Basic singing skills Material for students to master the theoretical foundations of vocal art

In order for the development of a junior schoolchild in the choir to proceed correctly, it is necessary to form his basic vocal and choral skills. These include:

1. Singing installation. Students must learn about the singing installation, as the basis for the successful development of educational material.

2. Conductor's gesture. Students should be familiar with the types of conductor gestures:

Attention

Breath

Start singing

The end of the chant

Change the strength of sound, tempo, strokes according to the conductor's hand

3. Breathing and pauses. The teacher should teach children to master the technique of breathing - a silent short breath, the support of breathing and its gradual expenditure. At later stages of training, master the technique of chain breathing. Breathing is brought up gradually, therefore, at the initial stage of training, songs with short phrases with the last long note or phrases separated by pauses should be included in the repertoire. Next, songs with longer phrases are introduced. It is necessary to explain to students that the nature of breathing in songs of different movements and moods is not the same. Russian folk songs are best suited for working on the development of breathing.

4. Sound production. Formation of a soft sound attack. Hard is recommended to be used extremely rarely in works of a certain nature. Exercises play an important role in educating the correct formation of sound. For example, singing in syllables. As a result of work on sound formation - the development of a single manner of singing in children.

5. Diction. Formation of the skill of clear and distinct pronunciation of consonants, the skill of active work of the articulatory apparatus.

6. Build, ensemble. Work on the purity and accuracy of intonation in singing is one of the conditions for maintaining the system. Purity of intonation is facilitated by a clear awareness of the feeling of “mode”. It is possible to educate modal perception through the development of the concepts of "major" and "minor", the inclusion of various scales, the main steps of the mode in the chants, the comparison of major and minor sequences, singing a cappella.

In choral singing, the concept of "ensemble" - unity, balance in the text, melody, rhythm, dynamics; therefore, for choral performance, uniformity and consistency in the nature of sound production, pronunciation, and breathing are necessary. It is necessary to teach the singers to listen to the voices that sound nearby.

Vocal education in the choir is the most important part of all choral work with children. The main condition for the correct formulation of vocal education is the preparedness of the leader for singing lessons with younger students. The ideal option is the case when the choirmaster has a beautiful voice. Then all the work is based on the shows held by the choirmaster himself. But other forms of work also make it possible to successfully solve the issues of vocal education. In such cases, the choirmaster often uses a show with the help of the guys. By comparison, the best samples are selected for display. In every choir there are children who by nature sing correctly, with a beautiful timbre and the right sound production. Systematically applying, along with collective vocal work, an individual approach to choristers, the teacher constantly monitors the vocal development of each of them. But even with the most correct formulation of vocal work, it brings different results for different choristers. We know that just as there are no two outwardly identical people, so there are no two identical vocal apparatuses.

Among the well-known methodological techniques for the development of hearing and voice, the following are most common:

1. Techniques for the development of hearing, aimed at the formation of auditory perception and vocal-auditory representations:

auditory concentration and listening to the teacher's display for the purpose of subsequent analysis of what was heard;

Comparison of different versions in order to choose the best one;

the introduction of theoretical concepts about the quality of the singing sound and the elements of musical expressiveness only on the basis of the personal experience of students;

Singing "in a chain";

Modeling the pitch of the sound with hand movements;

reflection of the direction of movement of the melody with the help of drawings, diagrams, graphics, hand signs, musical notation;

tuning to the key before singing;

oral dictations;

highlighting especially difficult intonation turns into special exercises that are performed in different keys with words or vocalizations;

in the process of learning a piece, change the key in order to find the most convenient for children, where their voices sound best.

Vocalization of the singing material with a light staccato sound to the vowel “U” in order to clarify the intonation during the attack of the sound and during the transition from sound to sound, as well as to remove the forcing;

vocalization of songs on the syllable "lu" in order to equalize the timbre sound, achieve cantilena, perfect phrasing, etc.;

when singing ascending intervals, the upper sound is performed in the position of the lower, and when singing descending - on the contrary: the lower sound should be performed in the position of the upper;

Expansion of the nostrils at the entrance (or better - before inhalation) and keeping them in this position when singing, which ensures the full inclusion of the upper resonators, with this movement the soft palate is activated, and the elastic tissues are lined with elastic and more solid, which contributes to the reflection of the sound wave when singing and, consequently, sound cutting;

Purposeful control of respiratory movements;

pronunciation of the text in an active whisper, which activates the respiratory muscles and causes a feeling of sound support on breathing;

soundless, but active articulation during mental singing based on external sound, which activates the articulatory apparatus and helps the perception of the sound standard;

pronunciation of the words of songs in a singsong voice at the same height in slightly elevated voices in relation to the range of the speech voice; At the same time, the attention of the choristers should be directed to stabilizing the position of the larynx in order to establish a speech voice;

variability of tasks when repeating exercises and memorizing song material due to the method of sound science, vocalized syllable, dynamics, timbre, tonality, emotional expressiveness, etc.

The singing attitude is directly related to the skill of singing breathing. The three components of breathing are: inhalation, momentary breath holding and exhalation. The most appropriate for singing is chest-abdominal breathing, which, when inhaled, expands the chest in its middle and lower parts with simultaneous expansion of the front wall of the abdomen. "Key" breathing, in which children raise their shoulders when inhaling, is unacceptable. The concept of singing support is connected with singing breathing. In singing, it provides the best qualities of singing sound, and is also a necessary condition for the purity of intonation. But we must not forget that the results can be reversed: children tense up, sniff, raise their shoulders. Breathing while singing can be taken in phrases, if the phrases exceed the physical capabilities of the singing voice, it is necessary to use chain breathing:

Do not take a breath at the same time as a neighbor sitting next to you;

Do not take a breath at the junction of musical phrases, but only if possible inside long notes;

take breath imperceptibly and quickly;

merge into the general sound of the choir without an accent, with a soft attack, intonation accurately;

Listen carefully to the singing of your neighbors and the general sound of the choir.

The mechanism of breathing is worked out by a number of exercises. Equally important in choral singing is the skill of sound production.

Children imitate the speech and singing intonation of adults, try to reproduce the sounds of animals, birds, hearing improves if the training is delivered correctly.

Pronunciation in singing is based on the general rules of orthoepy.

Diction in singing is somewhat different from speech pronunciation. One of the specific features of singing diction is the "transfer" of the last consonant into syllables to the beginning of the next syllable, which ultimately contributes to the length of the vowel in the syllable. At the same time, the role of consonants should not be underestimated somewhat, so that the pronunciation does not complicate the perception of the listener. The skill of clear diction can use the work of the articulatory apparatus.

Techniques for the correct pronunciation of words:

Expressive reading of the text, songs by adults in the process of learning the song.

Often when singing, they pronounce the endings of words incorrectly. It is necessary to apply techniques for the correct pronunciation of words by syllables (with the whole class or one at a time).

Forming the skill of a high singing position, you need to learn:

Distinguish between high and low sounds, mentally imagine a melody and correctly produce a voice. Developing pitch hearing in children develops melodic, harmonic and rhythmic hearing.

· In the development of pitch representation in children, two main systems are used: absolute and relative. In both systems, it is necessary to widely use visualization in teaching.

At the heart of expressive singing, the formation of hearing and voice are vocal and choral skills. From the first lesson, it is necessary to introduce children to the conductor's gesture - auftact (attention). It is necessary to form a singing installation. A person sits well, which means he sings well.

A set of mandatory requirements: stand or sit taut, relaxed, turning your shoulders and keeping your head straight. These requirements contribute to the correct sound formation, the formation of a singing attitude - a very important and largely defining moment of choral performance.

The main point in working on vowels is to reproduce them in their pure form, that is, without distortion. In speech, consonants play a semantic role, so the not entirely accurate pronunciation of vowels has little effect on the understanding of words. In singing, the duration of vowels increases several times, and the slightest inaccuracy becomes noticeable and negatively affects the clarity of diction.

The specificity of the pronunciation of vowels in singing lies in their uniform rounded manner of formation. This is necessary to ensure the timbre evenness of the sound of the choir and to achieve unison in the choral parts. The alignment of vowels is achieved by transferring the correct vocal position from one vowel to another with the condition of smooth restructuring of the articulation patterns of vowels.

From the point of view of the work of the articulatory apparatus, the formation of a vowel sound is associated with the shape and volume of the oral cavity. The formation of vowels in a high singing position in the choir presents a certain difficulty.

The sounds "U, Y" - are formed and sound deeper and farther. But phonemes have a stable pronunciation, they are not distorted, in words these sounds are more difficult to individualized pronunciation than "A, E, I, O". To different people, they sound about the same.

From this follows the specific choral use of these sounds in correcting the “variegation” of the sound of the choir. And the unison is achieved more easily on these vowels, and the sound is well aligned timbre. When working with works, after singing a melody to the syllables "LU", "DU", "DY" - performance with words will acquire greater evenness of sound, but again, if the choir singers carefully monitor the preservation of the same setting of the articulatory organs, as when singing vowels "U" and Y".

The pure vowel sound "O" has the properties that "U, Y" but to a lesser extent.

The condition for clear diction in the choir is an impeccable rhythmic ensemble. The pronunciation of consonants requires increased pronunciation activity.

The formation of consonants, as opposed to vowels. due to the appearance of an obstacle in the path of air flow in the speech tact. Consonants are divided into voiced, sonorous and deaf, depending on the degree of participation of the voice in their formation.

Following from the function of the vocal apparatus to the 2nd place after the vowels, we put sonorous sounds: “M, L, N, R”. They got this name because they can stretch, often stand on a par with vowels. These sounds achieve a high singing position, and a variety of timbre colors.

Further, the voiced consonants "B, G, C, F, Z, D" are formed with the participation of vocal folds and oral noises. With voiced consonants, as well as sonorants, they achieve a high singing position and a variety of timbre colors. The syllables "Zi" reach closeness, lightness, transparency of sound.

Deaf "P, K, F, S, T" are formed without the participation of the voice and consist of noise alone. These are not sounding sounds, but guides. An explosive character is characteristic, but the larynx does not function on deaf consonants, it is easy to avoid forced sounding when vocalizing vowels with preceding deaf consonants. At the initial stage, this serves to develop the clarity of the rhythmic pattern and creates conditions when the vowels acquire a more voluminous sound (“Ku”). It is believed that the consonant "P" well rounds the vowel "A".

Hissing "X, C, H, W, W" - consist of some noise.

A voiceless "F" is good to use in breathing exercises without sound.

The basic rule of diction in singing is the rapid and clear formation of consonants and the maximum length of vowels: the active work of the muscles of the articulatory apparatus, the cheek and labial muscles, and the tip of the tongue. To achieve clarity of diction, we pay special attention to work on the development of the tip of the tongue, after which the tongue becomes completely flexible, we work on the elasticity and mobility of the lower jaw, and with it the hyoid bone of the larynx. To train the lips and the tip of the tongue, we use different tongue twisters. For example: “Dust flies across the field from the clatter of hooves,” etc. Everything is pronounced with hard lips, with the active work of the tongue.

Consonants in singing are pronounced short compared to vowels. Especially hissing and whistling "S, Sh" because they are well caught by the ear, they must be shortened, otherwise, when singing, it will create the impression of noise, whistle. There is a rule for connecting and disconnecting consonants: if one word ends and another begins with the same, or approximately the same consonant sounds (d-t; b-p; v-f), then at a slow pace they need to be emphasized separated, and at a fast pace when such sounds fall on small durations, they need to be emphatically connected. The development of rhythmic flair begins from the very first moment of the work of the choir. Durations are actively counted using the following counting methods: aloud in chorus rhythmic pattern; tap (clap) the rhythm and at the same time read the rhythm of the song. After this tuning, solfegge, and only then sing with words.

The rhythmic features of the ensemble are also caused by the general requirements for taking breath, always at the right pace. When changing rates or during pauses, do not allow lengthening or shortening of the duration. An extraordinary role is played by the simultaneous entry of those who sing, taking breath, attacking and removing the sound.

In order to achieve expressiveness and accuracy of the rhythm, we use exercises for rhythmic fragmentation, which subsequently turns into internal pulsation, and gives timbre saturation.

The final stages of the formation of choral skills are the development of singing breathing and the actual learning of songs. According to many choral figures, children should use chest-abdominal breathing (formation as in adults). The most common deficiencies in singing in children are the inability to form a sound, a clamped lower jaw (nasal sound, flat vowels), poor diction, short and noisy breathing. The development of vocal and choral skills of choral singing is more effective when musical education is carried out systematically, in close connection between the teacher and students, against the background of the formation of a general musical culture of the child at primary school age and, finally, taking into account the age and personal qualities of the child.

Vocal exercises as a way of developing singing skills in young and middle-aged students

Kozlova Maria Borisovna, additional education teacher

Article categorized under: music teaching

An outstanding figure in the field of vocal pedagogy, Doctor of Arts Professor V. A. Bagadurov wrote: “The history of children's vocal pedagogy over the course of a number of centuries shows with perfect clarity that there have never been special theories for staging a child's voice. Some features of working with children's voices, due to age and the child's psyche, the specifics of children's perception, of course, should be taken into account, but this does not apply to the principles of voice education, but to pedagogical teaching methods.

The basic principles of vocal education are the same both in professional singing training and in the system of music education at school; both for adult singers and for children. There is a difference only in the specifics of the upbringing of a child's voice, due to psychological characteristics and physiological capabilities at a particular age. When working with children, especially during the mutational period, it is imperative to use voice-saving technologies. In addition, the vocal education of children is carried out on a slightly different musical material.

One of the most important tasks of singing is not only the preparation of the vocal apparatus for work, but also the formation of basic singing skills in students. Among them we can include:

singing installation;

singing breath and support of sound;

high vocal position;

accurate intonation;

evenness of sound throughout the entire range of the voice;

the use of various types of sound science;

diction: articulatory and orthoepic skills.

All vocal skills are closely related, so work on them is carried out in parallel. Naturally, each vocal exercise has the goal of developing some specific skills, but when performing it, it is impossible to ignore the rest. This is the main difficulty for a little singer - to learn that in order to achieve a sustainable result, it is necessary to use absolutely all the knowledge, skills and abilities gained in the classroom.

At the initial stage, it is necessary to cultivate these skills in their elementary form, without seeking the subtleties of this or that technique. In the future, there is a constant consolidation, development and improvement of singing skills, in-depth work on the culture and correctness of sound, the beauty of timbre, subtle and varied nuances on more complex musical material.

An example of the universality of techniques is the "concentric" method of M. I. Glinka. Being the foundation of the Russian vocal school, it can also be the basis of the singing education of children. The requirements formulated by M. I. Glinka are effective in working with children and adults, with poorly trained singers and with professional singers. The data of modern research confirm the correctness of all the main provisions of Glinka. Of course, they are gradually supplemented on the basis of the identified patterns of voice development.

The "concentric" method includes stable exercises, which were developed by M. I. Glinka for systematic use from year to year. They present elements found in vocal and choral works in various versions. The essence of the method is as follows:

The volume, the range of the voice, within which one can basically work, for weak, vocally poorly developed voices (as well as sick ones) is just a few tones, for healthy singers - an octave. In both cases, there should be no tension.

You need to work gradually, without haste.

Under no circumstances should forced sounding be allowed.

You should sing in a moderate tone (not loud and not quiet).

The greatest attention should be paid to the quality of sound and freedom when singing.

Of great importance is the work on the evenness of the strength of the sound (on one, on different sounds, on the whole phrase). It is advisable to carry out this work in an even more limited range.

It is necessary to equalize all sounds in terms of sound quality.

I would like to note that absolutely all the recommendations of M.I. Glinkas meet modern requirements for health protection. After all, it seems to me that the main task of a vocal teacher is to teach how to use the voice in all its variety of nuances, to reveal the beauty of the timbre, to develop the endurance of the vocal cords. Our students do not always become professional performers, but the skill of using the vocal apparatus correctly will help them not only in professional activities associated with a large voice load, but also in communicating with people, will help to make speech intonation diverse and competent.

The systematic development of vocal and technical techniques in special exercises leads to a valuable skill - the "automatism" of their application. This principle consists in the repeated performance of the simplest operations, during which the vocal apparatus, as a self-regulating system, automatically finds the optimum, while simultaneously training the corresponding muscle systems. The skillful use of a differentiated age range, the selection of a repertoire in a convenient tessitura, the exclusion of forced sound provide natural sound, the harmonious development of voice-forming organs, and the identification of the individual timbre of students.

Influence of singing load on children's health.

It is extremely important to know the impact of the singing load on the health of students. The teacher's knowledge of the age characteristics of the development of a child's voice (especially during the mutational period) contributes to the correct formation of vocal skills, while non-compliance with them leads to disruption and even diseases of the vocal apparatus. Singing is a complex psychophysical process in which all vital systems of the body are involved. In addition to the singing organs, the cardiovascular and neuroendocrine systems also react to the singing load, responding to singing by changing the pulse, blood pressure, and body temperature. With the right singing load, these changes are minor and not dangerous to the body. Moreover, systematic singing lessons with the constant supervision of a teacher can play a healing role, in particular, breathing and blood circulation improve, intracranial pressure decreases, the consequences of logoneurosis are mitigated, etc. Also, studies by otolaryngologists show that the treatment of tonsillitis, exacerbations of catarrhs ​​of the nasopharynx and upper respiratory tract is facilitated in children who sing in a European academic mixed-covered manner. It is also impossible to exclude the importance of mastering the skill of singing breathing on a support to relieve bronchospasm, which is important for the treatment of children suffering from bronchial asthma.

Thus, we can conclude that absolutely everyone needs a certain level of vocal skills formation - both those who have bright vocal abilities, and those who can correctly intonate within the fifth, those who dream of the opera stage, and those who dream of becoming an engineer. Proper singing development contributes not only to the formation of personal qualities, but also to a more harmonious physical development of the child. Based on all that has been said, we come to the conclusion that the main form of voice protection is proper singing education.

Let's move on to vocal exercises that I use in every lesson to prepare the vocal apparatus for work and form basic singing skills. One of the most important features is the formation of the skill of "automaticity" in the performance of exercises, so all of them are always sung in a certain sequence, in a certain range, based on the primary zone of the child. After a while, even singing a capella, the children themselves begin to sing from the usual notes, which, of course, indicates the formation of their auditory sensations.

In my work with children of 7-9 years old, I widely use Russian folk songs, chants, which helps to arouse interest in children and instill a love for national melos. In addition, they are usually laconic in their musical thought, often with a stepwise structure that helps young children not to focus on the complexity of intonation.

1. Our very first chant is a teaser song. Active articulation and supporting breathing are formed, which does not allow the intonation to slip from a given note.

2. An exercise that helps to master the wide intonation of the major second and the firm, confident singing of the tonic. You can draw a parallel in the sound of large, medium bells and very small bells. When moving to the second octave, the children show with their hands a movement that imitates the shaking of a small bell. Such a light muscular movement is transmitted to the chords, and the sound of voices becomes lighter and more intonation accurate.

3. One of my children's favorite exercises. Before performing it, I ask them to imagine that a small bunny is sitting on their palm (it is interesting to ask what kind of bunny everyone has - here they are gray with green eyes, and red with blue ones!). During the execution of a quarter to the syllable “by”, we show how we stroke it, and on the next eighths we make light movements with our hands, depicting how the bunny runs away. So easy, in the game children get acquainted with the strokes of legato and staccato.

4. The following exercise is extremely useful for the formation of articulation skills and the skill of singing the major tetrachord. If there is lethargy in the performance of the top sound, I ask the children to imitate with their hands the movement up and down the ladder, but I ask them to step on the top step from above, and not “crawl” onto it. Usually such a proposal causes smiles and laughter, and, subsequently, the correct execution of the task.

5. The next exercise consists of 5 sounds. Thus, in each exercise we add one sound. When you first bring this to the attention of children, they usually accept this pattern with delight. And, subsequently, they like to suggest how many sounds are in this or that exercise.

6. We complete the standard chanting with an exercise that combines the need for correct intonation and the clarity of execution of strokes.

This set of chants is a must for every lesson. I repeat that the exercises always follow this order and begin in the given keys. But for the formation of other skills, or in order to diversify the process of chanting, the following exercises can be used after it.

10. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that, despite the obvious benefits of this exercise, its melodiousness and the love of children, in recent years I have been able to use it less and less in group work. Unfortunately, more and more children are brought up without mothers, so before you start learning it, you need to find out if everything is safe in the families of students. Usually this exercise is performed with a chant in the last two measures of the word "mother". But in my practice I don't use it, because, as a rule, stepwise downward movement with a chant at a younger age leads to detonation.

At the age of 10, children move on to other exercises. You can trace the continuity in melodic turns, but they are sung mainly in classical syllables for vocal performance, which increases the importance and significance of this stage of the lesson in the eyes of the child, helps him to feel his “adulthood”.

1. In the upward movement we sing actively accentuating each note, and in the downward movement using a legato stroke.

2. The formation of a high position of sound, roundness of the vowel, sharp intonation of the third tone, support breathing - only three notes, but how rich can the singing of this exercise be if you pay attention to all the details! Naturally, at the initial stage of training, we focus on a particular point, but then we gradually add other tasks.

3. Variant of the previous exercise.

4. Separate exact sounding of each note and vowel, when moving to the upper case, it is advisable to sing this exercise on the words “forest in spring”. And you can offer (not often, as an exception, to overcome the routine of the chanting process) to sing the word "vacuum cleaner" - and it is useful for the formation of the vowel "s", and makes children smile and joy, but is it not for this, by and large, we teach them to sing!

5. Conscious phrasing, possession of supporting breathing.

6. In this exercise, you need to alternate between staccato in the first measure and legato in the second measure.

7. A complicated version of the previous exercise.

8. Staccato stroke, high sound position, accurate intonation, vowel formation, range extension.

9. A more complicated version of the previous exercise, requiring wider breathing and evenness of sound throughout the entire range.

10. Overcoming tightness of the larynx, evenness of sound over the entire range, smoothing registers, the use of resonators.

This chant ends the set of mandatory exercises. The following exercises are used for children with higher learning abilities.

11. In chants in 5 and 6 measures, you need to focus on the performance of the second sound. I usually ask them to slow down a little and feel how wide and free, without "filling up" the seconds sound.

12. An exercise that helps develop the ease and mobility of the voice.

13. Emphasis on the top note and staccato.

14. High position of sound, activity of articulation.

14. To master a dictionally complex exercise performed at a fast pace, I use the visual arrangement of syllables in space, marked by hand with a gradual increase in tempo. In graphical notation, it looks like this:

LA-li → LE-li ← LE-whether.

In conclusion, it should be noted that only those exercises will be useful to children, the expediency of which is clear to the teacher. There are many vocal exercises, but for work we must select only those that, in our opinion, best meet the needs of our students. If the teacher himself does not succeed in the exercise he likes, or if he does not understand what skills it forms, it is better to abandon it altogether, no matter how much you like it. Let me give you an example from personal practice. Many of my colleagues use the following vocal exercise:

But when I performed it, especially at a fast pace, I felt that the top note was flat, with a "blockage" on the larynx. But, as soon as I sang it on two adjacent notes, it turned into a wonderful exercise, not only developing diction skills, but also allowing me to effortlessly lift the palate and put the top note in a high position.

Basic singing skills

SINGING INSTALLATION

An important point for proper breathing, especially at the beginning of training, is the singing attitude, i.e. correct position of the head and body. When singing while standing, you need to keep your head straight, not throwing it back and not lowering it down, also keep your body straight, without tension, stand firmly on both legs, distributing the weight of the body evenly, lower your arms freely. When singing while sitting (during choir classes), you need to sit straight, without bending your back, keeping your hands on your knees, placing your legs together, bending them at a right angle.

Everything that has been said above applies to the work on the breath of those who sing both solo and in a choir. The work on breathing in the choir is also accompanied by a conductor's gesture, which contains not only an emotional beginning, but also a demonstration of technique, the nature of breathing, and sound.

The composition includes:

Oral and nasal cavities with accessory cavities

Pharynx

Trachea

Bronchi

Lungs

Thorax with respiratory muscles and diaphragm

Abdominal muscles

Nervous system: the corresponding nerve centers of the brain with motor and sensory nerves connecting these centers with all the indicated organs

DICTION

DICTION - pronunciation, the degree of distinctness of speaking. A clear pronunciation of individual sentences, sound combinations as a whole is an indicator of the culture of speech. Disadvantages of diction: burr, nasality, monotony, haste, swallowing the endings of words, indistinctness. Improving diction is of great importance, for example, for teachers, students, etc. The basis of diction is the distinct pronunciation of each individual sound and sound combinations. Before a speech can be understood, it must be heard, perceived by ear. The clearer the words are pronounced, the easier it is to understand them. The key to good diction is the correct articulation of sounds. Articulation is based on a set of pronunciation movements of the speech organs, which include the tongue, lips and soft palate with a tongue (active organs), as well as teeth and hard palate (passive organs). Often the shortcomings of diction are explained by lethargy, passivity of articulation. Sluggish, and therefore fuzzy diction is the result of incorrect speech education

ARTICULATION

Articulation - coordination of the action of the speech organs when pronouncing speech sounds, which is carried out by the speech zones of the cortex and subcortical formations of the brain. When pronouncing a certain sound, auditory and kinesthetic, or speech-motor, control is realized. The underdevelopment of phonemic hearing (for example, among the hearing impaired) significantly complicates the acquisition of correct articulation.

SINGING RESONATORS

The resonator is primarily a sound amplifier. It is commonly said that the singer's resonators serve to form vowels. This is an important, but far from their only role. The singer's vocal tract resonators not only transform the spectrum of the vocal source (folds), but can significantly amplify the sound as a whole.

A simple experiment makes it possible to make sure that the weak sound of a tuning fork is amplified many times over if a resonator is attached to it, for example, resting a foot on the soundboard of a piano. By special selection of a resonator for a given tuning fork, it is possible to achieve a very large sound amplification. In this case, no violation of the law of conservation of energy occurs. It is known that any oscillating body does not completely convert its vibrational energy into sound: part of it is inevitably spent on overcoming friction, goes into heat, etc. The participation of the resonator is manifested in the fact that most of the vibrational energy of the vibrator goes into sound. Thus, the resonator increases the efficiency of the sound source, that is, its useful sound output. This means that the resonator amplifies the sound without requiring any additional energy from the sound source.

This most important theoretical position is of great importance for the practice of singing, since the singer's vocal apparatus, as an acoustic device, obeys all the laws of acoustics (of course, as well as the laws of psychophysiology).

The activity of resonators is manifested not only in amplifying the sound, but also in strengthening the vibration (trembling) of their walls under the influence of resonance. We perceive this vibration in the form of characteristic sensations of the chest or head resonance of sound when singing. We studied the activity of singing resonators with the help of special vibration sensors, which make it possible to measure the intensity of their vibration. Studies have shown that the vibration of the resonators of good singers is more pronounced than that of bad or non-vocalists, even at the same volume of sound.

BREATH

Breathing is one of the main factors of voice formation. In our ordinary life, we do not think about how we breathe. The body carries out this process automatically and in colloquial speech: when inhaling, the volume of the chest increases, and the lungs are filled with air, exhalation also occurs automatically when the body needs to get rid of carbon dioxide.

During singing, the breathing process is organized differently. The singer faces the tasks of prolonged phonation, usually much louder than in speech. Accordingly, incomparably large loads fall on the muscles of the respiratory apparatus. Breathing is the driving force that activates the vocal apparatus. All types of singing technique directly depend on the possession of breath.

TYPES OF BREATH

Breathing is the driving force that activates the vocal apparatus. Usually people use mixed breathing, which involves the chest and diaphragm. In singing, the performer faces special tasks of voice formation, vocalists adjust their breathing for the best respiratory support. Men, in most cases, use deeper low breathing with the participation of the diaphragm and abdominals. Women often have shallow breathing, using the large muscles of the upper chest. Despite the single structure of the respiratory apparatus, it is customary to distinguish between several types of breathing:

chest breathing

(clavicular, clavicular)

Breathing is performed by expanding the upper part of the chest, the diaphragm is turned off from the active respiratory function and passively follows its movements. With this type of breathing, the collarbones and shoulders (upper chest) rise noticeably, and the abdomen is pulled in.

abdominal breathing

(diaphragmatic, abdominal)

When inhaling, the chest remains motionless, and the stomach moves forward somewhat. There is a struggle between the diaphragm (inhale) and the abdominal muscles (exhale). Distinguish between upper and lower abdominal breathing. In both cases, inhalation is produced by contraction of the diaphragm and a change in tension in that part of the abdominal press, which works more actively during exhalation. With upper abdominal breathing, this is the epigastric region, with lower abdominal breathing, the lower abdomen.

Thoracic diaphragmatic breathing

(mixed, costoabdominal)

In the respiratory process, the chest and diaphragm are equally involved. With this type of breathing, the lungs and lower ribs expand to the sides, the diaphragm, contracting, lowers without tension, and the abdominal walls move forward somewhat; the abdominal muscles are activated, which help to take a deeper breath in order to stock up on enough air. The shoulders and upper chest remain motionless.

This type of breathing is the most common, since with it the volume of air taken in increases due to the simultaneous active work of the chest and diaphragm; abdominal muscles support breathing, give it elasticity and strength; it becomes possible to naturally coordinate the air supply with other parts of the vocal apparatus.

While singing, the exhalation is always longer than the inhalation, since the musical phrase takes a certain time to be performed, and the inhalation is usually done instantly. At the same time, the diaphragm remains active in order to slow down the exhalation, that is, to lengthen it. This helps the anterior wall of the abdomen, which is drawn in during exhalation.

ORGANIZATION OF SINGING INHALATION AND EXHAUST

As mentioned above, breathing consists of two phases, different in their functions, but equally important in their meaning.

Inhalation (the first phase) performs two functions: filling the lungs with air and bringing the vocal apparatus into a state of readiness before a sound attack. Inhalation should be mixed (through the nose and mouth), vigorous, fast enough, deep, full and silent. The ribs should quickly move apart, the diaphragm descend (shrink), slightly pushing forward the front wall of the abdomen. Inhalation opens the larynx for the passage of inhaled air.

The singing breath is taken with a feeling of a half-yawn, which has a great influence on the singing phonation. With the help of a half-yawn, the pharyngeal cavity expands and its resonator capacity increases, the soft palate rises, which creates the condition for the correct formation of the voice - its rounding and high position. You should not think that when singing you need to gain as much air as possible. Inhalation should be moderate and relaxed. You can imagine at the same time that you inhale the wonderful smell of flowers before you start singing.

Beginning vocalists, first of all, need to eliminate harmful movements that can interfere with the successful development of singing breathing (the habit of hunching or raising shoulders when inhaling). It is necessary to unlearn impetuous, convulsive breaths and noisy breathing. Noise during inhalation appears from poor expansion of the trachea and bronchi, as well as from the friction of passing air against insufficiently opened vocal cords. Noisy breathing is ugly and harmful to the ligaments. To eliminate this shortcoming, it is necessary to work on deep, calm breathing and the feeling of a "half-yawn", while fixing the attention of the singer on the noise that accompanies the breath. Sometimes, already at the beginning of singing a musical phrase, there is a rapid “falling” of the chest walls. This indicates that the singer does not maintain an inhaling position while singing, and therefore there is no support.

Inhalation must be consciously controlled.

The body must take the correct support.

Inhalation should be active, with a feeling of a half-yawn.

There should not be a feeling of discomfort from an excess of air in the lungs.

Inhalation should be imperceptible to the eyes and hearing of the listeners.

Inhalation is performed not at the last moment before phonation, but a little earlier.

Exhalation (second phase) is of great importance for the formation of high-quality phonation. The evenness of sound transmission and the density of the sound attack depend on the nature of the exhalation. The singing sound appears at the moment of exhalation, and further singing comes with the help of exhalation. When exhaling, the air should exit the lungs smoothly, without jerks. At this time, the diaphragm rises, and the anterior wall of the abdomen retracts.

At the moment preceding the beginning of the sound, the upper part of the vocal apparatus - the pharynx and oral cavity (extension tube) - must take the form of future phonation. The lower jaw is easily lowered, the pharynx (pharynx) opens by reflex (arbitrary) lifting upward of the palatine curtain with a small tongue. The well-prepared open form of the extension tube receives the air leaving the lungs. Thus, conditions are created for the formation of the correct covered sound with the feeling of the vowel "O".

The process of exhalation is carried out by the intercostal respiratory muscles, as well as the muscles of the diaphragm and abdomen (abdominal pressure). The abdominal muscles and the diaphragm regulate the singing exhalation, and the chest makes it voluminous and powerful. In vocal and pedagogical practice, this is called the support of sound on the diaphragm and the use of a chest resonator.

The most important task of singing breathing is the maximum transformation of air into sound waves. This ensures a controlled and regulated exhalation. Breath must be expended so that it all turns into sound. It is necessary to give breath smoothly, without weakening it and without pushing, so as not to destroy the found coordination. In a phrase, it is important to distribute the breath so that the sound is well supported by it all the time, and so that by the end of the phrase there will be enough breathing. The paradox of singing breathing lies in the fact that the volume of the chest does not fall while breathing is spent.

You can not sort out the breath, as this does not make it possible to organize a correct sound attack and smooth voice leading.

Phonation should not be initiated without sufficient respiratory support. To avoid this, after a moderate breath, you need to make an instant "breath-hold".

You need to exhale smoothly, with a collected jet, with good pressure.

The singing volume of the chest should not fall when exhaling.

It is useful to exhale excess breath at the end of a musical phrase before starting a new breath.

BREATH HOLDING

The most significant is the moment of holding the breath. Normal breathing is performed as follows: inhale - exhale - pause. During singing breathing, this process changes: inhalation - delay - exhalation - breath release. That is, it is just before exhalation (attack of sound) that a pause follows, during which the body must be as active as possible, otherwise the sound will be sluggish.

Holding your breath is an active pause. It is produced as follows: a quick breath is taken, after which the air is not released immediately, but is retained in the lungs for a moment. The lower ribs are parted, the diaphragm is lowered, the anterior wall of the abdomen is prepared for contraction. There is, as it were, a complete cessation of the breathing process before the onset of exhalation - the moment of sound attack. At this time, there is a struggle between the will and the desire of the body to get rid of the recycled air. At the same time, breathing is in the "inhalation unit", the larynx, and the organs of the extension tube are free, not tense. At this delay, you should attack the sound, applying the attack that is most appropriate in this case and corresponds to the desired sound. The state (coordination) that occurs during an attack must be maintained throughout the subsequent sound. To do this, do not weaken the breath, do not push, but maintain the exhalation smoothly.

Holding the breath activates the entire respiratory apparatus before the moment of sound attack and creates the sensation of a “breath support” in the singer. The pause between inhalation and exhalation (sound attack) should be instantaneous, but it is important to remember that this momentary "holding" of the breath is very important:

Holding the breath activates exhalation.

Eliminates loss of breath at the beginning of a phrase.

It is the moment of readiness, coordination of all organs involved in sound production.

It is the moment of fixation of the inhalation unit.

Singing breathing is associated with one of the oldest, most widespread and at the same time one of the least deciphered terms - the so-called singing support. The term comes from the Italian for "keep up the voice". It is the singing support that gives the voice its inherent great strength, flight, singing timbre, and most importantly - tirelessness, that is, the most important professional qualities. When singing “without support”, the chest walls quickly subside, that is, the exhalation is unrestrained, forced, the sound is lifeless, dull, often without vibrato. When singing “on a support”, a high singing formant is well expressed, the voice is bright, sonorous, flying, saturated with overtones.

Thus, the singing support is a special organization of the exhalation process during phonation, that is, its active inhibition, which is expressed in an arbitrary obstruction of the chest wall from falling down. At the same time, it feels like a breath during a phonation exhalation (inhalation setting), but the breath is not locked, but restrained. The muscles of the respiratory apparatus should not be constrained, breathing should not be enslaved. When creating a feeling of breath support in the singer after inhalation and holding the breath, the exhalation is carried out smoothly, the lower ribs should fall off gradually, and not immediately, the feeling of inhibition persists until the end of the exhalation, as a result, breathing is saved. The air is not released immediately, but gradually and during phonation turns into sound. The use of the “hold” technique creates a feeling of “breath support”, which, if it is maintained in the subsequent singing process, in turn creates conditions for the development of a “sound support”.

Breathing is one of the main moments in singing, therefore there can be no “sound support” without “breath support”. But the sound itself does not yet determine the feeling of the “support of sound”, since the sound on the support can have a different character: be open, have an attack, articulation, etc. To create a sound support, it is necessary, after holding the breath, to lower the lower jaw and, as it were, raise the palatine curtain, which will give the correct shape of the extension tube. The sound will become more covered and elastic, and the attack will be active, without entrances. "Sound support" is achieved by the interaction of all parts of the vocal apparatus, i.e. breath, attack, articulation. Under the feeling of support of the voice, one must understand a peculiar sensation that accompanies the correct “supported” singing voice formation, the correct coordination in the work of the vocal apparatus, giving rise to a supported sound. The feeling of support in different singers is expressed in different ways. Some believe that this is a kind of sensation of a column of air supported from below by the abdominal muscles and resting against the palatine vault. Others understand the feeling of support as a certain degree of tension in the expiratory muscles that supply the necessary air pressure to the vocal cords. Still others - the emphasis of sound in the front teeth or the palatine vault.

The concept of sound support includes sensations of increased subglottic pressure, tension of the respiratory and laryngeal muscles, resonator sensations. The feeling of support is essential to singing, as it creates a sense of confidence and comfort in sound production. Recording by the vocalist of the peculiarities of the work of the respiratory apparatus in singing, the ability to analyze one's respiratory sensations and control sound formation based on them is one of the ways to master the singing sound.

Singing breathing develops slowly, along with the organization of parts of the singing apparatus. Calm, moderate in quantity, deep inhalation, a slight "hold" of breath before a sound attack, smooth delivery of breath and the ability to correctly distribute it - these are the basic principles of breathing that students should use. To develop such breathing, sound (singing) exercises are necessary. Training should be daily until you fully master the technique. Silent breathing exercises are a good aid in strengthening the respiratory muscles. Only strict discipline and organization of breathing will result in the desired freedom and ease in controlling it while singing. Performing works, vocalists should look for those techniques, breath colors that correspond to this work.

ARTICULATION DEVICE

The articulatory apparatus is an anatomical and physiological system of organs, including the larynx, vocal folds, tongue, soft and hard palate, (oropharynx), teeth of the upper and lower jaws (see bite), lips, nasopharynx (upper part of the pharynx, located behind the nasal cavity, communicating with it through the choanae and conditionally limited from the oral part of the pharynx by a plane in which the hard palate lies) and resonator cavities involved in the generation of sounds of speech and voice.

Good singing, as an art, is the result of long and painstaking work. In order to convey to the listener the full depth of their emotional experiences, to solve the most important artistic tasks, the performer must fully master vocal skills. Therefore, the primary task of vocal training already at the initial stage is the formation of the correct methods of singing activity. Singing is a conscious process in which the student must be fully aware.

1) a system of basic specific knowledge and skills;

2) experience of creative activity of students;

3) the experience of an emotional-volitional attitude to the world, to each other, which, together with knowledge and skills, is a condition for the formation of a value system in children

It is obvious that all components of the singing teaching system are closely interconnected, but vocal skills are its basis, the basic element.

The definition of a skill is approached in different ways - as an ability, a synonym for skill, an automated action. The most common is the definition of a skill as strengthened, brought as a result of purposeful, repeated exercises to the perfection of the performance of an action. S.L. Rubinstein in his work “Fundamentals of General Psychology” gives the following definition: “Skills are automated components of a person’s conscious action that are developed in the process of its implementation. A skill emerges as a consciously automated action and then functions as an automated way of doing it. The fact that this action has become a habit means that the individual, as a result of the exercise, has acquired the ability to carry out this operation without making its implementation his conscious goal.

There are three main stages of skill formation:

1) analytical - mastering the elements of action;

2) synthetic - the formation of an integral structure of action;

3) automation - consolidation and improvement of the integral structure.

With regard to the field of musical performance, the definition of skill is specified. So, A.L. Gottsdiner gives the following definition of a musical performance skill: “A musical performance skill is a system of consciously developed movements that are partially automated, allowing them to realize musical knowledge and skills in purposeful musical activity”

V.I. Petrushin notes that “the formation of a skill is said when the memory of an action passes to the muscles. This transition relieves consciousness, and the musician, having learned a technically difficult passage, can take care of its finer nuances”

Thus, referring directly to the concept of vocal skills, we can give the following definition: a vocal skill is a partially automated way of performing an action that is a component of a singing act. The basis of vocal skills is the creation and strengthening of conditioned reflex connections, the formation of systems of these connections.

Partial automation of vocal skills arises as a decrease in the control of consciousness over the process of performing various singing actions. But the results of these actions are constantly reflected in the mind.

Vocal skills are considered to be motor skills, which is not entirely accurate. Indeed, in singing there is always a muscular movement, without which it is impossible to reproduce the sound. However, the main thing in the formation of singing skills is hearing. When playing sound, one cannot separately consider the work of hearing as auditory skills, and muscle actions as motor vocal skills. Hearing and vocal motor skills in the process of singing are physiologically inseparable, although, in fact, they are anatomically different systems.

Sound reproduction is carried out through vocal motility, which is regulated and stimulated by hearing - the main regulator of the motor system that reproduces sound. This combination of auditory work and vocal motor skills is classified in psychology as a sensorimotor skill.

Specifying the type of vocal skill makes it possible to better understand its essence and more accurately determine the methodology for its formation.

The formation of a skill is associated with a number of mental operations. Its physiological mechanism includes complex conditioned reflexes that form a well-established system of temporary nerve connections in the cerebral cortex (dynamic stereotype, according to I.P. Pavlov). These neural connections can be formed and fixed in the process of both correct and incorrect vocal movements.

L.B. Dmitriev talks about three stages in the formation of a singing skill:

2) Preservation and refinement of these skills of correct work in various musical tasks and in the pronunciation of various words throughout the entire range. This stage covers the assimilation of various types of sound science, transferring the correct principles of work to the entire range and maintaining them on the word;

3) Automation, polishing and finding multiple variations of this right job. This is the stage of bringing the correct sound formation and sound leading to automatism, the complete emancipation of the vocal apparatus and the acquisition of the ability to vary the voice within the correct sound, i.e. development of nuance.

With all the variety of interpretations of the concept of correct and incorrect singing, one should point out its main criterion. The correct operation of the vocal apparatus presupposes such coordination of all its elements, in which muscular energy is spent most economically and with maximum effect. Proper singing is such singing when it is convenient for the singers to sing and for the audience it is pleasant to listen to them.

To the basic vocal skills of G.P. Stulova refers to the following:

1) sound production;

2) singing breathing;

3) articulation;

4) auditory skills;

5) skills of emotional expressiveness of performance

S. Milovsky in the manual “Singing at singing lessons and in the children's choir of elementary school” somewhat simplifies and concretizes this list (due to the specifics of the use of the manual in the conditions of a general elementary school) and highlights the skill of singing inhalation and exhalation, the development of breathing length, the skill of correct formation of vowel sounds, cantilena singing skill, diction skills, voice mobility. The skill of polyphonic singing stands out separately (in the ensemble)

A.G. Menabeni identifies the following types of vocal skills:

1) Singing breath;

2) Sound attack;

3) Singing articulation and diction;

4) Singing without an instrument

In the further characterization of certain types of vocal skills, we will take as a basis the list of skills proposed by G.P. Stulova, supplementing it with the skills of polyphonic singing and singing without the accompaniment of an instrument.

1) sound production is understood as a holistic process, determined at each given moment by the way the respiratory and articulatory organs interact with the work of the larynx. All the main properties of the singing voice are associated with the operation of the sound source according to the type of a certain register mechanism. Therefore, the skill of sound production in various registers is central. It predetermines, within the limits of individual capabilities, the possession of a variety of timbres, which is ensured by the ability to use a variety of dynamics throughout the entire pitch range, various types of sound attack, and methods of articulation. Sound formation is not only the attack of sound, that is, the moment of its occurrence, but also the sound that follows it, the pitch modulations of the voice. The ability to correctly intotone according to the intra-auditory representation is an integral part of the skill of sound production and is closely related to the possession of registers. The mobility of the voice is associated with the skill of conscious control of the register sound.

2) Skill breathing in singing it breaks up into separate elements, the main of which are:

Singing installation, providing optimal conditions for the work of the respiratory organs;

A deep breath, but moderate in volume with the help of the lower ribs, and in the nature of the song;

The moment of holding the breath, during which the representation of the first sound and the subsequent sound is mentally prepared, the position of inspiration is fixed, the corresponding subglottic pressure accumulates;

Phonation exhalation is gradual, economical in an effort to maintain the inhalation setting;

The ability to distribute breathing throughout the entire musical phrase;

The ability to regulate the supply of breath in connection with the task of gradually increasing or decreasing the sound, etc.

3) Skill articulation includes:

Distinct, phonetically defined pronunciation of words;

Moderate rounding of phonemes due to their back way;

The ability to find a close or high vocal position due to the special organization of the anterior structure of the articulatory organs;

The ability to observe a single manner of articulation for all vowels;

The ability to maintain the level of the larynx in one position in the process of singing various vowels;

The ability to stretch vowels as much as possible and pronounce consonants briefly within the limits of the rhythm of the melody being performed.

4) K listening skills in the singing process include:

Auditory attention and self-control;

Auditory differentiation of the qualitative aspects of singing sound, including emotional expression;

Vocal-auditory representations of singing sound and methods of its formation.

These skills are formed in children on the basis of the development of musical ear in all its manifestations (vocal, pitch, dynamic, timbre, etc.), as well as emotional susceptibility and responsiveness to music.

5) Skill expressiveness in singing it acts as a performing skill that reflects the musical and aesthetic content and educational meaning of singing activity.

The expressiveness of the performance acts as a condition for the aesthetic education of children by means of vocal art and is achieved through:

Facial expressions, eye expressions, gestures and movements;

Dynamic shades, sharpness of phrasing;

Purity of intonation;

Legibility and meaningfulness of diction;

Tempo, pauses and caesuras that have syntactic meaning.

The expressiveness of the performance is formed on the basis of the meaningfulness of the content and its emotional experience by children.

6) Skill singing without an instrument is a necessary condition for the development of inner hearing. When singing without the support of an instrument, the singer's sound representations are created voluntarily, consciously, and not due to involuntary perception (when playing along with the melody), and he can successfully reproduce the sound only when he clearly and clearly mentally imagines it. Pre-hearing makes it possible to independently compare the received sound with the previously presented, and the awareness of auditory representations facilitates this action. Consequently, singing without accompaniment enhances the conscious factor in singing voice formation, promotes the development of independence and self-control (the ability to evaluate the reproduced sound without outside help).

7) Skill singing in an ensemble(polyphonic singing) implies the development of a modal feeling, purity of intonation, harmonic hearing, the ability to listen and hear other members of the ensemble. Intonation unison, which is developed in the process of correct vocalization, serves as the basis for beautiful singing in the ensemble. In the solo singing class of the Children's Music School, an introduction to the ensemble singing program is provided for at 3-4 years of study, but it is quite advisable to offer children the learning of easy ensembles at the initial stage.

Essential signs of the formation of vocal skills are qualitative changes in the basic properties of the student's singing voice.

The main directions in which the development of the basic properties of the sound of the voice should take place are:

1) Pitch range - from several sounds of the primary zone to two octaves or more due to the ability to choose the register mode of voice formation in accordance with the pitch according to the principle: the higher, the easier, i.e. closer to falsetto.

2) Dynamic range - from "pp" to "f". Its expansion occurs not due to “f”, but due to the formation of an active “p”, which ensures that the child's voice is tuned to the correct sound formation.

3) Timbre - from a poor timbre in overtone composition to a richer timbre and then to its diversity in performance due to the arbitrary use of various voice registers. Register transitions and positional sounding of vowels are gradually aligned.

4) Diction - develops on the basis of the correct articulation of first individual vowels, syllables, and then words and whole phrases.

5) The mobility of the voice is formed from slow to medium and then to a faster tempo and is associated with the ability to choose the desired register mode of the larynx: the faster the tempo, the lighter the sound due to the approximation of the way the vocal folds fluctuate to the falsetto type.

6) Inaccuracies in intonation are also most often associated with register overload. Lightening the sound will help correct intonation. In natural voice registers, it is easier to achieve accuracy of intonation than when singing in a mixed voice.

The formation of vocal skills is a single pedagogical process. All vocal skills are closely related, so work on them is carried out in parallel. Naturally, any vocal exercise has the goal of developing some specific skills, but when performing it, it is impossible to ignore the rest. This is the main difficulty for the student - to learn that in order to achieve a sustainable result, it is necessary to use absolutely all the knowledge, skills and abilities acquired in the classroom.

Introduction

2. Vocal and choral skills

2.1 Sound generation

2.2 Singing breath

2.3 Singing articulation

2.4 Diction in choral singing

3. Modern approaches to the formation of vocal and choral skills in a music lesson

3.1 Methodological techniques and education of vocal and choral skills.

This work is devoted to the study of the development of vocal and choral skills in students of a general education school in music lessons. One of the important tasks that a music lesson solves in a comprehensive school is to teach children to sing. This problem has remained relevant for many years, attracting the attention of a large circle of musicians-teachers, scientists of various specialties, because the collective form of singing performance has great potential: the development of musical abilities, the formation of vocal and choral skills, the training of true connoisseurs of music and the education of the best human qualities. . Choral singing has a beneficial effect on the physical condition of students. “Singing not only gives the singer pleasure, but also exercises and develops his hearing, respiratory system, and the latter is closely connected with the cardiovascular system, therefore, he unwittingly, doing breathing exercises, strengthens his health.”

The functions of choral singing are versatile, useful and attractive for every child. It is also important that choral singing, being the most accessible form of performance, actively involves children in the creative process. Therefore, in a general education school, it is considered as an effective means of educating the tastes of students, increasing their general musical culture, and penetrating the song into the life of a Russian family.

As D.B. Kabalevsky noted, “the gradual expansion and honing of the performing skills and the general musical culture of all schoolchildren makes it possible, even in conditions of mass musical education in the classroom, to strive to achieve the level of genuine art. Each class is a choir - this is the ideal towards which this aspiration should be directed.

Modern mass media: television, Internet, radio - through the song genre, they bring down on children mainly primitive, immoral and, at times, aggressive music. This leads to a decrease in the level of culture of children and the people as a whole. Under these conditions, the school, as a general educational institution, with the help of music lessons introduces children to the true moral values ​​of domestic and world musical culture. Choral singing with its centuries-old traditions, deep spiritual content, huge emotional and moral impact on performers and listeners remains a proven means of musical education.

Object of study: students of a comprehensive school (grades 1-8).

Subject of study: the process of developing vocal and choral skills in music lessons in secondary schools.

The purpose of the study: to generalize ways to improve the process of developing vocal and choral skills in music lessons.

Tasks: 1. Studying the features of voice development, age and psychological characteristics of students.

2. Systematization of vocal and choral skills and practical techniques for their development.

3. Theoretical study of methodological developments in vocal and choral work with children (D.E. Ogorodnov, V.V. Emelyanov, G.P. Stulova, L.A. Vengrus).

Research methods: analysis, systematization and generalization of methodological approaches to the development of vocal and choral skills in secondary school students.

Learning to sing is not only the acquisition of certain skills. In the process of learning to sing, a child's voice develops, and educational tasks related to the formation of the child's personality are solved.

The music teacher is responsible for educating the sound, healthy voice of his children. Even the most ordinary voice can and should be developed.

The teacher is required to know the characteristics of the development of the voice of students, since the requirements that he makes for children must always correspond to their age capabilities. Also, the teacher himself needs to have a good musical ear, speak and sing correctly. The teacher must be able to use his voice, because the children in the learning process will certainly imitate him.

One of the main conditions for successful singing education is the development of students' auditory attention. The fulfillment of this condition makes it possible to systematically and consistently develop the musical and vocal ear of schoolchildren.

For the education of hearing, it is not at all indifferent to the environment in which classes are held. It is possible to teach children to listen and hear what the teacher says, what he sings and plays, only in silence. Silence in the classroom (working discipline) must be created from the very first lessons, and for this it is necessary to be able to interest children. It is interest in classes that causes students to respond to music. It creates an emotional mood, in which their auditory attention is sharpened, conscious creative “hearing” is brought up, that is, the ability to imagine and reproduce the correct sound.

The organ of hearing, vocal organs (larynx, pharynx, soft palate, oral and nasal cavities, where the sound is colored) and respiratory organs (lungs, diaphragm, intercostal muscles, muscles of the trachea and bronchi) - all this is one complex singing mechanism. There is a close relationship between the links of this mechanism, which must not be violated. Therefore, no matter what task the teacher sets for himself in this lesson (for example, to strengthen breathing, improve diction in the song being learned), the upbringing of "vocal speech" must invariably be carried out in a single complex. So, while working on diction, it is necessary at the same time to monitor the correctness of breathing and the quality of sound.

As the child grows, the mechanism of the vocal apparatus changes. A very important muscle develops in the larynx - the voice. Its structure gradually becomes more complex, and by the age of 12-13, it begins to control the entire work of the vocal cords, which acquire elasticity. The fluctuation of the ligaments ceases to be only marginal, it spreads to the vocal fold, and the voice becomes stronger and more compact (“collected”, “fuller”).

Due to the growth of the vocal apparatus, children's vocal ranges cannot be defined as permanent. Even for the same age, they are different and depend on systematic exercises, mastering the voice registers, as well as on individual differences. By the age of 10-12, children's voices are divided into trebles and altos. Descant - high children's voice. Its range: "to" the first octave - "si" the second. This voice is mobile and flexible, able to expressively perform various melodious melodic patterns. Alto is a low children's voice. Its range: "salt" of a small octave - "fa" of the second octave. The viola is distinguished by a thick, strong sound, less mobile than that of the discount. It can sound bright and expressive.

In the pre-mutation period (11-12 years old), the physical growth of students and, in particular, the growth of their vocal apparatus ceases to be smooth. Development is uneven. Some schoolchildren outwardly become disproportionate, movements become angular, excessive nervousness appears. External disproportion also points to uneven internal development. The voice loses its brightness, as if fading, a little hoarse.

Changes in the voice appear in both boys and girls, but in boys the development is more intense and uneven. With a purely childish structure of the vocal apparatus, the vocal cords become reddened, swollen, mucus is formed, which causes the need to cough up and sometimes gives the voice a hoarse tone.

These signs of an upcoming mutation (change, change in the child's voice), associated with the growth and formation of not only the larynx, but the whole organism, appear at different times, individually, and therefore it is difficult to notice them. It is important to be aware of their existence and carefully monitor the development of a teenager so as not to miss these changes in the voice and build classes correctly.

In girls during the pre-mutation period, frequent dizziness, headaches, lethargy, and breathing can be difficult.

On the issue of the time of onset of voice mutation in boys (usually occurring with puberty), the data of special literature differ somewhat among different authors, which is apparently explained by the unequal time of onset of puberty in different climates: for example, in northern countries, mutation occurs relatively later, but it proceeds more abruptly, whereas in more southern countries, where puberty occurs early, the mutation appears much earlier and is much less pronounced.

In our (temperate) climate, a voice mutation in boys appears at the age of 12-13, most often at 14-15 years old, but it happens that it is late until 16-17 and even up to 19-20 years. The length of the vocal cords during this period increases by 6-8 mm and by the age of 15 reaches 24-25 mm. Voice mutation period, i.e. the complete transition of a boy's voice from a child's voice to a man's can last from several weeks (4-6), months (3-6) to 2-3, and sometimes up to 5 years. Most often - about a year. A sharp form of mutation can also occur in girls, but this is less common.

The pre-mutation, mutation and post-mutation periods require especially careful handling of the voice and, consequently, a particularly attentive attitude on the part of the school and family.

If during the mutation the boys themselves usually stop singing - they cannot or it is difficult for them to sing, then in the pre-mutation period, when the difficulty in singing is still weakly expressed, the boys often try to overcome the phenomena of the approaching mutation, bringing great harm to their fragile voice. In the post-mutation period (17-18 years), when the vocal apparatus has not yet returned to full normal, incorrect singing is especially dangerous, as it threatens to break the voice.

Thus, significant and rapid changes in the vocal apparatus of students require a music teacher to have a deep knowledge of physiology and an individual approach to each child in the lessons.

2. Vocal and choral skills

The preparation and performance of any vocal and choral work is a multi-stage process: the immediate first emotional impression, the analysis of the musical language in order to create a performance plan, work on learning and assimilation of the material, the accumulation of vocal and choral skills, repeated repetitions of the work leading to the improvement of performance. The final stage is the presentation of the musical and poetic image to the audience.

All this should be accompanied by students receiving a certain range of knowledge and familiarizing them with the singing culture. Indeed, “expressive artistic choral performance requires each student to master a complex set of vocal skills. They are the basis without which choral singing cannot have educational value. Simultaneously with individual singing development, the formation of choral skills takes place ... ".

Possession of vocal and choral technique enables young singers to better understand the artistic image and penetrate into the depths of music. Vocal-choral technique includes a set of scientifically based rules and techniques for performing actions that accompany the process of singing. The study and application of these rules forms skills, and repeated repetition allows you to master the skills of performing these actions. The formation of singing skills and abilities is one of the conditions for school musical education. Therefore, the formation of various singing skills is included in the content of training.

Skills are actions whose individual components have become automated as a result of repetition.

Key vocal skills include:

sound production;

singing breath;

Articulation;

hearing skills;

Emotional expressiveness of performance.

2.1 Sound generation

Sound formation is a holistic process, determined at any given moment by the way the respiratory and articulatory organs interact with the work of the larynx. Sound formation is not only an “attack” of sound, i.e., the moment of its occurrence, but also the sound that follows it.

The first requirement when educating students of singing sound formation is the education of a melodious, lingering sound of the voice.

Observations and analysis of studies testify to a special and very important property of voices - flight. It has been established that flightability is inherent not only in adult voices, but also in the voices of children. Many physical properties of children's voices (strength, evenness of sound, spectral composition), including flight and sonority, depend on the emotional state of the child. It was also noted that when singing works, sonority and flight are more noticeable than when performing exercises. The most important vocal and pedagogical basis for the development of flight and sonority of voices is the education of free and unconstrained sound production and breathing, the exclusion of forced singing, tightness of the larynx and tension of the facial and respiratory muscles, the maximum use of resonator systems, constant attention to the emotional state of the singers.

From the first lessons, you should achieve a natural, relaxed, light and bright sound. It is recommended to start instilling these qualities from the middle part of the range - mi1 - si1 and gradually spread them to a wider range of sounds. At the same time, the strengthening and improvement of the middle range continues. From the second year of study, different coloring of the sound is already used, depending on the content and nature of the song. Gradually, the sound of the voice is leveled over the entire range (do1-re2, mi2).

The ability to correctly intotone according to the intra-auditory representation is an integral part of the skill of sound production and is closely related to the purposeful control of the register sound. The latter predetermines such a quality of vocal technique as the mobility of the voice.

Listening skills in singing include:

Auditory attention and self-control;

Differentiation of the qualitative aspects of singing sound, including emotional expressiveness;

Vocal-auditory ideas about singing sound and methods of its formation.

In order to properly and effectively develop vocal and choral skills, it is necessary to observe the most important condition - the singing attitude, that is, the correct position of the body, head, and the correct opening of the mouth while singing.

The main rule of the singing attitude: when singing, you can neither sit nor stand relaxed; it is necessary to maintain a feeling of constant internal and external smartness.

To preserve the necessary qualities of the singing sound and develop the external behavior of the singers, one should:

Keep your head straight, free, not lowering down and not throwing back;

Stand firmly on both legs, evenly distributing the weight of the body;

Sit on the edge of a chair, also leaning on your legs;

Keep the body straight, without tension;

Hands (if you do not need to hold notes) lie freely on your knees.

Sitting cross-legged is completely unacceptable, because such a position makes it difficult for the abdominal muscles to work while singing.

If the singer throws his head back or tilts it, the larynx immediately reacts to this, moving vertically up and down, which affects the sound quality of the voice. During rehearsal work, students often sit with their backs hunched over. With this position of the body, the diaphragm is compressed, which prevents its free movements when making fine adjustments of the subglottic pressure on various vowels. As a result, the activity of breathing disappears, the sound is removed from the support, the brightness of the timbre is lost, and the intonation becomes unstable.

2.2 Singing breath

In the sequence of introducing the components of singing training, a certain trend is visible: the formation of vocal and choral skills, as it were, in a spiral, that is, the simultaneous inclusion of almost all elements of vocal and choral technique at the first stage of training and deepening them in subsequent periods. The sequence and gradual formation of vocal and choral skills looks like this: vocal skills begin to form with a melodious sound based on the elementary mastery of singing breathing.

Singing breathing differs in many ways from normal, physiological breathing. The exhalation is significantly lengthened, and the inhalation is shortened. The respiratory process from automatic, not regulated by consciousness, passes into an arbitrarily controlled, volitional one. The work of the respiratory muscles becomes more intense.

The main task of voluntary control of singing breathing is the formation of the skill of smooth and economical exhalation during singing.

In singing practice, there are four main types of breathing:

Clavicular or upper thoracic, in which the muscles of the shoulder girdle actively work, as a result of which the shoulders rise. Such breathing is unacceptable for singing;

Thoracic - external respiratory movements are reduced to active movements of the chest; the diaphragm rises when inhaling, and the stomach is retracted;

Abdominal or diaphragmatic - breathing is carried out due to active contractions of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles;

Mixed - chest breathing, carried out with the active work of the muscles of both the chest and abdominal cavity, as well as the lower back.

In vocal practice, the most appropriate is the mixed type of breathing, in which the diaphragm is actively involved in its regulation and provides its depth. When you inhale, it goes down and stretches in all directions along its circumference. As a result, the singer's torso seems to increase in volume in the belt area. In this case, the lower ribs of the chest are slightly apart, and its upper sections remain motionless. Inhalation before singing should be taken quite actively, but silently. Breathing in through the nose helps deepen the breath.

Breathing skill in singing also consists of a number of elements:

Singing installation, providing optimal conditions for the work of the respiratory organs;

Deep, but moderate in volume, inhale with the help of the muscles of the abdomen and back in the belt area;

The moment of holding the breath, during which the position of inspiration is fixed and the sound attack is prepared at a given height;

Gradual and economical exhalation;

The ability to distribute breathing throughout the entire musical phrase;

Regulation of the supply of breath in connection with the task of gradually increasing or decreasing the sound.

Proper singing breathing significantly affects the purity and beauty of the sound, the expressiveness of the performance. Studies have shown that the development of singing breathing depends on the repertoire, vocal exercises, organization and dosage of singing exercises.

In the first year of classes, musical material (short musical phrases, moderate tempos) does not interfere with the development of short and shallow breathing in young children. In the future, the duration of exhalation gradually increases, breathing becomes stronger. Then the task appears - the development of a quick, but calm breath in mobile songs and between phrases not separated by pauses. Further, children are required to be able to distribute their breath in songs of a melodious nature with various dynamic shades and with amplification and weakening of sonority. The skill of chain breathing is also developed. All these tasks related to singing breathing are distributed over the years of study from grades 1 to 8.

Chain breathing is a collective skill that is based on instilling a sense of ensemble in singers. Basic rules of chain breathing:

Do not take a breath at the same time as a neighbor sitting next to you;

Do not take a breath at the junction of musical phrases, but, if possible, inside long notes;

Breath to take imperceptibly and quickly;

To merge into the general sound of the choir without a push, with a soft attack of sound, intonationally accurate;

Listen carefully to the singing of your neighbors and the general sound of the choir.

2.3 Singing articulation

Articulation - the work of the organs of speech: lips, tongue, soft palate, vocal cords.

Articulation is the most important part of all vocal and choral work. It is closely related to breathing, sound formation, intonation, etc. Only with good articulation during singing, the text reaches the listener. The articulatory apparatus in children, especially younger ones, needs to be developed. It is necessary to carry out special work to activate it. Everything is important here: the ability to open the mouth when singing, the correct position of the lips, release from tightness, from the tension of the lower jaw, the free position of the tongue in the mouth - all this affects the quality of performance.

Singing articulation is much more active than speech articulation. In speech pronunciation, the external organs of the articulatory apparatus (lips, lower jaw) work more energetically and faster, and in singing - internal ones (tongue, pharynx, soft palate).

Consonants in singing are formed in the same way as in speech, but are pronounced more actively and clearly; vowels are rounded.

Articulation skills include:

Clear, phonetically defined and competent pronunciation;

Moderate rounding of vowels due to singing on a hidden yawn;

Finding a high vocal position;

The ability to stretch vowels as much as possible and pronounce consonants very briefly in any rhythm and tempo.

Singing vowels with labial consonants "b", "p", "m" activates the work of the lips, helps to pronounce vowels more energetically ("bi", "ba", "bo", "boo"). Singing vowels with the consonant "v" is good for the lips and tongue ("Vova", "Vera"). It is very useful to sing tongue twisters (“Bull-blunt-mouthed”).

2.4 Diction in choral singing

Diction (Greek) - pronunciation. The main task of achieving good diction in the choir is the full assimilation of the content of the performed work by the audience. The melody in the song is inextricably linked with the text. Meanwhile, in a choral performance it is very often impossible to make out the words. Such singing cannot be considered artistic. Clear pronunciation of words is an indispensable condition for good choral singing.

The formation of good diction in the choir is based on properly organized work on the pronunciation of vowels and consonants.

2.4.1 Rules for working on vowels

The main point in working on vowels is to reproduce them in their pure form, without distortion.

In speech, the not entirely accurate pronunciation of vowels has little effect on the understanding of words, since consonants play the main semantic role. In singing, when the duration of vowels increases several times, the slightest inaccuracy in pronunciation becomes noticeable and negatively affects the clarity of diction.

The specificity of the pronunciation of vowels in singing lies in their uniform rounded manner of formation. This is necessary to ensure the timbre evenness of the sound of the choir and to achieve good unison in the parts along with the clarity of choral diction. Rounding is achieved through covering the sound. Any vowel sound can be sung roundly or flatly with the same position of the lips. Consequently, the rounding and alignment of vowels during singing occurs not at the expense of the lips, but at the expense of the larynx, that is, not their front structure is unified, but the back one.

From the point of view of the work of the articulatory apparatus, the formation of a particular vowel sound is associated with the shape and volume of the oral cavity. The configuration of the vocal tract, which is different for each phoneme, also largely depends on their specific sound in terms of timbre. The sounds "y", "y" are formed and sound deeper and farther than other vowels. However, these phonemes have a stable pronunciation: in any words, in any position, they are not distorted, unlike other vowels. The sounds "u", "s" are more difficult to individualize pronunciation than "a", "e", "i", "o". They sound about the same to different people. This is where the specifically choral use of these sounds arises when correcting the open or “variegated” sound of the choir. Alignment of sound in timbre, as well as a good unison, is achieved more easily on these vowels. After singing the melody of a song, for example, to the syllables “lu”, “du” or “dy”, the subsequent performance with words acquires greater evenness, unity and roundness of sound, if the attention of the choristers, when singing with words, is directed to maintaining the same setting of the articulatory organs, similar to when singing the vowels "y" or "y". The preservation of the same arrangement of articulatory organs when singing with words refers to a greater extent to their back way on vowel sounds.

The pure vowel "o" has the same properties as "y", "s", although to a lesser extent; a occupies an intermediate position between dark "u", "s", "o" and light "e", "i", which require special attention in relation to their rounding when singing.

The greatest "variegation" in singing is given by the vowel "a", since in the pronunciation of different people and in different words it has the largest number of options.

There are ten vowels in Russian, six of them are simple - “i”, “e”, “a”, “o”, “u”, “s”, four are complex - “i” (ya), “ё” (yo ), "yu" (yu), "e" (ye). When singing complex vowels, the first sound "y" is pronounced very shortly, the simple vowel that follows it lasts for a long time.

Given the different influence of vowels on the function of the vocal apparatus, it is possible to tune it in a certain way. For example, it is known that "i", "e" stimulate the larynx, causing a tighter and deeper closure of the vocal folds. Their formation is associated with a higher type of breathing and the position of the larynx, they brighten the sound and bring the vocal position closer.

The vowels "o", "y" weaken the work of the larynx, contributing to a more marginal closing of the vocal folds. They are formed with a clear decrease in the type of breathing, darken the sound, reduce the force. The "a" sound is in all respects neutral; "y" rounds the sound, stimulates the activity of the soft palate.

Thus, work in the choir on vowels is combined with work on sound quality and consists in achieving their pure pronunciation in combination with a full-fledged singing sound. However, in singing, vowels are not always pronounced clearly and clearly. The degree of brightness of the vowel sound depends on the construction of the musical phrase. Under stress in words or at the moment of the culmination of musical phrases, the corresponding vowels sound most clearly and definitely, in other cases - shaded, reduced.

Vowels sung into several sounds should always sound phonetically clear and pure, and when moving from sound to sound, they seem to be repeated.

The combination of two vowels requires special phonetic clarity. Two vowels inside a word, as well as at the junction of a preposition or a particle with a word, are pronounced together. Two vowels at the junction of different words are separated by a caesura. In such cases, the second word should be performed with a new attack, so that the meaning of the phrase is not distorted.

2.4.2 Rules for working on consonants

The formation of consonants, unlike vowels, is associated with the appearance of some kind of barrier to the movement of air in the vocal tract. Consonants are divided into voiceless and voiced, depending on the degree of voice participation in their formation.

In relation to the function of the vocal apparatus, the second place after the vowels should be given to semivowels, or sonorous sounds: “m”, “l”, “n”, “p”. They are so called because they can also stretch and are often used as vowels.

Next come the voiced consonants "b", "g", "c", "g", "z", "d", which are formed with the participation of vocal folds and oral noises; deaf "p", "k", "f", "s", "t" are formed without the participation of the voice and consist of noise alone; hissing "x", "ts", "h", "sh", "u" also consist of noise alone.

The basic rule of diction in singing is the rapid and clear formation of consonants and the maximum length of vowels. This is ensured, first of all, by the active work of the muscles of the articulatory apparatus, mainly the buccal and labial muscles, as well as the tip of the tongue. Like any muscle, they need to be trained in the process of special exercises.

The shortening of the pronunciation of consonants and the rapid change of their vowels require an instant restructuring of the articulatory organs. Therefore, complete freedom in the movements of the tongue, lips, lower jaw and soft palate is especially important.

To achieve clarity of diction, special attention should be paid to working on the development of the mobility of the tip of the tongue, after which the entire tongue becomes more flexible. It is also necessary to work on the elasticity and mobility of the lower jaw, and with it the hyoid bone and the larynx suspended from it. The labial consonants "b - p", "c - f" require the activity of the labial muscles, therefore, they can be used to train them, provided that these consonants are clearly pronounced.

As an exercise in the pronunciation of deaf consonants, combining the movements of the lips and the tip of the tongue, you can use various tongue twisters. For example: "Dust flies across the field from the clatter of hooves."

The words of all exercises are pronounced with hard lips with the active work of the tip of the tongue. Patter exercises should be started at a slow pace with a somewhat exaggerated articulation of all sounds, with average dynamics and average tessitura. Then the conditions of pronunciation in terms of tempo, dynamics and tessitura gradually become more complicated.

Deaf consonants at the end of words often fall out completely when singing, therefore they require special attention from both the conductor and the singers, emphasized and firm pronunciation. If the voiceless consonants at the end of a word are preceded by a long lingering sound, then the problem arises of pronouncing the last consonant by all the singers of the choir at the same time. This can be provided by mentally repeating the preceding drawn vowel before dropping the sound.

Training in singing diction is usually carried out on syllables that combine various combinations of vowels with consonants. Their mutual influence during pronunciation in a word, and even more so in a speech stream, brings a certain meaning to the work on solving specific vocal problems.

This or that combination of vowels with consonants in words or syllables is of great importance for vocal pedagogy. Vowels in combination with sonorous sounds are more easily rounded, soften the work of the larynx, positionally bring the sound closer. The function of the larynx is actually turned off on voiceless consonants. At the same time, it turns out to be very weakened on subsequent vowels. Therefore, in the presence of tightness of the muscles of the larynx in singing, it is advisable to use combinations of the syllables “po”, “ku”, “ta”, etc.

It has already been noted that consonants in singing are pronounced short compared to vowels. This is especially true for the hissing and whistling consonants "s", "sh", which have a sharp timbre and are well caught by the ear. They must be softened and shortened as much as possible, otherwise, when singing, they will create the impression of whistling and noise.

In addition, in order to ensure the continuity of the sound of a melody, cantilena, so that consonants do not close the sound, one more very important rule must be observed: consonants at the end of a word or syllable join the next syllable in singing, thereby creating conditions for maximum chanting vowels.

There is a rule for connecting and disconnecting consonants: if one word ends and another begins with the same or approximately the same sound of consonants (“d - t”, “b - p”, “c - f”, etc.), then at a slow pace they need to be clearly separated. At a fast tempo, when such sounds fall on small rhythmic beats, they need to be emphasized to connect.

In speech and singing, consonants have less power and duration than vowels, so they require more careful work on the clarity and correctness of their pronunciation. The clarity and intelligibility of consonants, as well as vowels, should be based on their literary correct pronunciation, while observing all the laws of orthoepy.

Some features of the pronunciation of consonants in connection with the most common errors:

1) Voiced consonants (single and double) at the end of a word are pronounced as the corresponding deaf ones. Voiced consonants are also deafened before voiceless consonants. For example: "Our steam (s) (f) re (t) fly ...".

2) The dental consonants “d”, “z”, “s”, “t” are softened before soft consonants: d (b) twelve, kaz (b) n, song (b) nya, etc.

3) The sound “n” before soft consonants is pronounced softly: country (b) nickname.

4) The sounds "zh", "sh" before soft consonants are pronounced firmly: the former, spring.

5) The return particles “sya” and “s” at the end of words are pronounced firmly, like “sa” and “s”.

6) In a number of words, the combinations “ch”, “th” are pronounced like “sh”, “pcs”: (sh) then, horse (sh) but, sku (sh) but.

7) In the combinations “stn”, “zdn”, the consonants “t”, “d” are not pronounced: gr (sn) o, po (zn) o.

8) The combinations “ssh” and “zsh” in the middle of a word and at the junction of a word with a preposition are pronounced like a solid long “sh”: be (shsh) smartly, and at the junction of two words - as it is written: he said in a whisper.

9) The combinations "mid" and "sch" are likened to a long "u": (shch) astier, out (shch) ik.

10) The sonorous sound "p" in most cases is pronounced exaggeratedly.

Thus, the main vocal and choral skills are: sound production, singing breathing, articulation, diction, emotional expressiveness of performance. Each skill is based on a set of singing actions that must be performed accurately by all students.

3. Modern approaches to the formation of vocal and choral skills in music lessons

3.1 Methodological methods of educating vocal and choral skills

It is the duty of every music teacher to introduce every schoolchild to music, to develop his musical perception, to cultivate artistic taste. The teacher does not have the right to suspend students with weak musical data from classes.

Learning to sing in the choir begins with the understanding by the students themselves of the simplest conductor's gestures, showing the introduction and removal of the sound. From the first lessons on simple exercises and songs, rhythmic, dynamic and tempo types of the ensemble are brought up. The requirement of correct diction provides for a general uniform sound of the entire choir. Further work on the ensemble continues on more complex musical material of one-, two- and three-part songs, which must be sung together, listening to the sound of the entire collective.

In the work on intonation, a conscious attitude to the works being learned and listened to, as well as general musical development, play an important role. An analysis of the practice of teachers shows that by developing the musicality of students, it is possible to achieve positive results from children who sing incorrectly, the so-called "hooters". This problem is acute for mass musical education and is especially noticeable in general education schools.

Special studies and checks have revealed a number of reasons that affect the poor singing of such children: poorly developed ear for music; impaired coordination between voice and hearing; deviations from the norm in the vocal apparatus or organs of hearing; lack of singing experience in the team; harmful habits when singing - loudness, imitation of the singing of adults; shyness and the associated uncertainty in singing, lethargy and, conversely, excessive excitability of character, excessive activity; lack of interest in singing. In addition, during adolescence, incorrect intonation may appear due to the onset of the mutational period.

Most children who sing out of tune gradually level out on their own in singing. However, every teacher wants to teach the whole class to sing cleanly as soon as possible. The exclusion of incorrectly intoned children from singing work has long been recognized as a vicious practice.

The teacher needs to know his students well, the features of the musical development of each. While working on a song or exercise, it is recommended to walk along the rows, carefully listening to the students' singing, to identify those who sing incorrectly, as well as children with accurate, stable intonation.

It is necessary to think about how to seat students in the classroom. Inaccurate intonation students are best placed in the front rows, closer to the teacher or next to well intonation children.

Care must be taken to ensure that students with an insufficiently developed ear for music understand that they will gradually learn to sing correctly. The development of their hearing should be stimulated, every success should be encouraged.

An interesting experience of working with students in music lessons was carried out in schools in the city of Kyiv. This method is called the method of differentiated learning. The author of this training system is S. Brandel. The essence of the method lies in the fact that the class is divided into intonation groups according to the level of development of the musical ear of students.

In group 1, students were determined who were able to perform the entire song without the support of a musical instrument.

Group 2 included children who sang correctly, but with the help of a musical instrument or the teacher's voice.

Group 3 was made up of those who could only sing certain phrases in the song.

In the 4th group, children were determined who correctly intoned individual sounds.

Finally, in group 5 there were students who could not be adjusted in the course of class work.

Learning a certain song in the lesson, the teacher offered tasks:

Groups 1 and 2 sing the whole song, groups 3 and 4, respectively, are included in singing on certain musical phrases or sounds. Group 5 follows the process of work, noting the rhythmic pattern of the song.

In accordance with the results of the work at the end of each quarter, the students were transferred from one group to another (from 5 to 4, from 3 to 2). The transition to another group was an encouragement, an incentive in the classroom.

The method of differentiated learning activates the process of musical education, helps to interest the children, to revive the process of learning a song. “The success of differentiated learning,” writes Brandel, “to a large extent depends on how active listening to music is organized in the lesson by children who are not currently participating in singing.”

There are other interesting tricks and methods of working with "hooters". The article by O. Apraksina and N. Orlova "Identification of incorrectly singing children and methods of working with them" tells about the experience of some teachers. A.G. Ravvinov considered it expedient to apply the technique of “attacking” the upper register of a child’s voice, that is, immediately begin with singing high sounds. He noted that many children have a low conversational voice and transfer the character of the sound of speech into their singing.

Linking both these processes together, A. G. Rabbinov suggested that children speak and read in high sounds, and in singing classes, sing in a “high sound”, which is clearly different from the pitch that these students usually used.

Approximately the same path was followed in her experience by the teacher V. Beloborodova, using games with the use of onomatopoeia in high tones. V.K. Beloborodova suggested that children, for example, remember how a cuckoo cuckoos and sing the syllables “cuckoo” on sounds do2-la1 or portray a shot - “bang-bang” (also on sounds do2-la1). She taught them joke songs, fairy tale songs, which carried a game moment in themselves, interested children, and collected their attention. Following, for example, the content of the song "Cat's House", the children, together with the little mouse, began to "ring the bell", that is, to sing in a high tone.

Teacher G. Nazaryan used the method (not only with false intonation), which provides for the following order of exercises: singing according to the presentation, that is, singing individual sounds to oneself on the syllables “la” and “go” (at this time, small movements occur in the vocal apparatus, what is preparation for singing aloud); then the same sounds were sung with a closed mouth, quietly and abruptly, and after that already in syllables. In the same way, the phrases from the song (which were sung at the end with words) were then sung.

All of these methods were aimed mainly at the development of students' hearing. There is another method - correcting intonation through special attention to vocal work, proposed by N. Kulikova.

N. Kulikova divides her work with the “hooters” of the 1st grade into three stages:

The first stage - four or five lessons (excluding individual listening). The main task of the stage is to direct the attention of students to the quality of the sound of the voice, to mastering elementary singing skills.

The second stage is five to ten (sometimes up to fifteen lessons) differentiated training in groups. The methods of vocal work remain the same at this stage, but the class works in a differentiated way, in groups. The order of learning the song is as follows:

1) Show the song by the teacher and read the text.

2) Singing by the teacher of the 1st verse (or part of it) - the whole class sings to themselves with active articulation, expressively.

3) Singing the 1st verse by the third row (without the “hooters” sitting among them), the rest sing to themselves.

4) The text of the 2nd verse is read, the third row sings aloud, or the third and second, the first - sings to himself.

5) The whole class sings with words, then to the syllable "lu", etc.

In addition to the methods indicated above, individual lessons are recommended for students who develop poorly in the classroom. They are built as follows: the primary sound in the voice of the schoolboy is determined, and various chants are sung on this sound. In singing on one sound, elementary vocal and choral skills are brought up and strengthened. Then the teacher tries either to transpose the chant up, or offers a new one, already on two sounds. Gradually selected chants on 3-4 sounds.

The development of intonation skills is extremely fruitfully influenced by versatile musical work with schoolchildren: musical literacy, listening to music, talking about music, etc.

Thus, accurate intonation in children's choral singing and correction of out of tune singing is the result of a number of components in the teacher's activity: the teacher's knowledge of the capabilities of each child, the environment of inaccurate intonation children by the best students, students' understanding of the basics of musical literacy, activation of auditory attention, correctly staged vocal and choral work , the application of singing without the accompaniment of an instrument.

Singing asarre l l a is very difficult. The development of the skill of singing without the accompaniment of an instrument begins with the performance by the whole class or the choir of excerpts of songs and exercises without the support of the instrument or the voice of the teacher. Further, this skill is improved by singing without the accompaniment of simple songs: small groups, individual students sing, then you can move on to singing more complex material, in particular, two-voice works.

From the first steps of training, it is necessary to draw children's attention to the quality of sound, teach them to distinguish beautiful singing, appreciate it, consciously strive for correct performance, analyze and evaluate the singing advantages and disadvantages of themselves and others. This ability is associated with the development of vocal hearing. He becomes the controller of the correct singing performance in all its manifestations.

An important problem is the expressiveness of performance. Since expressive singing is primarily associated with the word, attention to it plays an important role in learning, especially since a correctly sung word has a positive effect on sound formation.

It has been established that the development of emotionality and the formation of vocal and choral skills are closely interrelated: emotionally colored singing contributes to the activation of a number of vocal-forming processes, affects singing intonation. An emotional attitude should be manifested in all phases of learning a piece. As the observations of N. Orlova showed, the emotional mood and the correct readiness for singing are important patterns that characterize the normal sound of a child's singing voice. An analysis of the observations made showed that the most rational and healthy singing in collective education is the one in which the entire complex neuro-motor voice-forming apparatus functions. Under such conditions, it is possible to gradually and systematically improve the emotional performance of schoolchildren.

In the field of choral skills, painstaking work is being done on unison at first in the middle part of the range, then the same task is solved on a larger volume of sounds. By the third year of study, the transition to two-voice singing begins with the simultaneous improvement of the unison. Canons appear in the repertoire, songs with elements of two-voice, songs of a two-voice warehouse with independent and terts voice leading, chromatic and two-, three-voice exercises.

A full-fledged musical education requires a polyphonic repertoire. The performance of songs in two or three voices is possible with the development of harmonic hearing - a special quality of musical ear, which consists in the ability to distribute attention to the simultaneous sounding of several voices.

Valuable is the conclusion of Y. Aliyev, who believes that psychological preparation should precede two-voice singing: “... from the very beginning, from the simplest examples and exercises, it is necessary that children hear the beauty of the sound of two voices, their greater expressiveness, a new quality compared with monophonic singing. Therefore, it is important that at the initial stage of training, even the simplest and most understandable things be interesting to children, so that the first two-part songs and exercises immediately “reach” the ear and the heart of the student.

For a successful transition to two-voice singing, the following conditions are important: the achievement of a good unison and a methodically correctly organized preparatory period. In addition, teachers often have a question about the nature of two-voice, with which work should begin.

Regarding the first condition - the presence of a good unison - the majority of musical teachers agree. So, in the "Methodological recommendations for music lessons in a secondary school" it is noted that the foundation on which polyphonic choral singing is built is unison. The teacher, first of all, must achieve a coherent, unified sound of the choir in monophonic singing.

V. Popov defines the concept of unison in this way: “Before moving on to two-voice singing, we achieve a clean, active unison in one-voice songs. By active unison, we mean, first of all, not only the correct execution of each note in the song, but also the desire for the correct vocal design of each sound and a good sense of comradeship among comrades, which is reflected in an attempt to hear how the other sings.

At the same time, practice shows that often in secondary schools, by the time of the transition to two-voice, the desired quality of the unison has not yet been achieved. Nevertheless, in these cases, the inclusion of two-voice songs in the work is necessary for a number of reasons. Polyphonic (including two-voiced) singing contributes to the active development of harmonic hearing, modal feeling, precise intonation, and artistic taste. It would be wrong to deprive students of the opportunity to awaken such components of their musical abilities. On the other hand, learning more difficult and qualitatively new music can give an impetus to the auditory development of students and make positive changes in unison singing. In such cases, work on improving the unison and performing songs in two voices should take place in parallel.

The second condition for a successful transition to polyphonic singing is the preparatory period. Let's imagine it in the following form: initially there is an auditory preparation aimed at distinguishing between two musical planes. Schoolchildren first learn to distinguish between the actual melody and accompaniment in the songs they are learning, and then find the theme and harmony in the accompaniment. Further, the melody and accompaniment are analyzed in an accessible form in instrumental and orchestral works. It is necessary to gradually introduce students to listening to polyphonic compositions.

In parallel, special exercises are given: definition and execution in the intervals of the upper and lower sounds; singing of a scale, in which part of the steps is performed to oneself; performance of simple melodies without accompaniment; singing canons in two voices.

The singing of canons can be successfully preceded by work on rhythmic canons. This is especially exciting if the class has a set of simple children's percussion instruments.

Canons, according to many experienced musicians, are an effective bridge between monophonic and polyphonic singing. The canonical two-voice (sometimes even three-voice) is the most accessible, interesting and gives fairly quick and tangible results in mastering the skill of distributing attention.

A controversial problem to this day is what type of two-voice work should start with. Some educators consider it appropriate to start with a parallel movement of voices. An interesting experience is demonstrated by N. Kulikova. Her 1st grade students sing simple songs and chants in terts with sufficient accuracy and confidence. Supporters of this point of view explain their position by the fact that parallelism makes it easier for children to learn and perform parts. Indeed, with such a movement of voices, the pattern of the melody, the rhythmic basis, and the register are the same. But, at the same time, with a tertian presentation, a difficulty arises - the alternation of large and small harmonic thirds. This often leads to a loss of orientation in one part or another and a transition to a more confident-sounding one.

Another point of view is to start a two-voice with an independent movement of voices, where the melodic and rhythmic lines of the upper and lower parts differ significantly from one another. Learning will require more time and effort, but with a solid learning of each part, children sing confidently and consciously.

Studies, as well as the practice of many teachers, indicate the expediency of including at the beginning of work on two-voice works that have different types of combination of voices.

V. Popov, for example, suggests simultaneously learning several different two-voice songs: “Fly to us, quiet evening” - from the second to the third; "On a fishing trip" by A. Zhilinsky - with the introduction of the second voice in the chorus; the folk song “I walk with a loach” - with a second voice, set out in the form of an undertone, and “Spring Song” by J. S. Bach - with an independent movement.

Here is how, for example, the song “Fly to Us, Quiet Evening” was learned in the younger group of the choir of the Institute of Artistic Education. “We learn only the second voice in chorus, singing it into various syllables and with words, achieving the best possible unison. We sing a song without accompaniment. Now we ask you to perform this melody only for the first voices, moreover, from the sound la, that is, from the sound with which their party begins. In order for the guys to sing the melody we need, we play harmonic accompaniment, otherwise they can sing the melody of the second voice again, only in the key of F major. If the melody is performed correctly, we suggest that both voices sing together, while giving some advantages to the second. For example, they sing with words, and the first voices on any syllable or with their mouths closed.