VOCALS
VOCAL TRANSITIONS | Sheri Gould
Do you find it difficult to transition from one part of your range to another ? Many singers do . Let ’ s see if I can help …
TONE PLACEMENT When we think about transitioning from one part of our range to another , what we are really dealing with is tone placement . Tone placement refers to where we send the tones we create ( vibrations essentially ) to land and then resonate . We have several areas where we can send these tones and where they land will determine our tone quality : chest , throat , mouth , mask , head , nasal , etc or any combination of these . Achieving a smooth transition is about placing tone systematically in a way that doesn ’ t bring attention to any changes in resonance via bumps , clicks , shift or flips . This requires the singer to be capable of several things .
• Employing proper breath support
• Understanding of areas of resonance
• Accessing to various vocal registers
• Larynx control
Without an understanding and command of these four elements or singing , a singer will likely end up with only two types of tone quality . The singer may be forced into shifting registers through a clunky flip which is likely inconsistent , unstable and lends itself toward an upper placement that is not a full , usable voice ( a falsetto type of voice ) but rather a weak and airy voice that the singer is loath to use . Although this “ flip ” has become popular through usage , I have yet to meet a singer who actually prefers this to a seamless transition from the bottom to the top of one ’ s range where the upper voice is just as valued as the lower voice .
HEAD VOICE VS FALSETTO Traditionally , the term falsetto only found usage with male voices . Female vocal cords are about 2 / 3 the size of male vocal cords . ( 1 / 2 ” -female vs 3 / 4 ” -male). When full vocal cord closure is achieved , the full length of the vocal folds is connected . This is the configuration we use when speaking and when singing with a full voice . Most people have a full singing range of about 2 octaves ( this is just an average ). When the vocal cords have reached the full length of their ability to stretch and vibrate , that is the end of the upper range for women . However , men can create a configuration with the vocal cords where they are able to vibrate on just a portion of the cords , creating a facsimile of the size and vibratory affect of female vocal cords . Thus , they can continue on to sing another octave / octave and a half- basically all the notes females can sing . Females have no such capability .
Ahhh , I can hear the roar of so many women … ” But I have falsetto ! My voice flips right into it whenever I reach a certain point !” Look . What you are experiencing is not a functional falsetto . It ’ s a misuse of the term . What you have accomplished is nothing more than cutting your full range in half by breaking apart ( because of too much stress ) vocal cord closure and making the upper register weak . This upper voice is commonly referred to as a “ head voice ” or “ falsetto ”. The terms are