Metodo pratico

Published first in London in 1834, Nicolo Vaccaj's Metodo pratico di canto italiano per camera diviso in 15 lezioni (A practical method of Italian chamber singing, divided into 15 lessons) is the most popular vocal method in the world. To date, it has been published in over 40 editions.

The meaning of the Italian word metodo is "a way." Vaccaj apparently wanted to introduce an organized approach to learning to sing.

He divided his method into 15 lessons or 15 exercises with a total of 22 songs.

The author's preface

"Such are the advantages offered by the Italian language that it is unquestionably advisable to learn to sing in this idiom first, after which it will be easy to sing in the other languages. Learning to sing in another language does not offer these benefits.

I have come across many people in my experience – in Germany, France, England, and Italy – who, desiring simply to learn to sing for their own pleasure, are unwilling to embark on long exercises and solfèges, and as a result, their study lacks any method.

I therefore decided to prepare a new and entirely new method, which might prove both useful and enjoyable and – while avoiding the boredom of long studies – would achieve the same end.

Since the principal difficulty for foreigners (even after doing vocalizes and solfèges) lies in singing a language which is not their own, I thought that it was a good idea that they should get used to the language right from the beginning of their studies. Rather than have them sing meaningless syllables I chose the most suitable of Metastasio's splendid poems as a means of inculcating those basic rules which most students neglect because they find them boring.

There is no doubt that this method will prove useful not only to amateurs, but also to those who wish to make this Art their profession. It may well help to clarify points made in other methods, thanks to the use of examples."

Nicolo Vaccaj

Vocal range

"Throughout the method I have made use of a limited extension which should prove comfortable for most voices. Moreover it is always a good idea to start by practising in the centre of the voice. Indeed all the rules can be learnt in this part of the voice, and if one should so desire, any of the lessons can be transposed a tone higher or lower at will."

Source

Vaccaj, N. 1833. Metodo pratico. Edition Peters.

Structure of exercises

Metodo pratico includes 22 songs introducing three types of skills: intervals, ornaments, and separate exercises on recitative and arias.

Numbers by Vaccaj	S–A	Beginning	Topics	Exercises
I	1a	Manca sollecita...	La scala	the scale
I	1b	Semplicetta tortorella...	Intervalli di terza	thirds
II	2a	Lascia il lido, e il mare infido...	Intervalli di quarta	fourths
II	2b	Avvezzo a vivere...	Intervalli di quinta	fifths
III	3	Bella prova é d'alma forte...	Intervalli di sesta	sixths
IV	4a	Fra l'ombre un lampo solo...	Intervalli di settima	sevenths
IV	4b	Quell' onda che ruina...	Intervalli di ottava	eighths
V	5	Delira dubbiosa...	I semitoni	semitones
VI	6	Nel contrasto amor accende...	Modo sincopato	syncopation
VII	7	Come il candore...	Introduzione alle volate	introduction to roulades
VIII	8a	Senza l'amabile...	Le appoggiatura sopra e sotto	appoggiaturas (*
VIII	8b	Benchè di senso privo...	L'acciaccatura	acciaccaturas
IX	9a	La gioia verace...	Introduzione al Mordente	introduction to mordents
IX	9b	L'augelletto in lacci stretto...	Mordente in diversi modi	mordents
X	10a	Quando accende un nobil petto...	Introduzione al grupetto	introduction to turns
X	10b	Più non si trovano...	Il gruppetto	turns
XI	11	Se povero il ruscello...	Introduzione al trillo	introduction to trills or shakes
XII	12	Siam navi all' onde algenti...	Le volate	roulades 2 (with semiquavers)
XIII	13a	Vorrei spiegar l'affanno...	Portamento I - Modo per portare la voce	portamento I – anticipating a note by carrying the voice legato up or down from the preceding syllable
XIII	13b	O placido il mare...	Portamento II - Altro modo	portamento II – sliding up (like a wave)
XIV	14	La patria è un tutto...	Il recitativo	the recitative
XV	15	Alla stagion de' fiori...	Riepilogo	recapitulation

(* The terms upper mordent, lower mordent and turn are also used for certain ornaments.

Vaccaj used the Roman numerals I–XV, seven of which include two songs (I, II, IV, VIII, IX, X and XIII).

At the Sibelius Academy (SA), we use Vaccaj's system of 1–15 (I–XV) but add the letters "a" and "b" to distinguish between the songs and indicate their order.

Amateurs

In his preface to Metodo pratico, Vaccaj names amateurs as his target group. This group of students wanted to sing less demanding songs, not arias from operas or oratorios. Thus, Vaccaj's method is more a chamber singing than an opera singing school. This is why Metodo pratico is not considered a difficult method, and it has gained great popularity.