Justin WhyteTHE smooth carrying over of one tone to the next without sudden change of tonal force or colour and sustaining tones steadily to their rhythmic length without change of dynamics is termed legato.
The connection between tones must neither 'skip' nor 'slur', but be a smooth portamento. Flow of tone on the vocal line must seem to be level and continuously smooth in spite of changes in vowel and the occurrence of many consonants.
According to music educators, when legato singing is practised, emphasis on pulse and metre should be minimised, instead stress should be made on the natural inflection of the words and smoothness of melodic line.
There are two major styles or techniques in singing: the legato sustained style and the 'staccato' detached style.
The seventh great fundamental principle in singing, is mastery of the legato style. It is the opposite to staccato, detached marcato singing and is the outstanding characteristic of the so-called Bel Canto style of singing.
The slur or glissando is the slow glide from one tone to the next. A slur-glissando destroys any possibility of tonal accent or of definiteness in rhythm; and is out of tone most of the time.
The legato style is the basic technical style needed by any singer. Most songs are legato, either in entirety or in part and is the basic technical style needed by any singer.
Skilful use of legato style, involving sostenuto, discriminating taste in the use of portamento, plus a wide range of tonal colour, is the secret of what is called beautiful singing, rather than beauty of the individual tone.
Beautiful singing is based on skill in legato and use of appropriate tonal colour than it is on actual beauty of tone.
When someone comments, "What a beautiful voice", it should be interpreted as, "What a fine legato". Many professional singers, especially the older artistes, produce many tones that are not beautiful, their 'instrument' is said to be badly worn and has strident qualities.
Regardless, they know how to use the instrument, to sing legato, to colour the tone expressively and are still artistes in thrilling the listener.
Many of our top vocalists have to their credit, a wide range of expressive tonal colour and a silky-smooth legato. It should be noted, however, that exceptionally fine, smooth legato is rare today, even among professionals.
Five different techniques must be studied and mastered as the basis for an outstanding smooth legato technic. These include: Portamento and the slur - Portamento connection is the foundation of legato singing. Portamento means 'to carry' or glide from one to the next so rapidly, that the intermediate tones, although sounding, are not defined long enough to be noticed by most listeners. Portamento should not be confused with the slur or glissando.
However, when a slur effect is desired, the term glissando will be written in the score. So-called slur-lines always mean portamento in vocal music. Portamento is not the same as a slur or glissando. The scooping or slur effect often heard is an abomination to legitimate singing, but often used in crooning.
In modern piano music the slur-line is used to indicate melodic phrasing and in violin scores, to show the amount of melody to be executed on one bow.
Singers are all too common who scoop or slur atrociously in a loud, anguished manner from tone to tone, in the mistaken idea that they are using the portamento. Singers and students must take great care that they do not become a scooping, slur-ring, steel-guitar, singer in the misconception, that they are singing portamento.
