Basics of Voice Acoustics for Voice Pedagogues
Thursday 26th October 2023, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
In this course, we will explain the basics of the acoustics of human voice. We will answer questions such as: What is sound? How can sound be investigated? We will shortly explain four basic characteristics of sound, i.e., fundamental frequency, sound spectrum, sound intensity and length, and their relationship to the perceived sound qualities, i.e., pitch, timbre, loudness and sound duration, respectively.
Next, we will look at different basic types of sound: pure tones, complex tones and noises. We will show how these sounds can be recognized perceptually by ear, as well as objectively by simple analysis of the sound waveform and of the sound spectrum. We will demonstrate the production of such vocal sounds live and show how we can understand and analyze them using the Voce Vista software.
Further, we will cover the basics of the source-filter theory of voice production and talk about how the voice source and filter differently contribute to the produced vocal sound. We will talk about the harmonics (overtones) and formants, which are important for voice timbre. We will also talk about the role of formants for production of vowels as well as for different singing voice qualities. We will show how we can easily synthesize voice of a singer using a software based on the principles of the source-filter theory.
Finally, we will take a look at the voice resonance phenomenon and discuss the contribution of subglottal and supraglottal (vocal tract) cavities to the resulting vocal sound. We explain and discuss three possible strategies for improving the “resonance in voice”: formant tuning, singer’s formant and changes of vocal tract inertance. By the end of the course, you will have a better idea on how voice acoustics can provide more insights and better understanding of human voice production and how can it be applied to singing voice.
Attend both Jan Svec's Basics of Voice Acoustics for Voice Pedagogues and Gökçe Kutsal's Acoustics in the Voice Studio and save £10!
Jan Svec
Jan G. Svec, Ph.D. is an internationally renowned Czech physicist performing basic research on production of human voice. He holds a MSc degree in fine mechanics and optics and PhD degrees in biophysics as well as in medical sciences...
Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.
Learn MoreSorry, this is an archived short course...
We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.
Monday 12th January 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Tuesday 13th January 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Wednesday 14th January 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Thursday 15th January 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Tuesday 20th January 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Wednesday 21st January 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
(London Time)
Level One Certificate in Accents and Phonetics
Louisa Morgan
Are you a voice, acting, or singing coach looking to expand your expertise and add accents and phonetics to your teaching repertoire? This 6-session course covers essential topics such as articulatory, acoustic, and auditory phonetics, the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), and ethical approaches to accent and dialect coaching. By the end of this course, you'll be equipped with the knowledge and practical skills to start to bring phonetics and accent coaching into your coaching and provide more comprehensive support to your clients.
Monday 12th January 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
Emerging and Developing Voice: Singing and Speech
Karen Brunssen
How does the singing voice influence the speaking voice? How does the speaking voice influence the singing voice? When is there a disparate relationship between the two? Can they help each other? Can one harm the other? How can we use them positively in the voice studio. During this short course we will consider the voice as we sing and as we speak. The acquisition of language is a very interesting journey from birth through old age. We will broach the topics of “lexical” which refers to learning words, and “semantic” which is how we use words in the context of language.
Monday 12th January 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Perfectionism: A Theoretical & Clinical Overview
Dr David Juncos
What exactly is meant when we label ourselves or someone we know a perfectionist? It is a good to be this way? Or are you setting yourself up for failure? Can a performance psychologist or a other performance-related practitioner help you if you’re a perfectionist? In this short course, you will learn how perfectionism is defined according to popular models in clinical psychology, and whether it is maladaptive or adaptive. You will also learn how perfectionism impacts on music performance anxiety, in addition to other areas of importance for performing musicians, like work-related stress and burnout, and procrastination with one’s practice.