Emily C., McKinney, Ch. 6

Emily C., McKinney, Ch. 6

• List 5 usages for the term register.
• A particular part of the vocal range (upper, middle, lower register)
• A resonance area (chest or head)
• A phonary process
• a certain timbre
• A region of voice which is defined or limited by vocal breaks. 
• What are the 3 elements of the definition of register?
• A register is a particular series of tones, produced in the same manner (by the same vibratory pattern of the vocal folds), and having the same basic quality. 
• All registers originate in ______________________________ function.
• laryngeal
• The terms head voice and chest voice are more legitimate as descriptions of ________________________________________.
• Resonance sensations
• Many of the problems identified as register problems are really problems of ________________________________________.
• Resonance adjustment
• According to McKinney, what are the 4 distinct vibratory forms (registers)?
• The vocal fry, modal voice, falsetto, and whistle. 
• For each register, summarize what you have learned about it.  Include information about
• vibratory pattern
• pitch range
• characteristic sound
• uses
• Fry: Uses a loose glottal closure to allow air to bubble through at a low frequency (a fundamental frequency of 36.4 Hz). It can extend from F (87 Hz) to D (37 Hz). It has a popping or rattling sound. Chief use is to obtain pitches of very low frequency which are not available in modal voice. 
• Modal voice: The whole vocal cord is involved in the vibratory pattern, TA especially in the lower notes. Typically, a well-trained singer can sing two octaves in modal voice. It’s a speech like sound, and the most varied in “artistry.” It’s used in speech and in lower singing. 
• Falsetto: Overlaps and lies above modal voice. Only the ligamentous edges of the VF enter into the vibratory pattern. It’s typically lighter sounding than the modal voice. Falsetto is meant as a means to an end to find the “head register” or in falsettist singing. 
• Whistle: The highest register, just above female falsetto. It begins at soprano “high C” (1047 Hz) to G (3136 Hz) or higher. It resembles the sound of a whistle, hence the name. The vocal processes contact each other, but the posterior parts at the apex do not vibrate. 
• In modal register, how is frequency controlled?
• How long the chords are, the tension in the chords, and how much mass they have. 
• Sometimes singers/voice teachers mistakenly identify an area of vocal problems as a register break.  What is often more likely the issue?
• When the larynx doesn’t adjust accordingly; it stays static. 
• What is the shape of the vocal folds for the lowest tones? 
• Thick and wedge-shaped. 
• What is one of the primary reasons for vocalizing in falsetto?
• To train into the “head” voice/upper range of the modal voice. 
• What are the essential differences between modal and falsetto?
• In modal, the entire VF structure is involved, and in falsetto, only the ligamental section of the VF is vibrating. The vocalis muscle is involved in modal (not in falsetto). 
• Describe the different ways that singers produce falsetto?
• Some singers leave the cartilaginous portion of the glottis open/only 2/3 of the vocal ligaments enter vibration. 
• Full length of glottis opens and closes in each cycle. 
• Dampening. 
• Most professional singers have at least _________________________ range where modal and falsetto overlap.
• an octave
• Why is it sometimes hard to tell whether a female singer is singing in modal or falsetto?
• There’s a difference in timbre and dynamic level between the modal and falsetto registers. The female singer has smaller VFs, and females typically sing higher than men.