Resonance

The Role of the First Formant in Training the Male Singing Voice (Article)
Awareness of the acoustic registration events caused by changing interactions between the lower harmonics of the voice source and the first formant of the vocal tract can assist both teacher and student in working out a smooth, comfortable transition through the passaggio into the upper range of the male voice. This paper explains how knowledge and anticipation of these events, and of the passive vowel modifications that accompany them, can form the basis for effective pedagogic strategies. A relatively stable tube (vocal tract) length is necessary for timbral consistency and balance across the fundamental frequency range, since this can stabilize the general location of all formants and especially the singer’s formant cluster. However, upon ascending the scale, untrained males instinctively tend to activate muscles that shorten the tube in order to preserve the strong first formant/second harmonic (F1/H2) acoustic coupling of open timbre, resulting in “yell” timbre. If tube length and shape are kept stable during pitch ascent, the yell can be avoided by allowing the second harmonic to pass through and above the first formant. This results in the timbral shift referred to as covering or “turning over,” a shift which enables avoidance of the laryngeal muscular adjustments associated with pressed phonation. The variety of first formant locations, vowel by vowel, where these shifts occur creates opportunities for developing effective strategies for training the male passaggio. (posted 5:31 PM, November 2, 2014)

Some Phonatory and Resonatory Characteristics of the Rock, Pop, Soul, and Swedish Dance Band Styles of Singing (Article)
This investigation aims at describing voice function of four nonclassical styles of singing, Rock, Pop, Soul, and Swedish Dance Band. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

The Voice is Like a Car" (how does the voice work) (Article)
Dr. Titze and other experts explain vocal production by means of analogies to how a car works. This is highly simplified, but graphics are helpful. A highlight is a famous movie scene, in which the voice signal sounds as it would without the filtering of the vocal tract. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

More About Resonant Voice: Chasing the Formants But Staying Behind Them (Article)
To achieve a more resonant voice, a formant is not placed directly on a harmonic, but rather slightly above a harmonic. Stated conversely, the harmonic chases the formant, but never quite catches up with it. The advantage of this maneuver is a strengthening of all harmonics, not just a single one. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

What Makes a Voice Acoustically Strong? (Article)
A voice is acoustically strong if the glottal flow can be reduced from a high value to a low value in a short time interval. The total collapse of flow per second is called the maximum flow declination rate. It can be increased by increasing lung pressure, by increasing vibration at the bottom of the vocal fold, or by narrowing the acoustic tube immediately above the vocal folds. In practice, a combination of these control strategies is probably utilized by singers. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Vowel Modification Revisited (Article)
Modification involves shading vowels with respect to the location of vowel formants, so the sung pitch or one of its harmonics receives an acoustical boost by being near a formant. The goals of modification include a unified quality, throughout the entire range, smoother transitions between register, enhanced dynamic range and control, and improved intelligibility. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Resurrection from the Coffin (Article)
The author suggests that the Favorable Vowel Chart included in the writings of Berton Coffin over thirty years ago, needs to be resurrected, employing new theories of vowel modification and voice registers. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Another Incremental Step in Reviving and Revising Coffin's Favorable Vowel Chart (Article)
In a previous issue the author proposed a new way of looking at pitch-vowel interaction in singing as promulgated by Berton Coffin. In a yearly update, Dr. Titze writes that the basic goal of understanding why certain vowels are favored at certain pitches has not changed. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

The Search for Efficient Voice Production: Where Is It Leading Us? (Article)
The essay sheds light on the ongoing efforts to define what is meant by efficient voice production, that which gives the most output for the least effort. Most pedagogues, clinicians, and voice scientists have wrestled somewhat with this problem because voices are not often big enough or enduring enough for a given vocal task. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

The Application of Vocal Fry (Article)
Vocal fry is a vocal production that is marked by a low fundamental frequency (below 70 Hz), low subglottic pressure, and minimal air flow. This article describes in detail how vocal fry is produced, explores a variety of pedagogical opinions about fry and its utility in the teaching of singing, and provides sample exercises the authors have found successful for addressing specific vocal problems. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

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