Voice timbre - how to determine your timbre, what can influence it?

The topic of this lesson is timbre and pitch of the voice. At the beginning of the course, we studied all the basic properties and characteristics of the voice in general, and we devote subsequent lessons to a more detailed acquaintance with each of them.

Today we will take a closer look at such characteristics of the voice as pitch and timbre. The goal of our lesson is to learn how to control the pitch and timbre of the voice, convey various emotions using pitch and timbre, and make accents with the voice.

In this lesson we will study different types of timbre, the dependence of voice pitch on timbre, and understand how to use this in practice.

Our tasks are clear, so let's go!

What is timbre and what does it depend on?

Timbre is the sound coloring of the voice, giving it an individual sound. It conveys a person’s emotional state: excitement or joy, fear or anger.

Speech sounds have a fundamental tone and partial subtones called overtones. The combination of overtones creates an individual timbre for each person.

It depends on the physiological characteristics of a person: on the structure of the vocal cords - their length, width, elasticity, mobility, on the volume of the trachea, on the structure of the resonator cavities - the pharynx, oral, nasal cavities, paranasal sinuses.

Types of Voices

All voices are divided into several types depending on the range of sounds that they can cover. For men it is tenor, baritone, bass.

For women - soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto. Each type is divided into several subtypes, which, being in the same sound range, differ from each other due to the different timbres of the performers.

Tenor is the highest male singing voice.

The following types of tenor are distinguished:

altino (countertenor). A very high, rare voice, reminiscent of a woman’s;
light tenor. A high voice that has a lower, chesty overtone;
lyric tenor It has a soft, delicate color. Its owner was Sergei Lemeshev;
lyric-dramatic tenor. Close to the lyric tenor, but has deeper overtones;
dramatic tenor The lowest of the tenors, close to a baritone.

Baritone is a medium-sounding voice and the most common. Baritone is:

lyrical. Close to the dramatic tenor, but with a deeper tone;
lyrical-dramatic. The most prominent representative of the baritone family. It was possessed by Muslim Magomaev, Georg Ots;
dramatic. Lower, stronger, richer shade. Dmitry Hvorostovsky had a dramatic baritone.

Bass is the lowest sounding voice. Bass happens:

high (bass-baritone). The brightest, lightest representative of the family. The famous owner of the bass-baritone is Fyodor Chaliapin;
central (dramatic). Solid, sonorous, heavy bass;
low (bass profundo). Very rare, thick, low voice. Boris Shtokolov had this.

Soprano is the highest female voice. Depending on the timbre, the soprano can be: coloratura, lyric-coloratura, lyric, lyric-dramatic, dramatic. Coloratura soprano is the lightest, sonorous, airiest. Dramatic is the lowest, deepest.

Mezzo-soprano is a medium-high voice. The mezzo-soprano timbre is warm, thick, rich. It can also be coloratura, lyrical, dramatic. Owners of mezzo-soprano are Elena Obraztsova, Lyubov Kazarnovskaya.

Contralto is a low female voice, much less common than soprano and mezzo-soprano. The modern owner of the contralto is the Polish opera singer Ewa Podleszcz.

Children's voices are usually divided into low (alto) and high (soprano for girls, treble for boys).

Radical measures

Those who are completely desperate and are ready for the most drastic changes may consider the possibility of surgical intervention.

An operation to change the timbre of the voice is called glottoplasty. It is performed under anesthesia. Biogel is injected into the patient's vocal folds. After the procedure, a voice rest regimen is prescribed for 7–10 days.

Men with high-pitched voices and women with rough, low-pitched timbres turn to glottoplasty.

Despite the fact that this method will help to quickly and permanently correct timbre distortions, we should not forget that this is a surgical intervention that can have consequences. Weigh the pros and cons before deciding to take such a radical step.

What can affect the timbre

The following factors can affect the tone:

Adolescence. In boys, the voice “breaks” - it becomes lower, rougher. This is a natural process established by nature. For girls, such a striking event as “breaking” of the voice does not occur, but as they grow older, it becomes deeper and more expressive.
Colds. During illness, the voice becomes low and dull, hoarseness appears. After recovery, he returns to his normal state.
Smoking. Over time, the voice may become lower and rougher, especially noticeable in women.
Alcohol. Alcohol also has a negative effect on the voice, which becomes hoarse and rough. This happens due to irritation of the vocal cords.
Stress, emotional overstrain. Because of these factors, a person may have poor control of their voice, which may cause it to tremble, change pitch, become shrill, or rough. When unfavorable factors are eliminated, the voice will return to its normal sound.
Professions where the voice is an “instrument”. These are singers, announcers, teachers, and tour guides. People in these professions become so accustomed to using their voices at work that even in everyday life they can involuntarily speak somewhat theatrically or excessively loudly. A striking example of this is the scene from the film “The Blonde Around the Corner,” where the main character’s mother, speaking too loudly, explains: “This is professional.” It turns out that she works as a teacher.
Excessively hot, cold, spicy food negatively affects the ligaments. It makes your voice hoarse and rough, just like alcohol.
Poor posture. A hunched back does not allow the chest to expand, so the voice becomes quiet and colorless.
Age-related changes. Hormonal age-related changes in the body lead to loss of elasticity in the ligaments, the voice becomes more rattling and creaky.

Advice from a phoniatrist

Experts who study voice pathologies, as well as methods of correction, prevention and treatment of various voice disorders, claim that there are many people who produce sounds incorrectly. Moreover, the person himself, due to habit, cannot always realize that he speaks in a voice that is unnatural for his physiology.

How to fix it? Doctors give several recommendations:

Some diseases affect the voice. These are not only the obvious sore throats and colds, but also chronic diseases of the nervous and cardiac systems, spine, lungs, mental disorders, and sexual ailments. Before training the vocal muscles, you need to make sure that the body is ready for such loads.
Monitor your hormonal levels. The condition of the ligaments is affected by the amount of testosterone: if the level of this hormone is below normal, the voice becomes thinner.
The larynx is located at the level of 4–6 cervical vertebrae. Considering that there are only 7 of them, it is not difficult to guess what impact they have on voice quality. Watch the position of your neck: during a conversation, it should be relaxed and straight.
If you smoke, quit the habit for at least a couple of days. Due to the fact that cigarette smoke causes aseptic inflammation of the folds, the voice actually becomes lower, but the result is hoarseness, not a velvety timbre.
To determine your real voice, you can use this test. Close your teeth and lips, take a deep breath and begin to exhale slowly and evenly with the sound “mmmm”, then lowering and then raising the pitch. At the same time, clasp your throat with your palm as high as possible towards the chin. You should feel at what pitch of the voice your palm will vibrate the most. This sound is your real voice.
Sometimes high notes in the voice are observed in moments of great excitement and tension. To feel more confident when communicating, you can enroll in public speaking courses.
Another option is to contact a vocal teacher who will help correct defects and develop an even voice.

I recommend reading the tips for improving your diction. In the article you will even find a ready-made lesson program for the week.

How to change the tone

Timbre is given to a person by nature. It depends on the physiological characteristics of the body, so it is fundamentally impossible to change it. But if nasality or hoarseness appears, action must be taken.

For some people, hoarseness adds charm. But if hoarseness causes nothing other than irritation, it is necessary to understand the reasons for its occurrence. It may be the result of an untreated disease, in which case a doctor’s consultation is necessary.

Possible causes may be smoking, drinking alcohol, or eating too spicy or salty foods. Then you should give up bad habits.

Nasality requires a clear consultation with an otolaryngologist, as it is a consequence of untreated ENT diseases that have become chronic. In children, nasal sounds may indicate enlarged adenoids.

It happens that a person simply does not like his voice, although there are no obvious defects (nasality, hoarseness, hoarseness). In this case, special exercises for developing timbre will help.

They won't be able to change your voice beyond recognition, but they will make it cleaner, smoother and deeper. Some exercises help make the tone a little lower.

Is it possible to achieve results quickly and forever?

Fast?! From 2 weeks to 3 months! Forever: yes, mostly. It is important to understand that a low voice timbre in men depends not only on efforts to change it, but also on heredity.

All of the tips listed really work and help correct cacophonous squeaking, but it is not always possible to achieve the desired brutality in speech at home.

If exercises and techniques are not 100% effective in a particular case, you can use medications or the achievements of plastic surgery to change your voice permanently.

How to hear your real voice

Others hear a person’s speech differently than he does. There is an interesting way to hear yourself the way others hear.

To do this, you need to take sound reflectors - two pieces of cardboard or thin folders - and place them edge-on to your head in front of your ears. You can even just place your palms edgewise, depicting a kind of Cheburashka.

Now you need to say something out loud - the sound reflector will not allow the voice to penetrate directly into the ears and the person will hear the sound reflected from the surrounding surfaces, as others hear it.

This little experience will help you hear yourself from the outside, evaluate possible shortcomings, and start working with your voice.

Exercises for developing timbre

For a beautiful, natural sounding voice, it is necessary to carry out special exercises. They will allow you to relax the muscles of the face, larynx, diaphragm, and vocal cords.

First you need to start watching your posture - straighten your back, straighten your shoulders, tighten your stomach. As noted above, this will help expand the chest and make the voice stronger.

"Model"

A very simple exercise helps to relax the facial muscles - you need to open your mouth slightly, like a fashion model on set. For all its simplicity, it perfectly helps to relax the muscles around the mouth.

"Horse"

Another exercise to relax your facial muscles is to stretch your lips forward and snort like a horse.

"Yawn"

This is an exercise to relax the larynx. You need to throw your head back and open your mouth wide, imitating a yawn. At the same time, you can say “aaaaa” in a drawn-out manner, changing the tonality. It is likely that after completing the exercise you will really want to yawn. This is very good, because a natural yawn perfectly relaxes the larynx.

To relax the diaphragm, it is very important to learn to breathe with your stomach. Most adults breathe through the chest; in this case, the diaphragm is compressed. The result is a weak and inexpressive voice.

"Sound M"

To relax the muscles of the larynx and face, you need to exhale and say “mmmmm” with your mouth closed.

"Sound I"

To make your voice sound a little lower, it is recommended to do the following exercise: sit down, lower your head down so that your chin touches your chest. Pronounce the sound “iiiiii” in a low voice and slowly raise your head, trying to maintain the pitch of the sound being pronounced. At first it will be difficult - the tonality will increase, but as you practice, the pitch in both positions will become the same.

To lower the timbre, you need to control the speed of speech. The higher the speed, the higher the voice.

You need to do the exercises every day, devoting 10 to 15 minutes to them. After 3-4 weeks of regular practice, you will be able to hear the result - your voice will become deeper and more expressive.

What is "War and Peace" about? Summary of the novel “War and Peace” by chapters. All answers...
How to get your lost voice back? It happens that the voice disappears at the most inopportune moment. Symptoms, exercises...
Logorhythmic classes and correctional means By various means, speech therapy classes contribute to the effective correction of speech in children...
From experience in diagnosing and forming creative imagination Research on creative imagination - diagnosis and its formation in children...

Academy for your education

THE UNIQUENESS OF THE HUMAN VOICE

Abstract The article examines the phenomenon of the human voice, the parameters of its uniqueness, the nature of education, as well as the impact of the human voice on the environment.

Keywords: voice, vocal art Keywords: the voice, vokal art

“The voice is a castle built in the air. Imagination is the architect of this castle. Nerves carry out their plans. Muscles are working muscles. The soul inhabits it." Giovanni Batista Lamperti

In the theory of knowledge of the world, a person simultaneously acts as a subject and an object of knowledge. In this capacity, he is a person representing a certain society, and an individual with many psychosomatic characteristics. One of the most important unique features of a person is the voice.

If you break it down into its components, then, like any sound, it differs in parameters: strength, pitch and timbre. In addition, the voice has the following properties: euphony, flight and mobility. As quantities, these elements can be considered separately, but in reality, such an analysis does not represent a real expression of the voice, since they all form a single indivisible complex, which is a unique phenomenon of the human voice. Listen to the sounds of speech of a stranger... The timbre of his voice, manner of speaking, intonation can tell a lot about his feelings and character. After all, a voice can be warm and cold, soft and firm, confident and timid, rough and gentle, triumphant and insinuating, and with many other shades that can express a person’s feelings, emotions and even his thoughts. At one time, the ancient scientist Socrates, addressing one of his students, said: “Speak so that I can see you,” a wise and very correct way of knowing a person, his essence. Indeed, how much meaning, besides words, lies in the very sound of the human voice! In childhood, many people think that the voice exists on its own, that some sounds come out of the mouth that we hear. At school, during physics lessons, they explain to us that the voice is sound vibrations formed when a flow of air passes through the vocal cords. But where does the voice come from, what is its uniqueness, where is it formed, how does this mechanism work, what impact can it have on others? Almost no one, except specialists in vocal art and stage speech, seriously thinks about this. At birth, every person has a clear, strong and perfect voice. A newborn baby, with minimal lung capacity, emits a cry that reaches an amazing volume of sound, sometimes up to 110 decibels, which is comparable to the sound of a jet engine running. Then, throughout his life, a person must constantly train all two hundred muscles involved in the formation of the voice, no less than training the muscles of the legs, abdominals or biceps. Otherwise, gradually, due to various influences and circumstances, the natural voice is lost, which happens in most cases, and only a few are able to preserve it until old age. Great attention has been paid to working on the voice and correct reproduction of sounds since ancient times, and its significance has for centuries aroused the keen interest of religious cults and mystics trying to master the secret powers of controlling the elements. In ancient times, it was believed that singing was a sacred act: hence the emergence of theurgy, liturgy, and choral singing in churches. History is full of described examples when sacred sounds, mantras of initiates, prayers of saints or conspiracies of sorcerers and shamans, pronounced out loud, actually caused visible changes in the world around us. One of the ancient liturgical manuals, later described in the Avesta, says that anyone who does not know how to pronounce certain sounds correctly does not have the right to read mantras and prayers in worship, because through the timbre of the voice and the sounds of speech, human interaction with the cosmos is carried out. In terms of the power of emotional impact on the human psyche, no musical instrument can compare with the voice. That's why vocalists always have much more admirers and admirers than the best instrumentalists. At concerts of famous singers, the audience falls into an ecstatic state and literally goes crazy, and this has always been the case. During the rituals of the shamans, during the performances of Chaliapin and Caruso, fans lost consciousness in the same way as at the concerts of the Beatles or Michael Jackson. In a word, the voice is a terrible force. There have been cases in history when even one sound, one word, synchronously pronounced by a large mass of people, gave rise to the most unpredictable results of impact on the human psyche. For example, during the battle of Virginia on July 21, 1861, in the Civil War between the North and South of the United States, the cry "Revel Yell" was heard. It was a long, piercing scream in high tones, going back to the ancient battle cry of the Celtic warriors, plunging enemies into panic and forcing the enemy to leave the battlefield without resistance, just to somehow protect themselves from the eerie sound that destroys the consciousness. According to the memoirs of soldier Harvey Dew from Virginia, a witness to the described phenomenon, the width of the range of this “choral” howl was reminiscent of the cries of Indians or the howl of a wolf pack and “caused a special, soul-scratching sensation, as if the spine was falling down...”. For centuries, the ability of the human voice to express feelings and emotions, even without words, has been repeatedly confirmed by composers who wrote vocalises and perfectly conveyed feelings such as love and anxiety, lust and sorrow, jubilation and hope. The voice is such an integral property of every person that the Italians in the old days included voice timbre as a special feature in their passports. These days, the voice is still recognized as a person's calling card. That is why in the largest banks in the world many safes are programmed not with a passphrase, but with the owner’s voice. As soon as one overtone deviates to the side, the treasured door will never open. You can change your appearance, your hairstyle, give the desired expression to your face, but you will always feel false in your voice. It is not for nothing that one ancient Indian poem says: “Black and black, a Crow once wormed its way among the blackbirds. No one would recognize her in the pack, if she could hold her tongue!” Dandin (India, around 7th century)

Based on all the above facts, we are convinced that people are given unlimited possibilities that cannot be compared with any technical device. The same age as humanity, the voice most fully reveals the character, mood and even spiritual properties of a person. It has exceptional power and influence on the psyche of others. According to occult knowledge, it can even be used to communicate with other worlds. A relaxed and natural voice with a beautiful rich timbre helps a person solve vital problems. However, despite all the arguments, many do not think about how fully they use this tool in everyday life and, feeling unsure of themselves, prefer not to disclose it. This unique gift is presented to every child, and people decide for themselves how to use this gift later.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. Dmitriev L.B. Fundamentals of vocal technique. – M.: Muzyka, 2000. – 368 p. 2. Globa P.P. Cosmogenesis. – St. Petersburg: Tritas, 1991. – 216 p. 3. Kesting Y. Maria Callass. – M.: Agraf, 2001. – 400 p. 4. Kulakov S.A. Psychosomatics. – St. Petersburg: Rech, 2010. – 320 p. 5. Mal K.M. American Civil War 1861-1865. – M.: Ast, 2000. – 592 p. 6. Tsodokov E. Opera. Encyclopedic Dictionary. – M.: Composer, 1999. – 592 p.

Refresher courses:

Courses in the field of education Pre-school sphere Courses in the field of psychology, rehabilitation, social sphere Courses in the field of disabilities Industrial and administrative spheres Courses in psychotherapy Free courses