Keys to Overtone Singing

8/8/2019 Keys to Overtone Singing

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Det Springende Punkt presents

Keysto unlock the secrets

of the harmonic seriesand overtone singing





From the perspective of the harmonic series music is the language of integers- its atoms and molecules are primes and compounds of primes

1:2 First octave: 1:2 octave.2:4 Second octave: 2:3 perfect fifth; 3:4 perfect fourth.4:8 Third octave:4:5 just major third; 5:6 just minor third; 6:7 septimal third; 7:8 septimal second.8:16 Fourth octave: 8:9 major whole-tone; 9:10 minor whole-tone;... 15:16 major semitone.etc.

One winding of the octave spiral corresponds to one octave – we return to the same quality on anew pitch level:1-2-4-8-16-... are octaves of the fundamental. 3-6-12-... are octaves of the perfect fifth.

5-10-... are octaves of the just major third. Etc.



The correspondences between tone, body resonance and phonetics should not be interpreted toorigidly! In this example the harmonic series springs forth from a deep G but naturally any tone in any pitch will carry the harmonic series with it. What is invariable is the sequence of intervals between theelements – the simple integer relations of time and space (frequency and wavelength).

The body is a very complex resonance system, so you may also find resonance for deep tones high up inthe body and conversely. But generally: Deep tones ~ 'down', high tones ~ 'up', as indicated intuitively inthe language.The vowel sounds can be generated artificially by a compound of two or three frequencies but by overtonesinging you may accentuate elements from the harmonic series by shaping the vocal tract to positionssimilar to vowel pronunciation. Please notice again that the correlation is not absolute: You may be able toaccentuate the harmonics with different vowel qualities depending om voice type, pitch etc.



Generally the lower elements of the harmonic series are accentuated at the same regions of the vocal tract asthe rounded back vowels, whereas the higher elements correspond with the front vowels.To accentuate distinct overtones demands mastery of the tongue as a precision instrument.The integers indicate multiples of the frequency of the vocal folds.Please bear in mind that overtone singing technique is not limited to the vocal tract. A complex interaction

between abdomen, chest and throat musculature, breathing and body posture is essential.



It is a great advantage to become aware of thethree areas of the vocal tract where you may fundamentally widen or narrow the passageof the sound waves emitted by the vocalfolds:

Between the lips: mBetween the tip of the tongue and hardpalate: nBetween the back of the tongue andsoft palate: ŋ

By consciously opening from these hummingsounds into open vowel sounds you may

accentuate the elements from the harmonicseries very distinctly.

The overtones – like the flageolet tones on astring instrument are created at the shorterpart of the divided sound wave (string). Thatis between the point where the passage has

been narrowed and the lips.



A vibrating string gives rise to a range of simultaneous frequency conditions.

Imagining using a finger against a fretboard to divide the string insmaller fractions, the 1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5 and 1/6 ( bold) markersindicate the points of natural harmonics of the string.Furthermore you may find other fundamental musical functions.Here is only shown a part of the full picture as we have set the limit to 6out of a potentially endless number of elements.



The bowed lines of these illustrations do notindicate a vibrating string but interval relations(italic) between elements of the harmonic series(upright figures).The length proportions refer to the size of theinterval.

Here the harmonics #7 and #11 have been omitted because the interval names refer to tonal systems(Pythagorean, just tuning, equal tempered etc.)

where these nature tones do not have a place butactually sound out of tune in the context.

The just intervals:1:2 octave2:3 perfect fifth3:4 perfect fourth4:5 just major third5:6 just minor third

8:9 major whole-tone9:10 minor whole-tone3:5 just major sixth5:8 just minor sixth5:9 just minor seventh



The vowel mandala is amap for singers giving anorganic structure to the

various sounds which can be used in the rhythmic

language (primarily theplosives), for humming(the nasals) and forproducing sound colour(the vowels).The lastly mentioned arehere represented by initials of Danish girls

names.

The three fundamentalorganic sequences can bepractised in eitherdirection with longsustained tones.Going from the open [ɑ] in

the center they all convergetowards the nasals.



The vowel mandala was not introduced in an attempt toreplace the standard IPA phonetic chart, which is here forreference.



Another diagram elucidating the closecorrelations between music and speech.It shows the formation of the Swedish

vowel sounds as a result of twodominant frequencies.(from Johan Sundberg: Röstlära)

The formants are not only resonancefrequencies but are also linked to the

degree of opening or narrowingparticular areas of the vocal tract -incarnating music!



English is missing the term 'klang' which in German and Scandinavian languages indicates the quality aspect of any sound - which may be conceived as the sum of its overtones.Overtone singing forms a unity of three very fundamental fields of knowledge essential toconsciousness as such.



Tone is making a braid out of time (frequency) and space (wawelength) according to the formula for thecorrelation between the two aspects: f x λ = c Here f is the frequency of the tone, λ is its wawelength and c is the constant of velocity of sound wawesin air at about 20oC ~ 340 m/s



Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) who was active inNuremberg made this proportion study of the humananatomy.Do notice the measure at the far left - the proportions of the harmonic series:

1/1- 1/2- 1/3- 1/4- 1/5-...

Dürer's masterly hand is also behind the sketch pastedinto the note system at the fourth page of thispresentation.



Links to more information andlistening experiences:

www.overtone.cc www.overtonesang.dk

http://www.overtonesang.dk/

http://www.overtone.cc/



Documents

Keys to Overtone Singing