What is the high register of the voice called? Registers and voice types (adapted)

Rice. 66. Schemes of the appearance of the glottis during different tasks. A—deep breath, B—inhale, C.—. exhalation, G - whisper, D - chest register of voice, E1-E2-E3 - falsetto register with increasing sound from E to E3. 1 - edge of the ligament, 2 - lumen of the glottis, 3 - vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage, 4 - interarytenoid space, 5 - muscular process of the arytenoid cartilage, 6 - ligamentous part of the glottis, 7 - cartilaginous part of the glottis, 8 - part of the ligament is open part of the glottis, 9 - closed part of the ligamentous part of the glottis, 10 - arytenoid cartilage.
poor in timbre, lacking in strength and little capable of flexibility. With falsetto voice production, it seems that the ligaments seem to be “sailing”, rinsing in the current of passing air. It has been noted that in the falsetto register, the ligaments are more actively stretched due to the inclination of the thyroid cartilage by the cricothyroid muscles, compared to their work in the thoracic register.
The mechanism for increasing sound in the chest register is carried out with constant preservation of vibration of all ligaments along their entire length, including the arytenoid cartilages. But this mechanism can only be preserved until transitional sounds. The increase in sound can be compared here to the increase in sound of a string as it is wound onto a peg. This “twisting,” i.e., increasing the elasticity (tension) of the ligaments, can be carried out up to certain physiological limits, after which the mechanism of the ligaments changes dramatically—it turns into falsetto.

In falsetto, when the scoops are turned off from vibration and there is a gap between the ligaments, a further increase in sound is accompanied by a decrease in the length of the vibrating part of the ligaments. As the sound increases, the fusiform gap between the cords becomes shorter and shorter due to more and more closure of the posterior part of the vocal cords. This mechanism can be figuratively compared to increasing the sound of a string by pressing it against the fingerboard. Of course, these mechanical analogies do not reflect the full complexity of the work of the vocal cords in the chest and falsetto registers, but they quite clearly illustrate the principle of changing the mechanism for raising the sound when moving from register to register.

Rice. 67. Cross-sectional views of the larynx during various vocal tasks, obtained by the method of transverse tomograms (according to R. Husson). 1 - pianissimo falsetto, on B1 (244 Hz), vowel a in a baritone, 2 - piano in chest sound on the same sound from the same singer, 3 - forte, opera bass, vowel a on D1 - D sharp1 (290 Hz ), 4—forte, operatic contralto, vowel sound a on do2 (517 Hz).

The considered mechanisms of sound increase in the chest and falsetto registers well explain the register change from the point of view of the myeletic theory. Indeed, here the increase in sound is associated with a change in elasticity or shortening of tense and stretched vocal cords. However, as we indicated in the chapter where the issue of determining the type of voice was considered, it has now been established that the register change of voice is not a peripheral phenomenon that develops only in the larynx. R. Husson was able to show that register change is primarily a nervous phenomenon of central origin.
According to the observations of R. Yuasan, the recurrent nerve, depending on the properties of its individual excitability, can conduct only a certain number of impulses per second, on the order of 300-340, when its fibers are simultaneously working. Each fiber of the recurrent nerve is limited in its conductivity by this number of impulses per second, and, therefore, working with all its fibers simultaneously, in one phase, the nerve cannot conduct the number of impulses more than 300-340, and the vocal muscle, accordingly, cannot carry out more than 300-340 vibrations per second. A frequency of 300-340 vibrations per second corresponds to the notes of the re-fa of the small octave, i.e., transitional notes of the voice.
In order to reproduce sound above these transitional notes, the nerve fibers begin to work biphasically, that is, dividing their work between two groups of fibers. While one group of fibers conducts an impulse, the second is in a state of rest, and then they change. Thus, each nerve fiber (and there are many thousands of them in a nerve) conducts a number of impulses that is completely within the physiological capabilities of each fiber, and in total the nerve can conduct twice the number of impulses. When the possibilities of this two-phase work are exhausted, and the sound needs to be increased further, the nerve divides its work between three groups of fibers, i.e., it makes its work three-phase (for frequencies above 700-750 impulses per second). It is these transitions of work from single-phase to two-phase, three-phase, etc. that create, according to R. Husson, register fractures of the voice.
Since the functional capabilities of the fibers of the recurrent nerve are different in people (different excitability, which determines the maximum number of impulses that the nerve can produce and which is measured by the excitability time - chronaxy), the transition from single-phase to biphasic its work occurs on different notes. This, according to R. Husson, determines the actual type of the singer’s voice. This is what the change of registers looks like in the light of the neurochronaxial theory of phonation. 1
Does the new neural theory of change of registers exclude those data on the work of the vocal folds that are derived from direct observation of the vocal folds during changes of registers?
No, it doesn't exclude it. One might think that changes in the nature of the work of the vocal muscles are a consequence of the transition from single-phase work of the recurrent nerve to two-phase. Consequently, muscular changes in the work of the laryngeal sphincter can be considered as an external expression of a change in the type of work of the recurrent nerve.
Regardless of whatever opinion we may hold regarding the theory of registers, the immutable fact is that the male voice by nature has a register structure and that, judging by the type of work of the larynx and the sound of the voice, it has two main registers: chest and falsetto.
However, for some singers, within the chest sound, as noted above, there are some notes that have a sort of transitional nature, and hence the heterogeneity in the sound of different parts of this part of the range. On this basis, some teachers consider it possible to distinguish not two, but a greater number of registers in a man’s voice. These different-sounding sections of the range are not registers, since there is no fundamental restructuring of the functioning of the vocal cords here. They can be named under registers and. Moreover, they are not expressed in all singers.
Changes in timbre and some discomfort on individual notes, which is observed in singers within the chest register, depend on the influences that the glottis experiences from the extension tube.
As is known, with certain relationships between the height of the note taken and the length of the extension tube, difficulty in voice formation occurs (D. Weiss) 1 due to acoustic phenomena developing in the extension tube. We cannot enter into the essence of these phenomena here. Let us only note that in this case the work of the larynx becomes somewhat more difficult, and therefore the timbre changes somewhat. Thus, in a single chest register, some singers may also have subregisters, but in this case a fundamental restructuring of the neuromuscular functioning of the larynx never occurs. There are always only two real registers in a man's voice: chest and falsetto.
We wrote above that in some cases, in some individuals, the voice sounds smooth throughout the entire range, without detecting register transitions, and that on this basis, some teachers are trying to claim that registers are the result of incorrect use of the vocal apparatus. Such facts have been noted at all times and were considered an exception to the rule. So, for example, D. Mancini, the famous teacher of the 18th century, describing the two-register structure of the voice, writes: “However, there are voices that have the extremely strange gift of reproducing everything in one chest register.” These cases refer to voices that naturally have a so-called mixed voicing.
With mixed voice production, the vocal cords vibrate neither in a purely chest type nor in a purely falsetto type, and in their vibrations there are simultaneously chest and falsetto mechanisms of operation. In the cases noted, the larynx is so well constructed by nature that mixing both types of movement is achieved without special effort and adaptations on the part of the singer. Mixture - in Latin - mixt. Unprocessed voices that have no transition naturally have mixed voicing throughout their entire range. However, for most people, finding a mixed, i.e. mixed, voice formation is the result of the search and development of special coordination in the work of the vocal apparatus. The structural features of the vocal apparatus play a decisive role in this matter. Here are the opinions on this issue of two outstanding baritones, soloists of La Scala. Rolando Panerai answered our question about the formation of the upper register of the voice: “For me, the formation of the upper part of the voice range and the formation of generally covered sounds has never been a problem. The voice easily covered itself throughout the entire range.” To the same question, Sesto Bruscantini replied that even a few years ago, already being famous singer La Scala, he had great difficulties with registers. “To achieve register evenness,” he said, “you have to work hard, practice a lot. After all, this is an artificial thing (mixing - L.D.), it must be found, developed. Registers exist by nature, and in order to make the voice even, it is necessary to construct it fundamentally differently - to make it mixed.”
It must be said that in singing practice, the word mixed often means an insufficiently high-quality singing sound, not a real full-fledged singing voice, but a semblance of a lean falsetto. They say that “he hits the top notes not with his voice, but with a mixtome,” meaning by this an inferior, lighter sound of the tops, close to falsetto. Indeed, this sound has a mixed character. But the peculiarity of mixed music, that is, mixed voice formation, is that it can sound quite full, rich and clear. The whole question is how the voice is mixed.
That lightweight, inferior sound, with which many people associate the idea of ​​a mixed sound, is only one of the types of mixed sound, in which the falsetto nature of the work of the vocal cords predominates.
Voice registers in singing were used differently in different eras. During the development of the old Italian school and from the 16th to the 18th centuries, natural registers of the singing voice were used. Even before the Florentine reform, in the era of prosperity of the polyphonic style, specially trained falsettists sang the upper voices in polyphonic works. After all, the natural chest register of a tenor does not go higher than F-F-sharp-G. In the absence of female voices (and women were not allowed to sing in church until the middle of the 18th century1), polyphony could not sound well unless the upper parts were sung in a falsetto voice. But falsetto sound, as we know, is poor in sound and does not have sufficient strength. Then later they began to use castration in order to obtain sufficiently strong voices that were able to sing high parts. The last castrato singer died only a hundred years ago.
The old Italian school used the natural chest and falsetto registers of the male voice. Only the transition between them was leveled. Given the principle that existed at that time “the higher you go, the quieter you sing”, this use of registers was fully justified. The two-register structure of the male voice fully satisfied the tastes of the public and made it possible to perform with sufficient quality the performance tasks set by the music of that time.
But already since 1825, Italian tenors abandoned the manner of forming the upper sounds of the range with a falsetto sound and began to use a mixed sound, although it still does not have a full-fledged rich character. Only the French tenor Gilbert Dupre uses all the possibilities of the mixed voice and brings the bright mixing of the chest sound to the upper tenor C. This discovery of mixed voice formation, as we have already noted, was caused by a number of reasons related to the nature of the music, the size of the premises, the composition of the orchestra, the density of the orchestral accompaniment, etc.
Voix mixte sombree - the mixed, covered sound of the voice opened up new possibilities for male voices. And to this day, mixing is one of the most necessary techniques in order to level the entire range and acquire full-sounding top notes. Mixing is not a lightweight formation of the upper register, but a principle for constructing the entire range. With the correct mixed structure, the voice has no transition notes (nothing to change, since both mechanisms of the vocal cords are always present) and fully develops in terms of range.
For most singers who have a sharp transition from chest to falsetto sound, achieving an even and full range presents the greatest, if not the greatest, difficulty in technical processing vote. Cases of naturally occurring mixed sound are rare in practice.
The modern operatic and concert style of performance requires the singer to master a full two-octave range of smooth sound. If the voice has an uneven sound, for example, a top that is too open or, conversely, a top that is too dark and blocked, then this is considered a serious flaw. Achieving evenness of voice is a subject of constant concern for the teacher and student.

Covering the voice. Case mixing

Leveling the sound of the upper part of the range is achieved by covering the voice and mixing its register. When it comes to cover, there are many techniques that vary from class to class and manual to manual. The basic principle of covering is to find the dark sound at the top of the range. As the sound rises, it first rounds, that is, it becomes more voluminous and, as it were, rounded, and then this rounding turns into cover, that is, the voice is so rounded that it begins to sound dark, like the sound of y. Sometimes for this purpose the sounds o or u are used, which well organize the cavities of the extension tube to form a darkened sound.
The point of covering the sound is to create more impedance in the extension tube. This impedance, as it were, balances the strong subglottic pressure present during the formation of sounds in the upper register, and thereby makes it easier for the vocal cords to carry out mixed work. By taking some of the load off the larynx, impedance helps the singer find or maintain mixed vocal cord function.
Unfortunately, cover-up is not a completely accurate term. Some cover the concept of mixing and mixing. Others do not equate these concepts and distinguish mixing from covering, leaving to the latter only the function of darkening the sound.
We believe that each term must accurately reflect specific, clear content. Mixing, or confusion, refers to the special nature of the work of the vocal cords. Dimming the sound increases the impedance of the extension tube. Covering is a technique that must combine both of these moments. During actual covering, not only a darkening of the sound is observed, but also a change in the operation of the vocal apparatus, i.e., a change in the register mechanism.
During the training process, singers gradually find evenness in the sound of their voice over the entire range, as this is an indispensable condition for professional singing. All good professional singers have an even range and, therefore, a single mixed manner of working the vocal cords.
This uniformity of the principle of operation of the larynx, clearly audible by sound, has now been recorded by us in professional singers using the X-ray method. When M. Garcia began to examine the larynx during singing using a laryngeal mirror, he noted that the larynx works differently when the chest sound is open and when the sound is covered. With an open chest sound, when the sound has a bright metallic character, the epiglottis is lowered, tilted back and the entrance to the larynx is narrowed. When covered, the epiglottis rises and the entrance to the larynx opens wide. With such cover, the sound loses its metallic character, becomes clouded, and becomes dull. These observations were repeated by a number of researchers, in particular Pielke, Muzehold, Schilling (with the help of x-rays),1 at the beginning of this century, and this behavior of the larynx during covering was considered an established fact. These data were given in most singing manuals and phoniatric books.
However, these observations, made using a laryngeal mirror and x-rays, could not give a true picture of the work of the larynx during covering, since they greatly disrupted the physiology of singing. Covering requires good sound support and sufficient impedance from the side of the extension tube, which is impossible to achieve with the subject in a sitting position, head raised, mouth wide open and tongue extended (position during laryngoscopic examination).

Rice. 68. View of the entrance to the larynx with a light, “metallic” sound of the voice. The picture was taken with a Russell laryngoscope. 1 - free edge of the epiglottis, 2 - tubercle of the epiglottis, 3 - true vocal cords, 4 - false vocal cords, 5 - apex of the arytenoid cartilage. It can be seen that the entrance to the larynx is narrow, the tubercle of the epiglottis and the apices of the arytenoid cartilages are close together, and a small portion of the closed vocal cords is visible through the opening.

Our studies using instant X-rays taken without any disruption to the naturalness of singing gave a completely different picture of the work of the larynx during covering. After snapshots were taken while singing the sounds of the middle part of the voice range, the singer was asked to sing a phrase from a well-sung part, where there would be one of the extreme notes of his range, and a snapshot was taken on this covered sound. Such a photograph accurately recorded the position of all the organs of the extension tube and larynx at the moment of the covered sound of the upper notes of the range. Since the naturalness of the singing was completely preserved, nothing constrained the singer and his posture was familiar, the photographs accurately depicted the actual relationships of the vocal organs when covering.
As it turned out, among modern professional opera singers the position of the larynx and its adaptation in singing the upper covered notes and the middle of the range do not have significant differences. No opening of the entrance to the larynx and elevation of the epiglottis occurs. The entrance to the larynx remains equally narrowed throughout the entire range. The epiglottis also occupies a stable position and does not rise, opening the entrance to the larynx when covered, as was previously thought. In a word, the entire laryngeal complex remains the same when covering as in the middle register, which means that in work

Rice. 69. The larynx and lower part of the pharynx when covering the sound of the upper part of the range in male voices. According to our profile radiographs taken while opera singers were singing well-sung works. No. 32 and 30 - tenors, No. 34, 36, 37 - baritones, No. 43 - bass, No. 32, 30, 34, 43 - on the vowel sound a, No. 37 - on i, No. 36 - on e. Read The radiographs then follow the designations in Fig. 47. The solid line shows the contours of the organs when singing the upper covered note, and the broken line shows singing in the central part of the range. It can be seen that when covered, the entrance to the larynx remains narrow, and the lower part of the pharynx expands.
There are no significant changes in the larynx. Obviously, all the singers we studied had mixed voicing and the transition to the upper register was not accompanied by a significant restructuring in the functioning of the glottis. Yes, this is natural, since good professional singers have an even two-octave range, which is an indispensable condition for a modern singer to sing on the opera stage. The evenness of the voice over the entire range, including the upper register, corresponds to the stability of the larynx.
The only significant difference that is observed when moving to the upper part of the range in professional singers is a clearly noticeable widening of the lower part of the pharynx. It is clearly expressed on all vowel sounds. One cannot help but associate with it the quality of greater roundness and some darkened timbre in the upper part of the range. This quality of roundness, depth, and meatiness of the voice is associated with the resonant conditions of the lower part of the pharynx. In addition, the expansion of the lower pharyngeal cavity creates a larger volume of air enclosed in the pharynx, and thereby generates greater resistance from above (impedance) to the vibrating vocal folds, which is especially important in the upper part of the vocal range, when the physiological capabilities of the larynx approach the natural limit. With regard to the expansion of the pharyngeal cavity during closure, our data fully confirm the previous observations, and the mechanism of action of this expansion can be considered clarified.
The difference that was discovered when comparing our data with the data obtained by E. Pielke, A. Muzehold, R. Schilling and others regarding the behavior of the larynx during covering can be explained not only by the complete preservation of the naturalness of singing and the greater perfection of modern research methods compared to previous ones , but also by changing the technology of the cover itself. Judging by the gramophone recordings of singers from the beginning of this century that have reached us, their covering was much more complete and their voices darkened more strongly on the upper notes. The “covering” itself, its degree and the nature of the covered sound have changed historically. D. L. Aspelund rightly notes that “In the older generation of singers in Italy (Fernando de Lucia, Battistini) we still observe a significant use of sombre sounds. Among the singers of the next generation (Caruso, Titta Ruffo, Pertile, Gigli), along with the use of sombre sounds in the upper part of the range, we already see another tendency - to sing the entire range to the extreme limits with an extremely homogeneous timbre, supported, mixed sound. This sound is covered from top to bottom. The extreme highs are not sombreed, not “closed”, but only “covered”, thanks to which the voice retains metallicity and brightness even on these upper sounds.”
Nowadays, singers use precisely this so-called “close” cover, in which the sound does not lose its properties of metallicity and brilliance, and does not “fog”, as M. Garcia wrote about it. Obviously, this is a close covering while maintaining the brightness and brilliance of the sound and requires constant covering of the entrance to the larynx with the epiglottis.

Cover practice

Almost every singer looks for cover positions using various techniques: sometimes by imitation, sometimes by using dark vowels, sometimes by using mixed and darkening in their pure form. It is a matter of taste and the ability of the teacher to choose the path of teaching covered sound that is most easily assimilated by the student, or the path that the teacher himself knows and uses.
In connection with the issue of developing a covered sound, it should be pointed out that among teachers there is a significant difference in their views on the place in the range from which cover should begin.
There is a view that bottom part The range of the voice should be formed “without further ado” in a pure chest register and, as the sound rises, round it more and more. Covering should begin one or two tones before the transition notes and then extend the covering to the entire upper part of the range. With this construction, the singer gets the impression that the top is covered and the bottom is open. The register transition does not disappear, but is softened due to the smooth transition of the chest sound into a mixed, covered sound. With this method of forming the range, the voice sounds quite even, and many professional singers successfully use this particular method of covering.
Another way to develop vocal evenness is to cover the lowest notes throughout the range. With this type of sound formation, the voice sounds smooth throughout the entire range and does not require any change in the manner of sound production on the upper notes. This is the so-called single-register principle of constructing a range. There are teachers who recognize only this method of constructing a range, considering it the only correct one, ensuring the evenness and durability of the voice.
The methodological approach to developing a covered sound over the entire range varies from teacher to teacher. Most often, having found a covered sound on transitional notes or the upper part of the range, where the voice is easily covered, the teacher gradually “lowers” ​​this principle of sound formation lower and lower in the range. Gradually, this method of covered vocal formation becomes the main one for a given singer and spreads throughout the entire range.

Rice. 70. Changes occurring in the larynx in the extension tube of singers when covering the upper sounds of the range (according to radiographs during (during singing on vowels a, i, e). Numbers 32, 30 and 52 are tenors, and the rest are baritones and basses. In In all cases, when covering, there is an expansion of the lower part of the pharynx. The adaptation of the larynx and soft palate do not change significantly. In some singers (cases 30, 47, 36 and 39), the mouth opens somewhat wider on the upper sounds.

Another approach to developing a single-register voice sound over the entire range is to directly find a mixed voice formation already on the low sounds of the range and gradually spread this sound throughout the entire range. (This method, for example, is used by Associate Professor of the Gnessin Institute G. G. Aden). On piano sounds, in the lower part of the vocal range, which usually has a pronounced powerful chest sound, he strives to find the falsetto character of the closure of the vocal cords. Calling this a “flajolet” or “flute” attack, he develops this movement of the chords, which is only possible in this part of the range in piano or mezzo-forte, and gradually this falsetto element is included in the chest sound natural for these notes, forming a mixed. This principle of mixed voice formation is based on conscious mastery of the chest and falsetto mechanisms of the vocal cords in any part of the range.
The famous American teacher and scientist D. Stanley1 stands for the isolated development of falsetto and chest sounds throughout their entire possible range, and does not allow mixing until a certain time. Voice evenness is achieved when the singer is fluent in both types of vocal cords, i.e. falsetto and chest voice formation throughout the entire range. With conscious mastery of them, a singer on any note in the range can include one or another register in its pure form or one or another character of their mixing.
We have presented here fundamentally different approaches to the formation of a covered sound (covering the upper register from transitional notes and covering starting from lower notes - a single-register system for forming a range) and several examples various systems education of mixed covered voicing.
In almost every class, the problem of leveling the range by finding a covered sound is solved by the teacher individually, depending on his views on the issue of the register structure of the voice and the characteristics of the student’s voice. We consider it obligatory for every teacher and student to be able to distinguish by ear the type of operation of the voice gate (falsetto, chest and mixed voice production) and the ability to reproduce them with their vocal apparatus. This distinction is not always easy even for experienced ears, since mixed voicing can be very close in sound to pure chest or pure falsetto.
A feature of mixed voice formation is that it can be organized differently in terms of the quantitative content of falsetto and chest sounds. The voice can be mixed so that the falsetto element of sound prevails in it, that is, the falsetto type of operation of the vocal cords. In this case, the entire voice has a lightweight, transparent character, close to falsetto. (In this way, for example, the voice of the famous concert singer G. Pishchaev is mixed.) However, a mixed sound - a mixed sound - can be organized with a predominantly chesty nature of the work of the vocal cords. Then the voice has a character very closely resembling a chest sound. It is rich in overtones, rich, has the quality of roundness, meatiness and sonority - so characteristic of a chest voice. (For example, the voice of the wonderful Bulgarian singer Dimitar Uzunov is mixed according to this type.)
The nature of the mixing should be dictated not so much by the taste of the teacher, but by the individual characteristics of the vocal apparatus of each student. Depending on the characteristics of the structure of the larynx, some vocal apparatuses are more prone to the falsetto type of operation of the vocal cords, others - to the chest type. These features of the functions of the larynx are easy to observe in speech: in some people the voice easily acquires a falsetto character, in others it has a pronounced chest sound. This feature in the function of the larynx should determine the teacher’s attitude towards the type of mixed voice formation that should be developed in a given student. As in all other cases related to the work of the vocal apparatus, here too it is impossible to force nature, to instill that manner of mixing for which a given vocal apparatus has no inclination, anatomical and physiological prerequisites. It is a matter of talent and intuition of the teacher to determine the type of mixed voice formation that is characteristic of a given vocal apparatus, and to be able to develop it. This brings out all the potential possibilities of the student's voice.
Associate Professor S.P. Yudin was absolutely right in developing G. Pishchaev’s voice, which has a light mixed sound reminiscent of falsetto. Professor Brymbarov is also right, who managed to understand the nature of D. Uzunov’s voice and instill in him a tenor mixed sound with a greater predominance of the chest character of the work of the vocal cords over the falsetto.
Register relationships can be visually depicted graphically in the form of Otto Iroh diagrams, as, for example, done in the book by D. Aspelund. Such diagrams clearly show the register relationships that were used in different eras, and therefore we will allow ourselves to present them in some modification (see Fig. 71).
The ease of finding a covered sound largely depends on the middle and lower parts of the vocal range. If the voice is forced, incorrectly constructed in terms of dynamics, then covering is carried out with difficulty and, as a rule, the top is blocked. It turns out that there is a sharp difference between the sound of the top
its part of the range and the lower one. This is explained by the fact that when forcing the vocal cords work in a very intense mode and therefore cannot make a smooth change from the chest to the mixed type of their movements. A smooth transition from one type of vibration to another requires a high degree of coherence in the work of all parts of the vocal apparatus
and does not allow force, pressure or other irregularities in the formation of sound.

Rice. 71. Scheme of the register structure of the male voice in singing practice. On the top line is the tenor range with transitional notes on F1-F-sharp1. Below it are diagrams of the register structure of the voice. The chest register is highlighted by shading: a - in a natural voice, untrained; b - in a voice with a smoothed transition to the falsetto register (as was the case in the old Italian school); vig - single-register voice structure, i.e. mixed (mixed) voice formation over the entire range; c - mixing where the chest register prevails (mixing according to Uzunov’s voice type); d - mixing, where the head register prevails (mixing according to the type of Pishchaev’s voice). .

A correctly formed sound in the center of the range, correctly constructed in terms of dynamics, breath delivery and the so-called “high position” of the sound, is
the key to successfully finding the “cover” position in the upper part of the range.
If the sound in the chest register is constructed correctly, without overload and with a well-defined “high sound”, then when moving to the upper part of the range it begins to “cover itself”, i.e. it acquires a mixed covered sound. This shows that the element of mixing, i.e. connecting the falsetto function in the work of the vocal cords, was developed in the lower part of the range, without attracting special attention to itself, under the guise of searching for a high position, a supported, rounded sound of the correct singing timbre of the voice, etc. P.
The issue of dynamic structure of the voice and its timbre design in the center of the range is of decisive importance for the formation of the upper segment of the range.
Most often, the correct formation of a mixed sound character is achieved on the basis of searching for the necessary so-called resonator sensations. The teacher invites the student to look for “head resonance” in the chest section of the range, and in the upper section - “not to tear off”, not to remove the sound from the chest sound. These resonant sensations are a consequence of the corresponding type of operation of the larynx. Therefore, through such control, the desired character of the vocal cords can be developed.
The famous teacher Camillo Everardi, who masterfully controlled his voice, even throughout the entire range, told his students in relation to the formation of the correct timbre of sound like this: “put your head on your chest,” or “put your chest on your head,” “mix, mix sounds!” Such indirect development of mixed voice formation through the control of “resonator” sensations is very typical for most vocal teachers. Having found the mixed nature of the work of the ligaments in the lower part of the range under the guise of a correctly formed singing timbre, the teacher then asks the student not to lose the necessary sensations found and only to round and darken the sound more (send it more “to the head”) when moving to the upper notes, without doing anything fundamental changing the manner of vocal production. For example, S.P. Yudin wrote about this, who considered “it is completely unacceptable to change the method of presenting sound when moving to the top”2.
At practical work on the development of an even mixed range in men, despite the variety of approaches to this issue among different teachers, there are several general principles that should always be observed. Does the teacher consider it possible to cover only top part range, leaving the lower segment - open, chest, whether he achieves a mixed sound in his chest segment, that is, mixes the voice over the entire range - one must always adhere to the rule of correct voice dynamics. Too strong, forced sound of the center and lower segment always makes it difficult to transition to the upper sounds. The registers break and “crawl out”. The glottis, overloaded with forced sound, works to maintain a strong breathing pressure. It is difficult for her to smoothly change the nature of vibration, that is, change the register mechanism. It is also difficult to find a mixed voice formation under conditions of forced work if the student did not know it before. Therefore, the main rule for developing register evenness of the range is to find a natural, “free” soft sound of the center of the range, when the vocal cords work relaxed.
The pursuit of excessive brightness and loudness of sound, while the movement to the upper notes has not yet been formed, can also damage the natural cover of the sound. Brightness and sonority, which must be developed in a student, depend on the tightness of the ligaments. Such closeness at first can make it difficult to find cover and form a mixed voice. Therefore, it is more advisable to temporarily put up with a softer, but freer and less tense voice sound. With this structure it will be easier to mix.
Thus, both the pursuit of strength and the pursuit of sonority, brightness, in the first stages, until a move to the upper register is found, can interfere with the formation of mixed voicing. At these stages, falsetto and aspirated attack, used as a temporary “therapeutic” remedy against excessive closing rigidity, can make it easier to move to the upper notes, to cover and blend the voice. Every teacher must clearly imagine that the ligaments will then easily find a new job for them when they are maximally freed from the load. Therefore, the following are useful: moderate strength, softness of attack, softness of sound, increased impedance on o and y, smooth breathing without shocks, good retention of a sense of support.
The irrational message of breathing in terms of strength and the lack of its smoothness also lead to the inability to find and maintain a mixed voice formation. The most typical mistake of beginners is the desire to reach the top notes by pressing, by using the throat and overpressure or pushing the breath. Beginners “squeeze out” these sounds - this is a false path that leads to overwork of the vocal apparatus. They must be built based on the principle of dexterity and freedom, without striving for loudness.
A very convenient method for developing the top can be considered a well-mixed middle register, from which upward intervals are built, and the principle is implemented: do not change anything on the top note. This transfer of work from one part of the range to another usually gives good results. For those who do not know how to mix middle sounds well, but who mix the upper register more successfully, descending scale-like moves are useful for leveling the voice, in which the mixed sound of the top is transferred to the center very smoothly, without jolts. The push of breathing causes in response the tightening of the glottis, tension of the cords, and the vocal cords cease to carry out mixed voice formation. Lack of support and loss of breath also prevent the cords from working in a single mixed mode of voice formation. Therefore, smooth breathing and maintaining one sense of support are one of the basic principles for developing evenness of the range.
When developing a single mixed sound over the entire range for different types of male voices, one should have a different attitude towards the nature of the mix. Although in all cases it is necessary to look for a mixture of head and chest sounds and find those individual variants of this mixture that most successfully reveal the characteristics of a given voice, one should always take into account the specifics of the sound of a given type of voice. In basses, for example, you should always identify a fairly good chest sound, without, of course, losing the head sound. Good chest resonance is characteristic of bass sound, and therefore mixing should be carried out with a significant predominance of the chest mechanism. Otherwise, the voice will not have a specific bass timbre. In a light tenor, chest resonance may also be present, but it should not be the “leading” one in the organization of the mixed double. By emphasizing the chest sound, the voice will become heavier and will no longer sound like a light tenor. When developing a mixed register, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of the voice.

Female voice registers

The female voice is organized differently in register than the male voice. This is primarily due to the anatomical and physiological properties of the female larynx. The chest register, which in men takes up almost one and a half octaves, in women's voices is present only on the lowest sounds of the range, occupying about a fifth for low voices, and a third for high voices. Above the chest register, after the transitional notes, which are always quite clearly felt by beginning singers as uncomfortable sounds, there is the so-called central section of the range, extending up an octave, and sometimes more, after which many female voices have a head register, going to the extreme upper notes . In high sopranos, the extreme upper sounds take on a harmonic character. Thus, in the female voice there are three registers and two transitions. The main part of the range is occupied by the center, from where there is a transition down to the chest register, and a transition up to the head register.
Transitional notes for soprano E1—F1—F sharp1 and E2—F2—F sharp2. For mezzo-soprano, C1—C-sharp1—D1 and C2——C-sharp2—D2. The lower the character of the voice, the lower the transition notes. As in all cases related to the register structure of the voice, the individual characteristics of the structure of the larynx and constitution play a significant role in matters of registers. Transition notes can vary greatly in pitch. But the most remarkable thing is the inconstancy of the transition to the upper sounds. If the transition from the center of the range downwards is always quite noticeable, then the transition from the center to the head register does not exist in all voices.
The registers of the female voice are of the same nature as the registers of the male voice, that is, they depend on changes in the type of operation of the vocal cords. In the chest register, they work according to the chest type of vibrations, similar to the chest type of their vibrations in men. In the so-called center - the main part of the range of the female voice - of a mixed type. On harmonic extreme sounds in high voices it is close to the falsetto type.
Falsetto, so pronounced in all men, is absent in the vast majority of women, which is due to the shape of the larynx and a different arrangement of fibers in the vocal muscles. Only a few of them, usually low and strong voices, can reproduce it in its pure form.
The fundamental difference in the register structure of a woman’s voice compared to a man’s is the presence of a central part of their range, which by nature has a mixed sound. If for men the mixture is almost always artificially found by covering, then for women the mixed register exists by nature. The structure of the larynx and vocal cords allows them to produce a purely chest type of vibration on low sounds, but does not allow them to go into falsetto. Instead of falsetto, the voice blends naturally to form the center of the female voice. The head sound of the upper register of female voices should also be considered as a mixed sound with a predominance of the falsetto type of vibrations of the vocal cords. Therefore, the transition from the center to the head sound in female voices is not always pronounced. This is not actually a transition from one register to another, but rather a change in the nature of vibrations within the mixed work of the vocal cords. Relatively pure falsetto sounding female voices are usually shown only on the upper harmonic sounds.
Thus, the problem of smooth sounding of the entire range for female voices is greatly alleviated by the presence of a naturally mixed sound of the center. At correct formation voices in the center, the teacher’s task is to spread this sound to the edges of the range.
The basic general principles of working on the evenness of the range of the singing voice for women are the same as for men: improving mixed voice formation in the center, correct sound dynamics, smooth breathing, the use of dark vowels o and u when forming the upper sounds - rounding the voice, soft attack and free sounding voice.
Of particular importance for the smoothness of the voice is the correct dynamic range construction. With a forced, overloaded sound, register transitions always appear especially sharply. You should not try to spread the chest sound too high. This is permissible in the operatic style of singing only for contraltos who have powerful-sounding voices that can endure the chest type of ligament vibrations over a large range. The main rule in cultivating a voice that sounds varied throughout the entire range is the cultivation of a free, soft, natural mixed sound of the center.
To do this, you need to pay attention to the softness of the attack, to good support sound with calm breathing, for simultaneous sounding of the chest and head resonators, for free, full pronunciation of vowel sounds. When searching for the most correct sound of the central part of the range, it is necessary to take into account both the individual properties of the student’s vocal apparatus and the specifics of this type of voice.
Some voices are naturally more likely to have a head center sound, while others have a chest sound, and this natural property can be hidden as a result of acquired speech and singing skills. Often, only the teacher’s experienced ear, intuition, and extensive previous pedagogical work make it possible, after using various techniques and tests, to find what is truly closest to the natural nature of the sound of a given voice. In addition, you should always take into account the specific sound of a given type of voice. The mixed sound of the center of the range in different types of voices sounds with unequal degrees of fullness of the chest and head resonance. Although in this matter one must always start from individuality, it can still be said that light sopranos, lyric and coloratura voices should, in the mixed sound of the center of the range, develop more a high head sound, strive more for light edge work of the vocal cords, without, of course, losing , a certain measure of chest resonance. Such a construction of the range will allow them to develop well in relation to the extreme upper notes, which, when the center is heavy with chest resonance, usually do not receive sufficient lightness. In this type of voice, the transition to the lower chest register should be carried out by completely maintaining the high and light mixed sound both on the transition notes and below it. Here it is impossible to enhance the chest sound below the transition notes, as is allowed, for example, with mezzo-sopranos or dramatic sopranos.
Regarding the use of registers, Mirella Freni said: “Using soprano chest sounds is a very dangerous thing. If a soprano uses the chest register at the bottom, then the upper sounds are difficult to achieve. It is much more correct to level out the entire sound, make it equal and lighten it. We need to lighten the lower sounds. This will make it possible to better rise to the upper tones.”
In heavier voices—lyric-dramatic soprano, dramatic soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto—in the central mixed section of the range, along with high head resonance, chest sound should be fully present. What is required here is always a denser, “meatier” sound, with a fairly pronounced element of chest resonance. The transition down can be made unnoticeable when the chest notes are not overly open or overloaded. We must try, with all the bright, rich chest sound, to introduce elements of head resonance into it, i.e. the principle of mixed work of the vocal cords. Then the transition can usually be made invisible. When mastering the transition from the center, one should, while maintaining mixed voicing on transitional sounds, in a further example of descending along the sound scale, mix chest sounds more intensely. The basic principle of mastering the transition from the center down in low female voices is to transfer the mixed sound gradually downward, through the transition and finding elements of head resonance in the purely chest sound. A rich low register is especially important for mezzo-sopranos and dramatic sopranos, since some parts in the parts written for this type of voice require a sound well-saturated with a chesty sound. Nevertheless, sometimes one should strive to ensure that even on these low sounds there is always an admixture of the head sound, that is, so that the sound always has a mixed character and a high position at its core.
Mezzo-soprano and contralto in terms of evenness when moving to the lower part of the range present a particular difficulty for the teacher, since the notes of the lower part of the range are specific to these voices and decorate it. The rich, deep low register of these voices is of great value, and therefore composers always try to give them the opportunity to use the deep chest colors of their voices.
As in all cases of work on leveling the range, what is required here is, first of all, finding the correct functioning of the vocal apparatus in the center, good sound support, correct dynamics, the ability to control your breathing and other general rules.
In developing the upper register of female voices, due to the fact that it already has a mixed character, there is no need for a special covering technique, which is used by male voices. For female voices, it is enough to use rounding, i.e., creating a larger cavity in the pharynx, in order to achieve the desired impedance and ease the maximum effort associated with singing at the extreme upper part of the range.
As we can see, the naturally mixed center of the vocal range in female voices greatly simplifies the task of leveling the voice and does not require the search for special techniques when moving to the upper notes. It is possible that these features of the register structure of the female voice to a certain extent determine the situation that singing voices In general, they occur in women much more often than in men. The absence of a radical restructuring of the vocal apparatus during adolescence also contributes to the identification and development of vocal abilities in women. The skills acquired in children's singing remain valid for the adult voice, so technical capabilities women's voices are also relatively higher.
The difference in the register structure of male and female voices often leads to conflicts in vocal pedagogy if an inexperienced female teacher does not take into account the register features of the male range in her students. Without knowing the cover and not feeling the difference between the mixed character of the center of the range in women and its difficult character in men, such teachers try to extend the chest type of work to the upper part of the range of the male voice. Even with the most careful treatment of the voice in the sense of using its power and the lightest, “swarming” singing in the sense of the least involvement of the vocal cords in the work of the vocal cords, the spread of their work upwards will not lead to complete mastery of the entire range and, as a rule, quickly wears out voice. Only those male voices whose sound is naturally easily mixed can develop successfully with such a system of influence, but this is a rare exception, not the rule.

Conclusion

The glottis is the source of the main qualities of the singing voice, determined on the basis of sound representations from the cerebral cortex. Its work depends on breathing, which is supplied from below, on the impedance that is formed during the articulation of sounds in the cavities of the larynx, pharynx, mouth, and on the direct regulation of the functioning of the vocal cords. The vocal muscles, which make up the bulk of the vocal cords, are special muscles associated with the development speech function person. Features of the neuromuscular system, the anatomical structure of the larynx and the human constitution determine the natural properties and functioning of his glottis. In addition, the natural properties of the larynx are strongly influenced by speech and singing from childhood. Differently formed larynxes require individually selected methods for organizing singing sound. Some singers know how to connect consciousness to regulating the functioning of the glottis. The attack of sound makes it possible to clearly feel the nature of the closure of the vocal cords. Different types of attacks allow you to change the functioning of the glottis in the desired direction, so mastering the correct beginning of a sound is the basis of the teaching method for many teachers. Every singer must master all types of attack.
Voice registers depend on different types of glottis operation. The male voice has two registers, the female voice has three. The basis for the evenness of the sound of the entire two-octave range in the male voice is the development of mixed voice formation. The cover allows you to find this mixed, darkened voice formation, which is naturally absent in most singers.
In the female voice, due to the structure of the larynx, there are three registers. They naturally have a mixed voice in the center of their range. The basic principle of equalization of the range in the female voice is the organization of the correct sound of this central part of the range and the distribution of this type of sound through transitions down and up. When moving to the upper notes for female voices, no covering is required - some surrounding of the vowels is enough.

This article was written as an answer to many questions received by email on the site. They all relate to one degree or another SINGING REGISTERS. There is some “misunderstanding” about this concept among young people interested in vocals. In addition, we can say that this article is a kind of “expansion” of the topic, which is presented in the articles “Voice Range”, “Chest Voice and Speech Range. What common?" , “Head voice or how to sing high notes?” .

There is a lot of information on this topic in various literature and online articles, and mostly the same. But! Mostly superficial. I will try to talk about the registers of a person’s voice in more detail and more accurately. Without going into scientific language, of course! The purpose of the site is to popularize knowledge about vocal technique, about the “structure” of the voice; specific language will only alienate the reader.

So what is it VOICE REGISTERS? First of all, I want to immediately say that I consider this concept as is customary in classical vocal science, from the point of view not so much of the pitch scale, but from the point of view of the mechanism of sound production. Musical instruments also have registers - low, middle, high, etc., but in most cases what happens in a person’s voice is not observed. That is, in a musical instrument, as you rise or fall on the pitch scale, the very principle of sound creation does not change. But in the human voice it even changes a lot!

In some articles on the site, I use a “semantic comparison” of the operation of vocal mechanisms with the operation of car mechanisms. Of course, this is rude, but understandable PRINCIPLE, which is often required. Using this “trend”, voice registers can be compared to... a car gearbox! Those of you who have at least some idea about the operation of car mechanisms (and there are a lot of them now, the automobile “boom”) will immediately understand and “grab the essence” of the register structure of the voice.

And whoever doesn’t know cars will understand the comparison with the speeds of a bicycle, for example.

Our registers are the “speeds” of the voice. But if real speeds in the gearbox are needed in order to “coordinate” the operation of the motor with the speed of movement, then the vocal registers are needed to coordinate the operation of our “motor” (sound generator - vocal folds) with HEIGHT sound. The car drives on the road, and the voice moves along the range.

An old “Zaporozhets”, in this case, will have a smaller “range”, since it will accelerate to barely 80 km/h, and a “cool” SUV will have a larger one (it can even accelerate to 200).

Well, it's time to stop the "car" associations.

There can be four “speeds” in each person’s voice. Not more. The first one is called - NOISE REGISTER. It is characterized by the fact that the vocal folds OPEN, that is, they do not touch each other. We cough, wheeze, silently exhale air and even WHISPERING precisely when the folds are in an open state. That is, in Russian vocal science, the “noise register” is the absence of vocal folds, even if they vibrate, they do not create a sound wave, since they do not touch each other.

The second “speed” is the most used, closest, “native”, most often used in life (and not just in vocals). Its name - MODAL or SPEECH REGISTER. They often say - CHEST. When talking, we pronounce 99% of sounds using exactly this register, this sound production mechanism.

The folds in this register are already in close contact with each other, and even with a significant portion of their surface. The sounds of the voice are saturated with overtones, “rich”. BUT– low in height. There is no need for examples; your calm speech is the best example.

In the terminology of advanced Western vocal scientific methods the concept of “speech” or “chest” register is completely absent. There they are accustomed to looking at what determines the achievement of a certain character of the voice, its rich timbre. That is, on the state during operation of the vocal folds themselves. Therefore, some analogue to the Russian “chest” or the English name “ chest voice"became the concept" thick ligaments", or sound production mode M1.

In addition, in the West, the noise register is not considered one of the mechanisms of sound production. Probably precisely because the ligaments are not involved in it. But Russian classical vocal science, in turn, passes by what in the West is called the mechanism M0. Vocalists familiar with Western terminology will immediately understand me when I say that this mechanism corresponds to vocal fry(or you can find its other name - stro-bass). When creating such a sound, our ligaments are in contact with each other, but are in a “relaxed” state, their vibration is irregular, and the sound resembles the creaking of a door or (hence the name) the sizzling of oil in a frying pan during frying.

There is a website about this type of sound. After all vocal fry It is also a fairly common technique in the vocals of pop and rock stars, and also has some therapeutic properties.

The third “speed” is called in Russian vocals FALSETS CASE. U ordinary person, who has never practiced singing (with an untrained voice), when the pitch of the sound increases, sooner or later there will come a moment when the “second speed”, thick ligaments, will no longer be able to create the desired height. From the video on the page “How is vocal sound created?” you see that gradually, “inside”, within the lower register when singing increasingly higher sounds, the folds begin to change. Their upper, elastic parts, called LIGAMENTS, lengthen more and more, and the lower, muscular ones, visible only in the animation fragment, move apart and move away from each other.

But, sooner or later, any ligament will reach its stretch limit. Under these operating conditions, the entire second “speed” - the modal (speech, chest, “thick ligaments”) register.

“And I want higher!” - and the body will obey the desire of the brain. But... it won’t work at all the way a person wants! The folds (muscular part) will sharply relax, finally moving away from each other, but the ligaments (upper, elastic part) will sharply STRETCH! At this point the sound will become “falsetto”.

And the “point of change” itself, that is, the note of the range corresponding to this moment is called REGISTER THRESHOLD. People often say in their sensations that “it’s as if their throat was constricted.”

Here, when we talk about the falsetto register, we need to dwell in more detail, because what is understood by the “falsetto register” in Russia largely does not coincide with how Western vocal and scientific schools look at this phenomenon.

“... In a male voice, two natural registers are usually distinguished - chest and head (falsetto). In the chest register of the male voice, which occupies about 1.5 octaves of its range, the tight closure of tense vocal folds allows the use of strong subglottic pressure, which makes it possible to extract powerful and rich in timbre sounds that cause a distinct sensation of chest vibration (hence the name of this register). However, working in this mode is possible only up to transition sounds. If you want to sing higher sounds, the voice, due to a sharp change in the mechanism of voice formation, turns into falsetto. At the same time, the vocal folds relax and stretch, vibrating only at the edges. The falsetto is poor in timbre, does not reach great strength, and is felt only in the head. With a falsetto voice, a singer can sing a whole range of high-pitched sounds. ..."

"Vocal Dictionary"

“Vocal Dictionary” talks about those vocal terms and from the point of view that exists in classical vocal science. Therefore, in the continuation of this article (in the dictionary) it is said that “As a rule, when moving to the upper part of the range, women do not develop a pure falsetto...” In classical singing - yes, it is not formed. BUT! This does not happen with qualified classical singers! And for beginners, inexperienced people, and even those who have chosen a different path of development for themselves, a different repertoire (rock, pop music, soul, etc.) is still being formed!

The register threshold exists as in men, where it MORE CLEAR It manifests itself both by ear and in women, where it is less noticeable. The register difference, so to speak, in male and female voices manifests itself precisely here, when the voice transitions from the “second speed” (modal register) to the third (falsetto register). And it is due to the fact that the mechanism of the larynx itself is not designed in exactly the same way in men and women. This difference is evidenced by such a visible difference as the Adam's apple.

The cartilage of the male larynx, of which the Adam's apple is a part, is more massive, larger and less mobile than that of women. However, purely physiologically, the mechanism of stretching when the limit of pitch is reached exists in both sexes. This is what falsetto singing sounds like when unqualified singers sing:

But this is the case if the singers are qualified and experienced. Sound VERY very different, listen:

Although PHYSIOLOGICALLY singers use the “third speed” of their voice.

So what does this mean “physiologically”? Here's what...

In modern vocals, it is customary (and proven by research, so this is not an empirical conclusion at all) to define the state of the vocal cords for a given sound production mechanism with the term “ thin ligaments" And call the mechanism itself M2. Indeed, the ligaments are thinned and stretched, so they are capable of producing sounds higher than the “thick ligaments” in the modal register (M1 mechanism). Without the ability of a vocalist to perform such a “trick” with his chords, he may forever forget about singing high notes. However...

Thin thin discord... Since the ligaments significantly change their type of closure, their condition, it becomes very difficult for them to cope with air supply! In this mechanism of sound production, air begins to play a much more significant role than in the mechanisms M1, M0 and the “noise” register. Down there, he was an assistant vocalist, but now he turns into an “enemy”.

And depending on how the vocalist’s thin, stretched ligaments operate with air, Western schools divide the types of sound into “ head voice”(or “head” voice) and the falsetto itself. The difference between the sound of one hypostasis of the “thin ligaments” (M2) and the other is quite significant. If the vocalist does not allow excess air in the sound, then the voice sounds thin but dense, although less saturated with overtones than the sound in M1 mode. This sound can create significant volume.

Here is an example of the sound of “hard ligaments”, that is, a real falsetto:

And there are examples that “do not fit” into either one mechanism or another:

What are the connections here? Thin or hard? It’s not falsetto, but it certainly doesn’t look like a “head voice” either! We have no doubt that such a voice is called a mixed voice. No, it's not mixed. And the ligaments in this case are thin. But they are not the only ones involved in creating the final sound, the one we hear. There's a lot more involved. But in order to understand this, you need to understand what vocalizations are, and this is a conversation on a slightly different topic. If you are interested, start with this article.

As you can see, the approaches to register from the point of view of the mechanism of sound creation in classical Russian vocal science and modern Western science differ very significantly! It is simply impossible to operate with one falsetto register where a completely different palette of sounds is required than on the opera stage.

And finally, there is a fourth “speed” of the voice – the whistle (or flute) register. However, not everyone has it. A healthy, young voice has it, but in the voice of mature and elderly people it may not. Age, you know... affects a lot.

With the falsetto (or “head”, or M2, “thin ligaments”) mechanism of sound production, the ligaments (we are no longer talking about the muscular parts of the folds, they are not involved in the process) are stretched and tightly compressed. But you increase the sound more and more and... the ligaments again cannot stretch further in a state of compression, the limit!

And this is where they begin CLOSE UP! A whistle (or flute) register appears. In the West, the mechanism for producing such sound is called stop-closure or M3. This register (don't forget we're talking about not so much about pitch, but about the way the vocal cords work) a separate article is devoted to “Whistle register”, since there is great interest in it among site visitors.

So, if we want to “drive far across the range”, we need two “upper speeds”, since everyone has a noise register by nature, and it is impossible to create vocal sounds in it (excluding, of course, special techniques and techniques), and speech ( or chest) the register may be absent only in the case of any pathology or disease. Of course, in this case we are not even talking about vocals.

If it seemed to you that the information in this article is somewhat contradictory and confusing (after all, in Russia they are used to dividing everything into “chest”, mixed and “head”), look at this diagram, and you will immediately see the “location” of this or that concept in the general structure of views on register as a mechanism of sound formation.

However, most texts regarding singing registers say that their number is different in male and female voices. Men have two of them - chest and mixed, and women have three - chest, medium and head. Why is that ACCEPTED divide? Which two, which three? Where did this classification come from, and why is it, let’s say, not entirely FULL?

Let's talk about this at.

Use of site materials is permitted subject to obligatory reference to the source

All singing voices are divided into women's, men's and children's. The main female voices are soprano, mezzo-soprano and contralto, and the most common male voices are tenor, baritone and bass.

All sounds that can be sung or played on a musical instrument are high, medium and low. When musicians talk about the pitch of sounds, they use the term "register", implying whole groups of high, middle or low sounds.

In a global sense, female voices sing sounds of a high or “upper” register, children’s voices sing sounds of a middle register, and male voices sing sounds of a low or “lower” register. But this is only partly true; in fact, everything is much more interesting. Within each group of voices, and even within the range of each individual voice, there is also a division into high, middle and low register.

For example, a high male voice is a tenor, a middle voice is a baritone, and a low voice is a bass. Or, another example, singers have the highest voice - soprano, the middle voice of vocalists is mezzo-soprano, and the low voice is contralto. To finally understand the division of male and female, and at the same time, children’s voices into high and low, this tablet will help you:

If we talk about the registers of any one voice, then each of them has both low and high sounds. For example, a tenor sings both low chest sounds and high falsetto sounds, which are inaccessible to basses or baritones.

Female singing voices

So, the main types of female singing voices are soprano, mezzo-soprano and contralto. They differ primarily in range, as well as timbre coloring. Timbre properties include, for example, transparency, lightness or, conversely, saturation, and strength of voice.

Soprano– the highest female singing voice, its usual range is two octaves (entirely the first and second octave). In opera performances, the roles of the main characters are often performed by singers with such a voice. If we talk about artistic images, then a high-pitched voice best characterizes a young girl or some fantastic character (for example, a fairy).

Sopranos, according to the nature of their sound, are divided into lyrical and dramatic– you yourself can easily imagine that the parts of a very tender girl and a very passionate girl cannot be performed by the same performer. If a voice easily copes with fast passages and flourishes in its high register, then such a soprano is called coloratura.

Contralto– it has already been said that this is the lowest of women’s voices, moreover, very beautiful, velvety, and also very rare (in some opera houses there is not a single contralto). A singer with such a voice in operas is often assigned the roles of teenage boys.

Below is a table that names examples of opera roles that are often performed by certain female singing voices:

Let's listen to how women's singing voices sound. Here are three video examples for you:

Soprano. Aria of the Queen of the Night from the opera “The Magic Flute” by Mozart performed by Bela Rudenko

Mezzo-soprano. Habanera from the opera Carmen by Bizet performed by the famous singer Elena Obraztsova

Contralto. Ratmir's aria from the opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila" by Glinka, performed by Elizaveta Antonova.

Male singing voices

There are only three main male voices - tenor, bass and baritone. Tenor Of these, the highest, its pitch range is the notes of the small and first octaves. By analogy with the soprano timbre, performers with this timbre are divided into dramatic tenors and lyric tenors. In addition, sometimes they mention such a variety of singers as "characteristic" tenor. “Character” is given to it by some phonic effect - for example, silveriness or rattling. A characteristic tenor is simply irreplaceable where it is necessary to create the image of a gray-haired old man or some cunning rascal.

Baritone– this voice is distinguished by its softness, density and velvety sound. The range of sounds that a baritone can sing is from A major octave to A first octave. Performers with such a timbre are often entrusted with courageous roles of characters in operas of a heroic or patriotic nature, but the softness of the voice allows them to reveal loving and lyrical images.

Bass– the voice is the lowest, can sing sounds from F of the large octave to F of the first. The basses are different: some are rolling, “droning”, “bell-like”, others are hard and very “graphic”. Accordingly, the parts of the characters for the basses are varied: these are heroic, “fatherly”, and ascetic, and even comic images.

You are probably interested to know which of the male singing voices is the lowest? This bass profundo, sometimes singers with such a voice are also called octavists, since they “take” low notes from the counter-octave. By the way, we have not yet mentioned the highest male voice - this tenor-altino or countertenor, who sings quite calmly in an almost feminine voice and easily reaches the high notes of the second octave.

As in the previous case, male singing voices with examples of their operatic roles are displayed in the table:

Now listen to the sound of male singing voices. Here are three more video examples for you.

Tenor. Song of the Indian guest from the opera “Sadko” by Rimsky-Korsakov, performed by David Poslukhin.

Baritone. Gliere's romance “The nightingale soul sang sweetly,” sung by Leonid Smetannikov

Bass. Prince Igor's aria from Borodin's opera "Prince Igor" was originally written for baritone, but in this case it is sung by one of the best basses of the 20th century - Alexander Pirogov.

The working range of a professionally trained vocalist's voice is usually two octaves on average, although sometimes singers and singers have much more wide possibilities. In order for you to have a good understanding of tessitura when choosing notes for practice, I suggest you get acquainted with the picture, which clearly demonstrates the permissible ranges for each of the voices:

Before concluding, I want to please you with one more tablet, with which you can get acquainted with vocalists who have one or another voice timbre. This is necessary so that you can independently find and listen to even more audio examples of the sound of male and female singing voices:

That's all! We talked about what types of voices singers have, we figured out the basics of their classification, the size of their ranges, the expressive capabilities of timbres, and also listened to examples of the sound of the voices of famous vocalists. If you liked the material, share it on your contact page or on your Twitter feed. There are special buttons under the article for this. Good luck!

During a trial vocal lesson, beginning vocalists often ask: “What does it mean to sing higher or lower?” It is difficult for people without musical training to understand how to control their voice and change its pitch. And what is “voice pitch”?

Some people think that singing higher means singing louder. However, these words are NOT synonyms!We can sing both high and low notes loudly.Why your voice sounds lower or higher depends on the singing register in which you play the note.

In this article we will briefly talk about what voice registers there are.If you already know this topic and are interested in practice, then I recommend exercises for developing singing registers in the O VOCALE section.

What are the different voice registers in humans?

Every musical instrument has registers. The voice is also a musical instrument. Imagine strings on a guitar. The thickest string sounds low and is stretched less elastically. The thinnest string sounds higher because tighter. The singer’s vocal cords also become very tense. top notes. Therefore, the sound becomes thinner and higher.

The lower and upper strings sound in different registers - upper and lower. Together they make up the guitar's musical range, from the highest note to the lowest.

M It is possible to highlight the mainVocal registers for vocalists:

• upper register (which many techniques call the “head” voice)
• middle case
• lower register (“chest” voice)

Briefly about singing voice registers.

• Firstly, voice registers have different colors , by which they can be distinguished.
• Secondly, it will come to the rescue sound resonance and its vibrations.

For example, when you move to a high register of your voice, the sound changes color and becomes thinner. You don’t notice at all that your vocal cords are stretched and begin to vibrate faster. The sound wave gains a higher frequency. And the bones of the skull vibrate from this high sound wave.

It seems that the top notes ring (resonate) in the head. For some, the voice is felt in the top of the head, for others in the back of the head, in the forehead or in the bridge of the nose.

In the lower register, the chords shorten, become thicker, and the sound is denser and rougher. Low frequencies appear in the voice. Vibrations of sound are felt in the throat and chest. Hence the name - “chest”.

Advice for beginners.If your ear for music is not developed, but you want to understand whether you sing lower or higher, focus on the sensations in your own body. Where do high and low notes vibrate? Try to evaluate the color of the sound: whether the voice sounds thin, squeaky (upper notes) or rough, dense (lower).

Vocalists often have this problem: the upper and lower registers are not connected to each other. You were just singing in a thick, beautiful voice, and then something seems to break, and you go into an empty and thin sound (which is often called falsetto).

The initial voice production of vocalists “from scratch” often comes down to connecting the upper and lower registers of the voice and avoiding transitional notes at their junction - fractures. Mid frequencies help with this, which we will discuss below.

Mixed middle voice register.

Some vocal techniques highlight the middle register not as an independent segment of the range, but as a section of the voice where the upper and lower registers overlap each other and mix. This is where the name comes from "mixed".

Imagine turning on water from a tap, cold and hot at the same time. As a result, they mix and the flow of water gets warm. This is the same warm timbre that colors your voice when you sing not with just your “head” or “chest”, but try to “mix” them.

Mixed sound is a singing technique, and not a separate section of the range. A technique in which we add midrange frequencies to the voice.

We use mixed every day - in everyday speech. The spoken voice is rich in midrange frequencies. It seems natural, pleasant in timbre and does not require effort. Therefore, many teachers advise not to sing, but "talk" while singing to show the natural color of the voice. As most modern vocalists do.

The sound of a vocalist when adding mid frequencies is felt not in the head or chest in isolation, but in the face, nose, jaw, front teeth and palate. In Western methods, the middle frequencies in the voice are called “tweng,” which we will talk about more than once.

Due to the fact that the ligaments in men are denser and thicker than in women, the chest register in men occupies most of the range and sharply moves into the upper register (into the so-called “male falsetto”). Of course, all the limits of voice registers for men shown in the figures are relative and individual for each person. This example applies more to pop vocals. A separate article on the mixed sound of the voice can be found in the section, where I will tell you how to add “chest” notes to the “head” voice and make the sound on the upper notes richer. We’ll also discuss why everyone argues about the differences between Tweng and mixed doubles.

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Thanks to mixed music, professional vocalists cannot hear purely head notes and “breaks” in the voice, as they skillfully mask them. The voice sounds rich and rich even at the top.

What are the different voice registers in pop vocal techniques?

Various pop vocal techniques are mentioned whistle (flute, fistula) voice register, falsetto, modal (speech) register, noise and stro-bass. But, despite the differences, all vocal schools say about the same thing about singing registers:

• Whistle, fistula, and falsetto registers can be classified as high voice registers.
• Modal, speech, mixed register - to the middle.
• Noise and stro-bass - to the bottom.

Unfortunately, these register names are often used out of context, without mentioning where this term came from. This causes confusion for newbies. And among vocal teachers there is a fierce debate about what to call this or that register of singing.

I advise you not to get carried away with terms. They are only good if you learn a specific vocal technique, such as method"speech singing" (Speech Level Singing) Seth Riggs or the Jo Estill method (Estill Voice Training). To understand how these systems work, you must speak their language and, naturally, call the upper part of the range "falsetto" rather than "head register".

I am not an ardent supporter of any one technique. It is not the technique itself that works, but the person using it. You need to study not only the terms, but also your voice in practice.

My practice shows that it is easier for students to distinguish between registers, starting from “upper” and “lower”. This is how they understand that they are moving to the top and bottom notes. The main task is to learn to distinguish the pitch of sound, to understand whether you are singing higher or lower. And the “head” with the “chest”, and the vibrations in them, can serve as guidelines.

For the curious. A few words about the difference between the names of singing registers.The noise register is part of the lower register; we hear it when we speak in a whisper. There is a lot of air in the voice, but little sound. The vocal cords practically do not close.

But if you close them a little in the same low whisper, turning on the false ligaments, you can get - stro-bass. The stro-bass resembles an unpleasant rasp, and is often called "fry" - a low-pitched singing technique favored by Britney Spears and Sia.

In Western singing methods, only two registers are recognized - modal (speech), also known as “modal voice” or “chest voice”. And falsetto - “head voice”, “falsetto”.However, in our domestic vocal technique “falsetto” and “speech” voice are singing techniques! With falsetto, as the Russian vocalist understands, aspiration is added to the voice. The sound is taken on a soft attack.While in the West, all high notes are called falsetto, even those that sound dense.

The same applies to the modular speech register, which replaces the full chest voice in the West. In Russia, “speech singing” is not an independent segment of the range, but the addition of mid frequencies to the voice, a mix.

The whistle register is recognized by all countries of the world. And it is located in the very upper part of your range, where the sound becomes very high and resembles a whistle, and for super professional vocalists it turns into ultrasound. Often used in extreme singing.

Even men can develop such notes; their falsetto can easily turn into an immense reserve of upper whistle sounds. A striking example of use is the singing of Mariah Carey for women and Adam Levin for men. Vocal whistle is a unique phenomenon from the point of view of the functioning of the vocal cords, and we will talk about it in other articles.

How to use the work of voice registers in singing?

1. Find your highest and lowest note. This can be done using a tuner. Through application or online. This way you will determine your voice range and its type, the boundaries of your vocal singing registers. This means you will understand what songs and style of music are comfortable for you.
2. Use all registers, don't avoid low and high notes! Working with the upper and lower registers develops range, hearing and power of sound. That's what chants are for. They cover your ENTIRE range, you touch the extremes of your voice above and below. Also useful voice stretching on glissando, where you connect both registers.
3. Don't listen to background songs - analyze! Pay attention to the register in which the voices of your favorite performers sound. Focus on where the singer's voice becomes thinner and louder (as if it sounds in his head), this will be the upper register. And where the voice becomes rougher is in the chest - the lower register. When you learn to track the change in color in someone else’s voice, understand where others sound high and low notes, You'll be surprised how much easier it is to control your own sound!
4. Before you sing a song, analyze its melody. You can join a teacher in a vocal lesson. Highlight the lyrics to the song the highest notes in the melody and emphasize them. And then sing while looking at the highlighted text. Knowing about high notes in advance, you will automatically “pull up” your voice higher, sounding in the upper register. At first, this is enough to train voice coordination.
5. Do not confuse the head and chest register of the voice with the head and chest resonator! These are different things! The vocal register is the color of the sound, its pitch frequency. While this is a physiological cavity, emptiness in the body, where the sound hits and becomes larger. Such voids exist in the mouth, oropharynx, and nose.
6. Don't be afraid of the top notes - take them as you please! Novice vocalists are used to singing only within the limits of your spoken voice register, do not go beyond it. Therefore, any song more than three notes causes horror among beginners: “It’s too high, I won’t be able to sing it!” Taking on songs with unusual high or low notes is necessary to develop registers, range and hearing. This means new beautiful colors in your voice!

Learning and developing singing registers is important for any vocalist who wants to become a professional. The blog O VOCALE has a series of exercises from my practice, which will help you get acquainted with voice registers and expand your range in a short time. It is also useful to use them as a voice warm-up before singing lessons.

So run and train!

If you have any questions, write to me in the comments, I’ll be glad to chat!

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The female voice is organized differently in register than the male voice. This is due, first of all, to the anatomical and physiological properties of the female larynx. The chest register, which in men occupies almost one and a half octaves, in women's voices is present only on the lowest sounds of the range, covering approximately a fifth in low voices, and a third in high voices. Above the chest register, after the transitional notes, there is the so-called central section of the range, extending up an octave, and sometimes more; higher in female voices the head register is noted up to the extreme upper notes. In high sopranos, the extreme upper sounds take on a harmonic character. Thus, as stated, in the female voice there are three registers and two transitions. The main part of the range is occupied by the center, below - the chest register, above - the head register.

Transitional notes for soprano: mi 1- F 1 - F sharp 1 and E 2- fa 2- F sharp 2. For mezzo-soprano: up to 1- C sharp 1- re 1 and up to 2- C sharp 2- re 2 . The lower the voice, the lower the transition notes. It should be noted that the individual characteristics of the larynx and constitution play a significant role in the register structure of the voice. Transition notes can vary greatly in pitch. But the most remarkable thing is the inconstancy of the transition to the upper sounds. If the transition from the center of the range downwards is always quite noticeable, then the transition from the center to the head register does not exist in all voices.

The fundamental difference in the register structure of a woman's voice compared to a man's is the presence of a central part of the range, which naturally has a mixed sound, while in men the mixture is almost always artificially found by covering. The structure of the larynx and vocal folds allows you to produce a purely chest type of vibration on low sounds, but does not allow you to switch to falsetto. Instead of falsetto, the voice blends naturally to form the center of the female voice. The head sound of the upper register of female voices should also be considered as mixed with the prevalence of the falsetto type of vibrations of the vocal folds. Relatively pure falsetto sounding female voices are usually shown only on the upper harmonic sounds.

The naturally mixed center of the range in female voices greatly simplifies the task of leveling the voice and does not require special techniques when moving to the upper notes. It is enough to use rounding, i.e., creating a larger cavity in the pharynx, in order to achieve the desired impedance and reduce the maximum effort associated with singing at the extreme upper part of the range.

Perhaps these features of the register structure of the female voice to a certain extent determine the fact that singing voices in women are generally found much more often than in men. The absence of a radical restructuring of the vocal apparatus during adolescence also contributes to the identification and development of vocal abilities in women. The skills acquired in children's singing are retained in the adult voice, so the technical capabilities of female voices are also relatively higher.

The difference in the register structure of male and female voices often leads to conflicts in vocal pedagogy if an inexperienced female teacher does not take into account the register features of the male range construction in her students. Without knowing the cover and not feeling the difference between mixed type center of the range in women and its chesty character in men, such teachers try to extend the chest type of work to the upper part of the range of the male voice. Even with the most careful treatment of the voice and the lightest, “thin” singing, i.e., the least involvement of the mass of vocal folds in the work, the upward spread of the chest sound does not lead to complete mastery of the entire range and, as a rule, quickly wears out the voice. Only those male voices whose sound is naturally and easily mixed can develop successfully under such a system of influence, but this is a rare exception.