5. TIMBRE: VOICE
1. INTRODUCTION
Phases of voice emission
As any other instrument, the voice needs:
- a mechanism capable of generating a vibration.
- an elastic vibrating material.
- a sound box that amplifies and modulates the sound.
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Breathing: A proper breathing technique includes inspiration, retention and expiration. Types:
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Clavicular breathing: occurs when we raise our shoulders, air enters the lungs and the chest expands.
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Diaphragmatic breathing: occurs when we contract the diaphragm, air enters the lungs and the belly expands. It's the most appropriate breathing type for singing.
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Production: The voice is produced in the larynx where the vocal cords are; two small muscles that contract and vibrate when air passes through.
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Elaboration: The voice is amplified and modulated in the vocal resonators, which include thoracic cavity, trachea, mouth, nose and forehead. This phase gives each voice its unique timbre, which can be very rich and varied according to the emission technique, such as head, chest, nasal, throaty or falsetto voice.
Clavicular breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing
Voice change
It is the deepening of the voice of people as they reach puberty (12-15 years). The larynx grows bigger and the vocal cords get thicker and longer. The process is different in male and female voices.
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Male voice: vocal cords grow from 15 to 30 mm long and the voice lowers one octave.
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Female voice: vocal cords grow from 12 to 18 mm long and the voice lowers two or three tones.
Voice care tips
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Hydration: keep the vocal cords moist both internally (drink water, avoid ice-cold drinks, caffeine, alcohol and tobacco) and externally (use humidifier in dry environments).
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Breathing: use diaphragmatic breathing.
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Vocal misuse / overuse: avoid yelling, coughing, throat clearing and whispering.
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Professional tips for singers, actors, teachers and communicators: They should warm up, rest the voice after heavy use, know and respect their vocal limits (pitch and intensity), use microphones or amplification and soundproof the space to minimize noise.
Female voices
Soprano: high female voice.
Diana Damrau (classical)
Mozart - The magic flute. "Der Hölle Rache"
Ariana Grande (pop, whistle register)
Ariana Grande - "Emotions"
2. CLASSIFICATION
Voices are classified by taking into account two aspects:
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Tessitura: is the most comfortable range of pitches that a human
voice can sing (high, medium or low). -
Gender: male voices sound an octave lower than female voices.
Mezzosoprano: medium female voice.
Anna Caterina Antonacci (classical)
Bizet - Carmen. "Habanera"
Lady Gaga (pop)
Lady Gaga – "Abracadabra"
Contralto: low female voice.
Hilary Summers (classical)
Michael Nyman - "If"
Diana Krall (jazz)
Diana Krall - "Fly Me To The Moon"
Male voices
Tenor: high male voice.
Luciano Pavarotti (classical)
Verdi - Rigoletto. "La donna é mobile"
Freddy Mercury (rock)
Queen - "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Baritone: medium male voice.
Dmitri Hvorostovsky (classical)
Rossini - The barber of Seville.
"Largo al factotum"
Elvis Presley (rock)
Elvis Presley - "Suspicious Minds"
Bass: low male voice.
René Pape (classical)
Mozart - The magic flute. "O Isis und Osiris"
Josh Turner (country)
Josh Turner - "Would You Go With Me"
Special voices
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Castrato (plural castrati): male voice with a soprano tessitura produced by castration before puberty.
Nowadays, parts originally written for castrati are sung by female voices or countertenors. This practice kept the child's larynx and provided the lung capacity of an adult. It began in the 16th century, peaked in the 17th and 18th centuries and ended in the 19th century. Farinelli was the most famous castrato and Alessandro Moreschi was the last one and the only one to make recordings.
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Countertenor: male voice with a mezzosoprano or contralto tessitura.
Farinelli (castrato)
Händel - Rinaldo. "Lascia ch'io pianga"
Alessandro Moreschi (castrato)
Gounod - Ave Maria
Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor)
Vivaldi - Il Giustino. "Vedrò con mio diletto"
3. VOCAL GROUPS
Types of vocal music:
- A cappella music is performed exclusively with voices.
- Accompanied music is performed with both voices and instruments.
Vocal groups according to the number of members
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Soloist: one voice.
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Small groups
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Duet: made up of 2 voices.
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Trio: made up of 3 voices.
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Quartet: made up of 4 voices. "Mixed quartet" (SATB) is the most common.
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Chamber choir: made up of between 10 and 20 voices.
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Large groups
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Symphonic choir: made up of between 30 and 60 voices.
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Great choir /orfeón: made up of more than 80 voices.
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Vocal groups according to the type of voices
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Equal voice choir: made up of all-male, all-female or all-children's voices.
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Mixed choir: made up of male and female voices all together.
REVIEW
EXTENSION
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YouTubers: Gret Rocha, Areh, Cheryl Porter. Curso de canto
Vocabulary
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gallo: voice crack
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ronquera, voz ronca: hoarseness, hoarse voice
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afonía: aphonia, aphony, dysphonia