Hello Dre and Vocalisters:
Everything I have read about the singer's formant indicates that they are
found in the 2800-3200 Hrz. range. Surprisingly, the highest range of
these singer's formants (3000-3200) are often reported as occuring for male
voices and the lower of the listed singer's formants (2800-3000) are often
reported for female voices.
Sundburg also reports that the formants 4, 5, and 6, which are not the same
as the singer's formant, do begin to cluster together when female voices
produce a fundamental frequency at G5 or higher. This clustering of
formants 4, 5, and 6, in effect, becomes the equivalent of the singer's
formant for female voices in this range.
However, male voices will display a singer's formant in addition to formants
4, 5, and 6. Formants 4, 5, and 6 are usually rather weak in comparison to
formants 1 and 2 (the vowel formants) and the singer's formant.
It must be remembered that all of the formants are merely the most prominent
peaks of intensity out of all the partials produced by the voice. In other
words. many partials or overtones are present in the vocal sound; the term
formant is used to describe those partials that have the greatest amplitude
(are loudest). A study of formants is a study of those partials that are
most noticed by the ears and minds of the listener and, sometimes, the
singer.
Generally the breakdown is:
Formants 1 and 2 define the vowel sound that is heard and recognized. The
relative frequency positions of formants 1 and 2 are different for each
vowel sound. Also the relative frequency positions of formants 1 and 2 for
each vowel do not shift to higher or loser frequencies when the fundamental
frequency of the voice changes, that is, when one sings different pitches.
In other word, the vowel formants remain in relatively fixed positions
regardless of the sung pitch. This is necessary if vowels are to be easily
identified by the listener for different voice types and different vocal
singing ranges. It is for this reason that vowel formants are sometimes
referred to as "fixed" formants and it is this characteristic of the vowel
formants that makes possible the concept that "vowels have pitch", as
Coffin used to put it, and that not all vowels can be sung in their "pure"
state on every pitch.
Formants 4, 5, and 6, taken together, give the individual voice its unique
tonal quality or timbre. Less study has been given to these formants
The singer's formant is a very prominent peak of partials in the 2800-3200
Hrz. range which may, or may not coincide with formants 4, 5, and 6.
Regards
--
Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA
Professor of Voice, Vocal Pedagogy
School of Performing Arts
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
|
