This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008)

A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C (i.e., E2–E4).^[1] Its tessitura, or comfortable range, is normally defined by the outermost lines of the bass clef.

Variations in bass range[link]

Range of bass voices according to the The Oxford Dictionary of Music. Middle C is highlighted in yellow.

The low extreme for basses is generally C2 (two Cs below middle C). However, several extreme bass singers are able to reach much lower than this.

Within opera, the lowest note in the standard bass repertoire is D2 (Osmin), but few roles fall below F2. Although Osmin's note is the lowest 'demanded' in the operatic repertoire, lower notes are heard, both written and unwritten: for example, it is traditional for basses to interpolate a low C in the duet "Ich gehe doch rathe ich dir" in the same opera. Other optional or traditional low Cs and Ds are sung. The high extreme: a few bass roles in the standard repertoire call for a high F♯ or G (F♯4 and G4, the one above middle C), but few roles go over F4. In the operatic bass repertoire, the highest note is a G♯4 (The Barber in The Nose by Shostakovich); the aria "Fra l'ombre e gl'orori" in Handel's cantata Aci, Galatea e Polifemo calls for an A4.

Cultural influence and individual variation create a wide variation in range and quality of bass singers. Parts for basses have included notes as low as the B-flat two octaves and a tone below middle C (B♭1), for example in Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 and the Rachmaninov Vespers, A below that in Frederik Magle's symphonic suite Cantabile, G below that (e.g. Measure 76 of Ne otverzhi mene by Pavel Chesnokov) or F below those in Kheruvimskaya pesn (Song of Cherubim) by Krzysztof Penderecki. Many basses have trouble reaching those notes, and the use of them in works by Slavic composers has led to the colloquial term "Russian bass" for an exceptionally deep-ranged basso profondo who can easily sing these notes. Some traditional Russian religious music calls for A2 (110 Hz) drone singing, which is doubled by A1 (55 Hz) in the rare occasion that a choir includes exceptionally gifted singers who can produce this very low human voice pitch.

Many British composers such as Benjamin Britten have written parts for bass (such as the first movement of his choral work Rejoice in the Lamb) that center far higher than the bass tessitura as implied by the clef.^[1] The Harvard Dictionary of Music defines the range as being from the E below low C to middle C (i.e. E2–C4).^[2]

In choral music, voices are subdivided into first bass and second bass, no distinction being made between bass and baritone voices, in contrast to the three-fold (tenor–baritone–bass) categorization of solo voices. The exception is in arrangements for male choir (TTBB) and barbershop quartets (TLBB), which sometimes label the lowest two parts baritone and bass.

Bass roles in opera[link]

This article may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (May 2008)

In classical music, and particularly in opera, the following distinctions are often made among different kinds of bass voices:

Basso cantante/lyric high bass/lyric bass-baritone[link]

Basso cantante means "singing bass".^[3] Basso cantante is a higher, more lyrical voice. It is produced using a more Italianate vocal production, and possesses a faster vibrato, than its closest Germanic/Anglo-Saxon equivalent, the bass-baritone.

Roles

• Duke Bluebeard Bluebeard's Castle by Béla Bartók
• Don Pizarro, Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven
• Count Rodolfo, La sonnambula by Bellini
• Blitch, Susannah by Carlisle Floyd
• Méphistophélès, Faust by Charles Gounod
• Don Alfonso, Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• The Voice of the Oracle, Idomeneo by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Boris, Boris Godunov by Modest Mussorgsky
• Silva, Ernani by Giuseppe Verdi
• Philip II, Don Carlos by Giuseppe Verdi
• Count Walter, Luisa Miller by Giuseppe Verdi
• Ferrando, Il trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi
• Daland, Der fliegende Holländer by Richard Wagner
• The King of Scotland, Ariodante by George Frideric Handel

Hoher Bass/dramatic high bass/dramatic bass-baritone[link]

Hoher Bass or "high bass" or often a dramatic bass-baritone.

Roles

• Igor, Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin
• Boris, and Varlaam, Boris Godunov by Modest Mussorgsky
• Klingsor, Parsifal by Richard Wagner
• Wotan Der Ring des Nibelungen by Richard Wagner
• Caspar, Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber
• Banquo, Macbeth by Giuseppe Verdi
• Zaccaria, Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi
• Fiesco, Simon Boccanegra by Giuseppe Verdi

Jugendlicher Bass[link]

Jugendlicher Bass (Juvenile Bass) denotes the role of a young man sung by a bass, regardless of the age of the singer.

Roles

• Leporello, Masetto, Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Colline, La bohème (Giacomo Puccini)

Basso buffo/bel canto/lyric buffo[link]

Buffo, literally "funny", basses are lyrical roles that demand from their practitioners a solid coloratura technique, a capacity for patter singing and ripe tonal qualities if they are to be brought off to maximum effect. They are usually the blustering antagonist of the hero/heroine or the comic-relief fool in bel canto operas.

Roles

• Don Pasquale, Don Pasquale (Gaetano Donizetti)
• Dottor Dulcamara, L'elisir d'amore by Gaetano Donizetti
• Don Bartolo, The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini
• Don Magnifico, La Cenerentola by Gioachino Rossini
• Don Alfonso, Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Leporello, Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• The Doctor, Wozzeck by Alban Berg

Schwerer Spielbass/dramatic buffo[link]

English equivalent: dramatic bass

Roles

• Khan Konchak, Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin
• Baculus, Der Wildschütz (Albert Lortzing)
• Ferrando, Il trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi
• Daland, Der fliegende Holländer by Richard Wagner

Lyric basso profondo[link]

Basso profondo (lyric low bass) is the lowest bass voice type. According to J. B. Steane in Voices, Singers & Critics, the basso profondo voice "derives from a method of tone-production that eliminates the more Italian quick vibrato. In its place is a kind of tonal solidity, a wall-like front, which may nevertheless prove susceptible to the other kind of vibrato, the slow beat or dreaded wobble."

Roles

• Rocco, Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven
• Osmin, Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Sarastro, Die Zauberflöte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Pimen, Boris Godunov by Modest Mussorgsky
• Baron Ochs, Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss
• Baldassarre, La favorite by Gaetano Donizetti

Dramatic basso profondo[link]

English equivalent: dramatic low bass. Dramatic basso profondo is a powerful basso profondo voice.

Roles

• Il Commendatore, Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
• Hagen, Götterdämmerung by Richard Wagner
• Heinrich, Lohengrin by Richard Wagner
• Gurnemanz, Parsifal by Richard Wagner
• Fafner, Das Rheingold and Siegfried by Richard Wagner
• Marke, Tristan und Isolde by Richard Wagner
• Hunding, Die Walküre by Richard Wagner
• The Varangian (Viking) Guest, Sadko by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
• The Grand Inquisitor, Don Carlo by Giuseppe Verdi
• Claggart, Billy Budd (opera) by Benjamin Britten

Bass roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas[link]

• The Mikado of Japan (The Mikado)
• Sergeant of Police (The Pirates of Penzance)
• Adam Goodheart (Ruddigore)
• Private Willis (Iolanthe)
• Carpenter's mate (H.M.S. Pinafore)
• Don Alhambra (The Gondoliers)
• The Notary (The Sorcerer)

See also[link]

• Category of operatic basses
• Oktavist

References[link]

External links[link]

• Guide to the singing voice, BBC Wales
• Basses in Bach’s vocal works

Look up bass in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Bass or Basses may refer to:

• Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound
• Bass (fish), various freshwater and saltwater species

Music[link]

• Bass clef, the musical clef used for lower-sounding instruments and voices
• Bass note, the lowest note in a chord
• Bassline, an instrumental part which is in the bass range
• Figured bass, a kind of integer musical notation
• Bass (voice type), a type of classical male singing voice
• Bass (instrument), one of several instruments in the bass range
  • Acoustic bass guitar, with a hollow body
  • Bass clarinet a clarinet with a lower sound
  • Bass cornett, a low pitched wind instrument
  • Bass drum, a large drum
  • Bass flute, an instrument one octave lower than a flute
  • Bass guitar, with a solid body and electric pickups
  • Bass sarrusophone, a low pitched double reed instrument
  • Bass saxophone
  • Bass trombone, a lower pitched trombone
  • Bass trumpet
  • Double bass, the largest and lowest pitched bowed string instrument
  • Electric upright bass, the electric version of a double bass
  • Tuba, often called "the bass" in the context of brass instruments
• Bassline house, a type of electronic dance music
• Drum and bass, a type of electronic dance music
• Miami bass, a type of hip hop music
• Ghettotech or Detroit Bass, a form of electronic dance music
• "Basses", a movement of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells 2003 album

Places[link]

• Basses, Vienne a commune of the Vienne department in France
• Bass, Victoria, a town in Australia
• Bass, West Virginia
• Division of Bass, a federal electoral division in Tasmania, Australia
• Division of Bass (state), state electoral division in Tasmania, Australia
• Electoral district of Bass, a state electoral division in Victoria, Australia
• Bass Strait, between Australia and Tasmania
• Bass Pyramid, an island in Bass Strait
• Bass Rock, wildlife sanctuary off the coast of Scotland
• Bass Performance Hall, a performance hall in Fort Worth, Texas

People with the given name[link]

• Bass Armstrong, a character from Dead or Alive
• Bass Reeves, a famous lawman from the late 1800's

Other uses[link]

• Bass (surname)
• Bass (Mega Man), a character in Mega Man
• Bass Brewery, a British brewery
• Bass.EXE, a character in Mega Man Battle Network
• Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.)
• Bass diffusion model, a mathematical marketing model
• BASS (audio library), a lightweight computer library for playing sound samples and streams, and recording sound
• G. H. Bass, a clothing brand owned by Phillips-Van Heusen

See also[link]

• Bass River (disambiguation)
• Sea bass (disambiguation), various types of fish
• "Bass", a song by Jesus Jones from the album Culture Vulture !

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study of tonal languages and certain types of vocal disorders. However, the most common application of the term "vocal range" is within the context of singing, where it is used as one of the major defining characteristics for classifying singing voices into groups known as voice types.^[1]

Singing and the definition of vocal range[link]

While the broadest definition of vocal range is simply the span from the lowest to the highest note a particular voice can produce, this broad definition is often not what is meant when "vocal range" is discussed in the context of singing. Vocal pedagogists tend to define the vocal range as the total span of "musically useful" pitches that a singer can produce. This is because some of the notes a voice can produce may not be considered usable by the singer within performance for various reasons.^[2] For example, within opera all singers must project over an orchestra without the aid of a microphone. An opera singer would therefore only be able to include the notes that they are able to adequately project over an orchestra within his or her vocal range. In contrast, a pop artist could include notes that could be heard with the aid of a microphone.

Another factor to consider is the use of different forms of vocal production. The human voice is capable of producing sounds using different physiological processes within the larynx. These different forms of voice production are known as vocal registers. While the exact number and definition of vocal registers is a controversial topic within the field of singing, the sciences identify only four registers: the whistle register, the falsetto register, the modal register, and the vocal fry register. Typically, only the usable range of the modal register, the register used in normal speech and most singing, is used when determining vocal range. However, there are some instances where other vocal registers are included.^[1] For example, within opera, countertenors utilize falsetto often and coloratura sopranos utilize the whistle register frequently. These voice types would therefore include the notes from these other registers within their vocal range. Another example would be a male doo-wop singer who might quite regularly deploy his falsetto pitches in performance and thus include them in determining his range. However, in most cases only the usable pitches within the modal register are included when determining a singer's vocal range.^[2]

Vocal range and voice classification[link]

Vocal range plays such an important role in classifying singing voices into voice types that sometimes the two terms are confused with one another. A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics; vocal range being only one of those characteristics. Other factors are vocal weight, vocal tessitura, vocal timbre, vocal transition points, physical characteristics, speech level, scientific testing, and vocal registration. All of these factors combined are used to categorize a singer's voice into a particular kind of singing voice or voice type.^[3]

There are a plethora of different voice types used by vocal pedagogists today in a variety of voice classification systems. Most of these types, however, are sub-types that fall under seven different major voice categories that are for the most part acknowledged across all of the major voice classification systems. Women are typically divided into three groups: soprano, mezzo-soprano, and contralto. Men are usually divided into four groups: countertenor, tenor, baritone, and bass. When considering the pre-pubescent voices of children an eighth term, treble, can be applied. Within each of these major categories there are several sub-categories that identify specific vocal qualities like coloratura facility and vocal weight to differentiate between voices.^[1]

Vocal range itself can not determine a singer's voice type. While each voice type does have a general vocal range associated with it, human singing voices may possess vocal ranges that encompass more than one voice type or are in between the typical ranges of two voice types. Therefore, voice teachers only use vocal range as one factor in classifying a singer's voice.^[2] More important than range in voice classification is tessitura, or where the voice is most comfortable singing, and vocal timbre, or the characteristic sound of the singing voice.^[1] For example, a female singer may have a vocal range that encompasses the high notes of a mezzo-soprano and the low notes of a soprano. A voice teacher would therefore look to see whether or not the singer were more comfortable singing up higher or singing lower. If the singer were more comfortable singing higher, then the teacher would probably classify her as a soprano and if the singer were more comfortable singing lower, then they would probably classify her as a mezzo-soprano. The teacher would also listen to the sound of the voice. Sopranos tend to have a lighter and less rich vocal sound than a mezzo-soprano. A voice teacher, however, would never classify a singer in more than one voice type, regardless of the size of their vocal range.^[2]

The following are the general vocal ranges associated with each voice type using scientific pitch notation where middle C=C4. Some singers within these voice types may be able to sing somewhat higher or lower^[1]:

• Soprano: C4 – C6
• Mezzo-soprano: A3 – A5
• Contralto: F3 – F5
• Tenor: C3 – C5
• Baritone: F2 – F4
• Bass: E2 – E4

In terms of frequency, human voices are roughly in the range of 80 Hz to 1100 Hz (that is, E₂ to C₆) for normal male and female voices together.

World records and extremes of vocal range[link]

The following facts about female and male ranges are known:

• Guinness lists the highest demanded note in the classical repertoire as G6 in 'Popoli di Tessaglia,'^[4] a concert aria by W. A. Mozart, composed for Aloysia Weber.^[5] Though pitch standards were not fixed in the eighteenth century, this rare note is also heard in the opera Esclarmonde by Jules Massenet and Les contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach.^{[citation needed]} The highest note commonly called for is F6, famously heard in the Queen of the Night's two arias "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" and "O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn" in Mozart's opera Die Zauberflöte.

Several little-known works call for pitches higher than G6. For example, the soprano Mado Robin, who was known for her exceptionally high voice, sang a number of compositions created especially to exploit her highest notes, reaching C7.^[6]

• Lowest note in a solo: Guinness lists the lowest demanded note in the classical repertoire as D2^[4] (almost two octaves below Middle C) in Osmin's second aria in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Although Osmin's note is the lowest 'demanded' in the operatic repertoire, lower notes are frequently heard, both written and unwritten, and it is traditional for basses to interpolate a low C2 in the duet "Ich gehe doch rathe ich dir" in the same opera. Leonard Bernstein composed an optional B1 (a minor third below D2) in a bass aria^{[not specific enough to verify]} in the opera house version of Candide. In a Russian piece combining solo and choral singing, Pavel Chesnokov directs the bass soloist in "Do not deny me in my old age" to descend even lower, to G1, depending on the arrangement. In the symphonic repertoire, the bass soloist in Mahler's Eighth Symphony is asked to sing a C♯2.
• Lowest note for a choir: Mahler's Resurrection Symphony and Eighth Symphony (bar 1457 in the "Chorus mysticus") and Rachmaninoff's Vespers require B♭1. Frederik Magle's symphonic suite Cantabile and Zoltán Kodály's Psalmus hungaricus both require A1. In Russian choirs the oktavists traditionally sing an octave below the bass part, down to G1.

See also[link]

References[link]

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} McKinney, James (1994). The Diagnosis and Correction of Vocal Faults. Genovex Music Group. ISBN 978-1-56593-940-0. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Appelman, D. Ralph (1986). The Science of Vocal Pedagogy: Theory and Application. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-20378-6. 
3. ^ Shewan, Robert (January/February 1979). "Voice Classification: An Examination of Methodology". The NATS Bulletin 35: 17–27. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Guinness Book of Records, 2006 edition
5. ^ Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics, Vol. 1751, introduction. The G6 can be seen on p. 72
6. ^ Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera (edited by Harold Rosenthal)

External links[link]

• A history of vocal definition
• Accurate average vocal ranges
• Singing Voice
• National Center for Voice and Speech's official website
• The Voice Foundation's official website

The spectrogram of the human voice reveals its rich harmonic content.

The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds (vocal cords) are the primary sound source. Generally speaking, the mechanism for generating the human voice can be subdivided into three parts; the lungs, the vocal folds within the larynx, and the articulators. The lung (the pump) must produce adequate airflow and air pressure to vibrate vocal folds (this air pressure is the fuel of the voice). The vocal folds (vocal cords) are a vibrating valve that chops up the airflow from the lungs into audible pulses that form the laryngeal sound source. The muscles of the larynx adjust the length and tension of the vocal folds to ‘fine tune’ pitch and tone. The articulators (the parts of the vocal tract above the larynx consisting of tongue, palate, cheek, lips, etc.) articulate and filter the sound emanating from the larynx and to some degree can interact with the laryngeal airflow to strengthen it or weaken it as a sound source.

The vocal folds, in combination with the articulators, are capable of producing highly intricate arrays of sound.^[1][2][3] The tone of voice may be modulated to suggest emotions such as anger, surprise, or happiness.^[4][5] Singers use the human voice as an instrument for creating music.^[6]

Voice types and the folds (cords) themselves[link]

A labeled anatomical diagram of the vocal folds or cords.

Adult men and women have different sizes of vocal fold; reflecting the male-female differences in larynx size. Adult male voices are usually lower-pitched and have larger folds. The male vocal folds (which would be measured vertically in the opposite diagram), are between 17 mm and 25 mm in length.^[7] The female vocal folds are between 12.5 mm and 17.5 mm in length.

As seen in the illustration, the folds are located just above the vertebrate trachea (the windpipe, which travels from the lungs). Food and drink do not pass through the cords but instead pass through the esophagus, an unlinked tube. Both tubes are separated by the epiglottis, a "flap" that covers the opening of the trachea while swallowing.

The folds in both sexes are within the larynx. They are attached at the back (side nearest the spinal cord) to the arytenoids cartilages, and at the front (side under the chin) to the thyroid cartilage. They have no outer edge as they blend into the side of the breathing tube (the illustration is out of date and does not show this well) while their inner edges or "margins" are free to vibrate (the hole). They have a three layer construction of an epithelium, vocal ligament, then muscle (vocalis muscle), which can shorten and bulge the folds. They are flat triangular bands and are pearly white in color. Above both sides of the vocal cord is the vestibular fold or false vocal cord, which has a small sac between its two folds (not illustrated).

The difference in vocal folds size between men and women means that they have differently pitched voices. Additionally, genetics also causes variances amongst the same sex, with men and women's singing voices being categorized into types. For example, among men, there are bass, baritone, tenor and countertenor (ranging from E2 to even F6), and among women, contralto, mezzo-soprano and soprano (ranging from F3 to C6). There are additional categories for operatic voices, see voice type. This is not the only source of difference between male and female voice. Men, generally speaking, have a larger vocal tract, which essentially gives the resultant voice a lower-sounding timbre. This is mostly independent of the vocal folds themselves.

Voice modulation in spoken language[link]

Human spoken language makes use of the ability of almost all persons in a given society to dynamically modulate certain parameters of the laryngeal voice source in a consistent manner. The most important communicative, or phonetic, parameters are the voice pitch (determined by the vibratory frequency of the vocal folds) and the degree of separation of the vocal folds, referred to as vocal fold adduction (coming together) or abduction (separating).^[8]

The ability to vary the ab/adduction of the vocal folds quickly has a strong genetic component, since vocal fold adduction has a life-preserving function in keeping food from passing into the lungs, in addition to the covering action of the epiglottis. Consequently, the muscles that control this action are among the fastest in the body.^[8] Children can learn to use this action consistently during speech at an early age, as they learn to speak the difference between utterances such as "apa" (having an abductory-adductory gesture for the p) as "aba" (having no abductory-adductory gesture).^[8] Surprisingly enough, they can learn to do this well before the age of two by listening only to the voices of adults around them who have voices much different from their own, and even though the laryngeal movements causing these phonetic differentiations are deep in the throat and not visible to them.

If an abductory movement or adductory movement is strong enough, the vibrations of the vocal folds will stop (or not start). If the gesture is abductory and is part of a speech sound, the sound will be called Voiceless. However, voiceless speech sounds are sometimes better identified as containing an abductory gesture, even if the gesture was not strong enough to stop the vocal folds from vibrating. This anomalous feature of voiceless speech sounds is better understood if it is realized that it is the change in the spectral qualities of the voice as abduction proceeds that is the primary acoustic attribute that the listener attends to when identifying a voiceless speech sound, and not simply the presence or absence of voice (periodic energy).^[9]

An adductory gesture is also identified by the change in voice spectral energy it produces. Thus, a speech sound having an adductory gesture may be referred to as a "glottal stop" even if the vocal fold vibrations do not entirely stop.^[9] for an example illustrating this, obtained by using the inverse filtering of oral airflow.]

Other aspects of the voice, such as variations in the regularity of vibration, are also used for communication, and are important for the trained voice user to master, but are more rarely used in the formal phonetic code of a spoken language.

Physiology and vocal timbre[link]

The sound of each individual's voice is entirely unique not only because of the actual shape and size of an individual's vocal cords but also due to the size and shape of the rest of that person's body, especially the vocal tract, and the manner in which the speech sounds are habitually formed and articulated. (It is this latter aspect of the sound of the voice that can be mimicked by skilled performers.) Humans have vocal folds that can loosen, tighten, or change their thickness, and over which breath can be transferred at varying pressures. The shape of chest and neck, the position of the tongue, and the tightness of otherwise unrelated muscles can be altered. Any one of these actions results in a change in pitch, volume, timbre, or tone of the sound produced. Sound also resonates within different parts of the body, and an individual's size and bone structure can affect somewhat the sound produced by an individual.

Singers can also learn to project sound in certain ways so that it resonates better within their vocal tract. This is known as vocal resonation. Another major influence on vocal sound and production is the function of the larynx, which people can manipulate in different ways to produce different sounds. These different kinds of laryngeal function are described as different kinds of vocal registers.^[10] The primary method for singers to accomplish this is through the use of the Singer's Formant, which has been shown to be a resonance added to the normal resonances of the vocal tract above the frequency range of most instruments and so enables the singer's voice to carry better over musical accompaniment.^[11][12]

Vocal registration[link]

Vocal registration refers to the system of vocal registers within the human voice. A register in the human voice is a particular series of tones, produced in the same vibratory pattern of the vocal folds, and possessing the same quality. Registers originate in laryngeal functioning. They occur because the vocal folds are capable of producing several different vibratory patterns. Each of these vibratory patterns appears within a particular Vocal range range of pitches and produces certain characteristic sounds.^[13] the term register can be somewhat confusing as it encompasses several aspects of the human voice. The term register can be used to refer to any of the following:^[14]

• A particular part of the vocal range such as the upper, middle, or lower registers.
• A resonance area such as chest voice or head voice.
• A phonatory process.
• A certain vocal timbre.
• A region of the voice that is defined or delimited by vocal breaks.
• A subset of a language used for a particular purpose or in a particular social setting.

In linguistics, a register language is a language that combines tone and vowel phonation into a single phonological system.

Within speech pathology the term vocal register has three constituent elements: a certain vibratory pattern of the vocal folds, a certain series of pitches, and a certain type of sound. Speech pathologists identify four vocal registers based on the physiology of laryngeal function: the vocal fry register, the modal register, and the falsetto register, and the whistle register. This view is also adopted by many vocal pedagogists.^[14]

Vocal resonation[link]

Vocal resonation is the process by which the basic product of phonation is enhanced in timbre and/or intensity by the air-filled cavities through which it passes on its way to the outside air. Various terms related to the resonation process include amplification, enrichment, enlargement, improvement, intensification, and prolongation; although in strictly scientific usage acoustic authorities would question most of them. The main point to be drawn from these terms by a singer or speaker is that the end result of resonation is, or should be, to make a better sound.^[14] There are seven areas that may be listed as possible vocal resonators. In sequence from the lowest within the body to the highest, these areas are the chest, the tracheal tree, the larynx itself, the pharynx, the oral cavity, the nasal cavity, and the sinuses.^[15]

Influences of the human voice[link]

The twelve-tone musical scale, upon which some of the music in the world is based, may have its roots in the sound of the human voice during the course of evolution, according to a study published by the New Scientist. Analysis of recorded speech samples found peaks in acoustic energy that mirrored the distances between notes in the twelve-tone scale.^[16]

Voice disorders[link]

There are many disorders that affect the human voice; these include speech impediments, and growths and lesions on the vocal folds. Talking improperly for long periods of time causes vocal loading, which is stress inflicted on the speech organs. When vocal injury is done, often an ENT specialist may be able to help, but the best treatment is the prevention of injuries through good vocal production.^[17] Voice therapy is generally delivered by a speech-language pathologist.

Vocal Cord Nodules and Polyps[link]

Vocal nodules are caused over time by repeated abuse of the vocal cords which results in soft, swollen spots on each vocal cord. These spots develop into harder, callous-like growths called nodules. The longer the abuse occurs the larger and stiffer the nodules will become. Most polyps are larger than nodules and may be called by other names, such as polypoid degeneration or Reinke's edema. Polyps are caused by a single occurrence and may require surgical removal. Irritation after the removal may then lead to nodules if additional irritation persists. Speech-language therapy teaches the patient how to eliminate the irritations permanently through habit changes and vocal hygiene. Hoarseness or breathiness that lasts for more than two weeks is a common symptom of an underlying voice disorder such as nodes or polyps and should be investigated medically.^[18]

See also[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Howard, D.M., and Murphy, D.T.M. (2009). [1] Voice science acoustics and recording, San Diego: Plural Press.
• Titze, I. R. (2008). The human instrument. Sci.Am. 298 (1):94–101. [2]
• Thurman, Leon & Welch, ed., Graham (2000), Bodymind & voice: Foundations of voice education (revised ed.), Collegeville, Minnesota: The VoiceCare Network et al., ISBN 0-87414-123-0

External links[link]

Look up voice or vocal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Voice

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of singing

• Free Voice analyzer and Biometrics displaying software from University College London
• The Head Voice and Other Problems, 1917, by D. A. Clippinger, from Project Gutenberg
• The Voice Foundation's official website
• The Anatomy of Singing
• David Harper, vocal coach: A passion for the voice that never wanes – Opera~Opera article
• Irish Voice festival official website
• How the voice works-- The Voice Works Like a Car
• Voice acoustics: an introduction from the University of New South Wales

Look up range in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Contents 1 Mathematics, science, and technology 1.1 In mathematics 1.2 In science 1.3 In technology 2 Places 3 Other uses 4 See also

Range may refer to:

Mathematics, science, and technology[link]

In mathematics[link]

• Range (mathematics), the set of all output values produced by a function
• Interval (mathematics), also called a range, a set of real numbers that includes all numbers between any two numbers in the set
• Range (statistics), the difference between the highest and the lowest values in a set
• Projective range, a line or a conic in projective geometry

In science[link]

• Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands
• Range (particle radiation), the distance a charged particle travels before stopping
• Range (biology), the geographical area where a species can be found
• Range (music), the set of notes a musical instrument can play, or that are used in a piece of music
  • Vocal range, the breadth of pitch that a human voice can produce

In technology[link]

• Range (computer science), the set of allowed values for a variable
• Range (aircraft), the distance an aircraft can fly
• Range of a projectile, the potential distance a projectile can be hurled by a firearm or cannon
• Slant range, distance between two objects on different levels

Places[link]

United States

• Range, Ohio, an unincorporated community
• Range, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community

Other uses[link]

• Shooting range, a controlled environment where weapons are fired at targets
• Rangeland, in ranching
• Driving range, an area where golfers can practice their swing
• Rosslyn Range, an American long jumper
• Kitchen stove, or range, an appliance used for cooking food
• Range, a pair of navigational beacons whose line indicates a channel. If lighted they are called Leading lights in Britain or range lights in the USA
• A term used to identify a survey township

See also[link]

• The Range (disambiguation)
• Rangefinder

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.