I'm writing today to share with you about one of the most fun ingredients in singing, which is RESONANCE.

This is, the way you colour or vary the 'timbre' of your voice, and there are a whole array of different qualities you can access to bring out amazing variety in the way your voice sounds.

The average singer tends to use one, unconscious, habitual resonance type; or they have patchy resonance which means their voice rings out beautifully in places but is dull in others.

(This can be totally transformed to bring out consistent, yet versatile, richness in your singing.)

If you think about it, there are loads of different vocal styles across different world cultures and musical genres. And one of the things that distinguishes these styles is how they use the resonance element of their voices.

Resonance comes from how you SHAPE your vocal tract (that's the tube of space between your vocal cords and your lips); and how you DIRECT sound into it.

It's a spectrum, or continuum, or voice qualities, but there are 4 distinct zones, and you can also blend them in interesting

Now I'll  explain for you what these resonance qualities are like, so you can see what amazing potential is available to you!

It's also a great chance to see if you can work out what your 'typical resonance type' is.

1. Nasal resonance. With this, your vocal tone is going entirely into your nose and so has that well-known (and not very attractive) nasal sound. It's a bit harsh on the ear but projects very well. It's best used as a minor element blended with other qualities.

2. Lifted Resonance. With this, your tone is going directly up, through the soft palate and the roof of your mouth, as if you were sending up as a fountain into the crown of your head. This has a bright, ringing and open sound.

3. Oral Resonance. Here, your tone is resounding mainly in the expanded chamber of your mouth, and the sound is travelling more forwards. It has a warm and rounded sound.

4. Pharyngeal Resonance. Your tone is reverberating mainly in the pharynx, which is the space at the back of your mouth and top of your throat, and it has a 'large' 'dark' sound.

(I'm simplifying a little, and there are scientific terms such as oropharynx, nasopharynx which I'm skipping here for the sake of clarity).

So these are the most distinct zones of resonance and you can mix them together to achieve a hige variety of vocal colours. That's why I call resonance the 'vocal artist's colour palette'.

Do you recognise any of these qualities as being typical of your way of singing? Do you know how to achieve any of the others?

Once you can tap into them all, you'll have a lot of choice and will be able to use them for great expressivity in your singing. So, all in all, a fun and rewarding pursuit!

So here's what you can do:

1. If you'd like to see and hear me demonstrating these vocal qualities, check out my YouTube video: https://youtu.be/YtOYNLNWO1s

and/or:

2. If you'd like to find out what YOUR resonance type is, what you're strong on and what your lacking, then come and see me for a free Singing Strengths Discovery Session. (I have a limited number of these available each month.) Find out more at: Singing Strengths Discovery Session

Cool! Enjoy your discoveries!