Vocalist.org archive


From:  John Alexander Blyth <BLYTHE@B...>
Date:  Tue Aug 29, 2000  5:13 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist-temporary] Source of frequencies was:Falsetto Recognition


Kevin,
I think I can tackle these questions! I'll try anyway, item by item below:


At 09:39 AM 8/29/00 +0100, you wrote:
>> John wrote - "I don't think a falsetto production can sound full and rich.
>> If it does then there is probably some adduction, allowing for a wider
>range
>> of partials which can resonate at formant frequencies. That's what I
>think."
>
>This has come up a couple of times now and I'd like to clear up my
>thinking.
>
>Do the frequencies that appear in the voice have to appear also in
>the chords or can the frequencies of air oscillation in the resonant
>cavities be driven by different frequencies in the chords ? My
>initial thinking would be that the 'singers formant' frequencies could
>be 'driven' by lower frequencies in the chords.

WHen the cords actually touch as part of their vibrational cycle there is a
lot of high frequency vibration. Lots of little shocks and vortices. That's
where the initial high frequency energy comes from.

>Much of the falsetto/head-voice debate seems to depend upon relating
>frequencies/richness in the voice to chord vibration and I'm not
>convinced this is particularly valid. It may be more to do with shaping of
>the resonant cavities in the head and neck by well trained singers.

The cavities need something to resonate to. They will resonate to three
kinds of event: a source vibration at the resonant frequency; a source
vibration at an integral harmonic of the resonant frequency; a shock (sort
of like hitting a drum).

>As an analogy think about a trumpet player. The player's lips must be
>vibrating with only one frequency, there are'nt any complex vibrational
>modes coming into play. (I don't think) However, the sound out of the end
>of the trumpet is a more complex harmonic mix. The 'extra' frequencies
>must be introduced by driving resonances in the trumpet itself. (probably)
>A clarinet would be another, perhaps simpler, example of a single frequency
>driving complex resonances.

The trumpet is actually very rich, especially in upper harmonics so close
together as to be discordant, which explains the bright tone of the
trumpet. That's because the lips are acting as I have described above, just
like adducted vocal cords - and of course the shape of the bell allows many
upper frequencies to ring, just as the lenth of the tube strongly resonates
in the lower harmonics of the note.
The clarinet has a strange harmonic profile where only every other
harmonic is present in the tone, so it has a smoother kind of sound and the
upper harmonics don't get to jangle so closely as in the trumpet tone.

>To state simply, in case anyone missed the point. A falsetto mode vibration
>in the chords, possessing few harmonic complexities could still produce a
>rich tone in a singer with the right shape of resonant cavities (by training
>or good fortune). And this tone could be confused with 'proper' head voice.

I disagree. I think the source of the vibrations has to be rich, for there
to be a lot of resonance at different frequencies. One certainly has a
choice of tuning some of one's resonating spaces, and of damping the
resonance in spaces that are untuneable, but the basic source sound is that
odd little double reed in the larynx.

>Is the chap that was research assistant to Ingo Titze still on the list ?

I don't know the answer to this one :) john
>
>kevin

John Blyth
Baritono robusto e lirico
Brandon, Manitoba, Canada


  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date Size
3762 Re: Source of frequencies was:Falsetto Recognitio Reg Boyle   Wed  8/30/2000   4 KB
3764 Re: Source of frequencies was:Falsetto Recognitio Tako Oda   Wed  8/30/2000   2 KB
3806 Re: Source of frequencies was:Falsetto Recognitio Reg Boyle   Thu  8/31/2000   4 KB
3834 Re: Source of frequencies was:Falsetto Recognitio Tako Oda   Thu  8/31/2000   3 KB
3861 Re: Source of frequencies was:Falsetto Recognitio Reg Boyle   Fri  9/1/2000   6 KB
3924 Re: Source of frequencies was:Falsetto Recognitio Reg Boyle   Sat  9/2/2000   6 KB
3999 Re: Source of frequencies was:Falsetto Recognitio Tako Oda   Tue  9/5/2000   3 KB
3840 Re: Source of frequencies was:Falsetto Recognitio Lloyd W. Hanson   Thu  8/31/2000   3 KB
3869 Re: Source of frequencies was:Falsetto Recognitio Reg Boyle   Fri  9/1/2000   6 KB

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