Lesson of the Month #17 (4/98)

For safety and best results, read instructions before doing lessons!

Alphabet Chanting

Themes:
This lesson explores in some minute detail how we use our bodies and breath to vocalize sounds. It involves attending to how we use the muscles of the face, mouth, throat, neck, chest, shoulders, back, and breath to regulate sound. Nearly every spiritual tradition has some kind of chanting associated with it, as does nearly every primitive culture. Many spiritual, physical, and emotional benefits derive from these practices.

Works with:
Muscles of the face, jaw, mouth, throat, neck,chest, and trunk, including intercostal muscles and diaphragm.


1. Probably the best position for this lesson is sitting on the floor, with legs folded in front of you. Perhaps sit on a firm cushion, or other support, so your spine is somewhat erect. Or, sit on the front of a straight-backed chair...you could even stand up... Begin by saying something out loud...as if you were talking to someone...and notice the quality of the sound of your voice....repeat it a few times...and remember it to see how it is different at the end of the lesson.

2. Begin by chanting the name of the letter "a"... just sing it in a comfortable, relatively low monotone, at a pitch comfortable and natural for you, close to your regular voice. Pay particular attention to the very beginning of the sound, as you slowly and minutely bring the sound from intention into action, softly and smoothly, with no abrupt edges, so that the sound begins gradually...notice what you do with your jaw...your throat...your tongue...your chest...try it several times, just to get the feel of it...hold the sound long enough so that when you stop, an easy inhalation happens by itself...

3. Repeat #2 with the letter "b"...notice your lips...your jaw...your throat...is it the same on both sides?....and then "c"....notice tongue and palate...and "d"...how do you form your mouth and tongue and jaw to squeeze out the beginning of a "d"...? continue with "e"...and "f"...feel how your chest accommodates to hold the "f"...and let it go and rest. Just sit and let breath happen.

4. Continue with "g"...feel how your teeth and tongue are involved...and "h"...and "i"...let your mouth and throat open wide...and "j"...notice lower jaw...and "k"...feel your throat and how you manage your breath at the beginning...and "l"...your tongue makes a big movement inside your mouth, back toward your palate, and returns...and rest and breath passively for a few moments.

5. Same attention to "m"...and bring it into a humming...and "n"...and hum it...and "o"...your mouth shapes itself like an "o" at the same time...and "p"...use your lips delicately...and "q"...it makes some odd requirements...and "r"...and rest.

6. And now "s"...your tongue and teeth interact..."t"...what kind of face do you make?..."u"...feel the pucker..."v"...feel your chest....oh,boy, "w" is in a class by itself...and "x"...also pretty weird..."y" wants your mouth to form an "oo" in front of it...feel your lips...and "z"...your whole chest is involved...and just let your breath happen a few cycles...and then say the same words as at the beginning, and notice the different qualities in the sound of your voice.

7. Now let's just play with vowels a little...begin with 'a'...but this time make it an open 'a' as in the word "far"...again follow all the little muscular preparations getting ready to make sound, and then begin the sound gradually from silence...and hold the tone...and repeat it a few times...

8. Again repeat the 'a'...as in the word "far"...and then let it evolve into an 'y' or'i'...as in aaahhhhhhyyyyyy (rhymes with "eye")...and repeat that cycle a few times...you breathe out with the sound, and the inbreath happens by itself...notice how you use yourself...and then add 'e' to it...so the 'a' becomes 'i,' and then becomes 'e'...something like "aaahhhhhhyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeee"do that several times....and rest.

9. Same sound as #8...except now add a sound like "u"...so it becomes "aaahhhhhhyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeyyyuuuuuuu"....and then add "o" to morph it into "aaahhhhhhyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeyyyuuuuuuuoooooo"...and repeat it a number of times...and rest.

10. Go back to "a" as in "far"...and slide it into a long "o"...as in "aaaaaaohhhhhh"...and add an "m," as in "aaaaohhhhmmmmmm," and see how that is...and then try it taking the "a" into a "u" instead...and add the "m"...your mouth takes a slightly different shape from the previous sound..."aaaaauuuuuummmmmmm"...and rest.

11. Again begin with "a" as in "far"...and add an "r" sound to it...as in "aaaaaarrrrrrrr"...and add an "L" sound to that so it becomes "aaaaaarrrrrrrrllllllllllll"...exaggerate a little the movement of your tongue in the movement...and then add a sound like the "ea" in "earn"...it's a sound of distaste...something like "aaaaaarrrrrrrrlllllllllllleahhhhh"and let your tongue stick out a little while you do that...repeat that several times...and rest.

12. Let yourself breathe naturally for a bit...then repeat the words you said at the beginning of the lesson. What has changed in the quality of your voice, and in the quality of your breath?