Tone and Vocal Resonance

Preston Weber

3 Tone and Vocal Resonance

Tone refers to the sound produced by the voice. Tone can be extremely different for different genres of music. Descriptive words can be used to describe a singer’s tone, such as: bright, dark, full, powerful, airy, breathy, harsh, gentle, soft, velvety, raspy, buzzy, whiny, clear, pure, and many others. Regardless of genre, developing the ability to produce clear, full tone while singing will aid in the development of all vocal skills. Achieving great vocal resonance by allowing the vocal folds, the larynx, the mouth, the nasal cavities, and all parts of the singing body to vibrate and sing freely will help develop and control tone. Many of the exercises below incorporate nasal resonance (like the sensation one feels when humming) to help develop great vocal resonance overall.

7. Mmmm-Ahhh