UNIT 4: THE HUMAN VOICE

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       The human voice

The human voice consists of sound made by a human beingser humano using the vocal chords for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Generally speaking, the voice can be subdivided into four parts: the breathing, the vocal chords, the articulators and the resonators. The lungs must produce enough airflowflujo de aire to vibrate the vocal chords (air is the fuel of the voice). The vocal chords are the vibrators that produce the fine pitch and tone. The articulators (tongue, palate, cheek, lips, etc.) articulate and filter the sound. Finally, the resonators amplify and intensify the sound: the end result of resonation is, or should be, to make a better sound. The vocal chords, together with the articulators and the resonators, are capable of producing a lot of sounds. The tone of voice may be modulated to suggest emotions such as anger, surprise, or happiness. Singers use the human voice as an instrument for creating music.

        Vocal resonation. register and vocal ranges

Vocal resonation is the process by whichmediante el cual the timbre and/or intensity of the sound is enhancedmejorado by the use of the air-filled cavitiescavidades huecas in the body. There are seven areas that may be listed as possible vocal resonators. These areas are the chest, the trachea, the larynx (voice box), the pharynx, the oral cavity, the nasal cavity and the sinuses.

       Register and vocal Ranges

A register in the human voice is a particular series of sounds where a singer can sing comfortably and possess the same quality (timbre, power, cleanlinesslimpieza, claridad sonora...).
Voices are classified into rangesrangos. The differences between them are distinguished between men´s and women´s voices and the individual register of each singer.

Female voices:
-Soprano: A high female (or young boy’s) voice. -Mezzo-soprano: In between soprano and alto. -Alto: A low female (or young boy’s) voice.
Male voices:
-Countertenorcontratenor: A male voice that is unusually high, light, and agile, even for a tenor. -Tenor: A high (adult) male voice. -Baritone: A male voice that falls in between tenor and bass. -Bass: A low (adult) male voice.

Tuba mirum (W.A. Mozart)
Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor)

Voices are as individual as faces; some altos will have a smaller or bigger register, or the softest and strongest part of their range might be in a different place than other altos.


       Choral music

A choir, chorale, or chorus is a musical ensemblegrupo musical of singers. Choral Music, thereforepor tanto, is the music written specifically for a choir to perform. Choirs are often leddirigidos by a conductordirector. Choirmaster se refiere específicamente a un director de coro or choirmaster and can be categorized by the voices:
Mixed choirs (i.e., with male and female voices). This is perhaps the most common type, usually consisting of soprano, alto, tenor and bass voices, often abbreviated as SATB.
Male choirs, with the same SATB voicing as mixed choirs, but with boys singing the upper part (often called treble or boy soprano) and men singing alto (in falsetto), also known as countertenor. This format is typical of British cathedral choirs.
Female choirs, usually consisting of soprano and alto voices, two parts in each.
Children's choirs, often two-part SA or three-part SSA, sometimes more voices. This includes boys’ choirs.

Let the river -Conspirare- (mixed choir)
Scholla gregoriana (male choir)
La kantoría (female choir)
Les choristes (children´s choir)



       Practice

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       Activities

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