Typical Effects of Voice Training

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Typical Effects of Voice Training

• Paper to be presented at PEVOC 6,
• London 31/8-4/9, 2005
•  
• Peter Pabon and Rob Stallinga,
• Royal Conservatory, Den Haag,
• The Netherlands.

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Phonetogram recordings of one female classical
singing student showing some typical intermediate
changes during the study. Front Crest factor,
red chest voice quality. Back Previous
recording blue.
entrance
2 years
3 years
4 years, final
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Questions to ask
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Subjects / Material

• Singing department is the largest in the Royal
  Conservatory.
• Population ca. 180 students spread over 14
  years. Predominantly female (80), classical
  singing (90).
• Ca. 45-50 new students enter each year.
• Entrance / first year phonetogram recordings made
  of 97 students over 3 successive years.
• An aselect group was recorded intermediately.
• Final recordings, made of 38 students.
• Only for 20 students complete and usable
  questionaire and uniform phonetogram material.

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Questionnaire

• Register

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Recording method

• Machines, room, parameters, colour coding

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Device comparison recordings made at the same
moment with both the old and the new computer
phonetograph.
Front (red-green) new device Voice
Profiler Back (blue) old device M96000
Simultaneous recordings Front (red-green) old
device M96000 Back (blue) new device Voice
Profiler
Subject 1
Subject 2
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Protocol

• Allways
• Standing position.
• Only vowel /a/.
• Visual feedback on the screen.
• Complete filling of the phonetogram inner area.
• First recording
• All extremes, chest plus falsetto!
• Even if not accustomed or forbidden to do so.
• No limitation to a nice or desired quality only.
• Final recording(s)
• 1st Only using trained (mixing)
  quality/technique,
• 2nd Chest voice or Falsetto voice, any register
  or quality that was avoided in the 1st.
• As an extra stimulus the old recording was placed
  at the back as a target to match during the 2nd
  recording.

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Questionnaire results Q If you use mixing, what
method do you use, if possible give some simple
key words?

• Maintaining speaking voice quality when going up
  or down.
• Speak the words and use that as the core for
  singing.
• Open, high speaking voice is the reference.
• Bring your head voice quality down, avoid chest
  voice.
• Good breath support, free neck, singing to front
  teeth.
• I do not focus on it at all, I just developed it.
• I dont isolate chest and head voice.
• I use a little bit of head in my chest voice so
  to avoid the break and therefore to mix.
• Speaking voice present in all ranges, low present
  in high, high present in low.
• Stay in high position, larynx relaxed, in
  resonance position/articulation of words.
• Small words, good breathing, not closing the
  resonance.
• Openness of high register, quality of low
  register.
• Remain speaking while singing.
• Maintain a free sound/resonance.
• I focus not on placing but on allowing it to move
  where it needs to go, method breathing and
  speaking.
• To use my body as well.

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Female classical singing student group Combined
effects, 10 voices averaged.Phonation density,
contour set at 50
Begin study
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Female classical singing student group Combined
effects, 10 voices averaged.Phonation density,
contour set at 50
End study, mixed voice only
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Female classical singing student group Combined
effects, 10 voices averaged.Phonation density,
contour set at 50

• End study,
• chest voice

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Female classical singing students average 10
voices, 50 contour, Crest factorEnd study in
front, Begin at the back (blue)

• What is gained is made pink

Front only using mixed voice
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Female classical singing students average 10
voices, 50 contour, Crest factorEnd study in
front, Begin at the back (blue)

• What is gained is made pink

Front also using chest voice
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Conclusions Mixing

• Extreme levels reached in mid / mixed range
  severely drop.
• Complete deficit to used pushed chest voice.
• The large level drop is not noted by students and
  teachers.
• Mixed voice is in this case low pitched falsetto
  mode.
• Male mixed voice is likely to be using a
  different mechanism.