The Power of Unified Voices

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The Power of Unified Voices

• Vocal Techniques for the Worship Team and
  Ensembles

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The Power of Unified Voices

• This class will focus on specific areas and
  techniques designed to help worship teams,
  ensembles, and choirs grow and blend vocally.

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Biblical Foundations

• Why do we sing as choirs and ensembles?
• We have been appointed
• (1 Chr 1516 NIV) David told the leaders of the
  Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to
  sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical
  instruments lyres, harps and cymbals.
• (2 Chr 2021-22 NIV) After consulting the
  people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the
  LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his
  holiness as they went out at the head of the
  army, saying "give thanks to the LORD, for his
  love endures forever."

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Biblical Foundations

• Why are choirs a central part of the church?
• As stated before, we are appointed.
• We are in charge of the work of the temple!
• (1 Chr 933 NIV) Those who were musicians,
  heads of Levite families, stayed in the rooms of
  the temple and were exempt from other duties
  because they were responsible for the work day
  and night.
• (Dr. Miles Monroe) it pleases the king!

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Biblical Foundations

• Why do we study?
• We are to play (sing) skillfully!
• (Psa 331-3 NIV) Sing joyfully to the LORD, you
  righteous It is fitting for the upright to
  praise him. Praise the LORD with the harp Make
  music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to
  him a new song Play skillfully, and shout for
  joy.

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Play (Sing) Skillfully

• Five areas of ensemble and singing excellence
• Singing (tone/sound)
• Accuracy (musicianship/mechanics)
• Diction (pronunciation/enunciation/inflection)
• Phrasing (musicality/artistry/expression)
• Personal communication (drama/passion)

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Singing

• One of the most important and significant things
  a director can do
• Teach people to really sing with proper technique
  and energy. Because, if the message can not be
  heard or transmitted, it will not complete its
  work.

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Singing

• Proper vocal technique will give the singer
• More volume of both air and sound
• Increased vocal stamina
• Better tone control
• Greater ability to blend
• Better expression
• Expanded range

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Singing

• Warm-up time is crucial to teaching and
  establishing vocal technique and blend.
• Focus on six areas.
• Relaxation.
• Posture.
• Breathing.
• Connection.
• Resonance.
• Registration.

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Singing Exercises

• Warm up outline
• (Relaxation) stretches, shoulder rolls, etc.
• (Posture) Y chest expansion, 2 point posture
  check.
• (Breathing/) crunch exercise, 1, 2, 3x deep
  breath.
• (Connection) cough, 16th note has on a single
  note or CGCE.
• (Resonance) soft pallet lift, mm-oh exercise.
• (Registration) 5th or octave slides, sirens,
  cathedral oo exercise.

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Accuracy and Harmony

• Harmony requires accuracy of pitch.
• Accuracy of pitch requires that everyone, even
  the best of singers, sing with good vocal
  production.
• It is the directors duty to teach every singer
  to sing every note, word and syllable accurately
  and consistently.
• When music is learned in this manor, then we are
  most effectively prepared musically to allow for
  the move of the spirit.

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Accuracy and Harmony Exercises

• 16th note CGCE warm up exercise
• CGCE exercise
• Tenors up 1 step
• Sopranos up ½ step
• Tenors down ½ step
• Altos and bases up ½ step
• Steps 1-4 can be repeated in succession
• The choir must listen to each other, all the
  time, every time!

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Diction

• We must deliver the text to deliver the message!
• The singer must strive through pronunciation,
  enunciation, and articulation to make the message
  understandable.
• The goal is not to make all singers voices sound
  alike or identical, but to make them sound
  unified.

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Diction

• This area of singing effects blend and vocal
  unity more than any other!
• Two singers singing different vowel sounds will
  give the illusion that they are not in tune with
  one another.
• It is the inaccurate placement of the consonant
  sounds that causes singers not to be in rhythm
  with each other.

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Diction

• Terms
• Pronunciation the proper use of the
  articulators and the vocal mechanism to produce
  words.
• Enunciation how the vocal mechanism produces
  the vowel sounds of speech.
• Articulation how the vocal mechanism produces
  the consonant sounds of speech.
• Articulators the parts of the vocal mechanism
  used to in pronunciation. Primarily the teeth,
  the lips, and the tongue.

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Diction

• Vowels
• There are five written vowels a, e, i, o, and
  u However, in actual speech, there are many,
  many, many more.
• It is the job of the director to choose which
  vowel sound singers will sing on any given song.
• It is the singers job to actively listen to each
  other in order to match their vowel sounds with
  each other.

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Diction

• Consonants
• The rhythmic parts of speech that stop and
  release the air stream using the articulators.
• Must be placed on the proper division of the beat
  or the group will sound out of sync!
• There are two types voiced (vocalization
  produced), unvoiced (no vocalization produced).
• Ex
• Z voiced, s unvoiced.
• D voiced, t - unvoiced.

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Diction Exercises

• Pure vowel mi, me, ma, mo, mu exercise.
• Repeat consonants in a 4/4 rhythmic pattern.
• Have the choir repeat back to the director a
  particular rhythmic phrase, imitating your
  pronunciation exactly. Can be sung or spoken.
• If the director notices a particular person
  singing a phrase well, have that person sing it
  for the group and have the group match that
  phrase.
• If there is a song that the group sings
  particularly well together, use it (in whole or
  in part) as a practice song to get them in the
  groove!

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Phrasing

• It is the shape, or flow, of the lyrical line.
• Where expression and musicality starts.
• It is determined by four components of the song
• The lyrics.
• The rhythm of the line.
• The shape of the notes of the line.
• The personal interpretation of the director and
  the group.

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Tips on Phrasing

• Singers must think in phrases, not just notes
  (notes are the needles, phrases are the trees,
  the song is the forest).
• Singers need to understand the musical line and
  how that line fits into the song.
• Singers should always be actively thinking about
  what they are singing.
• Like diction, use songs that the group sings well
  together as practice tools.
• Call to memory songs with similar qualities.
• Remember, we are to be united in the message.

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Communication

• The purpose of music is to communicate a message,
  and 80 of communication is body language!
• Music is not just expressed with the voice, but
  with the entire body!
• The entirety of the message of a song is
  contained in the words, and notes, and emotion,
  and passion, and the spirit of the song.
• All of these must be used together effectively by
  the choir and or soloist in order for the song to
  be properly communicated.

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Communication

• Smile if the song is about joy!
• Clap if the song says clap!
• Shout if the song says shout!
• Dance if the song says dance!
• Lift your hands if the song says lift your hands!
• Do everything you can to communicate what the
  message means to you to those you are singing to!
• MOST IMPORTANT remain surrendered and connected
  to the Spirit of God and allow Him to direct your
  path, even when - especially when - you sing.

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Summary

• Singing (tone/sound) - teach people to really
  sing with proper technique and energy.
• Accuracy (musicianship/mechanics) - make sure
  every singer sings every note, word and syllable
  accurately and consistently.
• Phrasing (musicality/artistry/expression) think
  about the line and how it fits into the song.
• Diction (pronunciation/enunciation/inflection)
  be unified in vowel sound and consonant rhythm.
• Personal communication (drama/passion) - the
  purpose of music is to communicate!

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Summary

• In all of these the director leads by example,
  teaching, and inspiration. It has been said
  that, "we must exaggerate, must overstate, must
  be physically percussive, must project, must work
  hard at it, must teach, re-teach, and re-teach,
  100 percent of the time!

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Final Thought

• (2 Chr 513-14 NIV) The trumpeters and singers
  joined in unison, as with one voice, to give
  praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by
  trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they
  raised their voices in praise to the LORD and
  sang "he is good His love endures forever."
  Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a
  cloud, and the priests could not perform their
  service because of the cloud, for the glory of
  the LORD filled the temple of god.

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Final Thought

• (2 Chr 2021-22 NIV) After consulting the
  people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the
  LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his
  holiness as they went out at the head of the
  army, saying "Give thanks to the LORD, for his
  love endures forever." As they began to sing and
  praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of
  Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading
  Judah, and they were defeated.

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Final Thought

• The Lord is enthroned on our praises, and where
  His throne is, there is power!