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Voice Texture
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"Since
singing is so good a thing,
I wish all men would learn to
sing."
- William Byrd |
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Voices have texture just like fabric. Imagine touching cool,
smooth satin. Now imagine a voice that is clear and cool,
yet slippery and swirling around you. Likewise, imagine touching
thick pile, silk velvet. The response is warm, deep, soft,
so cushy and absolutely luxurious. When you hear a velvet
voice, your response is the same. You melt in the luxury of
the sound.
Do you wonder what your vocal texture might be?
Vocal texture is determined by genetics and by choice. Here
are some aspects of voice texture:
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| Physical structures (immobile) |
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Skull - the shape and size of your skull
affects the timbre of your sound. |
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Sinus cavities - the size, position and
status of your sinuses affect the sonority of the sound
you produce. |
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Mouth - How big your mouth cavity is affects
sound. Is your mouth more parabolic or more 'U' shaped?
Even your teeth are resonators. |
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Chest cavities - any open space in your
chest area affects your sound. The more open, the more
the resonance. So, keep your ribs lifted. |
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Sternum - this is a main vibration plate.
When another singer or recorder player is making a sound
directly across from me, I feel it in my sternum. Especially
when the pitch starts to pull away, the sound waves are
most energized against my sternum. I feel my own sound
waves as well as those coming at me. Give it a try, be
very relaxed and see what you feel. |
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| Shaping of sound (mobile) |
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The skillful shaping of each consonant and vowel affects
the quality, and purity of sound. The categories below are
a sample of elements that are changeable. The examples do
not state what is correct or not in singing, just elements
to play with.
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Shape of lips - do your lips open
up wider than taller? Do you hold your lips against
your teeth or lifted away? Are your lips tight or
relaxed? |
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Cheeks - relaxed or pulled back? |
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Soft palate - lifted or flat? |
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Nasal passage - open or closed off? |
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Tongue position - The tongue has
a myriad of positions. How well do you know exactly
what your tongue is doing and where you want the
tongue to be? Plus there is the back of the tongue,
the middle and the tip. The tongue is a study unto
itself. The tongue is also a very powerful muscle,
and needs to be trained. |
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Jaw - tense or relaxed? Narrow or
dropped? |
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Air passage - all of the above situations
shape the total air flow and results in a specific
vowel sound. |
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"Nine-tenths
of wisdom
is being wise in time."
- Theodore Roosevelt
(Time to take
voice
lessons
- Brigitte) |
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Releasing all unnecessary muscle tension while
you sing (or play any other wind instrument) allows more resonance
to happen. Plus, it makes the whole experience of sound production
more pleasurable to the performer as well as the audience. |
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Alexander
technique - Lessons are taught privately by trained
technicians. There is also a DVD
about the technique with exercises to do. |
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Feldenkrais
- Feldenkrais was a student of Alexander and developed
a way to have the student learn by themselves with instructional
guidance. Feldenkrais workshops are offered by Kaiser
Permanente (search for "Feldenkrais"). Check
with your health care provider. Also, your local adult
education might offer it. For more information click
here. |
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Center chi
- The Asian idea of the center of your body where your
energy is centered, focused and concentrated. A mental
"distraction" to allow the release of unnecessary
tension. Your center is located at the intersection of
three planes. The first plane divides you in half from
shoulder to shoulder, the second from belly to bottom,
the third from head to feet. Imagine all three at the
same time and you've found your center. |
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I discuss my technique at our first meeting/orientation.
Please e-mail
me to set up an appointment. |
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