How many times have you been asked to “brighten your vowel” or place your sound “in the mask”? There are many techniques voice teachers use to coax your voice into a healthy and focused placement. Scores of teachers use the old-school Italian Bel Canto method by balancing vocal chiaroscuro (light/dark). This terminology typically embodies the brightness attributed to a pure vowel sound, also known as squillo, and the dark timbre in a resonant tone created with space and supported by diaphragmatic breathing. Every teacher listens with their own technique in mind, but there is one thing upon which most teachers will agree: singers need chiaroscuro in the voice.
Historically, vocal pedagogues were vague when it came to describing tone quality. In 1983, Richard Miller wrote definitively about chiaroscuro as a necessary feature for professionally trained classical singers:
An extensive terminology exists, in several languages, for the description of variations of vocal timbre found within the several [national] schools. One such term is chiaroscuro, which literally means the bright/dark tone, and which designates that basic timbre of the singing voice in which the laryngeal source and the resonating system appear to interact in such a way as to present a spectrum of harmonics perceived by the conditioned listener as that balanced vocal quality to be desired—the quality the singer calls ‘resonant.’ (Transcripts 1983, 2:135)
Singers that Embody the Chiaroscuro Sound
There are plenty of famous singers known for their “dark” vocal quality or their “bright” vocal quality. Joan Sutherland, for example, was able to master a cavernous resonant quality and move it with lightning fast coloratura as though that was no big deal. Luciano Pavarotti, on the other hand, delivered opera to the world with his Italianate, bright tenor “ping” that is as thrilling in recordings as it was to hear in live performances.
Of course, these are general descriptions that we use to categorize the great singers. But with careful attention to the recordings of these singers, one will hear the bright clarity of Sutherland and a magnificent depth to Pavarotti’s resonance. They were superstars because they mastered the qualities of chiaroscuro for their own voices and used their technical facility to perform different styles of opera with an unparalleled perfection.
How You Can Achieve this Technique
So what about you? How can one simple word—chiaroscuro—mean so much to your own singing? Can you sing a pure [a], [e], [i], [o], and [u] from middle C to high C? Can you sing these vowels evenly through your passaggio? When you can demonstrate this, you will have technically mastered your “light.”
Can you resonate with diaphragmatic support so that your larynx remains in a neutral position? Can you employ a slow and even messa di voce (crescendo and decrescendo) on every note from the bottom of your range to the top? When you can reliably demonstrate these skills, you will have mastered your “dark.”
Most classical singers work on these skills for their entire career. If one element comes easily to you, pay specific attention to determine what you are doing physically and mentally to achieve that skill. By re-creating the sensation in your practicing, you can establish healthy vocal habits. Next, you can add onto your skills by carefully working on what does not come so easily.
Now, about that pure vowel idea from your low range to your high range? It is possible to sing all the vowels above or below the staff, but they will probably be more even and desirable if you modify or adjust the shape of the vowel as you move through the passaggio into your upper range. Vocal pedagogue Berton Coffin writes:
There is no disputing the fact that modification of vowels inspires much controversy. However, the conviction that modification of vowels is unnecessary does betray a certain ignorance. It is true that singers can sing any note on any vowel, limited only by the physical boundaries of their range, but some vowel forms will have constructive interaction with the vocal cords (aid and amplify their air pressures), and other vowel forms will have a diminishing acoustical interaction (distort and diminish the cords’ air pressures). A bad tone fights with itself; that is, two vibrators interact badly with each other. For example, in stringed instruments the conflict is between a string and the resonator; in the organ the conflict is between the reed and pipe. In the voice, the conflict is between the vocal cords and the vocal tract. (Sounds of Singing, 1976)
In order to avoid the “bad tone” that Coffin describes, vowel modification will allow your tone to keep a consistent balance of bright and dark, which Miller has defined as “resonant.”
In the blog Musical U, Marisa Balistreri writes about singing legato in “Putting It All Together” (January 2017):
Ultimately, the goal of the traditional Italian method of singing is to create a seamless line of sound from one end of your range to the other. This is difficult to do because the voice inherently passes through areas of changing resonance. However, if you’re allowing the voice to resonate naturally, you will be well on your way to creating the only perfect possible skill in singing—legato, which comes from the Italian verb legare, meaning “to bind” or “to link” (like LEGOS!).
I appreciate that Balistreri notes that “the only perfect possible skill” in singing is legato. Legato is universally accepted as the most important component in the Italian Bel Canto style. While many skills are subjective to a given audience, legato phrasing is a musical skill most audience members can identify and appreciate. Singing legato is definitely achievable and it is an artistic way to incorporate years of LEGO building as imagery for connecting sounds into beautiful phrases.
I don’t think I’m putting voice teachers out of business here—you need another set of ears to tell you what you sound like outside of your instrument. It is my hope that these suggestions can help you mindfully practice bright vowels and resonant space to achieve what your teacher is asking.
Five Ways You Can Use Chiaroscuro in School
1. Turn on the light in the classroom.
Yes, you can literally turn on the light switch, but you can metaphorically light up the room by engaging in discussions with your professors and classmates. Prepare and participate, y’all. Tuition is expensive—get the most out of your education.
2. Practice in the dark.
News flash: practice rooms are open at night! All those hours of darkness are an opportunity for learning music and practicing your technique.
3. Go toward the light.
When times are tough, look for ways to improve. You cannot control what others say or do, but you can always control how you react. The phrase, “Kill them with kindness” will always get you further than losing your temper will. Don’t whine—win!
4. Enjoy the dark qualities of your music.
Whether you are singing “Lasciatemi morire,” “When I Am Laid in Earth,” or other songs about death, you can create beautiful music by embracing the dark character of text and melody. Opera is really the only time you should have fun making death threats.
5. Light the way for others.
Be the student that arranges a study group for an exam or help some underclassmen with theory, diction, or other subjects you have already passed. By engaging in the learning process with fellow students, you will learn more, retain the information, and bond with your people.
St. Francis of Assisi said, “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”
Balance
You can find useful analogies for chiaroscuro, or balance, in life, in music, in class, and on stage. The phrase “find your light” can guide you to the spotlight in performance and in living an authentic life. There are times to step out of the spotlight and let others sing their arias. Supporting roles get Tony Awards too.
As you work on your vocal technique and find your balance for light and dark in singing, allow yourself the time to let all of your studies inform your musical instincts. When you practice every day, attend classes, go to rehearsals, and study with friends, your voice will grow in many ways. Your body is your instrument, but your mind is in control. Your authentic, musical, artistic self can learn to sing more beautifully when you find balance in the difficulties and joys of college life.
As the old gospel tune exclaims, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!”
