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Summer
is here hot and muggy, but that is the way it should be in the month of
July. It's time for the outside concerts and that can be hard on the
singing voice. Remember to drink plenty of water, not soft drinks, to
keep
the body hydrated and those vocal cords in good working order.

This
month we want to talk about the three elements that produce quality
tones. These are breath control, phonation and resonance. Breath is the
power behind the sound. Phonation is the act of making the sound. And
the
third element is resonance, it is the quality, beauty and
intensity of the sound. We have talked about breath control in the past
few months so we want to cover phonation and resonance. These two
elements go hand in hand so we need to cover them both at the same time.

You
may be wondering what does resonace mean? Resonance is when sound waves
bounce back and forth between two points in a hollow chamber. An
example of that would be the box on a piano or the hollow body of a
guitar. The sound bounces back and forth (or resonates) within the
hollow chambers of these instruments and becomes louder and richer.

Vocal
resonance is produced when air is vibrated within the chambers of the
body. There are three main resonating chambers for the voice, the
pharynx, oral cavity, and nasal cavity. The pharynx (or throat) is the
common passageway for both food and air from the nose and mouth to the
esophagus and larynx. The esophagus is a long tube leading to the
stomach which food passes through. The larynx (or voice box) is the
opening for air to enter and exit the lungs. The oral cavity is the
mouth area. This area does not make tones but helps resonate or shapes
and enhances them. The best way to describe this area is that it acts
as a megaphone through which the sound passes, transforming sounds into
words along the way. Then we have the nasal cavity that is used to help
resonate the sound. When you have a cold and the sinuses are blocked
your sound changes when you speak or try to sing. That is because some
of the resonating chambers are closed off and the sound cannot bounce
back and forth within those chambers.

The quality of the voice
should be warm and the tones should resonate or ring. Phonation starts
with the vocal cords when air flows across them it causes them to
vibrate. You should NEVER feel pain or tension in the throat but it
should feel open and relaxed. The lifting of the soft palate in the
back of the oral cavity (or the inside smile) gives it an open space,
which will produce a warm, rich, and full sound.

The "inside
smile" is accomplished by closing the mouth, but not the teeth, and
smiling inside the mouth area while feeling a lifting of the cheek
cushions under the eyes. You will feel an opening in the back of the
throat as though you were about to yawn. The soft palate will lift
automatically when this is done correctly. The "inside smile" frees the
soft palate and other muscles so they can work more effectively.

The
tongue helps with the formation of words and if not properly placed and
relaxed it can constrict the tone and resonance of the voice. It also
has a close connection directly and indirectly to the soft and hard
palate by muscles and ligaments. Tension in the tongue can result in a
pitch problem. The tongue should be placed in the bottom of the teeth
with the tip of the tongue behind the teeth. The "inside smile" will
position the tongue correctly. Use the tip of the tongue against the
back of the teeth and the lips to form the words as you sing.

Practice these techniques and next time we will talk more about correct tones and how they are created.

I
am looking forward to meeting each of you in Gadsden, Alabama, at Gold
City's Homecoming July 20th. The vocal seminar will follow the talent
competition on Saturday about 1:00 central time. You do not have to be
in the competition to attend the seminar and if you are in the
competition you will have time to do both. There are concession areas
where you can get some lunch and you are welcome to bring it with you
to the seminar. You will be given an opportunity to sing in this class
if you wish and be shown how to apply the techniques you have learned.
I will not embarrass anyone. I want to help you learn these techniques
so that when your opportunity comes you will be ready and have the
ability to sing for many years.

Until next month, keep singing HIS praises!

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