Voicing and Singing

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Contributions by the Interviewees

Definition and Function

Voicing is an important sound-relevant parameter on wind instruments (see also "Tonbildung"). Voicing has a decisive influence on timbre, intonation , attack and response and facilitates control over the various registers. In order to achieve the best tone results, voicing must not simply remain activated during the duration of the sound production, but should already be formed before the sound is used. There is no uniform definition of voicing. The know-how comprises the following sub-aspects, which can be used individually or in combination:

  1. The conscious shaping of different vowels (e.g.: "i", "y", or "ü") changes the shape and volume of the anterior oral cavity through different tongue positions. This modifies the speed of the airflow hitting the reed.
  2. Conscious shaping of the entire oral cavity. In addition to vowel shaping, the inner shape of the pharynx can be widened to optimize the oral cavity as a resonance chamber according to the pitch currently being played.
  3. Inclusion of the vocal apparatus through modified opening of the glottis. Through "inner singing along," the opening of the glottis influences the use of sound and the course of the melody. As with vowel shaping, this changes the speed of the airflow, attuned to the different registers and pitches.

The combination of all aspects involved in voicing can be seen in the video of horn player Sarah Willis. Since the mouthpiece is partly in the oral cavity when playing the clarinet, the tongue position would be adjusted accordingly. If the pitch to be played exceeds the singable range, the tongue supports the function of adjusting the speed of the airflow to the pitch accordingly.

Vowels Regulate the Speed of the Airflow

An important function of voicing is the optimization of the speed of the airflow in the front part of the oral cavity, where the air hits the reed and causes it to vibrate. The experience of many interviewees (Michel Arrignon, James Campbell, Eli Eban, etc.) and other teachers (Larry Guy, Paula Corley, Howard Klug, etc.) shows that a fast airflow has a positive effect on the response, intonation, and timbre of the sound, especially in the clarino register and in the high register. A forward and upward pointing tongue reduces the space between tongue and palate. This increases the speed of the air immediately in front of the reed and mouthpiece and reduces the air pressure there. The higher the pitch, the faster the airflow should be to produce a focused, well-responsive sound. This principle can be followed well in the video by Sarah Willis.

Using vowel shaping to produce a fast airflow reduces the embouchure pressure on the reed, which in turn has a positive influence on the reed’s vibration behavior and response. The breathing technique must include a suitable support technique to match the air pressure to the diameter of the airways in the vocal tract and to the musical context (see also John Odrich, 2017).

The Oral Cavity as a Resonance Chamber

Lucy Rainey (2011)[1] points out that the mouthpiece and vibrating clarinet reed are located in the oral cavity. By consciously shaping the pharyngeal cavity and lifting the soft palate, a resonance chamber can be formed that reproduces the vibrating behavior in the inner bore of the clarinet. This optimizes sound quality and response. Johnston (1986)[2] was able to prove this in a test arrangement with a mechanically blown clarinet.

Eli Eban emphasizes that voicing places high demands on proprioception. This is because the tongue is an extremely mobile muscle, but its various positions are more difficult to perceive without receptors such as those found in the joints. Even the smallest changes in tongue position and shape affects the tonal result. Therefore, the connection between muscular and auditory perception is of great importance.

Independence of Voicing and Embouchure

In contrast to the natural actions and positions of the tongue that we are familiar with from speaking, voicing in clarinet playing requires the tongue to be independent of the mimic muscles and the movements of the lower jaw. While the tongue forms the vowel i or y when playing the clarinet, the embouchure requires a lip position that corresponds more to the vowel o [as German Rose] or "ü" [as German "Glück"]. Also, the corners of the mouth are not pulled to the side and the jaw position remains only slightly open and Finally, the lips are tightly nestled against the teeth rows when forming the clarinet embouchure.

Independence of Voicing and Articulation

A major challenge in playing a wind instrument is that the tongue, which is very mobile, must perform several tasks independently:

  1. The rear part of the tongue is essentially involved in shaping the resonance chamber in the back of the oral cavity, involving the soft palate.
  2. The middle and front part of the tongue use their distance from the hard palate to determine the speed with which the air hits the reed.
  3. Only the tip of the tongue performs the articulation movements on the reed; the middle and back part of the tongue independently form the resonance chamber and remains generally in the same position (see Video with Sarah Willis).

Function of the Glottis

In addition to vowel shaping by tongue position, the air velocity in the vocal tract can be regulated by opening the glottis. Jenny Maclay (2020)[3] defines "voicing" as a combination of vowel shaping and an internal singing along of the pitch. The vocal cords change their tension according to the pitch, but do not vibrate. This can be seen through the position of the larynx, and felt through the changing opening of the glottis. If one sings a low note and then a high note, one can also clearly perceive the different laryngeal positions from the outside. Transferring this flexibility to corresponding pitches in instrumental playing improves sound, intonation, and response.

An inner sing-along builds a bridge to the mental practice technique (see Härtel 2012[4]). This practice technique mentally links inner singing along with the finger, tongue, and breath movements without actually performing those movements. In this way, the brain regions involved are linked together.

Joseph Marchi (1994)[5] does not focus on vowel shaping with the tongue but does use the vocal apparatus to regulate the speed of airflow. He explicitly mentions the laryngeal muscle, which regulates the passage of air in the [https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/glottis glottis by slightly tensing and relaxing it, thus increasing the speed of air in the oral cavity and decreasing the air pressure. His method "Etude des harmoniques et du suraigu" is based on exercises in which different overtones are played on fingered fundamental notes of the chalumeau register by modifying the opening in the glottis and without changing the fingering (see also Johnston 1988[2]).
Marchi aims at mastering the very high register. Here (higher like c4) it is possible to additionally inflate the cheeks, thus expanding the volume of the oral cavity and reducing the pressure.
If the pitch to be played exceeds the singable range, the tongue takes over the function of adjusting the speed of the air flow to the pitch accordingly. The combination of all aspects involved in voicing from low to high registers can be seen in the video by Sarah Willis.

Quotations

Paula Corley (2019)[6]. describes "voicing" as the deliberate shaping of the oral cavity with vowels during sound production:

„...Using vowel sounds to shape the oral cavity (mouth interior) is sometimes referred to as voicing; therefore, a player's voicing governs the tongue height and resulting air flow to the reed and mouthpiece. It's important to recognize how different voicings affects focus and tuning for clarinetists.“

Paula Corley[6]

A forward-upward pointing tongue speeds up the velocity of the airflow, which has a positive effect on the reed's vibrational behavior. Sound focus and intonation can thus be better controlled. Care should be taken that the tongue does not drop backwards towards the throat during playing, which would correspond to the vowels "a" or "o." Especially with higher notes, a forward-upward pointing tongue improves the response and optimizes the sound.

Howard Klug(2000) gives the didactic tip:

„If notes were food, push them forward and high in the mouth.“

Howard Klug[7]

Jérôme Verhaege's (2018) definition: Jérôme Verhaeghe Interviews Français (2019)[8]

„La vocalisation c’est la formation des voyelles, la position du larynx et la tension des cordes vocales“

„Vocalization is the formation of vowels, the position of the larynx, and the tension of the vocal cords.“

Harri Mäki: English Interviews[9]

Joseph Marchi's (1994) principle for the high and very high register:

„Grand Principe
La pression de l'air contenue dans la bouche doit être nettement plus faible dans l'aigue et le suraiguë que dans le grave."“

„Important principle
The air pressure in the mouth should be much lower in the high and very high register than in low notes."“

Joseph Marchi: Etude des harmoniques et du suraigu[5]



Historical Methods

Even the authors of the first instructional works, such as Amand Vanderhagen (1785)[10], Frédéric Blasius (1796)[11], oder J. Heinrich Backofen (1802)Referenzfehler: Für ein <ref>-Tag fehlt ein schließendes </ref>-Tag.. He gives the following comments on the working method for the high notes:

„Le véritable apprentissage du suraigu commence par ces exercices d'intervalles de tierce. Pour bien réussir ceux-ci en lié, il faut qu'un petit mouvement des cordes vocales se fasse simultanément avec le changement de doigté. donc de note. Lorsque'on passe à la tierce supérieure, il faut serrer un tout petit peu les cordes vocales et inverser ce mouvement pour passer à l a tierce inférieure. Le souffle doit toujours être soutenu, l'anche doit rester libre sans subir de pression du maxillaire inférieur.“

„The real learning of the very high register begins with these thirds exercises. In order for them to succeed, it is necessary to exercise a small movement of the vocal cords at the same time as the change of fingering, that is, with the change of tone. When you change to the upper third, you have to tense the vocal cords a little. This movement is reversed to move to the lower third. The breath must be guided continuously. The reed must be able to vibrate freely without pressure from the lower jaw."“

Joseph Marchi 1994: Etude des harmoniques et du suraigu [à la clarinette].[5]

Joseph Marchi proceeds in two learning steps:

  1. Legato: playing a sequence of harmonics in thirds, controlled by the movements in the glottis. The black notes indicate the fingerings, the white notes the sound (slightly lower pitch than with normal fingering).
  2. Non-legato: Playing the same tone sequences with the same technique, but adding tongue articulation.


This procedure drills the independence of air conduction by small glottic movements and articulation movement of the tip of the tongue.



The Oral Cavity as a Resonance Chamber

Following the tradition of the old French school, Joe Allard refers to his teacher Gaston Hamelin. He compares the shape of the oral cavity to a funnel that is wide at the back and tapers towards the front. The tip of the tongue is directed forwards-upwards, and at the same time the resonance space in the throat is enlarged by lowering the back of the tongue.
Since these constellations occur naturally in the double-lipped embouchure, James Campbell describes the double-lipped embouchure as the ideal embouchure. If only the problems of upper lip strain were not associated with this embouchure technique! Eli Eban always takes time to play exercises or individual passages with the double-lip embouchure, in order to become aware of the vocalisation associated with it and then transfer it to the normal embouchure. Alain Damiens, Heinrich Mätzener 1, 2 as well as the Australian professor D. de Graaff [2] activate the muscles of the floor of the mouth to expand the resonance space in the back of the mouth. In this process, the mylohyoid muscle is activated. In its natural function, this muscle opens the lower jaw. Since the lower jaw is in a slightly open position during the embouchure formation, the mylohyoid muscle pulls the floor of the mouth downwards and the pharynx opens. In this way, the back of the throat is formed as a resonance chamber, as in the case of a covert yawn, while the tip of the tongue can continue to be directed forwards-upwards.
For Steve Hartman, it is clear that the double-lip embouchure opens the throat, forming an optimal resonance chamber. At the same time, the tip of the tongue can focus the sound in a forward-upward position.
Frédéric Rapin creates additional resonance space in the nasal cavities by lifting the soft palate.
Gerald Kraxberger had the experience that opening the throat often results in a loss of embouchure control. He nevertheless recommends the vowel formation [a], while simultaneously creating a focus right at the front, in embouchure formation through the lips. If this is not possible, he recommends the vowel formation [i].

Scientific Studies

No other parameter of clarinet technique has been the subject of so many physical studies as the airflow in the wind player's vocal tract. Changes in the vocal tract can affect the glottis, pharynx, soft palate, and tongue. When quantifying the relationship between pitch, sound quality, and changes in the vocal tract, the degree of "acoustic resistance" plays an important role. Acoustic resistance describes the relationship between air pressure and air velocity. The following sections are an attempt to show a survey of this research.
Giovanni Battista Venturi discovered in 1797 that the flow velocity of a liquid through a pipe is inversely proportional to its diameter (see video tec-science on the left]])

Bernoulli - Venturi. Eine Verringerung des Querschnitts bewirkt: Erhöhung der Strömungsgeschwindigkeit bei Verringerung des Drucks Video: tec-science

If this knowledge is transferred to clarinet playing, the speed of the air stream that causes the reed to vibrate can be modified by altering the position of the reed or the opening in the glottis.

Joseph Marchi (1994)[5] was able to prove scientifically, by measurements with a manometer, that the air pressure in the oral cavity decreases with increasing pitch up to the very high register, but the air velocity increases.

Based on interviews with teachers, Darleny González and Payri Blas (2017)[12] investigated the use of vowels with music students in the classroom. Students were able to easily implement deliberate "vowel shaping." As a result, they improved timbre and response and increased their technical ease. They recommend the following vowel-register combinations:
See also González, Darleny, and Blas Payri (2017)[13] who recommend the following vowel-register combinations:

  • a for chalumeau
  • ɔ for throat register
  • i for clarion
  • ø for altissimo
  • o as a base vowel
  • ɔi for ascending leaps
  • iɔ for descending intervals.


American methods attach central importance to voicing in sound production, presumably as a further development of the "Vieille école Française." In accordance with the González/Payri table, the recommendations here are for the clarino register to form the vowel [i] (e.g. Keith Stein, 1958[14], Larry Guy (2011)[15], Tomas Ridenour (2002)[16])
In French, in addition to Joseph Marchi[5], the technique of vocalization is treated in detail by authors such as Alain Sève (1998)[17] oder Mathieu Gaulin (2018)[18] which refers to vocalization.

Jer-Ming Chen, John Smith And Joe Wolfe (2010)[19] have found that experienced players can only play very high notes because the acoustic resistance in their oral cavity corresponds to the acoustic resistance of the note played in the instrument.

Claudia Fritz (2005)[20] investigated the behavior of fundamental frequency, harmonic spectrum, and response in the clarino and chalumeau registers for the voicings [i] and [a]. In addition to measurements with professional clarinetists, they also set up an experimental arrangement with a mechanically played clarinet, with no human components. While the fundamental vibration hardly changed when playing with different vowels in the chalumeau register, a richer overtone spectrum did result from the vowel [i]. The differences were more pronounced in the clarino-register. Moreover, depending on the voicing, quite different fundamental frequencies could be produced. In agreement with the clarinetists’ opinions, the response was better with the voicing [i]. In another study, Claudia Fritz et al. (2005)

Claudia Fritz (2005)[20] showed that clarinetists each choose their own specific configuration of the vocal tract, and only change it at different register positions. Among the participating clarinetists, however, no uniform voicing could be found.

RB. Johnston (1999)[2] investigated this phenomenon with a mechanically blown clarinet. He found that the acoustic resistance in the oral cavity corresponds to that in the instrument. Appropriate voicing can influence register, intonation, and timbre can be influenced.

A study by Montserrat Pàmies-Vilà et al. (2020)[21] shows that clarinetists adapt the shape of the vocal tract to the respective register in both the clarino and altissimo registers. Appropriate voicings improve the attack and avoid underblowing, i.e. a lower resonance with higher notes.


References

  1. Rainey, Lucy. 2011. The clarinet as extension of the voice and expressive conduit of musical styles in diverse ensembles: a thesis submitted for [i.e. to] the Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Musicology, 2011 : New Zealand School of Music, Wellington, New Zealand. core.ac.uk {12.19.2020}
  2. 2,0 2,1 2,2 RB Johnston, PG Clinch, GJ Troup 1999. The Role of Vocal Tract Resonance in Woodwind Instrument Playing R Johnston, Acoustics Australia 14 (3), 67-69. www.researchgate.net {12.19.2020}
  3. Maclay, Jenny. What does voicing mean to clarinetists. www.dansr.com, 2020. jennyclarinet.com{10. Dezember 2020}
  4. Haertel, Klaus. Mentales Training für Musiker. Clarino 9, 2012. www.musikermedizin-leipzig.com {12.10. 2020}
  5. 5,0 5,1 5,2 5,3 5,4 Marchi, Joseph. Etude des harmoniques et du suraigu [à la clarinette]. Paris 1994. Henry Lemoine {12.19.2020}
  6. 6,0 6,1 Corley, Paula. What a difference a vowel makes: Focus and tuning for clarinetists www.dansr.com {12.24.2020}
  7. Klug, Howard. 2000. The clarinet doctor. Bloomington, IN: Woodwindiana (p. 68)
  8. Interviews Français
  9. Interview und Masterclass mit Harri Mäki, 2019
  10. Vanderhagen, Amand. 1785. Méthode nouvelle et raisonnée pour la clarinette. Paris: Boyer.
  11. Blasius, Frédéric. Nouvelle méthode de clarinette. Paris c.1796. Reprinted, Geneva 1972
  12. González, Darleny, and Blas Payri. “A Vowel-Based Method for Vocal Tract Control in Clarinet Pedagogy.” International Journal of Music Education 35, no. 3 (August 2017): 435–45. doi.org {12.12.2020}
  13. González, Darleny, and Blas Payri. “A Vowel-Based Method for Vocal Tract Control in Clarinet Pedagogy.” International Journal of Music Education 35, no. 3 (August 2017): 435–45. doi.org {12.12.2020}
  14. Stein, Keith. 1958. The art of clarinet playing. Princeton: Summy-Birchard Music.
  15. Guy, Larry. 2011. Embouchure building for clarinetists: a supplemental study guide offering fundamental concepts, illustrations, and exercises for embouchure development. Stony Point, N.Y.: Rivernote Press.
  16. Ridenour, Thomas. 2002. The educator's guide to the clarinet: a complete guide to teaching and learning the clarinet. Duncanville, TX: T. Ridenour.
  17. Seve, Alain. Le paradoxe de la clarinette: étude générative des multiphoniques, des 1/4 de tons, des micro-intervalles. Paris, 1998
  18. Gaulin, Mathieu. Initiation aux bois. 2018 dokumen.tips {12.08.2020}
  19. Jer-Ming Chen, John Smith And Joe Wolfe. How players use their vocal tracts in advanced clarinet and saxophone performance. In Proceedings of the International Symposium on Music Acoustics (Associated Meeting of the International Congress on Acoustics) 25-31 August Sydney and Katoomba, Australia 2010. [1] {12.01.2020}
  20. 20,0 20,1 Fritz, Claudia, Causse, René, Kergomard, Jean, and Wolfe, J. n.d. Experimental study of the influence of the clarinettist's vocal tract. Forum Acusticum (Hongrie Budapest) HAL CCSD 2005. researchgate.net {12 Dezember2020}
  21. Montserrat Pàmies-Vilà, Alex Hofmann & Vasileios Chatziioannou. The influence of the vocal tract on the attack transients in clarinet playing, Journal of New Music Research, 49:2, 126-135, 2020 researchgate.net {12.28.2020}