How To Improve The Resonance Of Your Voice

Do you cringe when you hear your voice played back on your answering machine or a family video? Does your voice sound too thin and reedy, too shrill? Do you wish your voice had a deeper, richer, rounder sound? A large part of the quality of your voice depends on the resonance of your voice.

So, what is vocal resonance?

As you learned in school, sound is vibration. The pitch or note of a sound is determined by the speed at which something vibrates. Resonance is determined by the space in which the vibration takes place. Take two string instruments that look similar, but sound very different -- violin and guitar. The sound is determined not by the string or the note that is played, but it's the space where the vibration takes place that affects the harmonics of the sound or the range of overtones. It's the size, shape and material of the "box" over which the strings vibrate that has an effect on the note's resonance. With wind instruments, it's the size, shape and material of the "tube", which affects the sound's resonance, together with whether the tube is open ended or not.

What is our "box" for resonating sound? The throat, chest, mouth, and nasal cavities. Because we all vary in size, we all sound different. When we sing, we can alter this space, resulting in different resonating qualities and different singing styles -- for instance, the different resonating qualities of opera and jazz singing account for the different sounds of each style. An impersonator is skilled at changing the resonating aspects of his or her instrument, as does the experienced singer. The wonderful thing about singing is this: with resonance, there is no right or wrong. Each singer is different. Each is influenced by different styles.

Many neophyte singers fall into the trap of attempting to artificially manipulate this space. Many times singing teachers tell their students to hold the jaw, mouth, and larynx in certain positions, open the throat, feel like they are yawning, place the sound in a certain way, and more, all in the name of making the student sing a certain way to fit an ideal of what sounds "good."

This approach sacrifices a singer's unique style for an artificial, manipulated sound. It often restricts rather than frees the singer, resulting in a tight, compressed sound. The result is someone who sounds like they've taken singing lessons, but who is not necessarily an interesting, unique artist.

How does one improve the resonance of his or her voice?

If your voice isn't as resonating as you would like it to be, the problem may lie in the amount of tension already built up after years of habitual use. Release the tension blocking the vibration -- which is making your voice sound more restricted -- and you improve the resonance of your voice. There's more to it than just saying "relax," however. The ability to relax certain areas is a learned skill.

No matter what style to you want to sing -- from rock to opera -- you will get a stronger, freer resonance when you build strength in certain areas and release built-up tension in other areas.

Resonance of your voice infuses other areas of your life. When your voice becomes freer and more resonant, you realize that "resonance" has larger implications. You resonate with others - the entire world around you. If you restrict and inhibit the voice, you come across as a restricted, inhibited person. Release your physical voice and you release your inner voice. As an artist, you resonate with your audience, and as a human being you resonate with others

Per Bristow is a vocal and performance coach. He is the founder of The Bristow Voice Method – the breakthrough method known to rapidly release a free use of the voice for singers and speakers. To learn more about how to improve your resonance and vocal quality, visit www.BristowVoiceMethod.com