The voice of each person is unique in its sound and features. If we talk about the characteristics of singing voices, then the distinguishing features are: timbre, range, height of disclosure and personality.
How to determine the type of voice? The classification of male and female voices according to vocal characteristics, existing today, was invented in the Italian opera school. It is not difficult to find out what type of voice the artist has during listening. Specialists pay attention to its timbre, tonality, voice range features and tessitura, and then draw a conclusion.
Timbre
The timbre of a voice is called its individual coloring and brightness. The voice may sound rich or soft, the color may be dark or light. Teachers distinguish the following types of voice: sharp and soft, pectoral, head, mixed.
A vocalist who has a soft and pleasant to hear timbre will be more in demand than one who has a sharp and repulsive manner of singing. In fact, it depends on the timbre of the voice whether a person can engage in vocals.
The timbre of each of us is unique, so we can easily determine the sounding voice of one of our favorite singers due to its individual characteristics.
About tonality
Each type of voice has its own key. People are comfortable singing in the natural area of the vocal apparatus. It is called primary, that is, two or three notes are added to the spoken timbre.
It is worth considering that in each composition the voice can sound differently, so it is better to sing in your working range. We, in turn, call them the range of notes that the vocalist is able to give beautiful coloring and high-quality sound. Here we are not talking about the full range of notes that a person can take with his voice. So, proceeding precisely from the working range, it is worth choosing the tonality for a certain work.
What is a range?
The range of each type of voice is determined during the chanting, as well as during the performance of the song in a tone convenient for a person. In most cases, singing voices have a specific range, thanks to which it is easy to determine its type. Artists who have a wide working range and therefore can replace one of their colleagues with a different voice are especially appreciated.
About tessitura
A tessitura is a section of the range in which the singer is comfortable singing. That is, it can be convenient or inconvenient for a certain voice. It happens that one artist may find the song convenient, while the other may not, although both have the same range. This means that they have a different range for comfortable singing. Therefore, the wider it is, the more convenient it is to sing.
Tech Tips
Moreover, the performer must learn the correct singing technique. 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 through the diaphragm, that is, the stomach should rise during inhalation, and lower when exhaled. This will contribute to greater control over the pitch.
- Maintain proper posture while singing. It is better to keep your neck straight and relaxed. Standing straight will make breathing easier.
- The back of the throat during singing should be open, sing vowels clearly.
Anyone can put on their singing technique. If we talk about the technique of vocals, then the development will depend on the presence of musical hearing, concentration of memory and attention, lung volume and features of the vocal cords. In fact, no matter what the physiological characteristics and vocal characteristics of a person are, one can develop a singing voice.
For voice development
The following are tips for artists to help maintain and develop vocal data:
- Do not set yourself high levels in expectation of progress, be patient and continue to train your voice.
- Sing simple songs first, and then take on more complex ones.
- Cold and hot drinks harm the vocal cords. It is better to drink water at room temperature, and when you sing, from time to time moisturize the throat with warm water.
- Get a feel for what you are doing, try to feel and convey the emotions of this song.
- It is important to determine which musical style is more dear to you, for this, practice singing different styles of music.
- It is useful for hearing to play notes on a piano and to sing them.
- Do not drink orange juice and milk drinks, as they envelop the throat and make singing difficult.
- Speak in your usual tone, as whispering and screaming can harm 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 types of voice - bass, baritone, tenor. The names of female types are contralto, mezzo-soprano, soprano.
Characteristics of female voice types
First, consider the types of female voices. Most vocal women have sopranos. Incidentally, it is he who has the greatest number of varieties. It is distinguished by a clear and transparent character, as well as expressiveness, the sound is open and light.
Distinguish dramatic, lyrical and coloratura soprano.
Mezzo-soprano is known for its 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.
Contralto is a voice that can rarely be heard from the lips of a woman, because it is low, which is not typical for the weaker sex. The sound of contralto is distinguished by velvet, sound power and chest notes.
The main types of male voices
A high male voice is called a tenor, its subtypes are called so: dramatic, lyrical or lyrical-dramatic. The features of this voice can be identified with these words: melodiousness, soft mobility.
Speaking of baritone, it is a heavier type of voice than tenor. It has a bright and strong sound at the top of the range. Baritones are lyrical and dramatic.
Bass is the lowest voice of the stronger sex. Bass songs sound deeper than baritone and tenor.
Some misconceptions about the classification of votes by type
Some researchers have expressed the opinion that there are supposedly no types of voices at all, and only women and men are singled out. They believe that the sound of the voice depends only on the specific features of the techniques and settings, in other words, any woman can be contralto, and mezzo-soprano, and soprano.
However, the vocal data of many artists 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 the differences in tessitura, for example, in a third. Moreover, an overestimated or underestimated by only one tone tessiturate can harm the voice.
We mention other misconceptions regarding the types of voices. There is an opinion that pop singers do not need to determine the type of voice, and that they are classified only for academic singing. But this opinion is different from reality, since the types of human voices by nature are divided into three female and three male.
In addition, some confuse the timbre and type of voice, although these are completely different terms. The type of voice means the pitch of sound, and the variety of timbre does not play a special role in such a delicate matter as determining the type of voice. Individual timbre indicators are important for choosing your style of singing, and to note the artistic characteristics of the voice. So, the types of voice are its altitude indicators, determined using the scale of the scale.
About voice features
It is impossible to replace a person’s voice with any of the musical instruments known to us, nor with the voice of any other creatures, therefore, the human soul reacts to living singing very subtly, receiving promptings for the heart and mind.
In the past, there was an opinion that phoniatry is capable of examining the vocal cords, evaluating the size and shape of the Adam's apple, and determining the type of voice of the performer. It was believed that the tenor will be the owner of a less noticeable Adam's apple, and in bass it is more outstanding. 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. If we talk about ligaments, then their structure can play a role, but you need to evaluate the thickness, strength, size and elasticity.
So, there is a specific set of external signs and personal sensations that help determine the type of voice while singing. The vocal cords of a person are very sensitive, it is quite easy to damage them, which will harm the voice or it may completely disappear.
Since teachers also sometimes make mistakes, it is better not to strain your voice too much during the hearing, for example, singing a song in a not very convenient tessitura. If someone’s voice seems more vivid and expressive than yours, don’t 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 given features of the voice. To search for offenders, special services use specially developed methods for identifying speech. Thanks to the individual sound, which is called overtones, it is not difficult for us to recognize by the voice of a friend of a friend.
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, enthusiasm, hysteria, feel gratitude or hatred.