COMPONENTS

  • Power Source
  • Oscillator 
  • Resonator
  • Transmitter
  • Receiver

POWER SOURCE

AIR PRESSURE: Breath
Breath Support: Managing Air Pressure

When singing, we want to extend the engagement of the muscles of inspiration to control the amount, pressure, and rate of air being expelled from the lungs: we keep our inhalation muscles in use while we exhale (sing).

Diaphragm​
  • Our "Breathing Pump" - contracts downward to pull air into the lungs. We can only control it's downward contraction. 
Intercostals
  • Help to keep the ribcage (and therefore our lungs) expanded. 
Abdominals (engaging our "Core")
  • ​Helps to create stability or a fulcrum for our inspiration muscles to lean against. 

OSCILLATOR 

Vocal Folds a.k.a Vocal Cords
Pitch Production: Vibratory Cycles Per Second
(i.e.) 440 cycles per sec = 440hz = A4
Vocal Registers: "Chest Voice" & "Head Voice"
  • M1 or Chest Register: Vocal Folds are thick and relaxed.
  • M2 or Head Register: Vocal Folds are thin and stretched.
Onset: How We Start A Tone
  • ​Aspirate Onset: (Soft)
  • Glottal Onset: (Hard)
  • Coordinated Onset: (Balanced)​

RESONATOR

Vocal Tract: Pharynx (Laryngo-, Oro-, Naso-)
Amplifier & Individuality
Without our vocal tract resonator, our voice would sound like a buzz and we wouldn't be able to form vowels, express any kind of nuance, or project our voice. 
Resonance Adjusters: Sound Sculptors 
  • Tongue + Mouth - VOWELS!​
  • Soft Palate - NASO / THROATY 
  • Larynx Position - Ease of sound production, style. 

TRANSMITTER

​Any Medium: Gas, Liquid, Solid
  • Gas: Air!
...another example... Helium: helium is lighter than air so sound waves move faster - this doesn't change the main (fundamental) pitch of our voice, but amplifies the higher frequencies (harmonics) in our resonating vocal tract. 
  • Liquid: Water (whale song...)
  • Solid: Sound moves fastest in dense "elastic" solids. ​

RECEIVER

EARS AND BRAIN - Our sound wave interpreters.

As singers, improving our musical "ear" is VERY important. 
Sight singing, intervals, scales, chord qualities, harmony, theory . . . get on it :)
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