resource to further develop your voice: 24 italian songs and arias

This collection is now in the public domain. The IMSLP page below has pdf copies of both the Medium-High Voice and Medium-Low Voice books available to download for free.

The YouTube Channel with background tracks for each piece is linked below.

HOW TO APPROACH THESE PIECES:

1. Listen to several pieces in the collection. Select a piece to learn.

• choose a piece that feels comfortable for your current singing range

• if the piece you have chosen feels too high or too low, look at the other book to see if the other key feels more comfortable (the same pieces are in both books)

2. Listen to several different recordings of the piece you have chosen.

• which recordings do you prefer, and why?

3. Find the Background Accompaniment Track on YouTube. Click on the link to find the playlist for both the High Voice and the Low Voice books. Scroll down the page. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXW_hkr4WV6Pcii2tt05oiw/playlists

4. Start Singing (sing a vocal warm-up before you start singing). Use a neutral vowel (zoh or zah) to sing the phrases.

• pay attention to breath marks and phrase lengths as you sing on the vowel

• are there intervals, entrances or rhythms that are difficult? take the time to breakdown challenging musical moments

5. Work on Italian pronunciation of the text

• look for IPA translations and/or YouTube clips that have someone speaking the text

6. Start putting together melody and text

• record yourself and give yourself feedback

• work in small sections (a few measures at a time)

7. Practice finding your starting notes in each phrase

• listen to the piano accompaniment - stop on each vocal entrance and isolate your starting note for that phrase