The topic of this lesson is timbre and pitch of the voice. At the beginning of the course, we studied all the basic properties and characteristics of the voice in general, and we devote subsequent lessons to a more detailed acquaintance with each of them.
Today we will take a closer look at such characteristics of the voice as pitch and timbre. The goal of our lesson is to learn how to control the pitch and timbre of the voice, convey various emotions using pitch and timbre, and make accents with the voice.
In this lesson we will study different types of timbre, the dependence of voice pitch on timbre, and understand how to use this in practice.
Our tasks are clear, so let's go!
Voice apparatus
The voice appears as a result of sound vibrations in the air. But what causes these fluctuations?
The source of sound is the human vocal apparatus . It is quite complicated. Its main parts are the lungs and bronchi with a system of respiratory muscles of the chest, the larynx with vocal folds and a system of air cavities that act as resonators and sound emitters. The functions of all these organs are combined by the nervous system into a single process, as a result of which sound arises.
Sound occurs only during exhalation, when air from the lungs passes through the nose and mouth, causing vibration of the vocal cords. Between the right and left ligaments is the glottis. Air passes through it when breathing. The muscles of the larynx change the position of its cartilage. As a result, the width of the glottis changes, as well as the tension of the vocal cords.
When a person is silent, his vocal cords are spread apart and the glottis is open so as not to interfere with air passing freely when breathing. When sound is produced, the glottis becomes narrower; the air passing through it vibrates the ligaments, which, in turn, make the air vibrate. A vocal wave arises, which is called voice. The voice then passes through the pharynx, nose and mouth. He encounters obstacles on his way that create certain positions for him with his tongue, lips and teeth. Overcoming these obstacles, the voice gives birth to sounds.
Ligaments have different lengths and thicknesses in different people. That's why people's voices differ. The longer and thicker a person's vocal cords, the lower their voice.
The vocal cords of men are larger and longer than those of women. And in women, the ligaments are longer and more massive than in children.
How to develop a voice in a week
You cannot become a professional vocalist in a short period of time and you cannot develop the skills of proper breathing, clean intonation, or singing into resonators from scratch.
The fact is that when we sing, many organs are involved: lungs, larynx, ligaments, hard and soft palate, tongue, teeth, cheeks, etc. And they all must move correctly, take the right position in order for the singing to be beautiful and controllable.
These actions should occur automatically - this is the only way to achieve coordinated functioning of the singing apparatus and the need to act out a role when singing. And in order to bring the voice to automaticity, you need to let the muscles get used to the new method of sound production and remember it, i.e. practice singing correctly.
Essentially, by regularly attending vocal classes, we train our muscles. Like in the gym. But we don’t expect our body to acquire the shape of Arnold Schwarzenegger in two classes!
Therefore, it is necessary to give your singing apparatus time to get used to new movements and bring them to automaticity. On average, after two to three months of regular practice, the body masters the technique of vocal (diaphragmatic-lower costal) breathing, and uses this skill when singing without your participation. The more time passes, the more firmly these movements will be ingrained into muscle memory.
The same goes for articulation. By regularly developing the mobility of the muscles of the face and oral cavity, you will not only “wake up” and pump them up, but also force them to work and participate in sound production when singing.
In general, the process of developing and establishing a voice is a long one - for a long-term result, you need to spend at least six months and support it with home training: breathing and articulation exercises, chanting and singing songs.
Timbre in the service of politics
In 2012, correspondents for the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society, in collaboration with PR technologists and neuropsychologists, conducted surveys of Americans who answered the question: “What timbre of voice makes them most trustworthy in a politician?”
The authors of the publication recorded 17 women and 10 men who uttered one phrase - “I urge you to vote for me in November.” The recordings were digitally corrected. They created pairs - one voice was raised, the other was lowered. “Voters” chose deep low timbres. Moreover, both male and female.
Scientists have long come to the conclusion that the secret of a person’s success/failure is in the timbre of his voice. Sociologist of communication at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London - Professor Sophia Scott - Fr. But the timbre also reveals what a person might want to hide.
What can you do in a week?
If you have the task of preparing a song for a holiday, then in a week you can improve the following points:
- Choose the right song. Perhaps the composition you chose is too complex or simply not suitable for you. The teacher will help you choose a piece that will show your voice to its advantage.
- Start breathing correctly. It will be difficult to achieve automaticity in a week, but you will still feel positive changes when singing.
- Work on the purity of performance by learning the melody. The teacher selects the melody of the voice on the piano - this makes it easier for people with an underdeveloped ear for music to hit the notes and learn the melody of the song more easily.
- Get rid of ear-piercing moments. For example, there may be places where you sound too nasal or start shouting, don’t have time to catch your breath, and sing with a thin, trembling sound. Emergency help from a vocal teacher will help clean up these places, and overall your performance will look better.
Overtones
These are sounds above sounds. A trained throat produces two sounds simultaneously - tone and overtone. Overtones are high-frequency and ranged according to the laws of the “golden ratio”. What it is? When we look at a person’s face and find it attractive, this means that it is “tailored” by nature in proportion to the proportion of its parts. In the same way, overtones harmonize the timbre of the voice using intervals.
The voice seems to climb up an overtone ladder - from one step to another. There are pauses between them. “The first overtone is an octave away from the tone. The second one is smaller. This is a fifth." And in the same way - in “steps” of overtones - the ordinary human ear gradually adjusts, which initially may not distinguish overtones.
Vocal exercises for the correct formation and presentation of sound, expanding the range
Each person has his own initial vocal abilities, his own strengths and weaknesses. A vocal teacher knows how to develop a voice for a particular person to sing. The teacher will suggest the correct vocal exercises based on the initial level, physiology and learning goals. It is not recommended to select and perform such exercises yourself: doing the exercises incorrectly is harmful and leads to voice failure and injury to the ligaments.
This doesn't mean you can't exercise on your own. Do breathing exercises and articulation exercises - and the more often, the better. Remember that the main thing is systematicity. Exercises every day for 20 minutes will bring benefits, and not once a week, but 2 hours. Mastering diaphragmatic breathing and training your abdominal muscles will allow vocal growth to come faster.
Breathing exercises
Breathing is the basis of singing. In everyday life, chest breathing (a type of breathing in which the shoulders and chest rise) is more common, especially among women. Chest breathing is not suitable for singing. Vocalists use diaphragmatic breathing when singing, which uses the abdominal muscles while keeping the shoulders and chest motionless. This is called "belly breathing." Thanks to diaphragmatic breathing, the singer regulates the force of exhalation, creates support for singing, and distributes the air. Despite the fact that children breathe from the stomach from birth, with age breathing changes to the chest. The muscles that are involved in diaphragmatic breathing remain underdeveloped - they are developed with the help of breathing exercises.
Working on breathing is an essential part of a vocalist’s development. By practicing methodically, day after day, the singer accelerates vocal growth and gains more freedom in singing. Without proper breathing, you cannot hit a high note, you cannot sing with pitch, you cannot distribute the air throughout a phrase. It is impossible to develop a voice for singing without breathing.
Timbre in the service of special services
Timbre is one of the objective collations that intelligence agencies take into account when compiling psychoportraits of criminals. FBI and CIA profilers pay attention to how the voice rattles and seems to “stumble.” When he fusses and doesn’t say anything, the timbre becomes jumpy and indistinct. Anxiety will make him “get cocky,” raising his tone. Cognitive dissonance will be expressed in sharp vocal fluctuations and demonstrate a precarious position and uncertainty. Intense timbre - control over every step. Metallic notes - conviction. Increased volume - the desire to suppress. But the basic timbre pattern remains unchanged forever.
