Now to the consonant m whose subtle powerful sound signifies understanding. It is an expression of agreement. It is one of the five basic English consonants - k, l, s, f, m.

It is an evenly balanced, measured sound formed through closing our lips and on our out-breath feeling and hearing the sound. Cecil Harwood in his book "Eurythmy and The Impulse of Dance" describes the sound and movement of this consonant as "continuous, having no beginning and no end." What closes the need for the sound is the need for a different one. For example, 'Moon' where the "u" (oo) sound follows.

Hans Pusch in his book "Who Speaks", a gem, shows where the key consonants originate from within the mouth describing these points as "jumping boards from which the sounds start where they enter the out-streaming breath. We could not start an m in the throat, but on the lips and from there we let it go and move with the breath." Note the importance of the out-streaming breath in the work of these two individuals. The previous Post on Breathing and Speaking concentrates upon this.

There is often a strong gesture associated with m because it has meaning in its own right - of  understanding and agreement. The most common physical gesture is a slight nodding forwards and backwards of the head whilst making the sound. An acknowledgement. Another is an attentive sitting forward or bowing slightly towards someone or something.

Experiment with the sound by speaking the following words:

Map, marble, mediation, mighty, Moon

Assemble, embarrass, climb, accommodate, whom

Calm, team, him, loam, loom

Experience when pronouncing m at the beginning of a word how it helps form the strength, power, understanding, meaning and direction of the whole word. For example, the importance of m in Map, strength in mighty and marble, understanding in mediation and mystical for the nature of the Moon.

In the middle of a word the sound m has a grounding quality. For example, in Assemble, the act of gathering together.

At the end of a word m has the nature of agreed closure. For example, through Calm - peace.

The attached audio recording gives these examples.

 

 

 

Experiment further by creating a phrase or short sentence with a predominance of m consonants and repeating it a number of times. For example: The mighty climb meant immediate honour for him. Experiment with the quality of m for each of these words and then when speaking the whole sentence refine their sounds by taking "each other" into account. For example, the word "meant" and consonant m within it will be subordinate to the words mighty, climb and immediate, either side of it. The audio recording will show this.

Please circulate the phrases and sentences you create via this Blog for others to use.

Dr Steiner created a form of words as an exercise for being conscious about speech sounds. Although not directly addressing the consonant m itself, it has features which, when repeated regularly, help create the sound. The words which are not intended to have any meaning, are:

Dart may these boats through darkening gloaming
Name neat Norman on nimble moody mules
Rattle me more and more rattles now rightly.

The final feature of this consonant is its inherent ability to support potential rhythm. In the sentence The mighty climb meant immediate honour for him the characteristic of understanding in the consonant m supports the rhythm - "mighty climb"/"immediate honour"/"him".

A Post in the near future will develop the previous one on Breathing and Speaking, exploring the nature and characteristics of Rhythm, when speaking.

I wish you every success and enjoyment exploring this very significant consonant whose qualities are akin to a secret!