In this video, I am going to tell you which body parts are the best vocal resonators.
And if you are thinking it’s your chest or head, then think again.
I am going to tell you what makes a good resonator and how to improve vocal resonance.
Keep on watching.
Hi and welcome to this video series about vocal resonance.
If we haven’t met yet, my name is Katarina and I am a speech-language pathologist from
How 2 Improve Singing and on this channel, I share tips on how to sing in a healthy and
efficient way.
So, consider subscribing to my channel and hitting that bell notification icon so that
you don’t miss any of my future videos.
I have a question for you: what body part is the most important resonator when singing?
Is it your chest, your throat, your head, your nose?
Let me know what you think in the comments below and stay tuned because you may be surprised
what I am going to share with you in this video.
Before we start, let me remind you of resonance definition from the first video in this series.
Vocal resonation is the reinforcement of the basic sound created at the level of the vocal
folds by travelling through the air in the vocal tract and creating a stronger and fuller
sound.
Voice resonance is a way to increase vocal power without taxing the delicate tissue of
the vocal folds.
Effective vocal resonance prevents vocal injury and it is a part of healthy singing.
If you haven’t seen the first video, in which I talk about resonance in singing, you
can click here to watch it.
Moving on.
There are two types of resonance: free resonance is when vibrations travel through the air.
Conductive resonance happens when vibrations are transferred through bones, muscles and
other body tissue.
You are probably most familiar with the second type of resonance during singing, especially
when singing in the lower register of your voice, when you can feel vibrations in your
upper chest.
But this type of resonance does not contribute to the external sound that is heard outside
of your body.
The sound that people around you hear when you are singing is the result of free resonance
when the basic frequency, the basic sound is created at the level of vocal folds and
then travels through the air in the vocal tract, where it’s transformed into a beautiful
sound.
So, the best vocal resonator is … the vocal tract.
The vocal tract is the best resonator because it is a cavity or a series of cavities that
can be adjusted, and there are openings to and from these cavities.
For this same reason, the chest and the head are not good resonators because they do not
have an adjustable cavity and there is no opening through which the sound waves could
leave.
The vocal tract is a complex structure consisting of several body parts, more specifically the
larynx (your voice box), the pharynx (your throat), mouth and nose.
Each of these structures contributes to singing resonance with different degree.
The pharynx is the most important resonator in your whole body because you can adjust
its size, shape, openings to and from the pharynx and tension of the pharyngeal walls.
The pharynx has three parts.
It extends from the back of your nose down behind your mouth to the larynx.
They are called nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx and they consist of three major
pharyngeal muscles.
The nasopharynx can be closed off from the rest of the vocal tract by lifting the soft
palate.
The length as well as the width of the pharynx can be changed, which will also change the
resonance of the external sound.
Your mouth is the second important resonator.
You can adjust its size and opening to and from the mouth, therefore it is an effective
resonator.
You can change the shape and size of the oral cavity by moving the jaw, tongue, and the
soft palate.
You can change the shape of the lips.
All of these movements affect the sound and its resonance.
Lastly, the nasal cavity also plays an important role in resonance.
However, you cannot change the size and shape of the nasal cavity, maybe slightly by flaring
your nostrils.
The nasal cavity is important for production of nasal consonants, which in English are
the M, N and NG sound, like in the word sing.
In singing, you can increase or decrease the degree of nasal resonance by the action of
the soft palate.
However, the nasal cavity has more of a dampening effect on the overall sound.
I will be talking more about the soft palate, nasality and nasal singing in my next videos.
So, stay tuned for more by clicking the subscribe button.
In summary, the best vocal resonators are the pharynx, the mouth, and the nose to a
certain degree.
The chest and head do not add to the overall sound that people around you hear.
However, you still can and actually you should use the chest resonance and head resonance
as a feedback tool.
These vibrations tell you if the pharynx, mouth and nose are doing their resonating
job properly.
If the basic sound is well amplified and boosted, you will be able to feel the vibrations in
the bones of your head or upper chest.
So, what can you do with this information and how to sing with resonance?
Start with a simple resonance exercise such as humming and notice how different positions
of the jaw, mouth, tongue, soft palate, and your larynx can affect the overall resonance
of the sound.
Notice the vibrations, and notice how you can make the vibrations “bigger” not by
pushing but by manipulating your most important vocal resonators.
If you liked this video, click the like button and share it with your friends.
Check out my other videos on this topic right here below.
I will see you in my next video.