Vocal Resonance and the Acoustic Chamber

Question

As a student of vocal singing, I've had trouble developing a full resonant sound, especially across my entire range. On accident I had my guitar hole placed near my head and I noticed in a particular range(the range that is most relaxing for me) my voice resonated within the guitar chamber.

When I create this resonating sound within the guitar that is far more noticeable than say speaking, is that a sign that I'm moving towards a full resonant sound? Can I rely on this as a tool to help me gauge how well my resonance is? Or am I wrong on this matter?

Answer 1

Acoustic guitars have approximately the same range as male vocals. So the notes that it 'heard' were within the sound range it was produced to amplify and project.Had it been an acoustic bass, for example, the resonance would have been less.

Bathrooms have a similar property, but usually have a particular frequency that gets amplified. On the guitar, there is also the sympathetic vibrations of the strings to consider.

It's probably not your resonant sound you're hearing. Sorry.

Answer 2

I agree with Tim, although playing around with the resonance can definitely be fun!

Vocal resonance is the result of the shaping of the throat and mouth, something known as the first and second formant tunings (but I wouldn't worry about the terms just yet).

In order to find great resonance you must be able to freely adjust the vowel sounds created by your vocal tract, aka throat and mouth. This is done by moving your articulators, notably the lips, jaw, tongue and larynx. Most often singers have trouble because an articulator is "stuck" due to tension. This is especially true on notes in the vocal transition. So for a man around E4 / F4 and again at G4 / G#4, although there is a lesser transition lower in the range.

If you are looking to find better resonance, I'd recommend looking in the mirror as you sing your scales. Does your larynx jump up? Is your jaw closing or being pushed forward? Is your tongue pulling back and balling up in your mouth? These are all common due to tension and prevent you from moving your mouth to create the proper shapes needed to find great resonance.

Hope this helps!