“Place the tone forward.” “Sing in the mask.” “Work for a brighter sound.” All of these oft-repeated and sometimes confusing maxims focus on the same thing: creating ring or resonance in the voice. Teachers might not agree on how to create resonance in the voice, but all agree that resonance is desirable for beautiful singing. Two experts weigh in on this topic, offering their definitions of resonance and giving specific exercises for finding beautiful, free resonance in your own voice or the voices of those you teach.
What is vocal resonance?
Tracy Watson: The relationship between the vocal cords and the pharynx. The pharynx acts as a filter for the vibrations created by the vocal cords, creating either a pleasing or unpleasing tone. Optimal resonance, which is the positive sympathetic and conductive vibration of the resonant cavities of the head and throat, is the goal. The singer works to encourage the best possible gola aperta (open throat) to most beautifully enhance and amplify the fundamental pitch or frequency.
Betty Jeanne Chipman: Resonance is the byproduct of phonation as it affects the timber of the tone. An ideal resonant tone possesses a bright ring and darker warmth. This is referred to as the “chiaroscuro factor.”
Why is vocal resonance important?
TW: It’s the key to what makes a classical singing technique unique and highly valued. Without it, the small sound that is created by the vocal cords would not be heard or enjoyed. The acoustical properties of the vocal tract, which give each singer their signature sound, are crucial to good classical vocal technique.
BJC: Resonance is the factor that causes a tone to be beautiful and pleasing to the ear. Without resonance, a tone is just sound.
What creates resonance in the voice?
TW: Resonance is created when all of the components of the vocal tract work together to enhance amplification. As the vocal bands produce pitch or frequency by a combination of muscle length, thickness, contraction and breath energy, the sound travels through a series of cavities acting as a filter, either detracting from or enhancing the sound quality. The first cavity, called the laryngeal collar or tube, is above the larynx and is comprised of the epiglottis and the aryepiglottic folds.
This resonator is credited with creating the “singer’s formant,” the frequency range that allows a voice to cut over an orchestra. The frequency range varies for men and women, but is independent of the fundamental frequency and lies around 3,000 Hz or cps. The singer produces a fundamental frequency in the cords, an overtone series, and a changing flow of formants or resonance clusters because we are continually changing the vowels and consonants that shape the vocal tract.
Each component of the vocal tract has reflective surfaces that have an effect upon the sound waves, either positively or negatively, to the human ear. The soft palate (the soft tissue at the back part of the roof of the mouth) is of particular importance in contributing to the quality of the resonance. We work to skillfully raise and lower the soft palate to control how much air travels through the nasal pharynx. The more air in the nasal pharynx, the more nasal the sound.
The major concept of gola aperta (open throat) reflects not only the need for comfort, meaning a healthy, positive amount of muscle antagonism-tension when singing, but also the use of the throat as a resonating body. We must have sufficient throat size and space so that the resonating surfaces can freely vibrate, enhancing the ever changing pitches and dampening undesirable sound qualities. We also must have sufficient throat muscle shaping and integrity to offer tonal consistency.
Every change we make with our mouth, tongue, lips, jaw, and breath support affects the height of the larynx and the surface and shape of the throat, changing the way the resonator sculpts our sound. The throat and the mouth are tunable, and we work to bring about their ultimate cooperation with the fundamental frequency to create the most pleasing sound.
BJC: Resonance is a secondary vibrator created by opening the pharynx and giving enough breath energy to allow the tone to soar on a column of air in the entire pharyngeal/oral space. The shape of the resonator is adjustable and the different size and shape of the cavities creates the timbre of each individual voice.
Describe the sensation of correct resonance.
TW: Correct sensation involves an awareness of positive vertical and open space in the throat and a feeling that the sound being produced is gently yet energetically filling the available space. Depending on the pitch, one also can feel the intensity of the vibration in different parts of the face. For lower pitches, there’s a sense of vibration in the jaw, lips, bridge of the nose, and the lower cheek area. With chest voice present, one also might feel subglottic and chest vibration.
As the frequency increases, there is awareness of the vibration rising to a higher part of the face: across the bridge of the nose, the cheek area, behind the eyes, between the eyebrows, and in the forehead. In women, from high B-natural and higher, there can be an additional sensation of the sound not just traveling up and forward through the pharynx, but also out of the back of the head. Resonance sensation also varies by the amount of head- and chest-voice mix being used.
The main component of incorrect resonance is throat tension that negatively affects the sound. This tension includes the larynx being in an overly elevated or artificially depressed position and the soft palate being either too low or too high and tight. Several combinations of these incorrect positions can occur. All of them affect the surface tension of the throat and the sound. The raised larynx is more unstable and has an adverse effect on the continuity and stability of the sound and can make singing much less comfortable, and more unpleasant to the listener.
Classical singers crave a sense of warmth and forward placement of the sound in the mask. However, in incorrect resonance, the singer feels as though the sound is stuck inside the head and/or throat, often missing the sensation of the sound spinning in the soft palate area.
If there is too much throat tension and not enough space, the singer might over-sing and try to put the sound in the mask by pushing the voice. This creates an unpleasant quality of sound and discomfort for the singer. The sound will not carry as far. Optimal resonance gives the singer the sense that the majority of the vocal sound is out in front of them, rather than being loud and present inside their head. For the listener, the sound can have the quality of chiaroscuro, a warm, dark sound combined with a present, bright quality.
BJC: Resonance starts a vibration that is felt along the bones, cartilages, and muscles of the neck, head, and upper chest. In the low voice, this vibration is felt by placing a hand on the upper sternum. As the voice goes higher, it can be felt by cupping the hands and putting them on the jaw and cheeks. As we speak a descending “hum” from the moderate high to the low voice, the vibration can be felt as it moves from head to chest. If the speaking voice is vibrant and warm, more vibration is felt at the optimum pitch level in the speaking range.
What is the mask and what is meant by this term?
TW: One can envision the image of a Mardi Gras mask worn across the upper half of the face. However, we don’t place the sound there. When our resonance cavities are working in the most productive way, the sound will arrive in the mask area.
BJC: The mask is the front, bony structure of the face, including the hard palate, nose, and cheek bones. The reference to “singing in the mask” suggests placing the voice forward to feel the vibrations increase. To place the voice causes tongue and laryngeal tension. It is better to free the voice and let it find its resonation area rather than trying to put it in a particular spot.
What is meant when a teacher describes a “bright” or “forward” sound?
TW: The term can be used to describe a positive intensity of upper overtones that carry the voice well. It also can be described as a sound created by an overdone spread position of the lips, which makes a “bright” or “brassy” sound resulting from additional throat tension and some nasality, favoring the upper overtones.
BJC: An overly bright sound is caused when the voice is pushed or pressed forward. Placing the voice forward prevents it from spinning in the nasal-pharyngeal column. This causes the tone to lack the warmth that the complete resonating column gives.
How can lack of resonance inhibit the singer?
TW: When the singer does not have a good concept of resonance, they feel frustrated and discouraged. Often, the singer will feel a lack of self-confidence because of the inconsistency of the sound and confusion about how to comfortably sing and project. They might try over-singing, over-blowing the cords with too much breath pressure, or adding some nasality in search of the forward sensation. Problems also arise when the singer is practicing in less than optimal acoustic spaces where the singer relies on what it sounds like rather than knowing what it’s supposed to feel like.
BJC: Resonance amplifies the tone. When the tone does not resonate properly, rather than energizing the breath, there is a tendency for the singer to push with the breath for more volume. When a singer learns to free the voice and allows the tone to vibrate in the entire pharyngeal resonating column, the singer’s voice will carry over an orchestra.
How is vocal resonance related to other areas of vocal technique and musicality (breath support, tone, timbre, pitch, intonation, etc.)?
TW: Breath support has an immediate effect on the consistency of breath pressure, which can affect everything, from the height of the larynx, the intensity of the contraction of the thyroarytenoid muscles, to tension in the pharynx. The process of negotiating the passaggio involves the proper mix of the action of the thyroarytenoid and cricothyroid muscles.
If a singer uses too much chest voice as they ascend in pitch and enter the register shift, the throat will tighten and the larynx will rise. If they use too much head voice, without the proper balance of the chest voice, the voice can encounter instability, insufficient cord closure, a weaker tone, and breathiness.
Singers also use resonance sensation to feel whether the mix in that register is optimal. Newer students will often attempt to make the shift to more head tone in their mix with the idea that they must hold back the sound, and then they end up closing their throat. It’s important that students understand that the throat must be consistently open. Improper throat tension creates inefficient phonation and less than optimal resonance. Inefficient resonance also can affect the balance of upper and lower overtones, which can produce a sound that can seem either flat or sharp.
BJC: Musicality is an innate gift, but a singer must have a feeling in their being when their tone is the most balanced. This feeling is caused by the resonance and vibration as they adjust to the shaping of the vowels. Good tone, timbre, pitch and intonation are the result of singing with a balanced, free vocal mechanism. Freeing the vocal tract will eliminate problems in these areas.
The pharyngeal tract is adjustable and can be opened and lengthened to allow more space. When the soft palate lifts there is a reflexive connection to the larynx, which causes it [the larynx] to rest in a lowered, balanced posture. We can prepare the throat for singing each time we inhale by thinking of lifting the top molars. This image helps to keep the palatal muscles from tensing, but gives the feeling of lift. This lift frees and lowers the larynx.
Should singers change or adjust their resonance for some instances, roles, or different vocal styles, or should it remain the same regardless of genre or style?
TW: Good resonance should be the same. We make color and tone choices for certain kinds of characters. The use of the resonator varies more from classical to musical theatre, to jazz and pop technique. There are certain sound qualities associated with each genre, and to use classical resonance for these other styles would come across as odd.
BJC: Different resonating adjustments are necessary in different styles of singing. Operatic styles change with the era and character. Opera requires a lowered larynx, free jaw, and great breath energy. Operatic singing uses more of the cricothyroid adjustment. Musical theatre demands more brightness in the tone, but still needs a lowered larynx, as well as a more spoken approach. Belting is done with a higher larynx and uses more of the thyroarytenoid mechanism. When done properly, the throat should still remain open. There is more mouth resonance and spoken sound in belt tone.
What are some exercises you recommend for students to achieve proper vocal resonance?
TW: I always try to explain what we are trying to achieve. It is crucial for the student to know what an open throat feels like. I have them practice breathing in through the nose, feeling the larynx relax downward and the surfaces of the pharynx gently expand. I also have them place their hand gently on the outside front part of the throat and have them swallow. They can feel how high the larynx ascends, how the tongue retracts, and how the throat closes. Then I ask them to imagine singing with that kind of tension. I then ask them to leave their hand in place and breathe in through their mouth, releasing the jaw and feeling the space that this creates in the throat. I want them to experience the difference between the two versions so that they know what feels comfortable versus what feels constricted. I then use a variety of the following exercises:
1: Slide up and down an octave with a gentle siren sound or glissando on “oo,” encouraging them to sustain a comfortable larynx position with a lifted soft palate while they sense the sound filling all the resonance cavities. As the pitch ascends, continue to slide up and down the octave but begin on “oo,” slide to an “ah” or ö and back to an “oo.” Be aware of making space in the pharynx to receive the sound rather than trying to put the sound in the nose.
2: Speak the song text with the sensation of a British Shakespearean actor imitation and feel the arrival of the sound. One also can use the reference to speaking like Julia Child or the Monty Python actors portraying women. To imitate this sound correctly is to create a resonance sensation like that of a classical vocal technique. Try to sing the text in the same way.
3: Sing a combination of nasal consonant clusters and vowels for sensory reference. Using words like “ming,” “hong,” or “sing,” students feel the sensation of the “ng” and its nasal quality. The sense of the pressure of the sound and the nasality created is perceived in the mask in a similar location as the upper classical resonance is felt when vocalizing on a pure vowel with open throat.
4: Practice an open-throated position while singing with different amounts of head tone and chest voice on one pitch to feel the different sensations.
5: Achieve the ability to crescendo and decrescendo on one pitch while sustaining a consistent open throat position, with spin and vibrato in the sound. Notice where the sensations of the sound are and where it arrives in the mask.
BJC: I use a lot of the descending “oo” vowels. To gain a higher resonance, I use a dropped jaw position with the lips pursed around the space. Then I have students speak like an owl to feel the high back space and suggest that they keep the same high head resonance on a descending octave scale. This should be sung
sotto voce.
Sing an “ng,” making back space as you change to “ah,” letting the sound fill the back space.
With fingers gently placed on the larynx, I have the singer inhale on an imploded “k,” feel the larynx rest lower and glide-sing on a diminished fifth. Then, sing a five-tone scale, keeping the larynx in the same free, lowered, balanced posture.
Put index fingers at sides of the mouth and press in. Keep the tongue forward and free. Think of lifting the top molars as you inhale, and sing 5-8-5-3-1 on an “ah” vowel.
To keep the feeling of energizing the breath, use the lip buzz ascending and descending in a wide range, leaving the rib cage buoyant and the epigastrium free as you feel the action of the lower abdominal muscles as they contract and energize the breath.
Speak energetically the word “now” as many times as possible on one breath. This will help you or your student feel the spontaneous contraction of the lower abdominal muscles and the buoyant expansion of the rib cage.
Stay tuned for our next article in the pedagogy series: diction.
