Question about the physiology and physics of singing

[Matthew Bryson]

Okay, this may sound silly, but I'm pretty new to singing and I really don't know much about the nuts and bolts of how the human voice really works. I've only been singing with a band for about 1 year and I'm being pushed by band mates to do more and more singing. I do a lot of back ups, some leads, and will do more in the future. I want to become both more knowledgeable, and more proficient as a vocalist.

My first question: When I sing a particular note, I can control how I sound singing that note. That is, I can change my inflection without changing the pitch. What exactly is happening here? It seems to me, as if when I sing a particular note there is the fundamental and also harmonics, much like sound produced by a bass guitar. Is that really the case?
I feel almost as if I am able to alter my tone by allowing more low end, or high end content into the tone. Is that what is happening? It almost feel like when I sing a note that is truly in my range, I'm producing that note in a lower octave and a higher octave, and have some control of how much of the low and how much of the high I let in. Is this at all how at works, or am I fooling myself.
I know that a band mate and I can sing the same note in the same octave and sound different. I also know that I can alter my voice to imitate his. Is this because his 'default natural EQ curve' is different than mine and I'm adjusting my 'imaginary EQ' to be voiced more like his?

I'm very sorry if this is confusing, or just a stupid qustion. If this makes any sense at all and you're able to shed some light about the physics and the physiology involved in singing, I thank you very much.

[MyUsernameHere]

http://www.lionsvoiceclinic.umn.edu/...#physiology101

Maybe?

[Matthew Bryson]

Originally Posted by MyUsernameHere

http://www.lionsvoiceclinic.umn.edu/...#physiology101

Maybe?

Looks like a good start. I'll start reading.

[lemur821]

Originally Posted by Matthew Bryson

Okay, this may sound silly, but I'm pretty new to singing and I really don't know much about the nuts and bolts of how the human voice really works. I've only been singing with a band for about 1 year and I'm being pushed by band mates to do more and more singing. I do a lot of back ups, some leads, and will do more in the future. I want to become both more knowledgeable, and more proficient as a vocalist.

My first question: When I sing a particular note, I can control how I sound singing that note. That is, I can change my inflection without changing the pitch. What exactly is happening here? It seems to me, as if when I sing a particular note there is the fundamental and also harmonics, much like sound produced by a bass guitar. Is that really the case?
I feel almost as if I am able to alter my tone by allowing more low end, or high end content into the tone. Is that what is happening? It almost feel like when I sing a note that is truly in my range, I'm producing that note in a lower octave and a higher octave, and have some control of how much of the low and how much of the high I let in. Is this at all how at works, or am I fooling myself.
I know that a band mate and I can sing the same note in the same octave and sound different. I also know that I can alter my voice to imitate his. Is this because his 'default natural EQ curve' is different than mine and I'm adjusting my 'imaginary EQ' to be voiced more like his?

I'm very sorry if this is confusing, or just a stupid qustion. If this makes any sense at all and you're able to shed some light about the physics and the physiology involved in singing, I thank you very much.

The shape of your mouth acts as an EQ filter, while your vocal chords control the pitch. So yes, you have the right idea. You can indeed control the balance of the fundamental and its harmonics by changing the shape of your mouth. If you practice, you can even do this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY1pcEtHI_w.

[Petebass]

Originally Posted by lemur821

If you practice, you can even do this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY1pcEtHI_w.

Those higher notes that sound a little like whistling - they're harmonics. Throat singers can isolate them from within the tonic, which in this case is the drone note he's singing. Isolating harmonics within a voice is enough to do for one harmonic but this guy could isolate several and make a melody out of them. Great stuff

[Deacon_Blues]

Check out www.completevocalinstitute.com - Everything you need to know about singing technique (except overtone/throat singing), including sound shaping and effects, can be found in the method taught by this institute, Europe's largest institute for singers. Classical as well as metal singers.

Sound shaping comes from lowering or raising your larynx, and by twanging the epiglottis funnel more or less. Low larynx and/or little twang --> Dark sound, raised larynx and/or more twang --> brighter, sharper sound. Twanging (also called 'projecting' I think) also gives a more focused and louder sound.

Every singer should check out this page from the site above:


The modes above are a new way of expressing the vocal modes/terms chest voice, head voice, mixed voice and falsetto:

- Neutral is basically head voice and falsetto. Same rules apply for both. Volume: 1-4 (scale 1-10)
- Curbing is mainly what's often called mixed voice. No real limits in terms of pitch. Volume: 4-7
- Overdrive is kind of one type of chest voice. Upper limit: High C (C2) for men, D-Eb2 for women. volume: 7-10
- Belting is another type of chest voice that is very sharp. Used mainly for high pitches (approx. over A1/B1)

Complete Vocal Technique made me able to sing much higher, louder and softer, and with much more expression than I ever did before. Before lessons in CVT, I never believed I could do "If I ever lose my faith in you" by Sting or "Pride (In the name of love)" or "Bad" by U2. I warmly recommend it. It explains everything also physiologically. A big plus with the method is that it teaches also how to do different kinds of distortions, growl and other effects without harming your voice. (All effects have their own rules too, for instance you can't add air to any other mode than neutral without hurting your voice).


That throat singing stuff is interesting. I've learned to do some of it but I can't make the overtones really as strong as in that youtube video above yet.... However, I can produce an undertone well (a vibration that has half the frequency of the tonic) like in this video (starts at 0.50): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcry8...eature=related. It can be used as a cool robot effect.