This week has seen me focusing on understanding how chords are constructed. I now understand the triad - intervals 1, 3 & 5. I realised finally that A7 is the triad plus the 7th. Needless to say there are slight complications dependiing on whether one is playing A7, Am7 or A MAJ7!
I have also been typing in a score for Va Savoir - one of the French numbers in my repertoire. This has been a great exercise as I am learning how to use a new piece of software called Musescore. It is a free download, and seems to be as good as Finale Songwriter. In copying in the various elements of the score, I have been trying to interpret the chord names - things like Am7 or Am6 or even E7b(9#) and writing the chord on the stave. So today's lesson helped me clarify these strange names:
Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si Do are all intervals: Tonique, seconde, tierce, quarte, quinte, sixte, septieme, octave (french terms!) To interpret the 9 - all one has to do is to identify how many intervals it is from the seventh. It is two. Two intervals would make this note the Re in the next octave up. Well I think that's what I understood anyway. I will have to look back at my notes in the morning.
After this brain teaser, we then set out to revise some physical issues regarding singing and making a good sound at varying volumes. The key thing is to be at ease and listen to my body. If something is not working well, ask what is wrong, how is the body feeling? Is there tension somewhere, especially in the jaw. Tensing the jaw means the adam's apple is pushed into a poor position which does not allow the air to travel freely and thus it squeezes the sound. A simple exercise singing three notes to 'Ah' soon demonstrated this. So I need to get back to the facial massage, sticking out the tongue and other loosening strategies I learnt some years ago, and have got very lazy about doing' Not a pretty sight, so as Terry Wogan used to say, "Blindfold the budgie!"
The other really interesting example I was given was to think about the trampoline. One has to land properly in order to make the next jump. The same is true when singing - the correct placement of the previous note affects the quality of the next one. Very often when a note is out of tune, it is because the previous note was badly executed.
When working on a song, it is important to identify where the stresses are and understand why the problem exists. If it is insufficient breath, sort out the breathing etc. Perhaps the key is wrong - change the key.
I know the intervals, so they shouldn't pose a problem...... Finally I should enjoy trying to sing the song in different ways and seeing what sounds good or interesting -record the efforts and listen to them this helps develop ones own unique style.
Wow, lots of useful ideas today! Now I need to get on and put them into practice.....
