Like an ID card, the voice is personal and non-transferable. The voice is the oldest acoustic instrument in the world (because it must be considered one). Inherent to human beings, it has been used to speak and make music since the dawn of time, long before the first percussive elements appeared and came into use.
It is also a very special instrument, more sensitive than any other to the various stimuli around it, both external and internal. That is why it needs more care and attention than the rest. We only have one set of vocal cords, and we can't go to a store and buy new ones if ours get damaged. What follows are some brief, express theoretical notes on voice training for modern styles.
The voice, a little history
Plato defined the human voice as an impact of air that reaches the soul through the ears. The voice is the foundation of human beings' everyday method of communication, through which culture is transmitted and feelings and emotions are expressed. Because it is so commonplace, its extraordinary importance often goes unnoticed; however, because of its specific and exclusively human nature, it has been studied since the beginnings of our civilization. Scholars' contributions in the main periods are worth reviewing, especially from the 16th century onward with anatomical dissection studies of human larynxes. The 17th century was a period of extraordinary importance, when the work of Dodart and Perrault laid the groundwork for Ferrein to begin the experimental physiology of the larynx in the following century. Johannes Müller deserves special mention; his experiments made it possible to establish the theories of phonation that remain valid to this day.
Although we are about to discover some of the secrets of singing for modern styles in general (pop, rock, blues, soul, etc.), it is worth pointing out that much of the theory and practical voice exercises are equally and perfectly valid for both classical and modern singing, since the fundamentals on which singing is based (breathing, phonation and resonance) are the same in both types of music, apart from a few small differences. That is why I think it makes sense to start with the features common to both, and then distinguish those more specific to contemporary music.
Elements that produce the voice
Respiratory system. This is where air is stored and circulates. It is made up of the nose, the trachea, the lungs and the diaphragm.
Phonatory system. This is where sound is produced as air passes through the vocal cords. It is made up of the larynx and the vocal cords. The larynx contains the vocal cords and is the vibrating element of the voice.
Resonating system. This is where the sound produced acquires its characteristic timbre. It is made up of the palate, the sinuses or nasal cavities and the pharynx.
Types and traditional classification of voices
First, voices are classified by gender: female (or "white") voices and male (or low) voices. Children's voices are also considered "white." Second, they are classified by their tessitura or range (the span from the lowest note to the highest, which is usually two octaves):
- Soprano: high female voice. Range: from C4 (middle C on the piano) to C6.
- Contralto: low female voice. Range: from G3 to F5.
- Tenor: high male voice. Range: from B2 to G4.
- Bass: low male voice. Range: E2 to C4.
Next, we have the so-called intermediate voices:
- Mezzo-soprano: between soprano and contralto. Range: from A3 to A5.
- Baritone: between tenor and bass. Range: from G2 to E4.
Finally, we can also find other types of voices, very particular because they are male voices that use an unnaturally high range:
- Castrati: Singers castrated as children so that, as adults, they would retain a high range capable of performing the characteristic voices of female roles.
- Countertenor, falsettist or sopranist: These singers emerged as an alternative when the Catholic Church refused to continue using castrati. They would be the equivalent of today's heavy metal and hard rock singers who use the “falsetto” or “head voice” technique in their songs.
Modern vs. classical
In classical singing, the ability to maintain the same color and a homogeneous line of sound throughout a passage is considered a sign of a performer's quality.
In modern music, on the other hand, what is interesting is the ability to play, vocal versatility, and the use of a wide range of vocal colors and qualities within the same song.
The relationship with the score is very different in the two worlds. In classical singing, the classification of voices described above is taken into account when choosing a repertoire, and the score is generally performed exactly as written. In modern styles, by contrast, the traditional classification of voices is not usually taken into account, since in principle the ranges do not include extreme notes in the upper register. In addition, the original key of the song is often changed to suit the singer or to bring out the vocal color best suited to the version they want to perform.
So the tendency is to adapt the work to the performer's personality. What's more, modern interest or virtuosity generally lies in the ability to improvise notes and phrases to recreate a song, even taking it very far from its original form if the singer is not the composer. While it is true that performances in a musical theater production usually stick faithfully to what is written, improvisation is reserved for jazz or for live versions.
The importance of correct breathing
A well-developed technique for controlling inhalation and exhalation is extremely valuable for singers and wonderful for anyone's overall health. It will expand the chest, firm up sagging muscles and even correct our posture. It also cleans the lungs, efficiently reoxygenates the blood and relaxes us when we are nervous or tense.
Correct breathing uses the lower part of the lungs, which makes it deeper and longer-lasting and makes the most of our lung capacity (chest breathing does not). With diaphragmatic inhalation, the muscles and ribs expand, the diaphragm flattens and is pushed down, and the abdominal muscles are pressed down and outward, producing an overall outward expansion of the body. Diaphragmatic inhalation is often confused with abdominal inhalation, but the latter makes the belly swell rather than producing an overall expansion of the back and chest, so its positive effects are smaller. On exhalation, the abdominal muscles and the diaphragm quickly return to their original positions, and the rib cage contracts back to its original position, pushing the air out.
Just as important as knowing how to breathe properly is knowing how to maintain that air pressure to attack long notes and give them the necessary power. This is done by keeping the diaphragm down with the air pressure.
Placement = phonation + resonance
In classical singing, the sound vibrations produced in the vocal cords go toward the “back” of the head. It is a “head” resonance, felt at the level of the crown.
In modern singing, the sound and air are directed toward the nose and mouth area so that the sound is amplified by the resonators (cavities) of the face. This is a “nasal” or upper resonance.
Good placement is vital to avoid singing “from the throat,” that is, when the throat tightens around the vocal cords (incorrect phonation). Singing “from the throat” is the first thing any singer must learn to avoid, since it causes the most common vocal problems: nodules, polyps, loss of voice, etc. The vocal cords need room to contract on high notes and expand on low ones, and this can only be achieved by keeping the larynx relaxed.
Let's now focus on the last type of resonance, which is the one that concerns modern styles. Upper or nasal resonance plays a very important role in the voice, even though our main amplifier is the lower resonance, that is, the space of the throat and mouth, responsible for three quarters of our sound. As we were saying, upper resonance adds a quality or “color” different from that of the throat and mouth; it is a brighter sound that adds projection and a characteristic tone or timbre. This type of placement is typical of Black voices and of modern styles (rock, pop, blues, etc.).
Applying Eastern principles to voice training
Another interesting aspect of placement is its relationship with Eastern philosophies and medicine. At first glance the connections may not be obvious, since they deal with fairly abstract concepts, but knowing that our state of mind and personal circumstances have an immediate effect on our voice, we shouldn't fail to take them into account. This decidedly non-Western way of conceiving the human body can help us, if we take it and apply it from a practical point of view, free of religious axioms, to improve our placement in a completely natural and intuitive way.
According to Eastern philosophy, the human body is pure energy. Each person has a kind of “aura” surrounding them, which can be larger or smaller depending on the number of energy centers they have activated; these are the chakras. A chakra, which means “wheel” in Sanskrit, is an energy center that normally cannot be perceived but that controls the functioning of the parts of the physical body under its control. There are seven main chakras, which correspond to acupuncture points. Each of them is associated with one of the endocrine glands in the human body. These centers are made up of successive layers of energy vibrating at ever higher frequencies and are joined by an energy channel that runs along the whole spine.
Five of the seven chakras coincide with strategic points used in singing. The first is located at the top of the head, at the crown, which is exactly the point to which the vibrations are directed in classical singing. The second is in the area between the eyebrows, a key point of upper resonance, known as the “third eye.” The third and fourth coincide with the vocal cords and the heart respectively (lower resonance), and the fifth is located above the navel at the level of the diaphragm, where we maintain the air support. Chakra theory holds that when we are anxious or nervous these centers close and stop working, turning positive energy into negative energy. Knowing these points can be a great help in modern singing performance and “feeling.”
A complete, specific exercise
There is a placement exercise based on a Buddhist mantra which, in my opinion, is one of the most complete there is for working on upper resonance: “Om mani padme hum.” It refers to “the lotus flower,” that is, to the Buddhist conception of the soul. Mantras are phrases repeated ad infinitum on a single note, based on the nasal sounds “m” and “n,” and they are used in almost every religion. In typical Western singing lessons, vocalization exercises using the syllables “ma, me, mi, mo, mu” are used, which serve exactly the same purpose.
The vibrations produced by this nasal sound connect with the energies and frequencies of our body, creating a massage effect on our muscles and internal organs. It's not magic, but the physics of sound (the transmission of vibrations through solid bodies). This is important because 90% of singing is based on relaxation. With this placement exercise, the brain unconsciously absorbs this way of singing, in which the breathing is correct (relaxed and diaphragmatic) and the resonance perfect.
In conclusion
A short article like this can't cover a subject as broad as the study of singing, let alone all its facets, so I recommend taking a look at one of the top books on the subject: ¿Llegaré a esa nota? Técnica vocal de los grandes del Hard Rock (Will I Hit That Note? The Vocal Technique of the Hard Rock Greats) by Luis Blanco. In it, various singers who have sold millions of records worldwide talk in the first person about their professional technique and their work. Singing is not only musical expression; it is also a way of life, and a very healthy one if done correctly. From here on the road is long, so all that's left is to start walking… or rather: singing!
