The document discusses the basic anatomy and physiology of the human vocal system. It describes the four main systems involved in vocalization: the air pressure system including the diaphragm, lungs and chest muscles; the vibration system including the larynx and vocal folds; the resonating system including the throat, nasal passages and oral cavity; and the articulating system including the jaw, lips and tongue. It then provides more details on the air flow pathway through the lungs and vocal folds and how vibrations are produced. Finally, it discusses elements that affect vocal timbre, range and registers as well as common vocal issues like damage and abuse.

2. Basic Physiology
HUMAN VOCAL SYSTEM
AIR P R E S S U R E S YS TE M :
d iap h ragm , ch e s t and ab d om inal
m u s cle s , lu ngs , rib s
VIBR ATIO N S YS TE M :
voice b ox (larynx) and voice fold s
R E S O N ATIN G S YS TE M :
th roat (p h arynx), nas al p as s age s
oral cavity
AR TIC U LATIN G S YS TE M :
jaw, lip s , tongu e

3. Basic Physiology
AIR FLOW “SIGNAL PATH”
1 . E nte rs Lu ngs
Th rou gh oral cavity / trach e a
2. E xits Lu ngs
E xp e lle d b y d iap h ragm / ab s
3. E ncou nte rs & Vib rate s Vocal F old
R e p e ating alte rnating p re s s u re s
from top and b ottom cre ate
au d ib le cyclical p u ls e s of air
4. E nte r Vocal R e s onators
Th roat / M ou th / N os e
D e ve lop Tim b ral Q u alitie s
6. Articu late d b y j
aw, lip s , & tongu e
into langu age and oth e r s ou nd s

4. Basic Physiology
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9Wdf-RwLcs
LO W TE N S IO N :
Air e s cap ing a re laxe d vocal
fold (op e n th rou gh th e m id line )
cre ate s a “ b re ath y” s ou nd .
H IG H TE N S IO N :
O ve rly te ns e vocal fold will
s tru ggle or s train at h igh e r
fre qu e ncie s .
C H AN G E S IN M AS S :
S we lling in s oft tis s u e can
alte r vocal fold te ns ion.

5. Vocal Timbre
ELEMENTS OF VOCAL TONE
P H O N ATIO N :
Air flow le ve ls and ch ange s of
th e q u as i p e riod ic vib rations of
th e vocal fold .
F O R M AN TS :
U niq u e and fu nd am e ntal
ch aracte ris tics of vowe l s h ap e
and ch iaros cu ro (b alance of
h igh tone s to low tone s ).
R E S O N AN C E :
S ize , s h ap e , & m as s of th e
b od y's re s onant cavitie s .

6. Formant Types
city s it be d b ad fath e r ? you put flood ?

7. Formants Continued
PHISICAL CHANGES
for VOWEL FORMANTS

8. Formants in the Mix

9. Vocal Range
Quick Vocal Range Tips
1 . D e fine d as th e lowe s t to
h igh e s t note a p articu lar voice
can p rod u ce .
2. S h ou ld b e d e fine d as th e
lowe s t to h igh e s t m u s ically u s e fu l
p itch e s a p e rform e r can p rod u ce .
3.Be ing ab le to d e fine a
p e rform e rs m u s ical range will
h e lp you p lay to th e ir s tre ngth s .
4. Th e s tre ngth zone (te s s itu ra) is
ge ne rally fou nd in th e m id d le of a
p e rform e rs range .
5. S S ATBB R ange s ove rlap , b u t
not te s s itu ras . H z ch arts com ing

10. Vocal Ranges SSATBB
Common Vocal Ranges in Hz
Soprano:
C4 – C6 = 261Hz-1046Hz
Mezzo-Soprano:
A3 – A5 = 220Hz – 880Hz
Alto:
F3 – F5 = 175Hz – 698Hz
Tenor:
C3 – C5 = 131Hz – 523Hz
Baritone:
F2 – F4 = 44Hz – 349Hz
Bass:
E2 – E4 = 82Hz – 328Hz

11. Vocal Registers
Vocal Register Tips BASIC ROUNDED OFF VIEW
1 . N ot to b e confu s e d w/ vocal
range
of the FOUR MOST COMMON
2. D e fine d as a s p an of p itch e s
VOCAL REGISTERS
th at are p rod u ce d b y one (of th e
fou r vib ratory p atte rns of th e vocal
fold .
3. E ve ryone can p rod u ce s om e of
th e m . N o one can p rod u ce all
fou r.
4. E ach re gis te r h as it's own
vib ratory p atte rn, com m on p itch
range , and ch aracte ris tic s ou nd .
5. Th e fou r vocal re gis te rs are
cate gorize d confu s ingly from

12. Moar Vocal Registers
Some Vocal Register Types and Subtypes
F R Y/ ATTLE / C R APE :
R S
Lowe s t vocal re gis te r. M any cannot re ach it. Ve ry tigh t vocal fold vib rating
irre gu larly. Too m u ch u s e can ge t u nh e alth y.
C H E S T (LO W/ ID D LE ):
M
R e fe rs to th e natu ral m anne r of actions of th e vocal fold . Te nd s to h ave warm e r
d arke r tim b re s . O fte n d ivid e d into Lowe r and M id d le ch e s t s u b re gis te rs . Lowe r
ch e s t ofte n as s ociate d w/ “ ch e s t re s onance ” arou nd 1 00H z. M id d le C h e s t ofte r
as s ociate d with m ale vowe l s ou nd s and with s inge rs trans itioning from C h e s t
re gis te r to H e ad re gis te r.
H E AD :
O fte n calle d “ h e ad voice ” d u e th e com m on fe e ling th at th e re s onance of th e vocal
s ou nd is p rim arily occu rring in th e h e ad and h as a ch aracte ris tic ringing tone . H e ad
re gis te r can b e carrie d d own and m aintaine d lowe r, to wh at wou ld b e th e C h e s t
re gis te r, b u t th e tone of th e voice will ge ne rally b e com e th inne r and lowe r p itch e s
and re s onate m ore p oorly th an it wou ld if th e natu ral C h e s t re gis te r we re b e ing
e m p loye d .
WH IS TLE :

13. Why Warm Up?
I Work Out
1 . N e e d to re tu ne e ve ry
d ay
2. M u ch like Working
O ut
3. Vocal ch ord s H e al
d u ring S le e p
4. N e e d s tre tch j s t like
u
m u s cle s

14. Warming Up
1. M os t Vocalis ts fe e l s illy
warm ing u p in front of
p e op le .
3. F ind a nice is olate d
s p ace for th e m to warm
up.
5. Vocalis ts are b orn with
th e ir ins tru m e nt wh ich
m ake s th e m ve ry
s e ns itive ab ou t it.

15. Warm Up Time?
How long?
1 . Vocal warm u p s can
range from 5-20 m in
2. Any longe r and it
s tarts to cu t d own on
h ow long th e y will b e
ab le to s ing
3. M onitor tim e and
m ake s u re th e y d on’ t
warm u p to long

16. Technique
What to do / not do
1. Try to ke e p vocalis t
from forcing a tone
2. If it s ou nd s like it h u rts ,
it p rob ab ly d oe s
3. Th e s inging voice
s h ou ld s ou nd like th e
talking voice
4. N o two h u m ans are
alike . You r tone will b e
u niqu e as long as you
d on’ t try to s ou nd like
E d d y Ve d d e r.

17. “The Voice”
I want to sound like HIM!
1. E ve ry p e rs ons voice is
u niqu e .
3. H ave th e vocalis t
s p e ak th e line and th e n
s ing th e like th e way
th e s p oke it.
• Try not to m im ic
s om e one e ls e ’ s voice
b e cau s e it’ s alre ad y
b e e n d one .

18. How To Help
Monitor Fatigue
1. Always h ave wate r at
th e s e s s ion.
2. F igu re ou t wh at le ve l
of training th e y h ave
h ad
3. P ros will know wh e n
th e re tire d and th e y
will le t you know.
4. A rookie m igh t not
know and it’ s th e
e ngine e rs j to
ob
m onitor th e ir fatigu e .

19. Signal Processing
common techniques
WHILE TRACKING
1 . u s e of a p los ive (p op ) b locke r.
2. u s e of a large r d iap h ragm
d ynam ic or cond e ns e r
m icrop h one
3. u s e of an colorizing p re -
am p lifie r
4. u s e of an is olate d e nvironm e nt
5. u s e of an ap p rop riate ly
volu m e d h e ad p h one s e nd
6. u s e of an ap p rop riate ly e go-
b oos ting “ vocals + p roce s s ing”

20. Signal Processing
common techniques
WHILE MIXING
1 . e d iting b e s t p e rform ance s to a com p track.
e d iting ou t u nwante d m ou th s ou nd s and oth e r
nois e / le e d
b
2. u s u ally s om e form and am ou nt of tu ning
3. e qu alization to d e -e m p h as ize low m id s ,
nas al s ou nd s , and u nwante d s ib ilance
4. e qu alization to e m p h as ize warm th ,
p re s e n ce , and / b re ath
or
4. com p re s s ion (als o com m o n to com p re s s
b e fore E Q ) ofte n to re d u ce th e d ynam ic range
and to ad d p u nch and m aintain cons is te ncy.
5. re ve rb s e nd / d e lay s e nd (s tand ing ou t
p ote ntial)
6. s coop ing ou t vocal fre qu e ncy s p ace u s ing
E Q . s co op ing ou t s te re o im age s p ace with
p an or M S .
s coop ing ou t u s ing s id e ch ain com p re s s ion

21. Vocal Damage & Abuse
VOCAL FOLD NODULES VOCAL FOLD CYSTS VOCAL FOLD POLYPS
E AC H C AN BE C AU S E D BY O VE R U S E
C an le ad to:
F atigu e
H oars e ne s s
Lim ite d R ange
Lim ite d Bre ath C ontrol