Vocalist.org archive


From:  "Lloyd W. Hanson" <lloyd.hanson@n...>
"Lloyd W. Hanson" <lloyd.hanson@n...>
Date:  Fri Oct 6, 2000  10:08 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist-temporary] The rest of the voice, beneath the singer's formant


Dear mike, John, Linda and fellow Vocalisters:

The fact that a peak of intensity of the vocal spectrum occurs in the
2800 to 3200 Hrz range signifies only that this gives the voice a
noticeable presence which is higher than the peak of intensity of the
combined orchestral sound (which occurs at about 1500 Hrz). It does
not mean that the rest of the vocal spectrum is not present or not
heard.

The individual tonal quality of the voice is usually considered to be
comprised of formants 3, 4 and 5 which in male voices are usually
found above the frequency range of the singer's formant. With female
voices singing above G4, formants 3, 4, and 5 tend to cluster in the
area of the singer's formant and, consequently, Sundburg considers
these three formants to actually be the female singer's formant for
this pitch range.

The two vowel formants (formants 1 and 2) are in the range from about
500 to 2200 Hrz, that is, within the range of strongest orchestral
sound. For this reason vowels are often unclear for all voices when
singing over a full orchestral sound. But that does not mean that
these formants are completely obliterated.

The voice produces a wide range of overtones and the 2 vowel
formants, the singer's formant, and formants 3, 4 and 5 are only
representative of intensity peaks within this wide spectrum of vocal
overtones. A well produced voice provides a rich spectrum of sound
which can fill many of the intensity "holes" in the orchestra sound.

And one must not forget that what the ear hears is interpreted by the
brain. If one considers that the male voice seldom produces a
fundamental below middle C it becomes obvious that all pitches below
this middle C are interpolated by the brain based on the overtone
series that would logically occur if said fundamental were present.
The brain provides the missing fundamental. The same is true for
bass sounds on car radios with speakers that can only produce sounds
down to about 100 Hrz. The brain provides what is not there.





Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA
Professor of Voice, Pedagogy
School of Performing Arts
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011

emusic.com