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For a long time, there have been constant debates concerning human singing resonance (vocal cords) as to whether they are a whistle, stringed instrument or reed instrument. The debate ends with a stalemate with everyone agreeing that human vocal cords are all of the above and much more. The human vocal cord is a distinct instrument that is far superior and cannot be compared to any artificial instrument. The vocal cords are more capable, more complex as compared to any other instrument. Additionally, our vocal cords can imitate almost every instrument and are even more beautiful. No musical instrument is able to bring so much feeling and emotion into a song than the human voice.
Vocal Chords Elements
Each vocal chord has 3 elements that are common to all other musical instruments. These elements are a resonator, a vibrator, and a motor. In addition, vocal cords have one additional element that is not found in other musical instruments, which is an articulator.
1. Motor: respiratory muscles and the lungs.
2. Vibrator: the vocal cords.
3. Resonator: head, nasal and throat cavities.
4. Articulator: palate, teeth, lips, and tongue
These elements are exclusive to each person and its capacity and size to perform vary from one person to the other. With no doubt, each person’s capacity is unique in its own way. Since everybody has a unique vocal element, it is up to him to increase its capabilities and use it maximally. If the singing resonance elements are developed, strengthened and modulated, a person can be able to express fear, courage, doubt, grief, anger, pain, pleasure, etc using his tonal and voice quality. There is no other man-made instrument that is able to produce such a wide range of emotions.
The tuning fork can be used to explain the power and quality of a singing resonance. When the tuning fork is vibrated, you can only see the vibration though you cannot be able to hear anything especially if you hold it in the air. But if the tuning fork is placed on the table, a plate, a violin’s bridge or glass, it will produce tones that can be heard from a longer distance.
In the same way, you cannot hear the vocal cords on its own without the assistance of other elements. Vocal organs vibrate combining with vibrations in the head and nasal cavities, which makes up the resonance chambers. This is where the sound is developed and can be heard in its thrown distance and in tonal quality and the color it is formed. However, this will depend on each person.
Rapid periodic vibrations results in the tone. The tone’s pitch largely depends on various variations at a given time; the tone’s loudness depends on the vibration’s amplitude. Furthermore, to achieve a better singing resonance, one needs to note that the tone’s quality is dependent on the form of vibration while the form of vibration depends on the resonator.
How to Improve Your Voice Resonance
Much of the quality contained within your voice is dependent on the manner in which you can improve your voice resonance.
Therefore What Exactly Is Voice Resonance?
Sound can be described as vibration. Each note or pitch of a particular sound is decided by the speed in which an object will vibrate. The resonance can then be determined by the area within which all the vibrating takes place. For instance if you have two-stringed instruments which have similar features but with different sounds such as the guitar and the violin. The sound is likely to be determined by the area of vibration rather than any notes or strings that are played. This has an effect on the sound harmonics or in some cases the range and sound of overtones. It happens to be the material, size, and shape of the instruments’ ‘box’ that has some form of effect on the resonating notes.
What is the ‘box’ that resonates sound?
It could be the nasal cavity, throat, mouth or chest. Because we have varying body sizes we often have distinctive voices. The moment we begin to sing we are able to manipulate this space, which results in varied resonating quality as well as different styles of singing. An example is the varied resonating qualities that are experienced when listening to jazz and opera and these account for the many sounds of each of the styles.
Plenty of neophyte singers get into a trap of trying to unnaturally alter this space. In many cases, vocal trainers tell students to maintain their larynx, jaw, and mouth in a particular position and widening the throat just like yawning. This is tantamount to forcing students to follow a standard method that is considered good or ideal. This methodology compromises the unique style that a singer usually has and in its place is a fake manipulated sound. This will cause more restrictions rather than making a singer independent. The result is usually a compress’s tight sound and the performer will sound like a person who has undergone vocal lessons but does not have an interesting style that is artistic.
How To Make Your Singing Voice Better with Resonance?
In case your voice does not have the resonation that is to your preference then the hitch may be caused by the tension that has accumulated from years of regular use. Release any tension that is blocking any vibration that makes your voice be more restricted. This will improve voice resonance. A lot more is required than simply saying ‘relax’. The capacity to relax some areas can be learned as a skill.
Despite the style that you intend to sing ranging from opera to rock, you can get a more intense and independent resonance. This happens when you increase the strength of particular areas and let go of tension that has built up on other areas.
Voice resonance is integrated with other aspects of life. When your voice gets freer and has more resonance, you will find that the implications of ‘resonance’ are larger. You tend to resonate along with others and your surroundings. In case you inhibit your voice then you will seem like a restricted individual. Let your physical voice grow and let the inner voice be heard. Just like any other artist you need to resonate with an audience. And being a human you need to make your voice resonance sounded better in order to have resonation with others.
Voice Resonance Exercises: Steps
- If you want to have a good voice resonance, try humming a particular note in your comfortable pitch.
- Start shifting your pitch in a slightly lower tone. In this process, you should try to focus your attention on how you’re able to produce a chest voice.
- Now, hold your note and continue humming until such time that you can already feel the vibration going on in your chest.
- It’s now time to make your humming vibration with intense.
- Begin moving your pitch slightly higher to a couple of octaves, and focus your attention now to how you feel in your head.
- Get that feeling of vibration existing in your chest and head, and increase the amount of intensity in your humming vibration.
- You can start opening your mouth now, and continue humming up to the time that you can already feel that your lips and tongue are both vibrating, as well as above and behind your mouth.
- Continue with your humming until such time that you can already feel the great difference. Keep in mind that you should not force the air when you hum, breath frequently, and pause when you’re feeling some discomfort.
- Now it’s time for you to increase the intensity of your vibration.
- Refocusing your attention to the vibrations that are going on in your chest is the next move.
- Lastly, you should do this exercise for five times, and try to remember that it should end up focusing on your chest, with the aim of developing a kind of sound that is vibrant and full.
3 Vocal Resonance Exercises that Eliminates Tension
By this time, you should already be aware that vocal resonance exercises help in enhancing the basic phonation product in its intensity or timbre through air-filled cavities. There are a lot of terms that are used to describe vocal resonance, but most of them are still doubtful in the eyes of acoustic experts. While changing the shape and size of a resonance cavity also changes your vocal tone, it becomes more visible that effective control of articulation and correct pronunciation of words have great effects in singing.
Here are 3 important exercises that you can follow to boost your vocal resonance and prevent tension on your vocal cords while singing.
1) Determine Your Favorite Vowel
First, you should be able to determine your most favorite vowel and your least one. Your favored vowels are usually the ones that you find easy to sing in high pitch ranges while the least ones are those that give you a hard time in singing on all pitch ranges.
When you have determined your favored vowels, use them to your great advantage. First thing that you have to do to practice these vocal resonance exercises is to sing using these vowels. Then, you can do the same procedure on other vowels until they become easy like your favorite vowels. You may experience too much time and effort practicing these exercises, but if you can do it efficiently with one vowel, all the rest will follow easily.
2) Shaping Your Mouth
Second, learning the concept involved in shaping your mouth can be of great help. If you can use it to control your voice resonance instead of just making it follow the vowels when you’re singing, that could be greater. Practice it by yawning; observe that huge space that is available in your mouth. In this process, your brain dictates its wide opening to allow the entry of more air.
If you’re aiming to become an professional singer, you need to perform regular vocal resonance exercises by simple yawning where a big space is being widened uncontrollably without necessarily forcing it. The wider that you’re able to open that space at the back of your throat, the more it will become easier for you to reach all those resonating cavities.
Therefore, practice your lips and mouth in forming the shapes necessary to sing the vowels and consonants with great ease. But in doing this, make sure that you maintain the shape and size of your mouth consistently.
3) Dexterity with Tension on Face
Third, develop appropriate dexterity without any tension on your face, jaw, and lips. Practice vocal resonance techniques often to provide your facial muscles with a warm-up exercise.
You should also perform lip diction exercises such as singing with different vowels and consonants, and tongue twisters. In performing these exercises, bear in mind that the more you’re able to control your facial muscles, you can have more control over your diction. At this point, there’s a rule that you can follow in doing these vocal resonance exercises – if you have no control over your voice, there will be tension, and where there’s tension, it’s revealed in the tone of your voice.
Benefits of Voice Resonance
The most important benefit that you derive when you have a very quality voice resonance is that you’re able to project a kind of voice that is linked intimately to your inner voice. As a singer, you can connect with the audience by resonating with your physical and inner voice.
This makes me think once for all that beyond technique there is physical feature of everyone. If you focus on your resonance and try effortlessly to go up higher, you become a perfect singer with no teacher.
Breathing control and “singing from diaphragm” are the most basic singing skills a singer must master.
https://www.becomesingers.com/exercises/breathing-control-exercises-and-techniques-for-singer
https://www.becomesingers.com/techniques/how-to-sing-from-diaphragm
There are too many basic singing skills that a singer must mastered. In my opinion, there is no specific sequence on that.
I sing in a barbershop chorus and I find there is little or no time to develop the basics of singing. Also many of the multitude of exercises oare used to try an resolve issues of resonance , tone and musical interpretation. Is there a described process to follow that explains the sequence?
I have achieve a lot from these lessons thanks