Good resonance is a key aspect of good voice production. Singers strive for a voice that is resonant, a voice that elicits vibration in the various cavities of the upper airway, including the nose. But the relationship of the voice to the nose is paradoxical: Singers seek to achieve maximal vibration of sound “in the mask,” and at the same time lift the palate to minimize or eliminate air spillage from the back of the throat into the nose.
Nasal resonance is perhaps as much a sensation as a sound: The voice vibrates the air in the nose, and the voice is felt in the mask. Certainly, we no more want air spilling into the nose than we want nasal resonance to be damped, which produces a denasalised (hyponasal) “cold in the nose” sound.
Anatomically, during singing the nose is like a Helmholtz resonator, a box with one wall open (for singers, the nose and the nasopharynx together form a single cavity, which is separated from the oropharynx by the elevated palate). Because the walls of this resonator are for the most part fixed (rigid and not mobile), the range of frequencies that cause nasal air to vibrate is limited. This is in contrast to other vibrating cavities, such as the hypopharynx or the oral cavity, which have much more flexible and mobile walls.
How does sound get into the nose? There should be no direct flow of vibrating air from the throat, since during singing the soft palate lifts up, and separates the oral cavity from the nasopharyx (referred to in medicine as velopharyngeal closure). Sound is then transmitted to the nose primarily by the vibration of the tissues (bony and soft) that form the nose’s walls. These are the floor of the nose (the hard palate) and the side walls (separating the nasal cavities from the sinuses). Soft tissues, such as the soft palate, transmit sound less well, since they are not rigid and actually dampen sound vibrations.
Nasality in the voice may have many causes, which relate to the structure and function of the nose, nasopharynx, and soft palate. In my experience, the most common cause among singers is inadequate technical mastery relating to lifting of the soft palate. This may also be seen among singers who have been taught not to lift the palate. In these cases, air flows through the nose, dissipating some of the sound, and decreasing the efficiency of the oral cavity as a resonator. Sound can also be pushed up into the nose voluntarily by repositioning the palate. The “French” sound, or the snarl can also involve introducing more nasal resonance into the sound.
But what if you have worked hard, are lifting your palate, dropping your tongue, opening the back of your throat, and your voice is still nasal?
Medical problems that cause abnormal nasality fall into two general groups.
First, excessive nasality. Patients with cleft palates, short soft palates (either developmentally short, or persistently short after cleft palate repair), and submucous cleft palates have difficulty lifting the palate. The latter is a condition in which the mucous membrane covering the soft palate is intact, but the muscles within the palate fail to meet, leaving a gap in the middle. A bifid (double) uvula may be a clue to a submucous cleft palate.
Inadequate palate closure (velopharyngeal insufficiency) may also be the result of surgery. Patients who have had their palate shortened for treatment of snoring or sleep apnea not uncommonly have difficulty closing the nasopharynx, and sound almost as if they have a cleft palate. This is usually temporary, lasting a few days. Children who have had large adenoids removed also have a similar, and usually temporary, velopharyngeal insufficiency.
Patients with neurological problems may lose the ability to lift the palate adequately. In addition to spilling air through the nose, they may also regurgitate liquids and even food into the nasopharynx and the nose. A viral nerve paralysis, stroke, or myasthenia gravis could produce this condition, which is often permanent.
Cases of inadequate nasal resonance produce a denasalised voice. This is an every day phenomenon with the common cold, where the tissues of the nose and nasopharynx are swollen, reducing the resonant space and increasing sound absorption into the swollen mucous membranes. Children with enlarged adenoids have this sound, since the adenoid tissue fills the nasopharynx and occludes the back of the nose. A significantly deviated nasal septum (the thin wall of cartilage and bone that separates the two nasal cavities) can also decrease nasal resonance.
When more of the sound is absorbed into the tissues (and transmitted through the skull to the ears), the singer may have the impression that he is louder, “singing better.” This may be the reason some singers feel they sing better with a cold.
How can you determine your nasality score? First, when you sing, you should not be spilling air through your nose. Hold a small mirror under your nose while singing. If it fogs up, you’re spilling air through your nose. A blocked nose, on the other hand, will produce symptoms such as snoring, mouth breathing, and morning sore throats.
An examination by an otolaryngologist can tell you whether you have a nasal obstruction due to a septal deviation, nasal polyps or enlarged adenoids. These conditions, can, if necessary, be treated medically or surgically. Normally, I wouldn’t recommend septal surgery “to improve resonance”—but you should know as much as possible about this often neglected part of your instrument.
Disclaimer: The suggestions given by Dr. Jahn in these columns are for general information only, and are not to be construed as specific medical advice or advocating specific treatment, which should be obtained only following a visit and consultation with your own physician.
