Emily C., McCoy, Ch. 10

Emily C., McCoy, Ch. 10

• What are the 3 key elements of Manuel Garcia’s definition of register?
• Register is composed of contiguous pitches
• Pitches w/in any given register are produced in same physiological manner
• “ “ share the same basic timbre. 
• While classical singers learn to unify the voice into a single register (or at least this is the perception of the listener), what does voice science have to say about this.
• This isn’t the case; there are at least two primary registration events in laryngeal physiology along with acoustic adjustments related to formant tuning. 
• What are the components of the physiological events related to register?
• The manner in which the VF vibrate and the glottis is configured. 
• Describe Mode 1 glottal source 
• It’s the source for chest voice, operatic head voice, and voce finta/feigned voice in men. (heavy belting in women). VF thickened by TA contraction. Significant vertical phase difference. Because of relative shortness and little longitudinal tension, amplitude of vibration/range of movement is high in each oscillatory cycle. 
• Describe Mode 2 glottal source
• Source of sound for falsetto in men, head in women. Relies more on CT contraction, which elongates and thins VF. Glottis assumes a triangular shape with a narrow area of VF contact during phonation. Little to no VPD. Amplitude of vibration is low. 
• Discuss the difference in closed quotient in Mode 1 vs Mode 2.
• It’s higher in Mode 1, generally greater than 40%, sometimes reaching 85% in lower voices. In Mode 2, it drops to less than 40%, but might rise significantly for loud high pitches. 
• How do the ranges of Mode 1 and Mode 2 differ for men and women?
• For women, the modes can greatly overlap, with the first mode going up to as high as C4 and F4, and the second coming down to C4. For men, they typically sing exclusively in mode 1 with mode 2 for falsetto. 
• What are the 2 main transitional areas where changes must occur in source or resonance modes for women?
• Typically in classically trained singers, the shift is from C4 to F4 from mode 1 to 2. a.k.a the primo passage, then secondo occurs from E5 to A5. 
• What strategies do we use to negotiate the primo passaggio for women?
• Modify the vowels towards a more closed position (for formant help). 
• Alter breath pressure. 
• What strategies do we use to negotiate the secondo passaggio for women?
• Breath pressure also modified to avoid excess sub glottal pressure. It’s a change in resonance, not source. Vowel modification towards high F1 vowels (i.e. [a]). 
• Dropping the jaw elevates frequency of F1, vocal tract must be shortened by spreading lips into wide smile, or vocal tract shortened by lifting the larynx. 
• What is vowel exchange?  How is this different than vowel modification?
• Basically, it’s changing the vowel in order to change the formants, especially in higher singing (i.e. switching out open “o” vowel for [a]). Vowel modification is just slightly altering the same vowel. 
• What are the 2 main transitional areas where changes must occur in source or resonance modes for men?  Which glottal source mode is used below, within, and above these transitional areas?
• primo: F3-C4. Another transition is from C4 to A4 for the secondo. They share Mode 1 as the glottal source. 
• What strategies do we use to negotiate the transition into the upper extension in male voices?
• Formant tuning is important; men often interpret change as a physiologic even, but it’s exclusively a realignment of resonance. Also closing the vowel just a little bit helps to tune the formants (which is called “cover”). 
• What does Ken Bozeman’s research say about the primo and secondo passaggi events for men?
• This may be a single event that stretches over a wide range of pitches. This “solitary” passagio is is the point in the scale where 2F0 sweeps above F1 of the vowel being sung. 
• How does he suggest men negotiate this transition?
• Slightly closing the vowel or by lowering the larynx. 
• What do developing singers do instead?  What kind of sound do these strategies result in?
• Instead of lowering F1, they allow the two to proceed up the scale in lock step. This includes dropping jaw, narrowing back of throat, spreading lips, lifting the larynx. Resembles more yelling than singing. 
• Some male singers use an alternate strategy for negotiating the passaggio and entering the upper extension. What is this strategy and what is the downside of this approach?
• They add nasality to produce high pitches with Mode 1, but it alters the basic vocal timbre. They lower the soft palate to allow air/sound to enter the nasal cavities and exit via the nostrils. It sounds bad. 
• What is reinforced falsetto?
• A loud, well supported Mode 2 production with efficient glottal closure OR a light, easy voice production that can serve as a bridge into the upper extension and Mode 1 vibration. It’s most likely the second definition, though. 
• Which glottal source mode is used in female belt?
• Mode 1. 
• How does the spectral envelope for female belting differ from male head voice?
• For male head voice: desired timbre is a balanced chiaroscuro, but in belting, balance is almost all chiaro with bright/brassy timbre. There are strong harmonic overtones as high as 10,000 Hz, different from the classical 4,000 Hz limit. 
• What does formant tuning in belting differ than in classical singing?
• It relies more on a speech-like vowel production. When classical singers choose to close vowels to shift from Modes 1 to 2, belters open vowels, helping to maintain Mode 1 vibration with higher pitch. 
• What are the 3 physiological strategies used for belt resonance?
• Lifting the larynx, narrowing the pharynx, and increasing the horizontal opening of the mouth.