The shorter the vocal cords, the better the sound. The structure of the vocal apparatus. Voice. Physiology of the voice - vibrations of the vocal cords

CHORUS DIRECTOR'S NOTEBOOK

The tongue is a special muscle... it can tense not only as a whole, but also in individual areas, which allows it to tune in to different vibration frequencies. Vibrations of the chords 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 form a kind of extension tube, and the trachea and bronchi serve as a kind of resonators /24/.

Oh, the general opinion is that

The shorter the ligaments and the stronger their tension, the higher the tone.

To form the correct tone, the true vocal cords must be very close to each other and be correspondingly tense, and the air pressure in the lungs could cause them to vibrate.

If the distance between the ligaments is more than two millimeters, the voice loses sonority and becomes hoarse. The mechanism of the larynx in speaking 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 the 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 production, the entire thickness of the muscles of the vocal ridge is immediately, prematurely, roughly, and with great energy, and the initial phase of the sound is ignored. At the same time, the edges of the vocal cords turn upward and, of course, in this case one cannot demand diminuendo from the singer, since when switching to the piano, a kicking will certainly appear, which just tells us about a violation of the natural physical laws of the biomechanics of the vocal mechanism.

With excessive development of sound power, 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 breaks through with great force glottis, turns them up and passes without touching the inverted edges.

The kaya 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 naturally and consistently included in the work, without losing connection with the edges of the vocal ridges.

The shape of the vocal cords provides the basis for a functional analysis of the characteristics of the singing sound when moving to the upper notes. During sound production, the lower parts of the muscular-ligamentous apparatus are gradually turned off, and at the very top of the tessitura possibility only the edge of this apparatus, that is, the ligament itself, remains.

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 suggests that there are no material prerequisites for the existence of the mechanism of registers in singing, but there is only an organic property of the tissue unification of the voice-forming part of the larynx, which allows differentiated singing movements along the steps of the scale, forming a functional balance for each semitone in motor skill /37/.

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

About breathing

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

The groans should not be frequent; you must learn to gradually consume air and retain it for as long as possible /2/.

After inhaling quickly, before starting to sing, you should hold your breath for a moment. This delay organizes the singing apparatus and facilitates the simultaneous onset of singing. Holding your breath lasts for one moment and is part of the inhalation process.

It is necessary to take a deep breath before the supply of air in the lungs is completely exhausted.

The breath should be completely calm, without any hint of forced “pushing out” of the taken air. Lack of control over the exhalation process often leads to force and detonation.

...Advice from many masters...as you inhale, feel the delicate scent of a flower, and exhale so that the flame of a candle placed near your mouth does not move.

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

By developing “chain breathing,” you can sing the scale for long durations, without pauses. Singers should not all take their breath at the same time, but mainly in the middle of long sounds. “Chain Breathing” 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 person who does not know how to properly control his breathing will not be able to read a long phrase without strain. Proper breathing helps to express certain feelings, create the desired emotional coloring, that is, it provides the necessary expressiveness of speech.

Organized, skillful breathing helps the singer and master of words to subtly convey all the shades of soulful lyrics.

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

When reading, as during exercises, you need to take in air through your nose. Such breathing is deeper, the air fills the lungs better and does not dry out the throat: passing through the nose, it is slightly moistened.

You should not take in excess air. It should feel like you could still breathe.

Filling your lungs with air can lead to unpleasant sensations of “air hunger”, when you want to breathe even deeper and more fully. In addition, having taken in too much air, it can be difficult to retain it in the respiratory tract, which results in a sharp attack of sound, and this is precisely what we do not need (see breathing exercises, page 24).

With diaphragmatic breathing provides a larger supply of air /36/.

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

It’s good to end your exhalation loudly.

Before starting to sing or after the middle pause, it is recommended to take relatively deep breaths through the nose, and during singing - with short and silent breaths simultaneously through the nose and mouth.

Breathing often involuntarily intensifies during melodic ascents and as you rise, breathing becomes forced, which is unacceptable /16/.

“.. gave his body a position devoid of any tension, and put one leg forward, as if in order to step ... held his body completely freely, without the slightest tension. Then he contracted his abdominal muscles barely noticeably and inhaled calmly, slowly.

Conscious control of breathing contributed to his skill in turning every particle of exhaled air into sound when singing.

Kruzo used for each musical phrase, even for each note, only the amount of breath that was necessary for the musical transmission of this phrase or note, but no more. He kept the excess breath 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 inhalation process should be noticeable to the observer only by the rising chest, and not by the rising shoulders.

A singer will not be able to master the power of his sound unless he first learns to control his breathing.

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

“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 a state of maximum inspiration, but immediately dropped to a state of average moderate inspiration. Then phonation began, but the singer’s ribs did not fall off: they confidently remained in the same position until the end of the note. And for some - not only non-collapse, but spreading of the ribs! (Paradoxical breathing).

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

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

In general, the voice is forced to breathe through air and sing at maximum inhalation due to the fact that under the influence of strong pressure in the lungs and maximum expansion of the ribs, the diaphragm flattens, lowers and cannot perform its regulatory paradoxical movements, depriving it of support /20/.

And of all sports that have a positive effect on breathing, rowing ranks first.

It is useful to remember that, to the detriment of the ability to take a full breath, you should never stretch out musical phrases. Keep them in a strict rhythm and take advantage of every opportunity to replenish your air supply. But do not distort the logic of the phrase by inappropriately taking breath. Remember that first of all the audience demands the word, it wants to know what the singer is talking about. By accustoming yourself to frequent resumption of breathing, you will lose 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 feedback between the first and second signaling systems /4/.

Singing is not the sum of individual full-fledged sounds. These sounds must be connected into a melody by a single breath, flexibly changing depending on the height, strength, and timbre of the vowel /6/.

The sound level increases with increasing subglottic pressure /9/.

With the development of breathing, Smirnov worked like this: holding an ostrich feather in front of him at a distance of twenty centimeters and pursing his lips, as if about to put out a candle, he played the scale on the piano and so that the feather vibrated evenly when any register of the voice sounded. His breath was amazing in its immensity /10/

Breathing support

Why are little children crying? Their whole body works, vibrates, and their voice is free and never breaks, because it is always supported. Here is the source and basis of the singing sound /2/.

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

The “center of gravity” of a singer’s sensations when singing correctly does not lie in the area of ​​the vocal cords and larynx. The dominant sensations are the complex work of the respiratory muscles (breathing support) and the strongest vibration sensations of the singing resonators.

The mouth, as well as the soft palate, function correctly only when the diaphragm has good tone and is in a high position. The relationship between the diaphragm and the functioning of the larynx is explained by the fact that these widely separated organs are controlled by the same nerve (vagus nerve or “vagus”).

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

A voice without hearing support can be characterized as sluggish, lifeless, unflying, often without vibrato or with a very irregular, unstable vibrato. The sound on the support is bright, sonorous, rich, and carries well.

The strengthening of the singing support of 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 breathing support when singing, many recommend a short pause while inhaling and a small additional breath.

...the student “can’t hold his breath” in this lesson, the sound is unstable. In this case, excess load falls on the larynx, resulting in a throaty tint. 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 the breath: the iridescent sound, supported by the breath, is what attracts us!” (Astafiev) /5/.

Wanting to introduce breathing into work, he used the techniques of “moaning” and “groaning” /6/.

Singing phonation should not be placed on the abdominal press (quick fatigability of the abdominal muscle). The presence in the diaphragm large quantities red muscles and its low fatigue indicate that this muscle is an excellent energy source that feeds singing phonation. The entire singing sound should be based on the muscular complex of automatic singing exhalation, that is, on the work of smooth muscles and the elastic network of the bronchi, trachea and diaphragm, and the striated muscles of the abdominal muscle complex are 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 great - the sound will be strong. In this case, the vocal muscles will perform their work with a moderate expenditure of energy, since part of the work with subglottic pressure will be taken on by the supraglottic column of air.

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

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

If you take your voice off your breath, the muscles of the larynx immediately start working - after all, something must support the sound. And with muscle tension (not to mention the fact that you haven’t been able to sing for so long), the sound, as a rule, turns out to be of an ugly color, pinched, flat, open, otherwise it can simply “kick”, that is, the sound will be interrupted for a moment.

In order to get rid of the interference of the laryngeal muscles, you need to completely free 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 are sound amplifiers. The head resonator is for high sounds. Chest - for short ones.

The registers are named according to the resonators.

M xtovy register – medium, mixed /26/.

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

There is one thing in which singers do not differ so much from each other as in the character of their voices.

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

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

They say that the upper resonators are “vowel shapers.”

The vibration oscillations of the upper resonator contain large number high overtones, while the chest resonator oscillations are an almost pure fundamental tone, free of overtones.

Therefore, 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 from the eyes”, and with a particularly successful note, so that “the head is spinning” from the feeling of strong vibration of the upper resonators. This means that the feeling of the “mask” is nothing more than vibration sensations.

For good singers, both resonators sound equally good not only on all notes in 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 students to “put your head on your chest and your chest on your head.”

Pagogues even now advise paying attention to the lower resonator when singing high notes and to the upper one when singing low notes (the sensation “the higher the lower, and the lower the higher”) is recommended.

E o talks about important role in voice diagnostics /20/.

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

Observations of teachers show that when a beginning singer or singer reaches the so-called medium, lying between the upper and lower boundaries of the range, the voice acquires an unpleasant timbre /4/.

Glinka saw timbre as one of the main means of vocal expressiveness.

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

But the same word can be pronounced in a thousand different 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 from the composer refers mainly to the timbre of the performer’s voice.

Thus, over the course of one song, depending on the content and mood, the composer requires repeatedly changing the timbre.

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

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

Russian is a timbre language.

The Etnamese language is tonal /21/.

In mastering mixed sound (mixed sound production), I recommended that, going upward, do not amplify your voices, do not 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 a falsetto, light, transparent sound. As you master this light sound, it can be saturated with greater chest resonance.

This creates a smooth transition to the upper part 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 demonstrated even by outstanding singers who are unable to maintain a minimal participation of the chest sound at the extreme upper sounds.

The singer, according to Rossini, gains as much in the strength of his upper notes as he loses them in timbre /6/

P 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 timbre.

P y always on timbre, and you will be a singer! /8/.

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

The mbre of the speaking and singing voices is not always similar. An ugly speaking voice often hides a beautiful singing voice and vice versa /33/.

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

P and resonance result in increased sound, although no new energy arises or is added /p. 168–169/.

The smaller the volume of the resonator, the higher its own tone (sound is reflected from the walls many times over the same time than in a large resonator). When pouring water into a bottle, the pitch of the sound increases as it is filled.

People say: “Sound that is placed on the teeth or sent “to the bone,” that is, to the skull, acquires “metal” and strength. Sounds that enter the soft parts of the palate or the glottis resonate like cotton wool.”

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

Because a whole scale with high extreme notes has been developed. But so far all this has been achieved by mooing, and not by genuine singing with an open mouth.

... as always, he lay down on the sofa, began to moo as usual, and after an interval of almost a year, for the first time, decided to open his mouth at a well-established note of mooing... and suddenly, suddenly, a long-overdue new sound, unknown to me, seemed to hatch out of his nose and mouth and flew out with force, like to the one that I kept imagining, that I overheard from the singers and that I had been looking for in myself for a long time.

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

There was also another pleasant surprise: notes began to sound that had not previously been in my range. A new coloration appeared in the voice, a different timbre, nobler, more velvety than before.

It was clear that with the help of a quiet moo you can not only develop the sound, but also equalize all the notes on the vowels.

Further tests revealed that the higher the voice went, turning into artificially closed notes, the more the emphasis of the sound moved upward and to the front of the “mask”, to the area of ​​the nasal cavities.

N... at one of the opera rehearsals, a famous conductor criticized the singer for pushing out the sound too much in the very front of the “mask”, which is why the singing received an unpleasant gypsy bruise with a slightly nasal tint.

...without abandoning what I had found, I began to look for new resonating 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 - I found resonators everywhere. They, to one degree or another, did their job and painted the sound with new colors.

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

A person has two mechanisms for changing timbre:

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

An enlarged larynx leads to the fact that the timbre loses its overtones and becomes colorless. The voice begins to sound dull, middle-aged, and loses its flightiness /41/.

P zonators respond fully to sound only if it is formed correctly.

...the strength of the chest resonance is more pronounced in thin people and weaker in fat 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 weakening of the voice.

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

The soft palate... gives the singer the opportunity to freely control the extreme upper register and feel its stability... We must strive for the soft palate to contract more in width than in

...absolute closure of the passage into the nasopharynx in the upper register makes the sound narrow, monotonous, losing flight and timbre richness.

Mastering the middle register correctly means preserving your voice for a long time /43/

Covered sound. White sound. Bel Canto

Covering sound - tuning 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 strength 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. To a greater extent

this applies to unstressed

The Pt should not be opened too wide as this may result in a “white” sound.

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

and hard palate).

The sounds of the upper, head register require especially careful rounding. The oral cavity plays an important role in rounding.

Cursing is achieved by maximally raising the upper palate, due to which the resonator cavity of the mouth expands and takes on a dome-shaped shape.

The extent of “covering” in the practice of academic singing can be extremely different /26/.

To avoid a change in timbre on the medium, according to some singers, it is necessary to soften the preceding notes and strengthen the subsequent ones, which is quite amenable to willpower. /41/

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

White, open sound is due to the enhanced sound of the upper harmonics and insufficient lower formant, which gives the sound depth and roundness.

The requirement: “Do not stretch your mouth horizontally”, open it freely 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 Alliance Bel Canto is closer to Russian chant /5/

Formants

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

Thanks to changes in some cavities of the oropharynx, the resonator amplification of the original overtones occurs over a wide range. That is why in the spectrum of a person’s voice there are “peaks” of amplification of individual overtones, which are often stronger than the main tone.

The value of a violin is determined by the structural features of its body and soundboard, and not by the quality of the strings stretched on it.

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

E and frequency regions 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 tongue when moving from one vowel to another - to ensure a change in the volume of air to form the necessary formants.

It is impossible to pronounce different vowels in the same position of the tongue.

Thus, the transition from vowel to vowel is a timbral 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.

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

In high singing formant (for low voices 2500–2800 Hz, higher voices - 3200 Hz) adds brightness, shine, and “metal” to the sound. The “range”, flight of sound, and the ability to “pierce” the orchestra depend on its presence.

Voice without HPF... is significantly reduced in strength.

For vocal masters, 30-35% of the total sound energy of the voice is concentrated in the area of ​​the HMF.

In F and NPF they give the sound a specific singing character.

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

VF arises in the human larynx. The supraglottic cavity of the larynx, formed between the vocal cords and the entrance to the larynx, measures 2.5–3.0 cm and resonates at a frequency of 2500–3000 Hz, that is, just in the region of the SMF.

During singing, the cavity of qualified singers is always clearly limited from the pharyngeal cavity by a narrowed entrance to the larynx. Its size and shape, and therefore its resonance, are preserved on all vowels and throughout 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 a vocal master is strictly fixed, which ensures the constancy of the resonating cavities.

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

The directionality of consonant sounds is especially great, having many very high frequencies, for example, whistling and hissing sounds: “S”, “C”, “Sh”, “Ch”, “Shch”, etc. This is important to know for correct diction. Good presentation of consonants towards the audience ensures sufficient intelligibility even at a very long distance /9/.

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

In sokaya singing formant is a group of high overtones.

The vocal formant, which determines the sonority of the voice, is usually more pronounced in dramatic voices than in soft lyrical voices. On a piano, the voicing coefficient is somewhat lower than on a forte, however, if the voice is excessively forced, 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 voicing coefficient. The sonority of a good singer’s voice depends little on the pitch of the note: all notes are sonorous.

Sounds rich in high overtones and having a well-defined singing formant (which gives them a sonorous quality) are qualified by the term “high position”.

Observing 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 VMF, increase sonority and see what sensations this is associated with /20/.

– Impulses of the upper formant originate in the larynx; the oropharyngeal horn has no effect on 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 “open” singing sounds it is lowered, on “covered” sounds it is raised. However, in both cases, the voice retains intense frequencies in the region of 3000 counts/sec. /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 the vowels “U”, “O”, “A” the front cavity is larger than the back one, for “E”, “I” the back cavity is larger than the front one. Consequently, for “U”, “O”, “A” the most characteristic is a low formant, for “E”, “I” - a high one /16/.

Tessitura. Key

T situra is the degree of vocal tension associated with a relatively long stay in the corresponding part of the range /26/.

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

T anposition (lat.) – rearrangement.

Transposition - transferring the sounds of a musical work up or down at 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 downwards).

It is also a well-known technique to sing a piece during rehearsals in other keys, so that when performing, the singers confidently maintain the author’s key, which in this case is perceived more freshly by them /18/.

But I have to give it to the clergy - as a rule, they use melodic music, which, as they say, touches the soul. At the same time, one curious detail attracts attention - of the entire range of sounds, the church has always preferred low-frequency registers, and of all musical instruments - instruments with low-frequency, bass sounds.

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

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 impact of low sounds has been felt intuitively by believers, but the scientific explanation for this phenomenon is for a long time they couldn't give it.

Scientists have found that only in the region of low frequencies - up to about 500 kopecks per second - does the hearing sensitively detect pitches of a harmonic nature, which we need for a more complete perception of the melody. In this frequency region, the melodic difference between two sounds is determined only by the ratio of their frequencies. In the region above 500 counts/sec, the sensation 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 sensation of melodic pitch.

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

Is this why fundamental tones with a frequency much higher than 500 counts/sec are, as a rule, used very rarely in music or are avoided altogether?

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

From acoustic laws it follows that the larger the instrument, the lower the sound you can get from it.

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

Melting (a cappella) performers often tend to drop in key at the end of the performance.

In practice, there are examples when a singer, learning a piece in a low voice, intones correctly, but as soon as he sings with a full sound, the intonation inaccuracy is revealed. This does not come from a lack of hearing, but from an incorrect position. An increase in intonation is a consequence of excessive force of sound, when breathing overstrains the vocal cords and the sound becomes higher than normal (this happens when the string of a musical instrument is over-tensioned) /15/.

K Chchini suggests choosing a key that is convenient for the singer. Caruso advises not to force the tessitura /16/.

If low frequencies predominate in drowning noise, then such noise is assessed as “soft”, “pleasant”, and it, as a rule, stimulates vocal function.

Sounds with a predominance of high-pitched sounds are assessed as “hard”, “prickly” and have a bad effect on the voice.

In water: the accompaniment for singers should contain more low “soft” sounds and less high, sharp sounds.

The negative effect of high frequencies is explained by the fact that they mask and drown out the most important acoustic quality of the singing voice - the high singing formant. The singer ceases to feel the sonority of his voice, makes all possible attempts to restore it, but does not achieve results and refuses to sing. In addition, sounds with a predominance of high frequencies 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 characteristics characterizing the type of voice /20/.

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

A particularly strong deterioration in diction when approaching the top is observed in women's and children's voices. In practice, this means that listeners cannot write down a single syllable sung on these notes without errors.

Sobinov complained that Napravnik “does not want to understand that the simplicity and naturalness of performance that Gluck demanded is possible only with the convenience of the voice. And before settling on one or another key, I tried them all and chose the one where my performance could be calm and natural.”

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

Intonation is also influenced by the position of the sound. The singer should sing only in a “high position”, “bringing the sound closer” and using more of the head resonators. Tessitura affects the position of the sound, and therefore the intonation. Low tessitura can cause a decrease in sound. Therefore, it is necessary to cultivate in singers the ability to sing in a high position under any tessitura conditions /22/.

Sound attack

The further sound of the voice depends on its beginning. Having started sound correctly, we are already laying the foundation for further sound studies. The singer’s further task is to maintain the right beginning. The attack, like a grain, contains the singer’s entire voice. In it, the breath and vocal cords interact very clearly, tangibly, and therefore, through these sensations accompanying the attack, it is easy to realize the correct interaction of these two main components of voice formation (breath - cords).

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

Work on 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 so sound is the instant 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, occurring in accordance with the strength of the jet.

With an abaya, an attack that is inaudible to others without the effort of making a sound, reduces the excessive irradiation of excitation in the brain, and at the same time eliminates the tension of the external and internal muscles of the larynx, preventing the “clamping” of the ligaments.

By stopping physiological breathing in complete silence, returning to a soft attack of sound produced without any tension, you can then amplify the resulting sound with the help of a system of resonators and the correct arrangement of formants, which can turn a piano, similar to 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/

There is no way to visualize the correct attack of sound except by hearing.

The most reliable and appropriate technique for forming the correct attack of the singing sound is a light, relaxed, without any violence to the larynx, staccato movement of the voice in the middle part of the tessitura tuning of a given individuality.

At the same time, the sound acquires those timbre qualities that characterize the best part of the singer’s sound scale.

The training process of attacking 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 intact preservation of their individual colorful voice features.

The most valuable property of such a sound is, first of all, its clearly expressed prospects for development, through relatively short term composure, shine, softness and cantilence appear. Moreover, the cantilence is distinguished by its naturalness and relaxed purity /37/.

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

Consequently, the nature of the closure of the glottis plays a decisive role in the formation of the primary spectrum of the larynx, and therefore the sound of the voice as a whole /9/.

After changing the breathing, each singer should use a soft attack, the voice should imperceptibly merge into the overall sound /26/.

High notes

The one preceding the high or uncomfortable 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 sound 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 played differently, easier).

A clear pronunciation of the consonant letter preceding it helps a lot to hit an inconvenient note, especially if it is sonorant or helps good resonance /26/.

In high tones, it is never recommended to take in excess air. Anyone who thinks that a note in the upper register requires a large amount of air is deeply mistaken. It all lies in the ability to approach this note.

Don’t get carried away with singing high notes, take them in fast passages, and most importantly, don’t shout them out - it’s harmful.

If a high note stands after a pause and you have to take it with a special attack, you must try to maintain 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 “used” extremely sparingly.

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

The problem of the young singer is the carelessly, inattentively sung sounds preceding the upper sound and the desire to “take” the upper 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.

You must have the habit of constantly monitoring the preservation of the unity of the sound position. This will make it easier to develop the move to the upper sounds /6/.

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

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

The sound should make a “stabbing” impression /16/

In cultivating the upper sounds, it is not only not necessary to start with the lower notes, but on the contrary, it is very dangerous. At the same time, we run the risk of including muscle elements in sound production 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 involved in the work with their entire mass, and when the sound moves upward they try to fully participate in the formation upper sounds. This is an obstacle to work, and therefore, the participation of muscle elements in the formation of high notes should be individually limited /37/.

Please remember that pushing your voice at one or several extreme notes of the vocal range only irritates the viewer /13/.

Most of Husson's opponents conducted experiments on animals (dogs, cats). The difficulty here, however, is that the results of not every experiment can be mechanically transferred to humans, since the human vocal muscle has a number of distinctive properties. Husson refers to these distinctive properties when putting forward his theory. Similar experiments on humans can be carried out only in exceptional cases, during forced surgery on the larynx, and even then with the consent of the patient.

Nevertheless, there is still reason to believe that the regulation of the frequency of vibration of the vocal cords in humans is a rather complex process, in which, under all conditions, the role of myelastic forces and air pressure can hardly be ignored. Even in the last century, the German physiologist I. Müller was able to show that the pitch of the tone emitted by the isolated human larynx can be varied in fundamentally two ways: by the tension force of the vocal cords at constant air pressure and by the force of subglottic air pressure with constant tension of the ligaments. Why couldn’t these simplest mechanisms be used by nature to regulate the pitch of the fundamental tone of the voice in a living organism? To clarify the question of the role of air pressure, the following experiments were carried out (Medvedev, Morozov, 1966).

While the singer was playing a note, the air pressure in his mouth was artificially changed using a special device. The magnitude of this pressure and the vibration frequency of the vocal cords were recorded on an oscilloscope. As can be seen in the oscillogram, despite the fact that the singer was instructed to keep the pitch of the note unchanged, the fundamental tone of his voice still involuntarily increased or decreased depending on the pressure in the oral cavity (Fig. 17). An artificial increase in pressure in the mouth led to a decrease in the frequency of the fundamental tone until the vibrations of the vocal cords completely stopped, and a decrease in pressure again led to an increase in the fundamental pitch of the voice. At the same time, it was found that the less experienced the singer, the more “walking” his fundamental tone frequency is when the pressure in the oral cavity is artificially changed.

Finally, in another series of experiments the condition of complete naturalness of phonation was not violated at all. The singers were given the task of periodically changing the sweat of a certain height when singing, that is, reducing or increasing the force of subglottic pressure, while trying not to change the pitch of the fundamental tone of the voice at all. The strength of the voice also changed from forte to piano. Both the strength of the voice and the frequency of vibration of the singer's vocal cords were continuously recorded and measured with special devices. The graph (Fig. 18) clearly shows that with a wave-like change in voice strength, and therefore pressure in the lungs, the vibration frequency of the vocal cords also involuntarily changes (albeit within small limits), increasing slightly with increasing voice strength and decreasing with decreasing subglottic pressure.

This fact is well known from everyday experience: in ordinary conversational speech, don’t we raise the main tone of our voice when we want to shout louder and, conversely, don’t lower the volume when talking quietly? It’s not for nothing that a person who begins to speak loudly is told: “Don’t raise your voice!”

Rice. 18. Changes in the vibration frequency of a person’s vocal cords when the strength of the voice changes. The solid line is the fundamental frequency; intermittent - voice strength In conventional units; arrow - direction of voice amplification and increase in fundamental frequency; horizontally - time from the beginning of phonation (in seconds).

It goes without saying that if the frequency of vibration of a person’s vocal cords was completely independent of pressure (more precisely, on the difference between subglottic and supraglottic pressure), then we would not have detected such changes in the vibrations of the ligaments. However, they are detected, and this can be seen in many other examples.

If a singer is given the task of singing all the notes - from the lowest to the highest - with a voice of equal strength, for example, forte, then you can guarantee that not a single singer can withstand the same strength of voice on all notes. He will sing the lowest notes much more quietly than the highest ones (see, for example, Fig. 6). Numerous studies show that the involuntary increase in vocal strength as the pitch rises is a pattern among singers. Thus, in order to sing low sweats, the singer must necessarily reduce the pressure in the lungs. At the same time, increasing subglottic pressure helps the singer reach high notes. True, a singer can, within certain limits, change the strength of his voice without changing its height, but these limits are still limited: within a wide range, the height of the voice depends on strength, just as strength depends on height.

The above experiments and observations, although they are not a direct contradiction to Husson’s main idea about the central neuromotor nature of the vibration of the human vocal cords, still force one to be cautious about his statements about the complete independence of the frequency of oscillation of the vocal cords from the underlying air pressure.

The voice apparatus is a living acoustic device, and, therefore, in addition to physiological laws, it also obeys all the laws of acoustics and mechanics. And turning to musical acoustics, we see that the pitch of musical instruments is regulated by simply tensioning the string or varying the size of the vibrating reeds (Konstantinov, 1939). The pitch of some whistles (f0) is determined by the relationship f0=kvр, where p is the amount of air pressure, k is the proportionality coefficient. There is evidence that the frequency of vibration of the vocal cords of the human larynx (all other things being equal) is also determined by this very ratio (Fant, 1964). Further, we see that the shorter the singer's vocal cords, the higher his voice. In addition, basses have vocal cords two and a half times thicker than sopranos. According to the research of L.B. Dmitriev, the size of the resonators of singers with low voices is naturally larger than that of singers with high voices (Dmitriev, 1955). Isn't this whole mechanic related to the pitch of the voice? This is certainly true!

The facts say that the acoustic-mechanical laws governing the frequency of vibration of the vocal cords undoubtedly take place in a living organism, and it would hardly be fair to discount them. Even if we are extremely friendly towards Husson and fully recognize the existence of a “third function” of the human vocal cords, there is still no reason to think that this “third function” is the only monopoly regulator of the frequency of vibrations of the cords. The human vocal apparatus is an extremely complex device and, like any complex apparatus, it apparently has not one, but several regulatory mechanisms, to a certain extent independent of each other, controlled by the central nervous system. This ensures amazing accuracy and reliability of the voice apparatus in a wide variety of conditions.

These arguments, however, in no way diminish the role of the central nervous system in the regulation of the vocal cords. On the contrary: it must be emphasized that the regulation of all myelastic and mechanical properties of the vocal cords (the degree of their tension, closure, density, etc.) and aerodynamic conditions in the larynx (regulation of subglottic pressure, etc.) is entirely carried out by the central nervous system. The nervous system is in charge of all this acoustics and mechanics. The central nervous system is helped in this complex process by numerous sensitive formations (proprioceptors and baroreceptors), sending information to the nerve centers about the degree of contraction of various muscles of the larynx and the entire respiratory tract, as well as about the degree of air pressure in the lungs and trachea. The role of these internal sensitive formations (receptors) in the regulation of vocal function is well identified in the works of Soviet researchers V. N. Chernigovsky (1960), M. S. Gracheva (1963), M. V. Sergievsky (1950), V. I. Medvedev with co-authors (1959), as well as in the experiments of Husson himself.

The research of R. Husson and his colleagues undoubtedly has great progressive significance in the development of the physiology of phonation: they attract the attention of scientists to this important problem, stimulate new searches and already today explain what is difficult to explain from old positions. Undoubtedly, a large scientific debate around a new theory is also useful, since every day it brings us more and more new knowledge. Truth is born in dispute.

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Probably every person loves to sing or tries to sing. If you have never learned to sing or are just starting out, then perhaps you will simply be interested in getting acquainted with vocal terms and learning something new for yourself. Well, if you want to practice vocals professionally, then you simply need to know the structure of your working apparatus, at least in general terms. Knowledge will shorten your path to success in vocals and protect you from many pitfalls. Accurate information will help you “filter” information and not trust all advisers indiscriminately. In addition, it is much easier to perform an action by first visualizing its process in detail in your mind.

“The human voice is the result of the coordinated work of the entire vocal apparatus,” wrote Manuel Garcia, the largest teacher of the 19th century (g.)
The vocal apparatus is a complex system that includes many organs.
The larynx plays a major role in sound production. A relaxed, free position of the larynx is considered the most “favorable” for singing. Here, the air pushed out by the lungs meets the closed vocal cords on its way and causes them to vibrate.

Vocal cords can be long or short, thick or thin. Laryngologists have found that the ligaments of low voices are longer than those of high voices. However, Caruso, a tenor, had bass cords.
The vibrating vocal cords produce a sound wave. But in order for a person to pronounce a letter or a word, the active participation of the lips, tongue, soft palate, etc. is necessary. Only the coordinated work of all vocal organs turns simple sounds into singing.
The nasal cavity also plays an important role. Together with the paranasal sinuses, it takes part in the formation of the voice. Here the sound is amplified, it is given a unique sonority and timbre. For the correct pronunciation of speech sounds and the timbre of the voice, the condition of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses is of a certain importance. It is their individuality that gives each person a unique timbre of voice.
It is interesting that the cavities in the front part of the human skull fully correspond in their purpose to the acoustic vessels walled up in ancient Roman amphitheaters, and perform the same functions as natural resonators.
The mechanism of correct voice formation is based on the maximum use of resonance.
A resonator is primarily a sound amplifier.
The resonator amplifies the sound, requiring virtually no additional energy from the sound source. Skillful use of the laws of resonance makes it possible to achieve enormous sound power up to 120-130 dB, amazing tirelessness and, on top of this, ensures the richness of the overtone composition, individuality and beauty of the singing voice.
In vocal pedagogy, there are two resonators: the head and the chest. Above we talked about the head resonator.
The lower, chest resonator gives the singing sound lower overtones and colors it with soft, dense tones. Those with low voices should use the chest resonator more actively, and those with high voices should use the head resonator. But for each voice it is important to use both chest and head resonators.
The German teacher Yu. Gey believes that “the connection of the chest and head resonators is possible with the help of a nasal resonator, which he calls the “golden bridge.”
The singer's breathing plays an important role.
Breathing is the energy system of the singer's vocal apparatus. Breathing determines not only the birth of sound, but also its strength, dynamic shades, to a large extent timbre, pitch and much more.
In the process of singing, breathing must adjust and adapt to the work of the vocal cords.
This creates best conditions for their vibration, it maintains the air pressure that is needed for a particular amplitude, frequency of contractions and tightness of closure of the vocal cords. Maestro Mazetti considered “a necessary condition for singing to be the ability to consciously control breathing.”

How can you develop your breathing muscles?

The singer needs to develop “plasticity” of breathing, strength, and free handling of it through breathing exercises. In former times, Italian vocal teachers would hold a lighted candle to the student's mouth. A fluctuating or dying flame indicated that the student was exhaling too much air without using it. Classes with a candle continued until the vocal breathing technique was perfected. In addition to such exercises with a candle, you can recommend exercises with books, which are placed on the stomach in a lying position and lifted by the force of the diaphragm.

How can this be useful in everyday life?

“Breathing is life!” - says the proverb. “If you breathe well, you will live long on Earth,” say yogis. If you don’t have the time and patience to regularly practice breathing exercises according to the yoga system, combine business with pleasure – sing! Full vocal breathing is very similar breathing exercises yogis and has the same benefits:

protects against diseases of the respiratory organs, relieves runny noses, colds, coughs, bronchitis, etc. saturates the blood with oxygen, which means it cleanses it develops a narrow chest helps the stomach and liver function normally (contractions of the diaphragm together with the rhythmic movement of the lungs “does” light massage internal organs) restores the functioning of the body, so a fat person loses weight, and a too thin person gains weight

And it is not surprising that vocal lessons help you master breathing techniques on and under water, since the basis of swimming is the same deep rhythmic breathing.

Breathing associated with singing is important for a singer. The main thing for a singer is not the force of breathing, not the amount of air that his lungs take in, but how this breath is held and expended, how exhalation is regulated during singing, that is, how its work is coordinated with other components of the vocal apparatus.
Learning to sing beautifully and correctly is not easy. A singer, compared to other performing musicians, has difficulty in self-control. An instrument for sound reproduction - the vocal apparatus is part of his body, and the singer hears himself differently from those around him. During training, the resonator and other sensations associated with singing turn out to be new and unfamiliar to him. Therefore, a singer needs to know and understand a lot.

“Singing is a conscious process, and not spontaneous, as many believe” - .
There are three types of singing voices for both women and men: high, medium and low.
High voices are soprano for women and tenor for men, middle voices are mezzo-soprano and baritone, respectively, and low voices are contralto and bass.
In addition, each group of voices has even more precise divisions:

· soprano - light (coloratura), lyrical, lyric-dramatic (spinto), dramatic;

· mezzo-soprano and contralto are varieties in themselves;

· tenor-altino, lyrical (di-grazia), mezzo-characteristic (spinto), dramatic (di-forza);

· baritone lyrical and dramatic;

· bass high (cantanto), central, low (profundo).

Correctly defining the nature of voice data is the key to its further development. And this is not always easy to do. There are clearly defined categories of voices that do not cause anyone to doubt their nature. But for many singers (not just beginners) it can be difficult to immediately determine the character of their voice.

It should be remembered that the middle register of all singing voices is most convenient when searching for a natural sound and the right vocal sensations.
Staging your voice is about identifying its nature and acquiring the correct singing techniques.

The presence of good, reliable and promising vocal technology leads to the fact that the acoustic indicators of the voice - sonority, flight, voice strength, dynamic range, etc. - improve as a result of “tuning” the voice in the process of singing.
Umberto Masetti believed that “a small range and low power of the voice are not a factor that completely excludes professional training.” He believed that with proper treatment and good schooling the voice could gain strength and develop in range.
The voice is rarely all “on the surface”. More often, its resources are hidden due to inept use of the vocal apparatus, its underdevelopment, and only in the process of training, when the voice develops, do its advantages, richness and beauty of timbre become clear to us.

Scientific research.

People have known that the human voice is formed in the larynx since the times of Aristotle and Galen. Only after the invention of the laryngoscope (1840) and the classical works of M. Garcia (gg.) did it become known that the sound of the voice is the result of periodic vibration of the edges of the vocal cords, which occurs under the influence of an air breathing stream. As an active acting force in this process (vibration: closing and opening of the vocal cords) the pressure of the air stream appears. This is the “myoelastic theory” of M. Garcia.

Scientist Raoul Husson in 1960 put forward a new, so-called “neuromotor theory”, the essence of which is as follows: the vocal cords (folds) of a person do not vibrate passively under the influence of a passing air current, like all the muscles of the human body, they contract actively under the influence of air coming from central nervous system impulses of biocurrents. The frequency of impulses is highly dependent on the emotional state of a person and on the activity of the endocrine glands (women's voices are a whole octave higher than men's). If a person begins to sing, then, according to Husson, the regulation of the pitch of the fundamental tone begins to be carried out by the “cerebral cortex.”

The human vocal apparatus is an extremely complex device and, like any complex apparatus, it apparently has not one, but several regulatory mechanisms, to a certain extent independent of each other, controlled by the central nervous system. And that's why both of these theories are valuable.

The sound of a person's voice is a form of energy. This energy, generated by the singer’s vocal apparatus, causes air molecules to periodically vibrate with a certain frequency and strength: the more often the molecules vibrate, the higher the sound, and the greater the amplitude of their vibrations, the stronger the sound. Sound vibrations in air travel at a speed of 340 m per second. The voice apparatus is a living acoustic device, and, therefore, in addition to physiological laws, it also obeys all the laws of acoustics and mechanics.

So, how are they arranged? vocal organs person.

They are based on diaphragm– muscular-tendon septum (thoraco-abdominal barrier) separating the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity.. The diaphragm is the living foundation for a whole and perfect instrument. The diaphragm is a powerful muscular organ that is attached to the lower ribs and spine. During inhalation, the muscles of the diaphragm contract and the volume of the chest increases. But we cannot feel the diaphragm, because its movement during breathing and voice formation occurs at a subconscious level.
Thoracic cavity protected by the ribs and thoracic vertebrae, it contains vital organs - lungs, heart, windpipe, esophagus.

Lungs- like real organ bellows, they participate in sound production, creating the necessary air flow. Air moves from the lungs to bronchi, thin and similar to tree branches. Then they join together and form the trachea, which goes up, vertically. Trachea- consists of cartilaginous half-rings, it is quite mobile, and is connected to the larynx.

Larynx performs triple function- respiratory, protective and vocal. Its skeleton is made up of cartilage, which is connected to each other by joints, ligaments, and muscles, due to which they have mobility. The largest cartilage of the larynx is the thyroid cartilage, and its size determines the size of the larynx. Low male voices are characterized by a large larynx, protruding on the surface of the neck in the form of an Adam's apple. Superior opening of the larynx, the so-called entrance to the larynx is formed by movable laryngeal cartilage - epiglottis. When breathing, the larynx is free, and when swallowing, the free edge of the epiglottis bends back, closing the opening of the larynx. During singing, the entrance to the larynx is covered by the epiglottis. The larynx tends to be very mobile, mainly in the vertical plane.

IN in the middle the larynx narrows, and in the narrowest place there are two horizontal folds, or - ligaments. The opening between them is called the glottis. Located above the vocal cords - ventricles of the larynx, above each of which there is a fold parallel to the vocal cords. The superior ventricular folds are called false folds and consist of loose connective tissue, glands and poorly developed muscles. The glands in these folds provide hydration to the vocal folds, which is very important for the singing voice. During sound production, the vocal folds join or close and the gap closes. The ligaments are covered with dense, pearl-colored fabric. The ligaments can change their length, thickness, and vibrate in parts, which gives the singer’s voice a variety of colors, richness of sound and mobility.
Sound resonates in the cavity above the larynx, in the pharynx .

Pharynx quite voluminous, irregular in shape. The pharynx is separated from the palate, the so-called velum. A small tongue at the back of the palate seems to form a double arch. The size of the pharynx can change due to movements of the velum and tongue. Also for proper sound production it has great value articulation. The structure of the vocal apparatus has individual characteristics in each individual case.

Therefore, the pedagogical approach to each vocalist is also very individual. When working with a singer, the physical state of the vocal apparatus, physiological structure and personal characteristics of the singer, psychological and emotional states are taken into account first of all. And based on the received idea, an individual program is drawn up

The main task of the teacher is to select for each singer from his usual set of exercises exactly what he needs at the moment. Or, if none of these exercises are perceived correctly by the student, improvise on the fly exactly what will be understandable for a novice singer. It is important that the singer feels that he can achieve the right result, that his voice sounds better. He should enjoy his vocal lessons.
Undoubtedly, the teacher must be careful not to force a successful result. The main thing is that the student realized and remembered the pleasant feeling when singing and felt his capabilities. Next time he will try to remember and reproduce all his successful moments.

The human vocal apparatus consists of the respiratory organs, the larynx with vocal cords and air resonator cavities (nasal, oral, nasopharynx and pharynx). The resonator sizes are larger for low voices than for high voices.

The larynx is formed by three unpaired cartilages: cricoid, thyroid (Adam's apple) and epiglottis - and three paired ones: arytenoid, Santorini and Wriesberg. The main cartilage is the cricoid. At the back of it, two arytenoid cartilages of a triangular shape are located symmetrically on the right and left sides, movably articulated with its posterior part. When the muscles contracting, pulling back the outer ends of the arytenoid cartilages, and the intercartilaginous muscles relax, the arytenoid cartilages rotate around their axis and the glottis opens wide, necessary for inhalation. With the contraction of the muscles located between the arytenoid cartilages and the tension of the vocal cords, the glottis takes the form of two tightly stretched parallel muscle ridges, which occurs when protecting the respiratory tract from foreign bodies. In humans, the true vocal cords are located in the sagittal direction from the internal angle of the junction of the plates of the thyroid cartilage to the vocal processes of the arytenoid cartilages. The true vocal cords include the internal thyroarytenoid muscles.

Lengthening of the ligaments occurs when the muscles located in front between the thyroid and cricoid cartilages contract. In this case, the thyroid cartilage, rotating on the joints located in the posterior part of the cricoid cartilage, tilts forward; its upper part, to which the ligaments are attached, extends from the posterior wall of the cricoid and arytenoid cartilages, which is accompanied by an increase in the length of the ligaments. There is a certain relationship between the degree of tension of the vocal cords and the pressure of air coming from the lungs. The more the ligaments close, the more pressure the air leaving the lungs puts on them. Consequently, the main role in regulating the voice belongs to the degree of tension of the muscles of the vocal cords and the sufficient amount of air pressure under them created by the respiratory system. As a rule, the ability to speak is preceded by a deep breath.

Innervation of the larynx. In an adult, the mucous membrane of the larynx contains numerous receptors located where the mucous membrane directly covers the cartilage. There are three reflexogenic zones: 1) around the entrance to the larynx, on the posterior surface of the epiglottis and along the edges of the aryepiglottic folds. 2) on the anterior surface of the arytenoid cartilages and in the space between their vocal processes, 3) on inner surface cricoid cartilage, in a strip 0.5 cm wide under the vocal cords. The first and second receptor zones are diverse. In an adult, they touch only at the apices of the arytenoid cartilages. Surface receptors of both zones are located in the path of inhaled air and perceive tactile, temperature, chemical and pain stimuli. They are involved in the reflex regulation of breathing, voice formation and in the protective reflex of closing the glottis. Deeply located receptors of both zones are located in the perichondrium, in the places of muscle attachment, in the pointed parts of the vocal processes. They become irritated during voice production, signaling changes in the position of the cartilages and contractions of the muscles of the vocal apparatus. Uniform receptors of the third zone are located in the path of exhaled air and are irritated by fluctuations in air pressure during exhalation.

Since muscle spindles are not found in the muscles of the human larynx, unlike other skeletal muscles, the function of proprioceptors is performed by deep receptors of the first and second zones.

Most of the afferent fibers of the larynx pass as part of the superior laryngeal nerve, and a smaller part - as part of the inferior laryngeal nerve, which is a continuation of the laryngeal recurrent nerve. Efferent fibers to the cricothyroid muscle pass in the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve, and to the remaining muscles of the larynx - in the recurrent nerve.

Theory of voice formation. To form a voice and produce speech sounds, air pressure under the vocal cords is required, which is created by the expiratory muscles. However, speech sounds are not caused by passive vibrations of the vocal cords by a current of air from the lungs, vibrating their edges, but by active contraction of the muscles of the vocal cords. From the medulla oblongata to the internal thyroarytenoid muscles of the true vocal cords, efferent impulses arrive via the recurrent nerves with a frequency of 500 per 1 s (for the middle voice). Due to the transmission of impulses at different frequencies in individual groups of fibers of the recurrent nerve, the number of efferent impulses can double, up to 1000 per 1 s. Since in the human vocal cords all the muscle fibers are woven, like the teeth of a comb, into the elastic tissue that covers each vocal cord from the inside, a volley of impulses from the recurrent nerve is very accurately reproduced on the free edge of the ligament. Each muscle fiber contracts with extreme speed. The duration of the muscle potential is 0.8 ms. The latency period of the vocal cord muscles is much shorter than that of other muscles. These muscles are distinguished by exceptional fatigue, resistance to oxygen starvation, which indicates the very high efficiency of the biochemical processes occurring in them, and extreme sensitivity to the action of hormones.

The muscle contractions of the vocal cords are approximately 10 times the maximum air capacity beneath them. The pressure under the vocal cords is mainly regulated by the contraction of bronchial smooth muscle. When you inhale, it relaxes somewhat, and when you exhale, the inspiratory striated muscles relax, and the smooth muscles of the bronchi contract. The frequency of the fundamental tone of the voice is equal to the frequency of efferent impulses entering the muscles of the vocal cords, which depends on the emotional state. The higher the voice, the less chronaxy the recurrent nerve and vocal cord muscles are.

During the production of speech sounds (phonation), all the muscle fibers of the vocal cords simultaneously contract in a rhythm exactly equal to the frequency of the voice. Vibration of the vocal cords is the result of rapid rhythmic contractions of the muscle fibers of the vocal cords caused by volleys of efferent impulses from the recurrent nerve. In the absence of air flow from the lungs, the muscle fibers of the vocal cords contract, but there is no sound. Therefore, to produce speech sounds, contraction of the muscles of the vocal cords and the flow of air through the glottis are necessary.

The vocal cords subtly respond to the amount of air pressure beneath them. The strength and tension of the internal muscles of the larynx are very diverse and change not only with the strengthening and raising of the voice, but also with its different timbres, even when pronouncing each vowel. The range of the voice can vary within about two octaves (an octave is a frequency interval corresponding to a 2-fold increase in the frequency of sound vibrations). The following voice registers are distinguished: bass - 80-341 vibrations per 1 s, tenor - 128-518, alto - 170-683, soprano - 246-1024.

The vocal register depends on the frequency of contractions of the muscle fibers of the vocal cords, therefore, on the frequency of the efferent impulses of the recurrent nerve. But the length of the vocal cords also matters. In men, due to the large size of the larynx and vocal cords, the voice is lower than in children and women, by approximately an octave. Bass vocal cords are 2.5 times thicker than sopranos. The pitch of the voice depends on the frequency of vibration of the vocal cords: the more often they vibrate, the higher the voice.

During puberty, the size of the larynx increases significantly in male adolescents. The resulting lengthening of the vocal cords leads to a lowering of the voice register.

The pitch of the sound produced by the larynx does not depend on the amount of air pressure under the vocal cords and does not change when it increases or decreases. The air pressure beneath them only affects the intensity of the sound formed in the larynx (the strength of the voice), which is small at low pressure and increases parabolically with a linear increase in pressure. Sound intensity is measured by power in watts or microwatts per square meter(W/m2, μW/m2). The voice power during a normal conversation is approximately 10 microwatts. The weakest speech sounds have a power of 0.01 microwatts. The sound pressure level for an average spoken voice is 70 dB (decibel).

The strength of the voice depends on the amplitude of vibration of the vocal cords, therefore, on the pressure under the cords. The more pressure, the stronger. Voice timbre is characterized by the presence of certain partial tones, or overtones, in the sound. There are more than 20 overtones in the human voice, of which the first 5-6 are the loudest with a number of vibrations of 256-1024 per 1 s. The timbre of the voice depends on the shape of the resonator cavities.

Resonator cavities have a huge influence on the act of speech. since the pronunciation of vowels and consonants does not depend on the larynx, which determines only the pitch of the sound, but on the shape of the oral cavity and pharynx and the relative position of the organs located in them. The shape and volume of the oral cavity and pharynx vary widely due to the exceptional mobility of the tongue, movements of the soft palate and lower jaw, contractions of the pharyngeal constrictors and movements of the epiglottis. The walls of these cavities are soft, so forced vibrations are excited in them by sounds of different frequencies and in a fairly wide range. In addition, the oral cavity is a resonator with a large opening into the external space and therefore emits sound, or is a sound antenna.

The cavity of the nasopharynx, lying to the side of the main air flow, can be a sound filter, absorbing certain tones and not letting them out. When the soft palate is lifted upward until it touches the back wall of the pharynx, the nose and nasopharynx are completely separated from the oral cavity and are excluded as resonators, while sound waves propagate into space through the open mouth. When all vowels are formed without exception, the resonator cavity is divided into two parts, connected by a narrow gap. As a result, two different resonant frequencies. When pronouncing “u”, “o”, “a”, a narrowing is formed between the root of the tongue and the palatal valve, and when phonating “e” and “i” - between the tongue raised upward and the hard palate. Thus, two resonators are obtained: the rear one is of large volume (low tone) and the front one is narrow, small (high tone). Opening the mouth increases the tone of the resonator and its attenuation. The lips, teeth, hard and soft palate, tongue, epiglottis, pharyngeal walls and false ligaments have a great influence on the sound quality and character of the vowel. When consonants are formed, the sound is caused not only by the vocal cords, but also by the friction of air strings between the teeth (s), between the tongue and the hard palate (g, z, w, h) or between the tongue and the soft palate (d, j), between the lips ( b, p), between the tongue and teeth (d, t), with intermittent movement of the tongue (p), with the sound of the nasal cavity (m, n). When vowels are phonated, overtones are enhanced regardless of the fundamental tone. These increasing overtones are called formants.

Formants are resonant amplifications corresponding to the natural frequency of the vocal tract. The maximum number of them depends on its total length. An adult male may have 7 formants, but 2-3 formants are important for distinguishing speech sounds.

Each of the five main vowels is characterized by formants of different heights. For “y” the number of oscillations in 1 s is 260-315, “o” - 520-615, “a” - 650-775, “e” - 580-650, “i” 2500-2700. In addition to these tones, each vowel has even higher formants - up to 2500-3500. Consonant sound - a modified vowel that appears when obstacles arise sound wave, coming from the larynx, in the oral and nasal cavities. In this case, parts of the wave collide with each other and noise arises.

Main speech - phoneme. Phonemes do not coincide with sound; they can consist of more than one sound. Set of phonemes in different languages different. There are 42 phonemes in the Russian language. Phonemes retain unchanged distinctive features - a spectrum of tones of a certain intensity and duration. A phoneme can have several formants, for example “a” contains 2 main formants - 900 and 1500 Hz, “and” - 300 and 3000 Hz. The phonemes of consonants have the highest frequency (“s” - 8000 Hz, “f” - 12,000 Hz). Speech uses sounds from 100 to 12,000 Hz.

The difference between loud speech and whispering depends on the function of the vocal cords. When whispering, the noise of air friction against the blunt edge of the vocal cord occurs as it passes through a moderately narrowed glottis. During loud speech, due to the position of the vocal processes, the sharp edges of the vocal cords are directed towards the air stream. The variety of speech sounds depends on the muscles of the vocal apparatus. It is caused mainly by contraction of the muscles of the lips, tongue, lower jaw, soft palate, pharynx and larynx.

The muscles of the larynx perform three functions: 1) opening the vocal cords during inhalation, 2) closing them while protecting the airways, and 3) voice production.

Consequently, during oral speech, a very complex and subtle coordination of speech muscles occurs, caused by cerebral hemispheres and above all, the speech analyzers located in them, which occurs due to hearing and the influx of afferent kinesthetic impulses from the organs of speech and breathing, which are combined with impulses from all external and internal analyzers. This complex coordination of movements of the muscles of the larynx, vocal cords, soft palate, lips, tongue, lower jaw and respiratory muscles that provide oral speech is called articulation. It is carried out by a complex system of conditioned and unconditioned reflexes of these muscles.

In the process of speech formation, the motor activity of the speech apparatus transforms into aerodynamic phenomena and then into acoustic ones.

Under the control of auditory feedback, kinesthetic feedback is activated continuously when pronouncing words. When a person thinks, but does not utter words (inner speech), kinesthetic impulses arrive in volleys, with unequal intensity and different durations of intervals between them. When solving new and difficult problems in the mind, the strongest kinesthetic impulses enter the nervous system. When listening to speech for the purpose of memorizing, these impulses are also large.

Human hearing is unequally sensitive to sounds of different frequencies. A person not only hears the sounds of speech, but also simultaneously reproduces them with his vocal apparatus in a very reduced form. Therefore, in addition to hearing, proprioceptors of the vocal apparatus, especially vibration receptors located in the mucous membrane under the ligaments and in the soft palate, are involved in the perception of speech. Irritation of vibration receptors increases the tone of the sympathetic nervous system and thereby changes the functions of the respiratory and vocal apparatus.

Voice development always requires correct diagnosis of its type. Making a correct diagnosis - correctly determining 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, that is, acquired skills and habits.

When a novice singer, copying some favorite artist, sings with a voice that is unusual for him, “bass,” “tenor,” etc., then most often this is easy to determine by ear and correct. In this case, the natural, natural character of the voice is clearly revealed. However, there are cases when the voice sounds natural, relaxed, basically correct, and yet its character remains intermediate, unidentified.

Determining your voice type should be based on a number of characteristics. These include such qualities of the voice as timbre, range, location of transitional notes and primary tones, the ability to maintain tessitura, as well as constitutional characteristics, in particular the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the vocal apparatus.

Timbre and range are usually revealed already during admissions tests, but neither one nor the other sign separately can tell us with certainty what kind of voice a 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 a picky ear.

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

We obtain additional data to help classify the voice from the analysis of transition notes. Various types voices have transitional sounds at different pitches. This is what the teacher uses to more accurately diagnose the type of voice.

Typical transition notes, also varying among different singers:

Tenor - E-F-F-sharp - G of the first octave.
Baritone - D-E-flat - E of the first octave.
Bass - A-B - B-flat small C-C-sharp of the first octave.
Soprano - E-F-F-sharp of the first octave.
Mezzo-soprano C-D-D-sharp of the first octave.

For women, this typical register transition is at the lower end of the range, and for men, it is at the upper end.

In addition to this feature, so-called primary sounds, or sounds that sound most easily and naturally for a given singer, can help in determining the type of voice. As has been established by practice, they are most often located in the middle part of the voice, i.e. 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, women's voices too.

The correct solution to the question of voice type can also be determined by the singer’s ability to withstand the tessitura characteristic of a given voice type. Tessitura (from the word tissu - fabric) is understood as the average pitch load on the voice present in a given work.

Thus, the concept of tessitura reflects that part of the range where the voice most often should remain when singing a given piece. If a voice, close in character to a tenor, stubbornly does not hold the tenor tessitura, then one can doubt the correctness of the chosen manner of voicing and indicates that this voice is probably a baritone.

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

Phoniatricians have long established a relationship between the length of the vocal cords and the type of voice. According to this criterion, the shorter the ligaments, the higher the voice. For example, a soprano has a length of vocal cords of 10-12 mm, a mezzo-soprano has a length of cords of 12-14 mm, and a contralto has a length of 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, already when a singer appears on stage, one can unmistakably judge the type of his voice. That is why, for example, there are terms such as “tenor” or “bass” appearance. However, the connection between voice type and the constitutional characteristics of the body cannot be considered a developed area of ​​knowledge and cannot be relied upon when determining voice type.