Voice registers

The human voice is a complex instrument. Humans have vocal cords which can loosen or tighten or change their thickness and over which breath can be transferred at varying pressures. The shape of chest and neck, the position of the tongue, and the tightness of otherwise unrelated muscles can be altered. Any one of these actions results in a change in pitch, volume, timbre, or tone of the sound produced. One important categorisation which can be applied to the sounds singers make relates to the register; or the "voice" whi ...

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Human voice, Human voice - Voice registers, Human voice - Chest voice, Human voice - Middle voice, Human voice - Head voice, Human voice - Falsetto

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Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, often constrasted with speech. Air is expelled with the diaphragm as with ordinary breathing, and the pitch is altered with the vocal cords. With the lips closed, this is called humming. A piece of music that is sung is called a song; someone who sings is called a singer. Most singing involves shaping the voice to form words, but types of voice instrumental music which use open sounds or nonsense syllables ("vocables") also exist, for instance scat singing or yodeling. Solfege as ...

Including:

• Singing - External link

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Vocal music is music performed by one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered instrumental music (e.g. the wordless women's choir in the final movement of Holst's The Planets). Music without any instrumental accompaniment is often referred to as a cappella. The interest in vocal music is typically carried by the use of lyrics, although there are some no ...

Including:

• Vocal music - Forms and genres
• Vocal music - Classical music
• Vocal music - Popular music
• Vocal music - Traditional music

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Vocal music - Classical music. Art song Lied Song cycle Choral music Anthem Cantata Madrigal Mass Motet Gregorian Chant Opera Oratorio Vocal music - Popular music. Barbershop Contemporary a cappella Doo wop Pop standards Rock song < ...

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Vocal music, Vocal music - Forms and genres, Vocal music - Classical music, Vocal music - Popular music, Vocal music - Traditional music

Read more here: » Vocal music: Encyclopedia II - Vocal music - Forms and genres

In the European classical music, the whistle register is only rarely called for. When it is, it is exclusively used by coloratura sopranos to produce pitches above C6. Probably the best-known example of the whistle register in European classical music is the aria "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" from the opera Die Zauberflöte; it calls for several pitches above C6, up to F6. In Western popular music, the whistle register is used with more variety and to produce much higher pitches than are called for in classical musi ...

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Whistle register, Whistle register - Physiology and definition, Whistle register - Uses of the whistle register, Whistle register - Whistle register in popular culture

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The physiology of the whistle register is the most poorly understood of the vocal registers. It is known that when producing pitches in this register vibration occurs only in some anterior portion of the vocal folds. This shorter vibrating length naturally allows for easier production of high pitches. The physiological process that causes this is not currently known. Though the whistle register is most commonly used to produce pitches above E6, it can be used to produce lower pitches. By the physiological definition just detailed, it ...

See also:

Whistle register, Whistle register - Physiology and definition, Whistle register - Uses of the whistle register, Whistle register - Whistle register in popular culture

Read more here: » Whistle register: Encyclopedia II - Whistle register - Physiology and definition