Which technique is described to improve choral intonation?

• A. Tongue forward; tip resting against bottom teeth for resonance; don't obstruct throat
• B. Keep lips pursed and jaw locked
• C. Breathe in quickly and release at phrase end
• D. Use pure vowel /a/ throughout

Answer: (A)

In choir singing, how you shape your mouth and where you place your tongue strongly affect pitch accuracy and how well you blend with the group. Keeping the tongue forward with the tip resting gently on the bottom teeth creates a bright, forward resonance. That forward resonance helps you hear your pitch clearly and aligns your vocal tract with the others, making it easier to match pitches across the ensemble. It also keeps the throat open and relaxed, reducing tension that can warp tuning.

The other approaches hinder intonation. Pursing the lips and locking the jaw limits mouth movement and articulation, which softens the ability to shape vowels and tune accurately. Breathe in quickly and release at the phrase end disrupts steady breath support, which is essential for stable pitches. Using a single pure vowel like /a/ throughout narrows vowel shaping and can throw off pitch relationships across different notes and phrases.