[{"content":"Max: and Opera_L listers:\nJust some thoughts about learning the process of closing the vocal folds (cords) as taught by Dr. Bratt. It is a process that all classical or operatic (that is acoustic) singers must achieve. And it is easily misunderstood because it implies an overly strong closing of the vocal folds and a consequently more extreme buildup of breath pressure to set the folds into oscillation. Nothing could be further from the actual action of the vocal mechanism when it achieves proper vocal fold closure and a balanced breath pressure.\nThe traditional method of achieving this balance is through the practice of singing accurate onsets of tone. Early Italian teachers used a word for this that is often translated as “attack” of tone. Present day vocal therapists have found “attack” to imply too firm a vocal closure and have replaced that word with “onset” of tone.\nA balanced onset of tone is achieved when the tone starts immediately without a breathy beginning nor with a hard “glottal” attack. It is often taught by having the singer do onsets with both a breathy and then a glottal attack and then having them do an onset that is somewhere in between these two extremes. It can be rather easily learned but, because it is basically a study in coordination of the vocal system, it requires a lot of practice until it become habitual\nThe tone achieved with a well achieved balanced onset is full and rich even if it is done softly. It is the singers native quality but it is natural for the singer to attempt to improve the tone through different kinds of manipulations. Instead the singer needs to accept the resultant tone and practice crescendos and diminuendos (messa di voce) on the tone to gain additional coordinated control of the vocal dynamic.\nAll of the above has been a part of traditional Italian voice teaching for centuries. But if a student who has the potential for more full voiced singing is encouraged to use less complete vocal fold closure the resultant tone is likely to be light and high. Although this seems to make the voice more even across its various registers it also hides the true potential of the voice. Only through the development of an easy balance between complete vocal fold closure and the just sufficient breathe pressure for phonation will the real voice appear. And the traditional method of learning this is through balanced onsets of tone.\nLloyd W. Hanson\nOn Jan 1, 2016, at 11:02 AM, Max Paley wrote to Opera_L: One that I\u0026rsquo;ve re-read several times, a rarity for me with singer autobiographies, is the \u0026ldquo;as told to\u0026rdquo; story of Kirsten Flagstad written by Louis Biancolli. It\u0026rsquo;s both fascinating to see Flagstad\u0026rsquo;s development and career through what appear to be very candid, unpretentious eyes, and frustrating for things hinted at or left out. Her narration of the process of changing her voice from a thin, high, light soprano to one of the most voluminous vocal organs ever heard is similarly fascinating and frustrating. She credits Dr. Gillis Bratt but also says \u0026quot; you won\u0026rsquo;t find many around today to praise him.\u0026quot; The essence of it seems to be the way she learned from him to \u0026ldquo;close\u0026rdquo; her vocal chords and impede air from passing through. Boy, it would be nice to get more detail on that.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/balanced-onsets/achieving-tone-potential-using-balanced-onsets/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMax: and Opera_L listers:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust some thoughts about learning the process of closing the vocal folds (cords) as taught by Dr. Bratt. It is a process that all classical or operatic (that is acoustic) singers must achieve. And it is easily misunderstood because it implies an overly strong closing of the vocal folds and a consequently more extreme buildup of breath pressure to set the folds into oscillation. Nothing could be further from the actual action of the vocal mechanism when it achieves proper vocal fold closure and a balanced breath pressure.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Achieving Tone Potential Using Balanced Onsets"},{"content":"The Soprano Voice in Choral Music\nThe soprano voice can easily overcome any choral sound especially if it has a basically flute quality. Consider the orchestra; 2 or 3 flutes against 30 to 45 strings. That has become the accepted balance of sounds yet the flute does not produce a tone louder than a violin. Why are so few flutes needed to be heard easily against a literal army of strings?\nPart of the answer is in the harmonic structure of the two instruments. Violins produce a tone rich in harmonics. It is this richness of harmonics that gives the violin its tonal quality. Flutes, by comparison are rather bare of harmonics. Basically the flute emphasis only the first 5 harmonics.\nThis is important because when the emphasis of sonic energy is focused on only a few harmonics each of those harmonics are of a higher degree of amplitude. By comparison, the violin, which must energize a much broader range of harmonics, is able to imbue each harmonic with a lesser degree of amplitude.\nThe result is that the flute will be more easily heard over the sonic strength of the orchestra and the violins with their broader range of harmonics will more easily be absorbed into the orchestral harmonic spectrum. Thus more violins are required if they are to be heard over the complex spectrum of the orchestra. Fewer flutes are necessary.\nUnderstanding this concept has great meaning for choral singing. In short, it is better for the choral director to develop a rich sound in the voices of the soprano section because such a sound is rich in harmonic qualities and this timbre will, as with the violin in the orchestra, more easily blend into the balance of rich choral harmonics developed by a well-trained choir.\nThe concept of a less colorful soprano sound “a la the flute”, a sound that is very much imitated in todays choral singing, is a timbre that is almost impossible to mix into the balance of the choral sound. This problem is usually corrected by having sopranos sing much softer than the rest of the choir and without vibrato. Anything is tried to avoid their dominating the tonal balance of the choir. But all of these corrective measures are, at best barely adequate and, more importantly, they suppress the natural quality of the soprano voice, develop a disembodied tonal quality and produce a frustration for the sopranos who find it difficult to reduce their vocal quality to that which seems unnatural and uncomfortable.\nIt has been my experience that training sopranos to sing with a well balanced tonal quality that is freely produced and even throughout their vocal range provides a timbre that is much easier to blend into a soprano section. It is a tone that is vibrant and supple and will not dominate the choral spectrum.\nLloyd W. Hanson: January 23, 2015\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/uncategorized/the-soprano-voice-in-choral-music-3/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe Soprano Voice in Choral Music\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe soprano voice can easily overcome any choral sound especially if it has a basically flute quality. Consider the orchestra; 2 or 3 flutes against 30 to 45 strings. That has become the accepted balance of sounds yet the flute does not produce a tone louder than a violin. Why are so few flutes needed to be heard easily against a literal army of strings?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Soprano Voice in Choral Music"},{"content":"Extending the Range of the Female Voice\nI suggest work on balanced onsets until the student can do them easily and consistently . The onset exercises in Miller\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;The Structure of Singing\u0026rdquo; works for me but I more often now make up my own as seems to be needed by the student. Keep in mind that a balanced onset is neither a breathy onset nor a harsh attack onset; it is a an onset that is neither breathy nor preceeded by a glottal stroke but somewhere in between these extremes.\nOnce such balanced onsets are achieved, sing arpeggios up and down an octave in easy middle voice moving each arpeggio downward so the lower notes are in chest voice (female) or a very free chest voice (male) on a single vowel keeping the same vowel feeling but suggesting slight vowel changes as the arpeggio approaches the passaggio or changing to a more closed vowel as the passaggio is approached.\nFemales for High Voice: Do octave leaps downward on the /a/ vowel into chest voice to free or release the raw chest voice. If needed have the upper note of the octave sung with a very breathy tone quality (breathy phonation) and allow a yodel down on the octave drop into chest voice. The chest voice will usually require a change to a schwa vowel at the lowest note. The goal is to release the chest voice and remove all the various methods singers use to make chest voice \u0026lsquo;pretty\u0026rsquo;. This is all done at a normal mf dynamic level.\nUsing that chest tone with no changes or adjustments in the vocal tract, sing a double octave arpeggio up and back rather rapidly, as fast as is comfortable. Inform the student that she will be experiencing changes into other registers and to let that happen and that the register change points will become very obvious and sound clumsy and not to worry about it at this time.\nThis is the best exercise I have found to help a singer discover her high voice. The second passaggio is often very awkward but the high voice that appears is usually very fine and is sung with ease. It is not uncommon for a student to discover a whole octave of high voice through this exercise.\nThe resonance space discovered by the singer when the chest voice appears is the resonance space that can tune to all of the notes in the two octave arpeggio with only a gradual opening of the mouth when the voice sings above the treble staff. This exercise is a good example of tuning the vocal tract to one of its largest spaces to properly resonate the chest voice and simply allowing that same space to also tune harmonics of the fundamental or the fundamental itself, as the double arpeggio is negotiated. The point at which this vocal tract space leaves the tuning of one overtone and switches to another creates the awkward register change points. Once the student can perform this exercise accurately and easily it is then time to suggest some closing of the /a/ vowel to /awe/ or a smiled /o/ or even schwa at the register change points. Doing so re-tunes the vocal tract to vowels whose second formant occurs near one of the harmonics of the sung pitch. When the altered vowel is changed back to the /a/ vowel the passaggio has been transversed with little difficulty and the benefits of the new high voice /a/ tuning will re-appear. The surprise of this vowel alteration is that it is seldom noticed by the listener; sometimes not even by the teacher. All that is observed is that the passaggio is no longer apparent\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/formants-made-easy/soprano/extending-the-range-of-the-female-voice/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eExtending the Range of the Female Voice\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI suggest work on balanced onsets until the student can do them easily and consistently . The onset exercises in Miller\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;The Structure of Singing\u0026rdquo; works for me but I more often now make up my own as seems to be needed by the student. Keep in mind that a balanced onset is neither a breathy onset nor a harsh attack onset; it is a an onset that is neither breathy nor preceeded by a glottal stroke but somewhere in between these extremes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Extending the Range of the Female Voice"},{"content":"Females Voice Reduced Vowel Usage Above Treble Staff.\nAbout soprano high Cs. This would be designated as a C6 if middle C is designated as a C4. No voice can sing the vowel in \u0026ldquo;Tod\u0026rdquo; on a pitch that high. The only vowel available to any voice on that pitch is the vowel \u0026ldquo;ah\u0026rdquo; (In IPA /a/).\nThe reason? All vowels are recognized by the listener hearing two emphasized harmonics particular to each vowel or vowel modification. These harmonics are emphasized by the vocal tract resonances called formants. From A5 and higher the singer finds that all formants which are needed to identify vowels are lower than the pitch they are singing. Therefore the singer must emphasize the fundamental by using the vowel with the highest first formant and that vowel is /a/. The singer is able, within some restrictions, to raise the resonance pitch of the first formant to match the high fundamental. She does this by opening the mouth and jaw and in some cases spreading the lips in a kind of opened mouth smile. This is the reason that all female voices assume some form of open mouth posture when singing these high notes.\nBecause male voices sing an octave lower it is less necessary for them to have such extreme open mouth positions for their highest notes though some may choose to do so.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/formants-made-easy/soprano/lloyd/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFemales Voice Reduced Vowel Usage Above Treble Staff.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout soprano high Cs. This would be designated as a C6 if middle C is designated as a C4. No voice can sing the vowel in \u0026ldquo;Tod\u0026rdquo; on a pitch that high. The only vowel available to any voice on that pitch is the vowel \u0026ldquo;ah\u0026rdquo; (In IPA /a/).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reason? All vowels are recognized by the listener hearing two emphasized harmonics particular to each vowel or vowel modification. These harmonics are emphasized by the vocal tract resonances called formants. From A5 and higher the singer finds that all formants which are needed to identify vowels are lower than the pitch they are singing. Therefore the singer must emphasize the fundamental by using the vowel with the highest first formant and that vowel is /a/. The singer is able, within some restrictions, to raise the resonance pitch of the first formant to match the high fundamental. She does this by opening the mouth and jaw and in some cases spreading the lips in a kind of opened mouth smile. This is the reason that all female voices assume some form of open mouth posture when singing these high notes.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Female Vowels Above the Treble Staff"},{"content":"Most voice teachers will spend some time correcting or improving a students posture, not only for the positive effect good posture has on the appearance of the student when singing in public but, more importantly, to encourage the student to establish a skeletal frame alignment that best provides for efficient breath management.\nI found that most students have inactive or poorly developed muscle systems in the core of the body between the shoulders and the pelvis. Inactivity of these muscles leads rather quickly to poor muscle tone and a general sense of dynamic \u0026ldquo;dullness\u0026rdquo; within the body core.\nDr. Barbara Doscher used a kinetic balance board on which the singer stood that corrected this problem. It was a 16 inch square cut from 3/4 inch plywood with the corners rounded to prevent hitting the ankles on the sharp edges or corners. The board was supported by two 4 X 4 X 2 inch blocks attached to the underside of the board along a center line perpendicular to two parallel sides of the board. The singer stood on the board and balanced so the edges of the 16 inch square board did not touch the floor. To achieve this required a very active body core and a strong sense of balance. The axis of the board could be side to side or front to back depending on the needs of the singer.\nThe act of balancing activated the body core muscles and improved posture. It was difficult to balance on the board if the singer slouched or hunched over. Only an erect posture made possible the act of balancing with the minimum of effort. That posture also required that the pelvis be positioned more forward than most students were used to; the pubic bone was more centered over the feet.\nIt was also possible to remove one of the 4 X 4 X 2 inch blocks and place the other block at the center of the bottom of the board so the singer could experience a balancing of not only side to side or front to back but balancing a whole 360 degrees.\nThe blocks were fastened to the board with 1/4 inch dowels which made removing the blocks and repositioning them quite simple.\nAnother configuration ofor building the board would look like this:\nBottom\nTop\nTop with Block\nBoard 16\u0026quot; x 16\u0026quot; x 3/4\u0026quot;; Rib 2 1/4\u0026quot; x 1 3/4\u0026quot; x 16\u0026quot;; Block 2 1/2\u0026quot; x 2 1/2\u0026quot; x 1 3/4\u0026quot;\nThe block is drilled to fasten to the dowel glued to the top of the board The board is then turned over when a single pivot point is desired. The Rib which is now the on top of the turned over board acts as a guide for balancing the single pivot configuration.\nBelow are three views of the commercially produced Balance Board. However, these boards can be easily made by following the descriptions given above and the home built models work very well. Once the singer is able to balance, only then is he or she encouraged to sing. Quite often the act of singing brings the singer out of balance, indicating that the singing posture was different from a well balanced more correct posture for good breath control.\nClick on any of the photos for an enlarged version.\nDimensions below: Board 16\u0026quot; x 18\u0026quot; x 3/4\u0026quot;; Underside Rib 1 3/4\u0026quot; x 1 3/4\u0026quot; x 16\u0026quot;;\n2 Blocks 1 3/4\u0026quot; x 1 5/8\u0026quot; x 1\u0026quot; (height).\nThese blocks together with the Rib raises the board 2 1/2 \u0026quot; above the floor. The blocks can be removed to use just the Rib, which raises the board 1 1/2\u0026quot; above the floor. Or a single block can be fastened to the center of the rib raising the board the 2 1/2\u0026quot; above the floor but balancing the board on a single center point.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/breath-management/breath-management-and-posture/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMost voice teachers will spend some time correcting or improving a students posture, not only for the positive effect good posture has on the appearance of the student when singing in public but, more importantly, to encourage the student to establish a skeletal frame alignment that best provides for efficient breath management.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI found that most students have inactive or poorly developed muscle systems in the core of the body between the shoulders and the pelvis.  Inactivity of these muscles leads rather quickly to poor muscle tone and a general sense of dynamic \u0026ldquo;dullness\u0026rdquo; within the body core.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Breath Management and Posture"},{"content":"Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings Benjamin Britten\nLloyd W. Hanson, tenor; Ron Lemon, horn; Mona Bledsoe, piano\nEight movements with texts from various British poets:\n1. Prologue 2. Pastoral 3. Nocturne 4. Elegy 5. Dirge 6. Hymn 7. Sonnet 8. Epilogue Applause Benedictus from Mass in B Minor J.S. Bach\nRecorded May 1972 with St. Olaf Choir and Orchestra, Kenneth Jennings, conductor.\nA Hymn of Nativity Featuring Suzan Hanson, Soloist\nHymns O Day Full Of Grace O Savior Throw The Heaven\u0026rsquo;s Wide ","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/soundfiles/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"serenade-for-tenor-horn-and-strings\"\u003eSerenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBenjamin Britten\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLloyd W. Hanson, tenor; Ron Lemon, horn; Mona Bledsoe, piano\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEight movements with texts from various British poets:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1. Prologue\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003caudio controls style=\"width:100%\"\u003e\n\u003csource src=\"/audio/STHS 1. Prologue.mp3\" type=\"audio/mpeg\"\u003e\n\u003c/audio\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2. Pastoral\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003caudio controls style=\"width:100%\"\u003e\n\u003csource src=\"/audio/STHS 2. Pastoral.mp3\" type=\"audio/mpeg\"\u003e\n\u003c/audio\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3. Nocturne\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003caudio controls style=\"width:100%\"\u003e\n\u003csource src=\"/audio/STHS 3. Nocturne.mp3\" type=\"audio/mpeg\"\u003e\n\u003c/audio\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4. Elegy\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003caudio controls style=\"width:100%\"\u003e\n\u003csource src=\"/audio/STHS 4. Elegy.mp3\" type=\"audio/mpeg\"\u003e\n\u003c/audio\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e5. Dirge\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003caudio controls style=\"width:100%\"\u003e\n\u003csource src=\"/audio/STHS 5. Dirge.mp3\" type=\"audio/mpeg\"\u003e\n\u003c/audio\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e6. Hymn\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003caudio controls style=\"width:100%\"\u003e\n\u003csource src=\"/audio/STHS 6. Hymn.mp3\" type=\"audio/mpeg\"\u003e\n\u003c/audio\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e7. Sonnet\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003caudio controls style=\"width:100%\"\u003e\n\u003csource src=\"/audio/STHS 7. Sonnet.mp3\" type=\"audio/mpeg\"\u003e\n\u003c/audio\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e8. Epilogue\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003caudio controls style=\"width:100%\"\u003e\n\u003csource src=\"/audio/STHS 8. Epilogue.mp3\" type=\"audio/mpeg\"\u003e\n\u003c/audio\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eApplause\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003caudio controls style=\"width:100%\"\u003e\n\u003csource src=\"/audio/STHS 9. Applause.mp3\" type=\"audio/mpeg\"\u003e\n\u003c/audio\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sound Files"},{"content":"Voice Placement Sensations\nIn a recent exchange on Opera-L the following was written. It represents a commonly held understanding of vocal placement and prompted the following reply from me. Here is the quote from Opera-L.\n“Are you suggesting that Corelli sang from his nose? Have you heard of placing the voice in the mask As much as I like Del Monaco his chest placement restricted his range to a comfortable B (B-Flat later on).”\nI understand what both of you mean when you say Del Monaco had chest placement and Corelli had mask placement.\nBut, the facts are that it is not possible to place the voice in any part of the body. The voice has vocal folds to produce the sound and the equivalence of a horn, that is the vocal tract, to modify the sound and make it louder. The sound the vocal folds make is very similar to the sound the trumpet player makes when he buzzes his lips into his mouthpiece. Not pretty, just buzzy. Ah, but when he attaches his buzzing mouthpiece to his horn the sound is modified and amplified and becomes beautiful.\nThe vocal tract does that for the voice. The vocal tract is all of the space in the throat and mouth above the vocal folds. This includes the aryepiglottic space, the pharynx and the mouth itself. Taken all together it becomes a tube from vocal folds to the lips and teeth. However, it is a tube that can be adjusted; the pharynx can be widened, the mouth/jaw can be opened, the epiglottis can be adjusted and most importantly, the tongue can divide the space into two regions of different sizes or areas. Each area will emphasize a different harmonic of the harmonic rich tone produced by the vocal folds (remember the buzzing mouthpiece? That means a harmonic rich tone). Each of the two areas produce highly emphasized harmonics and these two harmonics produce the vowel. These emphasized harmonics are called formants because they form the vowel.\nFor example, to say or sing the vowel \u0026ldquo;ee\u0026rdquo; as in \u0026ldquo;feel\u0026rdquo; the edges of the middle portion of the tongue touches the upper back molars. This divides the vocal tract into a large space behind the tongue and a very small space in front of the tongue. The large space resonates a low harmonic and the small space resonates a high harmonic. Thus the vowel \u0026ldquo;ee\u0026rdquo; has a low first formant and a high second formant. That is the only vowel with this distance between the first formant and the second formant. All other vowels have their own unique distances between their first formant and their second formant and their formant distance spacing is the result of the position of the tongue.\nDel Monaco sang with a greatly lowered larynx. This made his vocal tract longer and a longer vocal tract will resonate a lower harmonic. Low harmonic emphasis will give the voice a darker quality. Corelli, though at one time he attempted to use the low larynx taught by Del Monaco\u0026rsquo;s teacher, kept the larynx in a normal position and chose vowel adjustments that emphasized higher harmonics.\nChest placement and mask placement are only sensations that some singers feel. They represent induced resonances but these resonances are infinitely small and only sensed by the singer. They are not heard by anyone else, even those standing near the singer. They are of great value to the singer because they indicate to him that he is producing the desired tone. But it is an error to say they are singing in the chest or mask or anywhere else. It is a singer’s dear desire to sing with no sensation of throat in the singing and the lack of throat sensation can only occur when the singer is actually singing through the vocal tract and the vocal tract is feeling perfectly free and adjustable.\nIn short, a singer\u0026rsquo;s sensations, while most useful to him, is not where the voice is emanating. It is emanating from the vocal tract at the mouth.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/formants-made-easy/voice-placement-sensations/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eVoice Placement Sensations\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn a recent exchange on Opera-L the following was written.  It represents a commonly held understanding of vocal placement and prompted the following reply from me. Here is the quote from Opera-L.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Are you suggesting that Corelli sang from his nose? Have you heard of placing the voice in the mask As much as I like Del Monaco his chest placement restricted his range to a comfortable B (B-Flat later on).”\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Voice Placement Sensations"},{"content":"A lot of pop singing displays poor enunciation, that is, the words are not clearly articulated and the poem or text is lost, It often takes many hearings to determine the words being sung. Obviously this is being done as a stylistic choice in many cases; in others it is simply inadequate technique and the desire to sing overcomes the need to communicate a textual message.\nBut in any kind of singing, whether it emphasize text or not, the greatest enunciation difficulties center around the articulation of consonants. Most well articulated consonants divide the sung vocal line into segments. The sung vocal line is created by connecting vowels together in as continuous a pattern as possible.\nThe secret of keeping a legato or continuous vocal line is to articulate the consonants carefully but not give them sufficient length such that they segment the vowel line into individual, separate tones. Obviously voiced consonants produce less separating of the vowel line than do unvoiced consonants because the vocal tone can continue through the articulation of voiced consonants such as /m/, / n/, /ng/, and even /d/, sometimes /b/ etc. etc.\nUnvoiced consonants are a more difficult matter because their very nature is to stop the continuous vowel tone and this causes the sung line to lose some of its legato quality. The general rule for articulation of unvoiced consonants is clarity, but with short duration. The loudness of unvoiced consonants should not greatly exceed the loudness of the sung vowel before and after the consonant and the amount of time the unvoiced consonant occupies should be short enough so the vowel line sounds as continuous as possible.\nTo put it another way, if the sung vowel line is sufficiently segmented the listener’s mind must make the desired connections of these segments in order to hear what is the obvious legato intent of the song. This is more subconscious mind work than most listeners want and the negative effect is that the listener becomes distracted or bored and the effect of the song is lost.\nAs a voice teacher and opera director there have been many occasions when I have suggested that a singer be less concerned with the consonants and emphasize the vowel line. It always surprises the singer when fellow singers say they can now understand the words even though the singer feels he/she is emphasizing the words less.\nIt is all a matter of a well defined technique of articulation that recognizes the causes and effects of singing enunciation.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/consonants/376/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA lot of pop singing displays poor enunciation, that is, the words are\nnot clearly articulated and the poem or text is lost, It often takes\nmany hearings to determine the words being sung. Obviously this is\nbeing done as a stylistic choice in many cases; in others it is simply\ninadequate technique and the desire to sing overcomes the need to\ncommunicate a textual message.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut in any kind of singing, whether it emphasize text or not, the\ngreatest enunciation difficulties center around the articulation of\nconsonants. Most well articulated consonants divide the sung vocal\nline into segments. The sung vocal line is created by connecting\nvowels together in as continuous a pattern as possible.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Enunciation and Consonants"},{"content":"I can think of three slightly different \u0026ldquo;wobbles\u0026rsquo; that occur in older voices. Two of them are problems with vibrato. The vibrato either become too slow or it becomes two wide. Slow in the sense of fewer variations in pitch in a given time. Wide in the sense of too much up and down pitch variation. And it is possible that vibrato might have both problems simultaneously, that is, too slow and too wide.\nSince vibrato is basically created by the difference in the signals sent by the two major nerves that empower the vocal folds, vibrato problems can occur when age makes the passage of these nerve impulses erratic or slow. This is basically neurological/nerve problem and I know of no one who has explained why it happens to some singers and not others.\nA wobble, or what I call a wobble, is usually the result of breathing problems. With age many become more sedentary and this weakens the body core that is the home of the breath muscles, diaphragm for inhale and abdominal muscles for exhale. Since breath management for singing is controlled by the antagonistic action of the diaphragm against the abdominal muscles both of these muscled groups must be kept in good shape. If you exhale a soft, warm, moist breath on your fingertips placed close to your lips, similar to the breath you would use when misting your glasses for cleaning, you will be using your diaphragm to resist the action of abdominal exhaling muscles. It is such a natural action that everyone can do it and we are not aware of how we are doing it.\nYet that warm, moist breath is the perfect breath for singing. Try it. Do the warm moist breath on your finger tips without tone and then add the voice to the warm breathe and you will be surprised how easy it is to produce a lovely tone. And you are doing it by having the diaphragm resist the exhaling action of the abdominal muscles but that is natural\nIt is very common for singers to be taught some special \u0026ldquo;support mechanism\u0026rdquo; to \u0026ldquo;strengthen\u0026rdquo; the voice. This usually causes hyper activity of the breathing mechanism; too much resistance of one set of muscles against another set of muscles. The warm, moist breath approach corrects that mistake.\nSingers who use any form of hyper activity of the breathing mechanism will likely develop wobble problems, as they get older.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/breath-management/vocal-vibrato-problems-and-wobble/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI can think of three slightly different \u0026ldquo;wobbles\u0026rsquo; that occur in older voices.  Two of them are problems with vibrato.  The vibrato either become too slow or it becomes two wide.  Slow in the sense of fewer variations in pitch in a given time.  Wide in the sense of too much up and down pitch variation.  And it is possible that vibrato might have both problems simultaneously, that is, too slow and too wide.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Vocal Vibrato Problems and Wobble"},{"content":"Sound is transmitted as a wave through a medium such as air. The \u0026ldquo;cubic volume\u0026rdquo; of the air is not a critical matter. The distance from the stage to the back of the house is more critical because sound dissipates at an inverse ratio to distance from the source. But it is this characteristic of sound that can be reinforced by careful and cleaver acoustic design. A double parabolic reflector shaped building, such as in the Mormon Tabernacle will pass a mere whisper from one end of the building to the other if one stands in the correct location. A properly designed opera house will sustain sound energy through reflection and focus to make most of the seats in the opera house acceptable for acoustic singing.\nHigh frequencies in the singing voice are of little value if they exist within the strongest frequency spectrum of the Orchestra because the orchestra has far greater amplitude (loudness) in that range, about 500 to 750 Hz. Properly trained acoustic singers, both male and female, produce a strong boost in amplitude in frequencies of about 2600 to 3200 Hz, well above the major power of the orchestra. This boost is now known as the Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant. It was slowly discovered and gradually developed throughout the history of Opera and it grew in finesse of achievement as the Opera orchestra grew in size and power.\nSinger’s Formant has little to do with \u0026ldquo;squillo\u0026rdquo; which is more a description of tonal quality than of vocal carrying ability. The human ear is very sensitive to the frequencies of the Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant (2600-3200 Hz) so it hears it very well but it does not hear as a particular frequency but more as an intensity of tone.\nSize of voice or richness of voice is less important in the ability of the voice to be heard. That is dependent on the presence of the Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant. However, both of these qualities, size and richness of voice, are of primary importance in the appropriateness of a particular voice for a particular role. Most discussions about what roles a particular performer should sing are really discussions about size of voice and tonal qualities. It should be understood that all voices will carry if the singer produces the Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant. Yet all voices, even if easily heard, must be placed in roles that best match their tonal characteristics and temperament.\nIn short, tonal characteristic, or Timbre of a voice is a different matter than the ability of the voice to be heard. Inversely, the ability of the voice to be heard is not a valid description of the Timbre of the voice. These two characteristics are created by increased amplitude of frequencies that occur at different frequency locations in the vocal spectrum of sound\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/singers-formant/vocal-timbre-and-vocal-projection/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSound is transmitted as a wave through a medium such as air.  The \u0026ldquo;cubic volume\u0026rdquo; of the air is not a critical matter.  The distance from the stage to the back of the house is more critical because sound dissipates at an inverse ratio to distance from the source. But it is this characteristic of sound that can be reinforced by careful and cleaver acoustic design.  A double parabolic reflector shaped building, such as in the Mormon Tabernacle will pass a mere whisper from one end of the building to the other if one stands in the correct location.  A properly designed opera house will sustain sound energy through reflection and focus to make most of the seats in the opera house acceptable for acoustic singing.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Vocal Timbre and Vocal Projection"},{"content":"Vocal fold function is the source of the voice sound. It can occur only if the vocal folds are brought together so they may act as a kind of valve that resists the air pressure brought to them by the singer until that air pressure and the vocal fold closure tension meets a balance at which time the vocal fold opens, allowing air to pass and immediately closes again only to have the same process continue at a rate the is represented by the pitch being sung. When singing the A4 immediately above middle C the vocal folds open and close 440 times a second. The A an octave higher will require the folds to open and close 880 times a second.\nIf the male vocal folds are shortened or elongated to a medium length, they are rather thick and they open first at the bottom of the vocal fold and that opening moves quickly upward until they open at the top of the vocal fold just before the bottom of the vocal fold closes again followed by the continued closing of the fold until the top of the fold is finally closed. This creates a wave action of opening and closing from the bottom of the vocal fold to the top of the fold.\nAnd this action produces a tone that is rich in overtones and this voice quality is usually called chest voice. It is the sound of a bass or baritone or tenor when singing in the lower two thirds of their respective vocal range.\nIf the male vocal folds are elongated beyond their medium length until they finally reach their lengthened limit, the vocal folds gradually become more and more thin. Thin vocal folds will still display some degree of wave function as they open at the bottom and the opening action continues upward to the top of the fold but because the vocal fold is thinner such wave action is greatly reduced.\nThis minimized wave action produces a tone that, though less rich in number of harmonics, emphasizes those harmonics that are in a frequency range most sensitive, and thus more emotionally evocative to the ear. This voice quality is usually called head voice. It is the sound of a bass or a baritone or tenor when singing in the upper third or fourth of his respective ranges\nThere is another vocal fold configuration possible. The vocal folds can be kept slightly apart, that is, not completely closed. In this configuration the folds act as a very poor air valve. Air brought to the vocal folds by the singer is never completely restricted from passage but only slightly restricted and that restriction increases the speed of the air as it passes over the slightly closed vocal folds (Bernoulli Principle). The air makes the very edges of the vocal folds oscillate producing a tone but with no vocal fold wave action from bottom to top of the fold.\nThis configuration produces a tone that has very few overtones and this voice quality is usually called falsetto. A typical example of male falsetto is a baritone imitating a high woman\u0026rsquo;s voice. It does not sound like a woman\u0026rsquo;s voice but is only a caricature of the woman\u0026rsquo;s voice.\nAn addendum. Since the quality of falsetto is dependent on the vocal folds not being completely closed, obviously the quality of the falsetto voice will change as the vocal folds are brought closer together. This is sometimes called \u0026ldquo;supported\u0026rdquo; falsetto because the more closed configuration does make the vocal fold valve a bit more efficient and the singer senses a bit more resistance to the passage of his breath. This configuration also gives the falsetto tone a few more overtones.\nIf the folds are eventually closed completely then the falsetto voice has morphed into the head voice and no longer has a falsetto quality because of the presence of many more overtones.\nThis covers the action of the vocal folds and such action is called phonation. By the way, the sound produced by the vocal folds (phonation) very closely resembles the sound produced by the trumpet player when he \u0026ldquo;buzzes\u0026rdquo; his mouthpiece.\nThe other equally important part of the production of the singing voice is what happens to the \u0026ldquo;phonated\u0026rdquo; sound once it enters the vocal tract. This is called resonance and that will be discussed in other “Thoughts” on this site.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/vocal-fold-function/male-vocal-fold-function-low-to-high/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eVocal fold function is the source of the voice sound.  It can occur only if the vocal folds are brought together so they may act as a kind of valve that resists the air pressure brought to them by the singer until that air pressure and the vocal fold closure tension meets a balance at which time the vocal fold opens, allowing air to pass and immediately closes again only to have the same process continue at a rate the is represented by the pitch being sung.  When singing the A4 immediately above middle C the vocal folds open and close 440 times a second.  The A an octave higher will require the folds to open and close 880 times a second.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Male Vocal Fold Function, low to high"},{"content":"This discussion has listed the use of belts or links of chain around parts of the rib cage to insure an expansion of the small ribs at the bottom of the chest. This use assumes that if the lower ribs are expanded throughout the exhale during singing, the diaphragm will not ascend early in the exhale and, in so doing, removing the primary control the singer over his breath management.\nAnother way of creating this kind of activity is the use of an expandable bandage, similar to the ones prescribed for patients with cracked ribs. The bandage is wrapped firmly around the lower part of the chest and the singer attempts to maintain a sense of outward pressure against the elastic bandage, thus keeping the lower ribs in a more or less expanded position. This is much better arrangement than the belts or chains because it is elastic and therefore more in keeping with the elastic functions of the body.\nBurton Coffin used this elastic bandage with students who had difficulties sensing or controlling their breath or, worse yet, had been taught to pull in the abdomen when singing and then releasing the abdomen down and outward when inhaling. However, Coffin warned against using this device for extended periods of time because it taught the singer to constantly push outward during singing and this is counterproductive.\nIn fact, fat singers tend to develop the outward push while singing; they are pushing against a different kind of \u0026ldquo;elastic bandage\u0026rdquo;. They are pushing outward against their large layer of fat. When and if they loose a lot of weight they no longer have that \u0026ldquo;fat bandage\u0026rdquo; and must relearn how to manage breath, this time the correct way.\nWhat is the correct way? It is surprisingly simple. Take a deep breath without raising the sternum but with a good sense of balanced posture. Now notice that the lower ribs are expanded and that the epigastric area has a sense of fullness and might actually stick out in front a bit. This epigastric bulge is the result of the diaphragm tensing and pulling itself flat much like a drum head. This action pushes the stomach and other organs downward and outward into the epigastric area. If the singer has a long waist (check the distance between the bottom of the lowest rib and the top of the pelvis - more that one and a half inches indicates a long waist) there is more downward space available for displaced stomach and organs and there will be much less outward bulge in the epigastric area.\nNow maintain that sense of fullness in the epigastric area as you sing. To do this you will also sense that you must maintain some of the expansion of the lower ribs that occurred during the inhale. Do not exhale the air quickly; you do not use much air to maintain a sustained clear vocal tone. You will only use as much as you would to gently steam your eyeglasses for cleaning. In fact, that warm, moist breath for steaming glasses is exactly the amount and quality of breath you want to use for singing. And notice that when using this warm, moist breath your epigastric area retains its full feeling and your lower ribs remain in an outward position.\nSo, you have an example of a proper singing breath with the warm, moist breath. And you can check for this breath by placing your finger tips right at the lips while singing. If you feel a lot of air passing your lips you are using too much breath. You should only feel a warm, moist gentle breath. And as you begin to sing louder, that breath flow will increase slightly but not to the degree that you would think necessary. Loud singing requires a firmer closure of the vocal folds which, in turn, produces a longer closure of the vocal folds during each cycle and that induces a greater breath pressure but very little increase in breath flow.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/breath-management/maintaining-epigastric-position-while-singing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis discussion has listed the use of belts or links of chain around parts of the rib cage to insure an expansion of the small ribs at the bottom of the chest.  This use assumes that if the lower ribs are expanded throughout the exhale during singing, the diaphragm will not ascend early in the exhale and, in so doing, removing the primary control the singer over his breath management.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Maintaining Epigastric Position While Singing"},{"content":"Placement is often taught as a general idea such as put the voice backward or forward. It is also common to name a place such as put the voice into the nose, just behind the forehead, through the tope of the head, on the roof of the mouth etc, etc.\nWhile I was studying with Burton Coffin at the University of Colorado, Boulder, I constructed a vowel mirror similar to the one he used in his studio. His tone came from a small 4 octave electric organ usually using a flute stop. My tone came from an early Korg tuner that produced a square wave. That limited me to just the odd integer harmonics but it still worked adequately. It would have been better if it produced a saw-tooth wave that would contain all harmonics.\nI would tune my vocal tract by aiming the small two or three inch speaker into my mouth at a distance of about 2 inches from my lips. I would then take a short breath and close my vocal folds and then, without singing at all I would play the tuner produced pitch into my vocal tract and I would do the gamut of open to closed vowels, /a/ to /i/, gliding smoothly through all the vowels in between. Invariably, the tone being introduced into my mouth would get louder on one or two vowels. I would select one of these louder vowels and see if I could tune more exactly to its center by making adjustments in my vocal tract such as tongue position, lip position, widening the pharynx etc. When the tone became more secure or even louder, I would then stop the tuner sound and sing using the same configuration of the vocal tract that I had just used to \u0026lsquo;find the center\u0026rsquo; of the tuner sound.\nIt took some time to be successful, even with finding a tuner tone-vowel match that worked, as well as being consistent in replicating that vocal tract adjustment when I sang the tone. What really surprised me was how little I was willing to move around parts of the vocal tract. It was as if the tongue, for example, was fixed in its movements and unwilling to do my bidding to move freely. I studied tongue placement from X-ray photos of vowels and later from MRI photos. The early X-ray photos were later proven to often be incorrect (taken from spoken vowels and not from sung vowels) but they still helped me be more flexible in my tongue movements\nLater I would do the same exercises going from /a/ to /u/.\nSome startling discoveries.\nI had to assume an inside smile position of the roof of the mouth. The kind of surprising action one experiences in the mouth when first hearing a juicy bit of gossip or discovering something suddenly pleasant etc. The soft palate raises, the corner of the lips lift slightly but there is little sign of an outward smile, the jaw is open but relaxed Only with this position could I consistently get resonances that were clearly defined.\nThere was a sense that the tuner sound was bouncing off the back of the roof of the mouth. A definite sense of more pharyngeal space was evident. This was even present on more closed vowels.\nIn short, the vowel mirror not only made me more aware of what adjustments I could do but it actually, slowly changed the whole sensation I felt during singing.\nWhen I rehearsed a song or aria I would later use the vowel mirror only for troublesome notes. These were usually pitches in my passaggio with vowels that seemed to throttle the voice or require greater breath pressure to produce. I would adjust the vowel mirror tuner to that pitch and try to resonate the tuner sound on that pitch into my vocal tract while silently pronouncing the requested vowel. Almost every time I could get no response. So I would alter the vowel somewhat or try a neighboring vowel until I got a resonance response. I would then use that vowel in the word, even if it was wrong and almost every time I could easily sing that replaced vowel within the phrase. It was \u0026ldquo;in tune\u0026rdquo; with that pitch. Then later I would try the required vowel and it was better, not as good in resonance, but better.\nI sometimes would record myself doing this vowel replacement exercise. I discovered when I listened to the recording that when I went back to the required vowel I was singing it slightly differently. My pronunciation of it had been influenced by the good feeling I had experienced with the more resonant vowel. I had modified the vowel slightly but I never had any listener tell me such modifications were noticeable.\nConsequently, I have little use for the concept of placing the tone. I would rather teach singers how to manipulate their speaking vowel habits into singing vowel habits and how to be more conscious of those slight vowel adjustments that make a difficult note much easier\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/formants-made-easy/placement-versus-formant-tuning-using-vowel-mirror/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePlacement is often taught as a general idea such as put the voice backward or forward.  It is also common to name a place such as put the voice into the nose, just behind the forehead, through the tope of the head, on the roof of the mouth etc, etc.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile I was studying with Burton Coffin at the University of Colorado, Boulder, I constructed a vowel mirror similar to the one he used in his studio. His tone came from a small 4 octave electric organ usually using a flute stop.  My tone came from an early Korg tuner that produced a square wave.  That limited me to just the odd integer harmonics but it still worked adequately.  It would have been better if it produced a saw-tooth wave that would contain all harmonics.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Placement versus Formant Tuning Using the Vowel-Mirror"},{"content":"\u0026ldquo;Onset\u0026rdquo; is another word for attack. It is used by voice scientists because it has less violent meanings than does the word, attack.\nA glottal onset occurs when one can hear and feel the initial closing of the vocal folds after their initial opening/closing, as found in the disapproving expression in English, \u0026ldquo;uh, uh\u0026rdquo;.\nA breathy onset occurs when the passage of breath is heard over the partially open vocal folds prior to the initial opening/closing of the folds.\nThese are the two extremes of vocal onset. Each can be taken to greater extremes. The glottal attack can be so tense and loud that it is almost painful both for the listener’s ears and the singers throat. The breathy onset can be maintained to the exclusion of a phonated tone.\nThe balanced onset is in the very mid-point between these extremes. It is neither glottal nor breathy in sound or feel. It represents a near perfect coordination of the flow of breath with the beginning of vocal fold oscillation. This can only be accomplished if the control of breath flow is coordinated with the precise closing of the vocal folds such that the initial pressure sustained by the vocal folds is exactly that of the degree of breath flow. A perfect match occurs between breath flow and initial pressure required by the vocal fold closure, which is referred to as the \u0026ldquo;threshold pressure\u0026rdquo; of the vocal folds.\nThe idea is a bit daunting and researchers have spent no little amount of time trying to determine exactly how such a beginning of tone can occur. In fact, at one time a well respected voice scientist (Husson) proposed an unusual hypothesis known as the neurochronaxic theory that postulated the vocal folds are set into oscillation by neural impulses and thus are not dependent on air flow at all!\nFor singers there is no need to be so archly concerned. The simultaneous beginning of breath and tone is their goal if they are to obtain the most efficient and healthy oscillation of the vocal folds for singing.\nSingers who habitually use the glottal onset will usually produced a phonation that is representative of the extreme medial pressure necessary for the glottal onset, a tone that is usually referred to as a \u0026ldquo;pressed\u0026rdquo; tone.\nSingers who habitually use the breathy onset will usually produce a phonation that is representative of the lack of sufficient medial pressure and continue to produce a breathy tone. An interesting corollary occurs when the breathy onset singer attempts to reduce the breathiness in their resultant tone; they usually will crossover to a pressed phonation.\nHowever, the balanced onset will produce a tone that is a good balance between breath flow and oscillation. This is a tone that is free from excessive interference oscillations in the motions of the vocal folds. It is, for most singers, a learned response because it requires awareness of coordination moments but it quickly becomes habitual. Because it is more a coordination exercise than a strength exercise it does not require great energy to develop or maintain.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/breath-management/balanced-onsets/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Onset\u0026rdquo; is another word for attack.  It is used by voice scientists because it has less violent meanings than does the word, attack.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA glottal onset occurs when one can hear and feel the initial closing of the vocal folds after their initial opening/closing, as found in the disapproving expression in English, \u0026ldquo;uh, uh\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA breathy onset occurs when the passage of breath is heard over the partially open vocal folds prior to the initial opening/closing of the folds.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Balanced Onsets"},{"content":"Being heard up close or far away.\nIf the vocal tract is adjusted to emphasize the harmonic that best projects the voice, the voice is heard well in the hall but might be less well heard up close, especially from the side of the performer. Singers often refer to this as singing \u0026ldquo;over\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;above\u0026rdquo; the orchestra or as \u0026ldquo;floating the tone\u0026rdquo; out into the hall. A tone, \u0026ldquo;floated\u0026rdquo; this way can have great intensity or simply be easily heard or even be a mezzo forte, depending on the demands of the music and orchestra as well as the dramatic intent of that part of the opera.\nBut it is also possible for the singer to adjust the vocal tract to a harmonic that sounds loudest in close proximity but does not carry well into the hall. If the singer is aware of not being well heard, it is typical for him/her to try to increase the intensity of the sound by excessively increasing the breath pressure. Over time this will do serious damage to the voice. A greater success at being heard in the hall is achieved if the vocal tract is adjusted to a different harmonic that projects the tone better\nOf course, the ideal is to produce a tone that is heard well in the hall as well as on stage and this can be done with proper adjustments of the vocal tract. But if one must choose between the two, being heard in the hall has to be the major consideration.\nKeep in mind that in many musical tones the fundamental pitch of the tone is not as loud as one or more of the harmonics above the fundamental. The ear hears the louder harmonics best and the brain deduces the weaker fundamental of those harmonics as the understood pitch of the tone.\nThe range of fundamental pitches of the voice lie well within the loudest range of sounds of the orchestra, somewhere within 300 to 1000 HZ. Consequently few vocal fundamentals are ever intense enough to be heard over the orchestra. It is the greater intensity of harmonics above the fundamental that are best heard by the listeners and their ears and brains translate these harmonics as belonging to the fundamental pitch of the tone.\nOver the 350 years in the development of opera, singers learned techniques that allowed them to emphasize harmonics that could be heard over the orchestra and they continued that learning as the opera orchestra grew in size.\nIt is also true that when a voice is amplified the technique of tuning the vocal tract to the harmonic that will be most easily heard in the hall is no longer necessary and, in fact, such tuning will often overwhelm the microphone and the resultant microphone signal will be distorted. For this reason, singers often sing differently when recording in a studio than when singing in a live performance.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/formants-made-easy/being-heard-up-close-or-far-away/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBeing heard up close or far away.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf the vocal tract is adjusted to emphasize the harmonic that best projects the voice, the voice is heard well in the hall but might be less well heard up close, especially from the side of the performer.  Singers often refer to this as singing \u0026ldquo;over\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;above\u0026rdquo; the orchestra or as \u0026ldquo;floating the tone\u0026rdquo; out into the hall.  A tone, \u0026ldquo;floated\u0026rdquo; this way can have great intensity or simply be easily heard or even be a mezzo forte, depending on the demands of the music and orchestra as well as the dramatic intent of that part of the opera.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Being Heard Up Close or Far Away"},{"content":"It is my understanding that when the voice cracks the vibration of the vocal folds have become asymmetrical. That is, the left and right vocal folds are not opening and closing at the same time. One of the folds will move to close before the other one is ready to do so. This action implies that something of sufficient force has disturbed them from their natural tendency for equal perturbation. That force is initiated by the sudden removal of a standing wave in the vocal tract that is providing a stable oscillating environment through the effect of \u0026ldquo;inertance\u0026rdquo; (See Ingo Titae).\nThe singer causes this by not correctly adjusting the resonance of the vocal tract to maintain the existence of a standing wave. Put another way, the singer is not adjusting his vocal tract formant spaces to tune to one of the harmonics of the sung tone. Adjusting a formant to match a harmonic will create a pneumatic spring,as it were,that provides a maximum efficient transfer of vocal fold energy to the air in the vocal tract. The vocal folds can, as it were \u0026rsquo;lean on\u0026rsquo; this stable energy transfer. Titze has created the term \u0026ldquo;inertance\u0026rdquo; to identify this phenomenon.\nBut if that stable energy transfer is suddenly lost, the vocal folds can become asymmetric in their oscillation.\nThis most commonly occurs when the voice is entering the lower portion of the passaggio and the need to change resonance strategies is required (as outlined in my previous post). It will also occur when the voice is singing near the top of its range, the moneyed high note. In this situation the whole vocal mechanism is in its most tenuous balanced configuration and the vocal folds are more dependent than ever on the positive effects of inertance. The slightest alteration of the stability of the whole vocal mechanism will produce an asymmetric vocal fold function and the terrible sounding \u0026lsquo;crack\u0026rsquo; occurs.\nAll of the above implies that the singer is performing acoustically, without a microphone. Acoustic singing is the only singing that always requires the most efficient adjustments of the vocal tract in order to be heard in a large venue or over a large orchestra. When singing with a microphone such an efficient vocal production is not as required. The voice can be easily heard because it is amplified. Inheritance can be applied but it is not as necessary and, as a result, the potential to have the voice crack is not as great.\nCracking can occur rather frequently during belting even though belting is usually amplified. This is because the belting singer does not make the resonance changes at the passaggio as is required in classical singing. This is done by choice in order to create the \u0026ldquo;yell like\u0026rdquo; quality that is desired in present day Broadway and other pop forms and is considered a more direct infusion of emotion into the tone.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/voice-passaggio/what-causes-vocal-cracking/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt is my understanding that when the voice cracks the vibration of the vocal folds have become asymmetrical.  That is, the left and right vocal folds are not opening and closing at the same time.  One of the folds will move to close before the other one is ready to do so.  This action implies that something of sufficient force has disturbed them from their natural tendency for equal perturbation.  That force is initiated by the sudden removal of a standing wave in the vocal tract that is providing a stable oscillating environment through the effect of \u0026ldquo;inertance\u0026rdquo; (See Ingo Titae).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What Causes Vocal Cracking?"},{"content":"Male and female voices do not function in the same way for notes above their highest passaggio. The primary reason for this difference is the fact that the female voice is singing pitches in E5 to C6 range and male voices are singing pitches in the E4 to C5 range. The male voice is an octave lower than the female voice.\nThat is so obvious it would seem redundant to mention it. However it is easy to forget that the harmonics are a numerical expressions of the lowest harmonic (which is also called the fundamental). Thus A4 has a fundamental of 440, its 2nd harmonic is 880, its 3rd harmonic is 1320, etc. A4 is a high note for a male voice but it is within the middle range of a female voice. A5 (880) is a high note for a female voice. Its 2nd harmonic would be 1760. Its 3rd harmonic would be 2460, etc.\nNotice that as the fundamental gets higher and higher the harmonics get farther and farther apart. The distance between the Tenor A4 (440) and its 3rd harmonic is, of course, 880. The distance between the Soprano A5 (880) and its 3rd harmonic is 1540.\nThis spreading of the harmonics as the pitch rises requires a different resonance strategy for the female voice when compared to the male voice.\nThe female voice tunes the second formant of the vowel to the second harmonic in middle voice (F2:H2). Above about E5, however, the second harmonic is too high to maintain this F2:H2 resonance strategy and the singer must now tune the first formant to the fundamental (F1:H1). (Remember that the fundamental is also named harmonic one)\nHow does the singer get the first formant space high enough to tune it to the fundamental. Two things are needed. First she must choose a vowel that has a high first formant and the vowel /a/ has the highest first formant. Second she must open her mouth by dropping the jaw because that raises the first formant even higher. Another benefit of tuning the first formant to the fundamental is that it will boost the intensity of the singers voice up to a ten fold increase,\nThis is the reason that the female voice is really unable to produce a quality tone on pitches above G5 with any vowel except /a/. All the other vowels have lower first formants and it is not possible to raise their first formants enough to tune to the fundamental.\nThe male voice tunes the first formant to the second harmonic (F1:H2) in chest voice and middle voice. Above about E4 the second harmonic becomes so high that maintaining this strategy produce a yelling quality in the male voice and an eventual disconnect or crack in the tone. To avoid this the male voice must tune the second formant to either the second harmonic or the third harmonic. (F2:H2 or H3). To do this a vowel must be selected that has a high second formant The vowel /i/ has the highest second formant, the vowel /e/ has the second highest second formant. Both of these vowels are preferred by male voices when singing above E4 for tenors, (approximately C4 for bases and D4 for baritones) It is the selection of vowel that makes this transition into the male head voice easier. As one goes through the vowels from /i/ to /I/ to /e/ to /E/ to /a/. the second formant is lower for each succeeding vowel. If you say these vowels expelling air through the mouth without phonation, you will hear the second formant pitch descend as you silently pronounce them in the order given.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/formants-made-easy/female-verses-male-resonance-strategies/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMale and female voices do not function in the same way for notes above their highest passaggio.  The primary reason for this difference is the fact that the female voice is singing pitches in E5 to C6 range and male voices are singing pitches in the E4 to C5 range.  The male voice is an octave lower than the female voice.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat is so obvious it would seem redundant to mention it. However it is easy to forget that the harmonics are a numerical expressions of the lowest harmonic (which is also called the fundamental).  Thus A4 has a fundamental of 440, its 2nd harmonic is 880, its 3rd harmonic is 1320, etc.  A4 is a high note for a male voice but it is within the middle range of a female voice.  A5 (880) is a high note for a female voice.  Its 2nd harmonic would be 1760. Its 3rd harmonic would be 2460, etc.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Female verses Male Resonance Strategies"},{"content":"Landscape photography from Lake of the Woods, Minnesota.\nA clear, rich sunset looking at Canada from Rocky Point on Lake of the Woods, Minnesota.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/photography/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLandscape photography from Lake of the Woods, Minnesota.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Deep Sunset - Lake of the Woods\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/images/Lake-of-the-Wood-MN.jpg\"\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eA clear, rich sunset looking at Canada from Rocky Point on Lake of the Woods, Minnesota.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Lake after work\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/images/Lake-after-work2003.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Sunset HDR\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/images/LWH5340_HDR.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Lake of the Woods\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/images/LWH1034_158.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Photography"},{"content":"The thickness of the vocal folds do not fit into two static categories such as thick or thin nor M1 and M2. The vocal folds change their length and their thickness in a continuous manner as the sung pitch is raised or lowered. In this they meet the myoelastic theory of vocal fold function as well as the aerodynamic theory that emphasis the Bernoulli Principal to assist with vocal fold closure.\nA newer element was introduced by Ingo Titze that addresses the effect on the vocal folds of a standing wave in the vocal tract. When the tendency of the vocal tract to resonate desecrate frequencies (formants) is matched to phonated tone that contains some of these frequencies a standing wave is created within the vocal tract. This standing wave will, because it has inertia, resist both the opening and closing of the vocal folds and in this way greatly assists them in transferring their energy into the vocal stream (please see footnote). It is as if the standing wave is a pneumatic spring into which the vocal folds move and that spring works in both directions, open and close. The gives the vocal folds stability to function more freely in their shortening/thickening and lengthening/thinning actions.\nBut, the crucial element of this progression is the tuning of the vocal tract to match available harmonics in the phonated tone. Each pitch we sing will have a broad spectrum of harmonics if the tone is produced efficiently by the vocal folds. For example, a breathy tone has few harmonics because the vocal folds do not come together for a sufficient length of time. This is also true of falsetto; the anterior of the vocal folds are not completely closed.\nGiven a well produced tone from the phonation process (phonated tone) the singer must be trained to make adjustments in the vocal tract in order to match the vocal tract potential frequencies (formants) to the actual frequencies produced by the phonated tone. When this occurs the vocal tract will increase the loudness (amplitude) of those frequencies. In most cases only about two or three frequencies are so amplified. And, surprisingly it is seldom the fundamental that receives this boost in loudness.\nThe lowest two formants of the vocal tract determine the vowel that is being sung or said. And each vowel or modification of a vowel gives different formants. The two lowest formants are called the vowel formants for obvious reasons.\nAs the voice ascends in pitch an one vowel it will eventually reach a point where that vowel can no longer find a phonated tone harmonic to resonate. At that point the vocal tract no longer has a standing wave and there is no longer the benefit to the singer of the pneumatic cushion to stabilize the vocal folds. As a result, the vocal folds tend to become asynchronous and do not open and close as a unit. The result is a \u0026lsquo;break\u0026rsquo; in the voice and we have now entered into the first sign of a passaggio.. This discomfort will usually continue for about a minor third interval as the pitch continues to rise and then, magically, we find ourselves in another register where the same vowel is once again able to resonate a harmonic of the sung pitch. Or we are not able to find a new register.\nIn short, passaggi and registers do exist but they exist more because of mis-tuning the vocal tract such that it does not match the harmonics of the phonated tone. If the sung vowel is changed or slightly modified when the ascending pitch enters that area where the vocal tract is unable to resonate the original vowel correctly, the problem of the passaggio will likely not appear.\nTry this. Sing an ascending octave that goes over your passaggio on the vowel /a/. As you feel yourself approaching your passaggio, change the vowel to an /i/ or /e/ (or /u/ or /o/) and when above your passaggio go back to the /a/ vowel. Done correctly you will very likely not experience the clumsiness of your passaggio but instead be able to sing smoothly over it. The reason? By changing to the more closed vowel at the beginning of the passaggio you re-tuned the vocal tract to a vowel whose formants will match some of the frequencies of the sung pitch in that area.\nFootnote from Reg on “The Vocalist”.\n“I’d have said that it alternately –assists- and –resists- the operation of the previously un-stabilized folds. As I’ve mentioned before, the process of feedback not only greatly reduces the source impedance, it brings stability to that impedance as well”.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/formants-made-easy/passaggi-registers-vocal-folds-and-standing-waves/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe thickness of the vocal folds do not fit into two static categories such as thick or thin nor M1 and M2.  The vocal folds change their length and their thickness in a continuous manner as the sung pitch is raised or lowered. In this they meet the myoelastic theory of vocal fold function as well as the aerodynamic theory that emphasis the Bernoulli Principal to assist with vocal fold closure.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Passaggi, Registers, Vocal Folds and Standing Waves"},{"content":"The resonance strategy used by classical female voices in their middle range is to have the second formant of the vocal tract resonate the second harmonic (F2/H2) of the sound spectrum produced by the vocal folds (phonated tone). The higher one sings the higher the fundamental rises and so do all of the harmonics of that pitch. Eventually the second harmonic is too high and cannot be resonated by the second formant. Keep in mind that formants, which are the resonating potentials of the vocal tract, do not change their pitch. The pitches of formants can only be altered by changing the vowel being sung. All vowels have their own individual formant frequencies.\nOnce the upper threshold of the middle voice is reached using F2/H2, the female singer must change to having the first formant resonate the fundamental of the phonated tone. This is referred to as F1/F0, with F0 as the fundamental. Tuning the first formant of the vocal tract to the fundamental is achieved by opening the mouth wider as the singer goes higher and thus raising the pitch potential of the first formant to follow the rise in the pitch of the fundamental. This process gives the female voice about a 10 times increase in vocal efficiency according to Sundberg and it is the reason the operatic female voice grows in power and dominance from this range and higher.\nBut, the belting voice follows a different resonance strategy in the upper middle range and above. Instead of having the first formant resonate the fundamental, Titze found that belters use the first formant to resonate the second harmonic ( F1/H2) at pitches in the range G4-D5 (see ref) . This is just below and above the upper threshold of the classical middle voice. F1/H2 tuning gives the belting voice an emphasis of higher harmonics, especially on pitches above the \u0026ldquo;upper threshold\u0026rdquo; and the effect more closely resembles a female yell or scream when compared with the tone of the classical voice in this range. If the classical female voice must open the mouth to raise the first formant high enough to track the higher and higher fundamental, then by comparison the female belter must not only open the mouth wider but also widen the smile and raise the larynx and even lift the chin to achieve a high enough first formant resonance potential to tune to the second harmonic. Keep in mind that the second harmonic of any pitch is much higher than its fundamental.\nWith such an open ending of the vocal tract from this belting posture, I cannot imagine that any form of standing wave could be produced that would provide a greater transfer of vocal fold energy into sound. Fortunately, at this time belters, unlike classical singers, are usually amplified which removes the necessity for them to over sing and aggressively stress the voice\nIitze, Ingo: Formant Frequency Shifts for Classical and Theater Belt Vowel Modification, Journal of Singing, January/February 2011, Volume 67, No. 3, pp. 311-312.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/formants-made-easy/classical-and-belting-resonance-stratgies/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe resonance strategy used by classical female voices in their middle range is to have the second formant of the vocal tract resonate the second harmonic (F2/H2) of the sound spectrum produced by the vocal folds (phonated tone).  The higher one sings the higher the fundamental rises and so do all of the harmonics of that pitch.  Eventually the second harmonic is too high and cannot be resonated by the second formant.  Keep in mind that formants, which are the resonating potentials of the vocal tract, do not change their pitch.  The pitches of formants can only be altered by changing the vowel being sung.  All vowels have their own individual formant frequencies.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Classical and Belting Resonance Stratgies"},{"content":"Recently on \u0026ldquo;Vocalist\u0026rdquo; an important question was asked about the location of female and male first (primo) passaggio:\nI\u0026rsquo;m confused! Why does the primo passaggio point in female voices lie lower as the voice gets lighter (Eb4 in sopranos, E4/F4 in mezzo-sopranos and G4 in contraltos) whereas the corresponding case in male voices is quite contrary (primo passaggio is higher as the voice gets lighter)?\nThis is not too difficult to answer but it is problematic to use terms that are not ambiguous. The explanation for female voices is different from that for male voices even though the female first (primo) passaggio is in about the same position as the male single passaggio. The female voice has a second (secondo) passaggio about an octave higher than their first passaggio. The male voice has no second passaggio.\nFOR FEMALE VOICES\nSince you use the word lighter, I will used the word \u0026ldquo;heavier\u0026rdquo; to describe mezzos and contraltos.\nA lighter voice will have a lighter middle voice and a lighter middle voice makes it easier to extend the middle range down to about Eb4 or even D4 while still keeping a timbre similar to the rest of the middle range.\nA heavier voice will have a heavier middle voice and the darker quality of that voice tends to go into chest voice at pitches that are higher than the D4 of the lighter voice. You state pitches of about E4 to F4 for mezzos and even as high as G4 for contraltos. I have observed this to be true.\nAnother way of saying this is that the heavier, darker voices have a greater chest voice range than those of lighter, brighter voices. Of course it is possible for the heavier voice to sing more lightly in the middle range and, by doing so, to extend the middle range downward a note or two lower than usual. However, one of the desirable characteristics of a heavier voice is its darker middle voice so to lighten that voice quality is counterproductive.\nKeep in mind that all of the above is true only if the voice is singing an /a/ vowel. All passaggi are moved slightly up or down depending on the vowel being sung. It is the position of the first formant that is the primary factor in the location of the passaggio. The vowel /a/ has the highest first formant; it rests just below the second formant which is lower in this vowel. This keeps the relative position of the passaggio as you have described it.\nThe /i/ and /u/ vowels have the lowest first formants and this allows the singer to carry the middle voice a step or even 2 steps lower before having to go into chest voice. This provides the lowest position of the female primo passaggio as per each voice type.\nThe /e/ and /o/ vowels have first formants that are slightly higher, somewhere between the high first formant of the /a/ vowel and the low first formants of the /i/ and /u/ vowels. Consequently, the /e/ and /o/ vowels will lower the primo passaggio but not as much as occurs with the /i/ and /u/ vowels\nAn example exercise that I sometimes use to make the singer aware of the effect of vowels on passaggi is to have the singer sing an /a/ vowel on a descending diatonic scale beginning somewhere near the top of the middle voice and change to an /i/ vowel a few notes before the usual switch into chest voice would occur. The most common effect is the singer is able to sing the new /i/ vowel down almost a minor third lower and then slip easily into chest voice with no apparent passaggio shift. The /i/ vowel has lowered the change point of the primo passaggio.\nFOR MALE VOICES\nIn general terms, the male voice sings an octave or more below the lowest notes of the comparative female voice range. The male voice sings in either chest voice or head voice. It has no middle voice. The chest voice for male singers is the largest portion of their voice extending, depending on voice type, from C2 (or even F1) for lowest basses up to F4 or G4 for tenors. A range of three octaves of chest voice for the male voice collective. Since there is no middle voice, the male voice must change not only his vocal fold thickness as he sings higher but, to extend his voice above the chest voice limitations, he must also change his resonance strategy. In chest voice he is tuning his first vowel formant to the second or third harmonic. At the passaggio, he must tune his second vowel formant to third or fourth harmonic. This produces a definitive difference in vocal color and many men speak of it as the voice \u0026ldquo;turning over\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;lifting\u0026rdquo; and other such terms. This is not falsetto, but a strong, vigorous vocal tone that easily soars over a full orchestral accompaniment.\nThe passaggi of male voices are higher for lighter voice and lower for heavier voices because the chest voices for these voice types extend higher or less high. The tenor can extend his chest voice up to F4 or even G4. A baritone has a chest voice that usually ends at about D4 or Eb4. A bass finds any note above Bb3 or C4 very difficult to achieve in chest voice. Once the chest voice reaches its upper limits it must no longer be using the first formant as the primary resonator. It must switch to the second formant and that provides an extension of the vocal range beyond the upper limit of the chest voice. This is the classic form of male head voice. Second formant tuning produces a standing wave within the vocal tract that provides, as it were, a pneumatic cushion for the vocal folds and the exchange of energy from the vocal folds to the air is greatly increased thus reducing the strain on the vocal folds while, simultaneously producing a substantial increase in sound amplitude.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/voice-passaggio/female-and-male-primo-passaggio/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRecently on \u0026ldquo;Vocalist\u0026rdquo; an important question was asked about the location of female and male first (primo) passaggio:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m confused! Why does the primo passaggio point in female voices lie lower as the voice gets lighter (Eb4 in sopranos,  E4/F4 in mezzo-sopranos and G4 in contraltos) whereas the corresponding case in male voices is quite contrary (primo passaggio is higher as the voice gets lighter)?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is not too difficult to answer but it is problematic to use terms that are not ambiguous.  The explanation for female voices is different from that for male voices even though the female first (primo) passaggio is in about the same position as the male single passaggio.  The female voice has a second (secondo) passaggio about an octave higher than their first passaggio.  The male voice has no second passaggio.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Female and Male Primo Passaggio"},{"content":"Recently \u0026ldquo;The Vocalist\u0026rdquo; has posted a series of emails from its members about Breath Management during the singing exhale. Below is my response to these emails.\nThis discussion has listed the use of belts or links of chain around parts of the rib cage to insure an expansion of the small ribs at the bottom of the chest. This use assumes that if the lower ribs are expanded throughout the exhale during singing, the diaphragm will not ascend early in the exhale and, in so doing, removing the primary control the singer over his breath management.\nAnother way of creating this kind of activity is the use of an expandable bandage, similar to the ones prescribed for patients with cracked ribs. The bandage is wrapped firmly around the lower part of the chest and the singer attempts to maintain a sense of outward pressure against the elastic bandage, thus keeping the lower ribs in a more or less expanded position. This is much better arrangement than the belts or chains because it is elastic and therefore more in keeping with the elastic functions of the body.\nBurton Coffin used this elastic bandage with students who had difficulties sensing or controlling their breath or, worse yet, had been taught to pull in the abdomen when singing and then releasing the abdomen down and outward when inhaling. However, Coffin warned against using this device for extended periods of time because it taught the singer to constantly push outward during singing and this is counterproductive.\nIn fact, fat singers tend to develop the outward push while singing; they are pushing against a different kind of \u0026ldquo;elastic bandage\u0026rdquo;. They are pushing outward against their large layer of fat. When and if they loose a lot of weight they no longer have the \u0026ldquo;fat bandage\u0026rdquo; and must relearn how to manage breath, this time the correct way.\nWhat is the correct way? It is surprisingly simple. Take a deep breath without raising the sternum but with a good sense of balanced posture. Now notice that the lower ribs are expanded and that the epigastric area has a sense of fullness and might actually stick out in front a bit. This epigastric bulge is the result of the diaphragm tensing and pulling itself flat, much like a drum head. This action pushes the stomach and other organs downward and and outward in the epigastric area. If the singer is long waisted (check distance between the bottom of the lowest rib and the top of the pelvis - more that one and a half inches indicates a long waist) there is more downward space available for displaced stomach and organs and there will, therefore, be less outward bulge in the epigastric area.\nNow maintain that sense of fullness in the epigastric area. To do this you will also sense that you must maintain some of the expansion of the lower ribs that occurred during the inhale. Do not exhale the air quickly; you do not use much air to maintain a sustained clear vocal tone. You will only use as much as you would to gently steam your eyeglasses for cleaning. In fact, that warm, moist breath for steaming glasses is exactly the amount and quality of breath you want to use for singing. And notice that when using this warm, moist breath your epigastric area retains its full feeling and your lower ribs remain in an outward position.\nSo, you have an example of a proper singing breath with the warm, moist breath. And you can check for this breath by placing your finger tips right at the lips while singing. If you feel a lot of air passing your lips you are using too much breath. You should only feel a warm, moist gentle breath. And as you begin to sing louder that breath flow will increase slightly but not to the degree that you would think necessary. Loud singing requires a firmer closure of the vocal folds which, in turn, produces a longer closure of the vocal folds during each cycle and that induces a greater breath pressure but very little increase in breath flow.\nLloyd W. Hanson\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/breath-management/breath-management-two/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eRecently \u0026ldquo;The Vocalist\u0026rdquo; has posted a series of emails from its members about Breath Management during the singing exhale.  Below is my response to these emails.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis discussion has listed the use of belts or links of chain around parts of the rib cage to insure an expansion of the small ribs at the bottom of the chest.  This use assumes that if the lower ribs are expanded throughout the exhale during singing, the diaphragm will not ascend early in the exhale and, in so doing, removing the primary control the singer over his breath management.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Breath Management Two"},{"content":"One of the most valuable helps for a singer is some form of feedback. Whether it is from a teachers\u0026rsquo;s suggestions, an audio recording of the voice or any other form of feedback, it is the feedback that is the primary way a singer learns to know how to create an acceptable sound. And that is learned because the feedback informs the singer of how they sound to the listener. Feedback can take many forms.\n1 Sense of resonance within the vocal instrument such as feelings of sound within the head, sinus, throat, collar bone, chest, forehead, mask etc. etc. 2 Audio recordings of the singing using quality recording equipment and quality playback equipment. 3 Visualization of the sound using spectrometric imagery combined with simultaneous audio such as is available with VoceVista and other spectrometric computer applications. 4 Projection of wide spectrum sound into the vocal tract allowing the singer to adjust the vocal tract to achieve maximum resonance without the use of the vocal folds as is available with Burton Coffin\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;Vowel Mirror\u0026rdquo; And others.\nThe key to each of those listed is that none of them removes any of the basic or residual harmonics of the sound produced by the vocal folds. And it is the richness of the vocal fold sound, called \u0026ldquo;phonated sound\u0026rdquo; that is the key to the foundation of a quality singing voice .\nRestricting or funneling the sound from the vocal tract back into the ear via equipment designed to do this is counter-productive because it removes the natural ear response to vocal sound.\nUsing ear plugs to reduce the intensity of the sound, while necessary in most rock music, is basically denying the sonic organization of the ear/voice system to function as intended. A proof of this is that most singers automatically sing out of tune when using such ear damping devices as ear plugs\nAny of the most successful feedback systems mention above will improve ones singing quality and it does so without any kind of dependency on the system used. This is so because each of these systems are nothing more that an focused form of our natural listening response.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/select-exercises-for-the-singer/bio-feedback-to-improve-vocal-quality/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the most valuable helps for a singer is some form of feedback. Whether it is from a teachers\u0026rsquo;s suggestions, an audio recording of the voice or any other form of feedback, it is the feedback that is the primary way a singer learns to know how to create an acceptable sound. And that is learned because the feedback informs the singer of how they sound to the listener.\nFeedback can take many forms.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bio-feedback to improve vocal quality"},{"content":"Some years ago one of the members on Vocalist asked for exercises to strengthen her \u0026ldquo;weak and lazy\u0026rdquo; diaphragm. The following is what I wrote to her and the members of Vocalist. It elicited a very strong response and has been included on a number of web sites that specialize in vocal music and singing. Below is the article.\nI have read some of the responses to your request for information about a \u0026ldquo;weak\u0026rdquo; diaphragm. There is a lot of misunderstanding about how the breathing system works and, within this, there is also confusion about the workings of the diaphragm.\nThe diaphragm is a muscle system. It is fastened to the lowest ribs on the sides, the bottom of the sternum, and to the back at the top of the lumbar region. Its primary function is as an inhalation muscle system. When you inhale the diaphragm descends. When it descends it must displace your viscera, primarily your stomach and upper intestines. If you are short waisted these displaced organs will make your epigastric area (the area between the bottom of your sternum bone and your naval and sideways to your lower ribs) bulge out slightly and you will be quite aware of the effect of your inhale. If you are long waisted, you will have more vertical room for these displaced organs and your epigastric area will show less or little bulging and you will be less aware of your inhale.\nThe abdominal muscle system (from your pelvis to about your naval) is your primary exhaling muscle system. The diaphragm is not active during exhaling of your breath except as a controlling muscle system. In other words, your diaphragm does not exhale your breath; it only controls how quickly your breath is exhaled.\nIf you exhale quickly your diaphragm is inactive. If you exhale very slowly such as you would do when you are trying to feel very warm, moist breath on your fingers placed very close to your open lips, the diaphragm is actively resisting the exhaling action of your abdomen muscles. If you pay attention, you can feel some subtle action behind the epigastric area as you exhale this very warm, moist breath. That subtle action you feel is your diaphragm being active.\nYou will also notice as you exhale this very warm, moist breath, that the epigastric area does NOT move inward, nor should it, because the diaphragm is active. If the epigastric area does move inward it signals that the diaphragm has collapsed upward and can no longer resist the exhaling abdomen muscles. In other words you have lost control of your breath because you have allowed the diaphragm to collapse upward into its rest position.\nBreathing for singing is very similar, in fact almost exactly like breathing out a slow stream of very warm, moist air on your fingers placed close to your lips. The diaphragm is the muscle system singers use to CONTROL the breath on the exhale. The diaphragm is not the muscle system that exhales the breath.\nNo diaphragm is weak. It cannot be. Every living person uses it every minute of every day to breath to stay alive. It is one of the most used muscles in the body. Sit ups do not strengthen it. Overweight people, thin people, average people all have strong diaphragms. But singers must learn to control their diaphragm on exhaling because it is the control of the breath that makes good singing possible. The vocal folds should not have to hold back enormous breath pressure. If vocal folds are required to hold back excessive breath pressure they must press together too tightly to function easily and freely. The vocal folds should have just enough breath pressure against them to maintain their vibratory movement. The breath pressure for singing is always dynamically changing and the control of that change is the duty of the diaphragm. So what you are learning is control, not strength.\nAnd yes, you did understand the statement a few paragraphs above. YOUR EPIGASTRIC AREA MUST NOT BE SUCKED IN DURING SINGING! It should remain in the full feeling position you experience immediately after inhalation and you should attempt to maintain that inhalation position as long as possible immediately after onset of the tone. In a very long phrase you will find the epigastric area will move inward toward the end of the breath. But if you move it in nearing the beginning of the phrase you will have collapsed the diaphragm upward and lost control of your breath. Every singer has had this experience of taking a proper breath and singing a few notes only to feel out of breath. They are not out of breath of course but have merely lost control of the breath because of a collapsed diaphragm. They are then required to try to control the breath with only the exhaling abdomen muscles and this control is extremely difficult because the abdomen muscle system is very extensive and not meant to be the controlling muscles for exhaling.\nI hope this is of some help.\nLloyd W. Hanson, DMA Professor of Voice and Vocal Pedagogy, Emeritus Director of Opera-Theatre, 1987-1997 Northern Arizona University\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/breath-management/breath-management/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSome years ago one of the members on Vocalist asked for exercises to strengthen her \u0026ldquo;weak and lazy\u0026rdquo; diaphragm. The following is what I wrote to her and the members of Vocalist.  It elicited a very strong response and has been included on a number of web sites that specialize in vocal music and singing. Below is the article.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have read some of the responses to your request for information about a \u0026ldquo;weak\u0026rdquo; diaphragm. There is a lot of misunderstanding about how the breathing system works and, within this, there is also confusion about the workings of the diaphragm.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Breath Management"},{"content":"Mathew, as a new reader, has asked a lot of questions about the Singers Formant and Formants in general. This has opened a lot of doors that require some explanations. I will try to answer as directly and concisely as possible but this will be a bit long. Since this is a response to his questions you might want to look at his Comments in the Comments section of this blog.\nSinging in a contained space such as a bathroom will quite easily produce a tone that matches the resonating space(s) of the room. The room has small enough so that by raising or lowering the pitch of the voice the room resonating space can be discovered. This has nothing to do with the Singers Formant.\nHowever, the fact that you are hearing a high pitch mights indicate that the room is also \u0026lsquo;ringing\u0026rsquo; in tune with one of the overtones of your voice. Again, this is not likely to be the Singers Formant.\nChoral groups with one singer on a part are able to tune a harmonic chord accurately enough with each other that they will produce a resultant tone. This is sometimes called ringing the chord in Barbershop singing. They can do this because they are not tuning to the tempered scale but to the natural scale wherein the fundamental tone with its well tuned overtones will emphasize other high harmonics. This is not as possible if there is more than one singer on a part unless the singers in each part sing in near perfect unison such that their part will sound like a single voice. A Singers Formant, because it can differ slightly with each singer, would not likely allow such a fine unison to occur and for this reason, few choral directors want their singers to produce Singers Formant.\nFormants and overtones are two different things. Overtones are produced by your vocal folds when you sing a well defined fundamental. The overtones are produced by the multiple ways that your vocal folds oscillate. They oscillate longitudinally as a whole, in halfs, in thirds, in fourths etc. and each of these subdivisions produce a weaker tone than the fundamental but they are important because together with the fundamental these overtones give the phonated sound its quality which we call timbre.\nThe vocal tract, is the space above the vocal folds all the way to the lips of the mouth and this space is divided into the epilaryngeal space, the pharynx and the mouth. Yet this is basically a single long space and it can be adjusted so it will tend to resonate at certain frequencies if a tone from the vocal folds is of about the same frequency. For example, a rather weak third overtone, produced by the vocal folds can be made stronger, that is, louder if it finds a resonance tendency in the vocal tract with the same frequency which will then respond to it. This is similar to what you experienced when you matched the particular resonance of the bathroom and that frequency became louder.\nSo when we speak of vocal tract formants, we are speaking about the tendency of the vocal tract to resonate certain frequencies. And we can change this \u0026rsquo;tuning\u0026rsquo; of the vocal tract in an almost infinite number of ways to allow it to resonate many different frequencies. The two lowest formants, formant one and formant two, have the important task of defining our vowels and, not surprisingly, each vowel has these two formants but each vowel has these formants in different locations in the frequency range.\nIf you thump the side your larynx with your finger and form the \u0026rsquo;ee\u0026rsquo;, \u0026lsquo;ay\u0026rsquo;, \u0026lsquo;ah\u0026rsquo;, \u0026lsquo;o\u0026rsquo;, \u0026lsquo;oo\u0026rsquo;, vowels but without using your voice, you will hear the pitch be lowest for \u0026rsquo;ee\u0026rsquo; and highest for \u0026lsquo;ah\u0026rsquo; and back down again for \u0026lsquo;oo\u0026rsquo;. Your thumping on the larynx is inducing the space in the vocal tract to sound its \u0026ldquo;formant one\u0026rdquo; for each of these vowels. If you sing these vowels (no thumping, please) your voice will induced the vocal tract to resonate these same frequencies and, in so doing, the vowels become easily identified. If you make a \u0026lsquo;white noise\u0026rsquo; with your breath as you do when whispering, but no voiced sound, and again form these vowels without using your voice, you will hear that \u0026rsquo;ee\u0026rsquo; is the highest sound and the rest of the vowels will each have lower and lower sounds until you come to the \u0026lsquo;oo\u0026rsquo; vowel which is the lowest. In this example your \u0026lsquo;white noise\u0026rsquo; breath has a very high frequency and it induces the vocal tract to resonate its \u0026ldquo;formant two\u0026rdquo; for each vowel.\nSo, from this you can deduce that the vowel \u0026rsquo;ee\u0026rsquo; has a very low formant one and a very high formant two. And all \u0026rsquo;ee\u0026rsquo; vowels have these two formants at the same distance from each other regardless of the singer who is singing them. It is the distance between formant one and formant two that creates the \u0026rsquo;ee\u0026rsquo; vowel, not how high or how low these formants are produced. A bass will produce them low but with the same distance between them as a tenor who will produce them much higher but, again with the same distance between them.\nFinally the Singers Formant occurs at the frequencies of about 2400 to 3200 Hz. This would place the Singers Formant in the highest octave of the piano, somewhere between C7 (2093.00 HZ) and A7 (3520.00 HZ). Obviously no one can sing a fundamental tone that high but we are talking about overtones of the fundamental which are being emphasized by the special resonance space just above the vocal folds, that is, the aryeppiglotic space.\nFormants one and two which produce the distinctive sounds of the vowels (and are usually called Vowel Formants) occur at much lower pitches than does the Singers Formant and, as is mentioned above, produced in the pharynx and mouth through the use of the tongue which separates these two spaces,\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/formants-made-easy/more-on-formants/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMathew, as a new reader, has asked a lot of questions about the Singers Formant and Formants in general.  This has opened a lot of doors that require some explanations.  I will try to answer as directly and concisely as possible but this will be a bit long.  Since this is a response to his questions you might want to look at his Comments in the Comments section of this blog.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"More on Formants"},{"content":"Humming through a folded handkerchief is an excellent method of teaching the correct way to balance vocal tone with breath pressure and it is simple to do.\nPlace a folded handkerchief, folded four times, over your forefinger. Place the forefinger parallel with your mouth, gently close your lips over the finger so that they seal against the handkerchief and will not allow breath to pass by them. Breath into the cloth of the handkerchief. The warm breath passes through easily but it meets some resistance from the cloth.\nNow do the same breath but phonate (sustain a tone) as you do so. You will feel not only the breath through the cloth but also some resonance of the phonated tone, that is, a buzz.\nAs you sustain this tone take away the finger and handkerchief. You will be surprised at how loud you are actually singing.\nNow do it again but make sirens up and down. You will pass through your passaggio with little notice of its existence. This is because the resistance of breath through the cloth creates a back pressure in the vocal tract and this assists in balancing the pressure beneath the vocal folds (sub-glottal) with the pressure above the vocal folds (supra-glottal) and in doing so regulates the breath pressure at the folds (the glottal area) such that they operate more efficiently.\nIf you remove the forefinger and cloth quickly the breath pressure will be, at that instant, quite excessive and you will have to reduce it by adjusting the management of the breath.\nBut if you remove the forefinger and cloth gradually the body will automatically adjust the breath flow so you can maintain the quality of tone achieved with the cloth at the mouth.\nAnother variation on this is to place the back of your hand, that is, the space between your thumb and your forefinger, against the mouth and seal it with your lips. Then hum into this part of the back of your hand and do sirens up and down. Then slowly remove the hand from the mouth but keep it close to the lips as if you might want to put it back once more to the lip seal. This encourages the voice to maintain a proper breath pressure to sustain tone. You will notice that you feel only a gentle warm breath on the back of your hand.\nFinally, breath as if you were \u0026ldquo;steaming\u0026rdquo; your glasses to clean them. The breath is gentle and moist. You are achieving this because you are automatically controlling your breath through a balance of the action of the exhaling muscles and the inhaling muscle. Now start a tone (onset of tone) using only this gentle, warm, moist breath. This is the core breath for singing. If you place your fingers almost touching your lips you will feel only a gentle, warm, moist breath and this is as it should be.\nNow sing that tone louder and louder keeping its quality of tone consistent. You will notice there is a slight increase in breath but it is still warm and moist and still surprisingly gentle. This all the breath that is needed to sing well.\nThis breath exercise allows the vocal folds to oscillate using only enough breath for this sole purpose. Any time more breath pressure than is needed is applied to the vocal folds they must close more and more tightly to resist this extra breath pressure and their ability of oscillate easily and freely is compromised. A common example of this kind of singing is the young singer trying to sound like an opera singer by squeezing or pressing on the voice. It is not good singing, no one wants to hear it, and if continued over time, will damage the voice.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/select-exercises-for-the-singer/handkerchief-vowel-humming/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHumming through a folded handkerchief is an excellent method of teaching the correct way to balance vocal tone with breath pressure and it is simple to do.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlace a folded handkerchief, folded four times, over your forefinger.  Place the forefinger parallel with your mouth, gently close your lips over the finger so that they seal against the handkerchief and  will not allow breath to pass by them.  Breath into the cloth of the handkerchief.  The warm breath passes through easily but it meets some resistance from the cloth.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Handkerchief Vowel Humming"},{"content":"Some additional thoughts about Lip Trills\nI have never found the lip trill to be very productive for most students even those that have no difficulty getting their lips to \u0026ldquo;flubber\u0026rdquo;. And the reasons for this is that lip trills encourages excessive air flow which is not the desired description of the well phonated vocal fold oscillation. The air flow needed is little more than what is produced when you moisten your glasses with your breath.\nBreathing and producing a tone through a folded handkerchief folded over your forefinger and placed at your lips such that the lips seal the flow of air is a far more accurate measure of air needed to produce an efficient vocal tone.\nThe advantage of any of the exercises that I outlined earlier is that they help the singer sense how little airflow is necessary and they create a back pressure in the vocal tract which assists the vocal folds in their oscillation by preventing them from having to create an excessive amplitude of vibration.\nAll these exercises are easily taught and the student experience success very quickly. The best of both worlds.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/select-exercises-for-the-singer/more-about-lip-trills/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSome additional thoughts about Lip Trills\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have never found the lip trill to be very productive for most students even those that have no difficulty getting their lips to \u0026ldquo;flubber\u0026rdquo;.  And the reasons for this is that lip trills encourages excessive air flow which is not the desired description of the well phonated vocal fold oscillation.  The air flow needed is little more than what is produced when you moisten your glasses with your breath.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"More about Lip Trills"},{"content":"Vowel exercises that use semi-occluded lip positions.\nHere are some exercises that I have used to help students develop a vocal tone this is rich yet easy to produce. They are all based on the concept that good vocal tone is a combination of efficient and clear phonation assisted by resonance adjustments that compliment the phonation while simultaneously enhancing the tone through a balanced vowel resonance.\nThey are not given in order of preference. All of these are most effective if used with a siren sound that takes the voice from the bottom of its range to as high as is comfortable.\na. lip trills\nb. tongue trills\nc. back of the hand placed very near slightly puckered lips almost closing and sealing the mouth opening\nd. blowing air through loosely closed lips so they puff up the cheeks and then adding tone to this configuration. The lips will often tickle when doing this.\ne. a variation of the puffed lips. Place a clean folded handkerchief over the first finger of the hand, place it horizontally to the lips of the mouth, and breath air through the handkerchief cloth. Then produce phonated sound through the cloth.\nf. A variation of [e]. Place a folded paper towel over your first finger and place the finger horizontally at your lips close enough so that the lips create a breath seal around the handkerchief/towel covered finger. You will discover that you can exhale out through the mouth and the breath passes through the fibers of the handkerchief or paper towel. Phonate a siren sound through this handkerchief/towel. It is a very effective way to warm up the voice without making a loud sound yet you are singing at near full voice.\ng. semi-occluded sustainable consonant sounds such as v, voiced th, l, m, n, ng, and even z.\nNormally the vowel /a/ is used during these semi-occluced sirens but other vowels are also beneficial if for no other reason than that they make the singer aware that it is position of the tongue that creates the vowel so the tongue must be put into the necessary position for the desired vowel without changing the semi-occluded position of the lips. Obviously this cannot work with semi-occluded consonants that require the tongue be in position against the teeth or lips such as lip trills, voiced th, l, m, n, ng, and z.\nTry these out. I would be interested in which of them seem to be most helpful to you.\nI have used them all with my students.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/select-exercises-for-the-singer/semi-occluded-exercises/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eVowel exercises that use semi-occluded lip positions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere are some exercises that I have used to help students develop a vocal tone this is rich yet easy to produce.  They are all based on the concept that good vocal tone is a combination of efficient and clear phonation assisted by resonance adjustments that compliment the phonation while simultaneously enhancing the tone through a balanced vowel resonance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey are not given in order of preference. All of these are most effective if used with a siren sound that takes the voice from the bottom of its range to as high as is comfortable.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Semi-occluded Exercises"},{"content":"Although aspirated fast notes are sometimes called for by the musical and dramatic demands of an aria, in general, aspirated singing has never been considered the proper way to achieve rapid note singing. The fast notes are meant to be connected without any kind of detachment. The rapidity of note change is achieved through proper coordination of breath with vocal fold adjustments but neither the breath nor the tone should be stopped and restarted such as in aspirated singing.\nLearning to sing coloratura or fioratura etc. requires great skill. It is an extremely refined vocal process and should never be achieved through any kind of overpowering energy. The vocal folds are some of the fastest muscles in the human body; they can negotiate rapid changes that are startling and they can do it without the need to start and stop the breath. A continuous flow of breath is the ideal and the rapidity of the notes should never be taken faster than the individual voice can handle. For this reason, some leeway is allowed in the tempos of arias or sections of arias that contain a lot such scales, roulades, etc. etc.\nIf a violin were to play a fast scale on the stroke of one bow, that would exemplify the ideal singing form of a similar vocal scale. If the violinist were to change bow direction for each note of a rapid scale that would be similar to an aspirated rapid vocal scale. And, as we all know, violinists do it both ways but which method is used is determined by the music score, it is not usually considered acceptable for the violinist to chose one that is not so marked in the score.\nVocal scores usually have similar markings put there by the composer. They should be observed. At times, singers may find it easier if each note is given a slight pulse to differentiate it from the preceding and following note but even this must be done with the greatest of taste and refinement. The pulsing of short notes is more common to the lower mens voices because of the thicker nature of their vocal folds yet many of the finest basses and baritones achieve rapid note production without the need to pulse individual notes.\nIn short, aspirated fast notes are not considered good vocal technique and it is sometimes even labeled as a kind of vocal \u0026ldquo;cheating\u0026rdquo;. Overdone pulsing of short notes can fall into this same category if it is overdone.\nFinally, aspirated singing is very wearing on the vocal folds; it requires a greater slamming of the vocal folds against each other and, through the years, an advanced thickening of the vocal folds results.\nAll of the above says nothing about present day or individual preferences. But preferences do not change the proper demands of the singing genre nor do they remove the wear and tear on the vocal instrument. A singer must be true to both the demands of the music and the proper care of the voice.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/articulation-of-coloratura/articulation-for-coloratura/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAlthough aspirated fast notes are sometimes called for by the musical\nand dramatic demands of an aria, in general, aspirated singing has\nnever been considered the proper way to achieve rapid note singing.\nThe fast notes are meant to be connected without any kind of\ndetachment.  The rapidity of note change is achieved through proper\ncoordination of breath with vocal fold adjustments but neither the\nbreath nor the tone should be  stopped and restarted such as in\naspirated singing.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Articulation for Coloratura"},{"content":"","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/archives/","summary":"","title":"Archives"},{"content":"Is it necessary to be concerned about what vowels a singer must use to produce a Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant?\nThe Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant has no relation to the effect of vowels on resonance. This is because the Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant is produced in an area of the vocal mechanism that is removed from the critical vowel resonance area.\nSinger\u0026rsquo;s Formant is produced in the aryepiglottic area which is directly above the vocal folds and directly below the pharyngeal and buccal areas which produce the vowels.\nThere is no doubt about the importance of vowel resonance and its effect on vocal tone. Vowels must be chosen such that they produce maximum resonance of the phonated tone but these resonance ranges are below the Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant range and for this reason vowel tuning, even if perfectly produced does not guarantee production of Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant. And the corollary is also true; when a Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant is produced it will not be affected by the vowel that is chosen even if that vowel is not tuned to achieve maximum vowel resonance.\nIn short, the quality of the vocal tone is arranged around the production of accurate vowel tuning, but the Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant is developed by adjustments lower in the vocal mechanism, that is, in the aryepiglottic space.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/formants-made-easy/vowels-and-singers-formant/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIs it necessary to be concerned about what vowels a singer must use to produce a Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant has no relation to the effect of vowels on resonance.  This is because the Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant is produced in an area of the vocal mechanism that is removed from the critical vowel resonance area.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSinger\u0026rsquo;s Formant is produced in the aryepiglottic area which is directly above the vocal folds and directly below the pharyngeal and buccal areas which produce the vowels.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Vowels and Singer's Formant"},{"content":"A larger voice will of course be heard as a larger voice if it has Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant. If it doesn\u0026rsquo;t have Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant it would not be easily heard over a full orchestra regardless of how large a voice it is. Intensity or volume of production has little to do with the ability to be heard over an orchestras.\nAll male singers produce fundamentals that are mostly within the loudest sounds of the orchestra which extends up to about the 500 KZ range. So, by definition their fundamentals are covered over by the orchestra, They are heard only because, and if, they are able to produce some sonic emphasis in the regions in which the orchestra is weaker and that is in the range of the Singer\u0026rsquo; Formant. As listeners we are not aware of all of this but our ears send messages to our brain that correlates the Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant to a fundamental and it translates that message such that we hear a loud fundamental as well as lower overtones and recognize not only the pitch but even the vocal quality. It is a wonder of how our minds make reality for us.\nIt is totally logical to expect that a louder voice will be heard more easily over the broad spectrum of orchestral sound but this is a case in which common sense logic fails us. Do not confuse the overall color or depth of a voice with its ability to be heard; it is primarily only the Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant that gives the voice its ability to be heard and via that resonance frequency is able to present itself with all of its qualities.\nThis kind of implausible sonic logic also occurs in instrumental music. A faculty cellist once showed me that the cello\u0026rsquo;s lowest note on its open longest string has so little fundamental present that it could almost not be heard were it not for its overtones. He played that note (C2), recorded it and filtered out all of the overtones of that pitch. The result was a barely audible fundamental. His point was that if the cello part is not well written by the composer, the cello can be easily overpowered by the orchestral sound because the cello does not have a boost of tone in the 2800-3200 Hz range. The voice does. In short, it makes no difference how heavy or loud the instrumentation of the orchestra; their sonic emphasis is only at the 500 Hz range and their sonic intensity at 2500-3600 is extremely weak by comparison.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/formants-made-easy/male-voices-and-the-singers-formant/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA larger voice will of course be heard as a larger voice if it has Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant.  If it doesn\u0026rsquo;t have Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant it would not be easily heard over a full orchestra regardless of how large a voice it is.  Intensity or volume of production has little to do with the ability to be heard over an orchestras.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll male singers produce fundamentals that are  mostly within the loudest sounds of the orchestra which extends up to about the 500 KZ range. So, by definition their fundamentals are covered over by the orchestra,  They are heard only because, and if, they are able to produce some sonic emphasis in the regions in which the orchestra is weaker and that is in the range of the Singer\u0026rsquo; Formant.  As listeners we are not aware of all of this but our ears send messages to our brain that correlates the Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant to a fundamental and it translates that message such that we hear a loud fundamental as well as lower overtones and recognize not only the pitch but even the vocal quality.  It is a wonder of how our minds make reality for us.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Male Voices and the Singer's Formant"},{"content":"Squillo, which is sometimes defined \u0026ldquo;as that piercing resonance\u0026rdquo; has nothing to do with the Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant. Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant does not give the voice its brightness. For example, Bjorling\u0026rsquo;s voice has seldom been classified as being as bright as Corelli\u0026rsquo;s yet his voice has more Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant than does Corelli, and Corelli\u0026rsquo;s is substantial.\nThe Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant is created in the aryepiglottic space immediately above the vocal folds before the phonated sound enters the primary resonance spaces of the pharynx and mouth. As such it is not affected by vowel changes. All vowels are created by resonance changes in the pharynx and mouth and the primary control of vowel identity is the position of the tongue within these spaces.\nSinger\u0026rsquo;s Formant has little to do with vocal size. Vocal size is a factor of resonance balance below the harmonic range of the Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant. A dark quality is achieved by emphasis on lower harmonics of the sung tone. A bright quality is achieved by emphasis on higher harmonics of the sung tone. And the ideal goal is a good balance between the bright and the dark qualities, the desired \u0026ldquo;chiaroscuro\u0026rsquo;. Yet all of these harmonics are below the 2800 to 3200 Hz range of the Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant.\nSurprisingly little breath is required to produce an amazingly loud sung tone. Size, or volume of lungs has little to do with it. Breath pressure does. And breath pressure is controlled by both the exhaling muscles and the time that the vocal folds are closed during each oscillating cycle. The ideal is to have the folds closed about 40 to 60 percent of the time during each cycle. At A=440 the vocal folds open and close 440 times (cycles) per second. And during each cycle the folds should be closed for about 50 % of that cycle. This provides the resistance to the breath necessary for healthy phonation. If the folds are closed for only 30% of the cycle, breath pressure is reduced and the tone has a breathy quality. If the folds are closed as much as 75% of each cycle breath pressure is greatly increased and the tone has a tight, pressed quality. Most singers move between these extremes depending on the emotional and dramatic needs of the music but the fine lyric connection of sound so desired in classical sing and opera is sustained by the 50% closure rate.\nA small voice with Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant will be heard through any kind of orchestral sound but that voice will still sound like a small voice. A large voice without Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant will easily be covered up by the orchestra even though the voice is large. The reason for this is that the Orchestra has its loudest harmonic emphasis at around 500 Hz and the Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant, at about 3000 Hz, is located sonically where the orchestra sound is become much weaker.\nSee: http://www.ncvs.org/ncvs/tutorials/voiceprod/tutorial/singer.html\nSinger\u0026rsquo;s Formant is a learned thing. Some may learn it quickly and others more slowly but is is learned and taught. It requires that the space immediately above the vocal folds be widened and the larynx be kept at a slightly lowered position to properly adjust the aryepiglottal space to achieve this resonance.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/formants-made-easy/squillo-and-the-singers-formant/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSquillo, which is sometimes defined \u0026ldquo;as that piercing resonance\u0026rdquo; has nothing to do with the Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant.  Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant does not give the voice its brightness.  For example, Bjorling\u0026rsquo;s voice has seldom been classified as being as bright as Corelli\u0026rsquo;s yet his voice has more Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant than does Corelli, and Corelli\u0026rsquo;s is substantial.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant is created in the aryepiglottic space immediately above the vocal folds before the phonated sound enters the primary resonance spaces of the pharynx and mouth.  As such it is not affected by vowel changes.  All vowels are created by resonance changes in the pharynx and mouth and the primary control of vowel identity is the position of the tongue within these spaces.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Squillo and the Singer's Formant"},{"content":"Many like to equate the size of the voice with its ability to be heard over an orchestra. The assumption is that a large voice will be heard more easily than a smaller voice. Of course, that depends on what is meant by a \u0026ldquo;large\u0026rdquo; voice but, based on the comments I have read, most consider a large voice to be one that has a broad or extremely full tone and some on this list consider a voice that can yell in tune to be even more acceptable.\nBut consider the oboe and how easily it can be heard within a rich orchestral spectrum. Or the trumpet, or even the bassoon to say nothing of the solo violin. Each of these instruments have carrying quality because they have a sonic emphasis in the range to which the human ear is most acutely attuned. That range? Approximately 2800 to 3600 Hz. And any voice that has a sonic emphasis in that range will also be easily heard over even the largest of orchestras.\nIn other words, when we in the audience are unable to hear a singer over the orchestra, it means that the singer is not producing a sonic boost in the aforementioned range of tones. Keep in mind, that singers do to not sing pitches, that is, fundamental tones, in these ranges. A C7, for example is four lines above the treble staff and no singer is ever required to sing that high yet it is only at about 2093 Hz. The necessary 2800 to 3600 Hz emphasis is the singer resonating one of the overtones of their sung pitch. And all singers can be trained to do this, from the lowest bass to the highest coloratura.\nFor example, if Rene Fleming, a lyric soprano, produces a \u0026ldquo;Singer\u0026rsquo;s Formant\u0026rdquo; (2800-3600 Hz) she will be easily heard. Even a light lyric such as Nellie Melba could also be easily heard. Any singer not heard, simply needs to develop the technique that produces such resonance richness.\nNow, all of the above does not mean that any soprano could sing any role. Roles are determined less by the ability to sing the required notes and more by the quality of vocal tone necessary for the dramatic demands of the role. Casting is, and always should be, based on the tonal demands of the role. The ability to be heard over an orchestra should simply be a given; it must be there for any singer.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/formants-made-easy/3-voice-size-ability-to-be-heard/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMany like to equate the size of the voice with its ability to be heard over an orchestra.  The assumption is that a large voice will be heard more easily than a smaller voice.  Of course, that depends on what is meant by a \u0026ldquo;large\u0026rdquo; voice but, based on the comments I have read, most consider a large voice to be one that has a broad or extremely full tone and some on this list consider a voice that can yell in tune to be even more acceptable.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Voice Size and the Ability to be Heard"},{"content":"For questions about vocal pedagogy, singing technique, or other inquiries, please reach out via email.\nI welcome correspondence from singers, voice teachers, and anyone interested in the art of singing.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/contact-me/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor questions about vocal pedagogy, singing technique, or other inquiries, please reach out via email.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI welcome correspondence from singers, voice teachers, and anyone interested in the art of singing.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Contact Me"},{"content":"If the soprano wishes to maintain or increase vocal intensity on an /a/ vowel in the range from about E5 and up, all-the-while keeping a vocal quality that closely matches her quality below these notes, she must gradually open her mouth as she ascends above E5. Acoustically she is tuning the first formant of her vocal tract to the fundamental and as the fundamental rises above E5 she must raise the first formant resonance to match the fundamental which she does by opening the mouth. Most female singers will do this instinctively. Middle voice notes below E5 will tune the second formant to one of the overtones of the fundamental.\nHere is Anna Netrebko using this technique. Notice how carefully she adjusts mouth opening and lip formation to accommodate correct formant tuning even though she is ostensibly singing an /a/ vowel throughout the piece.\nBut the above description does not preclude another method of singing these notes above E5. The soprano can continue to leave the mouth opening similar to its opening in the middle voice and attempt to keep the second formant tuned to one of the overtones of the higher notes. This will produce a very fluty sound quality and is often taught by choral directors to keep the soprano section from overpowering the rest of the choir. It is also used in classical singing for particular emotional effects etc. The problem with this kind of formant tuning is that as the fundamental gets higher and higher, the overtones get further and further apart until the only way to tune the second formant to extremely high notes is to round the lips or pucker them a bit and a new quality emerges that resembles a whistle. You can observe some sopranos on youtube doing this when they sing extremely high notes; they actually close the mouth a bit.\nHere is Lily Pons using this technique of tuning the second formant to an upper overtone for selected high notes. Notice how she often closes the mouth slightly on these selected high tones exactly when one would expect to see her open the mouth wider. And notice the how sweet and flute like is the resultant tone. Of course, she also uses the technique of tuning the first formant to the fundamental by opening the mouth wider as she goes up the scale when she want a more dramatic quality. By the way, Lily Pons is 76 years old in this performance.\nThe /a/ vowel is the only viable vowel to sing in the range above G5. It is the vowel that has the highest first formant and the lowest second formant so format tuning of either method is made more possible. On extremely high notes it is sometimes beneficial to attempt a vowel that naturally has a high second formant such as an /e/ or even an /i/ vowel but doing so with the understanding that these vowels will not sound like good /e/ or /i/ vowels because only their second formant is being sounded; their first formant is well below the sung pitch and cannot resonate anything. In other words the tongue is in the correct position for either of these vowels but what is heard is something different from what is expected. Yet when the tongue is in the position for these two vowels it is fronted and the small space in front of the tongue produces the high second formant.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/formants-made-easy/soprano/soprano-formant-change/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf the soprano wishes to maintain or increase vocal intensity on an /a/ vowel in the range from about E5 and up, all-the-while keeping a vocal quality that closely matches her quality below these notes, she must gradually open her mouth as she ascends above E5.  Acoustically she is tuning the first formant of her vocal tract to the fundamental and as the fundamental rises above E5 she must raise the first formant resonance to match the fundamental which she does by opening the mouth.  Most female singers will do this instinctively.  Middle voice notes below E5 will tune the second formant to one of the overtones of the fundamental.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Soprano Formant Change"},{"content":"A collection of essays and thoughts on vocal technique, singing pedagogy, and the art of the voice.\nBrowse articles on breath management, vocal registers, formant tuning, and exercises for singers.\nView all articles →\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/thoughts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA collection of essays and thoughts on vocal technique, singing pedagogy, and the art of the voice.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrowse articles on breath management, vocal registers, formant tuning, and exercises for singers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/posts/\"\u003eView all articles →\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Thoughts"},{"content":" This is a new blog and it is mine. I hope it can become a sharing place for singers, singing, teaching singing and all things that relate to that fine art.\nMy preference is for acoustic singing, singing that does not need to be amplified to be heard.\nBut I do not consider amplification unimportant. I simply believe that when singing depends primarily on amplification, the basic historic qualities of the singing voice are most often not well developed.\nWith this idea as a kind of précis or concept I will share letters, essays, and various thoughts with all who wish to visit this site. It is my hope that others will add to this so it can become a discussion of matters important.\nLloyd W. Hanson\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Lake at sunset\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/images/Lake-after-work2003.jpg\"\u003e\nThis is a new blog and it is mine.  I hope it can become a sharing place for singers, singing, teaching singing and all things that relate to that fine art.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy preference is for acoustic singing, singing that does not need to be amplified to be heard.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut I do not consider amplification unimportant. I simply believe that when singing depends primarily on amplification, the basic historic qualities of the singing voice are most often not well developed.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Welcome"},{"content":"\nI have been a voice teacher for more than 50 years. My experience branches into all avenues of vocal and instrumental music. As a graduate of St. Olaf College and a member of the St. Olaf Choir I sang in most of the major concert halls in the US and northern Europe. With a degree in music education I taught vocal music in the High Schools in Wisconsin and Minnesota for 21 years and appeared with the Minnesota Opera as a guest artist in many productions under the direction of H. Wesley Balk. I was also the tenor soloist with Plymouth Music Series under the direction of Philip Brunelle in Minneapolis.\nAfter earning a Masters and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado, Boulder, I began my university teaching in 1977 as Associate Director of Choral Studies and Voice Teacher at West Texas State University. In 1987 I was appointed Director of Opera Theatre and Professor of Voice at Northern Arizona University until my retirement in 2001. During that time I produced and directed 23 operas and musicals and conducted numerous musicals in conjunction with the NAU Department of Theatre.\nI have studied voice with many fine teachers. Burton Coffin, Barbara Doscher, Roy Schuessler, Conrad Ozborne, Eduard Foreman and Kenneth Jennings stand out as being especially influential in my development. I also studied Choral Conducting with Olaf C. Christiansen and Paul Christiansen. As anactive member of The Vocalist, an email discussion group, I frequently write about technical voice matters on that site. Mywork with Burton Coffin and Barbara Doscher furthered my strong interest in the function of the voice based on scientific research. I recently attended workshops with Donald Miller, the developer of the VoceVista system for diagnosing vocal technique and vocal rehabilitation.\nAlthough I am now retired, the study of singing and how we sing holds an ever present fascination for me. The knowledge we are now acquiring about the voice will produce not only more efficient singing but also a more accurate diagnosis of singer\u0026rsquo;s difficulties and through this a more direct and accurate method for improving performance. Voice teachers like to quote the old masters and seem secure that little new must be learned. It is a strange attitude when you realize that the old masters never embraced that same philosophy; they were always learning the new to add to the known. I hope this website can be of such a service to all of you, singers, teachers and the curious.\n","permalink":"https://www.lloydwhanson.com/myself/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Lloyd W. Hanson\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/images/LWH.png\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have been a voice teacher for more than 50 years. My experience branches into all avenues of vocal and instrumental music. As a graduate of St. Olaf College and a member of the St. Olaf Choir I sang in most of the major concert halls in the US and northern Europe. With a degree in music education I taught vocal music in the High Schools in Wisconsin and Minnesota for 21 years and appeared with the Minnesota Opera as a guest artist in many productions under the direction of H. Wesley Balk. I was also the tenor soloist with Plymouth Music Series under the direction of Philip Brunelle in Minneapolis.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"LWH"}]