How to determine the type of voice and what types exist?

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The voice of each person is unique in its sound and features. If we talk about the characteristics of singing voices, then here the distinctive features are: timbre, range, height of disclosure and individuality.

How to determine the type of voice? The classification of male and female voices according to vocal characteristics, which exists today, was invented in the Italian opera school. It is not difficult to find out what type of voice the performer has while listening. Experts pay attention to its timbre, tonality, features of the voice range and tessitura, and then draw a conclusion.

Timbre

The timbre of a voice is its individual coloring and brightness. The voice may sound rich or soft, the coloring may be dark or light. Teachers distinguish the following types of voice timbre: sharp and soft, chest, head, mixed.

A vocalist who has a soft and pleasant timbre will be more in demand than one who has a harsh and repulsive manner of singing. In fact, it depends on the timbre of the voice whether a person can practice vocals.

The timbre of each of us is unique, so we can easily identify the sounding voice of one of our favorite singers thanks to its individualfeatures.

About tonality

Each type of voice has its own tone. It is comfortable for people to sing in the zone of the natural work of the vocal apparatus. It is called primary, that is, two or three notes are added upwards to the spoken timbre.

It is worth considering that in each work the voice may sound differently, so it is better to sing in your working range. We, in turn, call them the range of notes to which the vocalist is able to give a beautiful color and high-quality sound. Here we are not talking about the full range of notes that a person can hit with his voice. So, based on the working range, it is worth choosing the key for a certain piece.

What is a range?

The range of each type of voice is determined during singing, as well as in the process of performing a song in a key that is convenient for a person. In most cases, singing voices have a specific range, thanks to which it is easy to determine its type. Particularly appreciated are performers who have a wide working range and can therefore replace one of their colleagues with a different voice.

About tessitura

Tessitura is a part of the range in which the singer is comfortable singing. That is, it can be comfortable or uncomfortable for a particular voice. It happens that a song can be comfortable for one performer, but not for another, although both have the same range. This means that they have different parts of the range for comfortable singing. Therefore, the wider it is, the more convenient it is.sing.

Technical Tips

Moreover, the performer must learn the correct technique of singing. The wrong one distorts the voice. To make it sound beautiful and convincing, you need to pay attention to the following technical features:

• You must breathe with the diaphragm, that is, the stomach should rise when you inhale, and fall when you exhale. This will give you more control over the pitch.
• Keep the correct posture while singing. It is better to keep the neck straight and relaxed. Standing straight will make breathing easier.
• The back of the throat should be open while singing, sing the vowels clearly.

Any person can set their singing technique. If we talk about vocal technique, then development will depend on the presence of an ear for music, concentration of memory and attention, lung capacity and characteristics of the vocal cords. In fact, no matter what a person's physiological characteristics and vocal abilities are, it is possible to develop a singing voice.

For voice development

The following are tips for performers to help preserve and develop vocal talents:

• Don't set too high standards for yourself in anticipation of progress, be patient and keep practicing your voice.
• Sing simple songs first, then move on to harder ones.
• Voice cords are harmed by cold and hot drinks. It is better to drink water at room temperature, and when you sing, moisten your throat with warm water from time to time.
• Immerse yourself in what you are performing, try to feel and convey the emotions of this song.
• It is important to determine which musical style is more native to you, for this practice singing different styles of music.
• It's good for the ear to play notes on the piano and sing along.
• Don't drink orange juice and milk drinks as they coat your throat and make it difficult to sing.
• Speak in your normal intonation as both whispering and shouting can damage your vocal cords.

In many vocal studios, the type of voice is determined in accordance with the classification that appeared in the 16th century. There are three male voice types - bass, baritone, tenor. Names of female types - contr alto, mezzo-soprano, soprano.

Characteristics of female voice types

First, consider the types of female voices. Most female vocalists have a soprano voice. By the way, it is he who has the largest number of varieties. It has a sonorous and transparent character, as well as expressiveness, the sound is open and light.

Distinguish between dramatic, lyric and coloratura soprano.

The mezzo-soprano is known for his rich sound and deep timbre. The sound of such a voice is lower than that of a soprano. This voice can also be dramatic or lyrical.

Contr alto - a voice that is quite rare to hear from a woman's mouth, because it is low, which is uncharacteristic of the weaker sex. The sound of the contr alto is distinguished by velvet, sound power and chest notes.

Main types of male voices

A high male voice is called a tenor, its subtypes are called as follows: dramatic, lyrical or lyrical-dramatic. The features of this voice can be described with the following words: melodiousness, soft mobility.

If we talk about the baritone, then it is a heavier type of voice than the tenor. It has a bright and strong sound in the upper part of the range. Baritones are lyrical and dramatic.

Bass is the lowest voice of the stronger sex. Songs played by bass sound deeper than baritone and tenor.

Some misconceptions about the classification of voices by type

Some researchers are of the opinion that supposedly there are no voice types at all, and only female and male are distinguished. They believe that the sound of the voice depends only on the specific features of the methods and performances, in other words, any woman can be a contr alto, a mezzo-soprano, and a soprano.

However, the vocal data of many performers confirm the absurdity of these statements. Only in very rare cases can a person have special vocal abilities that allow him to sing with different types of voices. In most cases, the performer cannot overcome differences in tessitura, such as thirds. Moreover, a tessitura too high or too low by just one tone can harm the voice.

Let's mention other misconceptions about voice types. There is an opinion that pop singers do not need to determine the type of voice, and that they are classified only foracademic singing. But such an opinion differs from reality, since human voice types are divided by nature into three female and three male.

Besides, some people confuse timbre and voice type, although these are completely different terms. Voice type refers to pitch features, and timbre varieties do not play a special role in such a delicate matter as determining the type of voice. Individual timbre indicators are important for choosing your singing style, and for marking the artistic characteristics of the voice. So, voice types are its pitch indicators, determined using the scale of the scale.

About voice features

The human voice cannot be replaced by any of the musical instruments known to us, nor by the voice of any other creatures, therefore the human soul reacts very subtly to live singing, receiving promptings for the heart and mind.

In the past, there was an opinion that phoniatry is capable, by examining the vocal cords, evaluating the size and shape of the Adam's apple, to determine the type of voice of the performer. It was believed that the tenor would have a less noticeable Adam's apple, while the bass had a more prominent one. But after numerous examinations and scientific research, it became clear that the structure of the Adam's apple and larynx does not affect the type of voice in any way. If we talk about ligaments, their structure can play a role, but thickness, strength, size and elasticity must be evaluated.

So, there is a specific set of external signs and personal sensations that help determine the type of voice while singing. The human vocal cords are very sensitive, they are quiteeasily damaged, which will harm the voice, or it may disappear altogether.

Because teachers sometimes make mistakes too, it's best not to strain your voice too much during hearings, for example, by singing a song in a not-so-comfortable tessitura. If you think someone else's voice is brighter and more expressive than yours, do not forget that each of us has a unique voice, so sing only in your own way.

Interestingly, when law enforcement agencies are looking for criminals, they are betrayed by the features of the voice. To search for offenders, special services use specially developed speech identification methods. Thanks to the individual sound, which is called overtones, it is not difficult for us to recognize the voice of one or another familiar person.

In fact, this is an indicator of the mental and emotional state of each person, an expression of our inner strengths. It is thanks to the voice that one can hear fear of the public, depression, delight, hysteria, feel gratitude or hatred.