This article is about human song. For singing in other species, see bird song or whale song. Bird vocalization includes both Bird calls and bird songs In non-technical use bird songs are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear Whale song is the Sound made by Whales to communicate. The word " Song " is used in particular to describe the pattern of regular

Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with speech. Harold George Belafonte Jr (born March 1 1927 is an American musician actor and Social activist. Patricia Lee Smith ( born December 30 1946 is an American Singer-songwriter and poet Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Sound' is Vibration transmitted through a Solid, Liquid, or Gas; particularly sound means those vibrations composed of Frequencies Speech refers to the processes associated with the production and perception of Sounds used in Spoken language. During passing breathing, air is inhaled with the diaphragm while exhalation occurs without any effort. For other types of diaphragm see Diaphragm. In the Anatomy of Mammals the thoracic diaphragm is a sheet of Muscle Exhalation may be aided by the abdominal, internal intercostal and lower pelvic muscles. Intercostal muscles are several groups of Muscles that run between the Ribs, and help form and move the Chest wall. The pelvis (pl pelvises or pelves) or pelvic girdle is the irregular bony structure located at the base of the spine (properly known Inhalation may aided by use of external intercostals, scalenes and sternocleidomastoid muscles. The Intercostales externi ( External intercostals) are eleven in number on either side In Human Anatomy, the sternocleidomastoid (pronounced /ˌstɚ The pitch is altered with the vocal cords. Pitch represents the perceived Fundamental frequency of a sound The vocal folds, also known commonly as vocal cords, are composed of twin infoldings of Mucous membrane stretched horizontally across the Larynx. With the lips closed, this is called humming. A piece of music with a singing part, either a cappella (without accompaniment) or accompanied, is called a song; someone who sings is called a singer. Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. A cappella (Italian or Latin "From the chapel/choir" Music is Vocal music or Singing without instrumental Accompaniment In Music, accompaniment is the art of playing along with a soloist or ensemble, often known as the Lead, in a Supporting manner A song is a Musical composition. Songs contain vocal parts that are performed 'sung' and generally feature Words ( Lyrics) commonly followed Nearly anyone who can speak can sing, since in many respects singing is merely a form of sustained speech. It can be informal and just for pleasure, for example, singing in the shower; or it can be very formal, such as singing done professionally as a performance or in a recording studio. Bathroom singing, also known as Singing in the Bathroom, singing in the bath, or singing in the Shower is a A performance, in Performing arts, generally comprises an event in which one group of people (the performer or performers behave in a particular way for another group of people A recording studio is a facility for sound recording. Ideally the space is specially designed by an acoustician to achieve the desired acoustic properties (sound Singing at a high amateur or professional level usually requires a great deal of regular practice, and/or instruction. Top-quality singers will have instruction and training from coaches throughout their career.

According to Alfred Alexander (formally an ENT consultant to the Home Office), "a singer is a person of adequate musicality, who is gifted with a voice of such power and beauty that competent judges can recommend singing as a career". The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for security and order Musicality refers to fitting a Dance to the Music being played with the goal of relating the dance to the music's Rhythm, Melody, and mood NOTICE TO WOULD-BE-ROMEOS*************** Artists and Repertoire ( A&R) is the division of a Record label that is responsible for talent scouting and artist development Career is a term defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as an individual's "course or progress through life (or a distinct portion of life" Alexander believes that 1 in 50,000 in the UK possess such gifts, which means in England (800,000 births a year average) 16 people are born with such a voice a year, making 500 "first class voices" active in any particular generation (taken as 30 years) at any one time. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Generation (from the Greek γενεά) also known as procreation, is the act of producing Offspring. ^[1]

Singing is often done in a group, such as a choir, and may be accompanied by musical instruments, a full orchestra, or a band. For the musical composition see Chorale. A choir, chorale, or chorus is a Musical ensemble of Singers A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well Singing with no instrumental accompaniment is called a cappella. A cappella (Italian or Latin "From the chapel/choir" Music is Vocal music or Singing without instrumental Accompaniment

Classical and operatic solo singers are classified by the tessitura, vocal weight and timbre of their voices into voice types. Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto In Music, the term tessitura ( Italian for texture) generally describes the most musically acceptable and comfortable Timbre for a given Vocal weight refers to the perceived "lightness" or "heaviness" of a singing voice In Music, timbre (ˈtæm-bər' like timber, or, from Fr timbre tɛ̃bʁ is the quality of a Musical note or sound that distinguishes different A voice type is a particular kind of human Singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics

Choral Singers are classified by vocal range (see also musical range). For the musical composition see Chorale. A choir, chorale, or chorus is a Musical ensemble of Singers Human voices may be classified according to their vocal range &mdash the highest and lowest pitches that they can produce In Music, the range of a Musical instrument is the distance from the lowest to the highest pitch it can play

At the highest professional level it is imperative that singers continuously practice with drills, voice exercises and strengthening activities. Without constant practice, a singer's range can be significantly decreased, requiring extra rehearsal to regain the voice's previous capability, much in the same way as any professional level musician must practice constantly with their instrument. Human voices may be classified according to their vocal range &mdash the highest and lowest pitches that they can produce However, singing is a very natural activity and this kind of intensive practice is not usually necessary for most singers especially outside the field of classical music and where amplification is available, or for semi-professional singers.

Contents 1 Techniques 1.1 Vibrato 1.2 Melisma 2 Health effects 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

Techniques

See also Vocal technique.

A vocal warm-up is usually required before the vocal cords are expected to perform at their full potential. Numerous exercises have been devised to facilitate this warm-up, such as the popular "Bumblebee Don't Sting Me" exercise in diatonic thirds. Proper breathing technique is also a key factor in singing correctly.

Human voice is usually considered to have at least three voice registers; ranging from lowest to highest, they are the: abdominal register, head register, and falsetto. A vocal register in the human voice is a particular series of tones produced in the same vibratory pattern of the Vocal folds and possessing the same quality Head voice is a term used within vocal music The use of this term varies widely within vocal pedagogical circles and there is currently no one consistent opinion among vocal music professionals The term falsetto (Italian diminutive of falso, false refers to the Vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the Modal voice register and (The whistle register, comprising the highest notes that a human voice can reach, is also often considered a proper register, although individuals who are able to use it well are fairly rare. The whistle register (also called the flageolet register or whistle tone) is the highest register of the Human voice lying above the Modal ) Some singers choose to remain in a single range (usually the chest register) throughout a piece, but many will switch between these different ranges in order to produce a wide range of pitches, or even simply for effect. Yodeling is a technique that requires rapidly switching between at least two different registers many times in the same phrase, producing a distinct high-low-high-low sound. Yodeling (or yodelling, jodeling) is a form of Singing that involves singing an extended note which rapidly and repeatedly changes in pitch from the

Most singing involves shaping the voice to form words, but types of voice instrumental music which use open sounds or nonsense syllables ("vocalizes") also exist, for instance, scat singing and yodeling. A word is a unit of Language that carries meaning and consists of one or more Morphemes which are linked more or less tightly together and has a Phonetic Vocal music is Music performed by one or more Singers with or without non-vocal instrumental accompaniment A syllable ( Greek:) is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds In Vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with random vocables and syllables or without words at all Yodeling (or yodelling, jodeling) is a form of Singing that involves singing an extended note which rapidly and repeatedly changes in pitch from the Solfege assigns certain syllables to the notes of the scale. In Music, solfège ('soʊlfɛʒ also called solfeggio, sol-fa, or solfa) is a Pedagogical Solmization technique for the In Music, the term note has two primary meanings 1 a sign used in Musical notation to represent the relative duration and pitch of a Sound; In Music, a scale is a group of musical notes collected in ascending and descending order that provides material for or is used to conveniently represent part or all

Vibrato

Vibrato is a technique used by singers (and many instrumentalists; for instance, string instruments that are played with a bow can produce vibrato tones) in which a sustained note actually wavers very quickly and consistently between a higher and a lower pitch, giving the note a slight quaver. Vibrato is a musical effect produced in singing and on musical instruments by a regular pulsating change of pitch, and is used to add expression and vocal-like qualities to A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a Musical instrument that produces Sound by means of Vibrating strings In the Hornbostel-Sachs Vibrato is the pulse or wave in a sustained tone. Vibrato may be developed through extensive vocal exercises, demonstrated in vocal training programs.

Vibrato adds richness to the tone. Faster vibratos are possible without perceived "damage" to the note as the frequency of the note increases. Slow vibrato is necessary for low frequencies in order to allow the full waveform to propagate before altering its frequency.

Vibrato is the result of proper breath support. Some singers use vibrato as a means of expression. Many successful artists have built a career on deep, rich vibrato ability. Pop Diva, R&B and Folk musician Devendra Banhart often uses vibrato in his voice to imbue his songs with a haunting feeling. Popular music is Music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more A diva is a celebrated female singer The Italian term is used to describe a woman of rare outstanding talent in the world of Opera, and by extension in theatre and Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Devendra Banhart (born May 30 1981) is a Venezuelan - American Folk rock Singer-songwriter and Musician.

Melisma

A melisma occurs when a singer switches pitch while singing the same syllable. Melisma, in music is singing a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession It is used heavily in baroque vocal music, as well as to a somewhat lesser extent in popular music. Popular music is Music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more Singers especially noted for their use of this are Christina Aguilera, David Ruffin, Mariah Carey, Amy Lee, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Kelly Clarkson, Anastacia Beyoncé Knowles and Patti Labelle. Christina María Aguilera (born December 18 1980 is an American pop / R&B Singer and Songwriter. David Ruffin (Davis Eli Ruffin ( January 18, 1941 &ndash June 1, 1991) was an American soul singer most famous for his work Amy Lynn Hartzler ( née Lee; born December 13, 1981) best known as Amy Lee, is an American Singer-songwriter Whitney Elizabeth Houston' (born August 9 1963 is an American Singer-songwriter, Actress, Film producer, Arranger and former Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25 1942 Franklin has had a total of twenty number-one singles on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart, two of which became #1 hits on the Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24 1982 is an American Pop rock singer songwriter and occasional actress. Anastacia (born Anastacia Lyn Newkirk on September 17 1968 is a Multi-platinum American singer and songwriter Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (born September 4 1981 commonly known as Beyoncé (biːˈɑn Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24 1944) best known as her stage name Patti Labelle, is an American R&B and soul .

Health effects

Singing is considered by some to have positive effects on peoples' health. A preliminary study based on self-reported data from a survey of students participating in choral singing found perceived physical benefits including increased lung capacity, improved mood, stress reduction, as well as perceived social and spiritual benefits. ^[2] However, one much older study of lung capacity compared those with professional vocal training to those without, and failed to back up the claims of increased lung capacity. ^[3]

Singing may positively influence the immune system through the reduction of stress. An immune system is a collection of mechanisms within an Organism that protects against Disease by identifying and killing Pathogens and Tumor One study found that both singing and listening to choral music reduces the level of stress hormones and increases immune function. ^[4]

See also

• Belt (music)
• Group singing
• Opera
• Rapping
• Death growl
• Screaming (music)
• Recitative
• Sprechgesang
• Throat singing
• Vocoder
• Voice pedagogy
• Voice projection

References

External links

• A Brief History of Singing
• Vocal Warmups
• Singing scales and warmups: Harmonised accompaniments for singing practice
• Vocal Training
• Singing Voice

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