Aspirating

What it means

In vocal technique, aspirating is a fault in which an unintended "h" sound is inserted before a vowel or diphthong, at a point where it belongs neither to the text nor to the intended sound. A clean "ah" becomes "ha," an "oh" becomes "ho," and the vocal line is repeatedly interrupted as a result.

The fault occurs mainly when singers must sustain a single vowel across several notes but fail to support it with a steady, continuous breath stream. Instead of carrying the vowel through, they re-articulate each new note with a small glottal push that is heard as an "h."

Musical use

Aspirating appears above all in fast coloratura passages and melismas, where several notes fall on a single syllable. In such runs, the quick succession of notes tempts singers to re-attack each one separately with a fresh glottal stroke instead of letting the breath flow evenly.

Aspirating is distinguished from the deliberate use of an "h" sound where the text itself calls for one, and from the glottal stop, in which a vowel is attacked hard without a preceding consonant but without any audible "h." With aspirating, by contrast, the disruptive sound arises unintentionally and is consistently regarded in classical vocal training as a fault to be avoided.

Performance practice

Practice melismas very slowly at first, making sure to carry the vowel from note to note without interruption, supported by a steady, well-supported breath stream. Imagine the vowel as a continuous ribbon on which only the pitch changes, never the attack. Record yourself to check; an unwanted "h" is often easier to hear in a recording than while you are singing.