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GETTING THE MOST FROM THE VOCAL INSTRUMENT IN A CHORAL SETTING
Author(s): Ingo R. Titze
Source:
The Choral Journal
, Vol. 49, No. 5 (NOVEMBER 2008), pp. 34-41
Published by: American Choral Directors Association
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QETTinq THE ftlOST
FROftl THE VOCAL
lASTRUftlEAT IA A
CHORAL SETTIAQ
Ingo R. Titze, PhD
T
Introduction
he human voice has been compared to a man
_ , _ , , _ made musical instruments in recent descriptions
Dr. Ingo Titze is Executive Director of the |i
National Center for Voice and Speech, located 9 (for a P°Pular science version' see'T ltze' 2008)'
in the Denver Center for the Performing 9 The most interesting comparisons relate to overall
Arts, and Distinguished Professor of Voice instrument size.The larynx, with its associated airways above
Science and Speech in the Department of an(j below it, compares to a piccolo in the orchestral instru
ment family.Yet in range of pitch and loudness, it can compete
well with all of the wind and stringed instruments. It can even
compete with a grand piano that has strings about 100 times
worldwide as an introductory text and translated into multiple longer than the vocal cords and a resonance structure (the
languages, and is a regular contributor to the NATS Journal sound board) larger than the entire human body. This is par
of Singing. Dr. Titze is the father of Vocology (a word of his ticularly amazing in light of the fact that most of a singer's body
invention), the science and practice of voice habilitation, nQ^ jnvo|vec| (acoustically) in the sound making process.The
entire vocal instrument is only about 30 cm long from the
bronchial bifurcation to the lips.
Communication Sciences and Disorders at
The University of Iowa. As one of the world's
leading voice scientists, he has published over 500 articles on
voice. He is the author of Principles of Voice Production, used
and is co-author of Vocology, a forthcoming book designed
for clinicians and vocal pedagogues. <ITitze@dcpa.org>
34 Choral Journal • November 2008
QETTinq THE íHOST
FROítl THE VOCfll
insTRUfhEfiT in n
CHORñL SETTinq
Ingo R. Titze, PhD
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The question that is being asked repeatedly is, how can bio- vibrato and vocal ring in a choir, and problems with dynamics,
logically engineered sound instruments, including those of birds tessitura, and voice registration (especially among tenors),
and many mammals, be so effective in sound production when
nature is so stingy with its architecture? The answer is two-fold,
(I) nature has come up with very specialized materials for Vocal Warm-up
tissues that are set into vibration, and (2) a very sophisticated There is no dispute about the benefit of a warm-up when
neural control system (brain to larynx) is available to deal with motor skills are involved. Muscles and connective tissues re
these unusual materials, programmed over an extensive period spond differently (and a bit more reliably) after the first time
of motor and sensory learning (many years). they have been cycled through a movement. Beginning with
Because the human sound instrument is so different from light exercises over a limited range of motion and progressing
man-made instruments, much frustration arises among com- toward heavier loads and greater range of motion seems to
posers, conductors, and singing teachers in trying to make be the generally accepted protocol in exercise science,
this instrument conform to the rigors of tuning, ease and For many choral singers in schools and churches, vocal
consistency of response, and longevity over several decades of warm-up is conducted platoon-style. Men and women join
playing.When the voice is at its best, its gets more acclaim than together to sing scales or arpeggios, one octave apart, guided
any other instrument. When it is at its worst, it is not worthy by the director who sits at the piano to play the pitches for the
to keep company with orchestral instruments. drill. Occasionally, instructions like "sing from your diaphragm"
In this article, my attempt will be to highlight some of the or "drop your jaw" are superimposed. As the exercises prog
physiological and acoustical peculiarities of the vocal instru- ress to higher pitches (usually in half-steps), the lower voices
ment in a choral or ensemble setting. The topics I will ad- drop out and higher voices continue until most individuals have
dress are vocal warm-up, vocal fatigue, pubertal and life-span reached their limits.
changes, problems with four-part (SATB) arrangements, use of What this type of platoon warm-up disregards is the
Choral Journal • November 2008 35
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qETTinq THE dIOST fROfh THE VOCAL inSTRUftlEAT
cont.
individual nature of human psychology example. At a track meet, athletes are straw should be allowed. Your vocal buzz
and physiology. Vocal warm-up involves a stretching, flexing, and running short and all the air must go through the straw,
dialogue with one's body. First, the singer sprints, totally oblivious to what is going
finds out where the voice is (in its free- on around them. Even players of team • "Sing" part or all of a song through the
dom and flexibility) on a given day and at sports (basketball, soccer football) do straw; produce only a buzz, no vowels;
a particular time of the day.The rate and little platoon warm-up. The process of use full support on the high notes; make
length of warm-up differs greatly, depend- getting your body parts primed for team sure the tongue, jaw, neck, and shoulders
ing on how much talking or singing has performance can be taught and practiced stay loose by moving them gently as you
already been done, how much sleep has out of the context of coordinated group phonate through the straw,
occurred, and what the history of voicing action.
has been over several previous days. Illness Vocology, the science and practice of 'Practice messa di voce through the straw;
and fatigue play a major role. Sometimes voice habilitation, has addressed individual it is a crescendo followed by a decre
a register balanced voice that can execute vocal warm-up for all voice use, speech or scendo.
smooth crescendos over a one to two singing. Scientific evidence is accumulating
octave range is achieved in five minutes; that the so-called semi-occluded vocal tract • If you have a book of vocalizes, such as
other times it takes continual warm-up, exercises provide the equivalent of stretch- Concone's Thirty Daily Exercises (Schirmer
over repeated short sessions, for the bet- ing and flexing muscles and tendons in the Publications), do a few of these through
ter part of a day. limbs priorto running and jumping.These the straw;the first one in Concone's book
Choral singers, like solo singers, need to exercises include phonation through let is the messa di voce.
understand their instrument well enough thin straws (Titze, 2000; 2001; 2002), lip
to gauge its condition. Instrumentalists in trills (Titze, 1996; Nix, 1999), humming • Progress toward similar exercises with
a band or symphony orchestra know how (Westerman-Gregg, 1998), use of the/o/ lip trills.tongue trills, nasal consonants/ni/,
to condition their reeds, lips, valves, and vowel (Stemple,2000),and various other /n/, and /q/, and small mouth opening
slides before they begin to play together, mouth configurations to take the load off vowels like /o/ and /u/.
The sound of an orchestra warming up is a the tissues used for vocal fold vibration. A
concert of individuality. I have never heard warm-up routine might be as follows: • Reflect on your speaking voice several
a symphony orchestra warming up by times during the warm-up by talking a few
playing scales and arpeggios together pla- • Two to three minutes of pitch glides sentences or counting; note how much
toon-style. Unity begins when the concert with a drinking or stirring straw, covering higher your voice is "placed" by these
master stands up and requests the A4 from about two octaves to stretch the vocal exercises,
the lead oboist; then everybody listens to folds; use of full respiratory support (ab
their neighbors and tunes in. dominal and ribcage) is advised and no air • Now progress toward singing with the
The sports world shows the same leakage through the nose or around the mouth open and stretching your articula
tors (jaw, tongue, lips, etc.)
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Repeated vocal fold collision and large
vibrational amplitudes tend to traumatize
vocal fold tissues. Minimizing these vibra
tional and collision stresses while stretch
ing muscles and ligament for better control
of pitch and loudness involves keeping the
mouth nearly closed during much of the
vocal warm-up. It's a bit like playing the
muted trumpet to condition the lips, or
moving the legs without pounding the
pavement. Connective tissue needs to be
protected while muscles are primed. A
forthcoming book titled Vocology (Titze
and Verdolini, in press) will detail more
of the steps of vocal warm-up based on
physiological principles. Singers at every
level should have the tools to individualize
36 Choral Journal • November 2008
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their warm-ups. dards of safety (Carroll, et al., 2006). would already be exceeded. Holding a
Once the individual vocal warm-up is For example, if the vocal folds were power tool, such as an electric drill or
complete, group choir warm-up is mostly to vibrate continuously for 20 minutes concrete breaker; continuously for more
about listening and tuning to each other (without interruption), the industrial limit than 20 minutes (adjusting for differences
—achieving a choral blend as quickly as for hand vibration exposure in tool use in frequency and amplitude), would chal
possible, articulating in synchrony, using
vowels that are compatible with those of
your neighbors, and exercising crescendos
and decrescendos—these are all much
more effective after the individual warm
up has been completed. ÊSJ Yale University
Vocal Fatigue
Vocal fatigue is defined as a diminished
vocal ability (or the perception of such by
the performer) when effort remains the
same. Conversely, it is the increase in effort
required to maintain the same vocal ability.
Choral singers complain of vocal fatigue
when rehearsals are exceedingly long or
performances are spaced too closely (e.g.,
on tours). Scientifically, fatigue has been
subdivided into mental fatigue, muscle
fatigue, and material fatigue related to
an overexposure to vocal fold vibration
(McCabe andTitze, 2002; Solomon, 2008).
Recovery from these levels of fatigue var
ies considerably. Mental fatigue can last for
a longtime (days,weeks, perhaps months)
if it is related to boredom or dissatisfaction,
but can be overcome in minutes with a
new level of excitement. Muscle fatigue
(laryngeal, respiratory, and articulatory
muscles) has a relatively predictable recov
ery time—several minutes to a few hours.
We do not develop muscle aches from
singing and speaking comparable to those
we get from lifting, running, or jumping.
The laryngeal muscles are rarely maximally
contracted in speech and song; they mainly
lose their coordination and a bit of their
speed. Finally, material fatigue (in the form
of tissue damage due to excessive vibra
tion and collision) is of greatest concern.
As in any exposure problem, a maximum
dose of vibration can be defined on the
basis of duration, frequency, and amplitude
of vibration. Dosimeters are now available
that can measure the dose accumulated by
a singer and relate it to preliminary stan
GRADUATE STUDY IN CHORAL CONDUCTING
at Yale Institute of Sacred Music and School of Music
DECREES OFFERED
Master of Music
Master of Musical Arts
Doctor of Musical Arts
Artist Diploma
Full tuition scholarships for all
admitted students. Additional
merit-based awards available.
Ample podium time with choral
and instrumental ensembles.
Marguerite L. Brooks, director of yale camerata
Simon Carrington, director of yale schola cantorum
Jeffrey Dounra, director of yale glee club
RECENT VISITING ARTISTS
CHORAL ENSEMBLES 2006-2008 RECENT STUDENT
YaleCamerata MAJOR REPERTOIRE RECITAL REPERTOIRE
Yale Glee Club JS Bach Christmas Oratorio, JS Bach Komm, Jesu, komm
Yale Schola Cantorum Magnificat, and Cantata No. 63 Barber Prayers of Kierkegaard
Battell Chapel Choir Beethoven Ninth Symphony Beethoven Mass in C
Marquand Chapel Choir Bresnick Three Choral Songs on Bernstein Chichester Psalms
Yale Repertory Chorus Poems ofAmichai David Deutsche Messe
Yale Recital Chorus Britten War Requiem, Sacred Finzi Requiem da Camera
and Profane Howells Take Him Earth for
Buxtehude Membra Jesu nostri Cherishing
Dave Brubeck Charpentier Le Reniement de Ives The Unanswered Question
Stephen Layton St Pierre Kreek Psalms of David
James MacMillan Du Mont Magnificat pour Deux Lasso Lamentations
Sir Neville Marriner Choeurs MacMillan Cantos Sagrados
Tarik O'Regan Duruflé Requiem Purcell Dido and Aeneas
Stefan Parkman Gibbons Cries of London Rheinberger Cantus Missae
Krzysztof Penderecki Gubaidulina Sonnengesang Shostakovich Chamber
Helmuth Rilling MacMillan Mairi Symphony
Sir David Willcocks Mendelssohn Elijah Stravinsky L'Histoire du Soldat
The Academy Chamber Choir Monteverdi Vespro della Beata Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms
of Uppsala Vergine 1610 Vaughan Williams Five Mystical
Clare College Choir, Cambridge O'Regan The Ecstasies Above Songs
Ensemble Européen William Panetti A Gust inside the God
Byrd, Paris Stravinsky Les Noces
I Fagiolini Stucky Three New Motets
Tuks Camerata, University of
Pretoria
Office of Admissions Yale Institute of Sacred Music, 409 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511
tel 203.432.9753 fax 203.432.9680
Choral Journal • November 2008 37
Ipjjf Yale University
&
GRADUATE STUDY IN CHORAL CONDUCTING
at Yale Institute of Sacred Music and School of Music
DECREES OFFERED
Master of Music
Master of Musical Arts
Doctor of Musical Arts
Artist Diploma
Full tuition scholarships for all
admitted students. Additional
merit-based awards available.
Ample podium time with choral
and instrumental ensembles.
Marguerite L. Brooks, director of yale camerata
Simon Carrington, director of yale schola cantorum
Jeffrey Douma, director of yale glee club
RECENT VISITING ARTISTS
CHORAL ENSEMBLES 2006-2008 RECENT STUDENT
YaleCamerata MAJOR REPERTOIRE RECITAL REPERTOIRE
Yale Glee Club JS Bach Christmas Oratorio, JS Bach Komm, Jesu, komm
Yale Schola Cantorum Magnificat, and Cantata No. 63 Barber Prayers of Kierkegaard
Battell Chapel Choir Beethoven Ninth Symphony Beethoven Mass in C
Marquand Chapel Choir Bresnick Three Choral Songs on Bernstein Chichester Psalms
Yale Repertory Chorus Poems ofAmichai David Deutsche Messe
Yale Recital Chorus Britten War Requiem, Sacred Finzi Requiem da Camera
and Profane Howells Take Him Earth for
Buxtehude Membra Jesu nostri Cherishing
Dave Brubeck Charpentier Le Reniement de Ives The Unanswered Question
Stephen Layton St Pierre Kreek Psalms of David
James MacMillan Du Mont Magnificat pour Deux Lasso Lamentations
Sir Neville Marriner Choeurs MacMillan Cantos Sagrados
Tarik O'Regan Durufle Requiem Purcell Dido and Aeneas
Stefan Parkman Gibbons Cries of London Rheinberger Cantus Missae
Krzysztof Penderecki Gubaidulina Sonnengesang Shostakovich Chamber
Helmuth Rilling MacMillan Mairi Symphony
Sir David Willcocks Mendelssohn Elijah Stravinsky L'Histoire du Soldat
The Academy Chamber Choir Monteverdi Vespro della Beata Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms
of Uppsala Vergine 1610 Vaughan Williams Five Mystical
Clare College Choir, Cambridge O'Regan The Ecstasies Above Songs
Ensemble Europeen William Panetti A Gust inside the God
Byrd, Paris Stravinsky Les Noces
I Fagiolini Stucky Three New Motets
Tuks Camerata, University of
Pretoria
Office of Admissions Yale Institute of Sacred Music, 409 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511
tel 203.432.9753 fax 203.432.9680
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QETTinq THE (HOST fROfH THE VOCAL lASTRUfHEflT cont.
lenge the safety limit. But we don't know Voice Parts And Classification between females and males on the basis
how much the overall duration can be Four-part choir singing contains an of vocal fold length. Males have an average
extended due to frequent voicing breaks inherent voice classification problem, speaking fundamental frequency of 125 Hz,
(pauses) we encounter in speaking and Most ma|e acyt sjngers are baritones while females have an average speaking
singing. Indications are that 20 minutes and most female adult singers are mezzo- fundamental frequency of 200 Hz.To corn
could stretch into several hours. We do sopranos. Voice classification according to Plicate matters.there ls a different (1.2:1)
know that school teachers who accumu- physiologic principles follows a normal bell ratio between female and male formants
late 2-3 hours of vocal fold vibration in a curvei a unimodal distribution that would (resonances of the vocal tract) due to a
day often experience vocal fatigue. assjgn about two-thirds of all voices to the difference in neck length.
For singers, overexposure can be intermediate categories. Sopranos, altos, Consider the voice range profile of a
avoided by frequent marking (singing with tenors ancj basses are outliers, yet they self-classified ban-tenor (the author) who
less intensity or no voicing at all). But this are the onlv classes under the standard bas been botb a s0'0'^ aRd a choir singer
in itself is a technique to be learned. Alter- SATB arrangements.This means that about for man>( years'Table 1 shows the ran8e
nate voicing and de-voicing of otherwise two-thirds of all choir singers will sing parts of vocal intensity (in decibels, or dB) that
loud and sustained notes, or rapidly chang- that are not ideally suited for them.There the sin§er can Produce over slightly more
ing vocal dynamics, is a skill perfected only wj|| be bari-tenors and bari-basses, and than a tw°-octave range (G2 to A4). In
by a few. Furthermore, choral conductors there will be mezzo-soprano sopranos and rnid portion of the range (C3 to C4),
can become frustrated by individual voices mezzo-soprano altos. about 20-25 dB of intensity range can be
turning on and off at will, unless the choir Biology would say that more vocal achieved from softest to loudest produc
marks in unison. ensemble music should be written in six- t'ons' But because the C4to A4 pitch range
Every singer must learn to gauge their part harmony, but somehow division by six is.also available to the sinSer (although
own personal exposure to vibration and (or three) is not as natural for composers with.Iess dynamic range), frequent choir
their recovery from it. I recommend that writing in traditional musical conventions, classification was as a tenorThe problem
singers keep a record book of estimated Octaves and half-octaves are the preferred 's tbat soEt and 'oud notes 'n tb's ran^e are
phonation times (in minutes or hours) intervals. Vocal anatomy, however does distinguished by a lesser dynamic range (10
over vocally busy days and vocally less not present itself in octaves. On average, dB or less) above Ef If a conductor wants
busy days. Included in this record should maie voca| folds are about 60 percent tine full dynamic range of pp to/ffrom this
be an accounting of all intermittent rest fo^aC Lale vocal folds. All else voice, it may be a struggle forthe singer in
(no voice) periods, to determine how long being equal, there is a 1.6:1 ratio in pitch thls uPPer tenor ran§e; Medlum to loud
it takes for their voices to recover under notes are sung with high lung pressure
multiple rehearsal/per
formance situations. It's
a bit like learning safety
for exposure to sun
rays to avoid burning.
Time of daytime of yean
altitude above sea level,
inclination to the sun
rays, and the amount of
sun screen protection,
all enter into the for
mula. Individual wisdom
and experience prevails.
No health provider can
give a protocol better
than the one obtained
by personal long-term
introspection.
Table I
The Range of Intensity a Bari-tenor Can Produce over a Two Octave Range
38 Choral Journal • November 2008
The Range of Intensity a Ban-tenor Can Produce over a Two Octave Range
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and soft notes often require a registration
shift to falsetto. The whole process may
be rather fatiguing over several hours of
practice. But re-seating him in the bass
section is not an advantage either G2 is the
lowest note, on which no dynamic range
is achievable.
In brief, choral singing does not allow
the singer the freedom to adjust the
tessitura of the song to the tessitura of the
voice. Soloists sometimes (but not always)
have the advantage of changing the key
signature to "put the song into their voice."
As a result, fatigue may set in sooner in
choral singing than in solo singing, even
though the overall sound level produced
may be less.
Table 2
Dynamic Ranges of a Soloists and a
Choral Ensemble
Choral Ensemble
Soloist
Dynamic
SIL (dB)
i
i
PP
55
ñ
i
P
56
!
mp
61
i
mf
64
i
f
67
i
ff
70
damental acoustics because any doubling dynamic ranges in choral ensembles are
Dynamic Range of sound power adds 3 dB.Thus, a choir created by training individual voices that
In Small And Large Choirs of 32 members (five times doubling one are gifted enough to have a large dynamic
The dynamic range of a choir depends member) can have a dynamic range of only range.The Robert Shaw chorales were not
on the size of the choir and dynamic 5x3 —15 dB if individual voices can only large in numbei (usually up to about 36),
range of each individual in the choir This be added or subtracted (without changing but well endowed and trained as individu
is illustrated in Table 2.To look at the ef- their individual intensities). A choir of 375 <^ls- It would appear to be economically
fects separately, we consider a hypothetical voices, like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; more feasible to train choir voices than
ensemble that has only one loudness per could have a dynamic range of only about to recruit many weak voices. But there is
individual, namely pp. We compare it to a 26 dB if each voice could only have one also a downside to amalgamating soloists,
soloist who can increase his or her loud- loudness level. First, the whole choir would The blending of the voices then becomes
ness progressively (shown by fattening sing, then half the choir; then a fourth, and
the stick figures from top to bottom). A so on until only a quartet sings.This is, of
progressive doubling of choral members course, not the way a choir changes its
from one (not a choir) to 32 is shown for dynamics.
comparison. Six levels of dynamics (pp, p, The amazing biological phenomenon
mp, m/jf and (f) are indicated forthe solo- ¡s that a single voice can have a greater
ist in the third column from top to bottom, dynamic range than this hypothetical 375
Finally, an increase in sound intensity level voice choir whose members can sing
(in dB) is shown for the choral ensemble only one loudness level. I have measured
when all (identical) singers are singing pp dynamic ranges of 45 dB in first-class pro
only.Thus, 55dB corresponds to one voice fessional soloists, at least at some pitches.
(soloist or choir member) singing pp, while This would be equivalent to a chorus of
70 dB corresponds to a 32 voice choir 32,768 members singing this soloist's soft
singing pp or a soloist singing ff. (A dB,the est n°te (PP)- Table I showed that a 25
abbreviation for decibel, is a measure of dB intensity range can be achieved (at least
the ratio between two sound intensities, in midrange) by a singer that is not world
55 dB would be a quiet vocal sound com- class.Then inTable 2, we see that only a 15
pared to the softest sound our ears can dB dynamic range is needed by a soloist
detect in an absolutely quiet room). Each to keep up with a 32 voice choir if every
doubling of choir members adds 3 dB of choir member were to sing only pp.
sound intensity, which is known from fun- The take-home message is that large
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Choral Journal • November 2008 39
Table 2
Dynamic Ranges of a Soloists and a Choral Ensemble
Table 2
Dynamic Ranges of a Soloists and a
Choral Ensemble
Choral Ensemble
Soloist
Dynamic
SIL (dB)
i
I
PP
55
ft
I
P
56
ftft
1
mp
61
ftftftft
1
mf
64
ftftftftftftftft
1
f
67
ft«ftft»ftttttftftft«ftftftft
1
ff
70
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QETTinq THE fllOST fROA THE VOCAL lASTRUftlEDT cont.
the greater challenge. This leads into the the vibrato extent is too large, confusion may in the long term show diminishing
next topic. arises in both timbre and pitch because the returns. Hearing harmonics from two
harmonics overlap each other's territory individuals line up, and appreciating that
on a single note. ensemble effect, will likely produce the
Vibrato And Vocal Ring Another vocal enhancement that is straight tone spontaneously.
In An Ensemble beneficial for soloists, but questionable
Vocal vibrato has at least two purposes f°r a choral ensemble, is vocal ring, also
in singing. It helps stabilize the pitch (al- known as the singer's formant cluster Dealing With Lifespan Changes
though the opposite is often argued) and With a narrowing of the laryngeal col- In The Instrument
it livens up the timbre of the instrument. 'ac also called the laryngeal vestibule or One of the main differences between
Pitch is stabilized by vibrato because ev- the epilarynx tube, a singer can bunch man-made musical instruments and
ery voice is affected by muscle tremors together the third and fourth formants nature's biological instruments is the
that originate in the brain and cannot be (and occasionally the fifth) of the vocal constancy of acoustic output over several
totally suppressed. It is impossible to sing Tact to resonate a group of harmonics decades. Well crafted violins, pianos, and
a perfectly straight tone.There will always 'n the 2500-3500 Hz frequency range. wjnc| instruments can be stable for cen
be small pitch fluctuations, and they are A prevailing ring is heard in the voice that turies, let alone decades. In contrast, the
mostly irregular.Vibrato is simply a means can penetrate through many competing human instrument changes dramatically
of making the fluctuations more regular; sounds, even a full orchestra. Operatic over a lifetime (80 years or so). Most cho
allowing the pitch to go above and below so'° singers (particularly males) use vocal ra| directors in schools are aware of the
the desired mean pitch in a more system- nng to project their voices over vocal and sudden changes at puberty, particularly in
atic fashion. Little attention is drawn to orchestral ensembles when they would males.The larynx is a sexual organ, highly
the vibrato in a solo voice as long as the otherwise be drowned out. But because influenced by hormone production. In the
vibrato rate and the vibrato extent are the central frequency of the ring is specific 14-16 year age range, a growth spurt oc
bounded. Acceptable rates are 4.5 to 6.5 an individual and does not change much curs jn the length of the male vocal folds,
Hz for today's audiences and acceptable with pitch, multiple strong ringing frequen- ancj the bottom portions of the vocal folds
extents are ± one quarter tone (above cies in an ensemble can compete and come together more effectively with a
or below the desired pitch). It is more dif- create a dissonance in the overall sound, bulking-up of the thyroarytenoid muscle,
ficult for a singer to vary the rate than the Opera choruses, composed often of solo jhe combined effect is a lower pitch and a
extent. Fortunately, the rate doesn't matter singers with ample ring, may therefore not register change (from boy falsetto to adult
if the extent is minimized in straight-tone exhibit the timbral unity that one hears in modal register). Care must be taken not
singing. choruses composed of non-opera singers, to try to artificially "stabilize" the voice in
Vocal timbre is affected by vibrato be- Mariachi singers, often in groups of four to this period of change. Such stabilization can
cause harmonics are swept in and out of eight males, have cultivated the ensemble |eacj to unnecessary muscular control that
formants (resonances of the vocal tract) effect of ringing voices. may later need to be reversed,
in the vibrato cycle. Certain harmonics Blending voices is a non-trivial under- The larynx matures and reaches its peak
are stronger one moment in time and taking. It involves loudness, pitch, timbre, performance ability much later than arms
weaker in another For a soloist, this gives vowel, and vibrato. By standing close to anc| |egS One hypothesis for this delayed
a special liveliness to the tone. However; if Partners and listening carefully to each maturity is that the laryngeal framework,
other; a few people at a time, the mere initially composed entirely of cartilage,
desire to blend will often drive the vocal ossifies with age and becomes bony. The
y U1CK 1 lp systems to do so. Biology helps out in the larynx is then able to support higher ten
sense that entrainment (or synchroniza- sjon in the vocal folds, the framework hav
Have you moved recently? tion) between vibrating systems is often jng become more mechanically stiff.Thus,
Are you starting at a new school a natural occurrence. Some singers claim VOCal athletes reach their primes around
this fall? Help us keep our records that vibrato between two people can be age 45 rather than 25. With advanced age,
current by sending your updated synchronized, and certainly vowels can be however the joints within the larynx begin
information to our membership blended to create a unity vowel. But, again to stiffen, which then restricts range of mo
department as soon as possible. "the ear drives the blend more than the tion and therewith the pitch range.
<ldefrancis@acda.org> overt manipulation of the larynx or the Table 3 shows how pitch (op more cor
articulators. Practicing straight tone with- rect|y, fundamental frequency F0) changes
out the presence of a partner for example,
40 Choral Journal • November 2008
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Table 3
How Average Speaking Pitch Changes Over a Life-Span in Males and Females
500'
N
I
U
c
<D
D
cr
400 -
300 -
c
(L>
E
rd
,3 200 H
100
female
i 1 i 1 i 1 i
20 40 60 80
Age (years)
about some of the unpredictabilities and
imprécisions that come with an instrument
made primarily for survival rather than
aesthetic sound production.
NOTES
1 Brown, W.S., Morris, R.J., Holien, H. Howell, E.
(1991) Speaking Fundamental Frequency
Characteristics as a Function of Age and
Professional Singing. Journal of Voice 5:
310-15.
2 Carroll,T, Nix, J., Hunter; E., Emerich, K.,Titze, I.R.,
Abaza, M. (2006). Objective Measurement
ofVocal Fatigue in Classical Singers: A Vocal
Dosimetry Pilot Study. Otolayrngol. Head
Neck Surgery 135(4):595-602.
3 McCabe, D.J.,Titze, I.R. (2002) Chant-Therapy
For Treating Vocal Fatigue Among Public
School Teachers: A Preliminary Study.
American Journal of Speech-Language
Pathology I 1,356-59.
4 Nix, J. (1999). Lip trills and raspberries: "High
spit factor" Alternatives to The Nasal
Continuant Consonants. Journal of Singing
55(3): 15-19.
5 Solomon, N.R (2008). Vocal Fatigue and Its
Relation to Hyperfunction. International
Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
10(4):254-66.
6 Stemple, J.C. (2000). Voice Therapy. Mosby
over a life-span in males and females.The laryngeal muscles well so that tissues retain (Elsevier), St. Louis, MO.
most important observation is that F0 in their elasticities. 7 Titze, I.R. (1996). Lip and Tongue Trills—what
females declines monotonically with age. Do They Do for Us? Journal of Singing,
In males, on the other hand, there is a 52(3), 51-52.
reversal toward higher F0 with advanced Conclusion 8 Titze, I.R. (2000). Phonation Into a Straw as a
age.The lowest F0 in males occurs around This has been a very brief overview Voice Building Exercise. Journal of Singing,
age 40-50. Near age 90, gender is not of some of the acoustic and physiologic 57(1), 27-28.
differentiated much by F0. Grandma and characteristics of the human vocal instru- Titze, I.R (2001 ). The Five Best Vocal Warm-up
grandpa often sound the same (over the ment as related to choral singing. It is clear |Q Exercises. Journal of Singing 57 (3), 51-52.
phone) when judged only by pitch. Thus, that requirements for a vocal ensemble Tltze' l,R' (2002)' How t0 Use the Flow
vocal instruments begin uni-sexual and are not always the same as those for a Straws- Journal ofSmging 58(5),
end uni-sexual. It is therefore incorrect to solo voice. The most important message
assume that all voices are more comfort- is that biology does not construct sound
able in lower voice categories at later age. sources along the same lines as man-made
Some sopranos may indeed change to musical instruments. Composers, singing
mezzo-sopranos with advanced age, and teachers, and choral conductors are wise
some altos may be more comfortable sing- in making allowances forthese differences,
ing male parts. But baritones may actually focusing on the beauty and strength that
change to tenors and basses to baritones, comes with the biological variations. This
especially if they continue to exercise their may also lead to a more forgiving attitude
Choral Journal • November 2008
429-30.
11 Titze, I. R. (2008). The Human Instrument
Scientific American 298 ( I ):94-101.
12 Westerman Gregg, J. (1998). What About
Humming with the Ng? Journal of Singing
54(4):55-57.
Table 3
How Average Speaking Pitch Changes Over a Life-Span in Males and Females
Table 3
How Average Speaking Pitch Changes Over a Life-Span in Males and Females
N
I
U
c
<D
c
CD
500
400 -
300 -
CTj
~o
§ 200 H
100
I 1 I 1 I ' I
20 40 60 80
Age (years)
NOTES
Brown, W.S., Morris, R.J., Holien, H. Howell, E.
(1991) Speaking Fundamental Frequency
Characteristics as a Function of Age and
Professional Singing. Journal of Voice 5:
310-15.
2 Carroll,T, Nix, J., Hunter E., Emerich, K.,Titze, I.R,
Abaza, M. (2006). Objective Measurement
ofVocal Fatigue in Classical Singers:AVocal
Dosimetry Pilot Study. Otolayrngol. Head
Neck Surgery 135(4):595-602.
3 McCabe, D.J.,Titze, I.R (2002) Chant-Therapy
For Treating Vocal Fatigue Among Public
School Teachers: A Preliminary Study.
American Journal of Speech-Language
Pathology11,356-59.
4 Nix, J. (1999). Lip trills and raspberries: "High
spit factor" Alternatives to The Nasal
Continuant Consonants. Journal of Singing
55(3): 15-19.
5 Solomon, N.R (2008). Vocal Fatigue and Its
Relation to Hyperfunction. International
Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
10(4):254-66.
6 Stemple, J.C. (2000). Voice Therapy. Mosby
(Elsevier), St. Louis, MO.
7 Titze, I.R. (1996). Lip and Tongue Trills—what
Do They Do for Us? Journal of Singing
52(3), 51-52.
8 Titze, I.R. (2000). Phonation Into a Straw as a
Voice Building Exercise. Journal of Singing,
57(l),27-28.
9 Titze, I.R. (2001 ). The Five Best Vocal Warm-up
Exercises. Journal of Singing, 57 (3), 51 -52.
10 Titze, I.R. (2002). How to Use the Flow
Resistant Straws. Journal of Singing 58(5),
429-30.
" Titze, I. R. (2008). The Human Instrument.
Scientific American 298 ( I ):94-101.
12 Westerman Gregg, J. (1998). What About
Humming with the Ng? Journal of Singing
54(4):55-57.
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