Diction for Singers
Mus 241/242/243
11:25-12:40 on Friday, Rm 111
Peggy Sears x2168
Updated 8/24/2012
Texts: Diction for Singers by Joan Wall and an Italian-English dictionary.
Goals: To obtain fluency and accuracy in pronouncing Italian and Latin as it is sung in
the classical repertoire. To perform songs and arias in these languages with clarity, ease,
and skill. To become familiar with and capable of using with fluency the International
Phonetic Alphabet.
Assignments: There will be worksheets to fill out in IPA, texts to learn in each language
and a song to perform in each language, except Latin. Each song must be spoken first in
speech rhythms, then the song rhythm, then sung. The listening assignment consists of
finding your song or another song of interest to you sung by a professional singer and
analyzed for the class.
Tests: There will be an open-book, take-home written midterm exam and a final exam.
Each test will include transcribing texts into IPA and questions about pronunciation.

Grading:
o Italian IPA transcription assignment: 50
o Italian song transcription and oral presentation: 25 for
transcription/25 for speaking in speech rhythms/25 for intoning on
song rhythms/25 for singing
o Italian listening assignment: 25
o Italian unit test: 100
o Latin IPA transcription: 50
o Latin listening assignment: 25
o Italian/Latin final: 100
Assignments:
Read text
Transcribe assigned song, speak in speech rhythms and in song rhythms, Italian
only
Transcribe assigned text
Unit test
Final Exam: Latin Unit exam with a few questions comparing and contrasting
Latin and Italian. Take home, due Tuesday, November 22 by noon.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Guidelines for preparing songs
Transcribe text
Be able to speak text in speech rhythms
Be able to intone text with speech impetus in song rhythms
Sing in studio and/or recital
Guidelines for writing in IPA
1. Bracket the IPA symbols.
2. Don’t use capitals or punctuation marks.
3. Watch out for hard “c” sound: it is [k] in IPA
4. Use : for an elongated vowel or consonant sound.
Diction for Singers--German and English
Mus 242
Winter, Tuesday, 2:45-3:15 pm
Peggy Sears x2168
psears@csub.edu
Texts: Diction for Singers by Joan Hall, and a German-English dictionary with IPA.
Goals: To obtain fluency and accuracy in pronouncing German and English as sung in
the classical repertoire. To perform songs and arias in these languages with clarity, ease,
and skill. To become familiar with and capable of using with fluency the International
Phonetic Alphabet.
Assignments: There will be worksheets to fill out in IPA, texts to learn in each language
and a song to perform in each language. Each song must be spoken as well as sung.
There will be one listening assignment for each language.
Tests: There will be a written midterm exam and a final exam. Each test will include
transcribing texts into IPA and questions about pronunciation.

Grading:
o German unit test: 100
o German IPA transcription assignment: 50
o German song transcription and oral presentation: 25/25/25/25 (see
above)
o German listening assignment: 25
o
o
o
o
English unit test: 100
English IPA transcription: 50
English song transciption and oral presentation: 25/25/25/25
English listening assignment: 25
Calendar:
Week 1--Introduction to IPA and German sounds: Assignment: Read German section.
Get approval of German song.
Week 2-- Go through German chapter. Assignment: Start IPA for chosen song.
Week 3--Review text, read and listen in German. Hand out transcription assignment.
Assignment: write out chosen song in IPA and be able to sing and speak. Start
transcriptions.
Week 4-- Correct chosen song/ work on IPA transcriptions. Speak songs. Read and listen
in German. Assignment: Finish transcriptions and start listening assignment.
Week 5—Hand in transcriptions. Listen, review and performances.
Week 6—Hand in listening assignments. Performances if necessary. Take home
German Unit Exam. Assignment: Read English section. Get approval of English
song.
Week 7—Tests completed and in my box by mutually agreed upon date. Review
English text. Assignment: write out chosen song in IPA and be able to sing and speak.
Week 8—Review
Week 9-- Review text. Read and listen in English. Assignment: IPA transcription and
listening assignment.
Week 10—work on assignments. Listen and review. Performances. Take home final
exam.
Diction for Singers--French and Spanish
Mus 243
Spring—Wed, 3:15-4:30
Peggy Sears x2168
Texts: Diction for Singers by Joan Wall and a French-English dictionary with IPA/
Goals: To obtain fluency and accuracy in pronouncing Spanish and French as sung in
the classical repertoire. To perform songs and arias in these languages with clarity, ease,
and skill. To become familiar with and capable of using with fluency the International
Phonetic Alphabet.
Assignments: There will be worksheets to fill out in IPA, texts to learn in each language
and a song to perform in each language. Each song must be spoken as well as sung.
There will be one listening assignment for each language.
Tests: There will be a written midterm exam and a final exam. Each test will include
transcribing texts into IPA and questions about pronunciation. Each test may include
some text for you to translate to the best of your ability.
Grading:
 French unit test: 100
 French IPA transcription: 50
 French song transciption and oral presentation: 25/25/25/25—see above
 French listening assignment: 25
 Spanish unit test: 100
 Spanish IPA transcription assignment: 25
 Spanish song transcription and oral presentation: 25/25/25/25
 Spanish listening assignment: 25
Calendar:
Week 1-- Start French. Assignment: Read French section. Get approval of French
song.
Week 2-- Review text, read and listen in French.
Week 3-- Review text, read and listen in French. Assignment: Write chosen song in
IPA
Week 4--Check over songs in IPA. Assignment: Transciption assignment.
Week 5--Read and listen in French and check over transcription assignment.
Assignment: Listening assignment and singing chosen songs in French.
Week 6--Perform songs and review. Bring recordings of listening assignments.
Take home unit exam.
Week 7—No class
Week 8-- Introduction to IPA and Spanish sounds: Assignment: Read materials on
Spanish. Get approval of Spanish song. Assignment: Song transcription.
Week 9--Read and listen in Spanish. Assignment: Spanish transcription.
Week 10-- Perform songs, review, and check over transcriptions. Assignment:
Listening.