Formant question. I'd really appreciate some answer :)

[Xamedhi]

I have studied a lot of stuff, but only lately I've come to the interesting topic of formants.

When I sing between the C4 and the G4 in pure chest I can modify my palate and pharynx in such a way that the volume and illusion of power increases a LOT ( trying to stay on the same mode, which is mostly curbing ) and still feels pretty easy. If I sing an UH loud in an F or F#4 for too long I can start to have a headache.

Is that what you call a formant? The optimized acoustic setup?

[Xamedhi]

Also, forgot to say that, if I sing for example an IH, in that range I get the same boomy feeling inside, although the volume is lower, with a very cool sensation of... like a pillow of air between my pharynx and palate, which extends to some extent to the sinus.

The same happens with an OH, but the volume is in between the "UH>AH" and the IH ( or EE(?)). The IH, I feel is very far back, more to the pharynx in a very "horizontal" way.

Could this be an unintentional IH vowel modification I found that gives it more power? I think it's very similar to my EH on the inside, but it sounds very IH-ish and not EH-ish at all.

( "I" in spanish ( Probably written EE? idk )... I never know how to call vowels in here, haha. )

[Keith]

Here ya go!

http://www.ncvs.org/ncvs/tutorials/voiceprod/tutorial/singer.html

[Xamedhi]

Thank you very much, Keith! I'll definitely read that :P

[Owen Korzec]

Well an "uh" vowel can tune F1 to H2 (a very loud and boomy formant setup) between that C4 to G4 range you mentioned. If you sound "belty" it's likely that but it would also mean you're no longer on a Curbing tonality

[Xamedhi]

Thanks for the answers!

As for the headaches, CunoDante, it's not ACTUALLY a headache but just like a bothering ringy, blasty sensation like on the back of my skull, at the height of the ears aproximately. But that's just if I try to use all the power vocally and resonantly and stay there for a good while. ( Also it can last just for a couple of mnutes )

I am very aware of tensions, because I am a ballet dancer and I have learnt to isolate VERY well most of my muscles, haha. I don't sing with the head forwards, but I do tend to "look down" a bit when mixing ( or whatever term ) from F# and up, which doesn't tense any outer muscle that I am aware; I do that because I feel if I sang with my head looking to the front or even slighty up, the area where my lower tongue is would tense a bit and I try to avoid that. ( I'm working on looking up a bit every time I train while keeping the relaxation to see if it makes any difference on overall ease in the future )

Owen, you're probably right, maybe when I get that and sound that loud and belty it's not curbing anymore, because in that range I tend to widen the embouchure more into a smile, flatten the tongue with a slight U figure and probably I change into another mode unconsciously. Which is fine to me as long as it's healthy. This is though, only when I try to stretch chest up, if I bridge, mix, or whatever in that area F#4 to G#4 it keeps the curbing quality and volume and is darker in sound.

[Felipe Carvalho]

A formant is a peak of intensity within the sound produced by the voice.

Saying that its a "formant" does not say much, because you always have formants when you are singing.

Its possible that because of the posture you are using, a given formant became stronger and caused the sensation. But a sensation is not enough to conclude so. In the event that it is the case, it may also not be the desirable posture.

More important than that, as Dante said, you should not have headaches.

[Xamedhi]

Thanks, Felipe for the intervention.

Also from what I've been experimenting, yes, the head posture I've been using, which is looking at front and slightly looking down helps me feel the resonance very far back on my pharynx and in a very horizontal and wide way. And I want to explain again, because I don't want my words misunderstood because of bad explanation from my part, they are not actually headaches. It's like if I optimize as much as I can and turn all the power on, it feels like that ringing sensation on the top pharynx the way I described before engulfs my ears and blasts them in a kind of bothering way. I think it's just too much volume too close to the ears.

Now, when I try to sing looking up front and slightly up I feel the resonance more in the soft palate and the hard palate a bit, a much more mouthy sensation, and it's not as powerful or loud.

[Xamedhi]

Indeed, that is a better explanation. It's like when being at a club or something for too long. Also it usually happens when I've been already exposed to loud sounds during the day, such as PAs, a show or something.

Now, what you said about the head posture is what I experience. I have more ease on EEs OOs and UHs and feel like they require very little effort to produce loud volumes. But when I try to do AH or AAs there it could create tension if I am not focused on avoiding it, should I try to look up front always? Or only depending on the vowels I am using? Because I feel my EEs, OHs and such, sound so nice when I look slightly down, and the sensation on the pharynx is so pleasant.

[Xamedhi]

Oh sorry I re read your post and saw this You have to look up a bit for those types of vowels to give the jaw room to move. I think it answered my question. :)

[Xamedhi]

Also, about the sub-occipitals. I have probably some tension there, because I have had several neck lesions last year. I had a contracture there and wasn't able to look to the left for 3 days, lol. So probably I have some permanent tension in that muscle on the left side. ( It's hard to go back to neutral tone once you've had contractures in X muscle :/ ) I constantly stretch my neck muscles to avoid unwanted tensions.

But I don't think it is that, as I try to avoid every kind of muscular tension on the outside. I only feel that tension when I lift girls, haha.

[Xamedhi]

First, I thank you very much for your interest in helping me and your explanations. It has been very helpful.

Now..indeed, I practice mostly in my bedroom, which is kind of small and has natural reverb. I'll be careful with that, Cuno. Thank you very much, again. I certainly don't want to damage my ears :C hehe