| Break: |
Also known as a "crack". This always happens
at or just above the "bridge". A sudden change in tone
caused when excessive airflow overcomes vocal-cord tension
which causes you to lose the continuity (connection) of
tone production. This can be avoided if your cords are
allowed to gradually thin and shorten their vibrating
length with a corresponding gradual decrease in airflow,
so excessive air pressure or muscle tension never gets
a chance to build up. |
| Bridge: |
An area where there is a register break
in the hertz. |
|
Diaphragm: |
The dome shaped muscle attached to the
bottom of the lungs that separates your chest and stomach
cavities. Its main function is to initiate inhalation. |
|
Falsetto: |
A type of vocal production, similar to
head voice, that lets you experience the freedom of singing
in the higher part of your range without strain. But,
unlike head voice, falsetto cannot blend (connect) with
your chest voice because when produced the cords do not
actually connect. |
|
Larynx: |
The organ at the top of your trachea (windpipe)
made up of Cartilage, ligaments, and muscles. Inside the
larynx (voice box), attached from front to back, are the
vocal cords. |
|
Pitch: |
The frequency of completed vibration cycles
in a given tone; measured in hertz (cycles per second).
The human ear has a range of 20 to 20,000 hertz. |
|
Resonance: |
Occurs naturally when the voice is free
to travel through the spaces above your vocal cords (your
resonators) where it is modified by words and amplified
before leaving your mouth; determines the final quality
of your tone and makes your voice sound different from
anyone else's. |
Speech-
Level-Singing™: |
Generally, when you speak in a quiet,
comfortable manner, the outer muscles (those anywhere
outside of the voice box) do not interfere with the functioning
of your larynx. That's because tone is not your main concern.
Communication is. Therefore, your larynx is allowed to
rest in a relatively stable, or what we call a "speech-level"
position. This is the ideal vocal condition or posture
with which to sing. |
|
Tone: |
Distinguishing musical tones from mere
noises. A tone is sustained and equal pitch, and caused
by regular and constant vibrations of air, set in motion
by similar vibrations in the body producing the tone,
while a noise is caused by irregular and unequal vibrations. |
|
Vibrato: |
A natural oscillation of the vocal cords.
A slight regular fluctuation in your tone. This is caused
by the natural, normal relaxation and contraction of the
vocal muscles. Vibrato gives "energy" or "life"
to a tone during the vibration process. It is not the
same thing as a tremolo or a wobble, which are caused
by the instability of one's outer muscles when trying
to use those muscles to control tone. |
|
Vocal-cords: |
The main muscles of your larynx (pronounced
lar:rinks); located inside the larynx
(voice-box), attached from front to back in your larynx;
vocal-cord vibration determines the initial quality of
your voice. These two opposed ligaments are made up of
muscle tissue, set in the larynx, whose vibration, caused
by expelling air from the lungs, produces vocal tones. |
