Dear Vocalisters:
It is not possible for female voices to produce all of the vowels when singing above the treble staff (about G4 or higher) because some of the sonic information needed by the listeners ear to identify these vowels is missing from tones sung at these frequencies. The quality of the sung tone makes no difference because the missing sonic information that is needed has a frequency that is lower than the pitch being sung. It is not possible for any singer to produce partials below the fundamental frequency of the sung pitch.
Only the vowels /i/, /I/, /e/, /E/, and /ae/ have their second formant at or above G4 and for this reason it is possible to create a semblance of these vowels above G4. The vowels /u/ and /o/ do not have formants above G4 and are not available on pitches of that frequency or above but they may be simulated by use of forms of the /a/ vowel such as the sheltered AH (written in IPA as an upside down /v/).
In addition to this lack of the needed first vowel formants on pitches at G4 and above and the loss of vowel identification as a result, the vocal tract itself is not naturally tuned to the fundamental of pitches this high and it must be adjusted in a special way in order to be re-tuned to the pitches at G4 and above. This special re-adjustment is achieved by opening the mouth. As the mouth is opened the vocal tract natural tuning is raised and can be adjusted to match the higher pitches that are sung. This is the reason that all female singers have the urge to open the mouth for high notes. The urge is natural and correct.
If mouth opening is not progressively increased as the pitch rises above G4, the fundamental of the sung pitch will not be emphasized, that is, acoustically enhanced. If the mouth is closed slightly as the pitch rises above G4 the vocal tract will resonate one of the upper partials of the fundamental and the tone will have a small, Minnie Mouse quality because the fundamental is being de-emphasized and its upper partials are being emphasized. Sometimes this is a chosen tone quality such as the singing of the typical operatta soprano with he extremely light, slightly squeeky quality.
For what it is worth.
-- Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA Professor of Voice, Pedagogy School of Performing Arts Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ 86011
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