OMG I'm in grad school for speech-language pathology. This is the first explanation that has made sense to me. The skies opened, angels are singing and the sun is shining on me. I get it now, and I can take my midterm in peace. Thanks!
@JasonToddRoberts
6 ай бұрын
That's funny I use a similar expression when I have an ahhhh haaa moment!
@Mrgrubbas1
6 жыл бұрын
I study linguistics and that helped me big time. Finally some easy explanation, step by step. It's so bloody annoying when everyone expects us to jump straight into hard stuff without explaining the basics.
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
I'm so glad this video has helped to clarify matters! Thanks for your wonderful comment.
@CrystalHansonYes
3 жыл бұрын
I totally agree!
@EricGoetzMusic
3 жыл бұрын
I've always felt that linguists, voice teachers, and speech therapists should get together and talk, more. As an outsider to all three of those professions, but as someone who has benefited from all three, it seems like there is a fair amount of overlap between the different professions, but the research and training all happens in different silos.
@scottfishkind5335
7 жыл бұрын
I've commented on your videos several times before and I have to say that you are the most knowledgeable and articulate voice teacher I've ever come across. In fact I would say you're the best teacher period of any subject I've ever seen! As a music school grad (Berklee/Boston) who taught music for 34 years and studied voice for several years, I'm not easily impressed, and you impress the heck out of me! You are my 'go to' voice teacher on the web! Also, I believe you mentioned you were writing a book. Any ideas when it might be available? I definitely want to purchase it whenever it comes out so please keep us up to date!
@romulo_lupin
5 жыл бұрын
I agree!!!
@singwisevocals
2 жыл бұрын
Awww! Thank you so much for your kind words!!!
@BenjaminTheBatchelor
8 жыл бұрын
This made so much sense that I started giggling and hopping like a school girl. Absolutely flawless, Karyn. Keep it up, the world of vocal pedagogy needs you
@singwisevocals
8 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for the encouragement! And I'm so glad that it cleared things up for you!
@jonaqpetla_
6 жыл бұрын
I'm an electrical engineer, and we pass the formant frequencies into neural nets to ease the training of the nets. This video is good, I'm marking it for future.
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
Interesting! I'll have to read more about that. (My husband is an electrical engineer, too. Maybe he'll know something about it.)
@icedhockey1
7 жыл бұрын
Your concept of singing as the process of matching vocal cord harmonics ( source ) with the formants of the vocal tract (resonator) is an absolutely brilliant explanation the art and science of singing. Your explanation is satisfying and useful for both physicist and singer. Thank you.
@singwisevocals
7 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for saying so.
@JustinTSwain
8 жыл бұрын
Just shared your video on my FB page, as we're going over formants in tomorrow's lecture in my voice science course at OSU. Although I had an understanding, and have Dr. McCoy's book in front of me, your video helped solidify a few gray areas I still had after reviewing the topic tonight. Thank you tremendously for sharing your knowledge! You're helping so many people.
@singwisevocals
8 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much, Justin, for your encouraging feedback and for sharing my video! I really appreciate it.
@lizhodge2087
6 жыл бұрын
Hi Justin. Which of Dr. McCoy's books are you referring to?
@leanhquoc3109
8 жыл бұрын
Oh and you look gorgeous by the way!
@strangeland4062
6 жыл бұрын
I didn't realize how much vocal nerd I had in me until I came across your videos. Thank you!!
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
Well, you're part of a growing club of voice geeks and nerds. Welcome!
@JohnFraserFindlay
2 жыл бұрын
wow cool!! I sort of know about this from synths and software...like Melodyne has a formant adjustment setting-but I wasn't sure what it did.. and the sonics of horns and woodwinds.. i think of it simplistically as filtering. Thanks great info.
@Aiken47
8 жыл бұрын
Love your use of technical terms, it helps provide an introduction to your depth of education and knowledge. I'm sure you expect to build our understanding of the science behind singing as you add more videos.
@singwisevocals
8 жыл бұрын
I appreciate the comment!
@sirlaw2930
Жыл бұрын
I love your explanation and I'm definitely an artist. Thank You.
@braddavis6219
8 жыл бұрын
Could you do a video example of each vowel and suggestions on how to enhance the formant? My voice has very little "ring" to it especially on dark vowels like oh, ah, and uh. Your videos are fantastic. Keep on doing the good work!
@singwisevocals
8 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! I was actually just talking to a student about this topic this morning and saying that I need to record a follow up of this video that discusses the specific adjustments of the vocal tract that will yield which changes to which formants. Obviously, discussion of vowels will be a part of that. I'm trying to figure out how to make it work, though, because I feel as though I'd need to use spectrographic analysis. That would be time consuming, and I always feel so rushed with these videos. I'll figure it out soon.
@braddavis6219
8 жыл бұрын
Looking forward to watching it!
@mcaramat
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you Karyn for simplifying and being bold to show this to the singing world when this fascinating topic was just beginning to be a part of the singers and voice teachers world. You are awesome!
@paulinemccloughan3683
5 жыл бұрын
Hi, I am a university student doing the Psychology of Language" subject and you have explained Formants and Harmonics and the vocal cavity in such an easy to understand manner I feel like some of the pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place for me thus assisting me with a recording assignment thank you.
@王伟嘉-t7h
5 жыл бұрын
I am also a linguistic student struggling with the spectrogram, this video definitely helps in connecting acoustics phonetics and articulatory phonetics, and it puts phonetics knowledge in the context so I can know how and when to use them. It is really a wonderful video! I especially like the part distinguishing vowels according to the space of oral tract and pharynx!
@willbe3043
6 жыл бұрын
Thank you! I've been working on developing more natural voice synthesis, and your video has helped a lot.
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
You're welcome.
@davidhawley1132
7 жыл бұрын
This makes a lot of sense, as it's based on physics. Can you recommend any spectrum analysis apps that can help with the trial and error, and maybe even help identify how to explore the possible turnings of the vocal tract?
@singwisevocals
7 жыл бұрын
I own the Voce Vista software, which came with Donald G. Miller's book Resonance in Singing: Voice Building through Acoustic Feedback. You can find free software on-line, but I've never looked into them or used any of them, so I wouldn't know what to recommend.
@teodorgochev3455
7 жыл бұрын
Karyn, you are a beautiful human being. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
@singwisevocals
7 жыл бұрын
Awww! Thanks so much for that! And you are very welcome.
@smishde
5 жыл бұрын
thank you for this lesson
@LibbyRoseUTube
3 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this video!!
@HeathWatts
2 жыл бұрын
This was clear and useful. Thanks!
@Divale13
5 жыл бұрын
Karyn, you make science sounds so easy to understand. I admire you for that! Thank You.
@singwisevocals
5 жыл бұрын
Aww. Thank you for saying so!
@Ignasimp
6 жыл бұрын
Very helpful video! Do you know where can I read (or watch) more about it?
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
I'm a fan of Kenneth Bozeman's book Practical Vocal Acoustics and Donald Miller's Resonance in Singing. I also have an interview with Professor Bozeman on this channel: kzitem.info/news/bejne/xa6q2pqskV93hag
@TravelNP
3 жыл бұрын
Fascinating. Thank you
@jordanmicahcook
4 жыл бұрын
I have been singing for nearly 20 years, and have been classically trained in Bel Canto operatic technique for 11 years. I could tell from the moment you began speaking that you are well trained and versed in vocal technique because of the level of air and muscular support you give your voice, as well as the openness. This was a wonderful explanation. Thank you so much, and I hope you are being paid VERY well by Singwise, as your comprehension level is such that you could easily make hundreds of dollars an hour as a vocal teacher in NYC. I hope they realize the asset you are to their company.
@alilewismusic
12 күн бұрын
Speech pathologist and professional singer/ vocal coach here, applauding you for providing such a thorough and yet clear explanation of these matters! I often give a rather simplified version to my students/clients (as an introduction to a formant tuning activity). But if anyone expresses interest in a deeper dive, I'll now know to send them here!
@ravenraven5099
5 жыл бұрын
Smilesss😀...very informative
@guillermoflores2064
3 жыл бұрын
Beautifully explained.
@Rosannasfriend
5 жыл бұрын
Finally finished and understood this! Anything is possible with perseverance. Thank you.
@dalemcmillen2065
9 күн бұрын
Wow ... I feel like I learned more about singing (intellectually, at least) in this video than a 4 year degree in classical voice and almost 40 years of being a hack singer. Having just taken early retirement from my IT career, I am eagerly absorbing as much knowledge as possible about singing to launch some retirement home gigs. This video is EXCELLENT and a great addition to my other training.
@giannis_tar
8 жыл бұрын
Amazing video!!! I'd love to see you practice e few examples in your following videos, if possible :) More videos please!!!
@singwisevocals
8 жыл бұрын
+Giannis VclScore That is most definitely the plan!
@AnthonyBecker9
5 жыл бұрын
Wow, this video is so well prepared and made, with great and useful information. Thank you.
@WillyBlake
8 жыл бұрын
This is the best easy explanation I have ever found on the formants.....Great job! Not an easy task whatsoever!
@singwisevocals
8 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the feedback. I'm so glad that I was able to make this topic easier for you to understand!
@NICUofficial
2 жыл бұрын
you are an extraordinary explainer!!!! Truly, and I have very high standards as an 11 year educator myself and also because my voice coach (Matthew Ramsey, also on KZitem) has laid such a high precedent for me! Thanks for this lesson, I stumbled across it while trying to deepen my understanding of how different vowels are affecting my singing and throat/mouth. This has really helped. All of it going towards better singing on NICU's upcoming debut album. So, your lesson means the world to me
@aramatstudio
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you Karyn for simplifying and being bold to show this to the singing world when this fascinating topic was just beginning to be a part of the singers and voice teachers world. You are wonderful!!
@andyconationi4930
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Karyn ! It´s a pleasure to meet you even on the internet. I liked so much of your explanation about the formants and harmonics and I see the super importance of them to produce a voice more powerful and beautiful and full of colorature. The best explanation so far. As a singer student I´d like to ask you some questions: 1. What vocal exercises do you recommend to practice in order to feel or find theses the formants and harmonics? 2. What kind of "subtle adjustments" in vocal tract can lead us ear the formants and harmonics? Thank you so much !
@DianaLeoport
4 ай бұрын
OMG!!! I thought I was crazy for thinking all this information but never hearing it from outside. I'm so grateful for the existence of this video and now it all makes so much sense. Thank you for informing us!!
@PedroSantos-mk3pm
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much...I came here for the basics of Formants is supposed to be...trying teach myself English, both british and american...I thank you so much for this lesson. You're Top!
@faeryel
8 жыл бұрын
As a reader of your website, I'm very glad that you plan on using this channel more in the future! I'd love to see some vocal examples and exercices to help understand some of the topics you cover on the site. Thank you for all the great information!
@singwisevocals
8 жыл бұрын
+Ally Adeti Indeed! My original plan was to record instructional videos related to the articles that would help clarify the topics for those who are visual and auditory learners. I still plan to do so and embed them in the articles on the SingWise website for easier reference. I just needed better equipment and lighting - I still do, but this is an improvement on the quality of the old videos!
@faeryel
8 жыл бұрын
Sounds great, looking forward to it!
@pineapple_1066
Жыл бұрын
Omg that's so clear, omg, I have lost my words. I hope all singers will be able to watch this video and understand what they were doing. This definitely gave me confidence after constantly losing my ideal voice almost every time I escape (stress and procrastination) from my practice. It is really saying yes you will find your voice oneday without being like an illusion.
@vobavocal
3 жыл бұрын
Question: When you say "we have no control over the harmonics", you mean we cannot change the specific over-tones of the harmonic to others, but we can increase or decrease their volume in the overall sound, right? Otherwise overtone singing would be impossible...
@mathflair2991
7 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this video! Please, may I ask what 3rd, 4th and 5th formant mean? A formant cluster is the cluster of the 3rd to 5th formants. But what do these formants represent or mean?
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
Sorry. I missed your question until now. The formants are the natural resonance frequencies of the vocal tract. Because our resonator tract isn't a straight, rigid tube, it produces multiple frequencies. Think about if you were to fill a bunch of drinking glasses with varying levels of water and tap on them with a spoon. The glasses with more water in them will ring at a higher frequency because there is a smaller resonating space (above the water). So, we have several resonance frequencies, which are simply called formants, and they represent bands of heightened acoustical energy. The lowest of these resonance frequencies is the first formant. Then, the second formant is above that, and so forth. The third, fourth and fifth formants are simply higher resonance frequencies. In classical singer, especially, tenors will cluster these three higher formants by bringing them a bit closer to each other (through making slight adjustments to the size and/or shape of their resonator tracts) so that they operate almost like one huge band of acoustical energy. This makes it easier to resonate a given harmonic and it give an acoustical boost. This cluster is called the singer's formant because many elite classical singers use it to help self-amplify their voices. I hope this helps.
@ClaudiaRolando
5 жыл бұрын
@@singwisevocals amazing explanation! thank you!!
@Ignasimp
6 жыл бұрын
The thing I find difficult is how can we apply this knowledge to practice when singing? Every yeay we know more about the science of singing but I don't see singers being better or having better thecnique now than before. In fact is a little bit of the opposite thing.
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
It can make things more confusing and 'messy' if this knowledge is misapplied. In my chat with Professor Ken Bozeman, who is considered something of an authority of the subject of vocal acoustics, he told me that he uses spectrographic software during all his lessons, but not for resonance tuning purposes. And as I stated at the end of this video, teachers have been helping students achieve optimal resonance balance and carrying power for centuries without the aid of spectrographs. Trial and error is always far more important and effective. Playing around with different subtle adjustments to how we're shaping our resonator will ultimately yield the best results.
@misery3681
4 ай бұрын
I fnd that on the vowel Eh, the 4th harmonic of the first formant is the most dominant on the C3 note. As I go on up the notes, the F1 H2 is becoming more dominant. Does this make sense? I think I should get F1 H2 on all notes
@melanieorr5083
2 жыл бұрын
I’m in speech science. My teacher explained it like harmonics are your vocal chords and formants are the vocal tract / resonators which change the sound into what we hear(:
@rikyriky966
6 жыл бұрын
I needed to hear some examples. I watched the first half of the video then I went fast forward yet I couldn't find. Sorry but most of the people understand these concepts with some real situation examples.
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
Thanks for your feedback. This video was intended to be just an introduction to the concepts because many of my readers were having troubles wrapping their heads around harmonics and formants. This was not a video on formant tuning, and it was intended to be purely theoretical in nature. The plan all along has been to post more videos on this topic (with samples, practical guidance, and spectrographic analysis), but I decided, instead, to focus more on other (more popular) topics that are of greater interest to more singers, such as breath management, diction, managing jaw and tongue tension, singing without strain, etc..
@rikyriky966
6 жыл бұрын
I honestly love the content and find this video helpful. This is just my type of learning, when I hear examples of you actually doing what you teach, I can easily relate the theory with the examples and my learning speed is increased exponentially. As you informed me about the upcoming contents, I subbed to your channel. Thanks.
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
Thank you for subscribing. And I understand that learning style. I'll do my best to demonstrate what I'm explaining. Yes, whenever the content is complex, I have to cover it over several videos because it's just too much to discuss and demonstrate in one video. The next video series is going to be mostly talking about and demonstrating different approaches to vowel modification, which is one way in which can tune our formants for more effective resonation and better tone.
@dabneyrossjonessoprano506
8 жыл бұрын
Yeah this is a lot clearer than most vocal pedagogy books.
@singwisevocals
8 жыл бұрын
I'm so glad! Thanks for saying so.
@CellarStudioProductions
2 жыл бұрын
I may have stumbled upon a way to tap into feeling out your formants. Feedback would be much appreciated! Something I did growing up came back to me recently: When listening to Linkin Park I used to express my teenage angst in whispers - as to avoid offending anyone with my pubescent screeching. Soon, the possibility of changing the pitch of a whisper through manipulation of mouth and tongue occured to adolescent me. Only yesterday did the concept of combining a sung notes with the mouth shape and tongue position that would produce a whisper of the same pitch present itself. The connection to formants - a term that had been collecting dust in a cerebral stowaway chamber for years - quickly followed suit and I ultimately found myself here. Any input on this from you would be positively delightful. Thank you for this amazing video!
@vanrobertson6588
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for this explanation! It cleared up a lot of confusion I had with jargon I would hear in singing tutorials.
@joninehritamusic
2 жыл бұрын
You are such an amazing teacher with a gift for explaining things in a way that is actually accessible to singers of all levels.
@Bring_MeSunshine
3 жыл бұрын
Might need to come back to this, lot's of information, elegantly delivered, and I don't mind your passion for vocal science. It transfers to my mixing study, beautifully. Happy New Year (Edited: Will definitely be returning. Isn't discovery a wonderful thing)
@wowawewah
6 жыл бұрын
So to apply this to our practice, we just need to experiment with mouth shape, placement, and also modifying some vowels slightly to see which one feels the easiest, most resonance and pleasing to our ears? Does it also depend on how much air or louder we sing?
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
Essentially, yes. If you're using spectrographic software, you'll see which harmonics are more 'present' than others. This visual representation of your resonance would inform your decisions about what to do with your tongue, lips, and jaw (assuming that you also know which movements or positions of those articulators will either raise or lower which formants). The louder we we sing, the stronger the sound source signal (from vocal fold vibration) and thus the more 'present' the overtones. You don't have to be singing fortissimo to hear the overtones, but resonance tuning will be a bit more challenging when you're singing softly.
@JustinMasayda
6 жыл бұрын
I'm not a singer, but I love sound and acoustics, and I admire your excitement, knowledge, and clarity of presentation of the topic!
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much!
@InTheMusicBox
2 жыл бұрын
I just found you and am thrilled. So how do we use technology to assist us with better singing? How could we use a spectograph in class or in practice at home? I know in Estill they do run their exams with a spectograph, so they have actual evidence singers can produce all the vocal qualities. How can we help ourselves understand better and master the vocal mechanism and of course our muscles, and our movements aritenoid dominant thyroid dominant and so on to affect our vocal tracts ?
@mathiusq9128
2 ай бұрын
Any good books on thos subject? Im taking singing lessons for about 6 months as a near middle aged man and I am now very interested in the physics and biology of it. Would love to read through a few books on the subject.
@rocachick860
8 жыл бұрын
I'm so grateful for this. Thank you 😊❤️
@singwisevocals
8 жыл бұрын
You're very welcome!
@TechieButterflySinger
2 жыл бұрын
Karyn I just love how you explain EVERYTHING! It really is so helpful and Om so glad this video popped up in my feed. Thank you for all you share and do for singers and voice professionals. 🙏❤️🎵
@rafalvarezsevilla
4 ай бұрын
very cool explanation, instant SUB! :) i have one question though. if i sing higher notes, and want to track the resonance, according to this theory i would need to close my resonators more the higher i go in pitch. but when we sing, the opposite is the truth, to keep the same sound quality up high, we have to open our mouth more and more. why is that? =D
@filmsomethinginteresting4948
Жыл бұрын
Phenomenal explanation! Thank you so much! Your blog posts and channel have done an amazing job of explaining the science behind singing even for someone who has picked up singing as a hobby. I've been really interested in the idea lately of using a spectrogram to see another perspective of my voice but was struggling with all the terminology I was hearing in other videos.
@drimbus__
4 ай бұрын
Very good explanation! I had 4 or 5 epiphanies from this. Biggest one being we want to shape our vocal tract to resonate at the frequencies of the harmonics of the voice.
@wh8267
2 жыл бұрын
I sing in a barbershop quartet so this is fundamental to the ring and "wall of sound" and concept of expanded sound. Every once in a while I hear a barbershopper talk about formants (ok actually only twice in 25 years) but it is fundamental. I have noticed the more you sing with the same group of guys the better our sound. I bet it is the microadjustments of formants to give better ringing and harmonics as your ear learns the other peoples voices.
@pksferdinandd8227
6 жыл бұрын
What about the other formants like F3-5? What's their anatomical basis and how do they sound like? How are they used for classical singing? I know these are hard questions to answer and probably a lot of research needs to be made but I literally have looked all around the internet in two languages and can't find an answer. Like I've read about the existence of these other formants but literally nobody explains them.
@spencerzacharymusic
6 жыл бұрын
First off, very helpful video thank you for sharing! It was still a bit unclear to me what the distinction between harmonics and overtones were, so I wiki'd it and it said that basically an overtone is any frequency above the fundamental frequency (so harmonics are overtones, which is what you said I believe). Is this correct or and I still missing something? If so, I hope this helps some other viewers if that was unclear to you as well. Again, thank you for the information! You're a really passionate teacher and WE can feel that, makes the videos fun to watch. Keep it up!
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
Yes, the harmonic series consists of the fundamental frequency AND all the harmonics above it, (which means that the fundamental is a harmonic - the first harmonic of the sound source). Overtones are ONLY the harmonics above the fundamental (i.e., the fundamental is not an overtone). If you focus on the 'over' part of the word, that may help. 'Over'tones are harmonics that are 'over' (in frequency) the fundamental (first harmonic). I hope that clarifies things for you. Let me know if you have any further questions.
@Carlos-ut7kw
5 жыл бұрын
The adjustment of the ressonating frequency of the vocal track to some of the harmonic frequencies would cause the amplification of the harmonic volume, right? This wouldn't cause the "polyphonic signing" in which we car hear two frequencies being emited at the same time?
@into.the.wood.chipper.
3 жыл бұрын
Why are so many singers obsessed with strengthening their second harmonic in loud resonance strategies with high amplitude, but pay no attention to strengthening the first harmonic? The first harmonic is always going to be the loudest in the series of the human voice. Of any sound, really. So by neglecting the first harmonic, people are unwittingly making their singing voices sound thin and annoying. If the first harmonic is the fundamental, then doesn't it makes sense to make that as strong as possible so that the voice will have depth and fullness?
@armansrsa
Жыл бұрын
I dont know if the fundamental frequency is the loudest always, In singing it seems the mid range is where most of the amplitude is. At least that is what I see in my own singing voice on the spectrum analyzer. I thought this was the case with all voices. When you sing Arent the overtones louder than the fundamental?
@Blahblahblahworlds
Жыл бұрын
Great video. What would have been useful is a practical demonstration of you singing a pitch, changing the resonating cavities to demonstrate the ideal arrangement for that pitch and then one which gets it exactly "wrong" and helping us to understand what you did and what to listen out for.
@adampaulleach7348
8 жыл бұрын
Fantastic explanation!
@fidrewe99
6 жыл бұрын
Good information, just a little objection: The first harmonic is often NOT the loudest harmonic. In fact, it does not even need to exist for us to be able to identify the pitch. Even if, say, the bottom five harmonics are muted, we can still recognize the pitch, because of the unique pattern of overtones of every tone.
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
That can certainly be the case, but my understanding, (based on Johan Sundberg's writings, e.g. The Acoustics of the Singing Voice, Scientific American, p.84), is that the amplitude of the harmonics decreases with higher frequency, which means that the higher harmonics in the series are generally not as loud as the lower harmonics (of course, there are the acoustic boosts that a formant might give to a higher harmonic frequency that might tip the scale) and that even H1 will decrease in amplitude with the higher phonation frequency.
@emilyeah
5 жыл бұрын
You explain this so good. X is now plain :) Thank you!
@singheadvoice
7 жыл бұрын
Hi, Karen. I already emailed you about a week ago. I have now read and understood virtually all of your materials, and am now looking at your KZitem videos. I sent you a link to my recent concert at a retirement home. I am interested in optimizing my formants, and have already used a trial beta Apple version of Overtone Analyzer. I also just bought VoceVista, which I expect to receive in about a week. I am seeking to optimize my resonance, although I often think that I may have already done that on my own by lots of experimentation, as you may be able to hear from my concert video. I live in Ottawa, and it's possible we may have crossed paths at some point, as you name sounds familiar and so does your face. Thanks.
@singwisevocals
7 жыл бұрын
Yes, I remember your first e-mail asking me about voice analysis software (if I'm thinking of the right person). I'll take a listen to your concert soon.
@mradaChris
7 жыл бұрын
I use spectrographs. Much easier to comprehend what is going on.
@singwisevocals
7 жыл бұрын
Yes. The only limitation is that spectrographs can only tell us where our formants are in relation to the harmonics, but they don't tell us HOW to go about raising or lowering them. That's why we also need to have some basic understanding/knowledge of which specific adjustments to which specific parts of the vocal tract will affect which formants in which way.
@JohnProph
6 жыл бұрын
I think there is a pretty straightforward method for comparison though. For instance, sing a pitch with a certain vocal tract setup. Save that graph etc. Then sing the same pitch with a DIFFERENT setup and compare the graph etc
@deborahbarry8458
6 жыл бұрын
I would enjoy playing with a spectrograph
@mariosolano629
6 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this video!!
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
You're welcome.
@kyler9323
6 ай бұрын
Are you saying I should not be trying to create maximal space in my resonating chambers, at every pitch?
@edwardtagg
5 жыл бұрын
Would have been more interested to hear it, and see how you demonstrate it by singing the examples.
@ravenscrags
6 жыл бұрын
Excellent explanation.
@MusicRowVoice
7 жыл бұрын
Great explanations!!! Well done :)
@singwisevocals
7 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching and commenting!
@stevenwilliams9997
6 жыл бұрын
You really know your stuff! Thanks for the upload!!!
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
Thank you! 😀
@aacha548
6 жыл бұрын
In terms of what you've spoken about today, what do you have to adjust to increase the richness of your tone. I'm coming at this from classical singing and I simply do not know what parts of the voice need adjusting to turn my voice from a thin clear sound to a rich luscious sound? Can you please clarify this in terms of formants, harmonics and overtones but otherwise keeping it as non-technical sounding as possible. Thanks. PS. I'm a female singer.
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
That really depends on the pitches and vowels that you're singing. I recently posted an interview with Professor Kenneth Bozeman (kzitem.info/news/bejne/xa6q2pqskV93hag), who is considered an expert in the area of vocal acoustics. He explains a bit more about how to adjust our formants and what we should do in the upper middle and upper range. I also just published another interview with Professor Michelle Breedt, mezzo-soprano (who has shared the stage with Placido Domingo, Renee Flemming, and Cecila Bartoli), in which we discuss the female upper range ('open throat', vowel modification, etc.) for classical singers. I think these two videos will be helpful for you. kzitem.info/news/bejne/0Kh9m6qEjntzqKg
@k5r2d2
4 ай бұрын
Very good explanation, clear and concise. Thank you.
@VIDEOHEREBOB
8 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this fabulous tutorial.
@singwisevocals
8 жыл бұрын
+VIDEOHEREBOB You're very welcome!
@abdulgafoor7076
2 жыл бұрын
How vocal folds vibrate at multiple frequencies at a time
@khushipitroda385
3 жыл бұрын
Does formant affect the overall volume of our speech?
@joshbrucks
5 жыл бұрын
if vowels were done by the mouth how would ventriloquism be a thing? seems obvious your throat and back of tongue are most important.
@singwisevocals
5 жыл бұрын
Indeed. The primary articulator is the tongue, not the lips or jaw. And every vowel has its own shape inside the throat. If you were to speak /i/ and /u/ on the same pitch and gently place your fingers on your laryngeal prominence (Adam's apple), you'll notice that it's higher for the /i/ vowel and lower for the /u/ vowel. Ventriloquists are masters at shaping their speech sounds with their tongues and throats.
@mholmboy
6 жыл бұрын
Also, I love the pun at the end👍 it resonates with me😁
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
Tee hee hee. :)
@operarocks
6 жыл бұрын
::groan:: :-) Can I suggest a Part Two to this video? "Singwise in The Laboratory" I'd love to see this in action, not only have it explained. I bet there is some acoustical lab near you that would love to collaborate on using computer measurement to enhance your explanations. Have a singer actually make these adjustments and show in their software what is going on. Could be fun... As always, thank you for your work.
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
That was the plan, but getting it done is another story! I have spectrographic software, and I should just do some basic demonstrations of what happens when we lower the jaw, lower the larynx, laterally spread the lips, etc... Of course, most viewers would not be able to understand how to read a spectrograph, and even with explanations, it might just go over their heads. I didn't want to get any more 'nerdy' than this for the sake of those who would not understand this topic. This video - my first KZitem video on this channel! - was intended only to explain what formants are harmonics are (using the concept of the vowel cavity), not how to tune formants.
@advocate1563
4 жыл бұрын
Well done - great job. That's not an easy concept to explain.
@BijuSharman
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks for a very clear explanation
@MisterOpera
2 жыл бұрын
I invite you to really consider a disclaimer here due to the incorrect physics. I'm assuming that 5 years later, you now know better? These areas of discrete resonance you describe can't and don't exist (and that's not just important as a matter of theory). That would ruin the very math that puts nodes or antinodes in places that can be selectively influenced by perturbations. You can look up perturbation theory to find out how this works. The pharynx is not an independent resonator, it's just that the fundamental is usually too long a wavelength to interact with the 2nd formant. You get this completely wrong here, and even insist that the "ee" sound you make has a raised F1. But "ee" and "oo" have a LOWERED f1 due to constriction of the terminal opening. All resonances of the vocal tract have an antinode there. That, by the way, is your F1, not your F2 as you state here. All waves in the vocal tract are present along the entire length, at all times. There are no separate containers. There are no partitions like you claim. We are in the first place comparing the wavelength to vocal tract length to decide if it resonates (we use formants to bend the rules when they don't), so it's not possible to really conceive of formant behavior as areas of discreet resonance. It's also very important to understand that waves are not a conveyor belt moving in one direction. So your physics here also happens to break the functioning of the vocal folds themselves, by eliminating the possibility of source-filter interaction (which has been proven for two decades at least).
@singwisevocals
2 жыл бұрын
At 5:17, I state that the SECOND formant for the EE vowel is HIGHER and at 5:30, I state that the FIRST formant for EE is LOWER. (After that, I explain that AH has a high first formant and a low second formant.) It seems that we are in agreement, and I'm sorry that you've misunderstood what I said. As for a "disclaimer," at 4:17, I say that "to state that the pharynx is the first formant space and the oral cavity is the second formant space is a bit of an oversimplification. In actuality, the interactions between the pharyngeal and oral cavities are far more complex than I'm making them out to be here, but we're just going to go with this for today." Please note that this is a beginner tutorial with the intention of providing a very basic, simplified explanation of one small aspect of vocal acoustics. For more detailed discussions of vocal acoustics, I usually refer people to Dr. Ingo Titze, Dr. Ken Bozeman, and Dr. Ian Howell (these latter two vocal pedagogues have been guests on my channel), as well as Johan Sundberg.
@MisterOpera
2 жыл бұрын
@@singwisevocals The first formant is not in the pharyngeal space as you claim, it's composed of a node at the beginning of the vocal tract, and an antinode at the terminal opening (and thus is also affected by overall length). On top of confusing all of this by stating that the second formant is in the oral cavity (it only is so in the sense that the first formant affects all resonances of the vocal tract), and that the first formant is in the pharynx, you also incorrectly state that this is somehow the effect of having separate containers resonating. This is all completely false! You may accidentally get a couple right, but that's in the context of a larger error and a whole lot more mistakes. at 5:31 you confirm the mixup, stating that the "larger resonating space" in the pharynx "lowers the first formant". The first formant has nothing to do with the pharynx. And widening this area RAISES the SECOND formant because it is an antinode for that formant (and all higher formants). Try it yourself. When you jam the tongue into your pharynx you lower the second formant. Keep everything else the same and the 1st formant is unaffected. The second formant rises in an ee vowel because it has a node around the uvula and constricting at a node raises any associated formants. Nothing works the way you are saying here. Reducing the size of the oral cavity does not "raise the pitch by making a smaller space". It raises the second formant IF the constriction is increasing at that node, but also lowers it by reducing the terminal opening. There is only one half-open tube here. It's the entire vocal tract. There are no secondary half-open tubes functioning as discreet 1/4 length resonators. (although the nose acts mostly as a discreet Helmholtz resonator, when open). It looks a lot to me like you just repeated the info you found on voicescienceworks.org, and it looks a lot to me like you are not interested in hearing that it's pseudoscience. Are you absolutely sure that's how you feel? Isn't it maybe more interesting to ask if you're wrong? Since you don't seem interested, I'll have to try to figure out where you got this info. It doesn't matter WHO came on your channel or not. The info here is demonstrably false according to the SAME models Sundberg, Titze, and I all use. None of these models say the first formant is in your pharynx. Vut voicescienceworks does.
@MisterOpera
2 жыл бұрын
@@singwisevocals wait hang on I'm putting two and two together. Did you get this info from Bozeman? If he is spreading this, it's a way bigger story than I believed. You have my undivided attention. I noticed "summer vocology institute" on the voicescienceworks page. Is that related to this model of acoustics you're promoting? If none of this is your fault, then let's get together and do something about it. You have a duty and an obligation to do something about this now that you know there is a problem. Edit: yes indeed I believe I have found the source of this case of pseudoscience. Dr. Bozeman is vice-president of PAVA, which appears to be where voicescienceworks got it, and on kenbozeman.com he has this same mistake, minus the disingenuous disclaimer that it's a "simplification" rather than a pseudoscientific model of acoustics. This just got interesting. To correct his info: the terminal opening, length, and the area just above the larynx affect F1. F2 is affected by F1, and additionally by an antinode in the pharynx and a node close to the uvula. kzitem.info/news/bejne/qaujsolpq2SGqKA
@muhammadasad9353
7 жыл бұрын
really thankful for this brilliant video
@singwisevocals
7 жыл бұрын
:)
@mholmboy
6 жыл бұрын
I love this video therefore I am a nerd🤓
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
And I've been meaning to tell you that I love your username!
@mholmboy
6 жыл бұрын
singwisevocals thank you! Inspired by Boaty Mcboatface.
@leanhquoc3109
8 жыл бұрын
thank you Karyn, finally you came back. ♡♡
@singwisevocals
8 жыл бұрын
+Le Anh Quoc Yes. It's good to be back. I needed to take a break for a while to get some other things done (and to get some better video recording equipment).
@leanhquoc3109
8 жыл бұрын
+singwisevocals Yes, the video's quality this time is so great, very enjoy it, so helpful tho. Thank you a lot again ;) have a great day !!
@Rosannasfriend
7 жыл бұрын
I think you should show diagrams to illustrate these parts of the body . It's hard to retain all this physiological info. I thank you for taking the time to do , but when you explain complex, scientific stuff , you need to always have in mind to break it down as simply as possible.
@MyristicMystic
7 жыл бұрын
Hi Karyn, I've read that the singing apparatus is a double horn (though as you say, adjustable), so my question is, are you claiming that there are times when you can essentially make it into a single horn, or does there always have to be at least a tiny amount of the second horn (which comes through the nose)? Also, I used the free app, Spectrum Analyze, and found that if I try to "place" the sound as much in the mouth as possible there is much less second formant or singer's formant, whereas I get quite a bit of second formant most of the time, as well as some of the singer's formant, if I sing normally ("low larynx"/"open throat"). Thanks!
@singwisevocals
7 жыл бұрын
That's a complex question. There are differing views on whether or not we should encourage nasal resonance on all vowel sounds. There are some vowels that are more prone to velar lowering (soft palate lowering, which leads to an opening of the velopharyngeal port) - /i/ and /u/, in particular. Personally, I do not believe that that nasal resonance on non-nasal vowels is critical, or necessarily desirable. We can achieve a full sound with balanced resonance and carrying power while occluding our nostrils. You mentioned 'trying to place your sound in the mouth.' That's an issue in and of itself because, as I explain starting at 3:38, trying to 'place' our sound anywhere can actually lead to shallow vowels (e.g., perhaps less second formant, as you've suggested). Nasal resonance - the introduction of the 'side branch' of the nasal passages - has actually been found to diminish or attenuate oral formants, (which are critical to having a full and balanced resonance), as it introduces nasal formants. In other words, nasalance introduces into the spectrum what are called 'zeros' or 'antiresonances.' Due to the smaller dimensions of the nasal cavities, nasal resonance generally introduces higher resonance frequencies. While this might be thought to contribute to or enhance the singer's formant or the 'ping' or 'ring' in the voice, it actually thins the sound because, again, those lower overtones represented by the oral formants are now diminished or attenuated. The sound ends up being thin and 'white,' (even though, in our own ears and based on the strong sympathetic vibrations, it might sound louder and fuller than it actually is). Most acousticians and voice researchers , including Johan Sundberg, believe that the singer's formant - the clustering of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th formants around 3000 Hz, give or take, is a product of the right ratio of pharyngeal width to laryngeal outlet (aryepiglottis) size, as well as the necessary vocal effort and strength of the sound source signal. I have not read anything about nasal resonance contributing to the singer's formant, but if you have found anything research on this, please share. I hope this answers your questions.
@MyristicMystic
7 жыл бұрын
Well, doing some "experimenting" with this app, I found that if I sing like John Legend, for example that song he begins with "You fix your makeup, just, so," ("You and I"), I see mostly first formant spiking. If I sing in an operatic way, I find that the first, second, and singer's are much closer to equal (I've got more of a bass voice but can get up to A4 in modal voice on the a vowel). I have to sing intentionally a bit nasal to sound like John Legend (at least in that song; I haven't listened to many of his songs), but I'd rather do that than sound like an opera singer when I'm trying to sound like him. lol Anyway, have you seen this, which explains different formant tuning strategies? I'd be curious to hear someone expand upon what the author says: kashu-do.blogspot.com/2008/08/first-formant-high-voice-virtues-and.html Thanks!
@dulmin_
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks, these facts are very informative
@errol-ih4jy
Жыл бұрын
yeah Karyn, a vocal demonstration would have been good, i basically understood it, but needed an example of a tune ie you singing.
@singwisevocals
Жыл бұрын
I appreciate the feedback; however, learning HOW to tune resonance was not the purpose of this video.
@MelitzaTorres
8 жыл бұрын
It would have been great if you had given some voice examples! But thank you, your analogies and explanations were very useful
@singwisevocals
8 жыл бұрын
Maybe I'll record a video that addresses formant tuning specifically and discusses which adjustments of the vocal tract will raise or lower which formants.
@MelitzaTorres
8 жыл бұрын
That would be fantastic: I'm studying this subject at the moment and yes it is a quite complicated matter but still fascinating!
@singwisevocals
6 жыл бұрын
Have you watched my recent video with Professor Ken Bozeman?
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