Singers’ self‐perception of harmonics

Historically, singers have relied on the sensation of resonance as a guide in vocal production. The use of terms such as focus and placement have been primary tools in traditional vocal pedagogy. In a newer method of acoustic training, singers can be taught to discern three bands of harmonics which are key elements of vocal timbre: ring, brightness, and nasality. Each of these harmonic bands has particular sonic and expressive characteristics and are easily amplified or attenuated. Ring, at 2500–3500 Hz, is the most penetrating of the three and is acutely heard by the human ear. Ring aids singers in being heard without electronic amplication. Brightness, comprised of harmonics in the approximate range of 5–15 kHz, lacks the penetrating quality of ring but is an important conveyor of the emotion of happiness and expressive traits such as sincerity and innocence. Nasality, broadly occuring in the 200–2000 Hz range, has a characteristic buzziness and is used in commercial singing styles for amplitude and exp...