1. Jaw Position for Singing:
An open and shut case!
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2. The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011
Purpose:
To explore how specific manipulations of the vocal tract can help us achieve our artistic goals:
Elongating and narrowing the epilaryngeal tube
Controlling the opening of the mouth
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3. Vocal Tract Acoustics ‘101’
But first:
Vocal Tract Acoustics ‘101’
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5. The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011
Source-Filter Theory
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6. The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011
What is Resonance?
Resonance is a reinforcement of a natural behavior or phenomenon
Acoustic resonance is an intensification of sound by sympathetic vibration of two or more things
Vocal tract resonance is a selective reinforcement of a few source (larynx) frequencies by the vocal tract
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7. The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011
Sound Pressure Spectrum
Glottal Flow Spectrum
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8. So, what’s so special about singers?
We have to sing LOUDER than normal
We have to sing HIGHER than normal
We have to sing BEAUTIFULLY at the same time
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The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011

9. Solution…well it can help:
Inertive reactance!
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10. Ingo Titze www.NCVS.org Please visit their website!
Thanks to:
Ingo Titze
Please visit their website!
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The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011

11. To get the maximum boost from the vocal tract we can either:
Resonate one or two harmonics of the source selectively (as in harmonic singing, counter-tenor singing, soprano high voice, or whistle voice)
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The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011

12. ‘Formant Tuning’ in the soprano
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13. ‘Formant Tuning’ in the soprano
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14. To get the maximum boost from the vocal tract we can either:
Cluster F3, F4 and F5 for the Singer’s Formant
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15. The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011
Singer’s Formant
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17. To get the maximum boost from the vocal tract we can either:OR
Resonate the entire vocal fold vibration process with a vocal tract that stores and returns energy to the glottis
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18. Linear Source-Filter Acoustics
Nonlinear Source-Filter Acoustics
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19. The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011
Inertance:
- sluggishness of the response of an air column provides feedback energy to the vocal folds
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20. Inertance is high in long, narrow tubes:
How and where can we create long, narrow tubes?
How does this help us as singers?
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21. The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011
Vowel /a/ as in “hot” - male
Mouth
Leakage into Nasal Tract
Lips
Pharynx
Piriform Sinus
Valleculae
Epi-Larynx Tube
Vocal Folds
Trachea
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22. The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011
Laryngeal Tube
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23. Increased inertive reactance:
Skews the flow pulse,
Which increases the maximum flow declination rate (MFDR),
Which increases the vocal intensity. HOW?
More energy in the higher partials.
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26. Inertive Reactance = (inertance) x (frequency)
Inertive reactance measures the amount of acoustic energy stored in the vocal tract, and
It also determines the amount of energy fed back to the glottis to help the vocal folds vibrate
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27. We lengthen and narrow the tube by:
Lowering the larynx
‘Squeezing’ the laryngeal aditus or the ‘collar of the larynx’
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28. The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011
Also:
Inertive reactance is high for frequencies just below a vocal tract resonance (formant)
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29. The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011F1 F2 F2 F1 F2 F1
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Important:
Length and width of the epilaryngeal tube influences the level of reactance
Opening of the mouth tunes F1
Relationship between harmonics and the first formant determines the quality of the voice.
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31. Important harmonics are above F1
Important harmonics are below F1
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32. 1. Singing below the first resonance F1
(chest register and female belt)
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34. Males and female belters
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35. The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011
Classical females and
countertenors F1 F2
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Conclusion 1
With a wide-open mouth (megaphone shape), a male sound or a female belt sound can be produced as long as F1 is above the second harmonic
With a wide-open mouth (megaphone shape), a male counter-tenor sound or a female classical lyric or coloratura sound can be produced as long as F1 is above the fundamental
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The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011

37. Important harmonics are above F1
Important harmonics are below F1
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38. 2. Singing above the first resonance F1
(mixed register)
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39. Male and female mixed register
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40. The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011
Conclusion 2
With a small mouth opening (inverted megaphone shape), a mixed-register male or female sound can be produced as long as F2 is higher than the second harmonic
With a small mouth opening (inverted megaphone shape), a male counter-tenor sound or a female classical lyric or coloratura sound can be produced as long as F2 is higher than the fundamental
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The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011

41. The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011
Overall Conclusion
In singing, the source (larynx) can be highly interactive with the vocal tract
Interaction is heightened if some part of the vocal tract is narrow, such as the epilarynx tube; this creates not only vocal ring, but higher overall intensity
A semi-occluded vocal tract (at the mouth) is very friendly to a mixed register and hence is very useful for training classical singing
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42. Result of inertive reactance
Sombre timbre
Result of inertive reactance
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Voce Chiusa
‘Comfortably low’ larynx elongates vocal tract - increases inertive reactance
‘Squeezing the collar of the larynx’ narrows the tube - increases inertive reactance
Paying attention to mouth opening appropriately tunes F1 to achieve the aesthetic expectation
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44. Singing with the megaphone shape helps produce high pitches in
chest register (or belt voice) for Fo < 530 Hz (C5)
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Singing with the megaphone shape also helps produce high pitches in classical female and counter-tenor style for
F0 > 530 Hz
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47. The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011
Aesthetics Summary:
Wide open mouth opening
Popular styles: belt (male and female), pop styles, etc.
Classical styles: Soprano in her high voice – formant tracking, counter-tenor
Narrow mouth opening
Popular styles: Country & Western, flageolet
Classical styles: mixed registers – female middle, male high voice
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The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011

48. Pavarotti & The Italian Tenor Decca Record Co. Limited, London.
‘O Colombina’
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo)
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49. The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011
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50. D’amor sull’ali rosee Il Trovatore (Verdi)
Leontyne Price The Complete Bell Telephone Hour Performances. Video Artists International
D’amor sull’ali rosee
Il Trovatore (Verdi)
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52. Lauritz Melchior Bel Canto: The Tenors of the 78 Era Kultur
“Morgenlich leuchtend”
Die Meistersinger (Wagner)
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53. The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011
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54. “Tu che a Dio spiegasti l’ali” Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti)
Giuseppe di Stefano
“Tu che a Dio spiegasti l’ali”
Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti)
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OMG!
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The Vocal Pedagogy Workshop 2011