Taylee Beckstead McCoy Ch. 1

Clean –  Raspy

Dramatic – Lyric

Loft – Twang

Clear – Breathy

Healthy – Damaged

Dark – Bright

Forward – Back

Ringing – Conversational

Nasal – Non-nasal

Free – Forced

Straight Tone – Vibrant

Wobble – Flutter

Define chiaroscuro. Chiaroscuro literally means light/dark. This term is used to describe the proportions of light/darkness in a voice.

How does the strength of the overtones vary in tones that are bright vs. dark? Bright=stronger high-pitched. Dark=stronger low-pitched.

What causes twang resonance? A narrowing of the vocal tract causes a twang resonance. How would you describe the sound? Brassy, edgy, and overall nasality.

What causes loft resonance?  Relaxing and enlarging the pharynx and lifting the soft palate.

What often causes the sound to be ‘back’ rather than forward? Excess tension in the root of the tongue.

Lyric and dramatic are indicators of both the size and the  color  of the voice.

Synonyms for light and dramatic might be  lyric   and   full   .

What is the cause of breathiness? Incomplete closer of the glottis, and made worse by poor breath support.

What is raspiness? Extraneous noise in the vocal sound  What causes raspiness? Aperiodic events during vocal fold vibration.

How are breathiness and raspiness different? Breathiness=hiss/white noise in the background of the tone, and raspiness=hoarseness and may include course, gravelly sounds.

What are signs of a damaged voice? Hoarse, raspy sounds that are beyond the direct control of the singer. Also cracking, popping, diplophonia, chronic intonation problems, etc.

What is nasality? A tone that actively resonates in the nasal cavity.   What causes nasality? A low, relaxed soft palate that fails to seal the passageway from the back of the throat into the nose.

Define free singing. This definition is pretty subjective, but I would describe free singing as “easy/ effortless singing”. Free singing can also include a lack of tension in the body. I would say then that the real definition of free singing is efficient singing.

Define forced singing. In contrast to the previous definition, I think forced singing is when the singer is consciously using more effort to produce the desired tone.

Define vibrato. A long term vibration, or oscillation superimposed on a sustained pitch. Might be related to the body’s natural tremor rate. It has two components: pitch and loudness.

What is the compass of a normal vibrato? Pitch may vary by as much as a minor second above and below the center, with a compass of a major second or more from top to bottom. Ideally, loudness pulsates at the same rate, emphasizing the center pitch.

Describe the characteristics of regular vibrato. Equal portions of pitch and loudness modulation that occur in perfect synchronization.

What does pitch-dominant vibrato sound like? Resembles a slow trill and makes determining the actual pitch very difficult.

What does loudness-dominant vibrato sound like? Has a bleating quality, much like a child imitating a goat.

What is the oscillation rate of a healthy, well-balanced vibrato? A healthy and well-balanced vibrato will oscillate in the approximate range of 4.5-7 cps.

Define wobble. A slow vibrato. Wobble < 4.5 cps with a wide pitch compass

What causes wobble? Results from poor technique, prolonged taxing use, neurological disorders, and old age.

How can we avoid developing a wobble? Don’t get old! Haha, just kidding. ;) Actually one can avoid developing a wobble through good vocal hygiene. This includes maintenance of pulmonary fitness.

Define flutter. Rapid vibrato. Flutter > 7 cps which obviously means having a narrow pitch compass

Caitlin Craig Mccoy Chapter 1

Provide the missing descriptor in the following pairs:
Clean - Raspy
Dramatic - Lyric
Loft - Twang
Clear - Breathy
Healthy - Damaged
Dark - Bright
Forward - Back
Ringing - Conversational
Nasal - Non-Nasal
Free - Forced
Straight Tone - Vibrant
Wobble - Flutter

Define chiaroscuro: chiaroscuro is defined as light vs. dark.  Brightness or lightness in the voice is characterized by a radiant carrying timbre.  Darkness in the voice is characterized by a warm and full-bodied characteristic of timbre.
How does the strength of the overtones vary in tones that are bright vs. dark? Bright tones have more intense high-pitched overtones, whereas dark tones exhibit more intense low-pitched overtones.  
What causes Twang resonance? How would you describe the sound? Twang resonance is caused by a narrowing of the vocal tract.  Brassy or harsh sounds occur in the result of Twang resonance.
What causes Loft resonance? Loft resonance occurs when the throat or pharynx is released/relaxed, and the soft palate is lifted.  
What often causes the sound to be 'back' rather than forward? Root of the tongue tension.
Lyric and Dramatic are indicators of both the size and the color  of the voice.
Synonyms for light and dramatic might be  light and full.
What is the cause of breathiness? When the glottis is not completely closed.
What is raspiness? What causes it? Raspiness is characterized by hoarseness or gravelly sounds.  Raspiness is caused by aperiodic events during VF vibration.  Often this is a indication of vocal pathologies.
How are breathiness and raspiness different? Breathiness sounds like white noise or a hiss in the sound, whereas raspiness is a coarse and harsh sound to the voice.
What are signs of a damaged voice? Hoarse, raspy, sounds that are beyond the control of the singer.   Cracking or popping sounds, diplophonia, chronic intonation problems, excessively wide/slow vibrato are all signs of a damaged voice.  
What is nasality? What causes it? Nasality is a way to describe the sound that occurs when the sound is resonating in the nasal cavity.  Nasality occurs when the soft palate isn't completely lifted to seal the passageway between the nose and pharynx.  
Define free singing. Free singing is perceived by ease, and has a freedom of sound and body.
Define forced singing. Forced singing is taxing.  It is the opposite of free singing.  If prolonged, the voice will become hoarse and tired. 
Define vibrato. Vibrato is the long-term vibration occurring on a sustained frequency. It is a normal occurring characteristic of free singing.  It also has two components: pitch and loudness. Pitch and loudness should be in equal portions of pitch and loudness modulation (occurring in sync).
What is the compass of a normal vibrato? a major second or more in range.
Describe the characteristics of normal vibrato. Normal vibrato has equal proportions of loudness and pitch.  These two components occur in synchronization.   
What does pitch-dominant vibrato sound like? A slow trill, which makes it hard to determine which pitch is being sung.
What does loudness-dominant vibrato sound like? Wavering like the sound of a child mimicking a billy goat.
What is the oscillation rate of a healthy well-balanced vibrato? 4.5-7 cycles per second (cps).
Define wobble. Wobble is a term used to describe a slow vibrato usually less than 4.5 cps, and a wide pitch compass.
What causes wobble? Poor singing technique, age, prolonged singing with poor technique, and neurological disorders.
How can we avoid developing a wobble? By keeping our voices in healthy use by exercising regularly, and healthy speaking habits.
Define flutter. Flutter is a term used to describe a fast vibrato, usually more than 7 cps, and accompanying a flutter is a narrow pitch compass.  

Sarah Boucher McCoy Ch. 1

MCCOY CHAPTER ONE STUDY QUESTIONS: Sarah Boucher

Provide the missing descriptor in the following pairs: (2-6)

Clean –Raspy

Dramatic – Lyric

Loft – Twang

Clear –Breathy

Healthy –Damaged

Dark –Bright

Forward –Back

Ringing –Conversational

Nasal – Non Nasal

Free – Forced

Straight Tone – Vibrato

Wobble – Flutter

Define chiaroscuro. (2)

Chiaroscuro is the balance in the voice of both dark and bright qualities. The dark brings the warmth and the bright makes it carry.

How does the strength of the overtones vary in tones that are bright vs. dark? (2) 

Bright tones=Higher pitched, stronger overtones

Dark tones=lower pitched, stronger overtones

What causes twang resonance? How would you describe the sound? (2)

Twang resonance is created by a "narrowing of the vocal tract". I would describe twang, as a more musical theater sound. It is an overall more nasal sound with more brass.

What causes loft resonance?  (2)

Loft resonance is when the pharynx is enlarged and the soft palate is lifted.

What often causes the sound to be ‘back’ rather than forward? (2-3)

McCoy says that is frequently tension in the root of the tongue that creates this "swallowed sound". 

Lyric and dramatic are indicators of both the size and the COLOR of the voice. (3)

Synonyms for light and dramatic might be FULL and  LYRIC. (3)

What is the cause of breathiness? (3)

Breathiness happens when the glottis is not closing all the way. In addition bad breath support, increases breathiness.

What is raspiness?  What causes raspiness? (3)

Raspiness is course and scratchy and sounds like hoarseness. It is caused by malfunctions in vocal fold vibration and could also be the result of voice disorders.

How are breathiness and raspiness different? (3)

Breathiness is more of a hiss behind the sound and raspiness is more like hoarseness.

What are signs of a damaged voice? (3)

Damages voices have unwanted noises  like excessive breathiness or raspiness that is not in the singer's control. They also can have cracking, popping, diplophonia, intonation problems and wide and slow vibrato.

What is nasality?  What causes nasality? (4)

Nasality occurs when the soft palate does not seal the passageway into the nasal cavity and sound resonates there.

Define free singing. (4-5)

Free singing gives the impression of ease to the listener and should feel good in the singer. Free singing is all about not being entangled, and letting the sounds come out without any control over them. 

Define forced singing. (5)

Forced singing is taxing on the singer and can be heard by the listener. It is not allowing the sound to control itself but trying to control it.

Define vibrato. (5)

Vibrato is the vibrations that occur on a sustained notes. If it is even and free is it a characteristic of healthy singing.

What is the compass of a normal vibrato? (5)

A major second or more, top to bottom

Describe the characteristics of regular vibrato. (5)

Regular vibrato should have an equal balance of pitch and loudness modulation that occur together.

What does pitch-dominant vibrato sound like? (5)

Pitch-dominant vibrato sounds like a trill because it has no modulation in loudness.

What does loudness-dominant vibrato sound like? (5)

Loudness-dominant vibrato sounds like a goat, because the sound doesn't modulate in pitch.

What is the oscillation rate of a healthy, well-balanced vibrato? (5)

Between 4.5 and 7 cycles per second

Define wobble. (5-6)

Wobble is slow vibrato that is also wide in pitch compass. It is less than 4.5 cycles per second and it's pitch compass exceeds a major second from top to bottom.

What causes wobble? (6)

Wobble can be cause by poor technique, taxing voice use, neurological disorders or old age.

How can we avoid developing a wobble? (6)

Good vocal hygiene and fitness can help us to avoid development of a wobble.

Define flutter. (6)
Flutter is a fast vibrato that is more than cps 7 and a narrow pitch compass. 

Emily C., McCoy, Ch.1

Provide the missing descriptor in the following pairs: (2-6)

• Clean – Raspy
• Dramatic – Lyric
• Loft – Twang
• Clear – Breathy
• Healthy – Damaged
• Dark – Bright
• Forward – Back
• Ringing – Conversational
• Nasal – Non-nasal
• Free – Forced
• Straight Tone – Vibrant
• Wobble – Flutter

• Define chiaroscuro. (2)
• It literally means, “light dark,” and it’s the balance between a bright, carrying tone and a dark, warm and fuller tone. Chiaroscuro is very typically found in healthy singing voices but can vary, with some voices tipped slightly more towards the brighter or darker tones. 
• How does the strength of the overtones vary in tones that are bright vs. dark? (2)
• In bright tones, the overtones tend to be stronger in higher pitches. In dark tones, the overtones tend to be stronger in lower pitches. 
• What causes twang resonance? How would you describe the sound? (2)
• A narrower vocal tract tends to cause a twangy sound, and it’s often partnered with nasality. I would describe it as bright, brass-like, and sharp (not in pitch). 
• What causes loft resonance?  (2)
• Loft resonance is caused by a relaxed and enlarged pharynx, as well as a lifted soft palate. It’s the complete opposite of twang. 
• What often causes the sound to be ‘back’ rather than forward? (2-3)
• It can be due to excessive root-of-the-tongue tension. More often than not, a “back” sound accompanies a darker tone and/or loft resonance. 
• Lyric and dramatic are indicators of both the size and the  of the voice. (3)
• color
• Synonyms for light and dramatic might be  and . (3)
• lyric and full
• What is the cause of breathiness? (3)
• When the glottis isn’t completely closed (usually as a result of poor breath support), air can escape while singing, resulting in the breathy tone.
• What is raspiness?  What causes raspiness? (3)
• Raspiness the additional, “extraneous noise” in a vocal sound. This can be caused by physiological and/or pathological voice disorders. 
• How are breathiness and raspiness different? (3)
• Breathiness is literally just the sound of extra air escaping, whereas raspiness has a gravelly and course sound. 
• What are signs of a damaged voice? (3)
• Generally speaking, a damaged voice will have a gravelly/raspy quality that is unwanted and cannot be controlled. If there is cracking/popping/unintentional sounding of two simultaneous pitches, and excessively slow/wide vibrato, this can also be an indicator of vocal damage. 
• What is nasality?  What causes nasality? (4)
• Nasality is when a tone resonates in the nasal cavity. It is caused by a relaxed soft palate that doesn’t close off the nasal cavity completely from the throat. 
• Define free singing. (4-5)
• Free singing is subjective to the singer, style of music, and the listener’s interpretation. Free tones “give the impression of ease,” and free singing allows the singer to vocalize for long periods of time before becoming fatigued. 
• Define forced singing. (5)
• Forced singing is also subjective. A forced sound can be used artistically to create the impression that the music is emotionally taxing. However, excessive forced singing can cause hoarseness and vocal fatigue. 
• Define vibrato. (5)
• Vibrato is a long-term oscillation on a sustained frequency or pitch. The speed, consistency, and pitch range of the vibrato can change depending on the singer’s level of experience, vocal health, and musical style. 
• What is the compass of a normal vibrato? (5)
• The compass of a normal vibrato is from a major second or more from top to bottom. 
• Describe the characteristics of regular vibrato. (5)
• A normal/healthy vibrato is consistent and steady. There are equal parts of pitch and loudness in perfect synchronization.
• What does pitch-dominant vibrato sound like? (5)
• It has no modulation in loudness and sounds like a perpetual slow trill. It’s often difficult to pinpoint the exact pitch being sung. 
• What does loudness-dominant vibrato sound like? (5)
• It has little or no modulation in pitch and can have a “bleating” quality. 
• What is the oscillation rate of a healthy, well-balanced vibrato? (5)
• A well-balanced vibrato will oscillate from the approximate range of 4.5 to 7 cycles per second (cps). 
• Define wobble. (5-6)
• It’s a very slow vibrato (less than 4.5 cps) that usually has a wide pitch compass, exceeding a major second from top to bottom. 
• What causes wobble? (6)
• It can be caused from prolonged periods of unhealthy voice use, bad singing technique, old age, or neurological disorders. 
• How can we avoid developing a wobble? (6)
• We can avoid developing a wobble by practicing good vocal hygiene, which includes pulmonary fitness, and daily (good) vocalization. 
• Define flutter. (6)
• Flutter is an excessively rapid vibrato that usually exceeds 7 cps with a narrow pitch compass. It can be helpful with singing coloratura by matching the rate of oscillation with the speed of pitch changes. 

Emily F. McCoy Ch. 1

Emily F. McCoy Ch. 1 

Provide the missing descriptor in the following pairs: (2-6)

Clean -- Raspy

Dramatic –Lyric

Loft –Twang

Clear –Breathy

Healthy –Damaged

Dark –Bright

Forward –Back

Ringing –Conversational

Nasal –Non-nasal

Free –Forced

Straight Tone –Vibrant

Wobble –Flutter

Define chiaroscuro. (2) Chiaroscuro is literally "light/dark". The "light" part of the voice has more brilliance and carrying power, where the "dark" part provides the warmth and fullness.

How does the strength of the overtones vary in tones that are bright vs. dark? (2) Bright sounds have stronger high-pitched overtones and dark sounds have stronger low-pitched overtones.

What causes twang resonance? How would you describe the sound? (2) Twang resonance is caused by the narrowing of the vocal tract and can be described as brassy, edgy, or nasal sounding.

What causes loft resonance?  (2) Loft resonance is caused by the enlarging of the pharynx and lifting of the soft palate. 

What often causes the sound to be ‘back’ rather than forward? (2-3) "Back" or "forward" refers to the perceived tone "placement". A "back" sound is darker and may sound caught in the throat, and this can be because of tongue root tension. 

Lyric and dramatic are indicators of both the size and the    color    of the voice. (3)

Synonyms for light and dramatic might be   lyric    and     full    . (3)

What is the cause of breathiness? (3) Breathiness is caused by incomplete glottal closure and may be exacerbated by poor breath support.

What is raspiness?  What causes raspiness? (3) Raspiness is extraneous noise in vocal sound that can be described as hoarse or gravelly sounding. Raspiness can be deliberately employed by vibrating the false vocal folds, or can be a result of vocal damage. 

How are breathiness and raspiness different? (3) Breathiness is like a white noise or hiss behind all of the sound, and raspiness is a hoarse, coarse, gravelly sound. 

What are signs of a damaged voice? (3) A damaged voice can have hoarse, raspy, cracking, or popping sounds in it, or diplophonia, or intonation or vibrato problems.

What is nasality?  What causes nasality? (4) Nasality is active resonating in the nasal cavity. When the nasal port is open, there is nasality in the sound. (Cindy, I'm still trying to understand nasality--having the sound resonate somewhat in the nasal cavity is good, yes?)

Define free singing. (4-5) Free singing creates the impression of ease, and a singer should be able to sing for long periods of time without vocal fatigue if the singing is free. 

Define forced singing. (5) Forced singing is taxing on the singer and will induce hoarseness or noticeable vocal fatigue.

Define vibrato. (5) Vibrato is long-term vibration or oscillation superimposed on a sustained pitch. 

What is the compass of a normal vibrato? (5) The compass of a normal vibrato is a major second or more from top to bottom. 

Describe the characteristics of regular vibrato. (5) Well-balanced vibrato has equal parts pitch and loudness modulation that are synchronized. 

What does pitch-dominant vibrato sound like? (5) Pitch-dominant vibrato sounds like a slow trill and makes it difficult to hear the actual pitch being sung. 

What does loudness-dominant vibrato sound like? (5) Loudness-dominant vibrato sounds like the bleating of a goat. 

What is the oscillation rate of a healthy, well-balanced vibrato? (5) Healthy, well-balanced vibrato oscillates at about 4.5 to 7 cycles per second. 

Define wobble. (5-6) Wobble is a very slow vibrato, less than 4.5 cps, and is wide in pitch compass. 

What causes wobble? (6) Wobble can be caused by poor technique, years of overuse of the voice, neurological disorders, or old age. 

How can we avoid developing a wobble? (6) Wobble can be avoided by good vocal hygiene throughout life. 

Define flutter. (6) Flutter is a very fast vibrato, >7 cps, with a narrow pitch compass.