

LIZ SCOTT: All right.