CHOIR LEADER'S NOTEBOOK

The tongues are a special muscle ... it can be tensed not only as a whole, but also in separate areas, which allows it to tune in to different vibration frequencies. Vibrations of the ligaments along the entire length cause the appearance of the lowest tone, and vibrations of shorter sections - high tones, or overtones, give the sound different shades. The pharynx, oral cavity and nose make up, as it were, an extension tube, as well as the trachea and bronchi at the same time serve as a kind of resonators /24/.

Oh, for the opinion that

Hm ligaments are shorter and stronger their tension, the higher the tone.

D I formations of the correct tone are true vocal cords should be very close to each other and be correspondingly tense, and the air pressure in the lungs could cause them to fluctuate.

If the distance between the cords is more than two millimeters, then the voice loses its sonority and becomes hoarse. The mechanism of the larynx in a spoken voice is somewhat different than in singing, the function of the vocal cords is less complex /3/.

The main factor in the formation of the quality of singing sound is duplication of mucous tissue, which covers the true vocal cords and the elastic cone of the larynx...

If we force a student to sing loudly from the first lesson? As a rule, in sound extraction, immediately, prematurely, rudely, with great energy, the entire thickness of the muscles of the vocal muscle roller is turned on and ignored. initial phase the occurrence of sound. In this case, the edges of the vocal cords turn upwards and, of course, in this case one cannot demand a diminuendo from the singer, since when switching to the piano, kicking will certainly appear, which just tells us about the violation of the natural physical laws of the biomechanics of the vocal mechanism.

With the excessive development of the strength of the sound, its timbre is lost ... the edges of the folds of the mucous tissue of the true vocal cords remain, as it were, out of work, since the air, breaking through the glottis with great force, turns them upward and passes without touching the inverted edges.

The edge of the mucous folds of the true vocal cords is the most necessary component of sound production for the timbre of the voice.

P and unforced sound ... the functional picture does not change, and with the strongest sound, the deep layers of the vocal muscles are regularly and consistently included in the work, without losing contact with the edges of the vocal folds.

The form of the vocal cords provides a basis for a functional analysis of the features of the singing sound when moving towards the upper notes. When sound is extracted, the lower parts of the muscular-ligamentous apparatus are gradually turned off, and only the edge of this apparatus, that is, the ligament itself, remains on the uppermost part of the tessitura possibility.

And it is at this moment that it is very important to find the desired acoustic form in the articulatory apparatus of the mouth and pharynx.

Thus, the analysis of singing movements indicates that there are no material prerequisites for the existence of the mechanism of registers in singing, but there are only organic property tissue association of the voice-producing area of ​​the larynx, which allows to carry out differentiated singing movements along the steps of the scale, forming a functional balance in the motor skill for each semitone /37/.

P and whisper, the ligaments do not oscillate, and if they begin to oscillate, then minimally /38/.

About breathing

“... the breathing technique, the “physiological” tuning of the singing apparatus are only a means for the correct sound production.”

The ohs should not be frequent, one must learn to gradually expend air, to keep it as long as possible /2/.

After a quick breath before singing, you need to hold your breath for a moment. This delay organizes the singing apparatus and contributes to the simultaneous start of singing. Holding the breath lasts one moment and is, as it were, part of the process of inhalation.

One breath must be taken before the air supply in the lungs is completely exhausted.

The breath should be completely calm, without any hint of forcible "pushing out" of the taken air. The lack of control over the exhalation process often leads to forcing, detonation.

... The advice of many masters ... when inhaling, as if to feel the delicate smell of a flower, and exhaling - so that the flame of the candle placed near the mouth does not stir.

To learn how to use your breath sparingly while singing, you need to move on to an exercise that trains exhalation. As you exhale, count to yourself first to five or six, and then increase to ten. For a clearer feeling of this process, exhalation can be done on some hissing or whistling sound (s, z, u, sh).

For the development of "chain breathing" you can sing the scale for long durations, without pauses. Singers should not all take breath at the same time and predominantly in the middle of long sounds. "Chain Breath" is a collective skill /26/.

In the choir, "chain" breathing allows you to pause (to take a breath) at any point in the piece /28/.

A man who does not know how to properly control his breath will not be able to read a long phrase without tension. Proper breathing helps to express certain feelings, create the necessary emotional coloring, that is, it provides the necessary expressiveness of speech.

O organized, skillful breathing helps the singer and master of the word subtly convey all the shades of sincere lyrics.

Try, while reading a poem, to take a breath after each line, when the thought is not yet finished. The whole impression will be hopelessly spoiled.

P and reading, as well as during exercises, it is necessary to take in air through the nose. Such breathing is deeper, the air fills the lungs better and does not dry the throat: passing through the nose, it is slightly moistened.

You should not take too much air. It should feel like you could take another breath.

Filling the lungs with air can lead to unpleasant sensations of “air hunger”, when you want to inhale even deeper and more fully. In addition, having taken in too much air, it can be difficult to keep it in the respiratory tract - therefore, there will be a sharp attack of sound, and this is exactly what we do not need (see breathing exercises, p. 24).

C-diaphragmatic breathing provides a larger supply of air /36/.

H m smoother and more even breathing, the longer you can hold the sound and the more pleasant it sounds.

It is good to end the exhalation loudly.

Before singing or after a middle pause, it is recommended to take relatively deep breaths through the nose, and in the process of singing - short and soundless breaths simultaneously through the nose and mouth.

Hundred involuntarily breathing intensifies during melodic rises and as it rises, breathing is forced, which is unacceptable /16/.

“... gave his body a position devoid of any tension, and put one foot forward, as if in order to take a step ... kept the body completely free, without the slightest tension. Then he contracted the muscles of the abdomen hardly noticeably and inhaled calmly, without haste.

With a conscious control of breathing, he contributed to his skill in turning every particle of exhaled air into sound when singing.

To ruzo used for each musical phrase, even for each note, only the amount of breathing that is necessary for the musical transmission of this phrase or note, but no more. He kept an excess of breathing in reserve: this created in the listeners the feeling that the master was far from using his vocal means to the limit and still had sufficient strength for everything that the case would require of him. This is the basis of the great art of singing.”

The process of inhalation should be visible to the observer only by the rising chest, and not by the rising shoulders.

A man cannot master the power of his sound if he does not first learn to control his breath.

Breathing is a matter of great importance for equalizing the voice in its entire volume /27/.

Five “on the exhale” is a great evil, you need to hold your breath.

Before phonation, the ribs took a “breath”, but did not remain in the state of maximum inspiration, but immediately dropped to the state of an average moderate inspiration. Then phonation began, but the singer's ribs do not fall off: they are confidently held in their original position until the end of the note. And for some - not only non-fall, but separation of the ribs! (Paradoxical breathing).

Due to the different subglottic pressure required for different vowels to sound approximately the same volume, the diaphragm behaves differently during phonation exhalation.

By chanting “I - A” in one breath, the diaphragm first rises (exhale to “I”), but when “A” begins, the diaphragm first stops, and then goes ... down! The exhalation continues and the ribs gradually subside, and during this time the diaphragm manages to make an “exhale” and “inhale” depending on the vowel.

The fact that under the influence of strong pressure in the lungs and the maximum expansion of the ribs, the diaphragm flattens, descends and cannot perform its regulating paradoxical movements, deprives it of support /20/.

And of all sports that have a positive effect on breathing, rowing takes the first place.

It is useful to remember that to the detriment of being able to take a full breath, one should never draw out musical phrases. Keep them in a strict rhythm and use every opportunity to renew the amount of air. But do not distort the logic of the phrase by inappropriate breath-taking. Remember that first of all the audience demands the word, they want to know what the singer is talking about. Having accustomed yourself to the frequent resumption of breathing, you will lose the cantilena /3/.

By finding a deep meaning in what he sings, a person thereby helps the correct regulation of breathing and other functions. This is the result of the manifestation of complex feedbacks between the first and second signal systems /4/.

Pnie is not the sum of separate full-fledged sounds. These sounds should be linked into a melody by a single breath, flexibly changing depending on the height, strength, timbre of the vowel /6/.

The volume of sound increases with the increase in subglottic pressure /9/.

Smirnov worked on the development of breathing in the following way: holding an ostrich feather at a distance of twenty centimeters in front of him and pursing his lips, as if about to extinguish a candle, he pulled the scale on the piano and so that the feather vibrated evenly with the sound of any voice register. His breath struck with immensity /10/

Support of breath

Are little children crying? They work, the whole body vibrates, and the voice is free and never breaks, because it is always supported. Here is the source and basis of the singing sound /2/.

K ruzo did not recognize the subtle sound, not supported by full breathing, taken by the so-called falsetto. It is colorless and violates the uniformity of the entire gamut. (I rarely used falsetto, but I supported it with my breath). /27/

The "center of gravity" of the singer's sensations with proper singing lies not in the region of the vocal cords and larynx. Dominant are the sensations from the complex work of the respiratory muscles (respiratory support) and the strongest vibrational sensations of the singing resonators.

The throat, as well as the soft palate, function properly only when the diaphragm is in good tone and in a high position. The dependence between the diaphragm and the work of the larynx is explained by the fact that these organs located far from each other are controlled by the same nerve (the vagus nerve or “vagus”).

When singing on good footing, the vibration of the chest resonator in all singers increases more or less as the note is held. When singing without support, the intensity of chest vibration noticeably decreases towards the end of the sound.

Sound without ear support can be characterized as sluggish, lifeless, non-flying, often without vibrato or with very irregular, unstable vibrato. The sound on the support is bright, sonorous, rich, well carried.

The decrease in the singing support of the sound is closely connected in the singer with the sensation of a well-defined and, as a rule, progressive vibration of the chest resonator /20/.

As a technique for developing a breath support when singing, many recommend a short pause on inspiration and a small additional breath.

... the student in this lesson "does not hold his breath", the sound is unstable. In this case, an excessive load falls on the larynx, a throaty shade is obtained. The teacher draws the student's attention to the need to increase attention to breathing. In response to this, he begins to activate the internal muscles of the larynx, strains the external cervical and internal laryngeal-pharyngeal muscles /4/.

“In singing, we feel life through breathing: the iridescence of sound, supported by breathing, is what attracts us!” (Astafiev) /5/.

Wishing to introduce breathing into work, he used the methods of “groaning”, “groaning” /6/.

You should not swarm singing phonation on the abdominal press (fatigue of the abdominal muscle). The presence of a large number of red muscles in the diaphragm and its low fatigue indicate that this muscle is an excellent energy source that feeds the singing phonation. The entire singing sound should be based on the muscle complex of automatic singing exhalation, that is, on the work of the smooth muscles and elastic network of the bronchi, trachea and diaphragm, and the striated muscles of the abdominal muscle complex is a necessary and effective reserve in case of the necessary forte or fortissimo / 37 / .

Under conditions of counter resistance (back pressure, impedance), a large subglottic pressure can be created, and the vibration energy of the resonators excited by the air breaking through the glottis will be large - the sound will be strong. In this case, the vocal muscles will do their work with a moderate expenditure of energy, since the supra-ligamentous air column will take over part of the work with the subglottic pressure.

When the sound is removed from the support (an unsupported piano), the supra-ligamentous cavity opens and the “prevention chamber” ceases to exist. A well-formed "prevention chamber" is an indispensable condition for the correct supported singing voice formation.

The feeling of support includes auditory sensations from sound, and sensations of tension in the muscles of respiration, and ligamentous-laryngeal sensation, and a sensation from raised subglottic pressure (sensation of a column of air) and, finally, vibration resonator sensations /9/.

If you remove your voice from breathing, then the muscles of the larynx immediately come into play - after all, something must support the sound. And with muscle tension (not to mention the fact that you don’t sing for so long), the sound, as a rule, turns out to be ugly in color, clamped, flat, open, otherwise it can just happen “kiks”, that is, for a moment the sound will break.

In order to get rid of the interference of the muscles of the larynx, you need to completely release the lower jaw, then muscle tension will be impossible /10/.

... the stronger the support on the diaphragm, the fuller and more stable the sound will be /43/

Resonators. Registers. Timbre

R zonators - sound amplifiers. Head resonator - for high sounds. Chest - for low.

R hysters are named according to the resonators.

The mixed register is medium, mixed /26/.

The selection of certain overtones depends on the size and shape of the resonators.

In what way do singers differ so much from each other as in the nature of their voices.

Kruzo controlled the resonators with such perfection, from which he extracted his huge, rich and powerful voice, that the slightest change in the movement of the lips and cheeks that accompanied the slightest transition in the depicted emotions gave his sound a different color.

“Hear, or maybe it’s only me who hears, the moral spirit of a person in his timbre of voice” / 1 /.

It is said that the upper resonators are "vowel formers".

The vibrational oscillations of the upper resonator contain big number high overtones, while the chest resonator oscillation is an almost pure fundamental tone free of overtones.

With this, the teacher strives with all his might to make the student feel the so-called “mask”, so that the sound is “in a high position”, “oozing out of the eyes”, and with a particularly successful note, so that the “head is spinning” from feeling the strong vibration of the upper resonators. This means that the feeling of a “mask” is nothing but vibrational sensations.

For good singers, both resonators sound equally good not only on all notes of the range, but also on all vowels, which ensures the sound of the same timbre, regardless of the pitch of the note and the difference in vowels.

K Everardi advised his students to "put the head on the chest, and the chest on the head."

The teachers still advise paying attention to the lower resonator when singing high notes and to the upper one when singing low ones (the feeling “the higher - the lower, and the lower - the higher” is recommended).

E o speaks of an important role in voice diagnostics /20/.

The beauty of timbre is 90 percent of a singer's success /3/.

Teachers' observations show that when a beginner singer reaches the so-called medium, which lies between the upper and lower limits of the range, the voice acquires an unpleasant timbre /4/.

In timbre, Glinka saw one of the main means of vocal expressiveness.

The slightest change in the shape of the oral cavity is reflected in the timbre of the sound. The mouth, opened in the form of a vertical oval (letter O), causes a darker color, gives the sound "roundness". A horizontally stretched mouth results in a lighter coloration of the sound.

Oh, but the same word can be pronounced in a thousand ways, without even changing the intonation, the notes in the voice, but only changing the accent, giving the lips either a smile or a serious, stern expression. Singing teachers usually do not pay attention to this, but true singers, quite rare, always know all these resources well.

"Gloomy" - this indication of the composer refers mainly to the timbre of the performer's voice.

Thus, during one song, depending on the content, mood, the composer requires to repeatedly change the timbre.

Ginka preferred the method of internal representation, the mobilization of fantasy, to direct demonstration.

O different, colorful word, according to Glinka, should color the singer's voice /5/.

Russian is a timbre language.

In Etnam language - tonal /21/.

For mastering the mix (mixed sound formation), I recommended, going up, not to amplify the voices, not to strive for a powerful sound resonating in the chest. On the contrary, he asked to soften the sound and, liberating the work of the laryngeal muscles, to find, as it were, a falsetto, light, transparent sound. As you master this light sound, you can saturate it with a large chest resonance.

T to creates a smooth transition to the upper segment of the voice range, which has a mixed character.

"Flute" sounds are poor in overtones, they do not have that vibration that gives the sound a vitality that excites the ear. "Flute" sounds are a kind of technical impotence, which is shown even by outstanding singers who are not able to maintain a minimal participation of the chest sound on the ultimate upper sounds.

P vec, according to Rossini, acquires as much in the strength of his upper notes as he loses them in timbre / 6 /

Grebov said: “Never forget that you should not get carried away by the power of sound. All the charm and beauty of singing lies in the timbre.

P y always on the timbre, and you will be a singer! /eight/.

The timbre enrichers also include the entire supraglottic and supraglottic space, from the false vocal cords to the tip of the tongue and teeth.

T mbr speech and singing voice is not always similar. For the ugly speech voice often hidden beautiful singing and vice versa /33/.

P zoning is the reason for the amplification of various groups of overtones, that is, the main timbre-forming mechanism.

At resonance, sound amplification is obtained, although no new energy arises, is not added / p. 168-169/.

H m the smaller the volume of the resonator, the higher its own tone (the sound in the same time is reflected many times from the walls than in a large resonator). When pouring water into a bottle, the pitch increases with filling.

Pvtsy say: “The sound that is placed on the teeth or sent “to the bone”, that is, to the skull, acquires “metal” and strength. The sounds that fall into the soft parts of the palate or into the glottis resonate like in cotton wool.

... all my free time, at home, I mumbled, felt new resonators, stops, adapting to them in a new way. During these searches, I noticed that when you try to bring the sound into the very "mask", you tilt your head and lower your chin down. This position helps to skip the note as far forward as possible ...

T to developed a whole scale with high marginal notes. But so far all this has been achieved by lowing, and not by genuine singing with an open mouth.

... as always, lay down on the sofa, began to moo as usual, and after almost a year's interval, for the first time, he decided to open his mouth with a note well set on the moo ... and suddenly, unexpectedly, a long-awaited new, unknown to me sound similar to to the one that always seemed to me, which I overheard from the singers and have long been looking for in myself.

Previously, before my systematic studies, I quickly hoarse from loud long singing, but now, on the contrary, it had a healing effect on the throat and cleansed it.

There was another pleasant surprise: notes sounded that were not previously in my range. There was a new coloring in the voice, a different timbre, nobler, velvety than the former.

It was clear that with the help of low lowing one could not only develop the sound, but also equalize all notes on vowels.

Further tests revealed that the higher the voice went, turning into artificially closed notes, the more the emphasis of the sound moved up and into the front of the “mask”, in the region of the nasal cavities.

N ... at one of the opera rehearsals, a famous conductor criticized the singer for sticking out the sound too much in front of the “mask”, which caused the singing to get an unpleasant gypsy tinge of a slightly nasal tone.

…without abandoning what I had found, I began to look for new resonant places in my skull at all points of the hard palate, in the area of ​​the maxillary cavity, the upper part of the skull, and even in the back of the head - everywhere I found resonators. In one way or another, they did their job and painted the sound with new colors.

And after these trials it became clear to me that the technique of singing is more complex and subtle than I thought, and that the secret of vocal art is not only in the “mask” /13/.

A person has two mechanisms for changing timbre:

– change the shape and size of resonant cavities /9/

A flaxenlarged larynx leads to the fact that the timbre loses its overtone, becomes colorless. The voice begins to sound dull, not young, and loses its flight /41/.

R zonators fully respond to sound only when it is properly formed.

... the strength of the chest resonance is more pronounced in thin people and weaker in full ones, more in men than in women, stronger on the letters "O" and "U" than on other vowels.

The loss of smooth muscle tone in old age is the cause of the weakening of the voice.

... Every singer should strive to develop his middle and lower registers on the chest support and chest resonator. Singing on the chest support gives the voice warmth, sincerity, exciting naturalness.

The soft palate… gives the singer the opportunity to freely master the extreme upper register and feel its stability… We must strive to make the soft palate shrink more in breadth than in

…the absolute closure of the passage to the nasopharynx in the upper register makes the sound narrow, monotonous, losing flight and timbre saturation.

It is good to own the middle register - it means to keep the voice for a long time /43/

Covered sound. White sound. Belcanto

Sound covering - adjustment of the vocal apparatus mainly due to the expansion of the lower part of the pharynx and the corresponding formation of the oral cavity /18/

The essence of the manner of singing with a covered sound is expressed in the fact that some vowels, for example, "I", "E", "A", are sung, approaching "Y", "E", "O", that is, they are rounded. Increasingly

this applies to the unfortunate

The mouthpiece should not be opened too wide - this may result in a "white" sound.

And the articulatory apparatus of all singers must take the form corresponding to a given vowel (mouth, lips, tongue, teeth, soft

and hard palate).

Uppercase letters require especially careful rounding. The oral cavity plays an important role in rounding.

Rounding is achieved by the maximum elevation of the upper palate, due to which the resonator cavity of the mouth expands and takes on a domed shape.

The degree of "cover" in the practice of academic singing can be extremely different /26/.

In order to avoid changing the timbre on the medium, according to some singers, it is necessary to soften the previous notes and strengthen the subsequent ones, which is quite amenable to the efforts of the will. /41/

It is necessary to sing in rural things with a lighter sound, without turning into “white”, which is unpleasant, vulgar and tires the throat /6/.

The white, open sound is due to the increased sound of the upper harmonics and the insufficient sound of the lower formant, which gives the sound depth and roundness.

The requirement: “Do not stretch the mouth horizontally”, freely open it downwards, pronounce words significantly, rounding the vowels “A”, “E”, “I”, helps to master the correct, covered sound.

Bel canto - beautiful singing - is characterized by melodiousness, fullness, nobility of sound (singing on a support), mobility to perform virtuoso passages /18/.

And the alliance bel canto is closer to the Russian chant /5/

Formants

The term formant (from the word form, form) is used where there are enhanced overtones that form the characteristic coloring of the timbre of a given sound or instrument.

Due to the change in some cavities of the oropharynx, the resonator amplification of the initial overtones occurs within a wide range. That is why in the spectrum of a person's voice, “peaks” of amplification of individual overtones are obtained, which often turn out to be stronger than the main tone.

The value of a violin is determined by the peculiarities of the structure of its body, decks, and not by the quality of the strings stretched over it.

Each vowel contains in its overtone composition two main relatively enhanced frequency regions, the so-called characteristic Helmholtz tones, by which our ear distinguishes one vowel from another.

E and the frequency ranges that characterize the sound of each vowel sound are called vowel formants. One of them is formed due to the resonance of the pharynx, the second - the oral cavity. This determines the need to move the language during the transition from one vowel to another - to ensure a change in the volume of air to form the necessary formants.

P and a single position of the tongue it is impossible to pronounce different vowels.

Thus, the transition from vowel to vowel is a timbre change in sound, which owes its origin to a change in the resonance of the oropharyngeal cavities. And the rest of the set of overtones characteristic of a particular person creates an individual timbre.

A low singing formant (frequency 517 Hz), with its presence is associated with a round, full and soft sound. If you remove it, then the sound becomes whiter, becomes flat.

In juice singing formant (for low voices 2500-2800 Hz, higher - 3200 Hz) brings brightness, brilliance, "metal" to the sound. From its presence depends on the "range", the flight of the sound, the ability to "pierce" the orchestra.

The voice without HMF ... is significantly reduced in strength.

For masters of vocals, 30-35% of the entire sound energy of the voice is concentrated in the field of HMF.

In F and NPF, they impart a specific singing character to the sound.

The singer's task is to learn to articulate vowels, to use the dynamics of sound so that the VPF and NPF are always equally present in the voice.

V F occurs in the human larynx. The supra-ligamentous cavity of the larynx, which is formed between the vocal cords and the entrance to the larynx, has dimensions of 2.5-3.0 cm and resonates at a frequency of 2500-3000 Hz, that is, just in the HMF region.

This cavity in skilled singers during singing is always clearly limited from the pharyngeal cavity by a narrowed entrance to the larynx. Its size and shape, and hence the resonance, is preserved on all vowels and on the entire range, which is not observed in the speech of the same singers.

Singing formants are formed in the trachea and larynx, and vowel formants are formed in the pharynx and mouth.

The position of the larynx of the vocal master is strictly fixed, which ensures the constancy of the resonating cavities.

If for the main tones of the voice and low-frequency overtones the sound propagates in all directions from the oral opening with approximately equal intensity, then for the HMF region there is a pronounced forward direction of the sound. The main energy of sound has a clear direction.

The directionality of consonants is especially great, having many very high frequencies in their composition, for example, whistling and hissing: “C”, “C”, “Sh”, “H”, “Sch”, etc. It is important to know this for correct diction. A good delivery of consonants towards the audience ensures sufficient intelligibility even at a very large distance /9/.

“A clearly expressed high singing formant should be considered the main and most important quality of a well-placed voice” (Rzhevkin S. N.)

In juice singing formant - a group of high overtones.

The phonic formant, which determines the sonority of the voice, is usually more pronounced in dramatic voices than in soft lyrical ones. On the piano, the voicing coefficient is somewhat less than on the forte, however, with excessive forcing of the voice, especially among inexperienced singers, the coefficient, on the contrary, decreases.

A good singer differs from a bad one in that all his vowels have a fairly high ringing factor. The sonority of a good singer's voice depends little on the pitch of the note: all notes are sonorous.

Sounds that are rich in high overtones and have a well-defined singing formant (which makes them sonorous) are qualified by the term "high position".

Observation of the spectrum of one's own voice on the spectrometer screen allows the singer to quickly achieve an increase in the relative level of the HMF, increase the sonority and make sure what sensations this is associated with /20/.

– The impulses of the upper formant originate in the larynx, the oropharyngeal horn does not affect them.

– The position of the epiglottis is not significant in the formation of HMF frequencies.

It is known that in the process of singing and speaking the epiglottis is in motion and does not occupy a strictly fixed position. On the "open" singing sounds it is lowered, on the "covered" ones it is raised. However, in both cases, intense frequencies in the region of 3000 counts/sec are preserved in the voice. /21/

The oral cavity is divided into two connected resonators: the posterior one, the pharyngeal cavity, and the anterior one, the oral cavity, in which the formants characteristic of each vowel are formed. Both resonators are separated by a narrow air gap formed between the palate and the raised tongue (its front or middle part). For vowels "U", "O", "A" the anterior cavity is larger than the posterior one, for "E", "I" the posterior cavity is larger than the anterior one. Consequently, for "U", "O", "A" the most characteristic is a low formant, for "E", "I" - a high one /16/.

Tessitura. Key

T ssitura - the degree of voice tension associated with a relatively long stay in the corresponding part of the range /26/.

T ssitura is the part of the voice range most used in the piece. The most convenient tessitura for a singer is medium, high and low tessitura quickly tire the singers, and are unfavorable for the purity of intonation.

T ansposition (lat.) - permutation.

T ansposing is the transfer of the sounds of a musical work up or down a certain interval. With any transposition, with the exception of transposition by an octave, the tonality of the work changes. Often used when learning tessitura difficult pieces (mainly down).

There is also a well-known method of singing a work at rehearsals in other keys, so that when performing, the singers confidently keep the author's key, which in this case is perceived by them more freshly /18/.

But to give back to the churchmen - as a rule, they use melodic music, which takes, as they say, for the soul. At the same time, one curious detail draws attention to itself - out of the entire sound range, the church has always preferred low-frequency registers, and out of all musical instruments, low-frequency, bass-sounding instruments.

The powerful, especially low sounds of the organ in Catholic churches or the thick rumble of large bells and the beautiful bass of the deacon in Orthodox churches stirred the souls of believers as much as possible.

At the same time, the low trills of small bells or the high voices of boys only set off the bass sounds that carry the main load.

For centuries, the special effect of low sounds was felt by believers intuitively, but a scientific explanation for this phenomenon could not be given for a long time.

Scientists have found out that only in the low-frequency region - up to about 500 counts / sec, the ear sensitively picks up the pitches of the harmonic character that we need for a more complete perception of the melody. In this frequency domain, the melodic difference between two sounds is determined only by the ratio of their frequencies. In the region above 500 counts / sec, the feeling of pitch ceases to be harmonic. The same frequency interval in the region up to 500 counts/sec and in the region above 500 counts/sec gives a different feeling of melodic pitch.

If any motive is shifted, observing the laws of harmony, from a low key to a higher one, then in a melodic sense its range will narrow. If, however, the arrangement is performed in compliance with the ratios characteristic of hearing, then the harmonic ratios in the melody are completely violated and the melody ceases to exist.

But is it because fundamental tones with a frequency much higher than 500 counts / sec, as a rule, are used very rarely in music or they are generally avoided.

Thus, only in the low-frequency region does hearing have the ability to most fully perceive sound combinations.

It follows from acoustic laws that the larger the instrument, the lower the sound it can produce.

The theoretician of church singing V. F. Komarov wrote: “What is a big good bell with its relatively simple monotonous rumble?.. In all nature and art there is no sound that, with the same power, would have so much softness and peculiar harmony in itself .. .» /24/.

For melted performers (a cappella) at the end of the performance, they often tend to lower their tone.

In practice, there are examples when a singer, learning a work in an undertone, intones correctly, but as soon as he sings in full sound, an intonation inaccuracy is revealed. This does not come from a lack of hearing, but from a wrong attitude. An increase in intonation is a consequence of excessive forcing of sound, when breathing overstrains the vocal cords and the sound from this becomes higher than normal (this happens when the string of a musical instrument is overstretched) /15/.

K chchini suggests choosing a key that is comfortable for the singer. Caruso advises against raping the tessitura /16/.

If low frequencies predominate in the deafening noise, then such noise is rated as “soft”, “pleasant”, and it, as a rule, stimulates the voice function.

Sh we with a predominance of high overtones are rated as "hard", "prickly" and have a bad effect on the voice.

In the waters: the accompaniment of singers should contain more low "soft" sounds and less high, sharp ones.

The negative effect of high frequencies is explained by the fact that they mask, drown out the most important acoustic quality of a singing voice - a high singing formant. The singer ceases to feel the sonority of his voice, makes all kinds of attempts to restore, but does not achieve results and refuses to sing. In addition, sounds with a predominance of high frequencies in themselves have a negative effect on a person’s hearing and his nervous system.

Voices that are higher in nature retain good intelligibility of vocal speech at higher notes than low voices - the criterion of "natural articulation" also refers to the features that characterize the type of voice /20/.

There are fewer errors in diction on low and middle notes. The higher the note, the more difficult it is to articulate the sounds.

A particularly strong deterioration in diction when approaching the tops is observed in women's, as well as in children's voices. In practice, this means that not a single syllable sung on these notes can be recorded by the listeners without errors.

Sobinov complained that Napravnik “doesn't want to understand that the simplicity and naturalness of the performance that Gluck demanded are possible only if the voice is comfortable. And before settling on one or another key, I tried them all and chose the one where my performance can be calm and natural.

In simple tonality, it did not play a role for him if it slowed down the creation of the image / 6 /

H intonation is also affected by the position of the sound. The singer should only sing in a "high position", "approaching" the sound and using the head resonators more. The tessitura affects the position of the sound, and consequently, the intonation. A low tessitura can cause the sound to drop. Therefore, it is necessary to educate singers in the ability to sing in a high position under any tessitura conditions /22/.

sound attack

In e, the further sounding of the voice depends on its beginning. Having started sound correctly, we are already laying the foundation for further sound science. The next task of the singer is to keep the right beginning. In the attack, as in the grain, the entire voice of the singer is laid. In it, breathing and vocal cords interact very clearly, tangibly, and therefore, through these sensations that accompany the attack, it is easy to realize the correct interaction of these two main components of voice formation (breath - cords).

The requirements for the attack of sound were common, characteristic of Russian vocal pedagogy: a calm, moderate breath “down”, a feeling of freedom of the pharynx as with a slight yawn, a freely open mouth, a short delay in breath and an accurate, light attack of the sound.

Lessons over the attack, as a rule, on the pure vowel sound “A”, which requires the least connective and respiratory energy for its formation compared to other vowels /6/.

And such a sound is the instantaneous setting of the ligaments of the larynx to one or another note of the singing range, which is achieved by hard or soft closure of the ligaments, which occurs in accordance with the strength of the jet.

With abaya, an attack that is not audible to others without the effort of a sound being taken, reduces excessive irradiation of excitation in the brain, and at the same time eliminates the tension of the external and internal muscles of the larynx, prevents the “clamping” of the ligaments.

By restoring physiological breathing to complete silence, returning to a soft attack of sound produced without any tension, one can then amplify the resulting sound with the help of a system of resonators and the correct arrangement of formants that can turn a piano that looks like a light groan into a thunderous forte and make it fly into space, overcoming the “wall” of orchestra sounds along the way. (This recommendation probably cannot be universal). /4/

It is in no way possible to turn a picture of a correct attack of sound visually, except for hearing.

An extremely true and expedient technique for forming the correct attack of a singing sound is a light, unconstrained, without any violence to the larynx, movement of the voice to staccato in the middle part of the tessitura tuning of a given individuality.

In this case, the sound acquires those timbre qualities that characterize the best part of the singer's sound scale.

The training process of the attack of the singing sound and its influence on the singing voice as a whole is such that it gives us the opportunity to educate singers with the inviolable preservation of their individual colorful features of the voice.

The most valuable property of such a sound is, first of all, a pronounced perspective of development; after a relatively short period of time, composure, brilliance, softness and cantileverness appear. Moreover, the cantilence is distinguished by its naturalness and unconstrained purity /37/.

With a hard attack there are many high-frequency overtones, with a soft attack there are few, and the sound is “scattered”, “uncollected”, soft.

Therefore, the nature of the closing of the glottis plays a decisive role in the formation of the primary spectrum of the larynx, and hence the sound of the voice as a whole /9/.

After the change of breath, each singer must use a soft attack, the voice must imperceptibly merge into the general sound /26/.

high notes

The one preceding the high or awkward note should be a "springboard", taken in the same manner as the subsequent difficult note will be taken. It is necessary to prepare both the place of sounding and the position of the mouth. Well prepared - the note will appear as if by itself (although the same difficult note in another case can be taken differently, easier).

It greatly helps to take an uncomfortable note by clearly pronouncing the consonant preceding it, especially if it is sonorous or helps to resonate well /26/.

P and high tones are never recommended to take in excess air. Anyone who thinks that an upper register note requires a lot of air is deeply mistaken. Everything lies in the ability to approach this note.

Do not get carried away singing on high notes, take them in fast passages, and most importantly - do not shout them out - harm.

If a high note is after a pause and you have to take it with a special attack, you should try to keep the position of the larynx of the previous note and, when breathing resumes, do not forget it, do not lose it /3/.

Lvov figuratively said that each singer is allotted only a strictly limited number of extreme upper sounds and therefore they must be “spent” extremely economically.

The cell of the sound is directly proportional to the voltage, but it is necessary that the listener does not feel this.

About the young singer's ibka - this is carelessly, inattentively sung previous sounds and the desire to "take" the top sound. A carelessly sung end of one phrase inevitably leads to a convulsive restructuring of the vocal apparatus for the upper beginning of the next one. This deprives the singing of smoothness and sound evenness.

It is necessary to have the habit of tirelessly monitoring the preservation of the unity of the sound position. This will facilitate the development of a move to the upper sounds /6/.

“... to remove the clamp on a high note, you need to put the larynx and pharynx in exactly the same way as it is done during yawning” /13/.

If it is necessary to perform extreme high sounds, very concentrated breathing with a retracted stomach and an extremely open pharynx is required at a high position of the voice.

Zuk should produce a "piercing" impression / 16 /

Not only is it not necessary to start from the lower notes in the awakening of the upper sounds, but on the contrary, it is very dangerous. At the same time, we run the risk of including muscle elements in the sound extraction when the voice moves to the upper notes, which can create a picture of functional inhibition and delay the further development of high tones, because the muscles are included in the work with their entire mass, and when the sound moves up, they try to fully participate in the formation upper sounds. This is a hindrance to work, and therefore, the participation of muscle elements in the formation of high notes should be individually limited /37/.

Don't forget that pushing the voice on one or several extreme notes of the vocal range only irritates the viewer /13/.

Many vocal teachers advise you to feel the sound in the stomach, on the diaphragm, on the tip of the nose, in the forehead, in the back of the head ... Anywhere, but not in the throat, where the vocal cords are located. But this is a key moment in the device of the voice apparatus! The voice is born precisely on the cords.

If you want to learn how to sing correctly, this article will help you better understand the structure of the vocal apparatus!

Physiology of the voice - vibrations of the vocal cords.

Recall from a physics course: sound is a wave, isn't it? Accordingly, the voice is a sound wave. Where do sound waves come from? They appear when the "body" vibrates in space, shakes the air and forms an air wave.

Like any wave, sound has movement. The voice must be sent forward even when you sing softly. Otherwise, the sound wave will quickly die out, the voice will sound sluggish or clamped.

If you are into vocals, but still do not know what the vocal cords look like and where they are, the video below is a must-see.

The device of the vocal apparatus: how the ligaments and voice work.

• We take a breath, the lungs increase in volume.
• On exhalation, the ribs gradually narrow and.
• Air travels up the trachea and bronchi to the pharynx where the vocal cords are attached.
• When a jet of air hits the vocal cords, they begin to oscillate: close and open hundreds of times per second and create vibrations in the throat.
• Sound waves from the vibration of the vocal cords diverge through the body, like circles on water.
• And then we direct the born sound wave into the resonators with our attention - into the nose, mouth, feel vibrations in the head, chest, face, neck ...
• We shape the resonant wave of sound into vowels and consonants with the tongue and lips, with the help of diction and articulation.
• We fill our mouths with sound, let it go forward with an open smile and ... sing!

Errors in the work of the vocal cords.

The device of the voice apparatus consists of all the stages described above. If there are problems at least on one of them, you will not get a free and beautiful voice. More often errors occur at the first or second stage, when we. The ligaments should not come into conflict with the exhalation! The smoother the stream of air that you exhale, the smoother the vibrations of the vocal cords, the voice sounds more uniform and beautiful.

If he does not control the flow of breath, then an uncontrolled stream of air comes out at a time with a large wave. The vocal cords are unable to cope with such pressure. There will be a disconnection of ligaments. The sound will be sluggish and hoarse. After all, the tighter the ligaments close, the louder the voice!

And vice versa, if you hold your exhalation and, there is a hypertonicity of the diaphragm (clamp). The air will practically not go to the ligaments, and they will have to oscillate on their own, pressing against each other through force. And thereby rub the calluses. They are nodules on the vocal cords. At the same time, painful sensations arise during singing - burning, perspiration, friction. If you work in this mode constantly, the vocal cords lose their elasticity.

Of course, there is such a thing as "belting", or a vocal cry, and it is done with a minimum exhalation. Ligaments close very tightly for loud sound. But you can sing with such a technique correctly only by understanding the anatomy and physiology of the voice.

The vocal cords and larynx are your first vocal instruments. Understanding how the voice works and the vocal apparatus gives you limitless possibilities - you can change colors: sing either with a more powerful sound, then ringing and flying, then gently and reverently, then with a metallic ringing shade, then in a half-whisper, taking the audience by the soul .. .

About 15 muscles of the larynx are responsible for the movement of the ligaments! And in the device of the larynx there are also various cartilages that ensure the correct closure of the ligaments.

It is interesting! Something from the physiology of the voice.

The human voice is unique:

• People's voices sound different because each of us has a different length and thickness of the vocal cords. In men, the cords are longer, and therefore the voice sounds lower.
• Singers' vocal cords fluctuate in the approximate range from 100 Hz (low male voice) to 2000 Hz (high female voice).
• The length of the vocal cords depends on the size of the person's larynx (the longer the larynx, the longer the vocal cords), so the vocal cords are longer and thicker in men than in women with a short larynx.
• Ligaments can stretch and shorten, become thicker or thinner, close only at the edges or along their entire length due to the special structure of the vocal muscles at the same time longitudinal and oblique - hence the different coloring of the sound and the strength of the voice.
• In a conversation, we only use one tenth of the range, that is, the vocal cords can stretch ten times more for each person, and the voice can sound ten times higher than the spoken one, this is inherent in nature itself! If you understand this, it will be easier.
• Exercises for vocalists make the vocal cords elastic, make them stretch better. With elasticity of the ligaments voice range increases.
• Some resonators cannot be called resonators because they are not voids. For example, the chest, back of the head, forehead - they do not resonate, but vibrate from the sound wave of the voice.
• With the help of sound resonance, you can break a glass, and the Guinness Book of Records describes a case when a schoolgirl shouted over the noise of a plane taking off thanks to the power of her voice.
• Animals also have ligaments, but only a person can control his voice.
• Sound does not propagate in a vacuum, so it is important to create the movement of exhalation and inhalation in order to reproduce sound when the vocal cords vibrate.

How long and thick are your vocal cords?

It is useful for every novice vocalist to go to an appointment with a phoniatrist (a doctor who treats the voice). I send students to him before starting the first vocal lessons.

The phoniatrist will ask you to sing and show with the help of technology how the voice works and how the vocal cords work in your singing process. He will tell you how long and thick the vocal cords are, how well they close, what kind of subglottic pressure they have. All this is useful to know in order to better use your voice box. Professional singers go to the phoniator once or twice a year for prevention - to make sure that everything is fine with their vocal cords.

We are accustomed to using the vocal cords in life, we do not notice their vibrations. And they work even when we are silent. No wonder they say that the voice apparatus imitates all the sounds around us. For example, a rattling tram passing by, the screams of people on the street, or the bass from the speakers at a rock concert. Therefore, listening to quality music has a positive effect on the vocal cords and increases your vocal level. And silent exercises for vocalists (there are some) train the voice.

Vocal teachers do not like to explain the physiology of the voice to their students, but in vain! They are afraid that the student, having heard how to close the vocal cords correctly, will begin to sing “on the cords”, the voice will be squeezed.

In the next article, we will look at a technique that helps you easily control your voice and hit high notes just because the vocal cords work correctly.

The most ancient musical instrument is the voice. And ligaments are its main component. Always feel the work of the vocal cords when singing! Study your voice, be more curious - we ourselves do not know our capabilities. And hone your vocal skills every day.

Subscribe to the news of the O VOCALE blog, where a small life hack will soon appear, how to feel if you are closing your vocal cords correctly when breathing.

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The development of the voice always requires a correct diagnosis of its type. To make a correct diagnosis - to correctly determine the type of voice at the beginning of training is one of the conditions for its correct formation. In shaping the character of the voice, not only constitutional factors play a role, but also adaptations, i.e., acquired skills, habits.

When a novice singer, copying some favorite artist, sings with an unusual character of his voice, “bass”, “tenor”, ​​etc., then most often this is easy to identify by ear and correct. In this case, the natural, natural character of the voice is revealed with all obviousness. However, there are cases when the voice sounds natural, relaxed, basically true, and yet its character remains intermediate, unrevealed.

Determination of the type of voice should be conducted on a number of grounds. Among them are such voice qualities as timbre, range, location of transitional notes and primary tones, the ability to withstand tessitura, as well as constitutional features, in particular, the anatomical and physiological features of the vocal apparatus.

The timbre and range are usually revealed already at the admission tests, but neither one nor the other feature taken separately can yet tell us with certainty what kind of voice the student has. It happens that the timbre speaks for one type of voice, but the range does not correspond to it. The timbre of the voice is easily deformed by imitation or incorrect singing and can deceive even the picky ear.

There are also voices with a very wide range, exciting notes uncharacteristic for this type of voice. On the other hand, there are also those that have a short range that does not reach the tones necessary for singing in a given character of the voice. The range of such singers is most often shortened at one end, i.e., either a few notes are missing in its upper segment or in its lower one. It is rare when it is narrowed at both ends.

Additional data to help classify the voice comes from the analysis of transitional notes. Different types of voices have transitional sounds at different pitches. This is what the teacher uses to more accurately diagnose the type of voice.

Typical transitional notes, also varying between singers:

Tenor - mi-fa-fa-sharp - salt of the first octave.
Baritone - D-E-flat - E of the first octave.
Bass - la-si - si-flat small C-C-sharp of the first octave.
Soprano - mi-fa-fa-sharp of the first octave.
Mezzo-soprano in C-D-D-sharp of the first octave.

In women, this typical register transition is in the lower segment of the range, while in men it is in the upper one.

In addition to this feature, the so-called primary sounds, or sounds that sound most easily and naturally in a given singer, can help in determining the type of voice. As it has been established by practice, they are most often located in the middle part of the voice, that is, for a tenor in the region up to the first octave, for a baritone - in the region of A small, for a bass - F of a small octave. Accordingly, the female voices.

The correct solution to the question of the type of voice can also be suggested by the singer's ability to withstand the tessitura inherent in this type of voice. Under the tessitura (from the word tissu - fabric) is meant the average sound-height load on the voice, available in this work.

Thus, the concept of tessitura reflects that part of the range where the voice most often has to stay when singing. this work. If a voice close in character to a tenor one stubbornly does not hold a tenor tessitura, then one can doubt the correctness of the manner of voice formation chosen by him and speaks for the fact that this voice is probably a baritone.

Among the signs that help determine the type of voice, there are anatomical and physiological. It has long been noted that different types of voices correspond to different lengths of vocal cords. It should also be remembered that vocal cords can be organized in different ways in work and therefore used to form different timbres. This is clearly evidenced by cases of a change in the type of voice among professional singers. The same vocal cords can be used for singing different types voices depending on their adaptation. Nevertheless, their typical length, and with an experienced look of the phoniatrist and an approximate idea of ​​​​the thickness of the vocal cords, can orient in relation to the type of voice.

Phoniatricians have long deduced the relationship between the length of the vocal cords and the type of voice. According to this criterion, the shorter the cords, the higher the voice. For example, for a soprano, the length of the vocal cords is 10-12 mm, for a mezzo-soprano, the length of the ligaments is 12-14 mm, for a contralto - 13-15 mm. The length of the vocal cords of male singing voices is: tenor 15-17 mm, baritone 18-21 mm, bass 23-25 ​​mm.

In a number of cases, even when a singer enters the stage, one can accurately judge the type of his voice. Therefore, there are, for example, such terms as "tenor" or "bass" appearance. However, the relationship between the type of voice and the constitutional features of the body cannot be considered a developed area of ​​knowledge and rely on it when determining the type of voice.

LARYNX- the initial cartilaginous section of the respiratory system in humans and terrestrial vertebrates between the pharynx and trachea, is involved in voice formation.

Outside, its position is noticeable by the protrusion of the thyroid cartilage - Adam's apple ( Adam's apple) more developed in ♂.

Cartilages of the larynx:

1. epiglottis,
2. thyroid,
3. cricoid,
4. two arytenoids.

When swallowing, the epiglottis closes the entrance to the larynx.

Mucous folds go from arytenoid to thyroid - vocal cords (there are two pairs of them, and only the lower pair is involved in voice formation). They oscillate at a frequency of 80-10,000 vibrations/s. The shorter the vocal cords, the higher the voice and the more frequent the vibrations.

Ligaments close when talking, rub when screaming and become inflamed (alcohol, smoking).

Functions of the larynx:

1) breathing tube;

Standing calmly Breathing deeply Singing

Articulation- the work of the organs of speech, performed when pronouncing a particular sound; degree of pronunciation. Articulate speech sounds are formed in the oral and nasal cavities depending on the position of the tongue, lips, jaws and the distribution of sound streams.

tonsils- organs of the lymphatic system in terrestrial vertebrates and humans, located in the mucous membrane of the oral cavity and pharynx. Participate in the protection of the body from pathogenic microbes, in the development of immunity.

TRACHEA

Trachea (windpipe)- part of the respiratory tract of vertebrates and humans, between the bronchi and the larynx in front of the esophagus. Its length is 15 cm. The anterior wall consists of 18-20 hyaline half-rings connected by ligaments and muscles with the soft side facing the esophagus. The trachea is lined with ciliated epithelium, the vibrations of the cilia of which remove dust particles from the lungs into the pharynx. It divides into two bronchi - this is a bifurcation.

BRONCHI

Bronchi- tubular air-bearing branches of the trachea.

In 1741 Ferrein(Ferrein) for the first time made experiments on a dead larynx, which I. Muller later carefully checked. It turned out that only "in general" the number of vibrations of the vocal cords obeys the laws of string vibrations, according to which doubling the number of vibrations of any string requires squaring the tension weight.

Muller cut vocal cord length, pressing them in different places with tweezers both under tension and in various relaxed states. It turned out that, depending on the tension of the ligaments, either low or high sounds are obtained when both long and short ligaments function.

Great importance is attached vocal muscle activity(m. thyreo-arythenoideus s. vocalis). On a living larynx, the pitch of the sound does not depend on the lengthening, but on the contraction of the vocal cords, which is ensured by the activity of m. vocalis (V. S. Kantorovich). Shorter and more elastic vocal cords, other things being equal, provide an increase in sound, which corresponds to the physical concepts of a vibrating string. At the same time, the thickening of the vocal cords leads to a decrease in sound.

When as you rise fundamental tone tension of the vocal muscles(without thickening of the ligaments) becomes insufficient, the thyroid-cricoid muscles, which stretch (but not lengthen) the vocal cords, contribute to an increase in tone (MI Fomichev).

Vibrations of the vocal cords can be carried out not throughout their entire length, but only in a certain segment, due to which an increase in tone is also achieved. This is due to contraction of the oblique and transverse fibers of the vocalis muscle and possibly the oblique and transverse muscles, the arytenoid cartilages, and the lateral cricoarytenoid muscle.

M. I. Fomichev believes that the position of the epiglottis has some effect on the pitch. At very low tones, the epiglottis is usually strongly lowered, and the vocal cords become immense during laryngoscopy. As you know, closed pipes give a lower sound than open ones.

In singing, chest and falsetto are distinguished. sounds. Musehold was able, with the help of laryngostroboscopic photographs, to trace individual slow movements of the vocal cords.

With a chest voice, the cords are presented in the form two thick tense rollers tightly packed with each other. The sound here is rich in overtones and their amplitude slowly decreases with increasing pitch, which gives the timbre the character of fullness. The presence of chest resonance in the chest register is disputed by most researchers.

In falsetto, the ligaments appear flattened, strongly stretched and a gap is formed between them. Only the free edges of the true ligaments oscillate, moving upward and laterally. A complete interruption of air during falsetto does not work. As the falsetto tone increases, the glottis shortens due to the complete closure of the ligaments in the posterior sections.
With a mixed sound, the ligaments oscillate about half their width.