Courtney_McCoy_Ch. 5

The pitch is first created in the vocal folds and will sound just about the same in every person; the individuality in a person's voice comes from differences in the vocal tract and resonators. In addition to the fundamental pitch being sung, other pitches, called overtones will sound simultaneously. The spaces that cause this sound to resonate are called formants and different formants create different vowel sounds. Certain vowels are better for amplifying certain pitches. For example, if you sing a C4 on an [e], the formant created with that vowel will amplify the second harmonic or C5. This is important to know because it helps us understand the passaggio and how to navigate it. So as I'm teaching a voice lesson, if a male student is struggling with to transition from their lower register, I can use my understanding of formants. I would choose to use exercises that release the jaw, tongue and larynx so that the pitch and harmonics can do their own thing. It can also help us with intonation. If we're struggling to get something right in tune, the vowel we use can help us blend with other ensemble members by creating the right formant.  The singer's formant is another important phenomena to understand. It happens in the epilarynx and allows a singer to be heard over the orchestra. Here, again, the most important thing is finding freedom in the larynx so that the necessary space can occur in the epiglottis for this phenomena to occur.