Weeks 5-6: vowels & SOVT · voice

Vowel switching on one pitch

Switch between vowels on the same pitch without breaking the tone.

Why this matters

Switching vowels mid-phrase without pitch drift is foundational for legato. Most singers unconsciously raise or lower pitch when they shift from a closed vowel to an open one — bel canto pedagogy treats stable pitch across vowel changes as a prerequisite for any sustained line.

What you should be able to do

V-B: vowel transition stable across 4 common pairs, pitch drift ≤ 35¢.

Estimated focus time: 1.25h

How to practice this with your voice today

  1. Drone any comfortable pitch (middle C works well).
  2. Sustain 'ee' for 2 seconds on the drone, listening for unison.
  3. Without re-attacking, switch to 'ah' for 2 seconds — same pitch, bigger mouth shape.
  4. Without re-attacking, switch to 'oo' for 2 seconds — same pitch, rounded lips.
  5. Record yourself and listen back: did the pitch stay locked, or did it sag on 'ah' and rise on 'oo'?

Interactive coming soon

Formant tracking (F1/F2 vowel discrimination) requires Praat/Parselmouth or a Web Audio analyser-node implementation we haven't built yet.