Singing in 4 Steps
If I were asked to boil down the teaching process of the classical Italian song-schools (aka the old Italian school) into succinct steps, here is what I would say.
There are four steps to master, each dovetailing into the next. Be aware: if you don’t master the first three steps, the last one doesn’t matter. Here are the steps.
BREATHING. How one breathes determines how one sings. Rather than complicate the matter with theory, I suggest students do what old school students were taught to do, which is: close the mouth and breathe though the nose with a feeling of suspiration. (Luigi Lablache uses this term in his singing manual which can be found on the download page.)
PURE VOWELS. You must learn to speak [a, e, i, o, u] with Italian tonal values. This step is better mastered with a teacher who can demonstrate what it means. If a living example is not available, the following hints may help. Hint: pure vowels are radical vowels and involve an “undertone” that reaches the sternum and an “overtone” that touches the center of the head. Hint: pure vowels are clear at the front of the mouth. Hint: pure vowels seem to surround the head like a corona. Hint: pure vowels enable the throat to feel loose. Hint: pure vowels have no “breath” in them.
SCALES. Once pure vowels can be sustained when spoken, the student then learns to sing them without their quality devolving in any way. This involves singing [a, e, i, o, u] on 5-tone scales, 9-tone scales, and 11-tone scales. While there are many variations and permutations of scale work, this progression encompasses the bare minimum. Suffice it to say, the old school made students sing increasingly complicated scales so that all difficulties were removed before step 4 was attempted.
SONGS & ARIAS. Most students start with this step—a huge mistake from an old school perspective. Why? Once the mouth starts moving all bets are off, the ear not having enough time to inculcate and sustain the elements which enable beautiful singing.
Note: This process does not include anatomy or direct manipulation—like moving the soft palate, or “moving air.” In the old school, correct method and the ear do most, if not all, of the work.