Vocal Lit Presentation

2. Basic Physiology
HUMAN VOCAL SYSTEM
AIR P R E S S U R E S YS TE M :
d iap h ragm , ch e s t and ab d om inal
m u s cle s , lu ngs , rib s
VIBR ATIO N S YS TE M :
voice b ox (larynx) and voice fold s
R E S O N ATIN G S YS TE M :
th roat (p h arynx), nas al p as s age s
oral cavity
AR TIC U LATIN G S YS TE M :
jaw, lip s , tongu e

3. Basic Physiology
AIR FLOW “SIGNAL PATH”
1 . E nte rs Lu ngs
Th rou gh oral cavity / trach e a
2. E xits Lu ngs
E xp e lle d b y d iap h ragm / ab s
3. E ncou nte rs & Vib rate s Vocal F old
R e p e ating alte rnating p re s s u re s
from top and b ottom cre ate
au d ib le cyclical p u ls e s of air
4. E nte r Vocal R e s onators
Th roat / M ou th / N os e
D e ve lop Tim b ral Q u alitie s
6. Articu late d b y j
aw, lip s , & tongu e
into langu age and oth e r s ou nd s

4. Basic Physiology
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9Wdf-RwLcs
LO W TE N S IO N :
Air e s cap ing a re laxe d vocal
fold (op e n th rou gh th e m id line )
cre ate s a “ b re ath y” s ou nd .
H IG H TE N S IO N :
O ve rly te ns e vocal fold will
s tru ggle or s train at h igh e r
fre qu e ncie s .
C H AN G E S IN M AS S :
S we lling in s oft tis s u e can
alte r vocal fold te ns ion.

5. Vocal Timbre
ELEMENTS OF VOCAL TONE
P H O N ATIO N :
Air flow le ve ls and ch ange s of
th e q u as i p e riod ic vib rations of
th e vocal fold .
F O R M AN TS :
U niq u e and fu nd am e ntal
ch aracte ris tics of vowe l s h ap e
and ch iaros cu ro (b alance of
h igh tone s to low tone s ).
R E S O N AN C E :
S ize , s h ap e , & m as s of th e
b od y's re s onant cavitie s .

6. Formant Types
city s it be d b ad fath e r ? you put flood ?

7. Formants Continued
PHISICAL CHANGES
for VOWEL FORMANTS

8. Formants in the Mix

9. Vocal Range
Quick Vocal Range Tips
1 . D e fine d as th e lowe s t to
h igh e s t note a p articu lar voice
can p rod u ce .
2. S h ou ld b e d e fine d as th e
lowe s t to h igh e s t m u s ically u s e fu l
p itch e s a p e rform e r can p rod u ce .
3.Be ing ab le to d e fine a
p e rform e rs m u s ical range will
h e lp you p lay to th e ir s tre ngth s .
4. Th e s tre ngth zone (te s s itu ra) is
ge ne rally fou nd in th e m id d le of a
p e rform e rs range .
5. S S ATBB R ange s ove rlap , b u t
not te s s itu ras . H z ch arts com ing

10. Vocal Ranges SSATBB
Common Vocal Ranges in Hz
Soprano:
C4 – C6 = 261Hz-1046Hz
Mezzo-Soprano:
A3 – A5 = 220Hz – 880Hz
Alto:
F3 – F5 = 175Hz – 698Hz
Tenor:
C3 – C5 = 131Hz – 523Hz
Baritone:
F2 – F4 = 44Hz – 349Hz
Bass:
E2 – E4 = 82Hz – 328Hz

11. Vocal Registers
Vocal Register Tips BASIC ROUNDED OFF VIEW
1 . N ot to b e confu s e d w/ vocal
range
of the FOUR MOST COMMON
2. D e fine d as a s p an of p itch e s
VOCAL REGISTERS
th at are p rod u ce d b y one (of th e
fou r vib ratory p atte rns of th e vocal
fold .
3. E ve ryone can p rod u ce s om e of
th e m . N o one can p rod u ce all
fou r.
4. E ach re gis te r h as it's own
vib ratory p atte rn, com m on p itch
range , and ch aracte ris tic s ou nd .
5. Th e fou r vocal re gis te rs are
cate gorize d confu s ingly from

12. Moar Vocal Registers
Some Vocal Register Types and Subtypes
F R Y/ ATTLE / C R APE :
R S
Lowe s t vocal re gis te r. M any cannot re ach it. Ve ry tigh t vocal fold vib rating
irre gu larly. Too m u ch u s e can ge t u nh e alth y.
C H E S T (LO W/ ID D LE ):
M
R e fe rs to th e natu ral m anne r of actions of th e vocal fold . Te nd s to h ave warm e r
d arke r tim b re s . O fte n d ivid e d into Lowe r and M id d le ch e s t s u b re gis te rs . Lowe r
ch e s t ofte n as s ociate d w/ “ ch e s t re s onance ” arou nd 1 00H z. M id d le C h e s t ofte r
as s ociate d with m ale vowe l s ou nd s and with s inge rs trans itioning from C h e s t
re gis te r to H e ad re gis te r.
H E AD :
O fte n calle d “ h e ad voice ” d u e th e com m on fe e ling th at th e re s onance of th e vocal
s ou nd is p rim arily occu rring in th e h e ad and h as a ch aracte ris tic ringing tone . H e ad
re gis te r can b e carrie d d own and m aintaine d lowe r, to wh at wou ld b e th e C h e s t
re gis te r, b u t th e tone of th e voice will ge ne rally b e com e th inne r and lowe r p itch e s
and re s onate m ore p oorly th an it wou ld if th e natu ral C h e s t re gis te r we re b e ing
e m p loye d .
WH IS TLE :

13. Why Warm Up?
I Work Out
1 . N e e d to re tu ne e ve ry
d ay
2. M u ch like Working
O ut
3. Vocal ch ord s H e al
d u ring S le e p
4. N e e d s tre tch j s t like
u
m u s cle s

14. Warming Up
1. M os t Vocalis ts fe e l s illy
warm ing u p in front of
p e op le .
3. F ind a nice is olate d
s p ace for th e m to warm
up.
5. Vocalis ts are b orn with
th e ir ins tru m e nt wh ich
m ake s th e m ve ry
s e ns itive ab ou t it.

15. Warm Up Time?
How long?
1 . Vocal warm u p s can
range from 5-20 m in
2. Any longe r and it
s tarts to cu t d own on
h ow long th e y will b e
ab le to s ing
3. M onitor tim e and
m ake s u re th e y d on’ t
warm u p to long

16. Technique
What to do / not do
1. Try to ke e p vocalis t
from forcing a tone
2. If it s ou nd s like it h u rts ,
it p rob ab ly d oe s
3. Th e s inging voice
s h ou ld s ou nd like th e
talking voice
4. N o two h u m ans are
alike . You r tone will b e
u niqu e as long as you
d on’ t try to s ou nd like
E d d y Ve d d e r.

17. “The Voice”
I want to sound like HIM!
1. E ve ry p e rs ons voice is
u niqu e .
3. H ave th e vocalis t
s p e ak th e line and th e n
s ing th e like th e way
th e s p oke it.
• Try not to m im ic
s om e one e ls e ’ s voice
b e cau s e it’ s alre ad y
b e e n d one .

18. How To Help
Monitor Fatigue
1. Always h ave wate r at
th e s e s s ion.
2. F igu re ou t wh at le ve l
of training th e y h ave
h ad
3. P ros will know wh e n
th e re tire d and th e y
will le t you know.
4. A rookie m igh t not
know and it’ s th e
e ngine e rs j to
ob
m onitor th e ir fatigu e .

19. Signal Processing
common techniques
WHILE TRACKING
1 . u s e of a p los ive (p op ) b locke r.
2. u s e of a large r d iap h ragm
d ynam ic or cond e ns e r
m icrop h one
3. u s e of an colorizing p re -
am p lifie r
4. u s e of an is olate d e nvironm e nt
5. u s e of an ap p rop riate ly
volu m e d h e ad p h one s e nd
6. u s e of an ap p rop riate ly e go-
b oos ting “ vocals + p roce s s ing”

20. Signal Processing
common techniques
WHILE MIXING
1 . e d iting b e s t p e rform ance s to a com p track.
e d iting ou t u nwante d m ou th s ou nd s and oth e r
nois e / le e d
b
2. u s u ally s om e form and am ou nt of tu ning
3. e qu alization to d e -e m p h as ize low m id s ,
nas al s ou nd s , and u nwante d s ib ilance
4. e qu alization to e m p h as ize warm th ,
p re s e n ce , and / b re ath
or
4. com p re s s ion (als o com m o n to com p re s s
b e fore E Q ) ofte n to re d u ce th e d ynam ic range
and to ad d p u nch and m aintain cons is te ncy.
5. re ve rb s e nd / d e lay s e nd (s tand ing ou t
p ote ntial)
6. s coop ing ou t vocal fre qu e ncy s p ace u s ing
E Q . s co op ing ou t s te re o im age s p ace with
p an or M S .
s coop ing ou t u s ing s id e ch ain com p re s s ion

21. Vocal Damage & Abuse
VOCAL FOLD NODULES VOCAL FOLD CYSTS VOCAL FOLD POLYPS
E AC H C AN BE C AU S E D BY O VE R U S E
C an le ad to:
F atigu e
H oars e ne s s
Lim ite d R ange
Lim ite d Bre ath C ontrol