Song of the Sock

“Give me the gift of a grip-top sock,

A clip-drape, ship-shape, tip-top sock.

Not your spiv-slick, slap-stick, slip-shod stock

But a plastic, elastic, grip-top sock.

None of your fantastic, slack swop-slop

From a slap-dash, flash cash haberdash shop:

Not a knock-knack, knit-lock,

Knock-kneed knickerblocker sock

With a mock-shot, blot-mottled

Trick-tick-tocker clock:

Not a rucked-up, puckered-up flop-top sock.

Not a super-sheer seersucker

Pukka sack smock sock.

Not a spot-speckled, frog-speckled

Cheap sheikh’s sock

Off a hotch-pot, moss blotch

Blotched Scotch block;

Nothing slip-slop, drip-drop,

Flip-flop or clip-clop.

Tip me to a tip-top, hip-hop, tip-top;

Tip me to a tip-top”

I have spent time practicing reading this song/tongue twister in order to once again work on my pronunciation, articulation and diction. 

This piece of writing helps me to focus on what I am saying and that I ensure to take care over our diction and articulation. Reading this, almost epic, tongue twister allows me to also practice our breath-control which is very important in performing. “With the voice, you depend on the breath to start the sound”  I also paractice this whilst change the tempo and volume, going from a whisper to a projected shout. “When you let out the volume, you must never lose the clarity of speech because the specific reason for the size will not be present.^”

I have also been looking up some videos about the use of tongue twister to warm-up and train your voice in order to get a better understanding of how they help you to develop your vocal technique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBDKTRva_YA

I watched this carefully as she really seemed to know what she was talking about, but she also taught me some more tongue twisters to put in my repertoire, allowing me to continue working on my articulation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoRyRbyKKOU

In this video the guy goes through the tongue twisters bit by bit, showing how clear the words should but it is much more helpful than the last as he also switches his pace, tone, breath control and difficulty, allowing, not only for different abilities but it is a video that allows you to e challenged, try out your voice and continuing developing your technique whilst learning new tongue twisters. I found this video brilliant and since discovery have been watching it repeatedly at different times in order to continue pushing my voice and learn the various skills needed to be a vocal performer.

I will continue to work on tongue twisters and explore further into how they help you to develop your voice as the weeks go on, whilst exploring into other warm-up and why they are so vital to a performer.