Nick Maloy
MusEd 258
Teaching Kids to Sing
1996
Chapter 10: Diction
Kenneth H. Phillips
I.
Chapter 10 focuses on how diction is essential to effective communication
of song
1. Diction is the manner in which language is spoken
2. Correct diction habits save time in the classroom
3. Studying diction involves the areas of pronunciation, enunciation, and
articulation
4. Uniformity of vowel enunciation and production of diphthongs
5. Articulation of consonants requires flexibility of the articulators and
exaggeration of the consonants
6. Resonant tone production is produced through the singing of vowels
7. Consonants are used to make sense of language
II.
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
1. One symbol is designated for each vocal sound
2. The system is universally used in the study of language
3. There are 13 basic vowel colors and diphthongs that are used in language
III.
The Articulators
1. There are 8 articulators used for pronunciation
- Tongue, teeth, jaw, lips, soft palate, hard palate, glottis, and the upper
gum line
IV.
Classifications
1. Vowels are classified according to how open the jaw is during enunciation
- Open vowels and Closed Vowels
- Can also be classified according to how “dark” or “bright” they are
2. Consonants
a. Phyical Origin
- Bilabial – upper and lower lips
- Labiodental – lower lips and upper teeth
- Linguodental – Tip of the tongue and the back surface of the upper
teeth
b. The similarity of sounds
- Voiceless plosives, voiced plosives, voiceless sibilants, tuned
continuants, voiced continuants, aspirates
V.
Diction For Singing
1. There are 2 philosophies concerning diction for singing
- Sung-speech diction
- Rhythmic diction
2. There is currently debate on which type of diction is more beneficial
VI.
Singing in Foreign Languages
- This should be encouraged for students, regardless of age
- It is essential that teachers are able to provide an accurate vocal model
using proper IPA for students to follow
VII.
Problems With Pronunciation
- Problems with pronunciation can range from things like scooping to
sliding as well as miss-pronunciation of consonants or vowels
VIII. Diction Training
- This part of the chapter provides several exercises for working on
diction as well as an outline for producing vocal tract freedom.
Discussion:
As singers, it is essential that teachers be able to understand proper diction and
diction syllables. Teachers can only be successful if their students are taught these basic
skills effectively. This chapter provided some very helpful exercises that can be used in
the process of trying to effectively teach students proper diction.