Diphthongs: What Are They?

What the Heck Are Diphthongs? And, no, they don't have anything to do with Victoria's Secret. They're the two part vowels we probably learned about in the third grade and promptly forgot by the time fourth grade rolled around. Stuff we were certain we would never have any use for.

Well, singers, we were wrong.

A diphthong is a sort of "uber" vowel, in that it has two different and sequential vowel sounds instead of one. Although exactly which specific vowels fall into this category is hotly contested, and may have something to do with regional accents, I think the following five vowel sounds are generally accepted as being true diphthongs:                          

ay, ai               Eh-ee        as in Say

I, y                  Ah-ee        as in Lie

oh                   Uh-oo        as in Go

ou, ow             Ah-oo       as in Out

oy                   Uh-ee        as in Boy

The percentage of time allotted to the first part of the word is about two thirds, with the second part finishing the remaining one third. These percentages are very arbitrary. American English is a complex amalgam of influences and depending upon where we live, some of us have probably gone through life without ever following through with the second part of the vowel!

But when you link like sounds together you can very clearly hear the double vowel effect. From childhood we might remember the little jingle: "How Now Brown Cow?" Or this song from the Broadway musical My Fair Lady: "The Rain in Spain Stays Mainly on the Plain."

So why is this important for a singer to know?

There is (0r should be) an uninterrupted flow in the singer's vocal line. Like a river, it takes twists and turns and may even disappear underground for a while but it never ceases to flow.

All too often we singers fail to include the tail of this double vowel in the musical line; instead, we let the tone drop down and out of its place in the line. We lose control of the resonance because it drops into our throat momentarily as we swallow the tail of the note. The tone after this happens gets muddy for a second, pitch suffers and the lyrical line becomes unwieldy and stiff. You have momentarily dropped out of your resonance zone.

Be careful not to over-do it in the other direction though, and put too much pressure on the second half. Simply remember the tail is an important part of the singer's line and is not to be ignored.

Nashville vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams reveals the trade secrets that have already helped hundreds of aspiring singers become celebrities: Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Dixie Chicks, Miley Cyrus, Huey Lewis, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Jason Aldean, Christina Aguilera...

Like me on Facebook at or follow me on Twitter @MyVoiceCoach. My blog can be found at MyVoiceCoachBlog.com.

Go to CyberVoiceStudio.com and sign up to receive my free weekly Video Voice Lessons.

For more information go to MyVoiceCoach.com or call 615.244.3280 to schedule a private voice session in person, by telephone or by Skype.

And those who were seen dancing...

The Irrational National Anthem

The National Anthem is the song every American singer is most likely to sing at least once in public, as long as there is a sporting event on the horizon. The ubiquitous Happy Birthday may rival it in popularity, but Happy Birthday usually turns up on a singer's menu as a group effort. With the National Anthem you are pretty much left to your own devices -- to sing it a cappella, no less! There are plenty of good reasons why The Star-Spangled Banner terrifies singers.

It's a bear to sing; the range is so wide (an octave and a fifth above that) that a singer of modest capability can barely scan the notes. And it's written in such a way that the phrasing invites the singer to breathe at inappropriate junctures.

The words were written by Francis Scott Key early in the morning after witnessing the all-night bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during the War of 1812. His poem was set to the tune of a popular British song written by John Stafford Smith.

I’m going to give you some tips for taming the beast. For now, I'd like to concentrate on the words. You may never have taken a close look at them. Do you realize there are only two sentences in the entire song? And that the first sentence is probably the longest sentence in the history of sentences? Nevertheless it does actually mean something. It’s not just a bunch of gibberish -- the words tell a story that makes sense if you phrase it correctly.

“Oh say,” Hey you guys over there.

“can you see,” What can you see from your vantage point?

"by the dawn’s early light," Now that the sun’s come up?

“what so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,”
That flag that we are so proud of was still visible on the fort ramparts as daylight drew to a close.

“whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, o’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly gleaming,” We could see the flag there waving.

THE SENTENCE CONTINUES

“and the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,” Every time a bomb burst

“gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.” we could see that the flag was still flying.

BREAK

End of first sentence. Now remember, that was ONE sentence. And not written in Albanian. In English (well, English as it was spoken two hundred years ago.)

SECOND AND FINAL SENTENCE

"Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave," Is our flag still flying over the fort this morning? Were we victorious in the battle?

"o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave." Over our new country?

So, when you phrase the anthem to fit the contours of the meaning of the words you will find that you sing with the commas instead of just anywhere.

Example: Sing "Oh, say, [breath] can you see. . . "

                 NOT "Oh, say, can [breath] you see. . . "

To interrupt 'can' and 'you' is unnatural phrasing

I’ve heard very few people sing the national anthem like they believed in what was written. If nothing else, if you make it a patriotic song that means something of special value and pride, then you should make a notable impression.

And, you know, It's funny how just thinking about what the words mean makes your voice sound better.

Nashville vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams reveals the trade secrets that have already helped hundreds of aspiring singers become celebrities: Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Dixie Chicks, Miley Cyrus, Huey Lewis, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Jason Aldean, Christina Aguilera...

Like me on Facebook at or follow me on Twitter @MyVoiceCoach. My blog can be found at MyVoiceCoachBlog.com.

Go to CyberVoiceStudio.com and sign up to receive my free weekly Video Voice Lessons.

For more information go to MyVoiceCoach.com or call 615.244.3280 to schedule a private voice session in person, by telephone or by Skype.
 

A Singer's Interview: 5 Performance Tips for Good Results

Preparation for a singer's interview is how a successful performer can play an active part in the promotion program designed by the team they have chosen to represent their interests. During the launch of a singer's recording career there could be a nation-wide tour of 200 or more interview dates. These range from in-store mini-concerts, press and radio interviews, to national television appearances.

Recently there has been an explosion of new talent vying for media attention in an already crowded field. Learning to deliver engaging interviews is one way to guarantee you will stand out from the rest of the pack. So here are some tips for executing successful media events.

1. Be animated, have fun, Everything discussed when singers interview should be in a positive tone of voice, unless, of course, you are speaking of a disaster. Keep the tone upbeat and enthusiastic. This is especially important for drive-time radio interviews when radio hosts are working hard to keep their listeners awake and alive. When you present a positive attitude, even in times of personal difficulty, it is difficult for the interviewer not to respond in kind.

2. You will need to remember that you are there to promote a relationship with the public, but keep in mind that your job is not only to promote your agenda; it's also your job to make the interviewer look good. A singer's interview should always have an intimate feel. Plan on treating your host as if they were your very best friend -- at least for the next three to twenty minutes.

Occasionally refer to your interviewer by name. It is a good idea to match your speaking pace to that of your host. Be sure not to "step on" their lines. Give them plenty of time to finish their thoughts before you speak. Everybody loves a good listener. Besides that, it buys time for you to formulate your own answers. After all, the real translation of the sound "um" is "I'm stalling."

3. If you support your voice with your entire body when you speak, you will give the impression that you stand firmly behind what you say. Short concise bites, with strong consonant sounds at the beginning of words are best. Punch up your responses by ending your words with pauses for additional emphasis.

4. It's also good to remember that Silence is golden. Say what you need to say, then quit talking. Don’t continue to ramble. Silence is not nothing; it’s simply a real, real quiet sound.

5. You cannot control which questions will be asked of you in a singer's interview, but if you plan your responses in advance and practice them until they become natural, you will not be caught off guard. First and foremost you want to come through the interview with your career intact, so take comfort in the fact that you are bound to know your topic better than the host.

Be yourself; let others see you as a real person; share your life with them; have fun; make your interviewer look good and you can be assured that many more interviews will come your way.

Bonus Tip #1: Try not to leave the studio without firm plans for receiving a print, audio or video copy of your interview. You will want these public records for your growing dossier.

Bonus Tip #2: Always send a thank-you note to the hosts, engineers and producers. These little notes pave the way for future interviews.

Bonus Tip#3: Find a notebook or a place on your computer to keep records of each interview. You will want to remember the people involved, what you wore, and the topic of the interview.

Nashville vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams reveals the trade secrets that have already helped hundreds of aspiring singers become celebrities: Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Dixie Chicks, Miley Cyrus, Huey Lewis, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Jason Aldean, Christina Aguilera...

Like me on Facebook at or follow me on Twitter @MyVoiceCoach. My blog can be found at MyVoiceCoachBlog.com.

Go to CyberVoiceStudio.com and sign up to receive my free weekly Video Voice Lessons.

For more information go to MyVoiceCoach.com or call 615.244.3280 to schedule a private voice session in person, by telephone or by Skype.