Visitors
The April 2003 issue of the "Pitch Pipe" listed a number of terms we use in Adelines that might befuddle our newest members, so we decided to list them here for the use of our own new members.
Afterglow: Cast party after a show or performance.
All-in-one: A one-piece undergarment sometimes worn under our costumes (for torture and difficult trips to the restroom!)
"Break a Leg!": Said to wish someone "Good Luck" in a performance.
Bubbling (or trilling): A vocal exercise used to relax the lips, jaw and throat, to open resonators, and to produce a resonant sound.
Chest voice (or chest register): Singing using the lower range of the voice, which resonates primarily in the chest, although including the upper resonators.
Chord worship: Reveling in the sound of a ringing chord, usually to the detriment of forward motion and entertainment of the audience!
Chorus breathing: Taking a quick breath in other than a planned breathing place so as not to run out of air at the end of the phrase. Chorus breathing is done by leaving out a word or syllable, or breathing while holding the vowel of a word. It is NOT done between words (which causes phrases to be out-of-sync).
Coning: The art of adjusting the sound to maintain the proper balance of a barbershop chord, with the broadest strength at the bottom of the chord and the lightest on the top.
Diphthong: Two vowel sounds sung on one note, with greatest stress on the first vowel. For example, the vowel in "day" is actually "eh," followed by "ee."
Double: Two parts on the same note--somewhat incorrect when one part is singing a wrong note that's the same note sung by another part. Or sometimes correct when it's written as the same note sung an octave apart, or in unison by two parts.
Downstage: Toward the front of the stage (nearest to the audience).
Dynamic contrast: Planned volume changes to enhance the performance of a song.
Fanny rails: The railings attached to the top row of the risers. ("Fanny" in American English refers to your bum!)
Forward motion: Sense of lyrical flow, with vocal line movement toward something in anticipation, especially in a ballad.
Hang ten (or "toe-ing" the risers): Standing forward to the front edge of the risers, with your outside foot downstage.
Head voice (or head register): Singing using the upper range of the voice.
Inside smile: Lifting of the soft palate.
Interval: The distance between two notes.
Intro. (or the Edge): The beginning of the song.
Key: Letter name of the note on the scale in which a song is written. This note is blown on the pitch pipe.
Lifted phrase ending: To have enough air at the end of the phrase to keep the tone fully supported and energized so as to not let the phrase just die out.
Mask: The facial muscles under the eyes into the temple, around the nose, in the lip area, and from the temples down to the chin.
Octave: An interval of an 8th, with the lower and upper notes having the same letter name.
"Off paper": Being able to sing your part without using the sheet music.
Onion skins: The small tuning adjustments needed for locking a chord. These are a laymen's term for the degrees of tuning sound vibrations.
Overtone: Unsung tone heard above the highest tone of a properly balanced and matched chord.
Physical warm-ups: Warming up the body to provide a suitable environment for the singing mechanism to operate and to release tension which would interfere with vocal freedom.
Pick-up: A note or series of notes leading into the first full chord of a phrase.
Pitch pipe: The musical instrument used to help singers begin in the same key. It may be round and be manually blown by someone on the risers, or sometimes electronic pipes are used. The "Pitch Pipe" is also the name of the quarterly magazine published by Sweet Adelines International.
Progression: A sequence of chords.
Quartet Etiquette: Displaying courtesy by not singing along with a foursome that is singing--unless you are asked to join in.
Queens of Harmony: The unofficial name given to international quartet champions.
Resonators: Any of the cavities or parts of the vocal tract that serve to reinforce and enrich the phonated tones of the singing voice.
Ringing chords: When a barbershop chord is perfectly balanced and in tune, overtones are produced and an exciting "ringing" sound results.
Ripples (or wave): A choreography move that starts on one side of the risers and travels to the other side (and sometimes back again).
Soft palate: The soft, squishy area on the roof of your mouth near the back (behind the hard palate).
Swipe: A slide from one note to another, sung on one word or syllable, which creates harmonic tension then resolution.
Tag: The section at the end of the song that has been added by the arranger to give a sense of completeness. It's the barbershop equivalent of a coda.
Tuning: Refers to the ability to sing both "in key" and "on pitch."
Unison: Two or more parts singing the same note.
Vibrato: A wavering in the vocal tone that keeps chords from locking and ringing.
Vocal warm-ups: Getting the voice ready to sing, and our ears listening to each other.
Woodshedding: The art of singing barbershop harmony "by ear" without a written musical arrangement.