Alisha Reeve MUSED 258 Citation The Singers Voice DVD Video 1189 Vol.

3 The Human Voice (27 minutes) The Vocal Tract (23 minutes) Summary The Human Voice Very agile, allowing a wide range of tones Vast portions of the body are necessary to push and pull air for the processes involved in tone production o Respiration o Phonation o Resonance Analysis of sound o Spectrum of particles Faurie Splits sound into parts, like a color spectrum, until they can no longer be split Height of the bars in this representation shows what portion of the entire sound is that specific tone o First bar is the fundamental tone o Other bars represent different overtones Aperiodic sounds-speech Periodic sounds-pure vowels, singing o Source filter theory Included are the larynx, vocal folds, and air column Three factors Frequency Amplitude-loudness and softness for lack of better terms Shape o Qualities The more evenly spaced the pulse, the purer the tones the result Folds closing faster than they open results in a brassier tone Air column filters the air and changes the sounds that our ears actually interpret Some particles are favored over others Jaw and tongue are influential in this process

Vowels are harder to understand the higher the pitch because of the partials that make up the wave

The Vocal Tract The vocal folds are similar to trumpets in that they vibrate to produce sound the same way the lips of a trumpet player vibrate It is the hollow spaces in the throat and mouth that produce resonant spaces Pharynx is another word for throat o Three parts Laryno-pharynx Ora-pharynx Nasal-pharynx Oral Cavity is another word for mouth o Two parts Tongue Several muscles Extends all the way to the hyoid bone Useful in the creation of vowels Jaw Connects to the skull by membranes and cartilages Cradles the tongue, but moves independently of the tongue Affects all other areas of the vocal tract Larynx o Moves up and down, shortening and lengthening the vocal tract o Laryngeal tube Inside the larynx Can also change size Lips o Affect the size and shape of the opening in the vocal tract o Also has impact on vowels Soft Pallet o Located at the top of the mouth o Fleshy rather than muscle or cartilage o Opens and closes the passage that connects the mouth and nasal cavity o In singing it should be raised nearly all of the time Head o Movement affects the upper and back wall of the vocal tract o Position of the head can help or hinder the production of sound in singing

Reflection As a music educator analysis of sound is a major portion of my job. I will spend much of my time dissecting the sounds that I hear to ensure proper and even vowels and tone. An understanding of how tone is produced and what parts of the body are influential of this formation is very important. Without an understanding of the vocal tract and how minimal changes in it can change tone I cannot begin to address the sound of a choir and help them achieve pure and uniform vowels. By also educating them on the vocal tract it will be even easier for them to understand my directions.