There are vowels which are 'theoretically perfect' in that they:
Later in the book I will deal with appropriate performance of songs at advanced level, but the foundation to deriving a way into a new song is to first and foremost understand what it is that the songwriter is giving you.
Some singers may feel that a song is simply a vehicle for showing off their fancy hipster stylings or whatever, in other words it's all about me me me look at me how cool I sing this song aren't I stylish and original!?. But the true artist knows that songs are complex and fragile things, easily bruised and broken, and that they have a life of their own. So this is a first look at how we can start to investigate and uncover the heart of any song.
I have a phrase which is 'Sing it by the book' by which I mean simply delivering the song as written with the standard vowels that you are learning here. Singing any (well written) song by the book will guarantee a good version. If the song is good and you deliver it simply and clearly, with honesty and humility people will definitely like what you have done.
A songwriter will have included many internal rhymes, alliterations, consonant clusters, metrical tricks, and most importantly vowel movements. You will also find rhythmical sonic and melodic builds and falls, interesting pattern inversions in the vowels and many more subtle and amazing things that skilled songwriters can bring into a song. You will only find these things out by correctly voicing the vowels and consonants. Only then will you be able to say OMG look at that! .. those two lines mirror each other in their vowel movements, or wow see how the the sound changes from round vowel dominated to front vowel dominated for the two pre-chorus lines. The songwriter(s) spend many many hours refining the lyrics and melody. You owe it to yourself, your audience and the songwriter to investigate the song completely until every sonic trick (or inspiration) is exposed and lovingly given life by you. Once you understand your material in this way you will be armed with assets that will serve you well.
That's not to say you have no scope for originality: your individuality resides in your tone, your voice, your throat and your mind. But be sure to cook up a great burger with the best ingredients before you add the trimmings, because if the burger is bland then nothing can make it taste great. So really don't go in on a song with any predefined assumptions, or just bulldoze your way through it like logging companies clearing the rainforest. Take time to explore, savour, look around at the space you are walking in.
In the next article about vowel path we will investigate what it means to find the best way though a song by referring to the singing sounds as we have been learning them.
There are many singers who sing by the book. It's not a case of not bending the vowels. But the bent vowels are all sourced from the song, nothing is put on or put into the song. Look at Mylie Cyrus doing Take it to the Limit on BBC. You might say she is really putting a lot into that performance. But really, she is indeed putting in, but she is putting in her own energy to realise the sonic picture engendered by the song itself.. she is taking a lot from that song, and showing us what it can be. What she is doing is all driven by the song, she has no preconcieved stylistic quirks she is trying to flog.
For the sake of completeness here is (co)songwriter Randy Meisner live with the Eagles in 1977 singing his song, also live. A legendary performance.