Singing
Singing is the act of creating
Singing can be formal or informal, arranged, or improvised. It may be done as a form of religious devotion, as a hobby, as a source of pleasure, comfort, as part of a ritual, during
Voices
In its physical aspect, singing has a well-defined technique that depends on the use of the lungs, which act as an air supply or
The sound of each individual's singing voice is entirely unique not only because of the actual shape and size of an individual's vocal cords, but also due to the size and shape of the rest of that person's body. Humans have vocal folds which can loosen, tighten, or change their thickness, and over which breath can be transferred at varying pressures. The shape of the chest and neck, the position of the tongue, and the tightness of otherwise unrelated muscles can be altered. Any one of these actions results in a change in pitch, volume (loudness), timbre, or tone of the sound produced. Sound also resonates within different parts of the body and an individual's size and bone structure can affect the sound produced by an individual.
Singers can also learn to project sound in certain ways so that it resonates better within their vocal tract. This is known as
It has also been shown that a more powerful voice may be achieved with a fatter and fluid-like vocal fold mucosa.[11][12] The more pliable the mucosa, the more efficient the transfer of energy from the airflow to the vocal folds.[13]
Vocal classification
Voice type |
---|
Female |
Male |
In
However, most classical music systems acknowledge seven different major voice categories. Women are typically divided into three groups:
Within
Within contemporary forms of music (sometimes referred to as
Vocal registration
Vocal registers |
---|
HighestLowest |
Vocal registration refers to the system of vocal registers within the voice. A register in the voice is a particular series of tones, produced in the same vibratory pattern of the
- A particular part of the vocal range such as the upper, middle, or lower registers.
- A resonance area such as chest voice or head voice.
- A phonatory process (phonation is the process of producing vocal sound by the vibration of the vocal folds that is in turn modified by the resonance of the vocal tract)
- A certain vocal timbre or vocal "color"
- A region of the voice which is defined or delimited by vocal breaks.
In
Vocal resonation
Vocal resonation is the process by which the basic product of phonation is enhanced in timbre and/or intensity by the air-filled cavities through which it passes on its way to the outside air. Various terms related to the resonation process include amplification, enrichment, enlargement, improvement, intensification, and prolongation, although in strictly scientific usage acoustic authorities would question most of them. The main point to be drawn from these terms by a singer or speaker is that the result of resonation is, or should be, to make a better sound.
Chest voice and head voice
Chest voice and head voice are terms used within
History and development
The first recorded mention of the terms chest voice and head voice was around the 13th century when it was distinguished from the "throat voice" (pectoris, guttoris, capitis—at this time it is likely that head voice referred to the
However, as knowledge of physiology has increased over the past two hundred years, so has the understanding of the physical process of singing and vocal production. As a result, many vocal pedagogists, such as Ralph Appelman at
The contemporary use of the term chest voice often refers to a specific kind of vocal coloration or vocal timbre. In classical singing, its use is limited entirely to the lower part of the
Vocal registers: General discussion of transitions
Passaggio (Italian pronunciation:
Vocal registers and transitions
One cannot adequately discuss the vocal passaggio without having a basic understanding of the different vocal registers. In his book The Principles of Voice Production, Ingo Titze states, "The term register has been used to describe perceptually distinct regions of vocal quality that can be maintained over some ranges of pitch and loudness."[30] Discrepancies in terminology exist between different fields of vocal study, such as teachers and singers, researchers, and clinicians. As Marilee David points out, "Voice scientists see registration primarily as acoustic events."[31] For singers, it is more common to explain registration events based on the physical sensations they feel when singing. Titze also explains that there are discrepancies in the terminology used to talk about vocal registration between speech pathologists and singing teachers.[32] Since this article discusses the passaggio, which is a term used by classical singers, the registers will be discussed as they are in the field of singing rather than speech pathology and science.
The three main registers, described as head, middle (mixed), and chest voice, are described as having a rich timbre, because of the overtones due to the sympathetic resonance within the human body. Their names are derived from the area in which the singer feels these resonant vibration in the body. The chest register, more commonly referred to as the chest voice, is the lowest of the registers. When singing in the chest voice the singer feels sympathetic vibration in the chest. This is the register that people most commonly use while speaking. The middle voice falls in between the chest voice and head voice. The head register, or the head voice, is the highest of the main vocal registers. When singing in the head voice, the singer may feel sympathetic vibration occurring in the face or another part of the head. Where these registers lie in the voice is dependent on sex and the voice type within each sex.[33]
There are an additional two registers called falsetto and flageolet register, which lie above their head register.[34][35] Training is often required to access the pitches within these registers. Men and women with lower voices rarely sing in these registers. Lower-voiced women in particular receive very little if any training in the flageolet register. Men have one more additional register called the strohbass, which lies below the chest voice. Singing in this register is hard on the vocal cords, and therefore, is hardly ever used.[36]
Vocal pedagogy
Vocal pedagogy is the study of the teaching of singing. The art and science of vocal pedagogy has a long history that began in
Vocal pedagogy concepts are a part of developing proper
- Anatomy and physiology as it relates to the physical process of singing
- Vocal health and voice disordersrelated to singing
- Breathing and air support for singing
- Phonation
- Vocal resonation or Voice projection
- Vocal registration: a particular series of tones, produced in the same vibratory pattern of the vocal folds, and possessing the same quality, which originate in laryngeal function, because each of these vibratory patterns appears within a particular range of pitches and produces certain characteristic sounds.
- Voice classification
- Vocal health and
- Vocal styles: for classical singers, this includes styles ranging from "belted out"a blues ballads; for jazz singers, styles can include Swing ballads and scatting.
- Techniques used in styles such as
Vocal technique
Singing when done with proper vocal technique is an integrated and coordinated act that effectively coordinates the physical processes of singing. There are four physical processes involved in producing vocal sound: respiration, phonation, resonation, and articulation. These processes occur in the following sequence:
- Breath is taken
- Sound is initiated in the larynx
- The vocal resonators receive the sound and influence it
- The articulators shape the sound into recognizable units
Although these four processes are often considered separately when studied, in actual practice, they merge into one coordinated function. With an effective singer or speaker, one should rarely be reminded of the process involved as their mind and body are so coordinated that one only perceives the resulting unified function. Many vocal problems result from a lack of coordination within this process.[19]
Since singing is a coordinated act, it is difficult to discuss any of the individual technical areas and processes without relating them to others. For example, phonation only comes into perspective when it is connected with respiration; the articulators affect resonance; the resonators affect the vocal folds; the vocal folds affect breath control; and so forth. Vocal problems are often a result of a breakdown in one part of this coordinated process which causes voice teachers to frequently focus intensively on one area of the process with their student until that issue is resolved. However, some areas of the art of singing are so much the result of coordinated functions that it is hard to discuss them under a traditional heading like phonation, resonation, articulation, or respiration.
Once the voice student has become aware of the physical processes that make up the act of singing and of how those processes function, the student begins the task of trying to coordinate them. Inevitably, students and teachers will become more concerned with one area of the technique than another. The various processes may progress at different rates, with a resulting imbalance or lack of coordination. The areas of vocal technique which seem to depend most strongly on the student's ability to coordinate various functions are:[16]
- Extending the vocal range to its maximum potential
- Developing consistent vocal production with a consistent tone quality
- Developing flexibility and agility
- Achieving a balanced vibrato
- A blend of chest and head voice on every note of the range[40]
Developing the singing voice
Singing is a skill that requires highly developed muscle reflexes. Singing does not require much muscle strength but it does require a high degree of muscle coordination. Individuals can develop their voices further through the careful and systematic practice of both songs and vocal exercises. Vocal exercises have several purposes, including[16] warming up the voice; extending the vocal range; "lining up" the voice horizontally and vertically; and acquiring vocal techniques such as legato, staccato, control of dynamics, rapid figurations, learning to sing wide intervals comfortably, singing trills, singing melismas and correcting vocal faults.
Vocal pedagogists instruct their students to exercise their voices in an intelligent manner. Singers should be thinking constantly about the kind of sound they are making and the kind of sensations they are feeling while they are singing.[19]
Learning to sing is an activity that benefits from the involvement of an instructor. A singer does not hear the same sounds inside his or her head that others hear outside. Therefore, having a guide who can tell a student what kinds of sounds he or she is producing guides a singer to understand which of the internal sounds correspond to the desired sounds required by the style of singing the student aims to re-create.[citation needed]
Extending vocal range
An important goal of vocal development is to learn to sing to the natural limits[41] of one's vocal range without any obvious or distracting changes of quality or technique. Vocal pedagogists teach that a singer can only achieve this goal when all of the physical processes involved in singing (such as laryngeal action, breath support, resonance adjustment, and articulatory movement) are effectively working together. Most vocal pedagogists believe in coordinating these processes by (1) establishing good vocal habits in the most comfortable tessitura of the voice, and then (2) slowly expanding the range.[8]
There are three factors that significantly affect the ability to sing higher or lower:
- The energy factor – "energy" has several connotations. It refers to the total response of the body to the making of sound; to a dynamic relationship between the breathing-in muscles and the breathing-out muscles known as the breath support mechanism; to the amount of breath pressure delivered to the vocal folds and their resistance to that pressure; and to the dynamic level of the sound.
- The space factor – "space" refers to the size of the inside of the mouth and the position of the palate and larynx. Generally speaking, a singer's mouth should be opened wider the higher he or she sings. The internal space or position of the soft palate and larynx can be widened by relaxing the throat. Vocal pedagogists describe this as feeling like the "beginning of a yawn".
- The depth factor – "depth" has two connotations. It refers to the actual physical sensations of depth in the body and vocal mechanism, and to mental concepts of depth that are related to tone quality.
McKinney says, "These three factors can be expressed in three basic rules: (1) As you sing higher, you must use more energy; as you sing lower, you must use less. (2) As you sing higher, you must use more space; as you sing lower, you must use less. (3) As you sing higher, you must use more depth; as you sing lower, you must use less."[16]
Posture
The singing process functions best when certain physical conditions of the body are put in place. The ability to move air in and out of the body freely and to obtain the needed quantity of air can be seriously affected by the posture of the various parts of the breathing mechanism. A sunken chest position will limit the capacity of the lungs, and a tense abdominal wall will inhibit the downward travel of the diaphragm. Good posture allows the breathing mechanism to fulfill its basic function efficiently without any undue expenditure of energy. Good posture also makes it easier to initiate phonation and to tune the resonators as proper alignment prevents unnecessary tension in the body. Vocal pedagogists have also noted that when singers assume good posture it often provides them with a greater sense of self-assurance and poise while performing. Audiences also tend to respond better to singers with good posture. Habitual good posture also ultimately improves the overall health of the body by enabling better blood circulation and preventing fatigue and stress on the body.[8]
There are eight components of the ideal singing posture:
- Feet slightly apart
- Legs straight but knees slightly bent
- Hips facing straight forward
- Spine aligned
- Abdomen flat
- Chest comfortably forward
- Shoulders down and back
- Head facing straight forward
Breathing and breath support
Natural breathing has three stages: a breathing-in period, breathing out period, and a resting or recovery period; these stages are not usually consciously controlled. Within singing, there are four stages of breathing: a breathing-in period (inhalation); a setting up controls period (suspension); a controlled exhalation period (phonation); and a recovery period.
These stages must be under conscious control by the singer until they become conditioned reflexes. Many singers abandon conscious controls before their reflexes are fully conditioned which ultimately leads to chronic vocal problems.[42]
Vibrato
Vibrato is a technique in which a sustained note wavers very quickly and consistently between a higher and a lower pitch, giving the note a slight quaver. Vibrato is the pulse or wave in a sustained tone. Vibrato occurs naturally and is the result of proper breath support and a relaxed vocal apparatus.[43] Some studies have shown that vibrato is the result of a neuromuscular tremor in the vocal folds. In 1922 Max Schoen was the first to make the comparison of vibrato to a tremor due to change in amplitude, lack of automatic control and it being half the rate of normal muscular discharge.[44] Some singers use vibrato as a means of expression. Many successful artists can sing a deep, rich vibrato.
Extended vocal technique
Vocal music
Vocal music is
Genres of vocal music
Vocal music is written in many different forms and styles which are often labeled within a particular genre of music. These genres include
Popular and traditional music
In many modern pop
Popular music includes a range of vocal styles.
One difference between live performances in the popular and Classical genres is that whereas Classical performers often sing without amplification in small- to mid-size halls, in popular music, a
While some bands use backup singers who only sing when they are on stage, it is common for backup singers in popular music to have other roles. In many
Careers
The salaries and working conditions for vocalists vary a great deal. While jobs in other music fields such as music education choir conductors tend to be based on full-time, salaried positions, singing jobs tend to be based on contracts for individual shows or performances, or for a sequence of shows.
Aspiring singers and vocalists must have musical skills, an excellent voice, the ability to work with people, and a sense of showmanship and drama. Additionally, singers need to have the ambition and drive to continually study and improve,[45] Professional singers continue to seek out
Some singers learn other music jobs, such as the
Singing competitions
There are several television shows that showcase singing.
A different example of a singing competition is Don't Forget the Lyrics!, where the show's contestants compete to win cash prizes by correctly recalling song lyrics from a variety of genres. The show contrasts to many other music-based game shows in that artistic talent (such as the ability to sing or dance in an aesthetically pleasing way) is irrelevant to the contestants' chances of winning; in the words of one of their commercials prior to the first airing, "You don't have to sing it well; you just have to sing it right." In a similar vein, The Singing Bee combines karaoke singing with a spelling bee-style competition, with the show featuring contestants trying to remember the lyrics to popular songs.
Singing and language
Every spoken language, natural or non-natural language has its own intrinsic musicality which affects singing by means of pitch, phrasing, and accent.
Neurological aspects
Much research has been done recently on the link between music and language, especially singing. It is becoming increasingly clear that these two processes are very much alike, and yet also different. Levitin describes how, beginning with the eardrum, sound waves are translated into pitch, or a tonotopic map, and then shortly thereafter "speech and music probably diverge into separate processing circuits" (130).[47] There is evidence that neural circuits used for music and language may start out in infants undifferentiated. There are several areas of the brain that are used for both language and music. For example, Brodmann area 47, which has been implicated in the processing of syntax in oral and sign languages, as well as musical syntax and semantic aspects of language. Levitin recounts how in certain studies, "listening to music and attending its syntactic features", similar to the syntactic processes in language, activated this part of the brain. In addition, "musical syntax ... has been localized to ... areas adjacent to and overlapping with those regions that process speech syntax, such as Broca's area" and "the regions involved in musical semantics ... appear to be [localized] near Wernicke's area." Both Broca's area and Wernicke's area are important steps in language processing and production.
Singing has been shown to help stroke victims recover speech. According to neurologist Gottfried Schlaug, there is a corresponding area to that of speech, which resides in the left hemisphere, on the right side of the brain.[48] This is casually known as the "singing center". By teaching stroke victims to sing their words, this can help train this area of the brain for speech. In support of this theory, Levitin asserts that "regional specificity", such as that for speech, "may be temporary, as the processing centers for important mental functions actually move to other regions after trauma or brain damage."[47] Thus in the right hemisphere of the brain, the "singing center" may be retrained to help produce speech.[49]
Accents and singing
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2013) |
The speaking dialect or accent of a person may differ greatly from the general singing accent that a person uses while singing. When people sing, they generally use the accent or neutral accent that is used in the style of music they are singing in, rather than a regional accent or dialect; the style of music and the popular center/region of the style has more influence on the singing accent of a person than where they come from. For example, in the English language, British singers of rock or popular music often sing in an American accent or neutral accent instead of an English accent.[50][51]
See also
Art music
- A cappella
- Aria
- Bel canto
- Chanson
- Chiaroscuro (music)
- Choral music
- Fach
- Group singing
- Musician
- Opera
- Overtone singing
- Recitative
- Singer-songwriter
- Sprechgesang
- Throat singing
- Voice pedagogy
- Voice projection
- Voice type
- Yodeling
- Winsingad
Other music
- Beat boxing
- Belt (music)
- Death growl
- Humming
- Isicathamiya
- Kulning
- Lead vocalist
- Mbube
- Rapping
- Screaming (music)
- Songwriter
- Vocoder
Physiology
- N-acylethanolamine (NAE)
References
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- ^ "Definition of sing | Dictionary.com". www.dictionary.com. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
- ^ Company, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing. "The American Heritage Dictionary entry: singing". ahdictionary.com. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
- ^ "VOCALIST – meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary". Dictionary.cambridge.org. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- ^ "Vocalist | Definition of vocalist in US English by Oxford Dictionaries". Archived from the original on 2 October 2018.
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- Britannica Online Encyclopedia.
- ^ a b c polka dots
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- ^ Titze, I. R. (23 September 1995). "What's in a voice". New Scientist: 38–42.
- ^ Speak and Choke 1, by Karl S. Kruszelnicki, ABC Science, News in Science, 2002
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- ^ Clippinger, David Alva (1917). The head voice and other problems: Practical talks on singing. Oliver Ditson. p. 12.
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- ^ Ingo R. Titze, The Principles of Voice Production, Second Printing (Iowa City: National Center for Voice and Speech, 2000) 282.
- ^ Marilee David, The New Voice Pedagogy, 2nd ed. (Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2008) 59.
- ^ Ingo R. Titze, The Principles of Voice Production, Second Printing (Iowa City: National Center for Voice and Speech, 2000) 281.
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- ^ Richard Miller, The Structure of Singing: System and Art in Vocal Technique (New York: Schirmer Books: A Division of Macmillan, Inc., 1986) 115-149.
- ^ Marilee David, The New Voice Pedagogy, 2nd ed. (Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2008) 63.
- ^ Richard Miller, The Structure of Singing: System and Art in Vocal Technique (New York: Schirmer Books: A Division of Macmillan, Inc., 1986) 125.
- ^ "Ancient Greek Music". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
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- ^ Ramsey, Matt (24 June 2020). "10 Singing Techniques to Improve Your Singing Voice". Ramsey Voice Studio.
- ^ "Is it good to take natural cough syrup to sing". VisiHow.
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- ^ Fulford, Phyllis; Miller, Michael (2003). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Singing. Penguin Books. p. 64.
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- ^ "National Association for Music Education (NAfME)". Menc.org. 29 June 2017. Archived from the original on 20 April 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
- ^ "Contestants on Saregamapa". 10 March 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
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- ^ "Singing 'rewires' damaged brain". BBC News. 21 February 2010. Archived from the original on 17 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
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- ^ Alleyne, Richard (2 August 2010). "Rock 'n' roll best sung in American accents". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 August 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
- ^ Anderson, L.V. (19 November 2012). "Why Do British Singers Sound American?". Slate. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
Further reading
- Blackwood, Alan. The Performing World of the Singer. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1981. 113 p., amply ill. (mostly with photos.). ISBN 0-241-10588-9
- Platte, S. L.; et al. (2024). "Breathing with the Conductor? A Prospective, Quasi-Experimental Exploration of Breathing Habits in Choral Singers". Journal of Voice. 38 (1): 152–160. S2CID 237608913.
- Reid, Cornelius. A Dictionary of Vocal Terminology: an Analysis. New York: J. Patelson Music House, 1983. ISBN 0-915282-07-0